Great idea for Christmas - available in 2 colours for this price wooden and walnut. Great reviews 4.6 / 5 over 187 reviews. Packed with features including -
Dual alarm
Snooze function
Sleep timer
LCD display
3 watts RMS
Auto time update
Auto tune & scan
17.9cm high, 26.1cm wide & 11.5cm deep
WOODEN
WALNUT VERSION
Top comments
emribena to Biker Jeff
15 Nov 1621#7
So, that done, let’s put a few facts straight:
The UK has no plans to move from DAB to DAB+
While DAB+ services are now appearing in the UK, there are no plans to switch the majority of radio broadcasting over to DAB+: not yet, anyway. There have been a lot of DAB sets sold in the UK. DAB sets are in over half of all households here, and generally we don’t replace radios as fast as any other entertainment equipment (like a TV, a set-top box, or a mobile phone). Given this, it’s unlikely that the UK will be switching to DAB+ any time soon, and there are no plans to make that change.
DAB+ doesn’t automatically mean better audio in comparison to DAB
Some of the main proponents of DAB+ in this country want it because they think it’ll result in better-sounding audio. It probably won’t. Many DAB+ countries use 48kbps aacPlus, and the new services on the SDL multiplex are at 32kbps: they offer a good stereo signal, but they're still not a brilliantly clear sound. The main benefits to radio listeners from DAB+ will be additional choice, not enhanced sound quality. (That said, DAB+ normally means stereo is available at bitrates formerly only used for mono, so there is that.)
Helgrr to Stevie Badman
16 Nov 163#55
Why the hell do people vote things cold because they're not something else, just move on, it's a good deal for what it is. It's like voting a Ford Escort cold becuase it's not a pygmy hippotamus, makes no sense whatsoever.
Voted hot to counteract this madness :stuck_out_tongue:
Biker Jeff
15 Nov 163#19
There isn't ANY reasons not to have a DAB+ radio...... better to have the facility than not have it. Its more future proof than bog standard DAB.
The 3 DAB+ stations have been going since early last year, its only a matter of time before more DAB+ stations are added.
Biker Jeff
15 Nov 163#13
The difference is that this radio will not receive any stations that are broadcast in DAB+.....
We currently have 3 DAB+ stations and more are bound to follow.
The advantage with broadcasting in DAB+ is that you get better quality audio at lower bitrates.
Buying a DAB radio that isn't DAB+, is like buying a TV that receives Freeview but not Freeview HD.
do these go loud enough to hear in another room or over hoovering ?
tgheretford
20 Nov 16#69
There is a lot of misinformation regarding DAB+ in the comments thread that I should clarify some of the things which have been said.
DAB does use MP2 but DAB+ does not use MP3, rather AAC. In the UK the majority of stations broadcasting in DAB+ use HE-AAC v2 which incorporates Spectral Band Replication and Parametric Stereo to ensure acceptable (debatable at 32kbps) sound quality at low bitrates.
In Europe, the few remaining countries which broadcast in DAB and DAB+ are transitioning to DAB+. In Norway, they are switching off their main FM services and going predominately DAB+. The UK will transition to DAB+ one day - one station in Surrey already has for cost saving reasons and a number of stations on the trial small scale multiplexes have also transitioned to DAB+. Also worth noting that in Europe most stations tend to use around 64-72kbps. DAB+ should be a compromise of cost and audio quality. Alas in the UK, we've gone down the side of cost reduction rather than sound quality.
I would strongly recommend anyone purchasing a radio buys one with DAB+ - just to ensure it'll work down the line.
Beyond DAB+ the most important aspect of a radio is whether it can pick up stations - its tuner sensitivity and the antenna. Without either, it doesn't matter how powerful the speaker is or how clear the LCD display is or how nice it looks, it'll be nothing more than an expensive doorstop! I did a comparison of Pocket DAB radios and found a massive difference in how well different receivers pick up stations - the right radio makes a big difference as to whether you'll pick up services reliably or not. Cost isn't a factor either - I found radios for £40-50 could pick up signals much better than one for about double the price! Sadly, this important aspect of a DAB radio is largely ignored by the industry and individual reviews on shopping websites can be very subjective - buyer beware!
Disclosure: I am responsible for the majority of edits for the Digital Radio in the United Kingdom article on Wikipedia.
