NTS & Atonemo launch radio player built around human-curated listening

Swedish tech company Atonemo has teamed up with online radio station NTS Radio to release the Atonemo NTS Radio Player.

It’s a pocket-sized Wi-Fi streamer that gives listeners direct, physical access to NTS's programming without touching a phone or screen.

The device connects to any speaker or amplifier via a 3.5mm analogue output and streams at 24-bit/192kHz resolution, which puts it on par with high-end CD playback.

To start using it, all that needs to be done is plug it in, connect to Wi-Fi via the Atonemo app, and it's ready. From there, an in-app 10-band EQ lets you tune the sound to your speakers and room.

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What sets it apart physically is the icon wheel, where turning it cycles through NTS' 16 Infinite Mixtapes, each represented by a small icon, including a trumpet for jazz, a waveform for field recordings, and a lotus flower for ambient and beatless music.

Two large buttons give direct access to the live radio channels, NTS Radio 1 and 2.

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As mentioned in Dezeen, Atonemo co-founder and designer Noah Constantinou described the experience similar to a certain Japanese; "We think of this as omakase listening: you hand over the decision to someone whose taste you trust, and you get something better than anything you'd have chosen yourself," he states.

Beyond NTS, the pocket-sized player supports AirPlay 2, Google Cast, Spotify Connect, and Tidal Connect.

Priced at £129.00 (roughly USD170), it’s available for pre-order with late-August shipping.

Purchase here.

Amira Waworuntu is Mixmag Asia’s Managing Editor, follow her on Instagram.

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