OXX Digital Vantage digital radio

Finally! A digital radio that has a decent price tag yet doesn't make any compromises when it comes to sound quality. OXX Digital's Vantage looks as good as it sounds, with a retro design that’s very easy on the eye.

OXX has really impressed us with this little radio. Reception was clear during our tests, even when the aerial was not extended. The sound quality is great for a small digital radio, despite only having a single speaker.

Navigating the radio's interface is simple with the scroll and select wheel. The LCD screen illuminates when you press a button or turn the wheel, and the text on the two-line display is easy to read. You can store up to 10 preset stations on the Vantage.

The Vantage won't take up too much space when it sits on your bedside table, desk or kitchen bench, and it’s light enough (1.3kg) to carry around.

An auxiliary input allows you to plug in your MP3 player and play your own music if the radio stations ain’t ticklin’ your fancy. The Vantage can also be connected to a hi-fi system, or you can plug in a pair of headphones. There is a DC power port, which means you can avoid running down the four C cell batteries that the radio uses.

For those who like listening to music as they doze off the Vantage has a programmable sleep timer. It also offers a dual alarm clock with a snooze function

Overall sound quality is great, although when the volume is at a high level you get a little bit of distortion coming through the single 2W, full-range speaker. The Vantage has decent mid-range and treble balance, but it’s somewhat bothersome that there are no controls for adjusting bass and treble.

The Vantage is quite aesthetically pleasing, though the font used to label buttons looks slightly odd and is a little hard to read.

OXX Digital's Vantage is a great product and another success for the company: it's an excellent little digital radio with an appealing price.

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