HookedOnHotDeals to tgheretford
21 Nov 16#70
I wholeheartedly agree with your comment. Tuner sensitivity does matter. I purchased a portable/pocket DAB+ capable radio last year and it would receive very little in my local area with very patchy reception. I sent it back to Amazon. I live behind a large hill which tends to block one broadcast point where the hill is between. Reception downstairs has always been very poor at best to unusable. Certain multiplexes from another location are better and more receivable downstairs. Upstairs is much better. I fitted an external DAB aerial which works very well as it is above the guttering. Using that feed from my loftbox works well in my lounge. Having an Aerial socket/connection on the radio would be beneficial but I might be able to get away with some form of clip to attach a cable from the external DAB Aerial to the radios Aerial.
AAC v2 should allow low bitrates in Stereo at a reasonable quality. 32kbps is a little low for even parametric stereo and spectral band replication to provide decent quality however 48kbps does give acceptable quality IMO. Lets just hope that they cannot find enough stations to saturate the available bandwidth when DAB+ comes to widespread use. I bet they will try and reduce the bitrate if they can get enough stations paying for use. DAB is an utter waste of time for many stations due to bitrate restriction where many low bitrate stations are only broadcast in mono. It's no wonder many radios are only sold with one speaker. Mono is so 1980. My first radio cassette player had only one speaker and I do not want to go back to quality worse than that, which most DAB broadcasts are IMO.
The real joke is how advertising claims "DAB quality sound". DAB and quality should not be used together IMO with the bitrate restrictions implemented. If it wasn't for local football coverage only being broadcast on DAB for most of the matches I would give it a miss entirely. However if I want to listen to the matches while I do other things I need a DAB radio. The one I had broke.
HookedOnHotDeals
18 Nov 16#68
The AZATOM Multiplex D1 is back in stock now. As soon as I confirm that it has a headphone socket in the latest model I think I will purchase it. I am not keen on the colour as it is black but lots of power. It looks like they might of removed the equalizer which I am not pleased about unless they moved it to somewhere where the manual does not say. That could be the case as no manual is available online ATM. For the money it seems to be the best available.
RJ1
17 Nov 16#67
Is the alarm clock any good on this and how does it compare with the Bluetooth version? Thanks
popoyaya
17 Nov 161#64
This one's often on sale for £59 and it's DAB+ , internet radio and lan streamer. 20 watts output too.
Personally I would not purchase anything which has speakers on the ends of the cabinet because it destroys any stereo image. Hama has starting doing that nonsense with their latest radios. They had a pretty decent radio called the DIR3000 which is silver but it is extremely difficult to purchase now.
sam_of_london to popoyaya
17 Nov 16#66
I already have a similar DAB plus radio made for Tesco , which I bought from Sunday market for £10 but no Internet radio. Can you please post link when it is £59 and not £99 as it is currently showing.
tbon3
17 Nov 16#62
The lack of a headphone socket or line out seems to be a major omission from the spec sheet.
No headphone socket is a big omission as far as I am concerned. There are far better radios available, one made by a British company on Amazon for under £60 with far more power than this radio has to offer and more features and DAB+ but it also does not have a headphone socket. If it had a headphone socket I would of purchased it right away. Joy oh joy. I have just looked at it as I did have it saved in my Amazon basket and they have now updated it to include a headphone socket! AZATOM £58.99 30 watts of speaker power. However ATM it is not currently available on Amazon. On the AZATOM site it is £11 more. I have sent them an email asking whether it has been updated to include a headphone socket as Amazon is a bit unreliable for such information. There are pictures showing a leather handle which was not on the original so it does look like it has been updated.
I am prepared to pay £60 but not £70+ for a radio.
corred1964
16 Nov 16#61
As FM is here for some years yet & there is also Internet Radio I don't think I'll bother .....I got a portable Ministry Of Sound DAB radio years ago.....used it no more than 5 or 6 times !! DAB or DAB+ certainly wouldn't sway my decision though
k4kamal
16 Nov 16#60
value for money...
HookedOnHotDeals
16 Nov 16#59
I have had a similar experience with Roberts. A DAB clock radio that I purchased which was supposed to update the time such as BST etc never worked. The buttons failed on it progressively becoming less and less functional. It's now not working. That is why I looked at this thread but I will not purchase a radio which is not DAB+.
HookedOnHotDeals
16 Nov 16#58
Already been said but I will point it out once again. No DAB+ therefore I will not purchase even at this price. You can get DAB+ for very little more than this.
homebanjo
16 Nov 16#57
Yep, Pure are poo, when they go wrong (have had 2 radios pack up personally) but when you get a good one it is bloody marvelous.
