Diamonds in the rough

Sometimes navigating the labyrinth of locations and genres available from internet radio can be daunting. But take a little time to explore and you’ll find hidden gems waiting to be discovered.

We’ve highlighted five of the top stations we enjoy listening to at Naim Audio below. All are included on the ‘Naim Audio’s Choice’ list of our favourite stations highlighted for easy access on all Naim Audio network-connected music players.

If you have any suggestions for additions to Naim Audio’s Choice then send us your recommendations on Facebook or Twitter. The best will be considered as potential new additions to our selection.  

1. Radio Paradise

Radio Paradise broadcasts from a small town called Paradise in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountains in California. Run by locals Bill and Rebecca Goldsmith (pictured above), Radio Paradise promises ‘a blend of many styles and genres of music, carefully selected and mixed by two real human beings.’ The ‘two real human beings’ part is important here. It’s the reason Radio Paradise offers such an eclectic and appealing mix of music. Listen for an hour and you’ll discover a list of new artists and albums to buy as well as rediscovering a few classics. It has a loyal following the world over, including 4 listeners on the island of Vanuatu in the South Pacific.

2. Monocle 24

‘Keeping an eye and an ear on the world’ is how Monocle describes its 24 hour global radio station, and the newest addition to Naim Audio’s Choice list. It focuses on foreign affairs, business, culture, design, urbanism, food & drink, print media and more. We love Monocle 24 because of the diverse range of music it offers including its Continental Shift playlists, featuring three hours of curated music from across Europe. Listen to Monocle 24 to broaden your musical and intellectual horizons.   

3. Deep Vibes Radio

Deep Vibes Radio brings you a selection of the best live and recorded deep house mixes from DJs all over the planet streamed at 320kbps quality. It’s a must listen for fans of house music and even if you’re not a huge follower of the genre it provides an atmospheric soundtrack for casual background listening.

4. Avro Klassiek

AVRO Klassiek is the Classical Music radio station of Dutch broadcaster, AVRO TROS. It presents a wide range of classical music in an accessible format for those looking to make their first acquaintance with the genre. It also offers programming which will appeal to more seasoned listeners as well as live streams of concerts and exclusive web only videos.

5. BBC Radio 6 Music

It may be an obvious choice but a list of the best internet radio stations would not be complete without 6 music. It’s the BBC’s dedicated music station, bringing together top quality programming on new music as well as having unlimited access to the extensive BBC archive.