Tuneshine review: This lo-fi screen brings retro vibes to your music with cool pixel art of your albums

Streaming has revolutionized the way we listen to music, but without physical media in our hands, it's easy to overlook the cover art of your favorite albums. Tuneshine aims to fix that by adding a fun visual component to your listening experience. This pixelated screen connects to various music services and shows off artwork of the albums you're playing.

I've reviewed a lot of audio products over the last decade, but rarely does a product advocate for artists like Tuneshine does. In its unique way, it attempts to bring back cover art to show off a musician's complete vision.

Of course, Tuneshine isn't a critical cog to make a home audio system work, but it's a fun one that can complement any music-listening setup, whether you use a Bluetooth speaker or record player. It can work for a kid's room, an office, or a living room bookshelf. Its app and software are easy and flexible enough for anyone to use.

Here's why Tuneshine has become a regular fixture in my music-listening routine.

With the Tuneshine's LED screen, pixelation is the point

I can't tell you where the Tuneshine will look best in your home, but I can tell you it looks best from a distance. The front of the device features a little over 4,000 pixels, spaced far enough apart to see a bit of black between them when you get close. That's the point. The pixelated style gives the screen a unique retro look and funky vibe. To really appreciate the appearance, however, you will need to be at least a few feet away from it.

Personally, I like that the lo-fi color display isn't sharp and ultra-detailed. If you want something crisp and high-resolution, you can probably figure out how to rig up an iPad screen to do something similar. A low-end or refurbished iPad costs about the same. But the Tuneshine is purposefully different.

When Tuneshine isn't displaying live cover art, it can be left black or show a variety of other designs, including a photo from your library. The device has separate brightness levels you can adjust in its app for when the display is active and when it's not being used. I found the pixels plenty bright to be visible in a sun-filled room.

The Tuneshine should easily fit on a bookshelf or end table. You'll just need to account for the included six-foot braided USB-C cable that connects in the back for power. The whole unit is 6.3 inches wide by 6.3 inches tall and just over 1.5 inches deep.

The device is available with a wood backing in beechwood or walnut styles. The company also offers limited-edition aluminum versions in various colors, but they take longer to ship. Beechwood costs $200, walnut costs $220, and the aluminum models cost $250. The units are made in the US, and the limited-edition models are assembled in Oakland by the product's designer, Tobias Butler.

Streaming services work best, but it's also compatible with vinyl, CDs, and other sources

Tuneshine doesn't have any microphones; it handles the task of identifying and displaying album artwork through its WiFi connection and mobile app. The setup process walks you through connecting the Tuneshine to your internet and then to one or more music services. So, you do need an iPhone (or iPad) or an Android device to get it up and going.

Although Tuneshine only officially supports Spotify, Apple Music, and Sonos, you should be able to use other services like Tidal, YouTube Music, and Roon via a workaround that relies on music aggregator Last.fm. The FAQ on the Tuneshine website has more details on how to use this method.

To get artwork on Tuneshine while listening to a vinyl record, CD, or other offline source, you can use Shazam through the Tuneshine app. This process uses your phone's microphone to listen to the audio and passes the info to the display. Relying on Shazam is a little cumbersome because of the frequency with which you might have to reach for your phone to have the app listen for a new track. But thankfully, Tuneshine does have the neat feature of being able to set the artwork to display for the duration of the album.

I tried connecting pretty much all of the available services at one time or another. Spotify was the most seamless and was the fastest to respond to song changes, but none of them gave me trouble. If you want to go crazy and put multiple Tuneshine devices around your house, that's possible. I connected two, one with Spotify and one with Apple Music. Everything went off without a hitch.

Cons to consider

I haven't experienced more than a few negative blips with Tuneshine over the last several months. Nothing more than an occasional service disruption or small random bug.

If there's one notable drawback to consider, it's that the device doesn't have an actual on/off switch. You have to unplug it to fully deactivate the screen. Otherwise, as long as the Tuneshine is plugged in and connected to your internet, it will light up and display album art even when you're listening to music somewhere else.

For example, I stream songs from Apple Music to my Apple Watch when I run. The Tuneshine still comes to life at home and shows off my playlist. I don't mind that. But some people may want to keep this in mind when choosing where to place the screen in order to avoid any possible embarrassing situations with guests, kids, or coworkers.

Should you buy a Tuneshine?

Tuneshine is a simple product at its core, but it works well and brings a fun visual touch to any music setup. Its main function is to be cool, and in that sense, it's a rad accessory for any music enthusiast.

Of course, price is a factor to consider, and at $200 to $250, the Tuneshine isn't exactly cheap. But if you have the cash to spare, it's a unique and well-designed device. Even if it doesn't quite fit your vibe, I bet you know a music fan for whom it would make a good gift.

And if you're looking for new speakers, music players, or headphones to complement a Tuneshine, be sure to check out our various audio buying guides:

• Best Bluetooth speakers
• Best record players
• Best soundbars
• Best Sonos soundbars
• Best surround sound systems
• Best headphones

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