Time Display

This is a very nice DAB radio clock but the work clock should not be used as you can't see the time it is dull and the numbers are small you are not able to read the time even in the dark the lighting is so poor.
The sound is very clear and the radio itself is a good size. It is a pity about the time display as this spoils the whole thing. If you wake up in the night you are not able to see the time.

Rich sound, feels cheap.

A mixed review for the Sony CMT-EH20DAB - Micro HiFi. It looks good and sounds good (ears will bleed before it distorts in a small room) but feels very flimsy. CD lid and remote use the sort of plastic you'd expect to find on the dashboard of Micra. Also annoying that the speaker connections don't match old Sony speakers so had to change them. But then again, £81.60.

Good reception. poor ergonomics

The reception of this radio is truly excellent - I can carry it around the house without the aerial extended, with hardly any reception problems.

Sound quality is good, as is build quality.

Get a chargepak (you need the C6x, the standard one won't fit) - a set of batteries costs £7.50, so it will very soon pay for itself.

My big gripe is with the ergonomics, which I think are poor.

The twenty presets are not really presets at all, as you can't just press one button and go straight to the station you want. Really what the Pure One offers is a favourite stations list and no presets. To find your station, you have to look at the display, scroll through the list until you find the one you want, and then press the select knob. NOT a quick process! The list doesn't even position itself relative to the station you're on - it always starts at position 1. So for example, if you are using preset 9 and want to go to preset 10, you have to scroll though nine stations to get to preset 10.

The daft thing is, this radio has seven buttons that could have been used for proper one-touch presets, and they have been used for other, less frequently used functions, such as the timer (which I never use), and these buttons are not even in any logical order! Get a grip, Pure, and think about how your radios will actually be used!

This is a very good piece of kit, spoiled by a badly designed and irritating user interface.

One more reason for the US to envy the UK

My brother-in-law visited for Christmas from New York. He was moving into a new apartment, and was looking for a new micro system to listen to. Our DMX-60 therefore drew his attention immediately.

He liked the look of it, first off, with the monochrome display contrasting stylishly with the black and silver. He certainly appreciated the sound quality: those custom-wound speaker units do sound very good for such a small system. What *really* got his attention was the DAB radio. Micro CD systems are ten-a-penny so it's the DAB functions that will give this unit its distinctive appeal, if any. No worries: Pure Digital practically pioneered DAB radio in the UK and so, to maintain a commanding lead, they've been applying the innovative approach to tired old formulae like the micro system and, in so doing, breathing a new lease of life into them.

The result in this case is a very high-quality system that not only `does what it says on the tin', but adds a whole load of DAB wizardry as well, such as recording up to 30 hours of crystal-clear, flawless radio onto a 2Gb SD card. My brother-in-law is a Paul Weller fan and was rather impressed with my recording of the great man's Desert Island Disks appearance, which I then burned onto a CD from my computer. You can go the other way too: burn an MP3 CD and the unit's CD player will play it. Whatever it's playing, the CD player sounds as sharp and clear as the radio. The bass is also deep and rich and one can even attach a subwoofer.

The radio also handles terrestrial FM as well as DAB but given the limitations of the former medium there isn't a great deal of point in using it unless you're in a DAB blackspot. To help manage the bewildering range of channels, the DMX-60 comes with a hundred presets. It also supports the Electronic Program Guide, allowing you to schedule recordings when you're out. There are also several different alarms you can set. It also has two auxiliary inputs (iPod and DVD player, anyone?). All these functions are readily accessible using the unit's remote, that in itself is easy to use and comprehensive. The remote really comes into its own when listening to live radio as you can pause and review a broadcast in real time.

It's not perfect: the black on white LCD display isn't easy to see from an oblique angle, although the choice of these colours was probably motivated by aesthetic rather than functional considerations. Other Pure radios tend to have a much clearer white on dark blue display and it would have been better fitted with this, if of less harmonious appearance. Our unit also sounds a little harsh when first turned on but soon settles down when warmed up properly.

Brother-in-law liked it so much he wanted to buy one, but I pointed out that not only is it not available Stateside, the Americans haven't yet cottoned-on to how good DAB Radio actually is to the extent that they actually broadcast in the medium. A pity, as there's potentially a lot more to radio than non-stop pop music, phone-ins and right-wing shock-jocks. Until then, I'm grateful for the fact that Radio GaGa hasn't discovered DAB yet as, thanks to Pure, it is now my favourite broadcast medium (and that includes the television). Our gain is America's loss, by the sound of it.

Barely acceptable

I bought this as a replacement for a Ministry of Sound DAB radio that was a daily companion for several years until I dropped it on to a concrete floor and broke its on/off switch. You would think that in those years personal DAB radios would have evolved ... not a bit of it.

This one wouldn't have looked good in the Eighties - it's nasty, cheap-looking and plasticky. The screen is too small and lacks contrast, making it very hard to read, and the buttons are too tiny even for my dainty digits. When you turn it on it takes ages to tune in (ok about ten seconds, but the MoS radio was near instant). Worst of all, despite the tiny, dim screen, it's really battery-hungry.

