Inside the aluminum, rubberised plastic and walnut veneer casing there’s a 3-inch neodymium speaker driver and 7W amplifier, while control is via a four-way joystick.  The monochrome display uses an OLED panel, and if you haven’t enough tunes of your own to enjoy, the HERITAGE is Last.fm compatible too.

A USB port allows you to plug in other MP3 players or USB thumbsticks full of MP3s, and there’s an optical output, RCA outputs and a line-in port too.  iPod video content can be output to a display via the video-out socket, and a remote control is included.  UK buyers can pick up the Revo HERITAGE from November, when it’ll carry an MRSP of around £229.95 ($375).  No word on whether US buyers will get to enjoy the retro style themselves, however.

Press Release:

Revo goes back to the future with HERITAGE multi-format radio with iPod docking and Last.fm

Lanark, Scotland, 26th October 2009: Revo Technologies is delighted to announce the release of HERITAGE, the firm’s latest multi-format digital radio.

HERITAGE is a contemporary reinterpretation of classic European table radio designs from the 50’s and 60’s. The nostalgia however, runs only skin deep, since HERITAGE is actually one of the most sophisticated digital radios ever produced. Underneath its traditional wood and metal exterior, beats the very latest multi- platform digital radio technology.

This deluxe radio is capable of providing coverage of a variety of radio broadcast types including DAB, DAB+, FM and Wi-Fi internet radio – as well as offering wireless audio streaming and docking for all current iPod models.

HERITAGE is crafted using the finest quality materials and components. Its cabinet is constructed using a combination of aluminium, soft rubberised plastics and real walnut veneer. Audio performance is delivered by a custom designed 3” neodymium speaker driver, driven by a superb high fidelity 7W amplifier. Lastly, HERITAGE benefits from a large ‘secret-until-lit’ graphical OLED display and innovative joystick control system for maximum ease of operation.

In addition to its extensive terrestrial and internet radio capabilities, HERITAGE will also provide access to online music service Last.fm*. Simply choose an artist or genre and let Last.fm build the perfect playlist from its library of 5 million tracks – unique to the user, and fresh every time. Alternatively, an existing Last.fm profile can be used. HERITAGE includes a free 30 day Last.fm trial subscription, thereafter a £3.00 per month subscription charge applies.

HERITAGE has an SRP of £229.95 and will be available in the UK from early November, exclusively from branches of John Lewis, or online from www.johnlewis.com and www.revo.co.uk

The radio ReVu for pausing and rewinding of DAB radio. The thing looks like some sort of radio from the 1970′s, but is packed with modern tech and can be fitted with an optional ChargePAK battery. Standard power comes from C-cell batteries. The radio features DAB+ and FM with RDS tuner.

The ReVu feature allows the pause and rewinding of live radio for up to 15 minutes. The radio is also upgradable via USB and has adjustable bass and treble settings. Frequency range for the device is DAB band III 174-240Mhz and FM from 87.5 to 108MHz. The power output is 2.5W RMS per channel and the radio has two full range 3-inch drivers. The thing sells for £99.99, but it’s only good in the UK thanks to no DAB in America.

A joystick and small OLED display are used for navigation and control, and Revo have used NXT “Balanced Radiator” speaker technology for sound that, they claim, belies the compact nature of the D3 itself.  There’s also an FM radio with RDS and network streaming.

The Revo DOMINO D3 will be available from November 1st, priced at £169.95 ($271); it comes with a 30 day trial of Last.fm, following which there’s a monthly subscription for the service (£3/$4.78).  Two other models in the DOMINO range, the D1 and D2, are also launching, the former having DAB/DAB+ and an iPod dock, and the latter adding in WiFi; they’ll be £129.95 ($207) and £149.95 ($239) respectively.

