DAB as easy as ABC?

New gadget is music to motorists ears.

Auto Express Car Reviews

By Dave Pollard

22nd February 2008

Digital radio – or digital audio broadcasting (DAB), to give it its full name – provides improved sound quality and station choice. Yet while it has taken off in the domestic market, drivers have been slow to tune in to it in their cars.

The new Pure Highway aims to change all that. It’s a standalone DAB tuner that sends the signals to a conventional in-car radio via a built-in FM modulator.

We liked the way it sought out the best frequency to tune to, and showed the ‘Pure DAB’ logo on the RDS display once it had found it. The sound wasn’t ‘CD quality’, but it was as good as conventional FM, and of course, there are lots more stations to choose from. In built-up areas where FM modulators can get confused, an optional 3.5mm jack lead will take the signal direct to a deck or suitable car socket.

There’s a ReVu function, which pauses and rewinds live shows, plus four FM transmit preset buttons and 20 DAB presets. You can play your iPod via the Highway, too.

We found the flexi-neck screen holder a bit too flexible. We rested the unit on the console, but this meant the power cable trailed across the dash. Still, that’s a minor criticism of a brilliant gadget.

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