Intempo PG-01 dab/fm radio- Archive info only
I
had seen a few pieces of press for Intempo but the first time I looked
at it seriously was when I received an email from a charming lady offering
me one to review. I hope she doesn't take offence at my comments, I
am trying to be as fair as possible and as there was no commitment
on my part I am writing this as I find it. It is a personal opinion
and should be viewed in this context.
The Intempo PG-01 is a dab/fm stereo mains only radio. It also has the benefit of being a clock radio alarm. The radio has the familiar attributes you would expect, namely, pre-sets (four), the display can be changed to show scrolling text (Dynamic Label Segment- DLS) programme type, multiplex name, signal strength, time and date. It comes with a detachable aerial. If the alarm is set to radio and the wanted DAB station is not available then the the alarm will automatically default to the beep mode.
Unfortunately the instruction booklet doesn't give any technical specifications. I have been promised some and will publish them when they arrive.
How did it perform?
When you first plug the radio into the mains it performs an 'auto-tune' however in order to get the full range of stations in your area you should go for the auto-tune 'full scan.' Now maybe I'm being a bit of a dodo but I can't see where it says in the instruction book how you perform the full scan. From my knowledge of other DAB radios I guessed that you have to keep your finger on the 'AT' (auto-tune) button for a few seconds. Not long enough and you end up doing a 'quick scan'. Unfortunately in my office I can't pick-up my favourite daytime radio station which is Classic FM.
There were a few other stations which the unit couldn't pick-up (including 3C Cool Country), despite trying the full auto scan a few times. From this I conclude that the sensitivity isn't as good as the Evoke-1 which picks up everything in the area. In order to select stations you have to press either the up or down button until the station you are looking for is available on the display, then press the 'select' button. It's not intuitive, although regular users will no doubt programme their favourite programme into one of the four pre-sets.
Everyone in the office considered the finish to be a 'bit plastically'. Not very scientific, but try pressing the buttons and see if you agree with me. The FM section is marginally better than the PURE Evoke 2 (in my office) but not as sensitive as the Tivoli radio which in FM terms is the one to beat.
Sound wise it is an acceptable unit, the stereo speakers are so close together I can't hear any separation.
It only has a headphone output at the back.
It has been explained to me that this is a 'mass market' product. One could interpret that phrase to mean 'features' over 'performance'. It is this company's first foray into the DAB market, and perhaps I am being overly critical. If it had been really bad then I would have done them the courtesy of not writing about it.
The difficulty Intempo have is that they are up against What hi-Fi? Award winners in this area, and with the release of the PURE TEMPUS-1 which has much better facilities for only £10.00 more, the competition is fierce. Granted the TEMPUS is mono but with a better display, fancy snooze handle, intuitive selection, and programmable digital outputs this is what I think Hi-Fi Corner customers expect.
Good Points
- Stereo headphone socket
- DAB & FM
- Appears more sensitive on FM than the PURE EVOKE-2
- Acceptable sound.
Bad points
- Instruction book not clear on performing a 'full scan' for a numpty like me
- DAB reception not as sensitive as PURE EVOKE-1
- Controls not intuitive
- Mass market finish
- Mains only.
- Finish could be better.
Conclusion
My overall conclusion is that if you are not too demanding (and not everyone is as difficult as me) then you will be happy with this product.
Available to special order only from Hi-Fi Corner.