Dab radio

[Rhyd6]

Any recommendations for a clear sounding Dab radio please. We bought a Smith radio costing about £40, nothing fancy but we occasionally like to listen to the news etc. Unfortunately the sound was really rubbish, seemed as though everyone was speaking in a muffled tone. Although OH has some problems with hearing I can hear a pin drop in the next room and even I had difficulty understanding some of the programmes. I've still got the old Grundig which is clear as a bell but unfortunately it's not Dab. Any recommendations gratefully received.

R6

[pje16]

I have had a Pure Elite Dab for years
highly recommended
the model I have has been superseded

https://www.pure.com/en-GB/

[AleisterCrowley]

No idea what they are like now but the Pure Evoke 1XT I bought my mum and dad as a 'main' radio is still going strong and sounding good after 15(?) years
Of course things can change ...corners cut, new production facilities etc, so check out reviews

[Lanark]

All DAB radios sound terrible in the UK after they lowered the bandwidth to be able to squeeze in more stations.
If you are in Europe it may be different.

Also from an environmental point of view they use 10X as much power compared to an FM only radio.

[pje16]

Hold on... ALL is bit OTT
mine sounds fine

[bungeejumper]

R6, you know this of course, but it might just be that your local DAB reception is rubbish. DAB requires a physical line of sight to the transmitter, and AIUI you live in the rural end of some ancient celtic mountain range or other. We've only got rolling hills in this part of Wiltshire, but we can only get four DAB stations from the south side of the house, and none at all from anywhere else. (Mind you, it doesn't help that we have a line of pylons nearby.) The postcode search at http://www.ukdigitalradio.com/coverage/postcodesearch/ is lying through its digital teeth.

So try everything obvious before you splash the cash on another set that might not be much better. How's the DAB reception in your car when it's at home? Try your radio upstairs, or take it to a friend's house in town. Does it have a socket for an external aerial? Might come in handy?

BJ

[AsleepInYorkshire]

Any recommendations for a clear sounding Dab radio please. We bought a Smith radio costing about £40, nothing fancy but we occasionally like to listen to the news etc. Unfortunately the sound was really rubbish, seemed as though everyone was speaking in a muffled tone. Although OH has some problems with hearing I can hear a pin drop in the next room and even I had difficulty understanding some of the programmes. I've still got the old Grundig which is clear as a bell but unfortunately it's not Dab. Any recommendations gratefully received.

R6

Can you get radio through your TV?

AiY

[swill453]

I had a Pure Elan which likewise lasted for years. I've now ditched it for internet radio though - either phone connected to a Bluetooth speaker, or Amazon Echo.

Scott.

[88V8]

Any recommendations for a clear sounding Dab radio please.

We have a Ruark R1, so good that after a couple of years we bought a second one.
Also FM.

The sound quality is excellent, although not quite as good as my Roberts R707.

V8

[AleisterCrowley]

I know the sound isn't hi-fi quality but it's not poor by any stretch - it's ideal for R4 in the kitchen
You'd probably only notice the bandwidth limitations if you wired a DAB Rx to a top end hi fi

[AleisterCrowley]

R6, you know this of course, but it might just be that your local DAB reception is rubbish. DAB requires a physical line of sight to the transmitter, and AIUI you live in the rural end of some ancient celtic mountain range or other. We've only got rolling hills in this part of Wiltshire, but we can only get four DAB stations from the south side of the house, and none at all from anywhere else. (Mind you, it doesn't help that we have a line of pylons nearby.) The postcode search at http://www.ukdigitalradio.com/coverage/postcodesearch/ is lying through its digital teeth.

So try everything obvious before you splash the cash on another set that might not be much better. How's the DAB reception in your car when it's at home? Try your radio upstairs, or take it to a friend's house in town. Does it have a socket for an external aerial? Might come in handy?

BJ

Most (?) DAB radios have a mode where you can see what the signal quality/bit error rate is like
I know our old Pure Evoke does . It works fine downstairs with the internal antenna extended but diagonally across a brick wall! Not sure what multiplex we are on - suspect the Wrekin, which isn't line of sight , but quite close (you get fill-in from reflection/diffraction - otherwise no radios would work indoors, ever)
I think part of the good sound we experience is down to a good speaker in a wood case, not some plastic horror

[Lanark]

The typical bitrate for DAB stereo programs is only 128 kbit/s or less, and as a result, most radio stations on DAB have a lower sound quality than FM, prompting a number of complaints among the audiophile community.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_A ... M_compared

So it doesn't matter how good your radio is, DAB is only really usable for talk radio like radio 4

[scotia]

The typical bitrate for DAB stereo programs is only 128 kbit/s or less, and as a result, most radio stations on DAB have a lower sound quality than FM, prompting a number of complaints among the audiophile community.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_A ... M_compared

So it doesn't matter how good your radio is, DAB is only really usable for talk radio like radio 4

And quoting from your reference:-
Despite the above, a survey in 2007 of DAB listeners (including mobile) has shown most find DAB to have equal or better sound quality than FM.

