The new Sharp DR-P520 is a pocket/handheld radio with DAB+ and FM reception and Bluetooth. It has a built-in battery, colour display, USB-C socket and comes with a wrist strap. It also includes BestTune, a new way of choosing and listening to digital and FM radio stations. This is a useful feature in a radio that might be used for travel as it presents all the available stations in a single list.
Weighing in at 200 grams and measuring 130mm x 70mm x 26mm the radio is suited to listening on the go. Most of the surface has a matt finish with a glossy surface around the display and buttons. It feels well made and the chamfered edge around the front and back fo the radio make it comfortable to hold.
In this review we’ll try out BestTune and look at the other features of the Sharp Osaka DR-P520.
Features and setup
In the box are the radio, a USB-C power/charging cable, a micro-USB to USB-C adapter and user documentation including a manual, warranty leaflet and a sheet about using a compatible charger with the radio. The USB-C cable with our radio is approximately 140mm long.
A quick mention for the box itself: it’s great to see a high level of detail covering the features, specifications and even a small diagram showing the radio’s dimensions and weight.
After unboxing the radio we left it plugged into the mains to charge as recommended in the manual. A full charge can take approximately four hours. After the antenna was extended we completed a scan of DAB/DAB+ and FM and all the stations we would expect were added to the station list.
Reception is very good and at times we didn’t need to extend the antenna at all where we tested the radio in North Yorkshire. On the move with earphones plugged in we found reception of digital stations to be fine too.
A user manual is included in the box. This covers operating the radio with icons for the buttons and references to what is shown on the display. Although the text is a bit small it’s well written and the explanatory notes contain useful information and tips.
This is good to see and is in contrast to some manufacturers that provide only a ‘quick start guide’ and encourage users to go online for the full instructions.
As a handheld/pocket radio the DR-P520 is the smallest DAB/FM radio in the Sharp range. The company offers some portable radios which boast a higher audio output power, but only the Osaka DR-P520 comes with a colour LCD display and BestTune.
Battery and power
The radio has a built-in rechargeable Lithium-ion battery. For a pocket or handheld radio this is good as it avoids needing separate batteries and keeps the size of the radio down.
A three-pin wall adapter is not included, so an existing charger capable of 5-10W output is required. We used a USB-C charger from a smartphone which worked just fine. If you don’t already have a USB-C charger you will need to buy one and factor in the extra cost. It’s worth buying one from a reputable brand in a high street store or supermarket if you need one.
From a full charge we were able to listen to Heart 90s on DAB+ digital radio at 10-15% volume for 6 hours and 20 minutes. This falls short of the 12 hours of listening time mentioned in the manual. The 10-15% volume was sufficient in a bedroom though and the battery should be recharged in around 4 hours.
We did notice that when plugged into mains power that reception of stations with a lower signal strength could be affected. This is something we’ve noticed with other radios, but it could be an issue if you’ve no choice but to plug in the radio.
When holding the power button during operation the DR-P520 goes into a standby mode. This is required if any alarms are set, or you just want to see the time and date, but holding the power button again will completely power off the radio.
User interface
All of the buttons are on the front of the radio and fall under the thumb when the device is being held. Eight round buttons are arranged in two rows of four. The volume up and down buttons are aligned to the right.
The power button, which doubles as the source selection between radio modes and Bluetooth, is in the top left. Controls for info, presets, back and forwards through the radio station list and a select/confirm button complete the set. The back, forwards and play button also control playback in Bluetooth mode. Accidental button presses from having the radio in a bag or coat pocket are prevented by activating the key lock with the switch on the side.
Overall the buttons provide a good tactile feel and are neither too firm or vague. The volume buttons being one above another nearest the right side is helpful and placement of the other buttons is sensible. The way the legends for the buttons are printed below the transparent plastic surface is a nice touch and contributes towards a premium feel.
