Are all digital radios rubbish?

[annedonnelly]

There are a couple of digital stations I like. But I find reception rubbish.

IF I get the radio in the right place and then sit very still it's mostly OK. But sometimes it'll lose the signal for a few seconds and then come back.

If I try moving around the house when it's on it's dreadful - reception disappears altogether or is very distorted.

Is it always this bad? Am I in a bad signal area or is it the radio? It's not the most expensive brand but not the cheapest either - a Goodmans which I thought would be reasonable.

Any ideas?

 

[mark barker]

I'm a huge fan of DAB, and never had a problem with reception... I've got a couple of "pure" branded units and would recommend them.

Have you checked with the digital radio coverage guide?

 

[killiekosmos]

I've got a Pure DAB (entry level) and it has very good reception. It lives in ther conservatory linked to a stereo iPod docking station so I can get stereo.

 

[rualexander]

I recently got an internet radio and it is fantastic, thousands of stations from all over the world (e.g. Bolivia Web Radio has great music), also can listen to 'listen again' stuff from BBC and also podcasts from anywhere. It can also stream music from my computer and play it through the built in speaker or plug it into the Hi-fi. Sound quality probably won't match good DAB but its still pretty good.

 

[jack the lad]

Our reception is OK but all the DAB radios in our house have basic design flaws.

Why is there never an on-off button? When my son decides to stay out overnight and his alarm goes off in the morning the only way I can turn the damn thing off is to pull the plug out.

The LCD display on my DAB alarm clock radio is like a searchlight even on its lowest setting. Changing the time on the alarm takes 4 minutes of scrolling through every setting to confirm or change - no shortcuts.

I've never bothered to change the radio channel - life is too short to scroll through a random list of radio stations, that's never the same twice running.

There are dozens of knobs without names, just obscure icons - no idea what they do, but they don't appear necessary to the basic task of getting a football commentary on 5 live, so I leave them alone.

I can't listen to the DAB radio except when it's on 'alarm' - there's no on-off switch! (see above)

None of these are problems on analogue radios, why can't we have the DAB technology with the interface of an analogue radio, honed over many years to be simple and intuitive to use. it's almost as if they have lost the plot in a desire to be modern and different for the sake of it.

 

[SavageHoutkop]

You might have a dodgy radio and/or just bad signal

I am very happy with my PURE radio; but my Sony 'midi hi-fi' in our previous house (different part of the country) would often do that 'bubbling' thing. I'll see if the Sony still does it in the new place (we still have it, it's our CD player), but the sound quality on the PURE radio is brilliant and the fact that it has a decent battery makes it even better (although IIRC we needed to buy that extra).

Mine is this one:
http://www.johnlewis.com/230517295/Product.aspx
looks like they have a new 'updated' version out just for Christmas as well.

 

[SavageHoutkop]

Why is there never an on-off button? When my son decides to stay out overnight and his alarm goes off in the morning the only way I can turn the damn thing off is to pull the plug out.
mine has an on-off button and a mute function too

The LCD display on my DAB alarm clock radio is like a searchlight even on its lowest setting. Changing the time on the alarm takes 4 minutes of scrolling through every setting to confirm or change - no shortcuts.
mine has some kind of auto light sensor and dims automatically with the light

I've never bothered to change the radio channel - life is too short to scroll through a random list of radio stations, that's never the same twice running.
you can preset the 1-9 buttons on mine

 

[swee'pea99]

The Roberts 'er indoors got me works brilliantly - and this in a house in a valley where we can only get LW on analogue radios. And it has an on-off switch! And half a dozen buttons for saved stations.  It does sound to me tho' like your problem is poor reception. A better radio could help. Or you could move.

 

[Hilldodger]

I have four Pure DAB radios all tuned to different stations in different rooms - Planet Rock, Radio 4, Radio Leicester and Radio 2 - and have no problem with reception on any of them.

 

[darth vadar]

I often listen to the radio through my TV Freeview and the reception is fab.

But, then again you are limited to how many stations you can tune in to.

 

[threebikesmcginty]

I've got two Pure radios at home and a John 'crankarm' Lewis one at work - all good so far. Not enough country or rock and roll for my liking but you can't have it all.

 

[ColinJ]

I have four Pure DAB radios all tuned to different stations in different rooms - Planet Rock, Radio 4, Radio Leicester and Radio 2 - and have no problem with reception on any of them.

Er, forgive me if I'm being rude... but isn't there just a hint of madness in your method?

I think the idea is to take one radio from room to room with you and switch it to whatever station you fancy listening to when you get there! Or is it some sort of weird DJ thing - you can develop your own unique mix of radio programmes according to where you choose to stand in the house? 

 

[beanzontoast]

It does depend on the equipment IME. Our first hi-fi with DAB built in a few years back - Morphy Richards (ok - it was a gift) - was a mercurial experience to say the least. It reminded me of a toaster we had once; the toast either emerged as warm, 'raw' bread or burnt to a cinder. There was no in between. In the case of the DAB, we either got a blisteringly good signal or one that just wouldn't stick.

It only takes your initial experience of DAB to be less enjoyable than what you're used to and it can be a real turn-off (literally).

+1 on the fun of internet radio. Content-wise, internet radio rules for me, though the sound quality may not be acceptable for some tastes.

 

[annedonnelly]

Hmm, sounds like I need to borrow another radio to see if it's that or the reception that's the problem. The digital radio coverage guide implies it should be ok, but I know one of my neighbours has problems with digital TV reception despite a massive aerial.

Thanks for all the input

 

[Davidc]

As Taunton has a BBC and a Digital One DAB transmitter it's better than analogue FM which, for BBC national and Classic FM is non-existent indoors and marginal outdoors for cars. Absolutely no local services though.

Main trouble is that on decent audio equipment and speakers the sound quality is dreadful, but that's what comes of having DAB and not DAB+ Tried it in the car as well, and that wasn't brilliant. Too much of the electric mud. Again, if we had DAB+ that wouldn't happen.

As far as useability is concerned my experience is the exact opposite of jack the lad's, on all sets. Totally user friendly in every way. I agree with post #8.