PURE PocketDAB 1500, Rechargeable Personal DAB/FM Radio

I have been unconvinced about DAB radio for sometime now, not liking the delay on power-up, the heavy battery demands, the incorrect time-signals, the poor reception etc, etc. FM seems a simple system that just WORKs, and as they say, if it ain't broke don't fix it.

However, I've now bought my second DAB radio and its this little beauty and I'm beginning to think again about DAB. Basically, this radio does everything it is claimed to do, and does it beautifully and with style. The controls are easy to use, the sound is excellent through the Sennheiser earphones, and most importantly, the rechargeable power-pack puts battery worries out of the window. You don't even have to remove the powerpack, you just plug the radio into the charger like a mobile phone.

One of the most important features of a pocket DAB for me is ease of use in the dark (I listen in the middle of the night in bed sometimes). It is easy to use this radio - the toggle button gives access to volume and channel, and you only have to press the preset button to be able to move through your presets with the toggle. I have a blind friend and know that he would have no trouble with this radio. The power-pack gives a reasonable battery life (I seem to have to charge-up about once a week), and there is a power guage on the display to warn you when it is running low.

OK, so its still got the annoyances of all DAB radios - the three second lag behind FM and the patchy reception (try going on a train journey with it and see how many DAB dead-spots you'll find on the way). But in this case, I like the simple functionality of this radio. Its not a phone. Its not an mp3 player, or a pocket notebook. Its just a perfectly simple radio which does exactly what it says on the box. Highly recommended for those who want a pocket DAB radio.

I've only had this for a few days, but I just can't put it down. I've used it at home and while jogging. Today, I hooked it up to my ITrip, and now I can even use it in my car. I can now listen to my favourite radio ststions that arent available on normal FM, while driving.

It's simple to use, and the sound quality through the supplied earphones, is excellent. I like the fact that the battery is rechargable, rather th an having to keep buying new batteries.

I'm sure that before too long, they'll find how to reduce the size and weight to the size of a Nano, but until then, it's fantastic.

I have now have owned this radio for around a month and have been very pleased with it. The size for me is perfect - and the build quality first class - when you handle the radio it feels sturdy and built to last. Much better build quality than the Sony's and Bush models I looked at.

Even though I live in a rural area the number of stations accessible and the signal quality are impressive. The supplied earphones provide very good sound quality - although I prefer sit 'on the ear' headphones rather than 'in ear' - but that's a personal preference.

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