RICHTER Wake

Digital Alarm Clock Radio $159

Richter’s Wake is clearly designed to go bedside as a DAB+/FM radio alarm clock which also has Bluetooth and a minijack auxiliary input. It pretty much gets everything right, from the compact footprint (21cm long) to its twin alarms, big snooze button, handy minijack headphone socket and the bonus of a high-current USB charging socket on the back.

The buttonry on top is clear and ergonomically impeccable (we only once needed the manual, to scan FM). The ‘mode’ button switches between its four input options, while the big knob adjusts volume by default, but press ‘tune’ and it then shuttles through the station names on that front display, making selection a breeze. Once playing, the display adds useful ticker-tape text below the time and station name. Settings are highly versatile, from weekday/weekend alarms to display brightness and a choice of buzzers or radio to wake you.

There are also EQ settings including a Loudness option that here we thought a benefit; the sonics are limited by size and the single front speaker (don’t be expecting Richter-style bass!). But it manages to sound friendly, never edgy, entirely adequate for the morning news or a podcast, and even able to hold a tune within the limits of its frequency range, and still to do so if you elect to advance the volume knob.

So no battery power here, but otherwise the versatility of settings, the Bluetooth bonus and the Wake’s enjoyable sound make this a worthy bedside companion. www.richter.com.au