Looking to buy a DAB radio but don't know what features to look for? Most DAB radios now feature Bluetooth for wireless streaming convenience, but live radio fans will want easy-to-use preset buttons for instant access to favorite stations across DAB, FM and even internet if it is Wi-Fi enabled. A digital display for time, date and programme information may also be useful. Here we review three of the best DAB radios.
Best DAB radios
Best compact DAB radio
Pure Evoke Spot
British brand Pure’s Evoke range has been fully revamped (there’s also the more powerful Play (£250) and Home (£400), which includes a CD player). All have a flip-up 2.4-inch colour display and are available in either coffee black or cotton white with a recycled wool grille. The Spot has a 3-inch full range driver, 20 watts of power, DAB/DAB /FM, Internet Radio, Bluetooth 4.2 and Spotify Connect built-in (for subscribers) for seamless streaming over Wi-Fi. It’s more a streaming speaker than a simple radio, yet its ease of use and preset buttons will appeal to techies and traditionalists alike.
Best portable DAB radio
Roberts Revival Petite
This radio is positively Lilliputian – a mere 12.4 x 7.6cm. It not only looks great, with six stylish colours and a classic transistor feel, but also manages to sound good and boasts Bluetooth, DAB, DAB FM and Aux-in plus a 20-hour battery life. It makes a great travel option and sounds more accomplished than it has any right to. Quality suffers when you turn the volume up to max, but that is hardly surprising given the miniscule proportions.
Best all-round DAB radio
Ruark R1 Mk4
One of the most impressive aspects of Ruark Audio is their ability to keep both audio- and designophiles happy, regularly winning awards for performance while their products pop up in the world’s swankier hotel rooms. Now into its fourth generation, the R1 remains one the best-looking DAB radios available. The solid wood casing of old has gone, in favour of a vibration-resistant polymer – in cream, espresso or blue – but they have kept the organic aesthetic with a gorgeous wooden grille.
But what about features and performance? The R1 has DAB/DAB and FM tuner (with eight presets), you can plug in a media player via 3.5mm jack or USB-C (which can also charge your gadgets), and there’s Bluetooth 4.2 streaming which, while not the latest version, is perfectly adequate. The display may not be as fancy as that of the Pure but it has refreshingly large text and scanning for stations takes seconds.
This is a premium-price radio with wireless streaming – rather than a jack-of-all-trades smart speaker – and though it lacks features like voice control, it sounds splendid, with spoken word, vocals and instrumentation all effortlessly smooth, articulated and engaging.
The best high-end option
Como Audio Solo
At £350 (£399 for the white, black or hickory models), this is eye-wateringly expensive for a mono desktop radio, but it does have DAB/DAB , FM and internet radio, plus aptX Bluetooth streaming, Spotify Connect direct from Wi-Fi without needing your phone, Apple lossless audio, and DLNA hi-res streaming. It is Amazon Alexa ready, and there’s a remote control and smartphone app. Build quality is flawless, the colour screen displays album art and track information and I’ve yet to find anyone not impressed by the look. The sound quality, while not quite up there with the Ruark R1, is warm and engaging. My only real caveat is that if you’re not a technophile you might find the button layout and all those features difficult to navigate.
The best budget option
Pure Elan BT3
I was genuinely surprised by the big, spirited performance of this portable DAB/FM/Bluetooth radio – available in colour choices ‘mint’, ‘graphite’ or ‘slate blue’ – and was won over further by the colourful touch screen. It couldn’t be easier to use, as the screen shows station logos, album artwork, programme information and even the weather. It’s a bit of a shame that it is powered by four AA batteries rather than being rechargeable, but this presumably helps keep the price well under £100.
The best mid-range option
Revo SuperSignal £199
At the other end of the design spectrum, Revo’s executive-style SuperSignal is made from walnut and anodised aluminium, and despite its compact dimensions, it has the heft of a bookshelf speaker. That explains how the volume can go so high without a hint of distortion. As you may expect, it packs in DAB/DAB and FM, plus Bluetooth aptX which allows CD-quality streaming with compatible devices. There are multiple alarms too, making it ideal for your bedside table. revo.co.uk
The best battery-powered DAB radios
Most of the other radios in this round-up are desktop or kitchen styles, but there are also a number of good battery-powered options on the market. Try Sony’s XDR-P1DBP as a starting point.
The best DAB radios with wireless phone charging
There are many bedside digital radios on the market, but it's worth looking into options that have added benefits like wireless phone charging. That way, you can limit the number of cables you have floating around your bedside table. You can get radios like the Roberts Ortus with wireless charging from as little as £89.