Press Release:

Revo announces DOMINO multi-format digital radio with iPod/iPhone Docking and Last.fm

Lanark, Scotland, 5th October 2009: Revo’s DOMINO D3 leads a new generation of connected digital radio devices that combine multi-format radio reception, iPod and iPhone connectivity, audio streaming and access to a variety of premium online music services including Last.fm.

Visually, DOMINO D3 is a sympathetic blend of contemporary styling and cutting edge technology. Soft edges and continuous curves meet bold design elements to create a timeless and striking form. A wonderfully tactile rubberised coating adds the finishing touch to this instantly likeable design.

At DOMINO D3’s heart is an innovative joystick-based control system, enabling the user to quickly and easily navigate around the radio’s many advanced features.

Completing the hardware picture is the inclusion of a graphical OLED display, and high performance digital audio courtesy of NXT’s patented ‘Balanced Radiator’ loudspeaker technology.

DOMINO D3 is capable of receiving a full range of digital radio standards including DAB, DAB+ and internet radio – as well as conventional FM radio with RDS. DOMINO will also wirelessly stream digital music files from any ‘connected’ PC or Apple Mac. Additionally, DOMINO D3 includes an integrated iPod dock and is one of only a small number of digital radios that is certified by Apple for use with both the iPod and iPhone.

In addition to its terrestrial and internet radio capabilities, DOMINO D3 will also provide access to online music service Last.fm*. Simply choose an artist or genre and let Last.fm build the perfect playlist from its library of 5 million tracks – unique to the user, and fresh every time. Alternatively, an existing Last.fm profile can be used.

DOMINO D3 includes a free 30 day Last.fm trial subscription, thereafter a £3.00 per month subscription charge applies.

Owen Parry, Last.fm Product Manager said “We’re delighted that Revo has included Last.fm functionality as a standard feature on its new DOMINO radio, and the addition of a free 30 day trial subscription makes it easy for users to explore and enjoy music through Last.fm, right out of the box.”

DOMINO D3 is part of a broader three model range as follows:

DOMINO D1 – A dedicated DAB/DAB+ model that also includes FM coverage and iPod & iPhone docking capabilities.

DOMINO D2 – A Wi-Fi internet radio model with audio streaming, FM, iPod & iPhone docking and Last.fm access.

DOMINO D3 has an SRP of £169.95, while the D1 and D2 models are priced at £129.95 and £149.95 respectively. All three models are available in a choice of black or white finishes.

The DOMINO range goes on sale on the 1st of November from branches of John Lewis, Marks and Spencer and the usual REVO stockists. Alternatively, visit www.revo.co.uk

REVO will be exhibiting at the Hong Kong Electronics Fair from the 13th until the 16th of October 2009. REVO can be found in hall 1, stand number 1EC08/1ED07.

The radio itself has integrated stereo speakers each with 15W RMS, a 3.5mm headphone socket and an RF remote control.  Connectivity includes WiFi b/g, DAB and DAB+ support, as well as FM radio, a 3.5mm input for hooking up an external audio source, and a USB port for firmware updates (though PURE will also distribute them for wireless installation over WiFi).  While it’s natively AC powered, the Sensia also has an optional internal battery pack good for up to ten hours of use.

As you’d expect from any radio there are favorites – 30 DAB, 10 FM and unlimited internet radio – and podcast support, however the Sensia can also show slide-shows from radio stations, album art from locally-streamed media, and more.  An online portal allows you to easily find new stations, manage favorites, and view recommended content, all of which is wirelessly synchronized with the Sensia.

Meanwhile the widgets allow for news feeds, weather updates and more to be delivered to the Sensia’s touchscreen, together with access to Facebook, Picasa and Twitter.  There’s even an on-screen keyboard for searching and adding comments.  The PURE Sensia radio will be on sale by Christmas in Europe, priced at £249.99 (including VAT; $406).

