Tech Digest

DAB music downloads to get official launch in new year

Back in June we reported a trial of music downloads via DAB, being undertaken by the UBC media group in the Midlands, more specifically, via Heart FM. Well, things must have gone well, as the service will be rolled out in beta form this year, with an official launch in early 2007.

The idea is that you can download tracks as you hear them, each costing £1.25, but offered as two WMA files. One gies to your phone at 32kbps, with a higher quality 128kbps version accessible to download online. According to The Register, the first handset using the service will be Virgin Mobile's Lobster DAB-enabled phone (pictured).

More details nearer the launch date.

UBC Media Group

Via The Register

PC DAB radio - digital radio from your computer without a net connection

I was trying to work out why the PC DAB radio was a good thing - but then realised not everyone lives in a broadband/Wi-Fi world - and there could be times when you want some good quality radio on the move and of range of a network.

Obviously, you'll need to be in a DAB-friendly area. And if you are, just plug in the PC DAB radio into a USB port, install the software and away you go. You get auto/manual scan to locate your favourite stations, presets to save them, you can record shows onto your PC and there's full DAB information (track/station) on your computer screen.

It's available now from Gizoo, priced at £49.95.

Product page

Via Shiny Shiny

Trinloc Fusion - the world's smallest DAB radio

For all the merits of the new miniaturised shuffle, it's still only an MP3 player. The Trinloc Fusion can do that - and adds DAB, mkaing it the smallest DAB receiver in the world.

How small? 87.5mm x 37mm x 22mm and weighing in at 38g. The DAB tuner receives DAB Band III, with 20 DAB presets to save your favourites, along with FM radio if you can't locate a DAB signal. If you get tired of the radio, the Fusion is also a digital music player, good for MP3, WMA, WAV and OGG files (no DRM as far as we know). There's 1GB of storage for your tunes, or you can save JPEG photos and use it as a portable photo album (but don't expect too much of the 64 x 128 65k CSTN colour display).

Power is by 2x AAA batteries, which should give you 10 hours DAB or 22 hours MP3 playback. Available from November, expect to pay around £100.

Trinloc Fusion

Nevada launches ND-210E portable DAB/FM radio

Nevada has launched the ND-210E portable DAB/FM radio, a budget DAB solution - retailing for under £60.

Despite the price tag, all the basics are covered, with both DAB and FM reception, automatic and manual tuning, plus four favourite stations for each. The radio also features 2 x 4 watt speakers and a backlit "Cool Blue" LCD display for station name and related information. Power is via mains or 6x CC batteries.

Available now, you can pick it up for £59.99.

Product page

More DAB:
Roberts introduces Gemini 49 - their smallest portable DAB radio
Genus Type-R retro DAB radio

Bang & Olufsen's BeoCenter 6-23 LCD TV with DAB radio

Bang & Olufsen has introduced a typically stylish new TV - the BeoCenter 6-23 LCD TV. And it's a first - the first time a TV has come with an integrated DAB radio as standard (unless you know better).

The 23-inch LCD TV promises a 180-degree viewing angle and a front glass screen to keep the picture bright and clear, even when it catches the sunlight. There's also DVI input if you want to impress your mates and use it as a computer monitor, while BeoLink offers connectivity to any other Bang & Olufsen TV in the home.

There is a downside though. The TV isn't HD-ready, which might well put you off such a hefty investment and perhaps its worth thinking about how often you listen to the radio stations on your digital receiver before you buy a TV on the basis of it having DAB. I can count that on one hand. 

Still, there's no doubting it will look good in your living room in either of the six colours - aluminium, black, dark grey, yellow, blue, and red. If you want one, it will set you back £2,740 or £3,070 with the motorised stand.

Bang & Olufsen website

More Bang & Olufsen:
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Bang & Olufsen for the car?

Roberts introduces Gemini 49 - their smallest portable DAB radio

When it comes to portables, small is definitely best. Which means this Gemini 49 from Roberts, the smallest portable battery/mains DAB radio available, is well worth a closer look.

The Gemini 49 is just 215mm x 116mm x 40mm in size, operating through both battery and mains and featuring a built-in battery charger for the AA batteries it uses. The radio has both FM and DAB wavebands with 10 station presets. And despite its size, it still features an LCD display for station information and the clock, which features auto set.

Not missing a trick in the style stakes, it's available in "iPod white" and should be in the shops now, retailing for aorund £60.

Find out more

More DAB:
Genus Type-R retro DAB radio
Pure Chronos DAB/CD alarm clock

BBC plans add-on DAB for MP3 players

The BBC is rumoured to be planning a DAB plug-in gadget to give MP3 players DAB functionality. And I'm guessing there's some substance to this rumour, as the story originated on the BBC website!

Plans are said to be at an early stage, with no firm details for the capabilities of the gadget or how much it will cost. However, speaking about the plan for the gadget, a BBC spokesman said the broadcaster was carrying out feasibility studies to see how easy it would be to make and market the clip-on gadget: "We have a duty to make sure digital radio is relevant and clearly portable MP3 players are a massive area of growth," he said.

The gadget isn't going to be limited to playing the BBC digital radio stations - and there could be versions for mobile phones too - which would make sense, with most phones being music players these days. The BBC spokesman wouldn't name potential partners, but said the corporation "would like to get something out sooner rather than later."

We'll keep you posted.

Via The BBC

Genus Type-R retro DAB radio

These days, if you enter the DAB market, it's not just about what your product can do, but how sharp it looks. And for me, the Genus Type-R DAB radio with its retro styling and touch sensitive controls is well up there.

Genus claims their latest model is designed to stand out in a market "crowded by amorphous plastic radio". There's certainly not a lot of plastic here. The Type-R features natural walnut end caps, an anodised aluminium chassis and a hand embossed genuine leather rear panel. The enamel badge of the Type-R that is even made by the same business that supplies badges to Aston Martin and Bentley. But it's the smart touch controls that really set it apart. The touch sensitive controls are hidden beneath illuminated graphics to deliver an impressively minimalist control panel. Just run a finger up or down the volume slider or touch a graphic to change your settings. In addition, proximity sensing technology picks up if a hand is approaching, then illuminates the touch controls and display to the optimum brightness.