[Lanark]

The typical bitrate for DAB stereo programs is only 128 kbit/s or less, and as a result, most radio stations on DAB have a lower sound quality than FM, prompting a number of complaints among the audiophile community.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_A ... M_compared

So it doesn't matter how good your radio is, DAB is only really usable for talk radio like radio 4

And quoting from your reference:-
Despite the above, a survey in 2007 of DAB listeners (including mobile) has shown most find DAB to have equal or better sound quality than FM.

2007 was a long time ago

This describes the current situation quite well
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=27w3quNTP84

[scotia]

This describes the current situation quite well
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=27w3quNTP84

Yes - I have kept up with the arguments. I certainly agree that higher bit rates, and a more efficient codec would be better - but I can't see that happening. Now back to quality - I'm very elderly, and the upper ranges are long gone, so my ancient Pure Evoke 1 performs adequately for my needs when it wakens me up with Classic FM at 8am each morning. I think Classic FM operates at 128kbps - and I have a feeling that Radio 3 is somewhat better - is it 160 to 192kbps?
However you will never satisfy a purist - no matter what bandwidth you employ! I remember, some years ago, being given a guided tour around the LInn factory, which concluded with a listening session. First they played an MP3 recording, then they played a standard CD recording - and I could tell the difference. Then they upped their game to a high bit rate digital recording - and I was struggling to hear any difference. And finally, we had a vinyl recording, played on a Sondek turntable - and I had to admit that it sounded the best - I don't know why. But I suppose at the prices they charge , it should be! I perhaps should add that I was a bit of a fraud - I didn't buy any Linn products, although my companion (who had organised the visit) became a proud Linn owner.

[88V8]

...my ancient Pure Evoke 1 performs adequately for my needs when it wakens me up with Classic FM at 8am each morning.

Our Ruark can be switched to FM, and on Classic FM we don't really notice any difference. I think with single-box radios the speaker/cabinet is probably the limiting factor.
The Ruark has a good rich sound although as I've said not as good as my olde Roberts 707.

V8

[Rhyd6]

Thanks everyone for your input. Dab reception in the car is rubbish, the signal keeps dropping in and out all the time. We only wanted something for the bedroom, I like to listen to music in the morning and OH has been a devotee of Radio 4 since long before we met. For some time now friends have been going on about alternative programmes on Dab so that's why we decided to give it a go. Thanks once again, for your help,

R6

[pje16]

you could try one of these
https://www.amazon.co.uk/DAB-Aerial-Phi ... B001GXQUHM

[88V8]

....alternative programmes on Dab

OH is partial to an occasional Boom radio... oldies...

V8

[bungeejumper]

you could try one of these
https://www.amazon.co.uk/DAB-Aerial-Phi ... B001GXQUHM

Indeed. When we first started using a signal amp for our digital TV reception, we were generally assured that it would be useless. Because, they said, if your signal was "bubbling mud" (technical term ), then all you'd get would be a louder version of bubbling mud.

In practice, though, it worked surprisingly well. (Still didn't improve the limited range of DAB signals we could get, and that's with a decent Denon receiver.) You do need an aerial socket on the radio, of course. I might have a look at a wifi receiver some time.

my ancient Pure Evoke 1 performs adequately for my needs when it wakens me up with Classic FM at 8am each morning.

Classic FM is my standby when I'm driving. All I'd need to make my day would be an Alexander Armstrong filter. Anybody know where I can get one? (Poor comedian > passable HIGNFY host > professional singer (in your dreams, Alexander) > really, really greasy radio presenter. Ugh)

I remember, some years ago, being given a guided tour around the LInn factory, which concluded with a listening session. First they played an MP3 recording, then they played a standard CD recording - and I could tell the difference. Then they upped their game to a high bit rate digital recording - and I was struggling to hear any difference.

I'm another of those who can tell a mid-grade MP3 from a CD, any day. Warbling bass, jangling upper frequencies. If they ever start broadcasting DAB in better quality, I'll get more serious about buying some better kit. But there's no doubt in my mind that vinyl has a better sound than either - I suppose that's because it's using a sine wave, as designed by mother nature, rather than a square wave, as favoured by astrophysicists?

BJ