Press Release:

PURE brings radio to the Facebook generation

PURE Sensia: A new way of looking at radio
The world’s first visual radio with large colour touchscreen and advanced user-interface
London, UK 17th September 2009: PURE, the world’s leading radio maker presents Sensia, the world’s first high resolution DAB digital and internet-connected radio with a unique, large colour touchscreen which delivers a state-of-the-art and intuitive user-interface. Incorporating PURE’s award-winning ‘Flow’ technology, Sensia is a revolutionary radio with a large 5.7” 640 x 480 high resolution colour touchscreen. Sensia gives users a unique way of interacting with internet and radio content including: podcasts and listen again services; DAB/DAB+* and FM; a growing set of custom PURE ‘Apps’ such as weather, news, Picasa, Facebook or Twitter; and new broadcast material such as station slideshows**. Sensia is also a media streamer enabling users to listen to music stored on a home computer or network storage device via Wi-Fi technology.
Paul Smith, PURE’s general manager says: “PURE made its name as the company behind the success of DAB. We’ve since created a market leading and multi award-winning, internet-connected product range with our Flow series. Sensia is the next major innovation from PURE, which I am confident will bring radio to a whole new ‘Facebook’ generation while still inspiring our traditional customer base. Radio will never be the same again.”
Sensia has an extremely sophisticated touchscreen interface which allows users to view and interact with the radio like never before: scrolling and spinning lists, tapping to select, sliding controls and swiping to change views. Users can choose between a multi-panel and a full screen view. The screen consists of a visual panel for viewing Apps, station slideshows or album artwork; a list panel for scrolling through lists of radio stations or music stored on a PC; a now playing panel and a control bar for operating Sensia.
Sensia is destined to be the centre piece of any room with a distinctive, elliptical shape and four striking colour choices: Bright red, vivid yellow, sleek black and cool white. A moulded stand is supplied, which allows the user to angle the radio to an optimum viewing position and a matching remote control completes the look.
A bespoke microsite has been created for Sensia at www.touchmyradio.com which includes a 3D interactive overview of Sensia as well as a virtual guide with a voiceover by Christian O’Connell, Absolute Radio’s breakfast DJ.
As with the award-winning Flow range, Sensia connects to The PURE Lounge, our own radio and media portal (www.thelounge.com) which acts as the index to the best of internet audio content and where users can register their radio as well as save and organise favourites. Also available from The Lounge and via Sensia is a unique selection of PURE Sounds to relax you to sleep or wake you in a positive frame of mind.
Sensia also features PURE Clearsound technology for 30W RMS of impressive stereo sound; an input for an iPod/MP3 player; an alarm; countdown timer; sleep timer and a headphone socket. Add the optional rechargeable PURE ChargePAK to listen to internet content anywhere within range of the Wi-Fi network or to DAB and FM radio when further afield. Sensia also comes with a clever RF remote control which allows users to control the device from up to 10m away without direct line-of-sight.
Sensia will be available in time for Christmas at just £249.99 (SRP inc. VAT) from all good stockists. For more information, please visit www.touchmyradio.com, www.pure.com, www.thelounge.com or call 0845 1489001.
Editor’s Notes: *DAB+ is a new and enhanced version of DAB and is now being adopted by many countries as their platform choice for digital radio. It’s likely that it will be a few years before UK broadcasters take up DAB+, but the majority of PURE products are already ‘DAB+ ready’. **Where supplied by the broadcaster
About PURE PURE is the world’s leading maker of broadcast and Internet-connected digital radios, the number one supplier of digital radios in Europe and the creator of the world’s most popular and iconic digital radios.
PURE radios increasingly support all the broadcast standards in the DAB family used across Europe and beyond. PURE leads the way in Internet-connected radios with its Flow technology and the PURE Lounge portal (www.thelounge.com). Designed and engineered in the UK, all of PURE’s products are manufactured with the environment in mind and at ethically audited facilities. PURE is a division of Imagination Technologies Group plc. See www.pure.com.

