OCTOBER 2019 MACWORLD 121Pretty much any content that’s accessed
on the Mondo+ Classic (even the sleep
sounds) can be stored and recalled as a
favorite with one of the radio’s 10 presets—
four more than you’ll find on Como Audio
and Bose SoundTouch products. And these
button commanders never fail you, unlike
the misunderstood voice requests to sleepy
Alexa, which often directed my Sonos One
smart speaker down the wrong rabbit hole.
I was also impressed with this radio’s
refined, multi-user five-event alarm clock,
which can wake you to, say, a rousing local
morning show (or SiriusXM’s Howard
Stern) on weekdays, to mellow jazz from
Paris on Saturday morning, and tropical
rain forest sounds on Sunday. Single-day
alarms are also available, as are 10 alarm-
only noise makers that can likewise be set
to ramp up slowly or blast fast. These also
automatically function as backups should
you lose your broadband connection.
WEAK LINKS
I have mixed feelings about the oval Qi
wireless smartphone pad on top for
magnetic induction charging of compatible
smart phones. Grace Digital rates the
charger at 10 watts—a good match for
high-end Samsung Galaxy phones adept
at fast charging. But with my iPhone X
optimized for a 7.5-watt max Qi charger,
the extra intensity made the phone heat
up more than I like, even when removed
from its case. Grace’s Fadul says this
warming is nothing to stress about, that it
won’t shorten the phone’s battery life.
Personally, I’m reserving judgment.
Chromecast and Bluetooth connectivity
have also proven to be an iffy, teeth-
grinding proposition. And system freeze
ups are more common when your
smartphone and the Grace Digital radio
are far from—or on a different floor than—
the Wi-Fi router they’re both connected to.GUTS... AND SOME GLORY
Audio sources and connections include a
front-mounted (where it belongs!)
headphone jack, stereo analog Aux In and
Line Out jacks, and a multipurpose USB
connector that can charge a phone, host a
USB storage device, or—with an optionalThis rear view shows uncommon Wi-Fi
whip antennas, analog in/out jacks, a USB
connector, and a bass-extending port.