Update, I have amended this review a little, after 20 months of constant use, as opposed to my original 8 month review.
I wanted a small DAB radio that had good sound quality. As I would use it primarily when out walking, I wanted one that was easy to use, not necessitating glancing at the screen to get to my favourite stations too often. This Roberts device seemed to fit the bill, although, I was concerned about the use of standard batteries.
I have had this 20 months now, and am very impressed. The screen is great, and the text large enough that I don't need to use my reading glasses. However, 90% of the time, I can operate this blind, whilst it is still in my pocket. There are 5 buttons dedicated to presets. There is a jog-wheel to scroll through channels and the menu. Fortunately, this is recessed and hasn't been triggered accidentally yet. The power button is on the top edge, so is unlikely to be pressed accidentally. There is a lock switch, but I rarely use it. One thing I did notice is that switching channels incurred a much smaller lag than on any other device I have tried. Not a deal-breaker, but nice. Being picky, I would say the device is a little large.
It takes batteries, which will be a positive for some people, but, I really wanted a rechargeable radio. Of course, this has the advantage that you can carry spares. I reckon if this had a high capacity, internal rechargeable battery, was a little slimmer, and had an SD card slot for music/podcasts, it would be the perfect device for me.
Regarding the batteries, I started off using AmazonBasics High Capacity AA Pre-Charged Rechargeable Batteries, charged via a smart charger. This gave good results, around 15 hours use. I then switched to the Panasonic Eneloop batteries, which are much better, giving 25 hours typically. This is very good.
The display is superb and very clear. The menu system is a little fiddly to use when out walking, as it tends to go back to DAB mode due to its sensitivity, but you should only need to use this infrequently. I think they could have implemented more presets using long presses, so 10 instead of 5 for each mode (DAB/FM), or some other system.
The screen battery indicator is a little misleading; it stays at 3 bars for ages, but, once it goes down to 2 bars, it quickly goes down to 1 bar, then dead. I would say it is more like 60%/25%/15%. I have noticed this with both rechargeable and standard batteries.
I would add that I also trialled 2 other devices, made by Pure and Majority. The Majority device, whilst cheap, was unreliable regards clicking etc, and essentially unusable. The Pure device was gorgeous, a work of art, but very difficult to use blindly. This Roberts device is far superior from a usability point of view.
Summary:
-ve
Slightly large
Battery indicator a little misleading
+ve
Great screen
Good battery life
Good sound quality
Easy to use whilst in your pocket
| Brand | Roberts Radio |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | Roberts Radio Ltd |
| Model number | SportsDAB5 |
| Model Name | Sportsdab V |
| Model Year | 2014 |
| Part Number | SportsDAB5 |
| Tuner Technology | Digital Audio Broadcast (DAB) |
| Mounting Hardware | Owner's Manual |
| Number Of Items | 1 |
| Display Type | LCD |
| Colour Screen | No |
| Batteries Included | No |
| Batteries Required | No |
| Has Audio Recording | No |
| Includes Rechargable Battery | No |
| Product Dimensions | 2 x 6.2 x 10.5 cm; 70 Grams |
| Item Weight | 70 g |
| Manufacturer | Roberts Radio Ltd |
| ASIN | B008R6B62K |
| Item Model Number | SportsDAB5 |
| Is Discontinued By Manufacturer | No |
| Date First Available | 23 June 2020 |