The IKON is capable of tuning into not only FM radio (with RDS support) but DAB, DAB+ and internet radio stations.  It’ll also work as a media streamer, playing content from networked computers or storage.  In addition to Last.fm there’s also Sirius, Rhapsody and Pandora support, and the IKON will show color station names, album art, track details and more.

As for the IKON’s audio prowess, the radio/dock has a class D amp with two 15W channels and NXT flat-panel speakers.  Connectivity includes WiFi, a 3.5mm headphone socket, stereo RCA line-out and optical digital output.  There’s also a compact remote and various dock adapters to suit your iPod/iPhone, together with an aux-in for non-Apple PMPs.  Priced at £279.95 ($461), the Revo IKON is available to preorder now, with deliveries expected to begin from October 21st.

Press Release:

Revo announces IKON, the world’s first colour touch-screen, multi-format digital radio

Lanark, Scotland, 24th August 2009: Digital radio takes a generational leap forward with the introduction of IKON, a multi-format digital radio that combines the benefits of a full colour 3.5” touch-screen, icon-driven user interface, multi-standard radio capabilities and iPod and iPhone docking.

IKON is capable of receiving the full roster of digital radio standards including DAB, DAB+ and internet radio – as well as conventional FM radio with RDS. Where available from the broadcaster – colour station logos, station descriptions, track and artist information, news headlines etc. will be displayed on IKON’s colour screen.

IKON will also wirelessly stream digital music files from any ‘connected’ PC or Apple Mac, displaying full colour album artwork and track information where available.

Completing the hardware picture, IKON is one of only a handful of digital radios that is Apple certified for use with iPod or iPhone, allowing IKON to double as a high quality iPod/iPhone sound system.

Revo Technologies CEO, David Baxter, said “We believe that IKON is the first product to truly deliver on the promise of digital radio, delivering a next generation radio experience complete with icon driven colour touch-screen interface, coverage of multiple radio formats, iPod and iPhone docking and access to premium online music services such as Last.fm*, Sirius**, Rhapsody** and Pandora**.”

In addition to its terrestrial and internet radio capabilities, IKON will also provide access to online music service Last.fm*. Simply choose an artist or genre and let Last.fm build the perfect playlist from its library of 5 million tracks – unique to the user, and fresh every time. Alternatively, an existing Last.fm profile can be used.

IKON includes a free 30 day Last.fm trial subscription, thereafter a £3.00 per month subscription charge applies.

Owen Parry, Last.fm Product Manager said “We’re delighted that Revo has taken the decision to include Last.fm functionality as a standard feature on their new IKON ‘touch-radio’. The combination of high quality audio, large colour display, and a free 30 day trial subscription, makes it easy to explore and enjoy music through Last.fm, right out of the box.”

IKON is the result of a long and fruitful collaboration between Revo Technologies and Frontier Silicon, the industry leader in connected audio technology. At the heart of REVO’s IKON radio is Frontier Silicon’s new multi-standard Venice 8 module.

Anthony Sethill, CEO of Frontier Silicon, commented, “Touch-screen user interfaces on handheld devices have proven to be immensely popular with consumers. The introduction of our advanced Venice 8 platform, as used in Revo’s IKON radio, marks the beginning of an exciting new chapter in the development of digital radio, leading to a world of feature-rich audio visual content and greatly enhanced usability.”

IKON’s superb audio performance is thanks to the inclusion of NXT’s patented ‘Balanced-Radiator’ (BR) loudspeaker technology. BR drive units combine the performance attributes of an NXT flat panel speaker with the pistonic movement of a conventional loudspeaker, resulting in a high performance compact drive unit that can cover a wider range of frequencies while providing even room-filling sound.

The result of this collaboration is 30 watts of high resolution digital audio from IKON’s Class D amplifier, a smooth frequency response, expansive sound stage and deep satisfying bass.