The Type-R also features MaxxBass - a patented technology that increases bass performance, has a line-out so you can play DAB through a larger hi-fi system, a line-in if you want to use it as a speaker system and is powered by mains or rechargeable battery (sold separately).

Definitely one to look at if you want style over a huge list of features. It's available from the middle of October, priced around £150.

Genus website

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Stylish DAB radio from Pure Digital
Pure Chronos DAB/CD alarm clock

Stylish DAB radio from Pure Digital

Pure have just launched their Élan RV40 DAB/FM portable radio with a number of cool technologies to make your radio listening more 21st century.

It's not just live TV that gets the pause/rewind/replay treatment - the ReVu technology allows live radio to be paused for up to 30 minutes and played back. Intellitext gives access to broadcast text that some stations send out, and textSCAN which can pause and control that text.

Up to 20 station presets, a mixture of DAB and FM stations, can be stored which should be ample for most listeners. There's even a USB interface for 'adding new features as they become available'.

The Pure website has a useful station checker, which will list the DAB stations currently available in your postcode area.

The radio itself looks pretty good, curved and finished in a graphite effect. It has two 3" drive unit speakers plus headphone and stereo outputs. It runs from the mains or battery (6 x C batteries or an optional ChargePak)

It's available now for £89.99.

Pure Digital web site

Pure Chronos DAB/CD alarm clock

If the Roberts Gemini 19 DAB digital clock radio from earlier this week was a little too basic for your bedroom, how about about the Pure Chronos DAB/CD alarm clock - which should give you a bigger blast - and more choice - in a morning.

Based on the original Chronos, the new version is more of a bedside stereo than a radio, combining DAB and CD, stereo speakers and an alarm. In fact, you get four completely independent alarms that can be set for weekdays, weekends, daily or just as one offs - each with the choice of waking up to either DAB, , FM, CD or a traditional buzzer. And there's also a sleep button to ease you into sleep - and a snooze if you can't quite get out of it.

An LCD display shows the current time plus the DAB radio information via textSCAN, which means you pause and control scrolling text, while a light sensor dims the output at night the night. The CD player is also good for CD-R, CD/RW or MP3/WMA discs, which should save you some swapping over or you can connect your iPod (or MP3 player) to use via the speakers. And if your Chronos is out of arm's reach, there's also a remote control.

It's available now, priced at £99.99

Find out more

More DAB:
Intempo PP-01 - DAB meets the picture frame
Genus Vero 2 DAB radio with SD card recording

Roberts Gemini 19 DAB digital clock radio

There's no longer any need to wake up to a ring, a nasty buzzer or a slightly off-tune Radio 2 - you can get a better variety of sounds to wake you up with a DAB digital clock radio, like Roberts' latest DAB - the Gemini 19.

Both in terms of looks and technology, there's no massive leap here. Roberts has avoided the usual retro styling, going for the standard clock radio. What it does have on a standard clock radio is the DAB functionality, with five DAB presets, along with a designated Classic FM button if you really need easing into the day. There's also a large/easy to read LCD display, auto time set and if you get nostalgic for your old alarm, there's also thwe option of being woken up by the good old-fashioned buzzer.

It also operates as a stereo speaker system, should you wish to plug your iPod or Mp3 into it via the auxiliary input socket.

The Roberts Gemini 19 is available now, priced at £80.

Find out more

More DAB:
Intempo PP-01 - DAB meets the picture frame
Genus Vero 2 DAB radio with SD card recording

Intempo PP-01 - DAB meets the picture frame

I'm a big fan of DAB - more music choice and better sound quality. Some look stylish, others look like they've been designed by technicians. You certainly can't say that about the latter about Intempo's PP-01 - the DAB radio for readers of lifestyle magazines.

In truth, it's actually quite striking. Featuring flat panel NXT stereo speakers, the PP-01 has slimmed down to not much more than a photo frame's width. Which means you can use it as one - as Intempo has got together with mybiggerpicture.com to offer personalised speaker covers for the unit. or if you're not feeling all that creative, you can choose from some ready-made pop-on covers.

But let's not forget this is a radio too - the NXT speakers offer 2 x 2W of power, there's a chocie of DAB band III or FM (RDS) radio with a total of 12 presets and the rechargeable battery pack offers up to 20 hours use on a full charge. You can also use it as a speaker system for your iPod or portable player via a 3.5mm stereo line-in jack.

The Intempo PP-01, along with a selection of covers, is available now, priced around £100.

Intempo website

More DAB:
Genus Vero 2 DAB radio with SD card recording
Sony launches CMT-EH20DAB and CMT-SPZ90DAB DAB micro Hi-Fi systems

Genus Vero 2 DAB radio with SD card recording

Genus Digital is set to launch the VERO-2 - a DAB/FM radio that promises impressive sound quality plus recording and MP3 playback through SD cards.

Genus claims the Vero 2 sets new standards in sound quality for a portable radio. Their G-PRO system uses a patented algorithm and unique speaker configuration (2 x 5 Watts) for a clear acoustic sound. You can tune in via FM and DAB, with 10 station presets for each. There's a seven day EPG available for DAB, which you can browse by genre, station or day, highlighting programmes you want to record. You can also set up a daily or weekly record of your favourite shows.

Recording is by SD card - record your favourite shows onto the card or use the cards to playback your favourite tracks in MP3 format. You can also pause or rewind live DAB broadcasts - just press the 'pause' button to pause or the 'rewind' button to rewind. In addition, you can transfer content from your PC to the Vero 2 via a USB cable, which also allows you to upgrade the player's firmware.

The Genus Vero 2 is avaialble from next month, priced around £119.