It's a shame soooooo many seem to go wrong.
dheydl
16 Nov 16#52
Bears more than a close resemblance to the Pure Evoke-2
Pluun to dheydl
16 Nov 161#56
I hope it's only a visible resemblance.
Pure are pure POOOOO !
My £350 Pure Legato II AND the replacement broke.
You couldn't give me a Pure radio !
Stevie Badman
15 Nov 161#20
cold - not dab+
Helgrr to Stevie Badman
16 Nov 163#55
Why the hell do people vote things cold because they're not something else, just move on, it's a good deal for what it is. It's like voting a Ford Escort cold becuase it's not a pygmy hippotamus, makes no sense whatsoever.
Voted hot to counteract this madness :stuck_out_tongue:
Tom129
16 Nov 161#54
This was £25 about a year ago, so not half price it's the normal price
squidworth
16 Nov 16#51
3W - as its RMS it can also be described as 4.2W (peak) or 8.5W (peak-to-peak)
In itself electrical power bears no relationship to dB sound levels - that depends on how efficient the electricity to sound wave converter (aka speaker) is, how close you are, etc
androoski to squidworth
16 Nov 16#53
Enough to say that 3W through a reasonably good speaker has enough headroom and is plenty good enough for normal room listening.
Thoughtful
16 Nov 16#50
Where on earth did you get this table from ? The relationship between power and sound output is nowhere near that simple !
dazza99
16 Nov 161#49
I'm thinking about upgrading my AM/LW wireless..
Seriously though the Which review concludes: Should I buy it? No. It's not a terrible radio, just a bad one.
parisp
16 Nov 16#48
I have this for my bedroom it's pretty loud although struggle to pic up a lot of channels lately not sure why! Paid this for it and would recommend
oldgeezer
16 Nov 16#47
apparently WHICH tested this model anyone know what they said about it please ?
sneakybifta
16 Nov 16#46
There's also DAB+ on the local multiplexes now, some stations have moved back and forth as the owners reshuffle things.
FTOdude170
16 Nov 16#45
cheers op. I've also bought the 30 quid Bluetooth version. :-)
Elevation
16 Nov 162#44
I thought copy and pasting was against the rules :smirk:
10db = normal breathing
60db = normal conversation
110db = shouting in ear, power saw, car horn
120db = rock concert, jet plane at ramp, ambulance siren
Ordered this one, refurbed "like new" at £29.99 from 3 monkeys. Preferred the design for the teenage daughter, plus the fact it links to her phone etc with bluetooth.
androoski
16 Nov 161#38
Bonus!
andreasuk
16 Nov 16#36
I think this product has a good price even if it's not dab+.
as there ain't many dab+ radio stations at the moment anyway it will tide you over until more radio stations are introducing that service..it's happening that fast it looks like
andreasuk to andreasuk
16 Nov 16#37
****correction****
its not happening that fast it looks like
Jeanms
15 Nov 161#15
Good quality dab radio but be aware that I cannot seem to tune in Absolute 80s despite retuning multiple times,it just keeps coming up Absolute 80s old so you cannot hear any audio,great for every other station though and at this price it is well worth it(if you are not too fussed about Absolute 80s like me).
Biker Jeff to Jeanms
15 Nov 162#18
Ab80's moved to the SDL multiplex, that doesn't have as many transmitters (about 75% coverage) as opposed to the original mux.
So the prob is your location, more than the radio.
Although DAB radios with a better quality receiver may pick up the SDL mux.
Gollywood to Jeanms
15 Nov 161#23
That's all I want it for!
tinman41 to Jeanms
16 Nov 16#30
I had to buy another radio for this very reason
andreasuk to Jeanms
16 Nov 16#34
you have a good sense of style when it comes to radio stations
andreasuk to Jeanms
16 Nov 16#35
you have a good sense of style when it comes to radio stations
Jackfrostsfinger
16 Nov 16#32
Nice find just ordered one, thanks
Onlybreduced
16 Nov 16#31
I world not buy Bush have purchased two of there products and returned as quality lower than worthless
aljack
15 Nov 162#29
That would be the darker bush :wink:
pw98
15 Nov 161#28
The problem is dab uses mp2. Yes mp2. You Probably haven't heard of it and there is a very good reason why. Read http://www.techradar.com/news/car-tech/why-dab-radio-in-the-uk-is-broken-and-how-to-fix-it-1217586
I have a dab radio. The reception is worse than fm.why ? Cos the station broadcasts in 128kbps stereo mp2. This is 64kbps MP3 . Crap. What is more so, some try and up the bit rate by using mono only.
