Panasonic RF-D3 review

Panasonic aims low - and misses

TechRadar Verdict

May well be relegated to the lowly status of an occasional radio for the kitchen

Pros

  • +

    Low price

    Portability

Cons

  • -

    Fiddly button layout

    Flimsy

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Despite its attractive price, this debut DAB is a lightweight option in many ways, and is only suited to a small kitchen. Branching into the world of DAB radio, Panasonic has aimed squarely for the bottom end of the market, and it shows right from the off. Its basic silver finish and feather-light nature make the RF-D3 feel rather insubstantial, even flimsy.

Where the RF-D3 comes up trumps is with its diminutive size and excellent portability. Light, and with an extendable handle, the RF-D3 also has a battery compartment to help it on its travels.

Jigsaw puzzle

The primary/secondary button is also puzzling: it lets the listener quickly tune into any radio station's sister broadcasts. However, the only one we're aware of is Radio 5 Live and Radio 5 Live SportsXtra (a party-time add-on station), so while this might be a uniquely attractive feature to dedicated sports fans, it's of no use to anyone else - it doesn't work with any other stations we tried.

Still, maybe it's one for the future services. Proof, maybe, that the DAB radio revolution in the UK is being driven by the BBC stations rather than any of the umpteen low-budget stations.

Light on features and presented in a overly complicated fashion, this Panasonic DAB radio is more trouble than it's worth and may well be relegated to the lowly status of an occasional radio for the kitchen.

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