Introduction

How stylish is your radio? How stylish do you want it to be?

Radios, including the slightly more recent DAB+ radios, have transcended purely functional designs, and given that the electronics needed to make them tick have shrunk in size, this means you can make a radio almost any size and shape you like; which is pretty much what Sonoro has done with this, the Cubo GoLondon.

The Cubo GoLondon is a portable FM/DAB/DAB+ radio that resembles a drinks cup – the likes of which you can buy from certain fast-food outlets.

Thanks to a healthy rechargeable battery, it can be used indoors and outdoors and boasts a drip-proof casing and offers an AUX-in should you want to hook it up to your MP3 player or mobile phone.

A Bluetooth version is promised as well, although here you’ll have to make do with using the included cable to enjoy your favourite music.

The Cubo GoLondon impresses in the sound department, offering excellent clarity and a good balance between the bass and treble.

The speaker itself is surprisingly loud too, and even when you’re outside you won’t have to go much beyond half way to enjoy your music. If you’re sat next to it, then getting much beyond a quarter turn of the top-mounted volume knob is probably pushing things.

You’ll find the telescopic antenna also on top of the unit, at the opposite corner to the aforementioned volume control (which also acts as the on/off switch).

Peer round the back and there’s a small cut-out section in the bright-red sleeve that holds the FM/DAB selector, the power connector and the AUX IN jack.

The more eager-eyed may have noticed the lack of a way of changing channel at this point. Could it possibly be the two large black buttons on either side of the Cubo GoLondon? Actually no, these are merely to enable you to easily slide off the red cover so that you can replace it with something that is more in-keeping with your environment.

Separate sleeves are available at £16 a pop in either coloured ‘soft-touch’ sleeves, or as fuzzy, textile covers. There should be something for everyone.

The actual controls can be found underneath the Cubo GoLondon.

Heavily recessed into the base of the unit you’ll find an LCD screen and three buttons – left, right and menu. These enable you to change your channel easily, while the display shows channel text, battery life, the current time and the radio signal strength.

This dims when you’re not looking for channels, but given its location that’s not much of a problem.

In use we were impressed with the sound quality of the Cubo GoLondon, the excellent battery life – 14 hours from a single charge should be good for any practical use – and the signal strength.

We’re slightly less convinced about the replaceable coloured sleeves – surely you just buy the one that you like the look of and leave it at that.

Even so, the rubberised cover, combined with the weight of the unit, gives it a sturdy feel.

We do think that £130 is a bit steep too, especially as prices of DAB radios have dropped so much recently.