I'm giving it three stars because the sound - once it gets going - is excellent. There's no tone control like on the MoS, but you don't really need it. The headphones are ok too.

Godd price and quality

Bought one as a Christmas present for my husband. He is using it every day and finds it very easy to use. The radio has a nice design and is lightweight. Easy to operate and switch between DAB and FM. Will recomend.

Not what it says on the tin

This is a great radio but unfortunately it does not do what it says on the tin. The weather station and the TV audio channels are not available outside continental America. So for half the functions promised it is an expensive shower radio. The radio itself is far better than most of the other supposed shower radios that are on the market.

Quality compact radio from Sony

I have been very happy with this radio since I purchased it. The build quality and sound quality are far better than many more expensive DAB/FM radios, plus it's perfect for travelling as it is very compact. Reception is also spot on - 100% reception quality on all the DAB stations available in my area.

After reading about the short battery life on here, I decided to use non-rechargeable Energizer Ultimate Lithium 'Digital' batteries (currently use them in a digital camera). They are claimed to last up to seven times longer than 'normal' alkaline batteries. I can vouch for this as I haven't yet had to replace the batteries after many hours of use.

I am happy to recommend this DAB radio to people who are looking for a small DAB radio with built-in FM and good sound quality.

rock on with roberts (re-edited review)

Since I bought this last week I found it very easy indeed to setup the internet radio section and esp love the idea of going to a web site and registering the radio so you can add all your fave stations and catorise them in any order folder gene etc great stuff and because their is so many stations out there you need it too. The Dab is also a piece of cake to setup and of course the FM as far as pre sets, Alarms (it has 2) etc. The reception in my area Huddersfield is excellent even with the ariel down a bit and not fully up. This is also the case with FM too. However the Media player which works alongside the windows OS Media player 11 is another story, its a big let down it only picks up some of the files on your PC and not ALL of them so if you have a big collection like me (50 Gig) your in for a shock it will only pick up a few of them. Reading other reviews of Roberts Internet Radios seems to be the same problem. Its a real pain in the butt as well to set up a complete nightware infact and that's coming from a qualified PC engineer. I am awaiting to hear back from Tech support to see if they can fix this problem and I will report back if their is a solution to the problem. The speakers too are a bit thin on the ground hardly any bass. However I have found out that the best way to deal with that is to plug it into my hifi system using the headphone output at the back of the Radio which makes a big difference to the sound. It works off batteries too so if you want to sit in the garden etc move about with it its good for that but the sound quality from the speakers is a bit of a let down. For £150 though its not bad I just hope they can fix the media player problem soon.Right to bring you all upto date on this problem found out it was Microsofts Media player thats the problem so I am now using the excellent J.River Media player it only costs £20 and worth every penny AND it works with the roberts radio and the program is very easy to setup indeed only took one click in fact and I had ALL my 50 gig plus mp3 collection rocking on my radio unlike microsofts crappy media player. J.River media player is the best media centre I've used for playing all sorts of media. So as the Roberts radio wasen't the fault in the end I now give it four stars.

Good value, great sound

I recently purchased this radio as my first foray into DAB. I am hugely impressed with both the solid feeling build quality, the simplicity of use and the amazing sound quality. It seems Pure and Roberts are the leaders in this field from the limited research I conducted. For price, style and quality I think this model represents an excellent choice. I can pick up 27 radio stations and I can't emphasise enough how good the music sounds.

Focus on battery power and comparing this to my first DAB radio.

I was after a DAB radio with long battery life, with punchy sound and easy to use. Roberts claim a wopping 150 hours using six D size alkaline batteries."Which" report found 81 hours when they tested it. So it probably lies somewhere between the two figures, depending on sound volume, and quality of batteries used. This is streets ahead of any other DAB radio presently on the market.

The first DAB radio I bought several years ago was the first edition of the Pure Elan, bought for the same reason as the Roberts ie battery life. At the time, other radios gave 5-10 Hours battery life, whereas Pure claimed 30 Hours with the Elan using 6 of the smaller C type batteries. I found using Duracell + batteries this was correct, however the sound was very, disappointing, muffled, muddy with no treble.

So with the RD-21, Roberts have extended the battery life ( although using the larger D type batteries )by about 3 or 4 times that of the Pure Elan. So is there a catch ?

Absoultely not !!! Obviously technology has moved on. Roberts will be using chips that consume far less power than the earlier Pure Elan. But soundwise, these 2 radios are like chalk and cheese. The 21 has separate Bass and Treble controls which give great tonal adjustment. Speach sounds suberb, great for radio 4 and 7. For music output it obviously can't compete with the bass output from a subwoffer, but in a small room gives excellent presence and balance, and the opportunity to subdue the midrange by wacking up both bass and treble ( the way I like it ! ). Very impressive indeed, for the size of radio.

Simplicity itself to setup and use, with a large display on the top, excellent battery life, fantastic sound, and a radio you can pick up and take into the bathroom, or the garden shed, without having to change the batteries every fortnight.

PS It was not my intention to make a generalised comparison between the sound qualiy of Pure radios and Roberts radios, only the 2 specific models mentioned. I have owned and used the Pure Evoke 3 virtually every day for the past 2 years, and is in my opinion the best DAB radio sofar built.