IKON has an SRP of £279.95, and will go on sale worldwide in October 2009.
A pre-order service is available from HYPERLINK “http://www.revo.co.uk” www.revo.co.uk, HYPERLINK “http://www.hughesdirect.co.uk” www.hughesdirect.co.uk, HYPERLINK “http://www.advancedmp3players.co.uk/”www.advancedmp3players.co.uk, HYPERLINK “http://www.petertyson.co.uk” www.petertyson.co.uk and HYPERLINK “http://www.superfi.co.uk” www.superfi.co.uk

REVO will be exhibiting at the IFA Consumer Electronics Fair in Berlin from the 4th until the 9 th of September 2009. REVO is located in hall 1.2, stand number 137.

They’re promising a “Revo Revelation” at 10am GMT on August 24th, and if that’s not tempting alliteration then I don’t know what would be.  Considering the company has a history of making WiFi radios, DAB radios, iPod docks with radios built in and all manner of other radio-themed devices, we’d wager Monday’s reveal may just have something to do with a radio of some sort.

The upright looking shadow picture in the teaser would seem to indicate an all-in-one device, perhaps with a grill across the front or maybe a nook for your PMP.  There’s also the hint of buttons or other controls up top, which is probably a good thing as you’d be stuck listening to the same station all day, every day.  Alternatively, Revo could surprise us and introduce a small fridge intended to cool your pretzels.  Now that would be a revelation.

Video demo after the cut

As well as the digital TV and radio broadcasts, the B30 has either 4, 8 or 16GB of flash storage, together with a microSD card slot and a USB 2.0 connection to fill it all up.  The battery is good for up to 40hrs of audio or 5.5hrs of video, plus there’s a user-selectable equalizer for tweaking audio quality.

As the video shows, all navigation is done via the touch-sensitive buttons on the front panel, since the B30 lacks a touchscreen.  Nonetheless it’s a slick arrangement.  Unfortunately there’s no sign of the B30 – which ranges from $151 to $231 in Korea – crossing over to Europe or the US.

[via Generation MP3]

It’s too early for a full review, but initial impressions of the Airstream 10 suggest the sort of decent sound quality that you’d expect from a high-end company like Monitor Audio.  As for the design, well, it prompts a few questions about which orientation it should be placed at: the layout of the display and controls would lead you to believe that they should face forward, but the silver knob is actually the aerial.

So, if you choose to have the display facing the front, you’ll also have to be careful not to stab yourself on the antenna.  Still, you could always bypass the radio altogether, and just stream MP3, WMA and AAC files over the integrated WiFi, or pipe your iPod into the 3.5mm line-in socket.  No news on pricing as yet.

The H12 has an SD/MMC slot and mini-USB, together with GPS and a built-in speaker.  It measures 5.12 x 3.35 x 0.63-inches and weighs 10.6oz, and Porient pre-load a browser, RSS reader, MSN messenger, multimedia player, photo viewer/editor, voice recording, email, PDF viewer, office software, and business card management apps.

Unfortunately it’s another case of an interesting product looking for a reseller.  No word on pricing, but Jenn at Pocketables is pestering Porient and even considering putting in a bulk order if enough people are interested and the minimum numbers low enough.

[via Pocketables]

The casing is splash-resistant and so while it’s not going to be happy swimming, it’ll gladly accompany you by a swimming pool.  There’s also a rechargeable Li-Ion battery for approximately 12hrs of cordless use.  Connections include wired ethernet, stereo RCA output and a 3.5mm headphone socket.

Measuring 167 x 105 x 105mm, the Pico RadioStation is compatible with DAB and DAB+ and comes with a remote control and a cable for outputting your PMP through the radio’s speaker.  It’s available for preorder now, priced at £169.95 ($318).

Another mode, the iBLIK Wi-Fi, keeps the streaming and iPod functionality but omits DAB digital radio.  Both have the same somewhat blunt styling, and are based on Frontier Silicon’s new multi-standard Venice 6 DAB module.

The two new iBLIK models will be sold in Europe by both Apple and independent retailers.  The RadioStation is priced at £$179.95 ($356) while the Wi-Fi version is cheaper at £129.95 ($257).

