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How to buy a reliable DAB digital radio
Before you head out to buy a DAB digital radio, make sure you watch our expert video guide. It contains plenty of useful tips, including how to find out whether you'll be able to receive digital stations, and how expensive radios compare with cheaper models on sound quality.
Which? video guide to buying a new DAB digital radio
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Want to invest in a DAB digital radio but unsure which model to go for? Watch our expert video guide to find out what you should be looking for and to get the lowdown on digital radio tests.
Understanding DAB digital radio and buying the best model
What is DAB digital radio?
Is DAB digital radio any different from FM radio? Can everyone in the UK receive digital radio stations? Are DAB digital radios suitable for people with disabilities?
Find out about the pros and cons of modern DAB digital radios and how they compare with FM models on sound quality.
What should I look for in a DAB digital radio?
Looking for a digital radio for the kitchen or bedroom? You'll have masses to choose from. Advanced digital radios let you connect to the internet, pause, rewind and record live radio, and set up programme reminders, but there are more basic options.
A portable digital radio is ideal for listening to music while you're on the move. Sound quality can be average, but there is a way to improve it.
Which DAB digital radio brands are most reliable?
The best digital radios should keep working for years, but are the most expensive radios the most reliable? We've surveyed thousands of Which? members to find out about their experiences with their own digital radios – the results are used to form Which? brand reliability ratings.
Find out how top brands such as Pure and Roberts rate for reliability. We also reveal the top reasons why digital radios break down. In addition to this, our independent tests have uncovered eight digital radios so poor we've named them Which? Don't Buys.
What is DAB+ digital radio?
DAB+ is a new broadcast standard that offers better sound quality than DAB, but there are no plans to adopt it in the UK at present, and it may not be introduced for several years.
Find out more about DAB+ and why it shouldn't deter you from buying a new digital radio.
How to listen to internet radio
Fancy listening to something a little more exotic than Radio 3? If you have a computer connected to the internet, you can use it to tune in to thousands of radio stations broadcasting worldwide.
And if you have an MP3 player, such as an iPod, you can download podcasts – recordings of radio broadcasts – then listen to them at your leisure.
Which? tests more thoroughly than any other organisation
Which? creates its own radio station to test a digital radio's sound quality, so you can be sure that Which? Best Buys will be music to your ears.
To test digital radio sound quality, Which? creates its own radio channel
When testing DAB digital radios, Which? effectively creates its own digital radio channel, broadcasting a range of specially selected music and voice tracks for the duration of the test. And because digital radios have more controls than old-fashioned radio dials, we see how easy it is to perform tasks such as switching stations and pausing live radio.
