Home > Consumer Reviews > Sony XDR-S1 DAB Digital Radio

I initally purchased a Ferguson(crown) DAB from dixons being told that it was a very good radio, well I couldn't receive any channels despite the postcode search telling me I should, about as much use as a chocolate fire guard comes to mind, so I took it back the next day.

I decided to up my budget, and was torn between an evoke 2 and the sony, well all I can say is that the sony is an excellent radio, clear reception, good looks and simple to use. The sound from this portable is quite exceptional and all the stations popped up straight away, the remote is simple and efficient and is a really worth while item if you are a channel hopper like me. If it could be powered by battery it would get 10 out of 10.

Pros:
Very sleek design
Solid build
Excellent reception (easily picks up all the DAB stations in my area)
Crystal clear sound
Multi-functions: line-in, line-out, optical-out, timer, etc.
Cons:
Mega Bass is a poor apology for real punchy bass
Built-in handle is user-unfriendly
Information and presets will be lost if unplugged or in case of power failure.
Still a bit pricy

Overall: Good product---Recommended!

The radio is superb in both build quality and sound reproduction, and looks great. The Mega base pumps out an astounding heavy sound considering the speakers are only 2.3 watt, with more than enough volume for any size room. But the main beauty of this radio is the analogue and DAB radio combined. Should your favourite programme not be avaialble on DAB, it's easy to switch to analogue at the press of a button! The unit can store 40 pre-set stations too! Ten on each wave band.
The digital display is very well defined with large letters and numbers, but not too large to be intrusive.
If there's a down side to this unit, it's the lack of battery power for true portability, and there's not even a battery back-up to retain station memory should the mains power fail.
Overall I would not rate this unit as one of the best I've used, but with time Sony should come up with the goods. I just hope they read people's reviews on their products.

I agree with all comments so far as performance is concerned. But I would support Sony's idea of not including battery operation. DAB and batteries do not go together very well. Look at the battery life for most of the current generation of DAB radios and you will see the point.

Certainly better than the 2 Pures that made a hasty return to the point of purchase.

Overall a typical Sony, well built, efficient, functional and steady.

The Sony XDR-S1 is one of the surprisingly few radios that offer DAB coverage as well as FM/MW/LW. It appears to have been discontinued (although still shown on sony.co.uk), but some retailers still claim to have them in stock, typically around £120 - £130 plus postage. However, at June 06 Argos are advertising them at £64.99 (but their availability is close to zero and they have to be collected from the store).
This quirky, idiosyncratic radio appears to have been designed by a committee. It's not quite sure whether it wants to be a kitchen radio, a bedside radio or an enthusiasts' radio; it achieves many things quite well, but it also has some infuriating omissions and limitations.
The specification offers plenty of useful features, including
· Band III and L-band DAB
· Stereo DAB and FM, with RDS
· Optical output, line input
· Sleep timer and clock wake up
· Digital noise reduction to reduce hiss on AM and FM stereo
· Multi-function remote control
· Good sound quality, solid build quality
However, its drawbacks can equally comprehensive.
· Mains only; its size and weight make it transportable rather than portable
· No memory backup: all presets and clock settings are lost if disconnected from the mains for more than just a few minutes
· DAB stations listed by multiplex rather than alphabetical order, so finding a DAB station thats not on a preset can involve scrolling through 50 or 60 names that seem to be in a random order
· No external aerial connections for DAB / FM
· No rotary controls, e.g. only switchable on-off settings for treble and bass
· Insensitive on MW and LW; unless strong, stations are hissy even if top cut, mega bass and noise reduction are all used
· No stereo indicator on DAB and FM
· Band scanning can be fiddly: the auto tune only works in one direction and it misses all but the strongest stations. Manual tuning is possible but is very slow.
· Remote control can be unreliable if the radio is high up; the recessed IR receiver can be shadowed by the front of the radio
· Amazingly, the remote control has no Mute button; an inelegant workaround is to press the 'Line' button (assuming nothing is connected) and subsequently to press 'Band' to unmute.
· RDS is decoded only on strong stations
· Some bugs with Radio Text; last character is often missing, flashing characters from 'Waiting' can remain visible after the station is recognised and displayed
· Some spurious responses on FM, although unlikely to obliterate weak stations

Overall Verdict
This radio could have been a show stopper, but it's ended up somewhere between a curate's egg and a lemon. A rechargeable battery would certainly have helped, even if good for only a couple of hours, and if an unplugged Pure Evoke 1 can retain its settings indefinitely, why can't the XDR-S1? As an early prototype it would be passable, but it's not fully up to the standards you might expect from a Sony.
If you're looking for a kitchen / bedside radio, know and accept its limitations and can find it close to the Argos price, you'll be pleasantly surprised by an upmarket radio that has ideas above its station, especially if you can receive many DAB multiplexes. You'll get a lot for your money, if you can still find one in stock.
If you paid over £100 in the expectation of getting a faultless thoroughbred, you may end up rather disappointed wondering how so many obvious shortcomings could have been completely overlooked.