Press Release

Revo Add iPod Docking to World’s First Hybrid DAB/DAB+ and Wi-Fi Internet Radio

Lanark, 25th July 2008: Revo Technologies Ltd is pleased to announce the world’s first
one-box DAB/DAB+ and internet radio to include full iPod docking functionality.
The launch of its iBLIK RadioStation model is the firm’s first venture into the bourgeoning
Made for iPod market. Significantly, iBLIK RadioStation will be sold by Apple in its
European retail stores as well as online.
iBLIK RadioStation boasts a bold, contemporary design – reflecting the cutting-edge
nature of the product itself.
It features full DAB and DAB+ digital radio reception, FM radio coverage with RDS, Wi-Fi
internet radio (easy access to over 11,000 stations from around the world), MP3 media
streaming from PC or Mac, full electronic alarm clock features and iPod docking station
functionality.
David Baxter, Managing Director of Revo Technologies said: “We believe that iBLIK
RadioStation is the ultimate digital radio device. Its combination of DAB and DAB+
coverage, FM radio reception, internet radio, MP3 media streaming and full iPod
playback further pushes the perception of what a digital radio is capable of.”
iBLIK RadioStation is the result of a long and fruitful collaboration between Revo
Technologies and Frontier Silicon, the industry leader in digital radio technology. At the
heart of iBLIK RadioStation is Frontier Silicon’s new multi-standard Venice 6 module.
As well as iBLIK RadioStation, REVO has launched a second model in the iBLIK range –
known as iBLIK Wi-Fi. iBLIK Wi-Fi has the same features and capabilities as iBLIK
RadioStation, but without coverage of DAB and DAB+ digital radio.
iBLIK RadioStation has an SRP of £179.95 while iBLIK Wi-Fi is priced at £129.95.
iBLIK RadioStation will be available from the 18th
of August from all branches of John
Lewis, Apple Store and the usual REVO retailers, or alternatively directly from
www.revo.co.uk
iBLIK Wi-Fi will be available from selected branches of Currys.digital and PC World, or
directly from www.revo.co.uk

In fact, with the Pure ChargePAK you can have up to 20hrs of standalone music.  The Mini has the usual headphone socket, but also features an input socket so you can route your iPod (or other generic PMP, naturally) through the speaker.  A mini-USB socket lets you update the firmware.

The Pure One Mini DAB radio is available in the UK now, priced at £40.  Color choices are black, white and pink.

[via Electricpig]

The rotodial normally sits in a niche on the top of the R4, but can be removed and used as a remote control for while you’re sipping brandy by the fireplace.  Sound is via a 2.1 speaker setup, with 80W of power overall.  The DAB radio picks up digital signals in the UK, and there’s FM with RDS as a backup.  The CD player can handle normal discs or MP3/WMA discs. 

As for iPod support, everything since the iPod Mini and 4G iPod range has a place in the R4′s dock, including the iPhone when in airplane mode. With both USB – which can play media files stored on memory sticks – and auxiliary inputs, there’s plenty of flexibility for a lifestyle system too.  Then again, considering the price you’d expect it: the Vita Audio R4 will ship in the UK in June, priced at £500 ($974) for the walnut and £550 ($1,071) for the white lacquer version.

[via Shiny Shiny]

Also under the hood is 16GB of flash memory and a DAB digital radio tuner. The PMP can play Flash files, work as a photo, e-book and comic viewer, and includes the PowerDic dictionary. Web access is courtesy of the Polaris browser, which looks pretty good on the 800 x 480 WVGA touchscreen. The whole thing is just 15mm thick.

At the moment the PMP has only been confirmed for a Korean launch, but it’s not unusual for these gadgets to be picked up and rebadged for sale in North America and Europe. It could make for an interesting middle-ground between the iPod Touch and Nokia’s range of N-series Internet Tablets. However neither of those have mobile TV.

