The VQ Monty is a very stylish FM/DAB/DAB+ radio from British brand VQ. Design-wise the Monty is similar to the Pure Evoke H3 with its wooden finish and vertical design, but with the addition of a carrying handle. While it’s clear the Monty looks great, how does it perform? Find out in this review…

Features

Dimensions: 18.6 cm high x 13 cm wide x 10 cm deep
Weight: 1.4 kg

Performance and use

In terms of features the Monty is quite similar to earlier radios from VQ such as the Retro Mini. Unlike the Retro Mini however, the Monty comes with a USB port which is very handy for charging a smartphone. With DAB+ and Bluetooth it offers most of the features you’d want from a modern radio, except for internet radio.

Despite having lots of features, this radio is quite simple and easy to use. The LCD display is clear and easy to read, though the scrolling display could be distracting if you have it on your desk. Using Bluetooth is straightforward and quick, so it’s easy to stream music and other audio from your phone. Changing stations can take a while as there aren’t any dedicated preset buttons, so you have to scroll through your presets.

The Monty has good sound quality for a small radio. It’s crisp and clear, and you can adjust the EQ settings yourself to get the kind of sound you like.

The Monty comes with a built-in battery that charges when the radio is plugged into the mains. According to VQ the battery lasts for up to 36 hours, though it’s unlikely to last quite this long in practice.

The VQ Monty has a beautiful design and would look great in a rustic kitchen. Unlike some of the cheaper alternatives with wood-effect finishes made from plastic, the Monty has a real wood veneer which gives it a premium feel. It’s available in several different finishes: oak, walnut, limed oak, green grass oak and black zebra.

Verdict

If you’re looking for a stylish and compact digital radio with good sound quality, the VQ Monty is a great choice. It would add a touch of class to any kitchen and is quite versatile with FM/DAB/DAB+ radio and Bluetooth as well as aux-in.

This radio doesn’t have any serious flaws, though some people might find the lack of dedicated preset buttons inconvenient, and the scrolling text on the display can be distracting.

Similar radios

If you like the design of the VQ Monty, there are lots of similar-looking alternatives you might want to consider. One of the best is the Pure Evoke H3, which has similar specs to the VQ Monty including FM/DAB/DAB+ radio and Bluetooth. The Evoke H3 has a similar price to the Monty, and is also made by a respected British radio brand.

A cheaper alternative with a similar design is the JVC RA-D51 DAB/FM Clock Radio, which has a less powerful speaker and doesn’t have Bluetooth but is cheaper and has a nice design.

Another budget alternative to consider is the AZATOM Blackfriars, which is a compact portable FM/DAB/DAB+ radio with a wood-effect finish. The AZATOM Blackfriars has most of the features you could want in a digital radio except for Bluetooth (see the best DAB radios with Bluetooth here).

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The VQ Hepburn Mk II is a stylish FM/DAB/DAB+ radio with Bluetooth for wireless audio streaming. It comes in a large choice of colours and designs, and could be a good choice if you’re looking for something chic and trendy to go with your decor. You can buy it in a solid colour or with one of several Emma Bridgewater designs including floral patterns, pink hearts and polka dots.

While there’s no denying the Hepburn Mk II looks superb, how does it sound and perform? Find out in this review…

Features

Technical specifications

Dimensions: 16.6 cm wide x 14.7 cm high x 9.4 cm deep
Model number: VQ-HEPMKII-CR
Weight: 1.5 kg

Sound quality

For a small portable radio, the VQ Hepburn Mk II sounds very good on both music and speech stations. It’s rich and clear, and the tone can be adjusted using the EQ controls.

Ease of use

The VQ Hepburn Mk II is quick and easy to set up, and should pair with your phone via Bluetooth without any hassle. It comes with an instructions manual, but you shouldn’t need to use it much to figure the Hepburn Mk II out. Saving and accessing preset stations is easy, unlike on many other DAB radios where this process can be fiddly and frustrating.

Battery

The VQ Hepburn Mk II can be used with an optional battery pack, which costs extra. This is less convenient than using regular batteries, but the battery pack is fairly priced and is cheaper than comparable battery packs by Pure.

The battery can only be charged when the radio is in standby mode, which is quite inconvenient.

Verdict

While the VQ Hepburn Mk II is a great radio all round, the main reason to buy it is for the Emma Bridgewater designs. For the same price or less, there are better radios out there in terms of sound quality and functionality. However, when it comes to combining looks with performance, the VQ Hepburn Mk II is hard to beat.

Similar radios

Another great-looking vintage-style DAB radio is the Roberts Revival RD60, which also comes in a large range of colours. Like the VQ Hepburn Mk II, it has an emphasis on design rather than sound quality, and you might be disappointed at how it sounds given the high price.

A cheaper alternative from VQ is the VQ Retro Mini, which also comes in a choice of colourful designs, and has the added bonus of accepting regular AA batteries, meaning you won’t have to shell out extra for a bespoke battery pack.

For more stylish and retro radios, check out our roundup of the best radios for the kitchen.

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The Blighty is a pocket DAB/DAB+/FM radio from British brand VQ (formerly View Quest). It’s small and light and should fit easily in your pocket, and has an internal rechargeable battery that can last for up to 10 hours.

This radio is available in a choice of designs: blue, red, silver and black. Let’s take a closer look…

Features

Weight: 82 g
Dimensions: 9 cm high x 5.5 cm wide x 1.6 cm deep

Performance and use

Design

The VQ Blighty comes in a nicely designed retro box which proudly states “Born in Britain”, so it would make a great present. Once you take it out of the box, you’ll find it’s nice and small (9 cm x 5.5 cm) while still feeling sturdy and durable. Unlike many other pocket radios, the Blighty feels like a quality product that’s made to last.