Find out more

More DAB:
Genus SLM pocket-sized DAB and MP3 player
Sony launches CMT-EH20DAB and CMT-SPZ90DAB DAB micro Hi-Fi systems

Genus SLM pocket-sized DAB and MP3 player

We featured one combined DAB/MP3 player earlier in the week - the Perstel DR201 - but here's another to consider before you spend your cash - the Genus SLM.

It's a bit pricier than the Perstel, but does offer more for the money. This lightweight unit (just 105g) features band III DAB reception, along with FM if you're in more isolated areas, with 20 presets for each and an OLED display for station information. The MP3 player works with MP3 and WMA files (but not DRM), with storage via SD/MMC cards - so you can theoretically boost your capacity to about 2GB.

The Genus SLM runs via rechargeable battery which can be charged up via USB or mains. A full charge should give you around nine hours playback.

It's available now, expect to pay around £99.

Genus website

More pocket DAB:
Pure PocketDAB 1500 - portable DAB gets lighter
Bush's affordable pocket DAB

Sony launches CMT-EH20DAB and CMT-SPZ90DAB DAB micro Hi-Fi systems

Sony has announced two new additions to its DAB range in the shape of the CMT-EH20DAB and the CMT-SPZ90DAB micro Hi-Fi systems.

The  EH20DAB is described as an entry-level DAB Hi-fi and features both an FM and DAB Band III tuner, a top loading CD player and cassette deck, along with MP3 playback functionality. There's also a rather smart wood finish to the speakers, which feature a full range bass reflex system for a deep, rich sound.

The SPZ90DAB is a replacement for Sony's current GPX9DAB system and as such, has a number of improvements, but without a price hike. These include enhanced speaker output, which is now increased to a total 100W, which when coupled with the newly included S-Master digital amplifier, results in much-improved sound from each speaker. A new 3CD changer is also included - when used in conjunction with the MP3 playback, means you need never worry about changing discs for quite some time. And like the EH20DAB, there's also an FM and DAB Band III tuner.

Both systems are available from August - no price is forthcoming as yet from Sony.

Sony website

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Pure's EVOKE-1XT Prestige DAB radio

Sony launches CMT-EH20DAB and CMT-SPZ90DAB DAB micro Hi-Fi systems

Sony has announced two new additions to its DAB range in the shape of the CMT-EH20DAB and the CMT-SPZ90DAB micro Hi-Fi systems.

The  EH20DAB is described as an entry-level DAB Hi-fi and features both an FM and DAB Band III tuner, a top loading CD player and cassette deck, along with MP3 playback functionality. There's also a rather smart wood finish to the speakers, which feature a full range bass reflex system for a deep, rich sound.

The SPZ90DAB is a replacement for Sony's current GPX9DAB system and as such, has a number of improvements, but without a price hike. These include enhanced speaker output, which is now increased to a total 100W, which when coupled with the newly included S-Master digital amplifier, results in much-improved sound from each speaker. A new 3CD changer is also included - when used in conjunction with the MP3 playback, means you need never worry about changing discs for quite some time. And like the EH20DAB, there's also an FM and DAB Band III tuner.

Both systems are available from August - no price is forthcoming as yet from Sony.

Sony website

More DAB:
Bug Too: Wayne Hemingway latest DAB Radio with EPG recording
Pure's EVOKE-1XT Prestige DAB radio

Perstel DR201 portable DAB radio and MP3 player

We've seen a few portable DAB players of late, but the Perstel DR201 offers a bit more, combining digital radio with MP3 playback - and still coming in at under £70.

Sized at just Just 60x84x24mm, the Perstel DR201 offers both DAB and FM reception, with a four-line graphic display with backlight for programme and station information. It also supports MP3 playback - the one drawback on this likely to be the relatively small storage of 64MB - but that should still hold 20+ tracks. Music is transferred via USB connection.

No rechargeable battery either - the player works via two AA batteries, which should provide up to six hours of listening on the move. There's also a mains power adaptor included. It's available now, priced at £69.

Find out more

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Pure PocketDAB 1500 - portable DAB gets lighter
Bush offers a more affordable pocket DAB

Pure PocketDAB 1500 - portable DAB gets lighter

Pure has updated its first PocketDAB player, introducing the Pure PocketDAB 1500, which now features FM with RDS, a new colour scheme and a rechargeable battery pack - but still manages to be Pure's lightest portable to date.

Packed into a black anodised aluminium case, the PocketDAB 1500 features both DAB and FM with RDS, with 10 presets for each. There's also an easily readable orange backlit LCD with two line display, as well as graphical icons for volume, battery life, clock, DAB, FM, Stereo, EQ and signal strength. The PocketDAB 1500's textSCAN feature lets you pause and control the scrolling text, so you can note down web addresses or song titles.

Functions are controlled by a central joystick for navigation, with separate controls for display settings, presets and DAB/FM. The unit comes with Sennheiser MX300 headphones, which also act as the aerial, cutting down on the weight. A Lithium Polymer L37 ChargePAK recharges from the mains, providing up to 24 hours of roaming DAB playback.

It's available now, priced around £90.

Pure website www.pure.com

More DAB:
Bug Too: Wayne Hemingway latest DAB Radio with EPG recording
Roberts retro Rambler 76 DAB radio

UK trial for DAB music downloads

We seem to be going DAB crazy. First it was the radio, then there was talk of trialling TV to mobile via DAB, now the UBC Media Group, one of the UK's largest independent radio production companies, is testing a download service that allows music downloads via the DAB network.

UBC's system, which is being offered next month on a trial basis by the Heart radio station, allows digital radio listeners to buy the track they're currently listening to and have it transferred to a DAB-compatible music player. UBC's service broadcasts encoded and encrypted music files alongside a radio station’s audio stream. These are cached for a short time in the mobile device and can be bought and kept immediately. The company said the purchase would also allow the transfer of the song to a user's web-accessed music library, allowing them to download the song to a PC and to copy it to a DRM-supporting portable player.

