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Original poster

DAB radios - have you got one and would you recommend it?

28 replies

chocolateshoes · 31/12/2007 13:31

Dp's birthday v soon and am thinking about getting him one, but don't really know where to start. Also he is quite good on audio-visual stuff so it has to be 'right'! can anyone help?

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WeWhizzzYouAHappyNewYear · 31/12/2007 13:49

bump - as I was thinking of getting one too & don't have much of a clue!

Waswondering · 31/12/2007 13:51

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

nutcracker · 31/12/2007 13:53

My brother recommends the Pure One ones I think. At least I think thats what they are called. They cost about £50.

I have an Asda one which was about £30 and thats great.

HuwEdwards · 31/12/2007 13:54

We have one - it is good it's
one of these

Original poster
chocolateshoes · 31/12/2007 13:55

Thanks - have just been looking at Asda online and Comet and they both do Pure who seem to have a wide range. What is the sound quality like?

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Original poster
chocolateshoes · 31/12/2007 13:58

Huw, yours looks good but am wondering if it might be too large. Am thinking about a smaller one so DP can take it on train

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HuwEdwards · 31/12/2007 13:58

Sound quality is excellent on the PURE radio in the kitchen - however we have a DAB alarm radio in our bedroom and the quality is a bit ropey tbh.

HuwEdwards · 31/12/2007 13:59

Chocolate - yes, he would look plain odd carrying it onto the train!

brimfull · 31/12/2007 14:00

I have a pure one which is great ,also have one with cd player for the kitchen but the radio bit is crap,really crackly which I thought wasn't supposed to happen with digital radios.Apparently it's because of metal beam thingy ,but I'm a bit as other radio is fine on a window sill which also presumably has a metal beam above it.

PrufrockingAroundTheXmasTree · 31/12/2007 14:00

I've just got this from Intempo - the first (though pure do 1 too) DAB with Ipod dock. It looks really cool, is super easy to use and sound quality is brilliant. If he's got an Ipod I would really reccommend this as an option

StealthPolarBear · 31/12/2007 14:01

yes and yes, get loads more channels

brimfull · 31/12/2007 14:02

crap one is genus make

Original poster
chocolateshoes · 31/12/2007 14:20

ohhh its so difficult! Don't really want to spend more than £80 tbh.

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Original poster
chocolateshoes · 02/01/2008 19:05

just had another thought and, again am prob being v stupid - does anyone know if you can get good reception of French radio stations on their DAB? As that would please DP greatly!

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scrummymummy1965 · 02/01/2008 19:15

We have bought Mum & Dad this one www.asda-electricals.co.uk/shop/product/pure/60796.html?

It has rewind on it - so if you put radio on and halfway through song/discussion and you wanted to hear from beginning you can rewind up to 15 mins (although I think it may be more like 30 mins). DH's company programme the chips to go inside.

phoebebouffet · 03/01/2008 23:33

Hi love the fact you don't have to 'tune' in to your radio stations, they are really fab if you get a good one, ours is an acoustic soluntions one though about £40 from Argos and the clock has stopped a couple of time recently so I wouldn't get that one HTH

Original poster
chocolateshoes · 04/01/2008 14:46

Thanks Phoebes!

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kd73 · 04/01/2008 14:49

We bought a Pure DAB stereo for the kitchen a couple of years ago and have recently bought a DAB alarm clock for the bedroom. We very rarily listen to cds now except in car (which unfortunately isn't DAB)

Original poster
chocolateshoes · 04/01/2008 14:52

Thanks. Don't suppose you've noticed if you can get French radio clearly have you KD?

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TheYoungVisiter · 04/01/2008 14:54

I adore ours - we got our first when they had just come out and it was quite pricey at the time - about £100 iirc. Since then we've got four more, one for the bedroom, living room, kitchen and a spare crap one for carrying around.

If your DP is design-conscious these look stylish and retro although they do have a slight buzz even when turned off (this is a common issue with DAB radios) so we had to move ours from our bedside to the kitchen.

If you are using it as a bedside radio this one is great as you can use it as an alarm. It comes on to the station and volume setting you choose, and has a weekday and weekend function so you can choose to have it sound early during the week and late at the weekends.

If you want cheap and cheerful ALBA are generally good at the cheap end of the market this one for example

Finally if he is very techy this one allows you to record, pause and rewind live radio, but tbh it's becoming a bit redundant with podcasts.

Radio 7 is, in my opinion, worth the price of a DAB radio alone...

Original poster
chocolateshoes · 04/01/2008 14:59

Wow! thanks for such a detailed respnse! Need to get my act together and order this weekend. Of its got good quality fRecnh radio thta'll clinch the deal!

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TheYoungVisiter · 04/01/2008 15:05

Chocolate, I don't think (I might be wrong) you can get French stations on digital - they have some kind of non-overlap deal I believe. Certainly I've never come across a French station when scanning, and I live in the South East. But most digital radios have a switch you can change over to "normal" radio, and of course on FM and longwave you can get French radio. You could, for example, have your analogue station permanently tuned into a French station, and then switch over to DAB for UK radio.

Original poster
chocolateshoes · 04/01/2008 22:31

aha thanks for that TYV. Thhat might put the lid on that idea then

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keeptakingthetablets · 04/01/2008 22:34

Re the French radio thing - I don't know if this is any use, but on our flight back across Europe DH pulled on his anorak and retuned into Italian and French stations and (loudly) kept us up to date with his doings - he has a Pure personal sized one to take to work with him.

Beware, the mildest of men can become oneword bores at the drop of a hat when you add digital into the mix....

southeastastra · 04/01/2008 22:36

i'm going to make a confession on here.

i live near the eastenders site and i can pick up every scene they shoot.