Skip to main content ↑ ↓

Notice

Please note that most of the software linked on this forum is likely to be safe to use. If you are unsure, feel free to ask in the relevant topics, or send a private message to an administrator or moderator. To help curb the problems of false positives, or in the event that you do find actual malware, you can contribute through the article linked here.
Topic: Best audio player for under kitchen cabinets (Read 3259 times) previous topic - next topic
0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Best audio player for under kitchen cabinets

I have family members who have a c. 1994 GE cassette player and radio installed under a kitchen cabinet (doesn't use up the countertop space), but it's of course been many years since a cassette was played in it, and though they still use it for radio it gets harder and harder to get it to tune in properly.

I'd like to replace it for them. But it seems hard to find decent replacements.

Musts: installs under cabinet, good FM reception, 3.5mm input. Presumably built-in speakers also a must though I can imagine finding separate mountable speakers
Probably a must: good AM reception, plays CDs- though most of their old AM channels now also do FM and maybe they can be weaned off using physical disks
Maybe nice to have: acts as bluetooth speaker
Pie in sky: streams audio e.g. flac via wifi from the NAS I set up for them, has output jack, can connect to wireless headphones.

Any recommendations? Looks like a lot of the reasonable quality stuff in this space was discontinued 5 years ago (Sony ICFCDK50) and it's harder to find ones that pick up AM at all. I guess I was expecting to find stuff that checked every one of the above boxes, no such luck.

Re: Best audio player for under kitchen cabinets

Reply #1 –
Here's a thought, that may work for your situation. How about using a car stereo? There is quite a selection with wifi, bluetooth, remote operation from a smart phone, USB and SD card inputs, and all kind of features for a $100 or less. The "problems" you'd need to deal with are building a case. Maybe out of plywood, covered in something. You'd need to build it to accommodate some car speakers. (Maybe down firing to save space.)

The biggest problem to deal with is you'd need a 12-volt power supply. That part isn't difficult, but if you wanted the radio to hold its presets, the power supply would need to stay "on" all the time. Even this can be gotten around, but it would take some "tinkering" with circuitry to include a 12-volt burglar-alarm style backup battery.

Anyway . . . just a thought.

 

Re: Best audio player for under kitchen cabinets

Reply #2 –
Quote from: jensend on
I have family members who have a c. 1994 GE cassette player and radio installed under a kitchen cabinet (doesn't use up the countertop space), but it's of course been many years since a cassette was played in it, and though they still use it for radio it gets harder and harder to get it to tune in properly.

One approach would be an inexpensive Android tablet driving a set of good quality active speakers, either of the PC or studio monitor persuasion depending on available space and budget..   Actual AM and FM reception would be upgraded to streaming audio over the web.

I was walking through a large PC store in town a couple of weeks back and they were selling 7" Android tablets for less than $30. I bought one and while not the fastest thing in the world, it does work and run the usual streaming A/V apps effectively.

You can get holders for mounting tablets under a counter top.  The separate speakers can give you more flexibility for the installation.

Re: Best audio player for under kitchen cabinets

Reply #3 –
Quote from: jensend on
Musts: installs under cabinet, good FM reception, 3.5mm input. Presumably built-in speakers also a must though I can imagine finding separate mountable speakers
Probably a must: good AM reception, plays CDs- though most of their old AM channels now also do FM and maybe they can be weaned off using physical disks
Maybe nice to have: acts as bluetooth speaker
Pie in sky: streams audio e.g. flac via wifi from the NAS I set up for them, has output jack, can connect to wireless headphones.

The only product I know of that's fulfilling all your requirements (except for the pie-in-the-sky ones  :) ) is the Tivoli Audio Music System BT (Shop link). Their stuff is rather expensive. But we've had one of their radios (iSongBook) that proved long-lived and sounded great.

If you can persuade your folks to stop using CDs (the player is usually the first thing to go, anyway), there is also a CD-less version for a lot less money (Shop link) that even offers an internal battery pack, thus is mobile.

I'm not working for them, just a satisfied customer.

Cheers!
Kaspar

Re: Best audio player for under kitchen cabinets

Reply #4 –
Some interesting suggestions so far- but all of them are going to be a challenge to mount under kitchen cabinets.

Looks to me as though- unless I trawl ebay for units that have been out of production for 5 years- AM reception has got to go. In that case the two things I'm finding that do most of the rest are this and this. The latter is available locally for $35. Maybe I should just pick that up and call it good; even though speaker quality and FM reception won't be amazing, it ought to match their 22-year-old GE unit.

For the few times when they really need AM I could buy them a dedicated radio with better reception (e.g. this one seems to get high marks from radio enthusiasts) and if they want it played over the kitchen unit's speakers they could plug it in to the kitchen unit via the 3.5mm.

Thoughts?

Re: Best audio player for under kitchen cabinets

Reply #5 –
Quote from: Artie on
How about using a car stereo?
This is an intriguing idea; unfortunately I don't really have time for hacking something like that together at present. A quick search turns up a few people who've done this for general home audio (though none for under-cabinet use).

This really seems like something a manufacturer should be able to capitalize on. Making an enclosure for in-home use of car audio units would mean that with just speakers+ac adapter+etc you have access to a world of good yet inexpensive audio units, can compete in many ways with niche market home audio stuff that costs vastly more, and it'd be upgradeable too.

Re: Best audio player for under kitchen cabinets

Reply #6 –
It needn't take long to go the car stereo 'hack' route.

They nearly all come supplied with a mounting cradle that could be very easily screwed to the underside of a shelf/worktop/etc, and laptop brick switch-mode PSUs are readily available for little money that can output 12V DC at a comfortable umpteen Amps.

I reckon an enthusiastic and competent DIYer could have it all set up and working in under an hour once the parts are sourced.

Re: Best audio player for under kitchen cabinets

Reply #7 –
Car stereos can get quite hot! Some are rated for 4x40 watts which generated quite some heat even on low volumes. Also you need a powersupply that can keep up with that. A simple 2 amp 12v supply would not suffice I'm affraid.

In the Netherlands kitchenradio's can still be bought online, like the "AEG Bluetooth Keukenradio KRC 4361 BT" for 50,95 euro's or many other types and brands: https://www.bol.com/nl/l/keukenradio-s/N/20887/
Maybe you can find some product types you can search for in your country!

"AEG keukenradio KRC 4355 CD" for €68,80 plays CD's


For AM reception you'll have to make a search. I think these do exist.

Re: Best audio player for under kitchen cabinets

Reply #8 –
How does "umpteen" equal 2, and why would it have to be a 4x40W head unit?

Not deliberately purchasing inappropriate hardware is a logical prerequisite to any successful DIY project, or am I missing something obvious here?

Re: Best audio player for under kitchen cabinets

Reply #9 –
If you google in wall amplifier you can find some useful solutions, including radios and music players with a variety of functions. I have one in-wall with ceiling speakers. Not easy to retrofit, but takes almost zero space within the room itself. I used car speakers mounted in the ceiling, which sound great in the room, but the sound is almost as good in the room above! I think the radio function in some of the devices is pretty marginal though, and some are expensive.

Cheers,
David.