DAB has been the UK's digital radio standard for twenty years, and DAB+ — the more efficient version most new stations now use — is being adopted across Europe. If your car's radio is FM-only, or DAB without the plus, some stations simply won't be there.
Ways to add it
- New head unit with DAB+ — the neatest answer for cars with a standard stereo slot, and it brings CarPlay and Android Auto with it.
- Add-on DAB+ adapter — a small module that feeds the factory stereo through the aux input or a USB port, with a discreet aerial. Keeps the original radio.
- Factory-integrated modules — for Mercedes, Jaguar Land Rover and some other marques we can add the manufacturer's own DAB+ tuner, controlled from the original screen and steering wheel.
Aerial placement makes or breaks DAB reception; we fit ours properly rather than sticking a wire up the A-pillar, and we'll test it on the roads around Lightwater before handing the car back.