Ocean Digital Radios Compared

Ocean Digital are a Hong Kong-based manufacturer who produce a large range of affordable DAB and internet radios. Their products are made in China and are priced favourably when compared to better known brands like Pure and Roberts.

It can be hard to choose an Ocean Digital radio as there seem to be so many similar models to choose between. In this article we’ll explore Ocean Digital’s range of radios in depth, comparing and contrasting their features and design.

Ocean Digital radios can be split into three categories:

• FM/DAB/DAB+ radios
• Internet-only radios
• Internet radios with FM and/or DAB

 

FM/DAB/DAB+ radios

These radios let you listen to FM and DAB/DAB+ radio stations. Unlike other Ocean Digital products, you can’t use them to listen to online radio stations.

 

Ocean Digital DB80

Model	FM	DAB/DAB+	Internet	Bluetooth	Portable	Stereo Sound
DB80	✔	✔	✖	✖	✔	✖

The Ocean Digital DB80 is one of the smallest radios in Ocean Digital’s line-up. It’s an affordable DAB radio that can be used with mains power or with AA batteries.

Features

• FM/DAB/DAB+ radio
• Save up to 8 preset stations: 4 on FM and 4 on DAB
• Alarm clock with sleep and snooze functions
• Alarm gives you the choice of waking up to a buzzer sound or FM or DAB radio
• Dimmable display

Dimensions: 17 wide x 9 cm high x 10 cm deep
Weight: 921 g (boxed)
Power: Mains powered or portable with 6 x AA batteries

Pros

• Low price
• Stable shape with plenty of depth

Cons

• Display is quite bright even on the lowest setting, meaning it’s not ideal as a bedside alarm clock radio
• Buttons are small and fiddly

Verdict

The Ocean Digital DB80 is attractively priced, but it does have some notable flaws including the small buttons which can make it fiddly to set presets and configure the alarm.

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Ocean Digital DB220B

Model	FM	DAB/DAB+	Internet	Bluetooth	Portable	Stereo Sound
DB220B	✔	✔	✖	✔	✖	✖

The Ocean Digital DB220B in an FM/DAB/DAB+ radio with Bluetooth for wirelessly streaming music or other audio from a phone, tablet or laptop. This affordable radio also comes with a remote control.

Features

• FM/DAB/DAB+ radio
• Telescopic aerial
• Bluetooth
• Saves 10 preset radio stations
• Dual alarm clock with a choice of an old-fashioned beeping sound or waking up to the radio
• Sleep timer
• Headphone jack/line-out port
• Clock, which is displayed in standby mode

Dimensions: 17 cm wide x 10 cm high x 10 cm deep
Weight: 798 g
Power: Mains powered

Pros

• Easy to use
• Good range of features for the price (radio, alarm, Bluetooth, remote control)

Cons

• Feels quite cheaply made
• Not portable

Verdict

The Ocean Digital DB220B is a good choice for a cheap DAB radio with Bluetooth. The sound is somewhat tinny, and the design isn’t very special, but this radio offers good value for money.

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Ocean Digital DB230B

Model	FM	DAB/DAB+	Internet	Bluetooth	Portable	Stereo Sound
DB230B	✔	✔	✖	✔	✖	✖

The Ocean Digital DB230B is very similar to the Ocean Digital DB220B reviewed above. It’s an FM/DAB/DAB+ radio with Bluetooth and an alarm clock.

Features

• FM/DAB/DAB+ radio
• Save up to 20 preset stations—10 on FM and 10 on DAB
• Bluetooth for streaming music from a smartphone, tablet or PC
• Dual alarm clock with a choice of waking up to an alarm sound, FM or DAB radio
• Sleep timer
• Dimmable screen

Dimensions: 20 cm wide x 12 cm high x 12 cm deep
Weight: 1.2 kg
Power: Mains powered

Pros

• Screen is easy to read
• Alarm gradually fades in, making waking up less stressful
• Decent sound quality thanks to the use of wood
• Good Bluetooth signal

Cons

• Can be fiddly to use
• Wood used in the construction is poor quality

Verdict

All-in-all, the Ocean Digital DB230B is a good radio, but the R.R.P. seems quite high given its cheap construction. If you can get it at a discount it’s a good choice.

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Ocean Digital DBA01C8

Model	FM	DAB/DAB+	Internet	Bluetooth	Portable	Stereo Sound
DBA01C8	✔	✔	✖	✔	✖	✖

The Ocean Digital DBA01C8 is an FM/DAB/DAB+ radio receiver rather than a radio itself. It’s important to note that it doesn’t have its own speaker—you need to connect it to a speaker to listen to the radio.

