It is 2012 and many people have a hi-fi system with all the trimmings. I don’t, by the way, everything goes via the media player or the UPC box. So I didn’t expect to like a loose radio. But I do!
Vita Audio / Ruarke Audio makes high quality audio products, in Essex, England. I was allowed to test a clock radio. Doesn’t sound very exciting, but it was unexpectedly fun. It is not just any clock radio of thirteen in a dozen.
R1
It is the R1 MK2, a kind of box with a speaker in the middle and on top of a number of buttons and rotary knob. I got a special edition called Selfridges yellow. Normally the R1 is available in brown (wood motif), black and white. High-gloss lacquered, but the material is not made of plastic, but of wood. This makes the sound much nicer. Reminded me of the alarm radios from Sonoro , which show a comparable quality.
In addition to the input for the plug, you will also find an output for headphones and a line-in and line-out on the back. You can hang your phone or other device on it and play its sound on the R1. In addition, you can also transfer the sound from R1 to another audio device or make recordings.
Rotodial
On top you will find a rotary knob, surrounded by six buttons for pre-programming, an alarm button, one for sleep, a menu button, buttons for browsing channels and an ok button. Around the rotary knob (RotoDial) is a ring with blue light. Like the display, it responds to ambient light, so you always see a ring glow softly with less light. The display is brighter during the day than in low light, so it’s all nice and subtle. I would rather have had white light instead of blue light, which is a bit more stylish in my experience.
Use
The radio switches on by pressing the rotary knob. The first time, the R1 searches for the date and time and radio stations. The R1 supports digital radio, DAB, in addition to regular FM. In the Netherlands there are not many channels that offer that, but 3FM for example you can listen digitally. Pressing the rotary knob again puts the R1 back into standby. The radio always switches on on the last station listened to.
You can set the alarm function for two times. Handy if you are two and need to get up at a different time. You can set the volume level at which the radio should eventually turn on. It starts very softly and goes faster and faster. There is also a sleep function, so you can fall asleep quietly with some music. The radio will then switch itself off after a predetermined number of minutes from 15 minutes.
Sound
And then the sound itself. As I said, the sound of the wooden casing is better than that of plastic, for example. Warmer. There is only one speaker in it, but it sounds really great. Now I’m not an audiophile, but I certainly recognize the difference between warm and cold sound. It makes me happy when the radio is on.
With us, he is also in the kitchen, for some company while cooking. I then use the drag function to switch it off by the time I finish cooking. Nice and lazy, I don’t have to leave the table (or the couch) to turn it off if I want to watch television. Boyfriend uses the R1 in combination with a portable CD player. Can he listen to his CDs again, because you don’t really do that differently in 2012.
Carry Pack
Because it is such a compact device, you can also get a Carry Pack, including battery. This is a kind of leather case with a handle for easy carrying. Can you take it with you for a picnic or something.
Conclusion
The Vita Audio R1 MK2 is a fun, cool device, not too big, and even portable. The sound that comes out is warm and carries quite far. The double alarm function and drag function are both very handy and the R1 is very easy to use. No complicated menus, logical buttons and thanks to the subtle lighting that changes with the daylight, you always see what you are doing without being blinded by the light.
I would have liked it better if the light ring around the dial had been white instead of blue, stylishly justified. A big plus is the fact that you can connect other music carriers to it or that you can connect the R1 to other speakers. I’m a fan, a really nice thing to have.
The Vita Audio R1 is for sale at the better hi-fi shops and online for a price between 239 and 279 euros.
Do you still have a real radio at home?
Maar je kan er dus ook ‘gewoon’ radio op luisteren?
Digitaal en FM, dus ja. Het woord ‘wekkerradio’ zegt het ongeveer, qua radio 😉
Prima geluid, mooi design, maar het toestel heeft ook een groot nadeel van begin af aan veroorzaakte de bediening van de volumeknop problemen. Valt vaak uit en is (na 1x te zijn opgestuurd naar importeur die niets kon vinden) helemaal dol. Er komt er alleen nog keihard geluid uit. Uitzetten is de enige mogelijkheid om het stil te krijgen. Dus weer op naar RAF voor reparatie. Ik reken er op dat het weer weken zal duren eer ik het terug krijg. Hopelijk nu wel gerepareerd. Toch wel heel vervelend voor zo’n relatief duur apparaat. Of ben ik de enige met deze klacht? Pech? Maandagsproduct?
Hoi V.Illes, ik heb bij deze geen problemen ondervonden, maar ik had hiervoor eenzelfde gekregen waarvan het complete bedieningspaneel niet werkte. Ik heb toen deze als vervangend exemplaar mogen testen, want van een apparaat dat niet aangaat kan ik niet veel testen natuurlijk. Dus het komt ongetwijfeld wel eens voor dat er problemen mee zijn. Als het problemen blijft geven mag je in elk geval om een werkend exemplaar ter vervanging vragen, want de verkoper dient wel een deugdelijk product te leveren dat blijft werken voor een aantal jaren, zeker voor deze prijs.
Dabbedab. Binnenkort met z’n allen dus aan de dab. Hoe ontvang ik dab? Met een (ingebouwde) antenne zoals met m’n huidige Philips D2999 PLL toestel of moet ik een coax kabel leggen die is aangesloten op UPC? (Dit laatste weiger ik.) Ik woon in Flevoland, dus in de polder. Waardoor de sprietantenne relatief "laag gelegen’ is.
Li