Teac's new R-3 radio is a tri-band stunner. Available in a white or black finish (the white shows up fewer fingerprints and matches an iPod), the TEAC R-3 DAB radio ships with an integrated rechargeable battery.

A quirky feature is that the R-3 gives the multiplex name in addition to the station name when you're scrolling alphabetically along the list of stations - something we've not seen on other DAB radios. This is useful, though, as there doesn't appear to be any other way of arranging stations except alphanumerically - although the presets will come in handy for quick selection of favourites. An enter button re-tunes the unit to the selected station, which is a major improvement over, say, the TEAC SR-L30DAB radio's awful station selection rigmarole.

Alarm and timer functions aren't set in an obvious way, however - you must hold down the alarm button for a couple of seconds before the time on can be set. This does mean that accidental button presses won't translate into mucking up the alarm settings.

The blue standby LED glows reassuringly when the R-3 is in operation and the dual-line display is easy to read. Adhering to the latest trends, a 3.5mm input socket is provided on the front of the TEAC R-3 to allow MP3 player hook-up - a nice touch.

A sturdy carrying handle on the side of the unit suggests it should stand upright, but the display and rubber feet indicate otherwise. Main controls and preset buttons are very sensibly laid out on the top of the R-3 tri-band radio, with the added extra of the spare stereo input and the inclusion of a 3.5mm audio cable with the radio.

The TEAC R-3, despite being quite diminutive in stature, manages to put in one helluva performance. The loudspeaker uses a ported enclosure, which improves bass from such a small unit. The full-range single speaker produces a maximum of 2.5 Watts and sounds great - there's ample bass on offer and the unit copes well with both speech and music stations. Voices are clear and distinct and music, though played through just the one speaker, still provides an enjoyable listen. You can also connect headphones by simply turning the unit over.

The telescopic aerial does a fine job of pulling in DAB signals - even though the radio was surrounded by hordes of other electrical equipment. It's possible (though apparently not the quickest of jobs thanks to screw covers and ring nuts!) to hook up an external aerial, too.

Find out where to buy the TEAC R-3 DAB digital/FM portable radio online.

For:	great looks and portability; triband design means you can use it abroad
Against:	mono speaker
Verdict:	TEAC delivers an impressive radio that you can also take abroad to tune into DAB
Price:	GBP119.00 or less

Find out where to buy the TEAC R-3 DAB digital/FM portable radio online.

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Related links:
Buy TEAC's range of DAB tuners, portables and receivers, via this website.

guide to DAB digital radio, on this website.
where to buy DAB digital radio, on this website.
what to buy - a DAB Buyers Guide, on this website.
more DAB radio receiver, system and tuner reviews, on this website.