[via AVING]

Measuring a pocket-friendly 3.1 x 0.7 x 2.2 inches (78 x 55.4 x 16.7mm) and weighing just 91g, the D2 has no buttons on its front and resembles a small digital photo frame; indeed, its crowning glory is a 2.5-inch, QVGA touchscreen capable of displaying 16 million colours (which sadly doesn’t photograph well). Around the edges there are volume controls, a power/hold switch, microphone, headphone socket and a menu button that jumps you back to the home screen, together with an SDHC card slot on the bottom, while a slot in the side serves double purpose as both a place to attach a lanyard or strap and a point for the small, triangular stylus to clip in and serve double duty as a desk stand.

Build quality is excellent, and while the black plastic front bezel and rear panel aren’t soft-touch plastic they are pleasantly matte; similarly, the metal edging is satin-finish. If anything, the fact that the casing is so solid makes you all the more wary for the touchscreen – it’s a traditional passive touchscreen, responding to both the stylus and your finger, and Cowon supply neither a case for the PMP nor a screen protector. Since just about every function is controlled by touch, I was wary of putting the D2 loose into my bag (or even in a pocket also holding money or keys) as should the display be damaged the whole thing would be useless. There are a number of aftermarket cases available – including a transparent hard plastic one, which you currently get free if you buy from Advanced MP3 Players – and I’d recommend anyone who doesn’t intend keeping their D2 on a pedestal should pick one up.

Of course, the overruling aspect of a PMP should be the sound quality, and here Cowon deserves more than a little respect. As ever, bin the included headphones (which aren’t as bad as some, but still don’t do the D2 justice) then busy yourself loading the D2 up with MP3, WMA, Ogg Vorbis, FLAC, APE, WAV and AAC files. It’s an impressive compatibility list, and Cowon have included an impressive amplifier to go with it: 74mW, making it one of the most powerful on a portable player, and capable of driving headphones in excess of 100 Ohms impedance. Thankfully, with all that power there’s audio finesse, too; delicious, crisp and thundery basses, clean trebles and mids, and no background hiss to speak of. Throw in the eminently tweakable EQ settings – six presets and space for one of your own – and the sound processing (which has been licenced from pro-audio manufacturer BBE Sound Inc.), all of which can have their multiple setups stored in one of ten overall presets, and there’s the double whammy of great untreated sound and then great ways to treat it.

DAB radio relies on the connected headphones to work as an aerial, but proved adept at grabbing a decent signal despite movement in and outdoors. It first autoscans for all available stations, building a playlist to choose from; if you change position significantly you might have to force a re-scan to get the best lock. Most stations transmit both some network information (for instance musical styles covered) and ‘now playing’ details, usually what show & presenter you’re listening to, and sometimes individual track details. Useful, but the D2 sometimes has problems formating all that for the screen, leaving text overlapping or falling off the edge. Sound quality is good, although the fact that digital radio doesn’t decline into vague fizzing interference and instead gobbles turkey-like with audio artifacts when the signal is less than stellar could see you switching to the FM radio instead. With that you get a 24-entry preset list and autoscan, as well as the ability to record radio either instantly or via a timer, but there’s no RDS for station identification and reception is average compared to what DAB can manage.

Despite a mere 2.5-inch screen, the D2 is a stunning video performer. It supports WMV3 and MPEG4 Simple Profile (e.g. DivX, XviD, etc) and can play files encoded at bitrates of up to 2,000kb/s. Sadly video must be 320 x 240 resolution, which means that despite the D2 showing up as an external drive, most clips will need to be converted before they can be dragged across. Cowon include their own JetAudio software to do that, although it leaves a faint company logo in the top corner, but overall it means that using the D2 for video requires preparation rather than last-minute organisation.

When in the right format, though, the results are stellar. The 16-million colour screen is crisp and bright, viewing angles are good and audio can be run through the same sound processing and EQ as music files. Cowon offer an aftermarket TV-out cable, although this wasn’t part of my review package.

