Highly tuned: Denon TU-1800 DAB

We've seen DAB radios packed into a space no bigger than a clenched fist, so the first question you might ask on picking up the TU-1800 is: what in the name of the good lord Beelzebub is making this so heavy? We've not pried the cover off yet, but we'd guess a hefty transformer, some serious pre-amp circuits, and a tuner that can pick out the bleating of distress beacons on distant space colonies. We'll investigate properly later -- as soon as we track down a screwdriver.

First impressions were excellent -- the TU-1800 makes other DABs look like they're crawling through glue when autotuning. We picked up over sixty stations in a few seconds and were greeted by Zane Lowe offering incisive commentary on some death-metal band. Through our 500W NAD reference system he sounded like the Wizard of Oz. If you like to listen to your digital radio with some proper volume behind it, a tuner like this Denon and a serious amp is the only way to go. Expect a full review soon. -CS

Update: a full review of the Denon TU-1800 DAB is now live here.