Sony XDR-C706DBP DAB+ digital clock radio

Sony XDR-C706DBP DAB+ digital radio: An alarm clock that lets you wake up to digital radio

Good Gear Guide

The Sony XDR-C706DBP DAB+ is a bedside digital clock radio with good audio quality given its petite size and lack of stereo sound. It's considerably smaller than the $199 Sony XDR-S16DBP DAB+ digital radio, though not much cheaper at $149. We think that considering the XDR-C706DBP's feature-set, its price seems a tad steep.

  • Expert Rating

    3.50 / 5

  • User Rating

    3.50 / 5 (of 2 Reviews)

Pros

  • Good audio, easy to use

Cons

  • Navigation buttons are awkwardly positioned, price is a bit steep

Bottom Line

The Sony XDR-C706DBP DAB+ digital clock radio doesn't offer great bang for your buck, but it has good audio given its size. Its unobtrusive design makes it a good choice for someone with limited space.

Would you buy this?

  • Price

    $ 149.00 (AUD)

Measuring 192.5x92.6x87.7mm, the Sony XDR-C706DBP DAB+ digital radio won't take up much room wherever you decide to put it — it's perfect for a bedside table, the office or your kitchen counter. The left half of the front panel features a blue-on-black LCD screen that shows the time; its brightness can be adjusted. On the right side of the front panel sits the 6cm, 0.4 Watt mono speaker. The rear of the Sony XDR-C706DBP DAB+ clock radio has a glossy white finish, while the top panel houses the navigational controls.

The navigational controls are simple to use, although the angle of the panel they sit on means that you won't be able to see them if you're trying to use the radio while lying in bed.

The Sony XDR-C706DBP DAB+ clock radio offers digital and FM radio reception and up to four alarms can be programmed — you can choose from FM, digital radio or an irritating beep as your preferred mode of wake-up call. Unfortunately, the radio doesn't have an auxiliary input port for plugging in an MP3 player, nor does it have a headphone jack. It also doesn't have a USB port for upgrading its firmware, but this isn't much of a drawback.

Taking into consideration that the Sony XDR-C706DBP DAB+ has a single speaker, it handles audio quite well. In our tests, we found the audio to be crisp and clear, albeit slightly tinny — but this is unavoidable, given the sole speaker has to handle all frequencies on its own. When the volume was at its maximum setting of 30, there was little to no distortion in the audio quality and it could easily fill a room with music. As a bedside alarm clock radio it ought to do the trick, but don't expect the XDR-C706DBP to be anything more than that. It can store up to 20 radio station presets: 10 for FM stations and 10 for digital stations.

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