Four contrasting premium-priced DAB radios are given a
thorough work out as Adrian Justin goes radio gaga.
Ruark R1
Price: $287.19
Website: www.ruarkaudio.com
Available in a range of colors, the R1 is faultless in terms
of its build quality. Rear rocketry comprises line in, line out, headphones and
a USB service port. The attractive fascia is melded from a strong, metallic
looking plastic and houses the 3in speaker, which is covered by a stiff grille.
Text scrolling is jerky, but the high-contrast OLED display is pleasing on the
eye.
Ruark R1
Fingertip-sized buttons provide access to five station
presets, source, alarm, and sleep and menu functions. Navigation is fiddly and
accessing the EQ takes several button presses, but you soon get the hang of it.
On the underside is the R1’s not so secret weapon, a bass
port, which gives it a real sonic advantage. Choosing the right EQ is essential
in order to avoid bloomy vocals and overzealous bass, but choose wisely and
it’s possible to enjoy a full, warm, balanced and natural sound, especially at
mid to high volume levels. A Haydn piece on Classic FM deftly handles the
switch between strings and trumpet. Rock music has terrific verve, Yes’ Owner
of a Lonely Heart on Planet Rock, for example, has and enjoyably tight bass
with clean treble notes.
Verdict 5/5
Fine looks are matched by peerless performance across all
genres. Mostly a pleasure to operate, it’s suitable for use all round the home
Revo Axis X3
Price: $319.10
Website: www.revo.com
It may lack battery operation, but the ultra-new Axis X3 is
the lightest model here and easily transported. It’s also jam packed with
features including DAB, DAB+, FM and internet radios, an iPod Lightning socket,
wireless network audio streaming, apt-X Bluetooth and connections for
headphones, 3.5mm line in and a stereo phonon output. Despite that, operating
the unit is made relatively simple thanks to a 3.5in color TFT touchscreen
display, which is complemented by a remote control featuring volume and
transport buttons.
Revo Axis X3
The touchscreen might more accurately be called a
press-screen and hitting icons, labels and keyboard letters may be a challenge
for anyone with larger-sized fingers. Nor is the screen of the highest
resolution, but the interface is well organized.
The Axis X3 isn’t the loudest of radios, but the Class D
amplifier and mono Balanced Radiator loudspeaker do a good job in terms of
detail with high-res audio such as the soft vocals and subtly layered folk
instruments in The Unthanks’ Sad February, streamed from an iMac.
With DAB generally, musical performance is accurate and
dynamic. The piano at the start of Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No.5 in E Flat
Major skips daintily along before the horns and strings briefly take over.
There’s just enough detail to give a satisfying listen for such a small
speaker. There is some mid-range distortion at higher volumes, for example from
the trumpet, and the dialogue from Classic FM’s presenter.
Verdict 4/5
Great value in terms of its features, reasonably enjoyable
to use and has the potential to deliver decent bedroom or kitchen sounds
