Measuring 65 x 110 x 21 mm, we had expected this cheaper unit to be smaller than the DAB 2000 model we tested previously but in fact it is the exact same shell as the more expensive model and just under 40 grams lighter which is very welcome. However we are disappointed that the form factor is retained as we did feel that the 2000 was too large for a pocket device. Still it looks good and this model is quite a bit cheaper than its bigger brother.

The Orange LCD display leaps into life on power up and the 2 line 16 character display is complemented by symbols to show the units status including that all important battery life. After quick set-up the unit was already listing the 55 plus DAB radio stations available on a mix of national and regional multiplexes. It's easy to select between stations using the radio EPG and often details of the shows and tracks are provided on the scrolling text line. Pure have made this more useable by including textSCAN which is their method of freezing and then scrolling through lines of text rather than wait for each line to repeat.

With the supplied Sennheiser MX300 earphones we set about testing the reception and audio quality of the Pocket DAB 1500. Reception can be a big problem for small portable DAB units as the DAB network is still not fully deployed and transmitters often run at lower power than the older analogue transmissions. However the Pure radio was about the best portable DAB unit we've tested to date, there were occasional stutters when moving but generally reception was maintained and with DAB that means high quality audio whenever there is sufficient signal.

Audio reproduction is very good indeed and the decision to bundle the lower price DAB 1500 with Sennheiser branded earphones speaks volumes about Pure's focus on high quality sound. It means users are rewarded with a rich warm DAB sound with no hiss and sounding very balanced. testing on a range of stations showed the electronics to be very similar (if not identical) to the DAB 2000 just minus all the extras like MP3 replay and recording.

There are few if any extras on this budget model and we should be thankful for the 10 DAB presets and that the 1500 also has a FM tuner in case DAB reception is poor or you want to listen to a station that is not on DAB. The 2000mAh battery gives up to 24 hours of radio listening as long as you switch the backlight into power saving mode, which is more than enough for most users, recharging the ChargePak is simple enough making a very useable device.

Priced at £89.99 the Pure Pocket DAB 1500 represents real value for money, gone are the gimmicks and MP3 capabilities and you are left with the core of Pure's technical know how and that is well worth paying for.

Published - 13/08/2006

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