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 Further information postcode check DAB digital radio FAQs DAB digital reviews and feedback   under £ 90 » Pure ONE Flow wi-fi/DAB/FM portable award-winning  » Pure Evoke Flow DAB wifi radio DAB, DAB+ compatible, FM and wi-fi internet radio in one unit recommended  » Pure ONE Elite Series II DAB/FM radio recommended  new » Pure One Classic Series II DAB FM portable with Listen Later function recommended  new » Pure One mini Series II DAB/FM radio recommended  recommended  » Denon DM 38 DAB micro with iPod dock award-winning  » Marantz M-CR603 DAB/DAB+/CD/network receiver award-winning  news » Roberts Revival iStream wifi/DAB/FM radio mains/battery op recommended  news » Revo AXiS DAB/FM iPod dock award-winning |
Which portable DAB digital radio do we recommend? If you want a reliable radio, we'd go for the Roberts Ecologic 1 - a popular choice with a built in battery charger. If you want better sound, go for a Pure radio - scroll down a bit and you'll find info about the One Mini Series II and others. In a similar vein, the Roberts Elise, UnoLogic and stereo DuoLogic are all fuss-free DAB radios, featuring FM, that run on either mains power or batteries, for not much more cash. The UnoLogic and DuoLogic both feature charging circuits within the radio: pop in rechargeable cells when you're connected to the mains and you'll be ready to go portable when required. A little pricier, the Roberts ClassicLite boasts up to 100 hours' battery life and takes universally-available 6 "C"-size batteries, including rechargeable cells. The Roberts Ecologic 7 boasts an exceptional 150 hours' battery life and takes universally-available 6 "D"-size batteries; you can even pop in your own rechargeable cells. It can be bought here. For another DAB radio at the cheaper end of the market, but with good sound, look no further than the Pure ONE Mini Series II, a single-speaker DAB radio (with stereo sound if you plug in headphones and FM reception to boot) featuring a 3.5mm input to play your MP3 player or iPod through the Mini II's speaker. You can read more about the Pure One Mini Series II. There is a downside in that you need to purchase a specific battery pack in order to use most Pure portables out and about. If you want stereo sound out-of-the-box, the Pure ONE Elite Series II comes in a stylish and contemporary white or black finish with twin speakers and looks great alongside your iPod or iPhone; it also has an 3.5mm input for these, too. We've more information on the Pure ONE Elite Series II. If rechargeable battery packs aren't your thing, but you want a retro looking radio, check out the Roberts Vintage. It has a built-in battery charging circuit that works with standard "C"-size cells. The Pure ONE Classic DAB digital radio with FM offers pause, rewind and a 45 minute recording facility and does a great job at searching out even weak DAB signals; you can read about its features here. If you want reliability and performance in weaker signal areas, we recommend Pure and Roberts DAB digital radios. Listeners do have a small complaint in that the AC adaptor (which plugs into the mains and has a low-voltage lead that plugs into the back of the radio) can be a bit chunky on these radios, but in reality it means that the power supply is isolated from the unit itself, thus reducing any problems with mains hum. Which DAB portable CD player do we recommend? The Roberts Zoombox is about the only truly portable DAB radio featuring CD player. Taking 6 "C" cells, the Zoombox offers CD player and DAB/FM tuner in a portable radio. It can be found here. Which DAB or internet radio with iPod/iPhone dock do we recommend? If you want a good-looking iPod dock with both DAB and wi-fi then the Pure Contour is a reliable choice. The Revo Axis is an award-winning receiver with iPod dock. For something that looks a bit different, go for the Domino D3. For DAB-and-FM only, the Roberts Sound 53 DAB/FM/iPod tabletop music system is also kitted out with a CD player and SD card slot, offering a wide range of listening sources. You can buy the Roberts Sound 53 online. An award-winner, the stunning Vita R2i with iPod dock is an excellent choice and can be bought online here. If you want a cost-effective micro system with iPod or iPhone dock, then Sony offer a wide range starting at under £100. Which combined DAB and wi-fi internet radio do we recommend? If you don't need an iPod dock built-in, the award-winning Pure One Flow with its connection to the Lounge portal for internet radio favouries and no-nonsense design offers