If there’s anything that a person would look for in an iPod, despite the gadget being packed with fantastic features, is the fact that Apple has been very stubborn in not adding an FM radio feature in its unit, and without it, then it most certainly won’t have Digital Radio or DAB. Recently though, Apple and its engineers have caved in and has fitted their latest iPods with an FM feature, but for those who haven’t got the new release yet, then fortunately, the Intempo RDI comes equipped with built-in DAB.

The Intempo RDI is an iPod speaker system combined with a dock, is the first system in the Intempo line-up to come standard with a DAB capability feature. And, it is also rare for an iPod speaker system to come bundled with Digital radio capability without having its price tag soar high. In fact, the Intempo RDI is only priced a tad higher than some high end units that serve as a digital radio primarily. Although Intempo, a UK based manufacturing company, does not enjoy the popularity or the reputation that bigger iPod speaker system manufacturer’s have, they are well known for integrating high quality performance in their products without the crippling costs of purchase.

Looking at the Intempo RDI’s exterior, you will see the glossy black finish engulfing the body casing which is designed to be aesthetically appealing with its sloping enclosures and slick curves. The RDI definitely looks good and has an eye catching style, the placements alone of the controls have drifted far from most conventional iPod speaker systems with most of them set at the front of the unit. The only control switch located at the back of the unit is the master power switch, Quality-wise, the RDI is solidly built, not too heavy or light, weighing 3.6 kilograms, and doesn’t feel that it will break easily.

What is conventional about the Intempo RDI is the placing of the iPod dock. Like most iPod speaker systems, an iPod unit is placed in the middle of the front of the system where a small dot matrix display is located just on the side below the iPod. To dock your iPod, all you need to do is to nudge the retractable docking station a bit and it pops out for easy access.

Being relatively lightweight and measuring only 360 mm in width, 140 mm in height, and 150 mm of depth, the Intempo RDI is a mini system that can be virtually brought anywhere. Taking the RDI out to the elements should be with some caution though. Although the two main speakers on the face of the unit is protected by a shield covering made from cloth, the sub woofer located on the rear doesn’t have any protective covering and can be damaged. A plus point for the RDI is the aerial antenna for its DAB function, it’s solid and sturdy and looks as such that it won’t easily break.

Overall performance is fairly high, not exceptionally high, but better that can be expected for the price that it comes with. If you’re not prone to cranking up the volume, then you can expect good audio quality, push it to the top or near it, then you might get disappointed.