DAB Solutions Tested

ranger

why change something thats not broken,i for one will not be changing my car radio for a dab unit,why should i be forced to just because some plonker has nothing better to do than play round,we were forced to change tv`s & i found no improvement in picture quality or sound,a total waste of my time & above all my money,stick your dab units where the monkey sticks his nuts.

By taxicass on 29 July, 2011, 4:11pm

DAB already outdated

Despite the DAB radio industry's claims, the sound quality - especially on rock/pop stations - is terrible. For two reasons.
First, this is yesterday's technology - newer and better digital radio systems exist. We are being denied them in the UK (the DAB industry would void its investment.)
Second, too many stations are crammed onto each DAB 'multiplex' reducing bandwidth and causing the aural equivalent of photo pixellation.
FM is in a different quality league, as is high end Internet radio. Don't be fooled by the marketing men!

By MIKELLOYD3 on 29 July, 2011, 4:56pm

DAB already outdated

Despite the DAB radio industry's claims, the sound quality - especially on rock/pop stations - is terrible. For two reasons.
First, this is yesterday's technology - newer and better digital radio systems exist. We are being denied them in the UK (the DAB industry would void its investment.)
Second, too many stations are crammed onto each DAB 'multiplex' reducing bandwidth and causing the aural equivalent of photo pixellation.
FM is in a different quality league, as is high end Internet radio. Don't be fooled by the marketing men!

By MIKELLOYD3 on 29 July, 2011, 5:02pm

dead end

Some years ago I had a Revo DAB thing fitted, and despite Marketing Mans claims that reception was perfect, it was rubbish. Lengthy distances of 'drop out', on the motorway etc etc, in the end I put £200 in the dustbin. The 'tests' hear tell me nothing, did you go on the motorway ? I listen to FM and DAB side by side on the home hi-fi - FM is streets ahead in real quality. The unwillingness of the BBC to raise quality of sound top where it belongs, is another reason to ignore DAB

By deshill1 on 29 July, 2011, 9:18pm

If you have a good aerial, it's nonsense that on-the-road DAB reception is poor. See here: http://www.dabonwheels.co.uk/uploaded_files/Aerial%20comparision%20_2011%20copy.gif

It's also nonsense that in-car FM SQ is superior to DAB. See here: http://www.dabonwheels.co.uk/DAB_on_the_road.html

By dabman on 1 August, 2011, 3:47pm

I have been trying to find out from the industry and anyone in the know if a DAB radio sold in this country will work on the continant and so far nothing

By sharky97 on 2 August, 2011, 9:24am

DAB....Yes Please!

I'd welcome a DAB radio fitted as standard in my next car. The models tested here are, no doubt, excellent but probably wouldn't fit in cars with integrated radios, so you're left with the Pure Highway or the existing FM/AM options. Ford seem to be taking the lead, fitting DAB radios and not offering CD players which, let's be honest, most people don't use very much. Every radio in the house is DAB and I do notice the difference in quality in the car.

By n50pap on 2 August, 2011, 9:49am

DAB - great in the car

I cannot understand some of the comments above - DAB quality is indistinguishable from FM in the car. I have had several different built in DAB radios and they worked very well - the latest in my XF is very good. I also bought a Pure Highway few years ago - it worked ok but it was a real pain having to set it up and remove it from the car. I think all manufacturers should be providing DAB as standard - dump the crappy old long wave which is still used by a few dinosaurs. While your at it get rid of the CD too as mp3 players are ubiquitous and cheap

By penncv3 on 2 August, 2011, 9:55am

DAB - great in the car

I cannot understand some of the comments above - DAB quality is indistinguishable from FM in the car. I have had several different built in DAB radios and they worked very well - the latest in my XF is very good. I also bought a Pure Highway few years ago - it worked ok but it was a real pain having to set it up and remove it from the car. I think all manufacturers should be providing DAB as standard - dump the crappy old long wave which is still used by a few dinosaurs. While your at it get rid of the CD too as mp3 players are ubiquitous and cheap

By penncv3 on 2 August, 2011, 9:56am

DAB – surely a dying format?

I have had experience of DAB in the car for quite a long time – having owned Blaupunkt and Pioneer DAB units – but (in the car at least) I'm now doing without it. As someone who takes my car audio quite seriously (no, I'm not talking about a loud bass kit in the boot!!) a fully featured head unit is a must for me – normally meaning I'm pretty quick to replace the car's OEM unit.

A few years ago all the main names in car audio were pushing DAB, but a cursory glance down the list of units reviewed shows there's no Alpine, Pioneer, Blaupunkt, (hesitate to say Sony) and a single unit from Kenwood. Why is this? Well I asked a dealer about a year ago why none of top brands featured DAB anymore and the answer was lack of consumer interest and because newer and better technology was coming along. I wanted DAB radio but would have to make other compromises to my choice of head unit that I wasn't prepared to make.

The real truth is we were mis-sold DAB from the beginning. It's far from interference free – you frequently get major sound dropouts, even along major motorways. And a little bit of AM/FM hiss is definitely preferable to DAB that sounds like you're underwater. And the quality of your aerial is a major factor – forget anything fitted internally.

I'm also extremely dubious of the plan to switch off analogue radio in 2015. There's simply too may people with too many car radios that would be in uproar. So far from getting your car DAB ready, I'd be prepared to wait for the next best thing to come along – or you might just buy into the next "Betamax" or "HD-DVD" format that ends up being obsolete.

By ARI_Boy on 2 August, 2011, 1:43pm

john

i use JVC dab+ with halfords mag aerial ..have tried most of the others..this has near perfect reception (all through Derbyshire and west coast of Lake district) and is better than FM, gives me great sound quality ..try DAB+???

By mt52lwo on 2 August, 2011, 5:07pm

Interesting reading of the article and some of the comments, DAB is more a replacement for AM/MW stations that is where the improved quality will be, FM is indeed 'better' as there is more bandwidth, the bit rates for DAB are usually as low as 64kbs radio 3 is 192kbs, with digital TV the technology allows more channels as opposed to higher quality picture.

By detailer on 5 August, 2011, 8:31am

I cant believe some of this stuff being written

Are people talking about DAB as it was not as it is now? Even windscreen aerial observations can be misleading if they are of either poor construction or if the better types are poorly-fitted. I don't recognise the performance of someone's Revo tuner that went in the dustbin either - maybe it's because mine's got a decent aerial and the transmissions are so much better now. It's all rather confusing

By edunit on 9 August, 2011, 8:57pm