Pure One DAB Radio - £24.99 at Boots

competitionscafe

I got one of the Creative Dab radios when amazon had them for £40 - as I listen mostly to BBC radio 5 which is on crackly am, I think Dab is great. Xfm Scotland nice and clear too.

Tom125

Wow, that's a well good offer (Pure one) - Thanks OP.

I think some of the new stations (like BBC7 / oneword) are quite good.

James_N

This is a reply to an email enquiry I made re DAB radios becoming useless in a fe years due to AAC upgraded chips and changed transmission standards.

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Thank you for your enquiry regarding the possible use of an alternative codec for use on DAB digital radio.

Currently, no UK broadcasters have put in place a timescale for the introduction of any new codec system for DAB, so despite what you may have read, there is no change imminent. Also there has, as yet, been no authorisation from Ofcom to introduce a new codec.

In addition, the vast majority of the broadcasters will not switch from the current MPEG 1 Layer 2 codec, simply because to do so would render the vast majority of DAB radios already installed obsolete, since most DAB radios on sale today are not designed to be upgradeable, whether from Roberts or from most of our competitors. For those that claim upgradeability, this does not automatically imply that new codec standards could be supported in a product, since new codecs require additional processing power and memory capacity, not present in most radios today, and also would require additional royalties to be paid.

There is a considerable amount of misinformation in the public domain from some lobby groups and hi-fi fanatics that would like the current system changed, some even claiming that this change is imminent. However, they tend to ignore the commercial realities, both of manufacturing and of broadcasting. Roberts and other leading manufacturers consult frequently with the broadcasters in order to ensure that we produce products which satisfy their needs and those of their listeners.

Roberts does work closely with the DAB module makers (including Frontier Silicon, whom you mention in your email), and should it become necessary to introduce a new codec in our models, then we will do so at an appropriate time. Please keep in mind that companies such as Frontier Silicon and RadioScape also offer for sale modules for products which are sold in other parts of the world, where DAB is not yet fully developed. In those regions new codecs such as AAC+ can be introduced much more quickly, and so they will mention AAC+ in their product literature.



Kind regards,



Linda Fawcett.

Subaru_WRX

Similar reply from Pure Digital too

Hi

Your existing product won't run the new DAB codec (actually HE AAC v2), however key figures in the UK broadcast industry have indicated that it will be years before the new standard starts to be used and many years after that before there is expected to be any change to existing DAB services. You therefore have nothing to worry about for the foreseeable future.

Regards

Stuart Neilson

Subaru_WRX

and Revo

Thank you for enquiring about DAB+. At the moment there is no definitive specification for DAB+ in the UK, this has caused much confusion amongst consumers and to an extent manufacturers too. Until the specifications are set and an official line on DAB+ launch dates in the UK, we are unable to confirm compatibility. All our products are designed with the ability to be upgraded or re-programmed, unfortunately we cannot be certain of the exact requirement at this point so are unable to guarantee if this will be possible.


DAB officials estimate that DAB+ will not replace the current DAB broadcasts in the UK for at least five years, some predicting it could be as far as ten years away.


Best regards,
Revo Support Team.

italiastar

shona wrote:

Well I have a Pure Bug, have had for 2 years - sound is streets and streets ahead of FM. Even if it is obsolete in a few years, I'll have had my money's worth, and I paid a lot more than the radio that started this thread off!

Sometimes you've just got to live for the moment a bit more!

Who's to say we'll still be here by the time DAB is obsolete!!! ;-)

I don't wish to start the mine is better than yours argument, but in my view, my 30 year old Roberts tuner on FM knocks spots off a DAB radio - I bought one and brought it back because of the compressed sound and the way it ate batteries - 1 days use against my Roberts which lasts about 1 month (not constant in both cases)

biglugs

Well everyone's is better than mine because I haven't seen one of these Pure DABs for £24.99 in any of the Boots that I've visited.

georgiac

italiastar wrote:

.....in my view, my 30 year old Roberts tuner on FM knocks spots off a DAB radio

I agree that DAB isn't the be-all-and-end-all, but where I live certain stations, particularly 5live are dreadful, particularly in the evening.

The added stations on DAB make it worthwhile too.

But I'm no purist, I couldn't comment on which is the best tonally.

I didn't find any of the £25 models either, but got a £90 one reduced to £45 + a £25 gift voucher for being given duff information by the store. So a bit of a bargain.

Edindevon

biglugs wrote:

Well everyone's is better than mine because I haven't seen one of these Pure DABs for £24.99 in any of the Boots that I've visited.

When I was in the Yeovil store last week, I asked if they had any of the DAB radios left and the woman said that they all went really quickly when they reduced them, as this was the lowest price they'd ever sold them for. I did notice in Homebase in Exeter that they had a display with label saying the Pure One was £34.99, but there wasn't any evidence of any stock. However, they may have stock at this price in other stores.

Edindevon

Mal27

DAB's currently in a terrible state, audio quality doesn't even match that of popular amateur internet radio stations, never mind analogue FM broadcasts. The situation needs to be fixed sooner rather than later, but I doubt they'll change the codec. More likely Ofcom will be forced at some point (probably by the government or maybe the BBC) to actually do something in terms of setting minimum acceptable bitrates that, at least, equal FM.

The reason I think this way, is that I don't think most digital radios will be upgradable to a point where they understand a new codec. These devices have to keep costs to an absolute minimum, they'll be using special chips dedicated to decoding specific standards and won't be reprogrammable.