UBC are pricing songs around £1.25, bought through a pre-pay credit system. The company reckons mobile phones with built-in DAB receivers will appear later this year. The trial, support by the "big four" recording companies (Sony BMG, EMI, Warner and Universal), will run Birmingham next month, initially limited to 100 people.

UBC Media Group

Via The Register

More DAB:
Bug Too: Wayne Hemingway latest DAB Radio with EPG recording
Roberts retro Rambler 76 DAB radio

Bug Too: Wayne Hemingway latest DAB Radio with EPG recording

Wayne Hemingway and Pure Digital's original Bug radio wasn't everyone's cup of tea but you've got to hand it to Mr Hemingway for putting his name to the very latest in DAB technology. This Bug Too includes an Electronic Programme Guide (EPG) just like a Sky+ box or other PVR. That means you can look ahead at shows for the week and pick which ones you want to record. You can record 30 hours of radio onto a 2GB SD card (not included) and you can play MP3s off SD cards as well.

It also comes with textSCAN (so you can pause the scrolling text), MP3 directory navigation, ReVu (pause and rewind live radio) and the ability to wake you up to the MP3 track of your choice. All this, plus the crazy Wayne design in a new silver colour, for £99.99.

Pure Digital Bug Too

Roberts retro Rambler 76 DAB radio

When it comes to retro radios, Roberts rules the roost. And they don't come much more retro than the Rambler - originally issued as an analogue radio nearly 75 years ago, it's had a revamp and returned to stores as the Rambler 76 DAB radio.

It's looks are timeless - a combination of sleek ash wood with leather cloth side panels and carrying handle (available in seven 'cool' colours). But you've also got the radio technology of today - the radio has both DAB and FM RDS wavebands, 16 x 2 character LCD display, auto time set, auto tune, favourite station presets, rotary tuning and volume controls and it can operate via battery or mains.

The Rambler 76 costs around £100 and is available in red, black, pastel pink, pastel green, pastel blue, pastel cream and pastel aqua.

Roberts Radio website

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Pure's EVOKE-1XT Prestige DAB radio
Intempo's DAB for the fashion conscious

Pure announces EVOKE-1XT Prestige DAB radio

Pure Digital is boosting its range of Evoke-1XT DAB radios by releasing a new range of the Prestige Edition models in time for summer.

The EVOKE-1XT Prestige is hand-crafted from high-quality materials and receives not only DAB digital radio broadcasts, but also FM with RDS. It's available in Bird's Eye Maple, Burnt Redwood and Piano Black finishes, all in a high-gloss lacquered coat. 

The radio has easy-to-use DAB features such as station selection by name and scrolling text showing song titles, artist information, news updates and sports results. It also features radius-edged veneered casework and a large, clear white-on-blue display. In addition, there's a clock display, a tone/radio alarm and a kitchen timer.

The EVOKE-1XT Prestige will be available from summer 2006 for around £120.

Find out more

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Intempo's DAB for the fashion conscious
Pure launches sub-£50 DAB radio

Intempo's DAB for the fashion conscious

The budget DAB market already seems over subscribed, but that doesn't stop new models appearing on an almost weekly basis. Intempo is the latest comapny to bring new sets to market with an expansion of their KT series of radios.

The Intempo KT DAB radio is fairly basic in specification - it's a dual band DAB (digital and FM) with eight presets, mfour for each band. There's also an alarm with sleep and snooze, plus the LCD screen for that all-important station and track information. No pause and record functions sadly.

Like a number of DABs right now, style is very much the selling point. Already available in a selection of bold colours, Intempo has now added "baby blue" and "latte" to the range, which along with the existing pink model, are obviously aimed at the female market. Don't worry lads - there's also a more manly brown and blue.

Or for you fashionistas out there, there are also a couple of 'haute couture' models. The fascia of these radios has been customised by British fashion designer Matthew Williamson, with prints from his latest collections.  These radios are charity editions for the Make-A-Wish Foundation and retail exclusively at John Lewis for £125.

You can pick up the standard Intempo KT radio for around £65.

Find out more

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Pure launches sub-£50 DAB radio
Dualit DAB kitchen radio

Oono Mini DAB radio

There's nothing groundbreaking about a new portable DAB player, but it's less common to see one that also throws in an MP3 player and voice recorder, like this Mini DAB from Oono.

Looking uncannily like an iPod, the Mini DAB weighs just 95g and is less than 100mm tall. Inside this miniature casing is a radio with both DAB and FM reception. If you get tired of the radio, there's the MP3 player, with music storage on the 128MB internal memory or via SD cards, which can boost the storage to 2GB. There's even a small speaker built in if you want to share your music - I wouldn't expect too much from that though.

The Mini DAB also features one-touch or timer recording to record from DAB or FM radio direct to internal or external memory and there's a built-in microphone if you want to turn your player into a voice recorder. All recordings are direct to MP3 - in fact, you can even plug it into an external audio source to convert to MP3.

All sounds promising. You can find out just how good it is in June this year, when it goes on sale for around £180.

Find out more

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Roberts’ Sound 39 DAB radio
Dualit DAB kitchen radio

Pure launches sub-£50 DAB radio

Pure always go slightly off the mainstream in terms of looks with their DABs and their new budget model, One, certainly makes a mark in black, white and most obviously, a bold pink.

The One has 20 combined DAB and FM presets and one-touch tuning, plus full details of the music via scrolling text display. In addition, the One has a few features not usually seen on a sub-£50 DAB, including kitchen and sleep timers, USB upgradeability, a custom display with status icons, mute control and textSCAN - which lets you pause and control scrolling text, so you can grab a pen and paper to note down song titles, web addresses and so on.

It also features Intellitext, which is on-demand access to DAB extended text broadcasts for things like the latest sports news or news headlines. The broadcaster sends specially formatted scrolling text, and the One categorises and stores it for retrieval at the your convenience.

The sub-£50 market for DABs has become very competitive, but the One certainly looks worth considering when it hits the stores in May.

