digicomparison | DAB+ and DMB HiFi - Tuners, Receivers, Systems

Last Update:
May 8th, 2014

wohnort

digicomparison

Ensemble Label

EId

Stereo

Stereo

Joint
Stereo

Joint
St. LSF

Mono

Mono
LSF

Dual
Channel

Packet
Data

Stream
Data

Stereo
AAC

Mono
AAC

TII

		DAB ("original flavour")
		DAB+
		Radio Numérique Terrestre - DMB-Radio
		DMB TV

		Band III
		L-band

		Pan-European Specification
To be capable of working anywhere in Europe, a "pan-European" radio needs to be able to receive DAB, DAB+ and DMB-A in Band III and L-band.

DAB+ from Nokia

Nokia have finally updated their UK website to confirm that the headsets sold in this country are DAB+ capable.

The headphones cable acts as the antenna for this device, which works with Symbian^3 phones with a USB On-The-Go connector.

Of course, Symbian's days are numbered, as a result of the recently-announced collaboration between Nokia and Microsoft that will bring Windows Phone 7 onto future Nokia mobiles.

An interesting situation has developed on the Amazon UK website, where a "Nokia CU-17a DAB Radio Headset - White" is selling for GBP 39.99, while a "Nokia Digital Radio Headset CU-17A DAB/DAB+" is selling for GBP 60.99. This is quite a mark-up for what is the same product, differently described. Nokia have assured Wohnort that only one version of the headset has been made and that this is DAB+ capable and is sold in the UK.

The laws of physics!

The laws of physics don't change just because it's "digital". Whether you're receiving DAB or DMB, indoors or outdoors, the only way to ensure good reliable reception is to feed your receiver with a good signal. If you're using a small portable receiver with a telescopic antenna, then your options are limited. You'll need to find the position in your home that produces the strongest signal. Your home is a breeding ground for clicks and splats. Most refrigerators, freezers, airconditioning units, water heaters, washing machines, etc. can produce substantial amounts of radio interference as they switch themselves on an off. But if you have a receiver with a socket for an antenna, then resist the temptation to connect it to a wire coat hanger and get yourself a good outdoor antenna. Not only will you find a stronger signal up there, but it will be further away from the sources of all those nasty "splats".

Want to know
how it works?

Apart from the DAB specification itself, this is the closest thing to a DAB Bible that you will find. The book is now in its third edition and has been updated to include recent developments such as DMB and DAB+. Checkout digicomparison's Digital Radio page for more detailed reading about various digital radio systems, including DAB.

Cowon DAB+ firmware

image of CowonD2+

The new firmware that enables DAB+ reception on the D2+ and D2 Cowon players is now available for download from the Swiss Cowon site. For the D2+ the firmware is v4.12 while for the D2 the version number is v4.60b. Note that the D2 firmware is a beta version, though the Cowon website reports that the testing to date has shown this to be stable. An official release is expected in due course. More...

The Cowon D2+ is a Band III only device.

In the UK, the D2+ DAB is available from internet retailers such as amazon.co.uk in Black 4Gb, 8Gb and 16Gb versions and in Silver 4Gb, 8Gb and 16GB versions.
In Germany, the D2+ DAB is available from internet retailers such as amazon.de in a Black 4Gb version and in Silver 4Gb, 8Gb and 16Gb versions.

When comparing internet retailers, remember to include the cost of delivery in your calculations.
Retailers with low headline prices can often have higher delivery charges. Price comparison websites usually list the lowest headline price first, but the best deal may be lower down the list.

Only receivers known to receive DAB+ are listed on this page. There may be certain conditions that need to be fulfilled, for example following a firmware upgrade. The DAB+ capability may exist in certain countries only. We try to make that clear. The intention is that there should be no links on this page to suppliers of non-DAB+ versions, because this is a page of DAB+ receivers. Manufacturers, you have a role to play here in making it absolutely clear, on your websites and in your documentation, whether a receiver is DAB+ or not. If you make a DAB+ receiver and it isn't here, or there is no link for your receiver for a particular country that may be because your website and your documentation, or the website of the seller, doesn't say it's DAB+. Please send updates or corrections. Suggestion:- Why not make your receivers the same everywhere?

Some of the receivers on this page (the ones so marked) will also receiver the system selected as the official standard for France. It has far too many names! DMB, DMB-Radio, DMB-R, DMB-A and DMB-Audio are some of the technical ones. France refers to its digital radio services, collectively as Radio Numerique Terrestre, but that alone doesn't explicitly define a technical standard. If France chose to use DAB+, then RNT would apply equally to those broadcasts. From a consumer's point of view, what the letters RNT tell us is that if a retailer describes a receiver as being suitable to receive RNT, then that MUST include DMB-A, since that is currently the only standard officially permitted (test transmissions excepted). Pure have advised Wohnort that DMB-A capable versions of their receivers are sold only in France. Be aware that certain French websites such as amazon.fr source their radios from the UK. This is especially true of some of amazon.fr's third-party vendors. The affected products will generally be described as "Import Royaume-Uni", but the buyer should be alert in any case. One last thing, just when you thought you'd finally gotten your head around all those abbreviations, and were now happy that the little DMB receiver you had spotted in Korea would be OK to take back with you to France. It won't. DMB Radio uses the AAC codec. In Korea, their DMB services use BSAC. Caveat emptor! I hope the guidance on these pages will be useful to you.

Advance-Acoustic
French manufacturer founded in Toulouse in 1995.