When I first got my hands on the Goodmans Heritage II Connect DAB Radio I immediately thought about the weight. It weighs considerably more compared to other DABs on the market at the moment which could means one thing… decent speakers. But then I remembered that this was Goodmans we were talking about. Not Bose, Bang and Olufson, or the other audio genius brands, but Goodmans, that nifty brand you find in your local Currys store. But my gosh was I wrong to assume.
The Goodmans Heritage II Connect is heavy because it’s made from a beautiful looking wood material which seems to help give the speakers a better acousitc sound. The front of the DAB radio looks like a traditional 1950s wireless. It would definitely fit the part of another era in the past, but that’s what makes it unique. Yes we’ve seen other vintage looking radios at TechNuovo like the VQ Christie, and the old skool style is seemingly coming back into fashion, but Goodmans has done such a brilliant job of capturing that hint of history in their new Heritage radio.
The DAB radio is fairly easy to use. I didn’t have to check out the instructions once when operating, and menu systems were very clear and descriptive in what I was actually trying to do. Most menu functions are controlled with the two dials on either side of the front frame, by twisting and pressing. There are specific menu buttons which span the front but once clicked, you’re back to the knobs. Each button tells you clearly which menu you are entering which I thought was nice. There was no mucking around with remembering certain symbols.
The speaker is primarily advertised as a digital radio, meaning it has access to potentially hundreds of digital stations, which I found it did. Although it can depend on the signal you can receive. What’s more is the speaker actually sounded great, thanks to its built in digital sound processor and amplifier. Bass levels were boomy, although not overpowering, and the mids and highs were just right to compensate for the bass. There is a manual equialiser so you can fine tune your sound to your preference and even save presets for different music genres. This is definitely the best sounding DAB radio we have heard on the market so far.
Now this next bit is where I get a little confused. I said it was advertised as a DAB radio, yet it has built-in Bluetooth for mobile and tablet devices to stream music. It can be used as a wireless streaming system if you have two or more Heritage II radios in the home via WiFi, and it also has an Internet radio tuner, meaning you not only get access to a large quantity of DAB radio stations, but a vast array of Internet radio stations from around the world too. Oh and did I mention this radio also has Spotify Connect capabilities? This is literally the best; mic drop, walks off stage.
But in all seriousness, the Goodmans Heritage II Connect DAB Radio is absolutely on point with its many useful features. And retailing at around £199.99 at time of review, makes it a true bargain in the audio market. It looks very retro without looking cheesy or mega outdated, and to be honest it doesn’t contend with the bigger boys like Bose and B&W but can still hold its own in terms of sound quality. Unfortunately we haven’t got any kind of reward system in place yet at TechNuovo, but if we did, it would definitely get a best in class from us. We absolutely loved it. You will too.
You can find more information about the specification as well as price and where to buy it from on the Goodmans website.