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Preview - Dualit DAB/FM Kitchen Radio

by Bob Crabtree on 4 May 2006, 03:04

Quick Link: HEXUS.net/qafln

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Thoughts and links


When we called in the Dualit, we fully expected to receive a finished product not a pre-production sample, so we've had to write a preview not a review. And that means we're not going to make any firm recommendations here, nor give editorial awards or withhold any.

We were slightly miffed - though not surprised - to find that certain features on the Dualit didn't work and that the manual wasn't quite up to the mark. We'd assume that Dualit will be sorting out those issues before the radio hits the shelves but until we've had hands-on with a finished product there's no way of knowing if that assumption will turn out to be correct.

Nonetheless, as we hope the preceeding pages have made clear, we do rather like Dualit's DAB/FM offering and would certainly be more than happy to own one - ideally in black-and-polished-ali finish - if it turns out to work as it should.

We suspect that you're not going to find many portable DAB radios that sound better or look smarter and also have all the Dualit's features but whether you'd be willing to pay out £200 for the pleasure will very much depend on what kind of person you are.

If you are happy buying cheapo Tesco-label kettles, toasters and coffee-makers, then the Dualit isn't likely even to find a place low down on your shortlist when considering buying a DAB radio. However, if you do willingly pay out for expensive branded kitchen appliances - big or small - believing that they not only look better but are better and worth the investment, then the Dualit will, we expect, appear high up on the list and deserve its place there.

And your own thoughts? Let us have them over in the HEXUS.community.


HEXUS.links

News-story thread about Dualit's pending launch - in the HEXUS.community
Dualit - http://www.dualit.com
John Lewis - http://www.johnlewis.com
Digital Radio Mondial - http://www.drm.org

HEXUS Right2Reply - Dualit



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HEXUS Forums :: 6 Comments

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Posted by Salazaar - Thu 04 May 2006 12:07
I still don't see the point in spending even £100 on a digital radio. Don't get me wrong, I love listening to Radio 6 on the net and on our digital radio at work ('borrowed' from our sample stock), and I even tune in with my cheap-o digibox now and again.

Even without being able to tune in all these other ways, I still couldn't imagine ever spend £200, £100 or even £50 for the privilage of listening.
Posted by Atomic - Thu 04 May 2006 12:30
Id expect a CD player aswell for £100, let alone £200!
Posted by Funkstar - Thu 04 May 2006 12:58
Salazaar
Even without being able to tune in all these other ways, I still couldn't imagine ever spend £200, £100 or even £50 for the privilage of listening.
So you wouldn't pay for a regular radio either then? :confused:

And it's 6Music, they get annoyed when people call it Radio 6 :)
Posted by Bob Crabtree - Thu 04 May 2006 15:22
The real bottom line here is how much disposable income you have and what sort of lifestyle and home that lets you create.

I look forward to the day when I'll think nothing of spending £200 on DAB radio (I'm not holding my breath, though). The last one I bought - a Philips boombox model with built-in DVD - was well under £100. And the only way I could afford/justify that was cos I was able to trade in an old analogue radio and get a hefty discount.

So my home isn't decked out with a Miele washing machine, dishwasher, tumble-dryer or cooker and I do typically buy Tesco-brand toasters and small appliances. Oh and there's no Jag, Merc, BMW or Roller in the drive.

One thing I am pretty sure of, though, is that if I could afford to buy Miele apps, I'd be saving money in the long run, cos those things are built to last (I know, I've visited the factory and many other companies' plants across the world) and would be comforted by the fact that I'd be able to get spares for 12 years after the initial purchase.

I'm honestly not sure whether Dualit small appliances have the same durability but I do know that most people who buy them think they are good value, even at their high prices.

So, I expect that a certain type of person will decide to pay out £200 for the Dualit radio in preference to something that's half the price or less.

Others, of course, will buying them for reasons of style or the way they want others to perceive them - but that's also true of a lot of products, including iPods, anything else Apple and other CE products from other brands such as Sony or B&O and a whole lot of others.
Posted by Salazaar - Tue 09 May 2006 18:02
Funkstar
So you wouldn't pay for a regular radio either then? :confused:

Not for £200, no. Nor £100. I might pay £30 or so for a radio of either variety though, the point is that other than a bit more variety and slightly improved audio quality (depending on the speakers of course) you're paying a huge premium for not much extra. And considering that I can get all those digital channels over the internet or through the £30 digibox that I bought, I can't see how any company can justify that premium.

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