While this radio receiver has Bluetooth, you can’t connect it to a Bluetooth speaker as it only has a Bluetooth receiver rather than a Bluetooth transmitter.

Features

• FM/DAB/DAB+ receiver
• Save up to 10 preset stations
• 8-inch colour display
• Bluetooth receiver for streaming music from a smartphone or other Bluetooth device
• Remote control
• Antenna input socket
• Audio out port

Dimensions: 13.5 cm wide x 9.2 cm high x 3.7 cm deep
Weight: 200 g
Power: Mains powered

Pros

• Small and light
• Intuitive controls
• Good DAB signal

Cons

• Quiet when used in Bluetooth mode

Verdict

If you already have some decent speakers or have a good hi-fi that you’d like to add DAB radio to, the Ocean Digital DBA01C8 is a good solution. Overall, it performs very well for the price and picks up digital radio well compared to many other units.

 

Internet-only radios

Radios in this category pick up radio stations via a wireless internet connection only; they don’t have an FM or DAB radio receiver. This is quite a new concept, but since the share of people who listen to the radio online is rising, it makes sense that you can buy radios exclusively for this purpose.

If you have a good internet connection, internet radio should offer better sound quality than AM/FM, and it won’t suffer from the gurgling and loss of signal that can affect DAB radios, especially in the UK. It’s also a good solution if you want to pick up foreign stations, or if you’d like to pick up UK stations from France, Spain or other countries.

Ocean Digital IRT01C

Model	FM	DAB/DAB+	Internet	Bluetooth	Portable	Stereo Sound
IRT01C	✖	✖	✔	✔	✖	✖

The Ocean Digital IRT01C is a compact internet radio receiver with Bluetooth. It doesn’t have a speaker built in, so you will need to connect it to a separate speaker. You could use it to add internet radio streaming capabilities to an old radio or hi-fi.

Features

• Displays weather information such as a weather forecast and the current temperature
• Bluetooth
• Colour LCD display
• Line out and headphone jack
• Remote control

Dimensions: 13 cm wide x 9 cm high x 3 cm deep
Weight: 200 g
Power: Mains powered

Pros

• Easy to set up and start listening to radio via WiFi
• Good sound quality when you connect it to some better speakers
• Display is easy to read

Cons

• Small and easy to knock over or drag off a table if you have headphones plugged in

Verdict

The Ocean Digital IRT01C is very easy to use and is a convenient way to upgrade an old radio or listen to online radio through some separate speakers.

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Ocean Digital Internet Radio WR-210CB

Model	FM	DAB/DAB+	Internet	Bluetooth	Portable	Stereo Sound
WR-210CB	✖	✖	✔	✔	✖	✖

The Ocean Digital Internet Radio WR-210CB is a small internet radio with Bluetooth and a dual alarm clock. Like the other radios in this category, it doesn’t have an FM or DAB receiver—all radio stations are picked up via the internet.

Features

• Bluetooth
• 4-inch colour display
• Display shows weather information when on standby mode
• Dual alarm
• Snooze and sleep timers
• 5 mm aux-in
• 5 mm line-out
• Remote control

Dimensions: Roughly 17cm wide x 10cm high x 10cm deep
Power: Mains powered

Pros

• Easy to set up
• Menu system is easy to navigate
• Picks up lots of stations

Cons

• Sound quality from the mono speaker is mediocre
• No batteries included for the remote control

Verdict

The Ocean Digital Internet Radio WR-210CB is a decent internet radio to use as an alarm clock or for listening to speech/talk programmes. However, the radio’s sound quality isn’t great, so if you want to listen to a lot of music you might find it disappointing. Despite that, it is easy to use and set up and gives you a huge choice of stations to listen to.

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Ocean Digital Internet Radio WR220

Model	FM	DAB/DAB+	Internet	Bluetooth	Portable	Stereo Sound
WR220	✖	✖	✔	✔	✖	✖

The Ocean Digital Internet Radio WR220 is very similar to the Ocean Digital Internet Radio WR-210CB reviewed above. It has a single speaker and also offers Bluetooth streaming.

Features

• Bluetooth for wirelessly streaming music from a smartphone or other device
• Dual alarm clock
• Sleep timer
• LCD display with adjustable brightness
• 5 mm line out
• Remote control

Dimensions: 16 cm wide x 12 cm high x 10 cm deep
Weight: Mains powered

Pros

• Decent sound quality with a good amount of bass for a small radio
• Small and compact

Cons

• A bit fiddly to set up at first, but once it’s connected to WiFi it’s easy to use
• Feels cheaply made

Verdict

Like other internet radios, the Ocean Digital Internet Radio WR220 is a good alternative to regular FM/DAB radio if you live in an area with poor signal and want to put your broadband to good use. It’s small and would be better for using in the bedroom rather than the living room.