Pure website

More budget DAB radios:
Alba's retro-styled DAB for under £40
Budget DAB from Goodmans

Roberts’ Sound 39 DAB radio

Well, so far this week we've had a retro DAB from Alba, a DAB for the fashion-conscious from Dualit and now we have the Sound 39 DAB radio from Roberts - which avoids most of the gimmicks and concentrates on the sound.

The FM RDS/DAB radio's twin speakers boost the sound of the digital broadcasts without distortion at high volumes. The Sound 39 also features PausePlus to pause and rewind programmes - it continually works in the background, storing up to 35 minutes of the last station listened to.

There are 10 station presets, 5 alarms and timers, a sleep button, auto display dimmer, remote control and an auxiliary input if you want to put your portable player through the speaker system.

The Sound 39 retails for around £120.

Roberts Radio

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Asono DAB1

Dualit DAB Kitchen Radio

For any stylish modern kitchen, one item is essential - that vision in chrome, the Dualit toaster. It's almost a fashion statement, and at a hefty price, a sign that you've got money to splash. Dualit also do other smart-looking kitchen appliances with plenty of chrome and equally-high prices. And now they've followed suit with the Dualit DAB Kitchen Radio.

It's bold and brash, a mix of cast aluminium with polished chrome. It's got the usual DAB functionality plus a rechargeable battery, a kitchen timer for your cooking, an alarm and snooze button, along with a connection for your MP3 player of choice.

It looks good and sounds good - but at £200, I'd be hard pushed to say it's value for money. If you haven't got the funds and can look beyond a label, Alba's TRDAB2822 goes for less than £40.

More DAB:
Asono DAB1
Roberts' Sound 22 DAB radio

Alba's retro-styled DAB for under £40

I'm a sucker for anything with a 'retro' look - and this Alba TRDAB2822 DAB radio, with its wood-effect sides and old-style transistor radio front panel, would certainly sit well on my vintage Danish sideboard.

As a DAB, it's fairly basic, featuring DAB and FM reception, each with 10 presets. A small LCD display with blue backlight will offer up station information and double up as a clock with an alarm function. There's 2 x 0.8W RMS speaker output and the radio is operated via battery or mains.

It's a nice-looking, no-thrills DAB, which also comes with a no-thrills price - just £39.99.

Alba website

More low-price DAB:
Alba TRDAB2830 DAB Radio
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Asono DAB1

After the release of their futuristic Play portable music player, it's just typical that Asono would go all retro on us with the Asono DAB1.

The radio, designed by award-winning company Norways Says into a rather attractive 70s-style casing, has all the features you'd expect from your average portable DAB, plus a few added extras. The DAB1 also operates as an MP3 player as well as a DAB, and with memory card support, you can record and pause live radio. It also features an optional wireless external speaker for true stereo and an impressive sound system developed by Norwegian speaker specialists SEAS. There's also an RDS FM-receiver if your DAB reception isn't up to scratch.

Available in black and white, we've been told that the DAB1 should hit the UK around April. No price as yet.

Find out more

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Genus DAB with rewind and MP3

Alba launches Pocket DAB/FM/MP3 player

A budget pocket DAB isn't a new idea, but one that doubles up as an MP3 player might be. Enter the Alba Pocket DAB/FM/MP3 player.

The player can jump between MP3 and DAB (or FM if you prefer) at the flick of a switch. As an MP3 player, it incorporates an SD/MMC memory card slot to play up to 1GB of your favourite MP3 (or WMA) tracks. The player is powered by an internal rechargeable battery, which should give around 10 hours playback.

The Alba Pocket player comes complete with in-ear headphones, an AC adaptor and carry case for around £110.

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Cheapest-ever DAB?

Roberts' Sound 22 DAB radio

I think Roberts and I think retro radio sat in the corner of a kitsch kitchen. I shouldn't really, because they're making some pretty decent DAB radios right now, the latest of which is the Sound 22.

Looking not a million miles from a Bose Wave system, the Sound 22 is a table-top FM RDS/DAB digital stereo radio with two long throw loudspeakers to fill a room with a very clear sound. It also features a PausePlus function to put your favourite show on hold for up to 35 minutes. With the addition of a multifunctional alarm, 20 presets and the ability to connect your MP3 player or iPod to the powerful speaker system, it's certainly worth a look if you're in the market for a portable player for the home.

You can pick up a Sound 22 for around £200.

Find out more

More DAB:
Genus DAB with MP3 and rewind
Pure DAB Chronos

Genus DAB with rewind and MP3

The DAB market is something of a crowded place these days, with something a little different needed to jump out from the crowd. Nevada has made their latest model, the Genus PR1, into more of an all rounder, with a CD player, MP3 capability and a pause/rewind function for the DAB.

The DAB features Autune, 20 presets and the aforementioned pause and rewind function, which can hold your favourite programme for around 20 minutes. There's a front loading CD player with MP3 (from CD) capability, an alarm clock and sleep function and a credit card sized remote to control it all.

And at just £30 more than Morphy Richards' DAB with CD player and with more functionality, it's certainly worth a look if you are in the market for a portable music player.

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More DAB:
Pure DAB Chronos
Alba DAB CD alarm clock

Budget DAB from Goodmans

It wasn't that long ago that the DAB radio was seen as a luxury item. These days, the budget market is booming. Note the TRDAB2830 from Alba at less than £40. Well, from the same stable and for not much more, we now have the Goodmans GSR85DAB.

Essentially it's a similar DAB, but with a few more whistles and bells. It's an FM/DAB tuner with 20 station presets with 2 x 0.8 Watt of power and stereo speakers.  It features a 2 line LCD display, DAB auto time update and operates from 6 x C batteries or mains.

If you are looking for a budget entry point into DAB, the GSR85DAB, at just inder £50, seems worth a look.

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More DAB:
Cheapest-ever DAB?
iTech DAB Cube

iTech DAB Cube

Looking for a new clock/radio combo for the kitchen or bathroom? The iTech Cube DAB radio might fit the bill.

