DAB Head unit

Isn't DAB kinda going the way of Betamax?

All the independent finance for it got pulled more than a year ago, its only the tax payer keeping it afloat now, the digital switchover deadline got moved out twice now and almost get binned completely. The BBC who were the only "driving force" of DAB are now talking about mobile internet radio and other platforms. Tiny proportion of radios are DAB (compared to TVs which get digital TV) and the majority of radios still selling are non-digital.

Mostly the thing which I reckon kills it is Murdoch isn't interested in it.

^Aye, that's the Pure Highway 300Di, about £180 notes from Halfords.

My Mrs has DAB in her car (came as standard). It's mostly OK, but doesn't like Belfast City Centre much, and Porsche Sat Nav woman keeps interrupting, even when you've no route inputted.

Parrot Asteroid is 300 bills, but is an internet radio (iPhone/Droid) and uses your phone.

Depends where you are in relation to transmitters too. With FM, if reception is a bit patchy the music goes a little crackly or fades, but with DAB it cuts out completely.

on-board internet will be the next level. Its already available in some new cars and it opens up the possibility of streaming internet radio or Spotify etc in the car.

You already have in car internet in the aftermarket. Parrot, Phonacar, Pioneer and others offer headunits with it in. Also 3 do a portable hotspot thing and you can also hook your smartphone to your headunit and stream via internet radio on that, or use a service like Spotify or Audiogalaxy. BBC6 is available on internet radio too.

3G coverage is also patchy.

DAB reception will only improve if the BBC/government dig deeper into the tax payers pocket to invest in new transmitters. Not sure I see that being a priority for them, whereas the mobile phone companies are continually re-investing in better data coverage as its their business that runs off of it.

If I were a betting man, I'd put my money on 3G based "radio" services. Especially as so much more than radio runs off 3G/4G/5G etc.

I can't get DAB reception where I live, mind you I can't get Radio 4 on FM where I live unless on a "proper" aerial. I have to listen via the web, no options.

DAB was another missed opportunity. RDS was as well as it could have done so much more than the commercial implementation we got. C'est la vie

DAB is about selection not clarity. Audio performance of DAB is inferior to normal FM due to the amount of compression. Same way as so many of the "cheap" satellite TV channels have really pixelly or blocky pictures, same with sound on DAB. So I am told, as I say, I've not managed to get much in the way of DAB signal to play with, and when I did it was with a little portable radio, so little personal experience to comment on.

With DAB TMS is available on 5 Live Sports Extra, so that's all good.

I've been through most of the DAB head units that Halfords sell this last year, except the Kenwood. I've settled on a JVC KD-DB52 (sister company to Kenwood), coupled to an external mag mount aerial. I really liked the Sonichi that they do except it seems to not like being coupled up to an external amp, as it sends a thump through the speakers randomly. It was fine without the amp though, so if you've no plans to use one then it may be a good buy.

The Philips units in my experience seemed to have some minor software issues (MP3 track display breaking up randomly and going into DAB display, and sometimes cracking though the speakers when changing tracks).

The Clarity unit wasn't bad for a cheapy, but does create some hiss through the speakers.

On all units, with the external mag mount aerials reception has been good, the only time I've really lost it was in the Lake District, and I couldn't get FM either.

Technically, DAB sound quality will be poorer than a good FM signal, but most of our FM broadcasting is compressed as well. For most people listening in car DAB will be great, especially if you like the MW stations. For me, having 5 Live crystal clear is brilliant, and also 6 Music.

While I think it's technically true that analogue radio are outselling DAB units, a lot of this is down to the number of products with radio tuners built in, eg smart phones, i-pod docks etc. Certainly I've found that people who want to buy a radio are generally buying DAB, and most of the small systems we sell with analogue tuners are sold to people who never listen to the radio, or only use the local stations, which round our way are not likely to go digital for a long time.

Most people who complain about the quality of DAB (the ones who have actually heard the difference) are serious hi-fi enthusiasts with very high end gear, usually using a top quality tuner and aerial set up to listen to Radio 3.

So, in summary, go for a Kenwood or JVC unit and enjoy it.

I've had a high end Kenwood and a top of the range Blaupunkt (both well over £400 many years ago) DAB units specifically for the DAB as I love Planet Rock and BBC 7 (Nights with Alice Cooper=best radio show evaar)

Both were complete curse word, patchy signal and annoying delay when it switches from DAB to FM, eg when the Radio 2 DAB signal drops out the Kenwood automatically switches to the FM transmission, good in theory but what you actually get is a second of silence followed by a signal that was two seconds ahead of the DAB anyway, so you have no idea what was going on in a conversation or debate...

I'd not bother anymore even though I love it, I keep DAB on in the house, just for the choice of stations, though I get most of them through SKY on the TV anyway...

That said other than the shonky DAB the Blaupunkt was the best head unit I've ever had (Woodstock DAB 54) not flashy but really usable and simple with great features and superb sound quality, though my current Alpine is close second if the ipod streaming system wasnt such a pita... superb unit though I’d have another even if they are ancient now!

That said whilst they were both poor the Blaupunkt was light years ahead of the Kenwood in terms of DAB signal, not great but at least i could use most of the time it wheras the Kenwood made me resort to beating it with an empty coke bottle on more than one occasion

just my two pence worth.