Dab+ is MP3. The quality even at 64kbps is good.
The U.K. Needs to move to dab+ asap. Otherwise stick to fm or internet radio.
I feel the only way forward is dab+. I would not buy a just dab radio now. Never again. It promised so much and has delivered so badly.
pat-w
15 Nov 16#27
Oh dear, how sad, never mind..... :smiley:
bluetooth makes up for not having dab+
emribena
15 Nov 161#26
Watch out - you'll have the radio police onto you - that ones not dab+ either! :smile:
Geemac
15 Nov 161#11
Is this stereo ? And is it worth £5 more for this Bluetooth Stereo one?
Thanks for the link, I've reserved one, looks good to me :smiley:
Biker Jeff
15 Nov 16#24
For Bush make, probably around the same in a half price deal.....
A decent make of DAB+ will be more dosh.
Some use the digital tick, some state DAB+, some Pure radios are upgradable...... but not all radios make it clear when it can also get +
Gollywood
15 Nov 161#22
My next question. How much would a comparable DAB+ cost?
NeelixWasANiceMan
15 Nov 161#21
Can anyone who owns this comment on
1) Alarm reliability 2) Sound quality (decent voice repro - R4 mostly) 3) Is there any hum when in standyby mode.
Thanks
Biker Jeff
15 Nov 163#19
There isn't ANY reasons not to have a DAB+ radio...... better to have the facility than not have it. Its more future proof than bog standard DAB.
The 3 DAB+ stations have been going since early last year, its only a matter of time before more DAB+ stations are added.
emribena
15 Nov 162#17
3 radio stations in the UK broad cast in DAB+ Fun kids, Magic chilled and Jazz FM - read this article which will explain more. ARTICLE LINK the last sentence sums it up.....For the UK, however, there are few benefits to move over to DAB+, and plenty of reasons not to do so yet.
Biker Jeff
15 Nov 16#16
Another advantage to having a DAB+ radio, is that it can be used in other European countries that only use the DAB+ system.
stuartsivel
15 Nov 16#9
Yes it is a DAB radio, no the uk does not broadcast in DAB+. It looks like you know your onions emribena!
Biker Jeff to stuartsivel
15 Nov 16#14
Here in the UK, stations can be broadcast in DAB and DAB+
Biker Jeff
15 Nov 163#13
The difference is that this radio will not receive any stations that are broadcast in DAB+.....
We currently have 3 DAB+ stations and more are bound to follow.
The advantage with broadcasting in DAB+ is that you get better quality audio at lower bitrates.
Buying a DAB radio that isn't DAB+, is like buying a TV that receives Freeview but not Freeview HD.
Pimpson
15 Nov 16#12
Nice. I'll use my Argos voucher towards this.
Biker Jeff
15 Nov 161#3
I wouldn't buy any DAB radio now that isn't DAB+......
According to Argos Q&A.... this isn't DAB+
stbk to Biker Jeff
15 Nov 16#6
So this is not a DAB Radio ???? Please can you explain more
emribena to Biker Jeff
15 Nov 1621#7
So, that done, let’s put a few facts straight:
The UK has no plans to move from DAB to DAB+
While DAB+ services are now appearing in the UK, there are no plans to switch the majority of radio broadcasting over to DAB+: not yet, anyway. There have been a lot of DAB sets sold in the UK. DAB sets are in over half of all households here, and generally we don’t replace radios as fast as any other entertainment equipment (like a TV, a set-top box, or a mobile phone). Given this, it’s unlikely that the UK will be switching to DAB+ any time soon, and there are no plans to make that change.
DAB+ doesn’t automatically mean better audio in comparison to DAB
Some of the main proponents of DAB+ in this country want it because they think it’ll result in better-sounding audio. It probably won’t. Many DAB+ countries use 48kbps aacPlus, and the new services on the SDL multiplex are at 32kbps: they offer a good stereo signal, but they're still not a brilliantly clear sound. The main benefits to radio listeners from DAB+ will be additional choice, not enhanced sound quality. (That said, DAB+ normally means stereo is available at bitrates formerly only used for mono, so there is that.)