Sound quality

The VQ Blighty comes with some headphones included, and they offer fairly decent sound quality with a good amount of bass and treble. As this radio doesn’t have a speaker, the sound quality depends on the headphones you use it with.

Ease of use

As soon as you turn the Blighty on it will search the available DAB stations in your area and save them. It’s quick and easy to scroll through stations, and you can save presets if you need to.

The LCD screen is clear and easy to read, even if you have poor eyesight.

Reception

The Blighty generally offers very good reception on both FM and DAB, even when using it while commuting or walking. It should pick up a large number of digital stations unless you live in a remote area.

Battery life

VQ state that this radio can be used for up to 10 hours after fully charging the battery, and this seems to be fairly accurate. Radio batteries rarely last as long in practice as the manufacturers claim they will, but this should last 8-10 hours on DAB at least when the battery is new.

Verdict

The VQ Blighty is a great pocket radio for listening to in the gym, while cycling, commuting to work or just relaxing at home. It’s one of the best pocket DAB radios you can buy right now, as it looks very stylish whilst also offering good reception, decent battery life and an easy-to-use interface.

Similar radios

One of the most popular pocket DAB/FM radios in the UK is the Majority Petersfield-Go, which is cheaper than the Blighty (at the time of writing), and offers very similar features. It’s not quite as stylish as the Blighty and doesn’t feel so well made, but if you’re looking to save money it could be a good alternative. For more recommendations, read our roundup of the best pocket and personal DAB radios.

The post VQ Blighty Portable Digital Radio Review appeared first on Best Radios.

The VQ Retro MK II is a funky and stylish FM/DAB radio with Bluetooth and an Apple Lightning dock. It’s made by British brand VQ (formerly View Quest), and is available in a large range of 11 colour.

Find out more about what this radio can do and how it performs in this review…

Features

Dimensions: 30 cm wide x 20.5 cm high x 11.5 cm deep
Weight: 2 kg

Performance and use

The VQ Retro MK II is very quick and easy to set up. It automatically sets the correct time and date and finds DAB radio stations.

Docking your phone and playing music from it is also very easy. The VQ Retro Mk II uses the iPhone 5 connector type, which is compatible with later iPhones including the iPhone 6 and iPhone 7. If you have an iPhone you might need to remove the case to use the Lightning dock depending on how thick it is. The Lightning dock is also compatible with the iPod Touch, the iPod Nano and several versions of the iPad.

In addition to the Lightning dock, you can use Bluetooth to wirelessly stream music, online radio or Spotify from your phone, tablet or laptop. You can connect non-Bluetooth devices via the aux-in port.

This radio has some useful alarm features. It lets you set two separate alarms, for example one for weekdays and another for weekend. There’s also a sleep timer, a snooze function and a kitchen timer.

The sound quality on this radio is impressive compared to other portable DAB radios. It has a warm sound without the tinny quality of many other radios, and can be turned up quite loud without becoming distorted. The radio has an EQ with several presets as well as the option to adjust the bass and treble.

This radio can be used as a portable radio by using a rechargeable battery pack (available on Amazon here). Unfortunately the battery pack has to be bought separately.

The VQ Retro MK II has a very attractive design and is available in a large choice of colours as well as Emma Bridgewater designs.

This radio isn’t ideal for the bedroom as the display is very bright even when dimmed.

Verdict

If you’re looking for a stylish and versatile FM/DAB radio that you can use as a docking station, the VQ Retro MK II is a good choice. It’s more expensive than many other DAB radios, but it combines style with the two functions of a radio and a docking station in one convenient package.

It’s not ideal as an alarm clock radio due to the bright screen which might keep you up at night.

Similar radios

A popular alternative to the VQ Retro MK II is the AZATOM Home Hub Lightning Dock, which is an affordable clock radio with a Lightning dock. Unlike the VQ Retro MK II it doesn’t have DAB/DAB+ radio, only FM, but it’s less expensive so could be a good choice if you’re on a budget.

One alternative from a more established brand is the Roberts Blutune 65, which has FM/DAB/DAB+ radio as well as Bluetooth and a Lightning dock.

For some cheaper alternatives, see this roundup of the best iPhone clock radio docking stations for less than £50.

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This pretty radio comes in a choice of 19 different designs, including solid colours and patterns. The VQ Retro Mini Digital Radio is a small and stylish FM/DAB radio that could work well in a kitchen or bedroom.

One of this radio’s best features it that it can connect to your smartphone via Bluetooth, allowing you to stream music or other audio from your phone. You could use it to listen to music from Spotify or YouTube through the radio’s speaker.

Let’s look at the VQ Retro Mini Digital Radio in more detail.

Features

Dimensions: 14.7 cm wide x 10.5 cm deep x 22.4 cm high
Weight: 948 g

Verdict

The VQ Retro Mini Digital Radio is very stylish and looks amazing, but it seems to have some manufacturing flaws. The sound could be clearer, and some models appear to be faulty as multiple customers have complained that theirs stopped working within a few months.

Overall, the VQ Retro Mini Digital Radio is one of the best looking DAB radios around, and should make a stylish addition to your kitchen or bedroom.

Similar radios

If you’re not sure about the VQ Retro Mini radio, check out this list of the best kitchen radios. If you like this radio’s retro design, you should consider one of these other retro radios or read our roundup of the world’s most beautiful radios.

If you want something larger and more substantial, the VQ Retro Mk II Digital Radio is a larger version of the VQ Retro Mini. It features dual speakers and doubles up as an iPhone docking station.

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