|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
station directory
latest radio news
air today
feedback
features
|
|
 Radio-Now at Bristol Sound and Vision 2004 : Pure Pocket DAB review
|
|
The PocketDAB 1000 made its debut last year at the Sound and Vision show - then it was an early, pre-production model housed in a plastic casing. The proper model itself is extremely well-built, with an anodised aluminium case, making the PocketDAB feel substantial enough to take knocks and a few drops. It is also remarkably small and compact - a marvel of miniaturisation. Pure Digital were showing it off in a rather nice leather case, with a clear plastic cover to enable you to see the display.
The PocketDAB certainly has a high "wow" factor, with its glowing blue backlight and dual-line matrix display. Underneath, a four-way rocker switch controls the volume in the up/down direction and scrolls through the station selection in the others. A "hold" slider switch on the top of the unit (alongside the power button) ensures the station and settings are locked, even when the PocketDAB is sitting in a pocket.
Alphabetical, "by multiplex" and "ten favourites" station ordering is possible and the backlight can be preset to switch off after a number of seconds if required, to preserve battery life. The display is surprisingly informative, with icons for volume, battery level, signal strength and even the time.
Around the back, a cover gives access to the battery compartment that houses no less than 3 AA batteries to give a whopping 18 hours' use from one set. There's also a DC input socket located on the left-hand side of the unit for when you happen to be near a mains supply. The PocketDAB is actually supplied with a mains adapter and Duracell batteries to ensure you can power it up straight from the box.
...headphone cable is noticeably longer than usual...
The headphone cable is noticeably longer than usual - a hint that the PocketDAB uses the cable as an antenna. The supplied in-ear headphones feel well-built and look as if they would last a good while. They also did a reasonable job for me of blocking out background noise.
...plenty of detail and an involving, captivating listen...
The best setting, however, saw an increase in both bass and treble on the "waveform" icon displayed, producing an exciting, foot-tapping experience. The PocketDAB really excels with guitar rock stations like Planet Rock, The Arrow and The Storm, with plenty of detail and an involving, captivating listen. With the bass enhanced, the PocketDAB coped well with the complex cymbal, drum and guitar-driven output of Planet Rock. There were some artefacts in the sound, more obvious on some stations, but these are unlikely to annoy too much.
Slightly more challenging was BBC7 and the Beeb's national multiplex, which caused the PocketDAB to grumble and stutter. This isn't really the fault of the PocketDAB - more that the fill-in transmitter for Central Bristol has yet to be switched on. In an ideal world, the PocketDAB would always have a strong signal to decode. Neverthless, with the headphone cable doubling up as the aerial, a quick re-arrangement of the cable managed to sort this particular interruption out. The cable, I note, seems thick enough not to coil up and therefore keep pulling in a signal. Dialogue was clear and lacking in sibilance on the "flat" setting, with other settings allowing more plumy sounding voices if desired.
...a rather appealing digital radio...
The PocketDAB is a rather appealing digital radio - superbly well-built, offering some sensible design features such as equaliser settings and benefiting from long battery life.
Retailing at around GBP130.00, you can check current prices and buy the Pure Digital PocketDAB 1000 via this website.
Overview
Headphones
Frequency range
Controls
Input connectors
Output connectors
LCD display
Power supply
Battery life
Dimensions and Weight
Aerial
Related links:
guide to DAB digital radio, on this website.
|
