Como Audio Solo Wireless Speaker - Hand-Crafted Veneer Cabinets- One Touch Streaming, Internet Radio, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi - Piano Black
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Product Description
Questions & Answers
The Solo will, in fact, be able to connect to Pandora. However, you'll need to pair it with your device via Bluetooth. Pandora isn't as integrated into the radio as Spotify is. With Spotify Connect, you can drop your phone in the water and still listen to your favorite music.
No, it's nearly 1/2" thick MDF, which is excellent for acoustics and is commonly used to make loudspeaker cabinets.
Yes.
It has a clock that, according to the manufacturer, intelligently sets itself using your wireless Internet connection. Ours, on the other hand, will say "12:" After a power outage, the time is reset to "00" for a week, but it isn't always accurate (it's currently one time zone off). It was difficult to set up, but we figured that once we did, we wouldn't have to consult the instruction manual as frequently. Not so. It was a letdown.
Selected User Reviews For Como Audio Solo Wireless Speaker - Hand-Crafted Veneer Cabinets- One Touch Streaming, Internet Radio, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi - Piano Black
PROS
- Stylish design and high-quality constructionbr>- Multiple audio sources are supportedbr>- There is a lot of connectivitybr>- Buttons, menus, and the color display offer a satisfying tactile experience. br>br>CONSbr>- For a device with so many sources, six preset buttons is insufficient. br>- Beyond those six multi-mode presets, you won't be able to add any more FM presets. source buttons, whether on the radio or in the phone appbr>- There isn't a HD Radio tuner available. br>- There isn't an AM radio station in the area. br> There are no iHeartRadio stations that can be accessed through the built-in Internet Radio tuner. br>- Apart from what's baked into the unit's menu, which is minimal, there's no Tidal, Deezer, Amazon, Google, TuneIn, Pandora, SiriusXM, or other streaming services. Spotify and Frontier Silicon, an internet radio aggregator, are the only two options.
- There is no built-in voice control, but an Amazon Dot or Chromecast can be plugged into an AUX input for audio streaming. br>- The sound quality falls short of what I had hoped for from the much-hyped 30-inch screen. Premium speakers and a watt amp. The bass isn't very deep, and there appears to be a mid-range problem. To make up for it, there's a bass hump and recessed mids. It has a hollow sound to my ears.
- There aren't enough options for EQ settings. Only bass, treble, and 'loudness' are available, as well as a couple of factory presets that I don't like. br>br>WISHESbr>- To supplement the 6 physical buttons on the unit, software should be updated to provide a home screen with additional presets. br>- The presets for the FM tuner menu should also be separate. I'm sure I could use 15 or more FM radio presets on my own.
- iHeartRadio should be integrated into the software. Hundreds of radio stations/streams would be added, many of which are currently unavailable due to their exclusivity. It's possible because Grace Digital uses it in their Internet radios.
- Tidal and Deezer, with their lossless hi-res audio, are two of the most popular streaming services. fi streams, which sound better than Spotify and should be supported on a product aimed at audiophiles like thisbr>- As previously stated, all relevant streaming services should provide much more widespread support. br>- Multi- To allow midrange adjustments, band EQ would have been preferable to bass/treble/loudness. br>br>OTHER THOUGHTSbr>While I have great respect for the developer, this unit was just not the ideal all-in-one unit. br>br> I was hoping for one radio/streamer. It didn't have access to HD radio stations or other iHeart platform stations that are important to me, which meant I'd have to stream them from my phone, which defeats the purpose of having a built-in tuner in the first place. I also found the sound quality to be underwhelming, especially when compared to a radio like the long-running XM Satellite Radio. The Cambridge Soundworks Model 88, which I still consider to be the gold standard for great sound, has been discontinued. Table radios, or even Bose radios, can make a good sound. br>br>The Como is well-made, has a nice appearance, and while the sound quality isn't to my liking, it's adequate. It's a commendable first effort from this company, but my main takeaway from playing with it was that the Solo seemed to be a jack of all trades and a master of none.
The internet radio was fantastic; it connected to my iPhone, which was fantastic, and the sound was quite good considering it wasn't vinyl or hardwired. After three or four months, both units, however, stopped working properly. They couldn't connect to my iPhone, and there was no sound on the internet radio station. I contacted Como Audio, and they offered to replace one unit for free, which was excellent customer service, but that unit also failed after three months. Please read this and do not purchase this product; you will save yourself a lot of time and aggravation. Look for a radio somewhere else.
It's built to last. For its size, it sounds good, and there are a lot of ways to connect external audio (Bluetooth, line in, USB, optical). br>br>Contrary to popular belief, there are a number of disadvantages to using this product. Knobs are small and only the quickest fingers can turn them. I believe that a software update would be able to fix the user interface, which can be confusing at times. The Android app that can be used with this radio (Google Pixel) is completely unreliable. The app crashes when you select one of the functions. The radio can be operated without the use of the app. br>br>For its size, the Como Audio Solo sounds great and streams internet radio stations well. The user interface should be made more simple, and the Android app should be addressed and improved.
With a few exceptions, I'm quite pleased with the Como Solo. The sound, first and foremost, is incredible! It's crystal clear and almost completely fills the first floor of my house. It's also a quite lovely piece of machinery. As a result, the exceptions are really for you to be ready when you do it:
1. For what it is, the software is quite slow, and there is a lot of waiting involved. time spent setting up, establishing a network, and transferring from one station to another It took at least 10 minutes to locate my network, whereas most smartphones and computers do so in seconds. It's also not a good idea to use the knobs and buttons for the setup because they're very forgiving. If you make a mistake with a knob, you'll be taken back to the beginning of the search and setup process. This part is much easier with the remote, as is almost everything except going directly to a station (one of the six top touch buttons). It surprised me because I'm a knob person who prefers to operate things by hand rather than using a remote control.
2. Given the number of station settings available, it appears that being able to pre-programme this device would be beneficial. It would be a no-brainer to program more than six touch buttons stations. This is typical of car touch buttons (FM1, FM2, and so on). I'm not sure why they didn't do something similar in this country.
3. I can't get it to work with my iPhone using a USB cable/firewire or the USB setting. I have to connect it with an audio cable, which is fine because it still works and allows me to listen to Pandora, but you'd think a smartphone would be able to plug and play. Fortunately, I have a charger on hand, but that requires another cable.
4. I can't call this a con because I knew it wouldn't work, but having only Spotify is a pain. I like Pandora; I have all of my stations set up, and I'm not a big fan of Spotify. It would be great if there was a way to add an internet address.
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