lots of features for your money. It's available here. The Pure Evoke Flow wifi internet radio, which also features DAB, is another excellent choice. You can buy the Pure Evoke Flow online here. The Pure Avanti Flow is the Evoke Flow's bigger brother, with twin speakers, and is another award-winner. You can buy the Avanti Flow here. The Roberts Stream 83i is another good choice, with reliable wi-fi connectivity and dual alarm settings. You can find out where to buy the Roberts Stream 83i online. Sticking with the Roberts brand, the Roberts Revival iStream has received excellent reviews and feedback and can be bought here. If you don't want DAB or even FM, a good choice is the Roberts Stream 105 wi-fi only radio, which is available to buy here. Which handheld or palmtop DAB digital radio should I buy? The best of the lot are, yet again, manufactured by Pure, so we'd go for either the award-winning Pure PocketDAB 1500 DAB/FM handheld (buy it online here) or the original Pure Move palmtop radio (if you're lucky and want a cheaper option, you can sometimes track down a refurbished Move, or one with a bit of extra branding on - who cares, if it's cheaper, buy it!). Both feature built-in rechargeable batteries. We've heard reports that the build quality of the Roberts SportsDAB II handheld DAB/FM radio suffers somewhat, but with both telescopic and headphone aerials the SportsDAB II is good for seeking out a DAB signal. Which in-car DAB radio or in-car DAB adaptor should I buy? The Pure Highway DAB/FM in-car DAB adaptor is an obvious choice if your car stereo system is built in to the dashboard. There are several other models from JVC and Philips that have received good reviews. Which DAB radio with record should I buy? Roberts RecordR offers 4 separate, fully programmable timers alongside 4 alarms. It has a high-capacity combined SDHC and SD card slot. Read more about it on the link. Pure's Evoke 3 is the grandaddy of all DAB radio recorders and should be given serious thought, especially as it offers such a wealth of features, including 20 shared recording and alarm timers. If you've had problems in the past with the Evoke 3 switching on or freezing, grab the latest firmware update from the Pure website and port it across to your radio. It should solve all issues and get you using your Evoke 3 again. Go and fetch it from the cupboard, now! Which splashproof / water-resistant DAB digital radio should I buy? The Pure Oasis Flow, capable of receiving DAB, FM and internet radio stations is splash-resistant, so you can it out into the garden or bathroom without worrying about unsafe mains voltages. A built-in rechargeable battery takes care of things. Similarly, the Roberts Splash! is a battery operated all-weather radio that you can use outside or in the bathroom or shower room. It uses standard "D"-size batteries that can also be swapped for rechargables if you wish. This radio receives DAB and FM broadcasts. Which alarm clock DAB radio should I buy? Our recommendation for a simple DAB alarm clock radio would be either the Pure Siesta DAB clock radio, or the Roberts Dreamtime. The Sony XDRC706 is another strong choice. If you want an iPod-dock alarm clock, try the Roberts Dreamdock. Be aware that many users consider the display brightness of DAB clock alarm radios to be too high when trying to sleep, however, those listed here have dimmer controls, adjusting the display brightness depending on the ambient light levels within the room (in the case of the Siesta) or, as with the Dreamdock, a four-stage dimmer. This seems to have solved previous concerns thst listeners have had with older (and cheaper) models of DAB alarm clocks. Which DAB hi-fi system should I buy? If it's a micro system you're looking for, the Denon DM38 DAB digital micro hi-fi system, combining an FM/AM/DAB receiver and CD player into one neat, compact unit is an award-winner. It offers excellent sound-for-pound. You can buy the Denon DM38 DAB digital micro hi-fi system here. The Sony CMT-BX77-DBI micro DAB with built-in iPod dock is a system at the other end of the budget scale, which has had good reviews and is a very popular choice and can be found here. Using an external aerial to improve coverage. DAB digital radio external aerials do make a significant difference to signal levels when installed correctly, though it's debatable whether they would offer any improvement where it is not possible to pick up a signal with a standard telescopic aerial. The two XFMs should soon offer different local news and travel, so it's no problem to pick up both stations. Related links: |
