Bush DABCR2003
Price £80
Wavebands DAB
Preset stations Ten
Power supply Mains
Outputs Headphones
Size 14 x 14 x 14cm
Website www.bushdigital.co.uk
We say This silver plastic cube is in actual fact a clock radio designed to sit next to your bed. It features a large orange time display, two alarms and a sleep timer. With ten presets you can store more stations than most analogue units, while a scrolling display gives the station name and useful information such as programme details. Power is mains only, and a PP3 battery is needed for clock backup. There's a wire antenna you can drape somewhere convenient if you want to improve the reception.
If you can live with its slightly '2001: A Space Odyssey' styling, the Bush performs well and even sounds good – at least by clock radio standards. Our only quibble would be with the ring of buttons surrounding the main display panel: they're hard to find in the dark. Also, we think a little backlighting of the preset and scroll buttons would help.
For Affordable and convenient. Sounds more than good enough for a clock radio
Against Looks are very much a matter of taste. The buttons are fiddly in the dark
Verdict A bargain if you like to fall asleep to – and be woken by – digital-only radio stations

Bush TR2003DAB
Price £100
Wavebands DAB/FM
Preset stations 20
Power supply Battery and Mains
Outputs Line and Headphones
Size 31 x 20.5 x 9.5cm
Website www.bushdigital.co.uk
We say The TR2003DAB's styling harks back to classic 1960s Bush models: the finish is rubberised grey, but even the old logo is present and correct.
In addition to digital radio, this model also receives analogue FM, with ten presets on each band. And by using the bass-boost function, it's possible to get that rich old-fashioned kitchen radio sound – all very reminiscent of 'Two-Way Family Favourites'.
Reception is good with the long aerial extended, whether you're using mains or battery power – although the latter requires six C-type cells, which makes the set quite hefty. And although weaker FM stations can be noticeably hissy, in general the Bush has a rich, easily intelligible sound. The speakers are too close together for credible stereo though and the bass boost is a bit heavy-handed, making some music seem rather slow and voices plummy. In general terms, however, this is a highly enjoyable radio, and well worth considering as an alternative to the less expensive Pure Evoke models. And we love the looks.
For Stylish. Easy to use. Good reception and sound
Against FM can sound hissy. Distinctive style may not suit everybody. It's quite heavy with the batteries installed
Verdict A very different style to the likes of Pure's Evoke-1, and fine performance for the money

Goodmans GCD 200 Active
Price £150
Wavebands DAB/FM/MW
Preset stations 30
Power supply Battery and Mains
Outputs Line and Headphones
Size 22 x 5 x 20cm
Website www.goodmansdigital.co.uk
We say This DAB/FM/MW radio and CD player comes in a 'laptop' style fold-out case reminiscent of a DVD portable, with LCD readouts for the tuner and the player in what looks like a cutout of a widescreen display.
Power comes from three AA batteries. A mains adapter is supplied, and rechargeable cells can also be charged in the unit. But if you want to use the miniature active speakers, you need to get another mains socket since they have a separate power supply.
You would wonder why you'd bother though, as frankly this model's performance is deeply unimpressive. Even compared with the cheaper GPS280 (right), the GCD200 sounds thin and the absence of vocal and instrumental timbre becomes very noticeable when you turn up the volume.
For Lots of facilities.
Against A lacklustre sound and confusing operation. The loudspeakers are a visual mismatch
Verdict A real oddball and an unwieldy combination that sounds as strange as it looks

Intempo PG-01
Price £120
Wavebands DAB/FM
Preset stations 8
Power supply Mains
Outputs Headphones
Size 25 x 19 x 11cm
Website www.intempo-digital.co.uk
We say The Intempo PG-01 is very similar in style to the Pure Evoke-2, and at first glance it seems to have the upper hand: it's smaller, lighter and less expensive, yet still has FM and digital reception. When you plug it in and slide out its telescopic aerial it delivers a clean sound whether on FM or digital, and it has a clear, informative display. In addition, four presets are available on each band, and there are alarm and sleep functions plus a headphone socket. Sound-wise, the PG-01 is nicely balanced, even if the speakers are a bit too close together. However, the Evoke-2's larger case affords it weight and a heftier presence to its sound.
But compared with some of the better radios here, the PG-01 can sound a bit too bassy and rigid. It also lacks a battery-power option. The Intempo is good for the money, agreed, but it's not quite best value.
For Style, ease of use and performance
Against Mains operation only. Pure's Evoke-2 sounds better
Verdict A sharp-looking and versatile radio. Only the lack of battery power and a tinny sound count against it

