Top 5: Best DAB Adapter in the Test – Retrofitting Digital Radio to Hi-Fi Systems

DAB Tuner The Imperial Dabman i400 not only plays DAB+ radio, but also acts as a digital audio center. Testing shows what the device can do.

The Imperial DABMAN i400 proved surprisingly versatile in testing, being able to receive not only DAB+ and of course the old DAB standard, but various other digital media – and even good old FM radio Was able to run. This compact device is also attractive due to its well-considered delivery scope, clean display and simple user interface including a compact, practical remote control. The device still has some vulnerabilities. Essentially, the Imperiale Dabman i400 is a tuner, so the amplifier and speakers are missing here. If you want to listen to the radio with it, you must first connect the device to active speakers or a home stereo system using an RCA cable.

Once this is done, you can expect to get DAB+. Modern, noise-free radio technology is a great thing and has been established over many years. This technology was developed in the 1980s, but had low acceptance for a long time. However, today DAB+ can be received throughout Germany, with a few exceptions, even in buildings. it comes from Official welcome page on dabplus.de Outside. In testing, 76 regional and local as well as 29 nationwide stations were available for reception. When searching for channels in the house, our device found 62 channels two meters away from the window, so there should be something for everyone. The reception conditions of the radio play an important role, similar to FM reception.

The design of the Imperiale Dabman i400 is basically classic and neutral with two silver areas at the top and bottom and a central black area with the display located in the middle. The square shape of the device can certainly be debated, especially in combination with the classic cuboid stereo system, not everyone may find the square design successful, but this is ultimately a matter of taste.

The silver housing parts look similar to brushed aluminum, only when you touch them you realize they’re actually made of plastic. Overall, the look is a little strange, but consistent. The controls are not visible from the front, but there is a row of buttons along the top edge that can be used to control the device. The manufacturer has also thought about the remote control. This isn’t a shabby, cheap version with five buttons, but it appears to be high quality and well made and has an impressive 36 buttons. If the remote control is not within reach, all functions can also be operated using the manufacturer’s “AirMusic” app, which is designed to match the device menus. Overall, this concept is in line with the price and worth it.

When it comes to features, the Imperiale Dabman i400 shines: connections arranged in a clear row on the back include an antenna socket, an RCA output, a USB-A port, a network socket, and a circular socket for the power supply. Is. – A suitable adapter is included in the delivery. As for the scope of delivery: The manufacturer includes not only a rod antenna, but also a two meter long wire antenna as well as a Cinch-Cinch cable and a Cinch-Mini-Jack cable.

In terms of software, the Imperial Dabman i400 provides reception of not only DAB+ and DAB stations, but also analog FM radio (VHF). The device also receives Internet radio and plays music from the network via UPnP. The Imperiale Dabman i400 can be paired with a cell phone via Bluetooth and used as a streaming client. It has worked perfectly fine in testing so far.

Last but not least, the Imperiale Dabman i400 plays music from a connected USB stick. The manufacturer doesn’t provide a list of supported file formats, but we were able to play MP3, WAV, WMA, and AAC in testing. However, this only worked when we checked our (FAT32 formatted) 32GB stick and made sure that only music files could be found on the stick. There appears to be a bug in the firmware that causes the USB driver to hang when files of unplayable format are found on the stick. For the driver to cooperate again, the device must be disconnected from the mains; Switching the device to standby using the remote control is not enough. Then the music actually started playing from the speakers.

To put it bluntly: operating it using the buttons on the device is definitely the worst option. The buttons can only be seen from above, so if you don’t know by heart which button is used for what, misoperation is inevitable. But as an emergency solution, the keys do their job, especially if there is enough light to see the symbols. Operation works much better with the small but attractive remote control with 36 buttons. Through this, Imperial Dabman i400 can be controlled very easily.

What we really liked best was the operation through the AirMusic app, as the menus are presented clearly and clearly. Disadvantages here: The app has to be reconnected every time, which takes time. Also, the Imperiale Dabman i400 should not be in standby mode, otherwise the app may crash. Once you’ve successfully established the connection, the Imperial Dabman i400 can be operated very clearly, but unlike using a remote control, there is a short pause after each input. This is bearable, but can become annoying in the long run.

We loved the color LCD. With a diagonal of 3.2 inches, it is large enough and displays the menu in good quality with a resolution of 320 × 200 points. The brightness can also be adjusted in two levels. But you shouldn’t expect miracles from visual angle stability; At around 30 degrees the colors fade considerably.

A real plus point: The manufacturer provides a compact but useful operating manual in printed form. However, this does not include everything; For example, saving favorites was a puzzle for us and is only mentioned in the manual. The solution can be found on the Internet: Press and hold the Fav+ button on the remote control for five seconds, then the current station will be saved in the first available favorite slot. Or you can use one of the three Favorites buttons on the device.

Overall, the operation of the Imperiale Dabman i400 is quite well thought out. The menus are mostly logical and there are also several functions that make the Imperial Dabman i400 easier to use, such as setting search sensitivity, sleep timer or displaying weather data in standby. We had no complaints about the sound. In listening testing, the Imperial Daubmann i400 was pleasantly neutral and balanced. No matter what genre we introduced the Imperial Dabman i400 to, from pop and rock to classical and techno, we never got the sense that there was something wrong with the sound.

Unexpected difficulties arose when it came to firmware updates. We were unable to find out whether the device version with the secret name “TT9THAC9-i822h-i825**ad-i725a-(DB:20231206)” is the current version and whether our device needs an update. It seems that the manufacturer only makes these available through the automatic software download function and does not operate a public version log. Therefore, when setting up the device for the first time, you should definitely make sure to install the latest software.

Immediately after establishing an Internet connection, the device searches for the latest software and offers to install it. If you miss it, you need to reset the Imperial Dabman i400 to factory settings before the update, disconnect it from the network, restart it and load the offered update after establishing an Internet connection will be. And then adjust everything again to your liking. Not very pleasant.

The Imperiale Dabman i400 is currently priced at Amazon 100 eurosIt’s not incredibly cheap, but it seems reasonable to us for the scope of delivery and the range of functions offered.

The Imperiale Daubmann i400 impresses with its neutral sound and many practical functions as well as the well-thought-out scope of delivery. Anyone who chooses the device can expect a beautiful display and lots of music. However, you have to compromise when it comes to operation, because as is often the case with multifunctional devices, you have to take into account that not all functions work precisely down to the last detail. So if you’re fiddling with a device to finally get your carefully preserved audio treasures in FLAC format onto your stereo system, you should first find out if the device supports this format (spoiler: unfortunately No).

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