Grundig GDR700DAB digital radio

A retro-looking Grundig digital radio that has good sound quality, a simple interface and a great design

Good Gear Guide

Grundig's GDR700AB is a digital radio that supports the DAB+ standard. It has a rich, wood-accented exterior and integrated stereo speakers. It can run off batteries and has a useful line-out port for connecting it to a more powerful stereo.

Pros

  • Great design, adequate in-built speakers, somewhat portable, line-out is useful

Cons

  • Slightly tacky construction, poor display, headphone output is mediocre

Bottom Line

The Grundig GDR700DAB's retro design and decent integrated speakers make for a lovely DAB+ digital radio that evokes memories of old transistor radios. It may not be perfectly built and the internal components leave a little to be desired, but we like the mix of style, portability and sound quality that the Grundig GDR700DAB offers.

Would you buy this?

  • Price

    $ 249.00 (AUD)

The Grundig GDR700AB has a smooth wooden case, with the front dominated by a black cloth cover for the 3W stereo speakers. The end result is a great retro look and one of the most visually enticing products we've had in our test centre for a while. Not since the Sennheiser HD 800 headphones has a product attracted the attention of so many passers-by.

A flip-down sepia panel on the front of the Grundig GDR700DAB hides buttons for power, volume, station selection and sound adjustment as well as a clear two-line LCD screen. This screen dims quickly after you've finished using it, which makes it difficult to check the currently playing station unless you press a button.

Sound quality from the in-built speakers is acceptable. Obviously they're not audiophile quality, but there is a decent amount of treble and mid-range detail. Stereo separation between the two speakers is also surprisingly noticeable. The player's headphone output was acceptable quality but seemed to lack treble in some instances.

The radio's digital reception was good. We rarely found any distortion from interference. The radio has a telescopic aerial to aid with reception, but even with the aerial stowed away digital reception was acceptable. Standard FM reception was also good.

We definitely prefer this digital radio to the Sangean DPR-99 in all respects.

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