Pure Highway 400 In-Car DAB+/DAB Digital Radio FM Adapter with Bluetooth for Music Playback – DAB Car Radio Adapter/Transmitter and Bluetooth FM Transmitter, Black

Product Information

Thanks to an increased frequency range and the option to have several programmes on a single channel there is a much wider choice of stations. With portable radios, reception strongly depends on position, which means that the digital radio should ideally be placed by the window or on an outside wall. There is even talk of permanently switching off the FM transmitters in the near future, making many car radios obsolete. The unit struggled to find even the BBC’s national stations, and couldn’t hold them when we were in areas of low reception. It would have been nice to have the aerial built into the cradle, but presume it wouldn't have been powerful enough to guarantee a decent signal 95% of the time.

The answer is a separate DAB adaptor that connects to your car’s existing stereo system, bringing the full range of DAB functions without having to crack open your dashboard. As a result, if you have an older FM or AM radio in your car, you have four main options available if you want to carry on listening to your favourite national radio stations. It is suited for a frequency spectrum ranging from 30 megahertz to three gigahertz, a range that is also able to receive radio programmes via cables or satellite.Since the dedicated remote is designed for radio use, it often gives a better user experience than a fully integrated kit.

As long as you are in the broadcasting area, the sound quality is crystal clear and free of any static noise. And this is where DAB radio, respectively DAB+ radio (dab/dab+) comes in: This type of digital radio plays any content without static noise and provides quality on par with that of CDs. Sign up to the Parkers Newsletter to keep up to date with more of the latest reviews, news, and recommendations from the Parkers team.The aerials were located in accordance with the instructions, and the car was driven on a set route to see how the units coped with patchy DAB signal strength in valleys, as well as between buildings and other obstructions. An extensive choice is one of their main advantages, with more than 70,000 stations from around the world, including Spotify Radio, being available online. According to the motto “Hit Music Only” the station really plays hits only, and the programme is rarely interrupted by presenters.

You can connect your phone through your car’s aux in if it has one, or through a separate Bluetooth car kit, such as the Parrot Handsfree Kit. This allows you to scan through stations and select them using the car’s infotainment system, even via the steering wheel remote controls if fitted. Not as well built as traditional DAB radios from Pure the unit offers a Tune dial to quickly tune into your desired station, 20 DAB preset buttons, four of which have been preset to Virgin, the now defunct Planet Rock, Talk Sport and the Jazz. In 1986, the European Ministerial Conference passed a resolution to establish a common digital radio broadcasting system, which can be seen as the trigger for the development of Digital Audio Broadcasting. Models range from medium to high-end and include multi-functional music systems which offer listening via internet radio, Spotify, Bluetooth and CD.Internet radios with Bluetooth functionality can also be connected to a smartphone to play music from different apps like Apple Music or Spotify.

The above options require an AUX slot to properly work, an issue for older or more basic cars that forwent this basic feature.However, they are complicated to install, and need to be put in by a trained professional, which increases the cost. Simply stick the aerial to your windscreen, plug the power lead into your 12V socket, and mount the smartphone-like colour display using a suction pad.