Don't hesitate.

After reading various reviews on personal DAB radios I nearly gave up the idea. In the end I took the plunge and opted for the Roberts as we already have two Roberts DABs in the house which we love. I wanted the radio for walking the dog and the odd bit of jogging through the fields and lanes in Devon. Although the man in the shop said it's not designed for jogging, it seems to love it! It's amazing. Reception is brilliant, just the very occasional bit of burbling when you go into a dip to cross a river, but it doesn't mean you can't hear what's being said. Fits well into a pocket. Casing and controls feel really good. Buttons and control wheel don't get moved by accident, although there is a lock for the control wheel. Supplied earphones are fine, bit then I don't have an ipod so may not be very discerning in this respect. Although there are no presets, let's be honest, it's not that difficult to select a station using DAB is it. I'm using rechargeable batts. Receives about 28 stations in Devon, including all the bbcs and classic. Compared to FM and MW around here, there's no contest. Unless you live in an area where DAB is dodgy, just go and get one. It's my new best friend.

Absolutely Amazing

I'm blown away by this little radio. There are over 10,000 stations now listed and this seems to still be increasing everyday. The sound quality seems pretty good and it has a headphone socket so I can plug it into my Hi-Fi too. The best bit is listening to 6Music in the bath with a bottle of Corona.

Roberts RD50 Vintage Stlye Radio

Do not buy this product. Remembering the quality of Roberts radios from the 1960s and 70s I had expected robust build quality, ease of use, good reception and good quality sound output. I was severely disappointed: One doesn't even get a socket for an RF aerial, which for the price is laughable. This product is a triumph for appearance over function. Definitely one to avoid.

excellent

The sound quality on this product is excellent, it's incredible the quality this little unit provides and by adding the additional speaker the quality just gets better! Definately worth every penny, so good i even bought a second one for the bedroom, brilliant design and very street cred!!

Sturdy Contender

Had Oasis since Xmas 2006 so got to know its strengths and weaknesses. This was my first DAB and it's really ignited my interest in radio listening. The sound quality on the Oasis is superb especially for the spoken word as is the sound volume and"reach". The controls are simple and elegant and it really is tough. The handle for instance is an integral part of the housing so no moving parts to bust. It is great that the batteries charge"in house" and it is very comfortable with a shower - which is good bec I often use it on an allotment (apparently they don't like to be submerged - though it was dropped in a pond without complaint).

The downsides are that it is pretty darn heavy and the battery lasts only 6-7 hours and takes a night to charge. Not one to take on a camping trip. A radio-alarm would be fab. There are only 5 presets - 7+ would be better (though it would clutter the panel). The RDS scroll is very slow - annoying to read - not sure if that is within control of Pure. The bugger flashes when charging, which is a pain at the bedside. The rubber flanges on the bottom have come off and required sticking down.

If you'd get use out of the weatherproofing it is a great buy and the sound quality is better than others I've heard in same price bracket. It's a cool and sturdy contender in the DAB market.

Small, stylish. Sounds good too!

Got this system today after some waiting (bought it off another store as i didn't want to wait 2-3 weeks for this) and i have been very impressed. Its really a jack of all trades. It connects to absolutly anything! It was just replacing an iPod dock that had an inbuilt radio.

This is leauges ahead, it comes with the iPod DMPort adapter in the box, with a selection of inserts. I've got an iPod touch, and am pleased to say that this system is fully compatible with it. My old dock could just skip and play/pause. With this system you can do that, and also navigate all of the music menu system, switching artists or albums is a sinch, which i find great, only thing it can't do it unlock the player. I've also got a NWZ-A828 too, which i connected with both bluetooth and USB, with both working great, showing song info on screen, only upside to USB is that it'll charge the walkman too.

I cannot comment on the DAB performance of the unit as i don't have any coverage at home, but the FM and AM tuners work fine, tuning into all 5 stations i can recieve, and show RDS info for all of them. Also, sony provide two arials for the DAB and FM tuners, and they are very long, which is good for reception i guess. Theres also audio jack in on the front, if none of the other connection methods are available. Its also got one of those CD player things too!

Onto the all important thing, sound quality. I'm very impressed with the sound produced by the unit, i'm no hardcore audiophile, but i've played a number of differnt songs to see how it copes with different frequencies, and comparing it to the dock which it replaced, its far far better. All the music has a rich deep sound to it, you just sink into it. Especially for such a small unit. It could easily be a living room system as well as a bedroom one, as i am using it.

Ok, niggles. The display is nice and clear, but sadly when using the iPod dock through the digital media port, the unit doesn't display any song info, instead showing a boring"DMPORT". Also, the unit will charge a connected iPod, but only if the system is on, my old dock still charged, even when on standby.

Changing functions using the remote's + and - buttons takes a bit of getting used to, but with so many different functions, they didn't want to cram the remote full of buttons.

Also, most of the unit and front of the speakers are glossy, which looks great, when you first get it, but its getting smudgy already, but this can't be helped much i guess.

Apart from these minor niggles, this is a supurb system, which is leaving me no choice but to listen to my whole music collection again!