Roberts SportsDAB6 Personal Radio Review

Summary: Not recommended as the DAB reception can be poor when listening through headphones.

Buy it online: See price on Amazon.co.uk

The Roberts SportsDAB6 is the latest in Roberts’s range of SportsDAB pocket radios. Unlike many pocket radios, it features a built-in speaker and extendable aerial so you don’t need to use headphones all the time.

The SportsDAB6 is one of the most expensive pocket DAB radios on the market. Is it worth the extra cost? Find out in this review…

Features

Dimensions: 10.2 cm high x 5.6 cm wide x 2.3 cm deep
Weight: 124 g

Performance and use

The Roberts SportsDAB6 can be listened to two ways: through the built-in speaker or through headphones. The built-in speaker sounds quite good for something so small. The volume is limited though, so it might be hard to listen to outside if it’s windy or noisy.

The SportsDAB6 has an extendable aerial which is used when you listen through the radio’s speaker. When using headphones, the headphones act as the aerial, so you don’t need to extend the aerial in your pocket!

You need to be careful with the aerial as it’s quite delicate. Apart from the aerial, the radio feels quite tough and robust.

DAB reception will vary a lot depending on where you use it. The reception generally seems better using the extendable aerial than using it with headphones, which can be frustrating if you want to use the SportsDAB6 as a pocket radio.

The radio uses a proprietary charger rather than a generic mini USB charger, which some people might find inconvenient.

Verdict

Overall, the Roberts SportsDAB6 is quite disappointing, especially given its high price. DAB reception can be poor when listening through headphones, and the best signal can only be achieved by extending the aerial. This isn’t a problem if you want to listen through the speaker, but if you want a radio you can keep in your pocket, the SportsDAB6 isn’t ideal. The aerial is also quite delicate, and several buyers have accidentally broken it.

Similar radios

A cheaper alternative to the Roberts SportsDAB6 is the AZATOM Pro Sports S1, which is another pocket radio that features a built-in speaker and extendable aerial. It offers similar features to the SportsDAB6 and performs well despite costing less than half the price at the time of writing.

Another good option is the Pure Move 2520. Like the SportsDAB6, the Move 2520 has a higher price tag than most pocket radios on the market, but it’s made by one of the most respected digital radios brands. The Move 2520 doesn’t have a built-in speaker so you can only listen to it through headphones, but you’re likely to get better reception when listening through headphones than you would with the SportsDAB6.

For some more options, see our roundup of the best pocket DAB radios.