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Andover Songbird Internet Music Streamer
Plug-and-Play Music Streaming
From streaming services and radio stations to podcasts, the Internet offers endless entertainment. Elevate your listening experience with the Songbird streamer—named one of the "Best Music Streamers of 2021" by The Master Switch and "Budget Component of the Year (2020)" by TONEAudio. Featuring a high-grade, built-in DAC, Songbird delivers exceptional sound quality and seamless control from your Android or iOS device.
PLUG-&-PLAY INTERNET MUSIC STREAMING
Enjoy all your favorite music in one place with the Songbird streamer. Stream from top services like Qobuz, Spotify, TIDAL, and Amazon, or access thousands of internet radio stations like iHeartRadio over your WiFi network. Experience up to 24-bit/192 kHz high-resolution audio for unmatched sound quality. Easily connect to any audio system via analog or digital inputs, and control everything effortlessly with the free Andover Audio app for iOS and Android.
Incredible Sound. Incredible Value.
Access your Favorite Services, DLNA and Airplay.
Songbird is delivered with native access to Qobuz, Spotify, Tidal, Amazon Napster, I-Heart Radio, and Tune-In. Other services will be added as they become available. (Note some services require a subscription.)
Songbird will access and play music files on any DNLA or AirPlay compatible device on your home network such as a computer or network storage device.
Connect to any Audio System
Songbird is easily connected to any audio system or powered speaker system that has an analog or an optical digital input. That includes almost everything. Songbird also includes its own analog and digital inputs, so you don’t lose an input you may already be using. Or, you can even use Songbird’s optical input to add a digital input to a vintage system that doesn’t already have one.
Free iOS & Android App
Operate Songbird with Songbird Control, our simple and intuitive app available for free on Apple Store and Google Play.
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Professional Reviews 81/100
Nicely Roasted
Sound Quality
76/100
Build Quality
75/100
Features Usability
82/100
Value for Money
95/100
The Andover Songbird brings smooth, grain-free streaming and remarkably broad connectivity to compact vintage or modern systems. TONEAudio MAGAZINE found it exceptionally easy to install and musically impressive, while its optical output, Ethernet, AirPlay, DLNA and high-resolution support create a genuinely flexible, upgrade-friendly digital front end.
What Reviewers Are Saying
Pros
Delivers enjoyable, smooth treble performance and excellent results with budget amplifiers, powered speakers and vintage systems.
Broad streaming and connection options include Wi-Fi, Ethernet, AirPlay, Bluetooth, DLNA, analogue and optical I/O.
Optical output provides a clear upgrade path to a better external DAC.
Setup and network music access are notably straightforward for an entry-level streamer.
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Cons
The internal DAC is serviceable rather than a standout, and an external DAC can deliver stronger sound quality.
Gapless playback is available only through AirPlay, and overall operation is less smooth than a Bluesound Node 2i.
SOUND QUALITY PERFORMANCE 76/100
The Songbird’s analogue output is described as acceptable and enjoyable enough for an inexpensive entry-level streamer, rather than a standout DAC section. Reviewers also point to the optical output as the sensible route for listeners wanting a substantial later upgrade in conversion quality.
Tonal Balance Musicality
76/100
Cheap Audio Man found the internal DAC “not great” but said it sounds “okay” and is “passable.” That indicates a serviceable, listenable presentation for casual streaming, though there is no evidence of unusually rich, refined, or especially natural analogue sound.
Resolution Detail
75/100
The available reviews offer little direct commentary on low-level detail, imaging, separation, or spatial depth. The recommendation to use the optical output with a better external DAC suggests that the onboard conversion is not intended as the last word in resolution.
Digital Performance
76/100
Gramophone praised the quoted 80dB signal-to-noise figure as respectable at this price and highlighted claimed 24-bit/192kHz playback support. In contrast, Cheap Audio Man found Bluetooth merely passable and noted that gapless playback is limited to AirPlay, so performance is practical rather than especially polished.
FEATURES USABILITY PERFORMANCE 82/100
For a compact budget streamer, the Songbird covers an unusually useful range of services, network options, file formats, and analogue or optical outputs. Everyday operation is described as easy, although the interface and playback behavior are less smooth than a more expensive Bluesound Node 2i and gapless playback is restricted outside AirPlay.
Streaming Software
78/100
Cheap Audio Man calls the Songbird easy to use and confirms support for major streaming services and network music. However, it does not play gaplessly except through AirPlay, and was judged less smooth in operation than the much pricier Bluesound Node 2i.
Features Connectivity
91/100
The Songbird supports Wi-Fi or Ethernet networking, AirPlay, Bluetooth, DLNA, a broad range of music-file formats, and services including Tidal, Amazon Music, Spotify, Qobuz, iHeartRadio, and TuneIn. Its analogue and optical outputs are particularly useful: it can feed a simple existing system directly or act as a digital source for a future external DAC upgrade.
Assessments of Build Quality, Usability, and Overall Propositions.
Build Quality
75/100
The reviews focus on the Songbird’s price, streaming functions, and upgrade path rather than chassis construction or long-term durability. There is no reported problem with its physical execution, but reviewers say little about casework, controls, power supply quality, or reliability over time.
Value for Money
95/100
At roughly $130–$150 in the reviews, both writers consider the Songbird exceptionally accessible for network streaming. Gramophone calls it a low-barrier entry point, while Cheap Audio Man describes it as one of hi-fi’s biggest values and a “no-brainer,” especially because optical output gives it a clear upgrade path versus similarly priced budget options.
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Verified Dealers
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Authorized dealers for Andover Songbird Internet Music Streamer
- Abt Electronics — online and in-store — Glenview, Illinois, United States (website)
- Audio Advice — online and in-store — Raleigh, North Carolina, United States (website)
- Audio Artisans — in-store — Bozeman, Montana, United States (website)
- B&H Photo — online and in-store — New York, New York, United States (website)
- Brian's Custom Theaters & Hi-Fi — in-store — Nashville, Tennessee, United States (website)
- deciBel Audio — in-store — Chicago, Illinois, United States (website)
- Elusive Disc — online and in-store — Anderson, Indiana, United States (website)
- Fred's Sound Of Music AV — in-store — Portland, Oregon, United States (website)
- HiFi Heaven — online and in-store — Green Bay, Wisconsin, United States (website)
- Minneapolis Hifi — in-store — Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States (website)
and 6 more verified dealers