Best Portable DAB Radios in the UK

The Sony XDR-S41D looks a little like 90s throwback mixed with something modern. First, you have the size and the general appearance, measuring 18 x 9.5 x 3.6 centimetres that are forming this black rectangular block, nothing that radios ~20-30 years ago were not offering aesthetics-wise. Capping at ~450 grammes, this portable DAB radio is much more lightweight than the size would suggest, which is an always welcome moment.

Then, you have the huge mesh net covering somewhere around two-thirds of the model's profile, hiding the mono speaker. Covering it with fabric, the speaker offers relatively noiseless acoustic transmission, making sure that the sound is coming out crisp and almost distortion-free.

To the right, the 90s throwback design meets the modern LCD five-line screen. Aside from the time, battery status, and the current mode, the screen displays programme details, including the song, artist, and the station. Featuring backlighting, the model's screen is visible even when the ambient light is nonexistent, so you can manipulate the settings without turning on the lights.

The Spitalfields AZSPTLSBK1 looks brilliant, with its ~50-60s retro aesthetic putting considerable distance between the radio and its bland contemporaries, all following the same playbook, all looking boring and uninspired. There's nothing boring/uninspired about this device though, not to the slightest extent. No, the smooth, polished buttons with fingerprint patterns atop them look modern and vintage simultaneously, with the round speaker appearing undeniably retro and the LCD screen balancing the retro details with sleek modernity.

While the device is mixing metals with plastic at the front, the circumference adopts a full-grain leather finish, ensuring that the model will look great anywhere, from mid-century décors to contemporary and modern settings. Now, the white panels are easily soiled, nothing can be done about that. Aside from that though, the product does not take one wrong turn.

The screen that we have mentioned before provides 3 text lines, offering information pertaining to the news, broadcasters, titles, song names, artists, and more. Also, the screen lets you adjust the brightness levels, presenting additional dimmer control so that you can make sure the screen is visible during nighttime but also that it is not blinding you. Cranking up the brightness, you can make the information readable even under direct sunlight.

Unlike the preceding product, the Roberts Radio Play10 comes looking a little dull. Generally speaking, we do not place considerable importance upon aesthetics when talking about DAB radios, but we can appreciate the noticeable effort put towards the product's appearance. This is not the product biggest sin though since, again, aesthetics are not that important. But the maximum volume that the radio can reach without producing noise and distortions is important and this device is not as loud as its size would suggest. No, the model's fairly petite, measuring 18 x 10.5 x 5.5 centimetres but we have seen portable DAB radios commanding less sizable footprints and beating this one on the maximum volume front. All that being said, even though we have started with the negatives, this is one handy device, especially looking at its controls first.

We could not care less for complicated controls that take time and effort figuring out. This is not what's happening here though. Here, everything is straightforward, with 3 preset buttons, On/Off, Menu/Mode, volume buttons, and, where you would probably expect the volume knob is actually the tuning knob, letting you easily sift through stations. When you find the station that you like, choose between the 3 preset buttons and, from there, you'll be able to access that station in a snap.

In the back, there is the usual telescopic antenna, nothing new. There's something new about the LCD screen though, with its backlit 8-character starburst profile making it easy to search and scroll through the radio's menus and making music discovery hassle-free.

Even though radios are primarily about the tech that determines the range, features, settings/menus, and all that, the Majority Petersfield Go starts with its nimble footprint, this much is certain. Stopping at 7.5 x 5.4 x 1.2 centimetres, this is easily the most portable prospect within this selection, no contest. Of course, when we're talking about clip-on/pocket radio receivers and transmitters, speakers are seldom present. Instead, these models adopt the traditional 3.5-millimetre headphone jack, so you can use most headphones and earphones but using them you'll have to. Besides the jack, this USB-powered features the standard Type-A port that lets you recharge the battery via the supplied USB cable.

You'd think that the compact radio would be lacking features but we would not trust that thought. No, despite its petite profile, this device is not trailing behind in the functionality department, not one bit. First, disregarding the size limitations, the model's sporting quite an immodest screen, with its 3-line structure displaying battery status, signal quality, volume, time, broadcasting standard (DAB, DAB+, FM), station information, song name, artist, and more. The font's not as small as you would expect, so every information piece is easily readable even without moving the screen 5 centimetres close to the eyes. The screen even adopts pretty effective anti-glare coating, making the info on the screen legible even with the sun hitting right at it.

The people behind the DAB radio from I-Box have described this device as stylish and easy-to-use. We can get behind the second part but we're not seeing the first, apologies, friends. The radio does not look terrible, we're not suggesting that, but there's nothing particularly stylish about its appearance too. From where we're standing, the device looks normal, which is nothing to be ashamed of but also nothing to brag about. The button arrangement, the LCD screen, the mesh net covering the speaker, we have seen them all, so, again, apologies, but we're not impressed. That being said, we're also not turned off, so to say. No, the device has its moments, more than one.

First and maybe even foremost, you can store as many as 60 stations, adding 30 DAB and 30 FM stations to the favourites list. Using the Preset button below the Menu button, the device lets you sift through these stations, wasting less time than you would be searching for them manually. What's more, not unlike most DAB receivers/transmitters these days, this radio houses five preset buttons atop its body, offering easy and instant access to 5 DAB stations and 5 FM stations. Following the standard playbook, the device employs the DAB/FM button to let you switch between DAB and FM presets.

The buttons that we have already covered and the ones that we haven't are all sitting below the LCD screen, which is not the model's biggest selling point, unfortunate as it is. No, it is bright, and the orange backlighting makes the information legible even at night. But the UI is clunky and the font is awkward, so you really have to stare at the screen to figure out the information sometimes.