Goodmans GSR 80DAB
Price £99
Wavebands DAB/FM
Preset stations 20
Power supply Battery and Mains
Outputs Line and Headphones
Size 30 x 18 x 11cm
Website www.goodmansdigital.co.uk
We say This is the Goodmans update of those big old battery and mains portables found in 1960s kitchens, the difference being that this offers digital radio and FM. However, the telescopic aerial is too sensitive, and the DAB autotune often needs to be reset when the unit is moved from room to room.
The GSR80 can be powered from the mains or using four LR20/D size 1.5v batteries, which makes the radio fairly heavy and quite limited in terms of lifespan – digital reception is power-hungry. It also has both a headphone socket and line outputs. But the inbuilt amplification and speakers are feeble, creating a sound that's hollow, boxy and quite hard to listen to, with some voice radio a real problem.
The price might be tempting, but the performance is a long way behind the style.
For Looks good in a kind of '1960s futuristic' way. Battery power enables portability
Against So-so reception. Unacceptable sound at the best of times. Limited volume
Verdict Yes, the Goodmans 'kitchen portable' is keenly priced and easily portable, but its performance seems lacklustre

Goodmans GPS 280
Price £120
Wavebands DAB/FM/MW
Preset stations Ten
Power supply Battery and Mains
Outputs Line and Headphones
Size 45 x 10 x 32cm
Website www.goodmansdigital.co.uk
We say Despite the name, the GPS280 doesn't have satellite location built-in, but it does have AM/FM and digital radio reception with separate aerials for each, a CD player, and even a remote control to help you set it up and operate it. It uses mains power but you can load it with eight C-size batteries to make it portable (if you can call such a thing 'portable').
The styling looks like the offspring of a 1970s music centre and a Transformer toy, and the performance is just as confused: the overall presentation seems flashy and tasteless, with little subtlety either from disc and tuners. And while the DAB tuner and CD player have their own LC readouts, the analogue one is the old scale-and-pointer kind, with its readout and tuning wheel behind the right-hand speaker. It makes no sense, and adds to the feeling that this is three separate components hurled into a single very odd box, with no thought about how they could be integrated.
For Includes CD player. Remote control. The sound is just about adequate.
Against There is hardly anything here to get excited about. Extremely odd styling
Verdict The Goodmans is strange both in style and sound, and far from a star. It might have lots of facilities, but you can do better for your money

Pure Evoke-2
Price £159
Wavebands DAB/FM
Preset stations 12
Power supply Battery and Mains
Outputs Line and Headphones
Size 29 x 18.5 x 10cm
Website www.pure-digital.co.uk
We say The Evoke-2 doesn't only have stereo as standard but also has the choice between FM or digital, and batteries or mains. It's larger than the little Intempo, but this results in a sound that's bigger, richer and more controlled. The drive units may be small, but Pure applies clever processing to make them sound more extended, allowing the Evoke-2 to sound as impressive playing rap from 1Xtra as it does with spoken word on BBC7. And it's just as good on FM; you won't achieve the quality you'll get from a good mini-system, but for portable use this model's very good indeed.
Stereo line and optical digital outputs to enable the Evoke to be used as a tuner with a hi-fi system, and of course a headphone jack, all complete the package.
For Power and punch with music and speech. Easy to set up and use. Good outputs
Against Bulkier than the Intempo PG-01 (p73). The batteries make it heavy and have limited life
Verdict A good all-rounder. The Evoke-2 is a very good buy, being both flexible and fine-sounding.

Pure Tempus-1
Price £120
Wavebands DAB
Preset stations 10
Power supply Mains
Outputs Line and Headphones
Size 21 x 17.5 x 11cm
Website www.pure-digital.co.uk
We say The Tempus-1 has been adapted from Pure's Evoke-1 – hence the similarity – to provide a clock radio with a timer system. There are other alarm clock radios in this group, but the Pure is better than most, with twin alarms, a sleep button that lets you fall asleep to music and wake up to speech, and nine timers. The handle can also operate as a snooze function.
When you add in excellent sound – mono, but upgradeable to stereo with an extra speaker – plus line, headphone and digital outputs and even a USB port for software updates, you have a very appealing radio. It may lack some of the others' gimmicks, but it has an enjoyable balance between speech and music, and it is easy to set up and use. It's cleverly thought through, and much better for not looking like a normal radio alarm product.
For Well-sorted and rather clever. Definite bedside appeal, especially with the optional stereo speaker
Against Others here offer alarm facilities. Mono only as standard. No battery option
Verdict The latest version of Pure's successful Evoke-1 is designed for bedside use, and has been well adapted to its task. It's fine value for money.