The idea is a reaction to the endless scroll. Atonemo, a Swedish audio company, made the player with the London radio station NTS, and it removes nearly every decision a streaming app asks of you. There is no display and no playlist to build. It measures 70 by 105 by 23 millimetres, and it plugs into any amplifier or active speaker with an analogue input.
Three controls do the work. A red button tunes to NTS 1 and a white one to NTS 2, both live. Between and beside them is a large dial that selects one of the station's 16 Infinite Mixtapes, which are music-only streams assembled from resident and guest shows. Each position on the dial carries a small icon rather than a name: a sun, a smiley face, a safety pin for post-punk, a trumpet for jazz. Atonemo's co-founder Noah Constantinou designed the player, and the dial is a reasonable echo of a hi-fi volume knob. There is a separate volume knob as well.
The technical side is more conventional. The player joins your Wi-Fi network, which is dual-band Wi-Fi 6, and sends audio out through a 3.5mm analogue socket at up to 24-bit and 192kHz. The box includes a 3.5mm to RCA cable and a USB-C power lead. It also supports AirPlay 2, Google Cast, Spotify Connect and Tidal Connect, so the dial is not the only way in. Atonemo adds an in-app 10-band equaliser and automatic updates over the air.
Setup does need a phone once. The Atonemo app walks you through joining the network, after which the player can run without it. The maker offers a 30-day satisfaction guarantee and a two-year warranty, both starting on arrival.
The limits come from the concept. There is no speaker in the player, so you need something to plug it into, and Atonemo suggests emailing a photo of the back of your equipment if you are unsure whether it will connect. Stock is also unsettled. Goodhood lists the player at £129, while Atonemo's own page shows it as pre-order only, priced at 1,690 SEK, and gives two different arrival estimates, late August and mid November.
- Two buttons for live NTS 1 and NTS 2 and a dial for the 16 Infinite Mixtapes, with no screen
- Streams over Wi-Fi 6 and also supports AirPlay 2, Google Cast, Spotify Connect and Tidal Connect
- Analogue output up to 24-bit and 192kHz, with RCA cable and USB-C lead in the box
- No built-in speaker, so it needs an amplifier or active speaker with an analogue input
- Atonemo's page shows pre-order only with conflicting arrival estimates, and setup requires the app once
The verdict
A narrow, tactile idea executed with care, best suited to someone who already leaves NTS on and owns something to plug it into.
Best forNTS listeners with a hi-fi or active speakers who want the station without a phone.
Photographs courtesy of Atonemo and NTS