Turn on the Cube to automatically scan and memorise available DAB stations in your area. Once located, you can display the usual station details on the good-sized screen. If you want traditional FM, a click of a button takes you there, with a scanning feature for FM stations too. The compact gadget is ideal for an alarm clock, with the usual sleep/snooze functions and the bonus of your favourite DAB stations to wake you from your slumber.

You can pick one up now for around £69.95 from www.nevada.co.uk.

More DAB:
Pure DAB Chronos
Cheapest-ever DAB?

PURE DAB CHRONOS

Pioneer of digital radio and abuser of capital letters, PURE, has launched its latest creation just in time for Xmas. This time the company has set its sights beyond the kitchen and the CHRONOS takes the form of a stylish bedside clock-radio. Inside PURE’s signature polished aluminium case, you’ve obviously got the advanced DAB receiver giving you access to up to 55 stations in much better quality than FM can achieve, but to match this PURE has put some efforts into making sure the alarm clock side is similarly sophisticated. You can set four different alarms and there are also multiple snooze settings, you can set the brightness of the LCD display and choose between alarm types. It looks pretty swish, as you would expect from an £80 clock-radio, but I wonder if all the effort to improve the alarm clock functionality might make general operation a bit complicated.

More PURE
PURE Portable Pleasure
PURE Digital EVOKE-2XT

Alba reveals cheapest ever DAB

Opinions on DAB have often been varied and impassioned, especially around the Tech Digest office, but part of the generally slow uptake of the technology could be put down to the fact that it costs an arm and a leg to receive. Or at least it did until Alba released this TRDAB2830 DAB Radio for less than forty quid. It picks up both FM and DAB signals, has 20 stations presets and can be powered from the mains or 6 x C batteries. At £39.99 it’s a steal.

More portable DAB
Pure Digital Evoke-2XT
Roberts Radio unveil Gemini 27

Roberts gets sporty (sort of)

Great British radio manufacturer Roberts is best known for producing solid looking, sensible models not too far removed in style from what your Granddad used to listen to Winston Churchill on when he were a lad. Occasionally though it goes completely bonkers and comes up with things like this. The Sports DAB personal digital radio (they must have agonised over that name) is a funky looking, carry anywhere portable designed to accompany the active man when white water rafting, skiing or attempting to buy a pint at 6.30 on a Friday in Soho.

Except it is not. It is called Sports not because it has tough casing or a splashproof finish, but because that’s what Roberts thinks people will use the radio to listen to. Nevertheless is also has a large-ish display, FM for back up and a jog wheel for finding channels. It goes for a reasonable £100.

More DAB
First DAB/MP3 personal
Freeplay's wind-up DAB

Alba’s DAB CD Alarm Clock Radio

It had to happen sooner or later really; take one regular bedside clock- radio humbled by its regular morning beatings, imbue it with the power of DAB, add a CD player and there you have it – Alba’s DAB CD Alarm Clock. If you’re bored with the hiss of FM stations or simply fancy a bit of a change, DAB is a good and simple way to go. The CD player will also help on that front. As a clock goes, it has a big green LCD display, and though the unit’s style isn’t going to bowl you over, it does look sturdy enough to fend off the odd early morning whack. 

The £60 price tag is pretty decent for a DAB radio unit and much more affordable than many of the completely DAB dedicated alternatives.

More DAB
Morphy Richards expands DAB range
Roberts Radio unveil Gemini 27

Morphy Richards expands DAB range

Off the back of its outing into the MP3 DAB market, Morphy Richards has applied its stylish thinking to other portable areas. This is the new DAB Boom Box which, on top of smooth curved white plastic design, integrates a CD player with its DAB radio. Two 5 watt speakers and a host of features such as stations presets, FM RDS radio and clock settings complete the package. Simple functionality seems to be the key here and if you find that a little underwhelming then fortunately the price tag follows suit. Retailing at just £99 means that the DAB Boom Box is a pretty good rival to dedicated DAB radios that don’t benefit from a CD player.

Also revealed is Morphy Richards’ take on the Micro System Hi-Fi; no DAB on this one but it has an equal selection of useful features and boasts 2x15w speakers. Not too bad for £69.99

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First ever DAB/MP3 personal

Here’s a world’s first product that I suspect we are going to be seeing an awful lot more of. Yep Morphy Richards has unveiled the first ever personal MP3 player with an integrated digital radio. On sale now the Morphy Richards DAB MP3 Player (they aren’t big on fancy names) features either 256 or 512MB of storage and a full on DAB radio with an FM tuner as back-up.

The MP3 player sounds fairly easy to use with tunes simply dragged and dropped on to the device. There’s also a reasonable screen to display track names as well as display DAB information such as programme details, playlists, song lyrics and news. The player costs £139.99 for the 256MB product and £159.99 for the 512MB.

It won’t have the market for  long though as players like Oregon Scientific and Bush are already working on their own models.

Roberts Radio unveil Gemini 27

Just because the demise of traditional radio stations draws ever closer doesn’t mean you can’t remember the glory days of the Wireless. Roberts Radios are defined by cool retro styling plus a focus on simplicity and now it has revealed the Gemini 27, a portable DAB set which will rival the likes of Pure’s Evoke 2-XT. For those who are still taking tentative steps into the digital revolution there’s also an FM tuner included. Rotary controls enable the station selection and info is shown on the large LCD display. Roberts Radios’ ace in the hole is the PausePlus system, which lets you pause whatever you are listening to should anything threaten to distract you. It will also let you rewind by double-pressing the same button and the Gemini 27 can store up to 30 minutes of programming. For £120 this is a pretty decent looking portable DAB and though it may fall slightly short of the Pure alternatives acoustically, it has a more reasonable price tag.

