I received this wonderful, ergonomic, portable DAB/DAB+/FM radio this week and in summary all I can say is that it was made for me. It takes a 3.5mm stereo jack so iPhone portability was integral to my satisfaction. This is very stylish, desirable and well-built piece of equipment that has the feel of quality that I would aspire to in any purchase made, and the tactile, non-slip ‘drip-proof’ casing compliments the theme. The impression of quality starts from the packaging that is akin to opening and caressing an iPhone or an apple tv from the box. It took me no more than a minute to get from box to tuning in my favourite radio station on a bleary Sunday morning. Out of the box I got 5 hours of radio and mp3 playback before I needed to consider charging it up properly with a good 24-hour load up for the first full charge. Thereafter I’m currently getting 12 hours of quality usage from a 4-5 hour charge.

I have used the GoLondon almost constantly as I sit at my desk, wander around the garden and ‘repair things’ in the garage! As an avid 6Music radio listener and a new music listener I was able this week to download a latest release and put it through the GoLondon as easily as I would like from my mp3 player. The only disappointment I have is I would have loved to take this on holiday with me last month as I sat by a pool for a couple of weeks. I can think of no better poolside or beach companion if you want music to drown out those noisy foreigners next to you. I have found the functionality of this device very easy to navigate; my instruction booklet remains untouched in box condition. There are 10 pre-set stations to program in, I need 3. I have tried the FM radio however I live in a poor quality reception area so I can’t comment on the additional quality we may expect from FM. On the subject of quality the speaker, which is mounted on top of the pop-corn shaped radio, is perfectly acceptable for the usage I want from such a device there is clarity and projection from the speaker and indeed on its side it can be pointed in a given direction. There are no missing areas of functionality here; the digital display in the base is clear and effective. I can see development areas for GoLondon2, that may include a solar cell and a sleep function, but otherwise the Sonoro really is made for me, I’m already looking forward to getting poolside next year.