Digital radios: Compare features & prices Magicbox Atom review Back to Results

The Magicbox Atom is a unique-looking mini DAM/FM radio that's priced at around £30. Its size means it's somewhat light on features, but how does this digital radio fare in our tests on sound quality and battery life?
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Specification criteria Specification
Specification
Test Date 29 March 2012
Most recently tested No
Model type Table-top digital radios are designed for home use, while personal digital radios are designed to be used with headphones while out of the home. In-car models broadcast the signal via FM to your car stereo. Hand held
Alarm clock radio functions No
Weight (kg) 0.3896
HxWxD (cm) 124 x 140 x 54
Aerial type What type of aerial the radio has. Telescopic aerials are generally easier to position and better for reception than wire ones. Telescopic
Mains supply Would you like your digital radio to have a mains power supply? Yes
Portability
Battery operable Would you like your digital radio to have power supplied by batteries? Yes
Batteries Type or size of batteries that can be used. Lithium-ion means that a rechargable battery is supplied. ChargePak is a Pure rechargable battery pack. 4 x AAA type
Recharge in radio Whether rechargeable batteries can be recharged in the radio (when it's running off the mains). No
Battery running time Battery running time listening to DAB radio 5-10 hours
Battery life (hours) How long each radio lasted on a fully-charged set of batteries, listening to DAB broadcasts. Based on our tests, not manufacturers' claims and rounded down to the nearest hour. 5
Battery low indicator No
Features
FM Reception Would you like your digital radio to have FM as well as digital reception? Yes
Internet radio Would you like your radio to be able to stream music from the internet? For this you will need broadband and WiFi. No
Future proofed for DAB+ Whether the manufacturer states that the radio is DAB+ compatible (or potentially upgradable in the future to work with DAB+). No
Remote control Does the radio come with a remote control? No
iPod dock Does the radio have an iPod dock? No
3.5mm auxiliary input A 3.5mm auxiliary input is handy if you want to hook up an MP3 player to the radio No
Bass and treble controls Radios that include controls so you can adjust the bass and treble No
EPG Do you want your radio to have an EPG (Electronic Programme Guide)? This function lets you view radio programme schedules on the screen. They are rare and usually only available on radios with a programmable record function. No
Pause and rewind Whether the radio has memory that allows it to pause and rewind live digital broadcasts. No
Presets and alarms
Presets Can you save stations you like as presets (accessible using preset buttons or by scrolling through a list of presets)? 0
Preset button/s Does the radio have at least one dedicated button that can be used to store a preset station? No
Number of direct access presets Total number of presets on FM, DAB and internet combined that can be accessed with the push of only one or two buttons (without having to scroll through a menu) 0
Direct access FM presets The number of FM presets (and favourites where applicable) that you can access by pressing just one or two buttons (eg one button and a 'shift' function). Doesn't include presets for which you have to scroll through a few to access the one you want. 0
Direct access DAB presets The number of DAB presets (and favourites where applicable) that you can access by pressing just one or two buttons (eg one button and a 'shift' function). Doesn't include presets for which you have to scroll through a few to access the one you want. 0
Number of alarms The number of different alarm times you can programme 0

Magicbox Atom

  • Launch date: Aug 2011
  • Type: Hand held
  • Which? score: Subscribe
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