Just when you thought DABs were a substandard replacement for FM, they go and make them look all pretty and your technical reservations go flying out the window. DAB may still sound like a dying man cackling in the rain, but when you consider the Vita Audio R1's fibreboard chassis with cherry, wood or black veneer, injection-moulded plastics and pressed-steel finish, you can't help but feel a twinge of capitalist glee.
"Who cares if they're selling me something worse than FM dressed in a fancy box, tarted up like a muddy tramp forced into a too-small Billabong wetsuit?" you cry. I want my MTV.
The Vita uses a new RotoDial controller to scroll through station names, and regardless of the deficiencies of DAB, it looks gorgeous. If you listen to spoken-word stations, or have moderate expectations for music, then this looks like a great Christmas treat. The Vita Audio R1 is available now for around £150. Expect a full review soon. -CS
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