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Ocean Digital WR220BP

Model	FM	DAB/DAB+	Internet	Bluetooth	Portable	Stereo Sound
WR220BP	✖	✖	✔	✔	✔	✖

The Ocean Digital WR220BP is similar to the Ocean Digital WR220 reviewed above except that it has a built-in battery meaning you can use it as a portable radio.

Features

• Bluetooth
• Dual alarm clock and sleep timer
• Dimmable LCD display
• 5 mm line out
• Remote control
• EQ with presets
• Battery with up to 15 hours of battery life

Dimensions: 29 cm wide x 15 cm high x 14 cm deep
Power: Mains powered or battery powered with the built-in 2500mAH lithium battery

Pros

• Built-in battery
• Sounds decent

Cons

• Feels quite cheaply made

Verdict

Like the WR220, the Ocean Digital WR220BP performs well overall. It’s a good compact internet radio, though it does feel quite cheap and plasticky.

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Ocean Digital Internet Radio WR233

Model	FM	DAB/DAB+	Internet	Bluetooth	Portable	Stereo Sound
WR223	✖	✖	✔	✖	✖	✖

The Ocean Digital Internet Radio WR233 is essentially an updated version of the WR220.

Features

• 4-inch colour display that displays the weather when on standby mode
• Save up to 250 preset radio stations
• Headphone jack
• Aux-in
• Alarm clock
• Sleep timer that you can adjust in 15 minute intervals

Dimensions: 19 cm wide x 12 cm high x 12 cm deep
Weight: 998 g
Power: Mains powered

Pros

• Good sound quality without distortion
• Screen can be dimmed so it won’t disturb you at night
• Generally easy to use

Cons

• Doesn’t pick up all local stations
• Can’t search for individual stations by name
• Batteries aren’t included for the remote control

Verdict

The Ocean Digital WR233 internet radio is a good solution if you have DAB signal issues or if you want to be able to listen to thousands of stations from across the globe. In some ways, it’s more fiddly to use than a regular FM/DAB radio, but as an internet radio it performs well.

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Ocean Digital Internet Radio WR232

Model	FM	DAB/DAB+	Internet	Bluetooth	Portable	Stereo Sound
WR232	✖	✖	✔	✖	✖	✖

The Ocean Digital WR232 is an internet-only radio that could be a good choice if you’re living abroad and want to listen to stations from your home country, or if you live in an area with poor FM or DAB reception.

Features

• Headphone jack
• 5 mm line-out
• Save 99 preset stations
• Remote control

Dimensions: 19.9 cm wide x 11.5 cm wide x 11.5 cm deep
Weight: 998 g
Power: Mains powered

Pros

• Decent mono sound
• Easy to set up
• Small and light
• Easy to find stations using genre, country and region

Cons

• Display is bright even when on the lowest setting
• Not especially intuitive as an alarm clock

Verdict

The Ocean Digital WR232 generally works well, but the design isn’t as intuitive as it could be so some functions are quite fiddly. All in all, it gets the job done at an affordable price.

 

Internet radios with FM and/or DAB

These Ocean Digital radios give you the flexibility of listening to radio using both the internet and via FM or DAB. This could be good if your internet connection is unreliable or you have limited bandwidth.

Ocean Digital WiFi Internet Radio WR60

Model	FM	DAB/DAB+	Internet	Bluetooth	Portable	Stereo Sound
WR60	✔	✖	✔	✖	✖	✖

The Ocean Digital WR60 is an internet radio that also picks up the radio on FM. It’s a small, good-looking radio that could work well in the kitchen.

Features

• FM and internet radio
• 5 mm headphone jack
• Aux-in
• Remote control
• Adjustable EQ

Dimensions: 23.5 cm wide x 13.5 cm high x 13 cm deep
Weight: 2 kg
Power: Mains powered

Pros

• Decent amount of bass for a radio of its size
• Attractive, minimalistic design

Cons

• Tone could be clearer
• Batteries aren’t included for the remote control
• Hard to adjust the volume to the right level—it is too responsive

Verdict

The Ocean Digital WR60 offers good value for money, and gives you a huge choice of radio stations to listen to. You can adjust the EQ to get a decent level of bass, though the over-sensitive volume control can be somewhat frustrating.

