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The Comberton is one of budget brand Majority’s newest radios, released in May 2017. It’s an affordable portable FM/DAB/DAB+ radio with a soft-touch rubberised finish. Find out what it can do and how it performs in this review…
Features
- Metal carrying handle
- Saves 20 preset stations (10 on FM and 10 on DAB/DAB+)
- Can be powered by the mains, micro USB or 4 x AA batteries
- LCD display
- Alarm clock
- Sleep function
- Headphone jack
- Telescopic aerial
- Rubberised finish
Dimensions: 25 cm wide x 20 cm high x 7 cm deep
Weight: 748 g
Performance and use
The Majority Comberton is fairly easy to set up and start using. It automatically scans for radio stations and sets the correct time via DAB radio the first time you turn it on. Saving and accessing presets is easy once you get the hang of it, but might take some practice. The alarm is also quite easy to use.
For a radio of this size and price, the Comberton has decent sound quality. One issue though is that the lowest volume level is still quite loud. This isn’t ideal if you want to listen to it at night or early in the morning without disturbing other people in the house.
This radio has a stylish design and the rubberised finishing feels nice. At 748 grams it’s quite light so it’s easy to carry around. However, this means it’s not especially sturdy and could get knocked over if you’re not careful.
Since it can be powered by AA batteries this radio could be a good choice for camping. It would also look good in a kitchen or bedroom. One thing to be aware of if you’re planning to use it as a bedside radio is that the LCD display remains lit as long as the power is plugged in. However, it’s not very bright so it’s unlikely to keep you awake at night.
One common issue buyers have with this radio is that it struggles to pick up BBC Radio 5 Live. This means it’s not a good choice if you want to listen to this station.
Pros
- Good value for money
- Stylish design
- Easy to use
Cons
- Lowest volume level is quite loud
- Doesn’t always pick up Radio 5 Live
Verdict
For the price, the Majority Comberton
Similar radios
If you’re happy to spend a bit more money for something arguably higher quality, you should consider the Roberts Play. It’s a small portable FM/DAB/DAB+ radio with a built-in battery charger with good sound quality, especially at lower volumes (ideal for listening to at night).
A good budget alternative to the Majority Comberton is the Goodmans Canvas, which is a stylish and inexpensive digital radio. You could also consider other radios from Majority such as the Shelford Retro Radio, which has similar features to the Comberton but a more retro design.
I’m a product designer and at first glance the Monty looks pretty good in a slightly retro way. It sounds acceptable too. However the need for a degree in advanced buttonry is soon apparent. Using the controls is hard, its not intuitive and its possible to hit the wrong button and have it go into some mode that takes you ages to get back out of unless you keep the instructions handy. To be frank (I used to design controls) the controls are terrible. I was given it as a present but would I buy one. No. Too needlesly annoying. If you want to see how its done look no further than Dieter Rams, then look at Monty, nice try but sorry, a fail.