TL;DR
Miss your old, high-quality stereo but hate the lack of streaming? Meet the Atonemo Streamplayer, a tiny gadget that breathes new life into your existing audio gear. It's like a Chromecast Audio reborn, but better. Easily connect your smartphone to your classic speakers via WiFi for lossless, high-res audio streaming that blows Bluetooth out of the water. Perfect for audiophiles who've invested in great sound but crave modern convenience. Discover how this affordable device bridges the gap between analog excellence and digital ease – dive into our full review to see why we're so impressed!
Sometimes you come across a gadget you’ve never heard of, but realize you’ve always wanted. That’s what happened a few weeks ago when we stumbled into a temporary pop-up here in Stockholm set up by Atonemo. We were warmly welcomed by Leo, one of the company’s founders, and as soon as he explained what their product could do, we were sold. Atonemo Streamplayer is the company’s first product, and it promises to breathe life into all those fantastic but “dumb” speakers gathering dust at home.
What is Atonemo Streamplayer?
For those of you who remember and perhaps miss the now-retired Chromecast Audio, it is easy to explain what Atonemo Streamplayer is. It is quite simply an updated and more modern version. For those not familiar with niche gadgets from the last decade, however, a brief explanation is required.
The simple explanation is that Atonemo Streamplayer breathes new life into your old stereo. You simply plug it into any hi-fi system and can then stream music directly from your smartphone or tablet via your home network. It might sound like a niche product, but for anyone who has invested significant money in, or inherited, a heavy-duty audio system that lacks modern connectivity, this is the perfect bridge between analog gold and digital convenience.
First impressions
When we picked up our review unit at Atonemo’s headquarters in Stockholm, we were immediately surprised by how small the packaging was. Once home and unboxed, it turned out that the Streamplayer itself is actually smaller than you might imagine, only slightly larger than a matchbox.
The box includes a USB-C cable for power and a 3.5 mm AUX cable. One might find the decision not to include a 3.5 mm to optical or RCA cable a bit stingy, but considering the modest price, this can likely be forgiven. The device itself is mainly built from matte plastic with some glossy sections. With only two ports and no other complications, the Streamplayer gives a very tidy and clean impression that can easily be hidden away behind the amplifier.
What is Atonemo Streamplayer like to use?
The installation was smooth. We provided power, connected it to our speakers, and downloaded the Atonemo app. The app is exemplary in its simplicity and stability; you select your Wi-Fi network, name the player, and then you’re up and running. We started by connecting it to our existing living room system, which consists of a pair of older active speakers. We launched Spotify, chose Streamplayer as the output, and the music began flowing immediately without stuttering or lag.
Sound Quality – This is where things get interesting
Sound quality is always subjective and depends heavily on what you connect the player to. We performed an A/B test to keep it as objective as possible, using the same song and the same speakers, but pitting standard Bluetooth playback against the Streamplayer’s Wi-Fi connection.
When playing via Spotify, the difference wasn’t initially very noticeable in terms of sound, although the Wi-Fi connection was significantly more stable and allowed us to move freely around the home without the music cutting out. However, when we switched to a high-resolution audio source, the difference became immediately apparent. The “wow factor” was instant. Streamplayer supports 24-bit/192 kHz, meaning it can handle lossless audio with a level of detail that Bluetooth simply cannot match. It was incredible to hear details in our favorite songs that we had rarely noticed before. It becomes painfully clear how much audio is compressed via standard Bluetooth compared to the Streamplayer’s ability to handle high-resolution data via WiFi 6.
Other features
Atonemo Streamplayer has a few extra aces up its sleeve. In addition to the standard AUX connection, there is an optical output via Mini Toslink for setups where you want to go fully digital into a DAC or amplifier. Furthermore, you can purchase several separate players and connect them to different speakers throughout the home to create a seamless multi-room system. This was something we unfortunately couldn’t test fully as we only had one review unit, but the potential is great.
What about the competitors?
There are modern competitors, primarily from the Chinese company WiiM with their Mini and Pro models. However, Atonemo Streamplayer beats the WiiM Mini when it comes to accessibility and compatibility, offering support for both AirPlay 2 and Chromecast. Additionally, Atonemo uses the more modern WiFi 6 standard. While the WiiM Pro has more inputs, it is also both larger and more expensive.
Conclusion
If you’re not convinced yet, you’re probably not the target audience. But for those who love their existing audio system and want modern functionality without compromising on sound quality, Atonemo Streamplayer is essentially unbeatable. It delivers better performance and broader support than its closest competitors at a price that feels more than reasonable. This comes as a strong recommendation from our editorial team!
Atonemo sent a review unit for this review. The provider of the material has no editorial influence on our tests.