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Ocean Digital Internet Radio WR80

Model	FM	DAB/DAB+	Internet	Bluetooth	Portable	Stereo Sound
WR80	✔	✖	✔	✖	✖	✖

Like the WR60 reviewed above, the Ocean Digital Internet Radio WR80 is an internet radio with FM. It’s a small mono radio that offers a good range of features for the price.

Features

• FM and internet radio
• Save up to 99 preset stations, with 4 dedicated buttons for accessing your favourites easily
• Headphone jack
• Line-out jack
• Remote control
• Sleep timer
• Alarm clock with snooze

Dimensions: 17.4 cm wide x 9.2 cm high x 10 cm deep
Weight: 960 g
Power: Mains powered

Pros

• Good sound quality for such a small radio
• FM has RDS so it shows the station name and other info where available
• Dedicated buttons for your 4 favourite stations
• Easy to connect to the internet

Cons

• Instructions manual is poorly written
• Feels quite cheaply made

Verdict

The Ocean Digital Internet Radio WR80 is a good size for a bedside table, and could be a great choice if you’re currently suffering from poor FM or DAB signal.

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Ocean Digital WR282

Model	FM	DAB/DAB+	Internet	Bluetooth	Portable	Stereo Sound
WR282	✔	✖	✔	✖	✖	✖

The WR282 is one of the most expensive radios in Ocean Digital’s product line-up. It offers internet radio and FM, but no DAB/DAB+.

Features

• Dual alarm
• Remote control
• Saves 99 preset stations
• Aux-in

Dimensions: 22 cm wide x 12 cm high x 12 cm deep
Power: Mains powered

Pros

• Easy to set up and start listening to the radio
• Screen is easy to read
• Looks good
• Handy remote control

Cons

• Sound quality is average, but you can connect it to different speakers or listen through good headphones instead of using the built-in mono speaker
• Some users have had problems with connecting it to WiFi
• Can be fiddly to use the interface

Verdict

The Ocean Digital WR282 is a decent product with a great range of features, though the sound quality is disappointing for a radio in this price range. The menu system can be inconvenient to use, but this is a common issue with internet radios.

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Ocean Digital WR282CD

Model	FM	DAB/DAB+	Internet	Bluetooth	Portable	Stereo Sound
WR282CD	✔	✔	✔	✔	✖	✖

The Ocean Digital WR282CD is essentially a more advanced version of the WR282 reviewed above, this time with the addition of DAB/DAB+ radio. Don’t be fooled by the product’s name—the WR282CD doesn’t contain a CD player. It’s an internet radio with a good range of features including Bluetooth.

Features

• FM/DAB/DAB+ and internet radio
• Dimmable 2.4-inch LCD display
• Display shows weather information when the radio is in standby mode
• Dual alarm clock
• Sleep timer
• Bluetooth

Dimensions: 22 cm wide x 12 cm high x 11.4 cm deep
Weight: 1.6 kg
Power: Mains powered

Pros

• Easy to set up and connect to WiFi
• Good price for the features you get, especially when compared to other radios from more established brands like Roberts
• Nice wood-effect cabinet

Cons

• Instructions manual is written in bad English
• DAB/DAB+ reception is disappointing
• Remote control doesn’t come with batteries

Verdict

The Ocean Digital WR282CD sounds great on paper, as it offers FM and DAB/DAB+ in addition to internet radio. However, DAB/DAB+ reception on this radio tends to be poor when compared to other DAB radios.

Having said that, the main reason to buy the Ocean Digital WR282CD is for internet radio, and in this respect that radio performs well. Setting up an internet connection is straightforward, and you’ll have access to thousands of stations with good, clear sound quality.

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Ocean Digital Internet Radio WR825

Model	FM	DAB/DAB+	Internet	Bluetooth	Portable	Stereo Sound
WR282CD	✔	✖	✔	✖	✖	✔

The Ocean Digital WR825 is an internet radio with FM. It has a speaker on each end, giving it stereo sound.

Features

• Internet and FM radio
• Dual alarm
• Sleep timer
• Stereo sound
• 4-inch LCD display
• Aux-in
• Remote control

Dimensions: 13.5 cm wide x 10.6 cm high x 9 cm deep
Weight: 599 g
Power: Mains powered

Pros

• Straightforward and simple to use
• Excellent value for money
• Decent sound quality for a budget radio

Cons

• No batteries included for the remote control

Verdict

The Ocean Digital Internet Radio WR825 is one of the cheapest internet radios you can get in 2017, and it performs very well for the price. You won’t be blown away by the sound quality, but for a small radio the WR825 is more than adequate.