In terms of additional functionality, there’s a voice recorder that uses a built-in microphone and, with the adaptor cable available as an optional extra, direct line-in recording. Considering the screen quality, it’s good to see Cowon added a photo viewer, too; it only supports JPEGs but there’s no size limit and images can be zoomed, rotated, moved around using the touchscreen and set up as a slideshow with background music. There’s also an alarm clock, sleep timer, text viewer with a choice of fonts and sizes, and bookmarking for both audio and video files.

Perhaps most impressive is the D2′s battery. Being non-user-replaceable earns it a black mark, but it redeems itself with a quoted 52hrs music playback or 10hrs video from a single charge. Real-world play showed it seemed most likely of any gadget I’ve tested recently to meet those specs, and it also recharged faster from the AC adaptor than the stated 3.5hrs.

If there’s anywhere the D2 pales slightly, it’s the interface – particularly when you’re comparing it to, say, an iPod Touch. It almost seems as though the excitement of having a touchscreen has encouraged Cowon to make you touch it as much as possible: even straightforward tasks, such as skipping through tracks or changing EQ presets, demand three presses (one to activate the screen, one to bring up the options, one to select). It’s a shame, as there are also thoughtful shortcuts such as scrolling through lists by flicking anywhere on the screen, and options and menus trigger instantly with no render lag. There’s no shortage of on-screen information, either, which will either be a plus or a minus depending on your minimalist tendencies – ID3, EQ and processing settings, bitrate and sample rate, even the clock gets its own pixels as standard. Album art is also displayed.

Frankly, though, that’s a nit-pick; compared with the D2′s incredible audio performance any less-than intuitive controls become a minor frustration. Actually listening to music is when you’ll appreciate how much Cowon have packed into the PMP’s small frame, and it even encouraged me to go back and re-rip old CDs at higher bitrates. Cowon also seem to be on the ball in terms of software updates, too, with new firmware builds regularly released that, according to the user community, actually have a noticeable effect on functionality and performance. If you can resist the lure of the iPod, and musical clarity is your lodestar, then you won’t be disappointed with the D2.

Many thanks to Advanced MP3 Players for the loan of the Cowon D2; the 4GB model I tested retails at £169.99.

Rating:

4.5 out of 5 gears

And, like I said, you can listen to DAB radio with it. One of these days we might see something like DAB stateside, but somehow I doubt it.

Anyways, for those that have it, you know how great it is, those that don’t, keep guessing. If you don’t have an iPod already, then buy a different MP3 player that already has a DAB radio tuner built in, but if you do and just want to add DAB to it, this will do in a pinch. The biggest downside is that this thing will cost you a little more than $100.

‘Robi’ brings digital radio to the iPod [via crave]

Aside from traditional FM/AM radio there’s DAB and DRM support; drop in an SD card with some spare room and then you can pause and rewind broadcasts on the fly.  Support for digital radio EPG means you can schedule recordings and then transfer them to your PC.  Or, of course, you could stick a load of MP3s onto the SD card and use the DRM2009 as a big DAP.

If you’re looking for a HiFi that you could use in the kitchen and then take on a picnic, Himalaya are hoping you’ll give them a call.  It’s available now for around €249 ($340).

Himalaya DRM2009

There’s also an upgrade to the somewhat more modern looking Elan, as the DX40 sashays into stores boasting Intellitext – a function which automatically stores news headlines, sports results and other information so it can be browsed at any time – a USB port for software upgrades and support for a rechargeable battery pack.

Finally there’s a micro hi-fi system, the Legato II, stuffed with features like Intellitext, rewinding live radio, scheduled recording from the electronic programme guide, 30W RMS per channel and a choice of cherry or maple veneer or high-lacquer piano black.

All three are available now, for £99.99 ($190.17), £69.99 ($133.11) and £349.99 ($665.65) respectively.

Pure Digital