Of course, it’s not going to deliver earth-thumping bass or party volume levels, but those are not the reasons you’d be buying this set. VQ Monty DAB radio review: Sound quality

The original “Retro Radio” was intended to give people in the radio market more choice when it came to satisfying their craving for nostalgia. The minimalist approach to design means you’ll only find essential buttons on the control panel: power, volume, menu, mode, etc. This means there are no physical preset buttons for your favourite stations, however, you can store up to 60 presets accessible from the menu. Sound performance Bradford and Huddersfield (11B), Edinburgh (12D), Glasgow (11C), Humberside (10D), Inverness (11B), London (11B), Lancashire (12A), Leeds (12D), Liverpool (10C), Manchester (12C), North Cumbria (11B), South Yorkshire (11C), Stoke-on-Trent (12D), Swansea (12A), Tayside (11B), Tyne and Wear (11C) and Teesside (11B)Whilst VQ has marketed the Monty as a portable DAB Radio, the sound is surprisingly big with the 10W speaker driver capable of delivering a sound profile that is wonderfully rich. Performance at the high-end comes through crisp and clear and we were pleasantly surprised by the solid bass, which doesn’t quite compare to the experience of top-range speaker but very impressive for its size and compared to similar DAB Radios we’ve tested. DAB+: DevonAIR Gold, East Devon Radio, Ignite 90s, PHONIC, Radio Exe, Riviera FM, South Devon Radio and Zest 60s SW. Additionally, one other issue is that changing between channels or broadcasts might take a bit longer than you might like. Dartmoor), 94.8 ( North Devon), 95.7 ( Plymouth), 95.8 ( Exeter), 96.0 ( Okehampton), 104.3 ( Torquay) This is where the VQ Monty outshines the competition providing a feature set aligned with more expensive models. In addition to the standard DAB, DAB+, and FM modes, the Monty also boasts Bluetooth connectivity, so will conveniently double up as a wireless speaker if you want to stream music from your smartphone or tablet (and there's even an AUX input for devices that don't have Bluetooth).

Now that you know a thing or two about VQ, let’s dive a little deeper into what you can accomplish with the VQ Monty portable DAB. BBC radio stations from Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, broadcast in their respective areas via analogue and digital radio, Freeview and across the whole UK on satellite and cable television: Explore Comet and discover a constellation of products from washing machines and fridge freezers to air fryers, 4K TVs, laptops, consoles and more - it’s easy to find everything you need for your home in the Comet universe. Kent), 11C (South Hampshire), 11B (Dorset), 10B (Sussex Coast), 10C (Surrey), 12D (Berkshire), 10B (Oxfordshire) Stations which are available nationally on Freeview and/or satellite and/or broadcast on more than one local DAB multiplex:

In terms of appearance, it’s hard to go wrong with the Monty in just about any room of your home. This radio exudes the same visually appealing style whether on your bedside table or in your kitchen – depending on what you want to use it for.

The following list is a small selection of regular RSL stations which have been set up to cover various festivals and events across the UK: Although plenty of vendors claim to design radios in the “Mid-century modern” style, the VQ Monty is one of the only units that gets this look right. It’s not too retro and not too modern, either.Gloucestershire), 11B (Bristol and Bath), 10D (Bath and West Wiltshire), 10B (Somerset), 12D (Plymouth), 11C (Exeter/Torquay), 10C (North Devon), 11B (Cornwall), 11C (Swindon), 12D (West Wiltshire) England's radio stations adhere to the statistical regions of East Midlands, East, Greater London, Greater Manchester, North East, North West, South East, South West, West Midlands and Yorkshire and the Humber. The Monty comes with a built-in battery that charges when the radio is plugged into the mains. According to VQ the battery lasts for up to 36 hours, though it’s unlikely to last quite this long in practice.

FM (St Andrews), 106.3 (The East Neuk), 95.2 (West Fife), 96.1 (Central & East Fife), 96.6 (Kirkcaldy) DAB+: 45 Radio, Angel Radio, Cosoro Radio, Essentials, Fever Radio, Gaydio, Link FM, Radio Sangam, Sheffield Live!, Rotherham Radio and Rother Radio. Because the Monty DAB radio is so affordable, you might assume that the appearance would give way to a somewhat flimsy build. Temporary Restricted Service Licence stations are licensed by Ofcom and broadcast for up to 28 days. RSLs are used for a number of purposes including coverage of events and festivals, trial broadcasts by groups aiming to launch a full-time service, student radio and training projects and religious festivals including the Sikh festival Vaisakhi, the Muslim month of Ramadan, Jehovah's Witness conventions and Christian events such as Easter and Christmas.DAB+: Akash Radio, Dance Asia Radio, Fever Leeds, Fresh Leeds, Gaydio, Juice Radio, LDC Radio, Marefa Radio, My Greek Radio, Mighty Leeds, Radio Apni Awaz, Radio Rangoli, Sunrise Gold, Sunrise Radio Yorkshire and Voice Of Islam. Panjab Radio, Radio Panj, Vanny Radio and Voice of Islam. DAB+: BritAsia Radio, Glitterbeam, Radio Plus and Sanity Radio. The business wants to ensure that today’s audiophiles don’t have to compromise when trying to find beautiful radio sets and excellent sound quality on a budget.