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The MoreAudio Desire is a portable FM/DAB/DAB+ radio with an alarm clock. This radio is available in a choice of three colours: black, green and blue. Find out what the MoreAudio Desire can do and how it performs in this review…
Features
- FM/DAB/DAB+ radio
- Dimmable display
- Built-in rechargeable lithium ion battery offering up to 18 hours of battery life
- Dual alarm clock with a choice of buzzer, FM or DAB radio and a snooze function
- Headphone jack
- Scrolling text showing station name and other info on both FM and DAB
- Saves 60 preset stations (30 on FM and 30 on DAB)
- Telescopic aerial
- Sleep function
Dimensions: 15.4 cm wide x 9.4 cm high x 4.8 cm deep
Weight: 358 g
Performance and use
This radio lets you save 30 preset stations on FM and 30 on DAB. This is a lot, as most portable DAB radios only let you save 10-20 on FM and DAB. However, it’s unlikely you’ll need to save so many stations.
The MoreAudio Desire has some useful alarm clock functions including a large snooze button so you can easily stop the alarm. However, the alarm can be fiddly to set, and the poorly written instructions aren’t much help. Also, the clock only shows when the radio is turned on though, so to check the time you’d need to turn the radio on.
This radio has a sleep function that automatically turns the radio off after a set period of time. You can set the sleep timer to 15, 30, 45, 60 or 90 minutes.
The MoreAudio Desire comes with a built-in lithium ion battery. The quality of the battery seems to vary, as some buyers find the radio lasts for a whole day whereas others say that the battery runs out after just a couple of hours.
One irritating thing about this radio is that there isn’t any way of knowing the battery level, which means you don’t know how long to charge it for or when the power might suddenly run out. A battery level indicator would be a good addition.
For a small radio, the MoreAudio Desire can go quite loud. The volume control isn’t very sensitive, so it often seems either too quiet or too loud. MoreAudio say this radio uses digital signal processing (DSP) technology to optimise the sound for both music and speech, though they don’t elaborate on how this works.
This radio has an attractive design and a nice rubber coating. It’s also light and easy to carry around.
Pros
- Normally arrives fully charged
- Quick to set up and easy to use
- Decent sound quality for the size and price
- Screen is easy to read
- Good battery life of up to 18 hours
- You can set two independent alarms, for example one for weekdays and another for the weekends
Cons
- No Bluetooth
- Display is only illuminated when the radio is on, which might be inconvenient if you use it as an alarm clock
- Variable quality—this radio has mixed reviews
Verdict
Most people who buy the MoreAudio Desire
In general the MoreAudio Desire offers good value for money and has decent sound quality for a radio of its size. It’s light, compact and easy on the eye, but it’s not the most reliable radio on the market.
Similar radios
One of the most similar radios in terms of features and price is the Majority Shelford Retro DAB Radio
If you’d prefer something from a more established brand, you should consider the Goodmans Canvas or the Roberts Play10.
For some more options, see our roundup of the 5 best portable DAB radios for less than £50.
MoreAudo DESIRE
Was struggling to follow the instruction manual so phoned customer support helpline and an extremely helpful lady (Zuza) talked me through “Auto Scan function-DAB” which got me up and running.
For the price, great radio sound so far.
Great customer care.
Hi Bill,
What is their phone number or website please? I can’t find any info on the company.
Thanks,
Justine