The Pinell north makes no secret about its origins. If you are still not sure about where the Pinell brand originates from, the description ‘north’ will make you prick up your ears. And rightly so, because the internet radio from Norway combines the fi nest Scandinavian design with a variety of receivable sources and the best sound qualities.
At first glance, you could easily mistake the north radio for a Bluetooth speaker, beautifully designed and with a high-quality fi nish. Such high-quality fi nish can be seen in the front grill, which presumably hides a speaker Mobile internet radio from the north The Pinell north makes no secret about its origins. If you are still not sure about where the Pinell brand originates from, the description ‘north’ will make you prick up your ears. And rightly so, because the internet radio from Norway combines the finest Scandinavian design with a variety of receivable sources and the best sound qualities. If you then turn the device on via the control panel, which is located at the top, a language selection menu immediately appears on the large and flush-mounted display. If nothing has dawned on you so far, you will soon realize that the north is by no means a simple Bluetooth speaker: the device can connect to the existing WLAN so the large and wide world of internet radio stations opens up to the user. As with many internet radios, Spotify Connect comes pre-installed and is directly accessible via a menu item under the source selection. Once the basic settings such as language, WLAN, station scan, etc. have been made, you can basically get by using the mode button, which is also the on/off button and the scroll wheel in the center of the keypad. You can switch through the sources using the mode button, zap through the menu or adjust the volume using the scroll wheel. You can call up your previously saved favorites using the 1 – 4 number keys.
But there is still something else
Pinell does not mention the battery capacity of the north radio, but the stated 15 hours of playtime are easily achieved. Thus, the device is perfect for on the go, which is also supported by the very solid production quality. However, you will not be able to connect to the internet via WLAN everywhere and using your smartphone as a hotspot will only block it for other uses and will unnecessarily eat up data volume. However, this does not matter, because fortunately the north has a built-in radio receiver which can receive DAB and DAB+ and the FM stations that are still available. Furthermore, it is still possible to stream music from your smartphone to the north via Bluetooth, which brings us back to the qualities of the Bluetooth speaker.
Speaking of speakers
The north has two built-in full-range speakers, i.e. one per stereo channel. These two 45-millimeter drivers are each powered by 10 watts and radiate to the sides. These drivers are supported mainly in the low frequency range by two oval passive diaphragms which radiate their 66 x 35 millimeters to the front and back, respectively. This results in a pleasant all-round sound for the north, which in turn makes it safe in terms of positioning. Although you should not expect miracles in terms of low bass from the rather small housing volume, the north still makes plenty of steam for its size. It is a pleasure to notice that the north never sounds stressed even at high levels or when the bass is increased to the maximum, which can be done via the tone control in the menu. Battery life decreases at high volumes, as expected, but the sound always remains pleasantly deep and clear.
Conclusion
The Pinell north is one of the most beautiful and best- sounding mobile internet radios. The small footprint cleverly belies the fact that it is a true stereo device, with plenty of battery capacity.