DAB getting cheaper

Last week we brought news of the Bush PSDAB2004 personal DAB costing less than £60 and now it looks as though the budget digital radio price race might be on. Now we have the Perstel Bluenote, also retailing at £59.99 which makes for a good contest of features and functionality. The Bluenote’s biggest advantage over the Bush model is that it has a separate, telescopic aerial which means that you aren’t lumbered with it integrated to a substandard pair of earphones. The Bluenote has dimensions of 60 x 84 x 24 mm and it will provide about 6 hours battery life from 2xAA batteries, information is displayed on a backlit LCD display. The Bluenote’s blue finish and unexciting design won’t make it a winner over the PSDAB2004’s slick looks, but I have a feeling the less stylish option might prove a little more versatile and reliable in areas of patchy reception. The Perstel Bluenote is available now from Nevada.

Bush offers a more affordable pocket DAB

There are many varying opinions on the merits of DAB (especially around the Tech Digest office) but it gets difficult to justify the extreme cost of buying digital radio systems especially when many of the very same channels can be accessed completely free either through FM radios, digital TV receivers or internet streams. A few portable DAB products are available now and this seems like a sensible idea as when you are on the move is about the only time you may not be able to access the stations through other options. The Bush PSDAB2004 is a compact DAB receiver with a white rubberised protective shell, it has a simple LCD dot matrix display and is powered by 2xAA batteries. You can set up to 10 of your own station presets and it comes with matching inner-ear headphones in which the aerial is cleverly concealed but presumably that means you won’t be able to swap them for some better quality ones.

We’ve already seen a few decent portable DABs, including the Pure Pocket DAB 2000 a few months back and it is hard to defend the huge £189 price tag no matter how good it looks. Fortunately Bush has also realised this and given the PSDAB2004 a much more sensible price of £59.99. Ok, so there’s still good cause to be horrified at the cost of listening to DAB given the other options but this at least is a step in right direction.

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Roberts new DAB radio

Unlike a few people around here I can't really see the appeal of digital radios. Surely it makes more sense to use PCs, laptops, and devices to access internet radio which offers about a million more stations than DAB? Or even take advantage of the fancy new Sky Gnome. But it seems I am in the minority for DAB radios are still coming thick and fast. The latest to arrive is the Gemini 20 DAB digital radio from that good old British stalwart Roberts Radio. It claims the model matches a contemporary styled portable radio with all the benefits of today’s DAB technology. This means loads of new channels including BBC6, BBC7, Five Live Extra and the Shiny girls’ favourite the awesome Planet Rock. If you miss the crackle of analogue transmissions then the 20 will also tune into FM stations. You can buy one now for £90.

PURE Digital EVOKE-2XT

Pure has proven itself time and time again to be a benchmark against which other DAB manufacturers should compare themselves. The Evoke series of portable players have been a surprisingly big hit and so Pure is about to launch the latest edition, the Evoke-2XT, an upgraded version of the Evoke 2. Significant improvements have been made to the sound quality by redesigning the drive units and filters. Like its predecessor it also has a line-in to use other audio products with, such as an MP3 player, as well as a couple of line-out options if you want to record or boost the sound quality yet further through a Hi-Fi. The other important alteration has been made to the battery life, now extended to 25 hours (more than double that of its predecessor) from C cell alkaline batteries, or you can cough up an extra £29.99 and get a ChargePAK which can recharged from the mains and will give you about 15 hours of playback. The Evoke 2-XT is due for release in August for the price of £149.99

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BBC's ever so slightly dodgy radio amnesty

Here’s a story that we can’t make our minds up about. The BBC has just launched a campaign to get users to upgrade from their existing analogue radios to shiny new digital ones. The point being that as listeners have the choice of all those extra digital stations they are less likely to switch their trannie off and run off to find the Sky+ box or your PC.

However the BBC is billing it as a radio amnesty. When listeners turn up at their local store with their existing analogue radio they not only get an extra 10% off the price of a digital box, but also they’ll know that their old model will be refurbished and packed off to Somalia or South Sudan.

Presenter Nick Knowles Nick Knowles who is promoting the campaign on behalf of the BBC said "A disused radio set, gathering dust in a spare room in Tunbridge Wells, could end up making a real difference to a family in Somalia. Every set that is traded in will help the educational projects the World Service Trust runs in Africa." While it sounds like a grand philanthropic gesture we’d feel a little more comfortable if the deal included new FM analogue radios as well as digital ones. Anyhow all the details are here.

Sony’s family of DAB radios

Sony has decided to have a crack at the DAB market with five new products to ensure that whether you’re at home, in the car or loitering on the street corner you can always be tuned into high quality digital radio. Pure have been enjoying an on-going dominance in this area and with good reason, but Sony could prove to be a bit of healthy competition. First up there’s the XDR-M1 DAB FM WALKMAN and as you can see from the pic its design isn’t really something to write home about, especially in comparison to the recently announced Pure PocketDAB 2000 which is sure to be a direct rival. But the XDR-M1 has all the necessary attributes: 40 station presets, integrated FM tuner and 10 hours of battery life. Neither Sony’s nor Pure’s portable offerings have been priced yet so I guess that’s what it will boil down to.

Compare Sony XDR-M1 UK prices

The XDR-S1 is an intriguing device; it is described as portable and the pic shows that it is small with a nice silvery-white finish but the bulky integrated speaker doesn’t give me the impression that it is suited to being carried around. It also has an alarm function suggesting that it might be best employed as a radio alarm clock, but then it is able to decode both UK (Band III) and European (L Band) signals. I’m a bit confused, but details are still pretty scant so we’ll have to just wait and see.

For the car, Sony offers us the CDX-DAB6650 head unit; I think there are generally too few in-car DABs available so it is nice to see Sony putting its oar in. Best of all, not only does it play DAB, FM and AM radio, it is also a CD player compatible with CD-R and CD-RW plus MP3 and ATRAC3Plus formats, which nicely covers all the bases.

