This funky cube seems to offered everything we were looking for, first up there is a full on DAB receiver enabling you to pick up the full range of UK DAB radio stations hiss free in stereo. The large blue backlit screen shows both station name and text provided by the broadcaster alongside the current time, the menu system is also accessed through this screen. Within the main control cluster live the 4 preset buttons which can store 4 DAB favourites and 4 FM stations too, the main control knob allows you to tune the unit and to select CD tracks.

The cube design in a mixture of white plastic and a cool blue face plate looks pretty stylish and the addition of the main controls in silver makes it look modern yet also has a hint of art deco about it. The build quality isn't bomb proof but you get what you pay for and we 'd say that all your cash is being spent on the technology inside rather than the use of 1st class materials. That said this is a bedside radio so it isn't going to get much abuse unless you react angrily to being awoken each morning.

Alongside the DAB radio is an FM tuner, this means you can get the stations not on DAB yet and also provides a way of getting radio in poor DAB reception areas. The CD player is a top loading system which opens with an eject button on the upper edge of the RS01, pressing this was our main indication that build quality is enough but only just, the CD controls do feel a little wobbly!

Sound quality is a strange mix of good hiss free stereo on the DAB and CD sources but sadly let down by a lack of power from the Intempo's speakers, 1.2 watts is really a poor offering even for a bedside radio, it reminds us of those small tranny radios of yesteryear rather then the latest in DAB radio technology. The twin speakers seem to take on a plastic sound as if they are not powerful enough to get out what sounds like a good quality DAB sound, Intempo have equipped the RS01 with a mouse's bark!

The main function relies on the inbuilt digital clock, this is synchronised from the DAB signal so it's always accurate, you can set 2 alarms both with different wake up settings. Choose between DAB, FM radio or CD as the source to be awoken by and set the volume level, once the alarm sounds you can choose to snooze for a bit longer or let the unit continue to play. There are a number of different menu options to plough through when setting the alarm and you can select the track of a CD that you want to play or perhaps just choose a boring old beep if you must.

The Intempo RS01 ships with a handy remote control which makes the DAB radio and CD player more useable and there is a headphone socket which provides one way to listen the CD output at a reasonable level. Retailing for around £90 its well priced offering 3 audio sources combined with the alarm clock functionality, however we must caution that this is not a suitable unit for anyone expecting either a room filling or high quality audio output.

If you can accept that this is the quality of a bedside alarm clock radio but has DAB and CD as opposed just CD then spending your £90 on an Intempo RS-01 should not disappoint.

Published - 02/11/2005

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