Gollywood to Biker Jeff
15 Nov 16#10
What is the difference?
emribena
15 Nov 161#8
It is Dab - please see reply above
Gollywood
15 Nov 161#5
They look great!!
tikketeyboo
15 Nov 163#4
I have this fantastic radio but I paid nearly triple that last year heat added <3
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Opening post
Dual alarm
Snooze function
Sleep timer
LCD display
3 watts RMS
Auto time update
Auto tune & scan
17.9cm high, 26.1cm wide & 11.5cm deep
WOODEN
WALNUT VERSION
Top comments
The UK has no plans to move from DAB to DAB+
While DAB+ services are now appearing in the UK, there are no plans to switch the majority of radio broadcasting over to DAB+: not yet, anyway. There have been a lot of DAB sets sold in the UK. DAB sets are in over half of all households here, and generally we don’t replace radios as fast as any other entertainment equipment (like a TV, a set-top box, or a mobile phone). Given this, it’s unlikely that the UK will be switching to DAB+ any time soon, and there are no plans to make that change.
DAB+ doesn’t automatically mean better audio in comparison to DAB
Some of the main proponents of DAB+ in this country want it because they think it’ll result in better-sounding audio. It probably won’t. Many DAB+ countries use 48kbps aacPlus, and the new services on the SDL multiplex are at 32kbps: they offer a good stereo signal, but they're still not a brilliantly clear sound. The main benefits to radio listeners from DAB+ will be additional choice, not enhanced sound quality. (That said, DAB+ normally means stereo is available at bitrates formerly only used for mono, so there is that.)
Voted hot to counteract this madness :stuck_out_tongue:
The 3 DAB+ stations have been going since early last year, its only a matter of time before more DAB+ stations are added.
We currently have 3 DAB+ stations and more are bound to follow.
The advantage with broadcasting in DAB+ is that you get better quality audio at lower bitrates.
Buying a DAB radio that isn't DAB+, is like buying a TV that receives Freeview but not Freeview HD.
Latest comments (72)
http://www.currys.co.uk/gbuk/audio-and-headphones/audio/radios/jvc-ra-d11-p-portable-dab-fm-bathroom-clock-radio-pink-10141968-pdt.html
DAB does use MP2 but DAB+ does not use MP3, rather AAC. In the UK the majority of stations broadcasting in DAB+ use HE-AAC v2 which incorporates Spectral Band Replication and Parametric Stereo to ensure acceptable (debatable at 32kbps) sound quality at low bitrates.
In Europe, the few remaining countries which broadcast in DAB and DAB+ are transitioning to DAB+. In Norway, they are switching off their main FM services and going predominately DAB+. The UK will transition to DAB+ one day - one station in Surrey already has for cost saving reasons and a number of stations on the trial small scale multiplexes have also transitioned to DAB+. Also worth noting that in Europe most stations tend to use around 64-72kbps. DAB+ should be a compromise of cost and audio quality. Alas in the UK, we've gone down the side of cost reduction rather than sound quality.
I would strongly recommend anyone purchasing a radio buys one with DAB+ - just to ensure it'll work down the line.
Beyond DAB+ the most important aspect of a radio is whether it can pick up stations - its tuner sensitivity and the antenna. Without either, it doesn't matter how powerful the speaker is or how clear the LCD display is or how nice it looks, it'll be nothing more than an expensive doorstop! I did a comparison of Pocket DAB radios and found a massive difference in how well different receivers pick up stations - the right radio makes a big difference as to whether you'll pick up services reliably or not. Cost isn't a factor either - I found radios for £40-50 could pick up signals much better than one for about double the price! Sadly, this important aspect of a DAB radio is largely ignored by the industry and individual reviews on shopping websites can be very subjective - buyer beware!
Disclosure: I am responsible for the majority of edits for the Digital Radio in the United Kingdom article on Wikipedia.
AAC v2 should allow low bitrates in Stereo at a reasonable quality. 32kbps is a little low for even parametric stereo and spectral band replication to provide decent quality however 48kbps does give acceptable quality IMO. Lets just hope that they cannot find enough stations to saturate the available bandwidth when DAB+ comes to widespread use. I bet they will try and reduce the bitrate if they can get enough stations paying for use. DAB is an utter waste of time for many stations due to bitrate restriction where many low bitrate stations are only broadcast in mono. It's no wonder many radios are only sold with one speaker. Mono is so 1980. My first radio cassette player had only one speaker and I do not want to go back to quality worse than that, which most DAB broadcasts are IMO.
