Brutal DABings on the rise: New models to the rescue!
'Oh my DAB I can't believe it, I've never been this far away from good reception!' Hopefully your DAB will be singing a merrier tune this summer
It's the summer of DAB! Unfurl your raffia mats, slap on the cooking oil and get cancerous on Britain's beaches to the sound of Radio 6. Our little friend the digital radio is in bloom, according to the Digital Radio Development Bureau. You the cunsumers are buying up DABs faster than ever, so in the spirit of consumer capitalism, manufacturers are catering for your desire by releasing a choir of DAB newcomers.
In our carefully picked highlights from the current offerings, we have two new Roberts DABs (pictured in the foreground), the second iteration of the PURE Bug, the PURE Bug Too (see what they did there?) and the PURE PocketDAB 1500 (pictured top right).
The Roberts models (£70) are a return to what the company does best: putting cutting-edge DAB circuitry into their retro chassis designs, while the PURE offerings are more 'futuristic'. The Bug Too (£100) has been referred to as a 'love it or hate it' product, but more accurately it's a litmus test for the onset of mental illness. If you like the idea of a bulbous blob with a shower-hose neck peering at you from your bedside table, then fine. Perhaps it reminds you of E.T.
The PURE PocketDAB 1500 (£94) sounds impressive with its big number tacked onto the end (grow up), and is actually a fairly desirable DAB. We've found in the past that portable DAB reception can be flakey, but if you're travelling through an area of good coverage this is a great way to keep listening to your favourite fringe-interest station. Expect full reviews of all these DABs and more soon. -CS