Review: View Quest Retro DAB+ Radio

Digital radio may be relatively new in Ireland, but it’s getting a bit more interesting these days. Still under trial, the DAB service has a number of commercial and RTÉ stations available in parts of the country. If you’re in the right place, you can pick up a nice mix of stations using the technology.

Buying a dedicated DAB radio, though, is another matter. They can be quite expensive compared with their budget FM counterparts, although it goes without saying that you can invest quite a bit in a stylish FM radio too.

Digital radio is also broadcast through UPC, Saorview and Sky’s digital platforms, so strictly speaking you don’t need a separate radio to access the channels.

But what if you want one? There are many DAB radios available, from the ultra modern to the more classically styled. The View Quest Retro DAB radio, as the name suggests, fits into the latter category. It comes in a few designs, from cream with multicoloured polka dots, to other more muted options. All have the same retro style, so if you are a fan of classic styling, it’s worth checking out.

Aside from the convenient carry handle, the radio comes with buttons to switch between modes, including FM, digital radio and iPod. There are controls for your digital music when your iPhone or iPod is docked, and an info button that’s also an alarm clock, so there is a snooze button too.

A small backlit screen shows the time when the radio is powered off but plugged in, and station information when you are tuned into a broadcast. But style is only a small part of what should influence your buying decisions. So how does the View Quest Retro radio stands up in the substance category?

The good

The View Quest Retro DAB radio does everything it claims to. It combines digital with traditional, moving effortlessly from digital radio to FM to digital music in the form of your iPod.

There’s an iPod dock, which is set into the front of the radio and can be released at a push, and an auxiliary input jack if your music player won’t fit the dock, covering all its bases nicely.

In addition to the digital radio functions, it has regular FM radio and will also work as an iPod dock for lightning compatible iOS devices. If you are running low on power, it will give you an extra boost, or charge your phone at night by your bedside. If you want to hear your music a little louder, the radio can do that too.

The radio is compatible with DAB+, which is the newer standard said to offer better sound quality than the existing DAB technology. That future-proofs your purchase a bit. When you set up the radio initially, you can do a full scan of all the available stations with a single press; if you want to save your favourites, there are a number of preset open to you. While the number of digital channels broadcasting here at the moment doesn’t make this a necessity, it’s handy to have a few saved rather than having to flick through them all when you want a specific station.

The not so good

The main downside to DAB radios in Ireland is that there aren’t a huge number of channels available, and the ones that are out there aren’t necessarily nationwide. DAB is still officially in a trial phase, so it’s best to check coverage maps before you invest in a radio you won’t be able to use for its true purpose for some time.

The buttons on the front, while discreet, are also on the fiddly side for those with larger hands. They’re small and close together, which could present a few problems.

The rest

In terms of size, the iPod dock works best for the iPhone 5S, or the lightning compatible iPod Touch devices. You can fit an iPhone 6 Plus on there, but it’s a delicate a balancing act and it tends to tip forward. We expected it to break the lightning connection, but it survived quite a few incidents of this type, so it seems to be durable.

That info button for the digital radio stations reveals a bit of information too, from the type of radio station – easy listening, children’s programming – to the exact frequency and transmission rate. That’s really getting bogged down in the details, though.

The device runs on mains power, but there’s also the option to add batteries if you want to move it out of reach of a power socket or take it outdoors. That’s assuming we get anything approaching a summer this year.

The verdict

HHHH If you want a radio that will cover the main bases, the View Quest Retro DAB+ will do just that. Treat DAB as a nice extra rather than your main reason for purchasing though – at least until the trial phase ends. Harveynorman.ie