One of our all-time favourite players, Cowon's iAudio D2, got DAB integrated not too long ago. Now one of our other all-time favourites, the iRiver Clix 2, effectively just got DAB'd and is known as the iRiver B20. Okay, this isn't another version of the Clix, but it is a new player that looks like the Clix, works like the Clix and has the same feature set as the Clix. Plus DAB.
The most notable difference is the B20's large telescopic aerial. The B20 retains the Clix 2's innovative Direct Click navigation system and its attractive animated menu design, presented on a 61mm (2.4-inch) QVGA colour LCD screen.
Supported audio formats include MP3, protected and unprotected WMA, and OGG. Sadly, there's still no love shown to FLAC, though this shouldn't be too much of an issue considering the B20's capacity maxes out at a rather disappointing 4GB. Memory can be expanded with miniSD cards. MPEG-4 and Windows Media videos with up to 320x240-pixel resolutions are also supported.
Just like the Clix 2, the B20 is painfully easy to use. Even Grandma, arthritis and senility notwithstanding, will have no trouble using it. DAB appears as an option in the main menu and an alphabetical list of available stations makes tuning just as easy as any worktop radio system. DAB can also be recorded to internal memory. The only downside is that reception can be flaky when moving around.
The 1GB, 2GB and 4GB models are available now for £149, £169 and £209 respectively from AdvancedMP3Players -- an expensive player for anyone if pocketable DAB isn't number one on your list of needs. Expect our full review very soon. In the meantime, click through for some up-close and personal shots of this attractive little chap.
Update: A full review of the B20 is now available on the site. -Nate Lanxon
Android App 
RSS Feeds 
iPhone App 
Newsletters 
