A comprehensive guide on how to choose and purchase the right radio, detailing the various types, brands, features, and pricing available.
If you have been looking to pick up a radio, either for your own listening pleasure or as a gift for someone, it helps to know about the different kinds of radios available, the various brands and features you can choose from, and where you can buy them. For some helpful details and buying tips, read through the rest of this article.
Step 1
Kinds of radios. There are several types of radios from which you can make your selection. To give you a brief sampling: there are clock radios, portable radios, and DAB digital radios, where DAB stands for Digital Audio Broadcasting.
Step 2
Clock radio. This type of radio serves a dual purpose—it functions as both a radio and an alarm clock. Set the alarm for the time you want to wake up, tune it to your favorite radio station, and at the appointed time, you will be woken up by sound bites from your chosen station. Variations on clock radios include CD radios, which play music from your collection of CDs. Some models also allow you to locate and tune into medium wave (MW) and long wave (LW) frequencies, in addition to standard FM stations.
Step 3
Portable radios. No further explanation is necessary; the term says it all! Take a portable radio with you wherever you go. It will work on AC mains, batteries, or even alternative sources of energy such as solar power. Portable radios come in various sizes and shapes, and with accessories such as stereo headphones so you can play them as loudly as you like.
Step 4
DAB radios. Digital Audio Broadcasting is the latest in radio technology. Many radio stations all over the world have already switched over to DAB, and more continue to be added to the roster even as we speak. Digital radio uses digital signals to broadcast data in multiple groups. These groups, known as multiplexes, consist of several stations all transmitted at a single frequency. DAB decoders are used to unscramble and play these multiplexes of stations. The many advantages of buying a DAB radio include sound quality free of static or other disturbances, a vast selection of stations to choose from, and visual displays that enable easy searches and provide more information on stations and frequencies compared to analog radios.
Step 5
Price comparison. Radios retail from as low as $5 to as high as $500, depending on the brand, model, and type. Accessories such as headphones and batteries may or may not be included in the price. Leading brands retailing radios include Sony, Philips, Hitachi, Bush, Panasonic, and Roberts, among others.
The Internet is one of the best resources to find all the information you need to buy any type of radio. Buying guides provide details on types, models, prices, and brands, offering easy shopping access as well. Browse through the various sites that provide information and make your selection from the different brands and models available.
How to Buy a Radio
A comprehensive guide on how to choose and purchase the right radio, detailing the various types, brands, features, and pricing available.
If you have been looking to pick up a radio, either for your own listening pleasure or as a gift for someone, it helps to know about the different kinds of radios available, the various brands and features you can choose from, and where you can buy them. For some helpful details and buying tips, read through the rest of this article.
Step 1
Kinds of radios. There are several types of radios from which you can make your selection. To give you a brief sampling: there are clock radios, portable radios, and DAB digital radios, where DAB stands for Digital Audio Broadcasting.
Step 2
Clock radio. This type of radio serves a dual purpose—it functions as both a radio and an alarm clock. Set the alarm for the time you want to wake up, tune it to your favorite radio station, and at the appointed time, you will be woken up by sound bites from your chosen station. Variations on clock radios include CD radios, which play music from your collection of CDs. Some models also allow you to locate and tune into medium wave (MW) and long wave (LW) frequencies, in addition to standard FM stations.
Step 3
Portable radios. No further explanation is necessary; the term says it all! Take a portable radio with you wherever you go. It will work on AC mains, batteries, or even alternative sources of energy such as solar power. Portable radios come in various sizes and shapes, and with accessories such as stereo headphones so you can play them as loudly as you like.
Step 4
DAB radios. Digital Audio Broadcasting is the latest in radio technology. Many radio stations all over the world have already switched over to DAB, and more continue to be added to the roster even as we speak. Digital radio uses digital signals to broadcast data in multiple groups. These groups, known as multiplexes, consist of several stations all transmitted at a single frequency. DAB decoders are used to unscramble and play these multiplexes of stations. The many advantages of buying a DAB radio include sound quality free of static or other disturbances, a vast selection of stations to choose from, and visual displays that enable easy searches and provide more information on stations and frequencies compared to analog radios.
Step 5
Price comparison. Radios retail from as low as $5 to as high as $500, depending on the brand, model, and type. Accessories such as headphones and batteries may or may not be included in the price. Leading brands retailing radios include Sony, Philips, Hitachi, Bush, Panasonic, and Roberts, among others.
The Internet is one of the best resources to find all the information you need to buy any type of radio. Buying guides provide details on types, models, prices, and brands, offering easy shopping access as well. Browse through the various sites that provide information and make your selection from the different brands and models available.
How to Buy a Radio
By Howtodotips
A comprehensive guide on how to choose and purchase the right radio, detailing the various types, brands, features, and pricing available.