The real joke is how advertising claims "DAB quality sound". DAB and quality should not be used together IMO with the bitrate restrictions implemented. If it wasn't for local football coverage only being broadcast on DAB for most of the matches I would give it a miss entirely. However if I want to listen to the matches while I do other things I need a DAB radio. The one I had broke.
http://www.medion.com/gb/shop/tv-and-audio-medion-2-1-wireless-lan-internet-radio-life-p85025-md86955-50049429a1.html
Although weirdly the walnut version does seem to have a headphone socket:
http://www.argos.co.uk/product/5722211
I am prepared to pay £60 but not £70+ for a radio.
It's a shame soooooo many seem to go wrong.
Pure are pure POOOOO !
My £350 Pure Legato II AND the replacement broke.
You couldn't give me a Pure radio !
Voted hot to counteract this madness :stuck_out_tongue:
In itself electrical power bears no relationship to dB sound levels - that depends on how efficient the electricity to sound wave converter (aka speaker) is, how close you are, etc
Seriously though the Which review concludes: Should I buy it? No. It's not a terrible radio, just a bad one.
https://media.info/radio/opinion/dab-and-dab-the-differences-and-its-use-in-the-uk
2W = 93db
4W = 96db
8W = 99db
16W = 102db
32W = 105db
64W = 108db
128W = 111db
256W = 114db
512W = 117db
1024W = 120db
Now for a point of reference for the volume:
10db = normal breathing
60db = normal conversation
110db = shouting in ear, power saw, car horn
120db = rock concert, jet plane at ramp, ambulance siren
However, if you want a better dab / dab+ radio with FM, aux-in, usb charging and Bluetooth I would recommend the VQ Retro Mini. Currently, it's £54.99 at Amazon
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00NTNKHR6/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
as there ain't many dab+ radio stations at the moment anyway it will tide you over until more radio stations are introducing that service..it's happening that fast it looks like
its not happening that fast it looks like
So the prob is your location, more than the radio.
Although DAB radios with a better quality receiver may pick up the SDL mux.
I have a dab radio. The reception is worse than fm.why ? Cos the station broadcasts in 128kbps stereo mp2. This is 64kbps MP3 . Crap. What is more so, some try and up the bit rate by using mono only.
Dab+ is MP3. The quality even at 64kbps is good.
The U.K. Needs to move to dab+ asap. Otherwise stick to fm or internet radio.
I feel the only way forward is dab+. I would not buy a just dab radio now. Never again. It promised so much and has delivered so badly.
bluetooth makes up for not having dab+
http://www.argos.co.uk/product/5534186?rec=webRespPDP:5535927:alt:CWVTPUBOOT:5534186
A decent make of DAB+ will be more dosh.
Some use the digital tick, some state DAB+, some Pure radios are upgradable...... but not all radios make it clear when it can also get +
1) Alarm reliability 2) Sound quality (decent voice repro - R4 mostly) 3) Is there any hum when in standyby mode.
Thanks
The 3 DAB+ stations have been going since early last year, its only a matter of time before more DAB+ stations are added.
We currently have 3 DAB+ stations and more are bound to follow.
The advantage with broadcasting in DAB+ is that you get better quality audio at lower bitrates.
Buying a DAB radio that isn't DAB+, is like buying a TV that receives Freeview but not Freeview HD.
According to Argos Q&A.... this isn't DAB+
The UK has no plans to move from DAB to DAB+
While DAB+ services are now appearing in the UK, there are no plans to switch the majority of radio broadcasting over to DAB+: not yet, anyway. There have been a lot of DAB sets sold in the UK. DAB sets are in over half of all households here, and generally we don’t replace radios as fast as any other entertainment equipment (like a TV, a set-top box, or a mobile phone). Given this, it’s unlikely that the UK will be switching to DAB+ any time soon, and there are no plans to make that change.
DAB+ doesn’t automatically mean better audio in comparison to DAB
Some of the main proponents of DAB+ in this country want it because they think it’ll result in better-sounding audio. It probably won’t. Many DAB+ countries use 48kbps aacPlus, and the new services on the SDL multiplex are at 32kbps: they offer a good stereo signal, but they're still not a brilliantly clear sound. The main benefits to radio listeners from DAB+ will be additional choice, not enhanced sound quality. (That said, DAB+ normally means stereo is available at bitrates formerly only used for mono, so there is that.)
Heat :sunglasses: