Digital radio units - what do people who have them recommend?

[Omaroo]

Hi all

A friend of mine has asked me what I'd recommend in a new digital radio. Not having one, I said I didn't know, but would do some research and also ask around. Do any of you have one, and if so how do you find it? Digital radio sounds all great, but at my reckoning, if used over a wifi connection to access internet radio or podcasts, it will chew around 80Mb/hour at typical sample rates. That's a fair whack if you leave it running all day, and it's these things that go blowing download plan quotas in no time.

Her main wish list:

1) DAB+ digital tuner with decent display

2) Internet radio - over wifi or ethernet

3) FM

4) iPod/iPad/iPhone connectivity

5) (less important) streaming from Mac or PC

6) Portability - preferably be able to operate away from mains power.

7) Remote

So far I've looked at the Revo Pico ($269 from the ABC Shop) and the OXX Classic ($299 and which isn't portable). Both look good, but the Revo is drawing my attention for its size and portability. The OXX looks the goods in terms of function and sound though.

Revo: http://www.revo.co.uk/digital-radio/revo-pico-radiostation.php

OXX: http://www.oxxdigital.com/au/reviews.aspx

Any advice from the good people here? There are plenty of brands around - most are new though and I don't know what they're like - such as Sangean, Evoke, ONE & Pure.

[JethroB76]

I don't have one, but you may find some helpful discussion over at Whirlpool, OCAU etc

[Barrykgerdes]

Digital radios we will have whether we like it or not. At present the price far exceeds the value. The hifi concept is a bit of an overkill and really only produces an advantage to those who believe it is better.

The noise reduction quality will be great but remember you will need a satisfactory S/N ratio for reliable reception. This will give a lot of bother with portable operation until all the cold spots are filled with repeater transmitters as there will be either good reception or none.

When it comes to streaming radio over the internet, that is already available and is digital in anycase and will only be really satisfactory on a large scale with high speed internet and unlimited down loads. Ipods/Ipads are already in the same boat.

Incidently the direct digital broadcast I imagine will be a continuos stream whereas the internet variety is by packets at a much higher bit rate.

You may think I am a sceptic but being involved with radio/radar/Tv communication for 60 years I love the new technology but believe there will be a lot of disappointment and anger from the general public due to problems that will need to be addressed in the first 10 years of it.

I think a satisfactory price for a basic unit should be around $15 but that won't come for a while yet. I will most certainly have one when they reach that price or near to it.

Barry

[Omaroo]

Yep - agreed Barry. She already streams internet radio over her iPhone and main desktop computer. Price doesn't mean much to her. Value for money is very secondary by the looks of it, and I guess isn't the type to wait for better value.

At the end of the day she wants a little box that sits on her bedside table - and that really means a small "black box" rather than computer/laptop, etc. Internet radio is only secondary, and very much so. It's the digital radio that she wants, and portability means out in the garden at her suburban address, not on the trail. If it had an onboard clock in it that'd be cool, but she doesn't necessarily want a clock radio - at least in the traditional sense. Girls... LOL!!

[rally]

Chris,

Alarm Clock Radio Free - iphone app for starters

Can be used stand alone or as the Internet Radio source for the home hifi system.

Assuming she has a home WiFi, that will keep her data bandwidth to a minimum on a standard ADSL/cable service as opposed to the telephone network data.

Most modern AVRs will have DLNA capability and so will either :
1. Support the iPhone with a cradle as an internet streaming radio source
2. Allow a DLNA app on the iPhone (connected wirelessly to the AVR in the home) Apps such as PlugPlayer (iphone app) to act as your DLNA media controller - It can connect to your media library - eg MP3s on a Windows Media Player PC (or from the iPhone itself) or other PC based media server and control the routing of that media to your AVR/HiFi system.

So when she is in the lounge room she uses the iPhone to control the HiFi from her iPhone library or PC library, when she is in the bedroom she can use the iPhone to listen either natively or better yet in any one of 1,000 different mini boombox type of audio cradles now available for iPhones.

Alarm Clock Radio Free will even wake up with an alarm and on many AVRs will turn them back onto standby and start them playing to your favourite radio sigitial station !

Have fun !

Rally

PS - realised you were asking about digital radio - oops - I dont get that very well where I live !
Most stations now have an internet equivalent anyway - why bother.
I guess the AVR will support that too ?
Get an app or (use VNC to control a PC based app) to control the AVR and use the Zones output control on the AVR to play it through to her bedroom speakers

[erick]

This one's black and small.

From our friends at ALDI:- $69

http://www.aldi.com.au/au/html/offers/2827_14837.htm

[Omaroo]

Thanks Rally. I personally use TuneIn Radio on my iphone, which is brilliant. The best of those that I've tried - by far. I just wish that there was an iPad-specific version too. It'd make listing international stations easier. Given all that though, she just wants the little black box to receive free digital radio at the end of the day.

The Aldi one Eric has pointed out is along the right lines, so thanks Eric - I'll have a squizzo at it. It's probably a pretty simple one for $70, but might fit her needs for the moment. Good old Aldi - it'll be right in between the peaches and jack hammers.

[taminga16]

Chris,
Check this link, Tivoli Audio build great stuff, not cheap but hey! you pay your money you get your radio.

Greg.

www.tivoliaudio.com

[mithrandir]

She might want to have a test drive first. I have one of the "Pure" ones and the only place it gets enough signal is on the kitchen windowsill with the telescopic aerial all the way up.

[Omaroo]

Thanks Greg :) I'll have a look at the Tivolis. They look like high-end AM/FM furniture pieces (nice!!!) but also have a couple of digital units. Thanks!

Andrew - interesting. You're north, I'm south, about the same distance from the CBD. I wonder if there is a reliable signal strength map of any kind. I can't imagine that a retailer would let you test drive a device in your home before purchase. I'd also imagine that varying brands/models will perform differently in the same situation.

[Robh]

I have a Sangean DPR-25 Plus which has great reception (but then I live in the Blue Mts) and two speakers for stereo sound. Got it at Bing Lee for $220. It has an aux in, line out and earphone socket. On the negative side, I had to buy rechargeable batteries and they only run it for 2 hours if I'm lucky.

I would also consider the following ...
Many of the DABs only have one speaker. Will she be happy with mono?
If they have rechargeable batteries how long will they go for?
Do you want to be able to play it through a sound system (line out)?

Regards, Rob.

[dalemadison]

I agree with Rob and have a Sangean. It is a DPR -34+, the small pocket size model. It works great.
Dale

[Omaroo]

Thanks Rob & Dale :) I looked at the Sangean 25 the other day as well. The specs looked good. It's a definite on the list. I personally wish all of these manufacturers would make a few clean-looking radios without resorting to "retro", but that's me. LOL!

[taminga16]

I am fortunate enough to have a Model One bedside and another on my desk, these radios are often judged as the best sounding table units available and if you have the opportunity to listen to one I would highly recommend it.

Greg.

[Screwdriverone]

Yep, this is one reason why I havent even looked at these yet. I cannot for the life of me understand why the blurb and marketing about DAB radio is so over the top and fantastic and better than CD quality audio etc etc etc .....

YET THEY ONLY PROVIDE ONE SPEAKER??????????

PLUS, as Rob points out, the 2 speaker version he has costs $220!?!?!?
for essentially a transistor RADIO?

What's the point? If I wanted one speaker I would go to the drive in to watch a movie. Even there they give you the option to tune into the stereo FM broadcast through your analog radio as well.

DUMB DUMB DUMB.

Cheers

Chris

[Omaroo]

LOL!

Chris, it's a bedside table radio, not a hifi! :) There are plenty of mini hifi's with DAB+ for under $200 from Sony, Sharp, et al. She's not interested in these. She's mainly interested (and now me too) in being able to pause and rewind talk-back radio, which you can't do on a "transistor" radio of yore. She has a really nice hifi for music.

To quote the Sydney Morning HErald a while back:

[Screwdriverone]

;) sorry for the rant Chris.

I understand the benefits of the digital format like rewinding and extra channels, but it just seems silly when it is broadcast in digital stereo for the majority of the sets to only have one speaker.

I had better try finding that bee in my bonnet and let it loose....

Cheers

Chris

[Omaroo]

Sorright..... LOL! If you can't have a go at yer mates once in a while what good are they? :lol:

I agree about the speaker, but really wonder just how well separated the channels would be even if small radios had two. It's probably more important to have aux-out in that case.

[Omaroo]

Thanks to those who replied. My friend Margie went out this arvo and bought an OXX Digital Classic DAB+ radio from Bing Lee for $259 (retailed in store at $299) and is very happy. We decided on the OXX after all, with the main review sources giving it such good reviews in all categories. It really can't be beaten at this money. It has DAB+ digital radio, WiFi & Ethernet connectivity to Internet radio and can connect to a Mac or PC to stream it's content. Aux in and out, headphone jacks allow it to play iPod stuff as well. It looks good and shebreckons that it sounds great - even in mono as the speaker is sitting in a vented enclosure. It also has an alarm clock function that is kept in time via DAB+ synchronization or NTP over the Internet. It's really a very cool bit of kit.


http://www.oxxdigital.com/au/product.aspx?pid=313

Cheers all :)

[Screwdriverone]

LOL :lol:

Looks nice Chris, that one speaker radio.....

It's 2010 and we are selling transistor radios for $300 with one speaker....who'd have thought?

Still, lots of gadgets like you said, I like the time sync especially.

For that sort of money I could buy a QHY5 and listen to the radio on my Blackberry in stereophonic sound!......wait a sec......there's a thought!

:P

Cheers

Chris

[norm]

Too funny Chris.....:lol::rofl:

norm

[koputai]

Just as an aside, Sangean are not a new brand. I bought a Sangean ATS-803A back in 1989. It's a high performing multiband and it's still going strong on my workbench in the shed. Not sure if they still do, but they used to be the manufacturer that several other brands stuck their own name on, such as Realistic (RadioShack/Tandy).

Cheers,
Jason.

[JimmyH155]

I just bought a GRUNDIG GDR700DAB Looks a little old fashioned but very nice with 2 level LCD display.
It is DAB+ with AM and FM, lots of memories, and Bass / Treble, volume, scan, and the time comes up when you tune into a station, with the second line of the display giving info on the station.
2 speakers for stereo 2 x 2W RMS @10%THD output.
Has 6 C cell batteries for use in the garden:D plus mains adapter for use indoors.

put on a nice good quality pair of headphones, and it is GREAT;)

ENJOY:lol:

[Omaroo]

Wow :) The radio that she bought turned up on my door step this afternoon with a "Happy Birthday" card on it. :D:D:D Stoked? LOL! You betcha! :lol: