Kaiser Baas Portable Digital Radio
I had heard a lot about digital radio and was happy to be able to get my hands on this fairly entry-level model from Kaiser Baas to see what all the hype was about.
Was I disappointed? Yes and no. Admittedly, this radio was not state of the art and I’m no audiophile, but I really couldn’t tell any appreciable difference in quality from my regular, garden-variety radio. This could well be a different experience with a higher-end unit (or at least you’d hope so).
However, the big plus with digital radio is the huge number of extra digital-only radio stations that you can access. That said, while this was the case in metropolitan Sydney, I had no such luck when using it in the Blue Mountains (admittedly, a communications dead spot), so check what you can receive on your area.
Another great feature of the digital radio is that the LED display scrolls information on the channel and details of what’s currently playing — one of my biggest bug bears listening to conventional radio is hearing a song that I like and having no idea what it is or who’s singing it, as the practice of routinely being given such information by on-air announcers seems to have gone by the by.
There’s definitely nothing complicated about using the radio. Just scan for stations in your reception area and preset your favourites (up to 10). The radio runs on either AC power (cord included) or four AA batteries (not provided). There’s also a 3.5mm headph0ne socket if you don’t want to disturb anyone else.
The radio is small and light (17 by 5 by 12cm), making it truly portable. However, the build felt cheap and it wouldn’t win any awards in the style department. It’s currently available n white only.
Kaiser Bass Portable Digital Radio — RRP $129.95
Exclusive to Dick Smith stores
Gail Lipscombe has worked for some of Australia's hottest tech magazines for over 10 years. In her blog, she focuses on demystifying technology, gadgets and the web for average consumers.