Cambridge Audio AZUR 640T

...(2008)) signals. Like all the Cambridge Audio Azur range, it comes in black or silver. It's well specked for connectivity and its solidly built.

Now, until I started selling Hi-Fi, DAB hadn't really crossed my radar. A friend had a DAB portable radio and I know some cars have had them for a while.

So what is DAB? I'm going to have to get a little bit technical and I don't want to patronise or bore, but I will try to ...
.../> So back to the Cambridge Audio Azure 640T.
Its a great DAB tuner. Compare it on FM and DAB (just 1 button press once you have tuned the stations (which is automatic for DAB :-) ) and its as clear as night and day. DAB is way, way, superior. But you may need a proper aerial to get it working at its best. I have compared this tuner to FM tuners of the highest quality (and silly prices) and DAB is just astoundingly good. Its well worth the ... more

In the interests of disclosure, I used to sell these products.

What is this little beauty, you may ask? Well it's a DAB (Digital Audio Broadcast) tuner. It will also receive conventional AM and FM (until the switch off (in the UK, at least) starts next year (2008)) signals. Like all the Cambridge Audio Azur range, it comes in black or silver. It's well specked for connectivity and its solidly built.

Now, until I started selling Hi-Fi, DAB hadn't really crossed my radar. A friend had a DAB portable radio and I know some cars have had them for a while.

So what is DAB? I'm going to have to get a little bit technical and I don't want to patronise or bore, but I will try to keep it simple.

Firstly, its digital broadcasting. Remember the old analogue cellphones? They used to get a bit scratchy when you were too far away from the base station. The same with FM radio, quality drops off gradually with distance. Well, when you got your new GSM phone, do you remember how it used to just cut out where the old one just got scratchy? DAB is the same, but for FM. Oh howls of anguish and great gnashing of teeth I hear you say. Are they giving us another crap system to replace the perfectly good old one? Well, No. And, Yes.
If you get good FM now, DAB will be amazing. If you get bad FM now, you're going to be listening to more CD's.

DAB's good points are that the sound quality is much closer to really good CD than FM ever was and many radio stations are not using as much (or even any) volume compression (Jargon decode - compression makes the quietest and loudest sounds in music almost the same volume and is generally undesirable for good quality music listening).

Its bad points include very sharp cutoff of reception when signals get bad and susceptability to interference form reflected signals from passing trucks, aircraft or gas storage cylinders (those dirty great big things, not what you use with the BBQ....)

So back to the Cambridge Audio Azure 640T.
Its a great DAB tuner. Compare it on FM and DAB (just 1 button press once you have tuned the stations (which is automatic for DAB :-) ) and its as clear as night and day. DAB is way, way, superior. But you may need a proper aerial to get it working at its best. I have compared this tuner to FM tuners of the highest quality (and silly prices) and DAB is just astoundingly good. Its well worth the possible set up hassle and for many people it will be a revelation (and revolution) in radio listening.

In summary, if you love radio, and want to get ahead of the new technology I heartily recommend the Cambridge 640T. 

...less