Is DAB radio worth it?

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I recently moved to the UK and now need to purchase an audio player. A complete stranger approached me at the shop, extolling the virtues of DAB radio and trying to convince me to buy a DAB unit as opposed to a regular player. Supposedly, it will save me so much money on music as there are so many channel choices. Yet I have to wonder: Is it worth the extra £40+ on the price tag? Indie snobs--is the selection at all beyond the gristmill? Audiophiles--is the sound quality really so much better?

― Steph (Steph), Friday, 14 October 2005 21:49 (twenty years ago)

> Audiophiles--is the sound quality really so much better?

It's actually markedly *worse* than good ole FM where the bitrate is lower than 192Kbps - that's basically everything other than Radio 3.

If you're listening at home, you'll get a good number of stations on a Freeview box - radio stations are broadcast in higher quality on that system and do sound markedly better than DAB. Just make sure you buy one with an LED channel indicator (so you don't need the telly on to know which channel you're on) and hook it up to your amp. You can get Freeview boxes for £30 upwards nowdays. Depending on how the land lies you may need to upgrade yr TV aerial in order to receive Freeview. Go here:

www.freeview.co.uk/canireceivefreeview/

to see if you can get it.

Personally, I find that most of the extra stations on DAB are unlistenable anyway - a lot are simply unmanned computer-playout systems, others are the same middle-of-the-road ILR shite you spend all your time dodging on FM. The extra BBC services are good (though of these only 6Music is probably the sort of thing you're after), but they are all available on Freeview and in better quality anyway. HTH.

― Jaz, Friday, 14 October 2005 22:14 (twenty years ago)

Theres still the odd rock/indie station. But I find I never listen to it. But i'd imagine the no of stations will keep growing and its a better purchase than normal radio.

Go for it.

― Last Of The Famous International Pfunkboys (Kerr), Friday, 14 October 2005 22:53 (twenty years ago)

> But i'd imagine the no of stations will keep growing and its a better purchase than normal radio.

That's the problem - the available bandwidth is all taken, an the only way to fit in more stations is to reduce the quality of the existing ones still further!

― Jaz, Friday, 14 October 2005 23:01 (twenty years ago)

Yes, I believe DAB is worse quality than FM. But you do get access to more stations.

Personally, I got me one of these babies:

http://www.goodmans.co.uk/Digital_Freeview/GDB5E.htm

which does both Freeview and DAB. So you get the benefit of Freeview's better sound quality and also access to DAB stations that aren't on Freeview yet.

― Lord Bongo (bongoboy), Saturday, 15 October 2005 11:40 (twenty years ago)

I've never quite seen the attraction in getting your radio stations delivered through your satellite/cable/freeview box. Radio's usually something you listen to while doing something else - eating, cooking, housework, homework, whatever - and unless you live in just one room you probably won't be sitting in front of the TV to do it. Besides which, how do you cope with your partner not allowing you access to the remote until Emmerdale, Corrie, Eastenders and The Bill have ended?

Installing one of these for around £70 in the kitchen has enabled me to avoid the Radio 2 playlist/Chris Moyles at breakfast and Zane Lowe in the evening. Worth every penny.

I'd agree that most digital stations are just the same old shite. I find I only really listen on DAB to 6 Music, BBC 7 and (being outside London) XFM (evenings only, of course).

― chris j (chris j), Sunday, 16 October 2005 00:37 (twenty years ago)

three years pass...

awesome

― Jarlrmai, Thursday, 5 March 2009 17:08 (seventeen years ago)

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