The 2” colour display shows information about the current station, as well as the time and battery level. When provided by the radio station a slideshow image is displayed between the station name and the ‘scrolling text’. For the BBC’s national radio stations and some local services we saw a station logo. Not every station implements this yet, but it’s nice to see when it is available. We understand that in Europe some radio stations provide additional information like a weather forecast in the slideshow. The image can be enlarged to full screen.
The brightness of the display backlight is adjustable with levels of high, medium and low. A timeout setting means the display returns to the specified dim level after a set period of time. We had no trouble viewing the display outdoors in sunlight and viewing angles are good too.
Menus are easy to use and having all the options for alarms viewable at once makes them easier to configure. The radio features two alarms with options to wake up to a buzzer or the radio. Having dual alarms is useful as it’s possible to wake up at 6.30am on weekdays to the buzzer and 7.30am on weekends to the radio, for example. The volume of the alarm increases gradually
As the manual mentions, the radio needs to be in the standby mode, with the clock and alarm time shown on the display, for the alarms to work.
Presets are exceptionally easy to save and recall with the dedicated button. Forty presets can be saved in the BestTune mode.
BestTune vs DAB and FM modes
The Sharp Osaka DR-P520 comes with BestTune, a relatively new feature for radios with DAB and FM modes. The idea is that instead of switching back and forth between DAB and FM modes to browse and select stations, or to see whether the DAB or FM mode provides the better reception, the radio puts all of the available stations into a single list.
This is ideal for a small radio like the DR-P520 which could be used for travel, when the radio might frequently be used in different locations. An auto scan in the BestTune mode first searches for digital radio stations, as is normal for DAB/DAB+ radios, then goes on to scan the FM band. In our experience this can take a little while, but once complete being able to browse a single list is very useful. It’s possible to see whether a station is using FM or DAB and we were even able to manually choose between FM and DAB for BBC Radio 2.
Having a single list of presets is very useful too. We found that switching between a station only on DAB, a station on DAB and FM and a station only on FM to be very quick and convenient.
It’s still possible to have separate DAB and FM modes if preferred. These modes work as expected and 40 presets are available in each mode.
Sound quality
A single speaker is found on the front of the radio behind the plastic speaker grille. The size of the speaker and output power aren’t listed in the specs, but we were quite pleased with the overall sound of music and speech.
There aren’t any EQ settings to play with, but the sound to us sounds quite balanced and avoids being tinny or overly bassy. Music can be a little thin at times, but not enough to detract from the overall experience, especially with stations like BBC Radio 2 which sound good for a radio of this size and at this price. Speech content comes across well. We spent several hours listening to news and phone-ins on BBC Radio 5 live and quickly forgot that this is quite a small radio. At full volume we didn’t hear any distortion. In a small travel radio we’ll take more clarity over a booming presence.
The volume controls provide sensible steps from one level to the next. Podcasts and streaming music sound good over Bluetooth from a smartphone. For personal listening the speakers on a phone or tablet might suffice, but for shared listening it could be more useful.
Output from the headphone socket is good with plenty of volume and clear stereo separation. This is something that can be missing from radios with a headphone socket but the Osaka DR-P520 performs well here. Headphones aren’t included with the radio.
In a kitchen or office we might look at the other radios in the Sharp range, but in our testing for travel and solo listening the overall experience is really quite good.
Sharp DR-P520 review verdict
Overall the Sharp Osaka DR-P520 is a very good pocket/handheld radio. It’s great to see modern features like BestTune, the display of slideshow graphics, Bluetooth 5.3 and USB-C charging in a small radio like this. Combined with the digital radio tick mark it makes for a very compelling choice for a radio of this size.
BestTune worked very well in our testing and is a great feature to have in a radio like this.
The Sharp Osaka DR-P520 is definitely worth considering as a pocket, handheld or travel radio with DAB/DAB+/FM and Bluetooth. It has an RRP of £69.99 and is available from Sharp or Amazon.co.uk.