At home for the serious Hi-Fi enthusiast there’s the ST-SDB900 DAB tuner, a competitor to Pure’s DRX-701ES. Unlike it however, Sony’s model also includes an FM/AM tuner, which seems a little pointless given that you aren’t really going to be wandering in and out of DAB coverage with it and if you can’t receive DAB why would you buy it? The same applies to the CMT-GPX9DAB micro HiFi system, but at least I can imagine this being moved around a little more. It also looks smart and Sony has included the handy CD-R/RW support and given it a pair of bass reflex two-way speakers, incorporating a 12cm woofer and 4cm tweeter, which are able to generate healthy 2x35W power output.

Sony hasn’t release much info beyond these details and the success of these products will very likely depend on how it chooses to set the prices. Availability also remains unknown, but several of these products have begun to pop up on commercial websites so you can bet it will be fairly soon.

Personal digital radio for under £100

The trouble with personal digital radios is that they while they mght deliver the delights of Stuart Maconie on BBC6 and those extra footy games on Five Live Extra, they are still too darned expensive. So good to see Nevada doing its bit by offering a carry anywhere Dab-ber for under £80 – about half the price of most rival models. The ND-01 is a small and light radio, though with an on board FM tuner and 12 memories (6 for DAB and 6 for FM) it still has enough features to get by. It comes with rechargeable batteries that solider on for 8 hours and has its own mains adaptor/charger. It also runs from normal AA batteries. You can find out about it here but apparently it is on sale now from John Lewis.

Pure Portable Pleasure

Pure has unveiled details of its new portable digital radio receiver, the PocketDAB 2000. The pic suggests a more iPodesque style instead of the smart aluminium design of the 1000 which is a shame. Pure has also released some specifications to muse over; the 2000 model will boast several upgrades over its predecessor; a 64MB SD memory card that enables MP3 audio file playback and the ReVu system means you can pause and rewind live radio in case you missed something (probably very handy for ‘mystery voice’ compos).

There is also a built in FM radio receiver, presumably just there because these days anything electrical, short of cattle-prods, now come with an FM tuner. More interesting is the TxtStor feature capable of saving the scrolling messages transmitted by the station so you’ll not miss out on a particular track name or phone number if you don’t want to strain your eyes scrutinising the slow moving text.

MP3 support is definitely a bonus, although it still seems to be a little short on memory. It was Pure (or VideoLogic as it was known then) that brought us affordable DAB first way back in November 2000 and kick started it as an alternative to FM so I’m pretty excited about this new gadget. Sadly there is no indication yet of when the PocketDAB 2000 will become available nor how much it will cost, but hopefully more details will follow soon.

Xfm and Tech Dynamic releases DAB radio

Looks like London alternative station Xfm has teamed up with Tech Dynamic to release this rather nice piece of kit: a DAB radio player that will play both DAB and normal FM radio, has a slot for playing MP3s stored on SD and MMC cards, and can capture and record ten minutes of audio for you. The player also features a line in and has stereo sound, which is always nice. It’s sleek and will definitely appeal to you iPod design fans out there. It's going for £99.99 at Dixons and Currys.

Global support for DAB on the rise

Those of you who splashed out on a DAB receiver in recent years can sleep easier now that the World DAB Forum has announced growing international support for the digital service. Reports of legislative changes in seven countries are paving the way for the demise of FM radio altogether. Although there is no fixed date for the UK yet, the changeover is anticipated shortly after TV analogue signals are switched off in 2012. DAB is fast becoming the international standard in radio and has gained a foothold in 28 countries with over 300 million listeners across the globe. This news can only be a good thing for anyone yet to make the conversion as it spells better kit for less cash.

DAB radio that talks to you

Now available from PURE Digital is the world's first speaking DAB radio (why the vast majority of people would want one we're not quite sure though blind people will be very grateful no doubt). Featuring iVOX voice feedback technology, the SONUS-1XT uses recorded speech to provide selectable voice feedback for anything from the time, to your alarm settings, to the full set-up of the radio. Scroll through the selection of available stations and hear them in apparently human (ie. not Stephen Hawking robotic) tones. You can even choose a male or female voice.
PURE SONUS-1XT DAB Digital Radio with... 

Based on the Evoke-1, The Sonus-1XT also lets you hear the time, tells you your alarm settings and can talk you through settings or presents. It's available priced at around £119.99

Features list:

Easy to read full-screen graphical display and DAB scrolling text
Two independent alarms to enable different setting for you and your partner for weekdays/weekends – or simply for a backup alarm – all of which can be set to different stations or a simple alarm tone
Touch sensitive Snooze-Handlesnoozes the alarm and indicates time/alarm settings with one or two taps
Sleep button switches off automatically after 15, 30, 45, 60 or 90 minutes.
Alarm setting where you can fall asleep to one station and wake up to another Nine event timed record function for use with MiniDisc or other recording device
Ten station presets – including station select by name, scrolling display which shows track information, news and sports results and more station choice
Clock is automatically updated from the broadcast DAB time signal so you never have to worry about the clocks going back/forward
Volume Equalisation Technology means that your SONUS-1constantly monitors the audio levels of every station and subtly adjusts their relative volume levels over time – keeping to your preferred volume setting – even if you switch between stations
Integrated full-range hi-fi speaker featuring a bass reflex port for enhanced bass performance
USB connector enables you to keep your SONUS-1^XT Up-to-date by downloading software upgrades from an internet connected PC

PURE SONUS-1XT DAB Digital Radio with...

Sony's personal DAB

Sony's latest personal DAB Walkman is its smallest yet. The XDR-M1 DAB FM Walkman comes with a larger-than-usual four-line backlit LCD display providing station information and a clock. One unusual feature is the inclusion of a text storage facility, which lets you record the name of a song to save you forgetting it. There's room for 40 stations in the radio's memory and Mega Bass should provide it with a meatier sound than many personal radios. It's not a bad looking radio either, and includes a remote control and up to nine hours of battery life. The radio's available now. As ever, Sony aren't quoting prices, but it shouldn't be much more than £120.