The XHDATA D-328 Full Band AM/FM/SW MP3 Radio: Review

The XHDATA D-328 is a mini-sized AM/FM/SW radio which I happened to lay my hands on due to a craving for listening to some real broadcast radio at home. It comes in a portable 12.5 x 3.8 x 7.5 cm slim and ultralight (160 gm) plastic case and a foldable telescopic receiver aerial on the top. There is a slot for a microSD or TransFlash card to play MP3 files. The 3.5 mm headphone jack provides an option to redirect the audio output. The back of the device doesn't contain any label with the serial number or standards certifications though the country of origin is mentioned as China.

The XHDATA D-328 MP3 Radio

The one that I will review here was purchased in June 2020 when it was retailing in Amazon India for ₹1,626 before taxes and was selling at ₹1,919 after 18% GST. The delivery was fairly quick, and I had the device in my hands in two days. It comes in a hard cardboard box which includes the radio receiver, a generic BL-5C lithium-ion rechargeable battery, a mini-USB charging cable, a lanyard or hand strap, a user's manual and a contact card. This 2023 review is based on my experience in the last 3 years.

For those seeking a radio to reliably tune into local AM and FM stations while also playing MP3 files, the XHDATA D-328 performs commendably well. Despite its size, the audio quality is surprisingly good. Personally, I'm not a big fan of analog-style tuning DSP radios, as I find them less graceful when navigating between stations. However, for most users who simply tune in and listen, this radio is more than sufficient.

Setup

Setting up the device is simple. Insert the BL-5C battery into the slot on the back of the radio and just turn in on using the shuttle on top by selecting either the radio or MP3 mode. If the battery needs to be recharged, then plug in the provided USB charging cable with an appropriate power source.

Radio

The radio tuner supports the FM, AM and SW reception based on a DSP demodulation chip in a Silicon Laboratories Si4825A10 integrated circuit. An analog thumbwheel dial on the side of the unit helps tuning the radio to receive signals. The FM and SW are distributed into 2 and 9 bands respectively to make up for the small dial width and provide near-precise calibration. The supported frequency ranges are below:

• FM: 64~106 MHz
• AM: 520~1620 kHz
• SW: 4.75~22 MHz

Whether you're listening to your favorite morning talk show or catching up on the latest hits, this radio does a commendable job. My FM listening experience has been satisfactory, particularly when using headphones.

Radio Reception

The XHDATA D-328 fared well in processing FM signals in Pune, a city in the state of Maharashtra in India. In the AM and SW bands there was hardly any reception though that could be due to the my location. These are the only channels that it could play.

1. Band: FM, Frequency: 91.1 MHz, Name: Radio City
2. Band: FM, Frequency: 93.5 MHz, Name: Red FM
3. Band: FM, Frequency: 94.3 MHz, Name: Radio One
4. Band: FM, Frequency: 95.0 MHz, Name: Big FM
5. Band: FM, Frequency: 98.3 MHz, Name: Radio Mirchi
6. Band: FM, Frequency: 101.0 MHz, Name: Vividh Bharati
7. Band: FM, Frequency: 104.2 MHz, Name: Radio Mirchi Love
8. Band: FM, Frequency: 107.8 MHz, Name: Puneri Awaz
9. Band: AM, Frequency: 792 kHz, Name: All India Radio (AIR) Pune

MP3 Playback

The MP3 playback support is through a microSD or TransFlash card slot on the top of the device which seems to work well even with large storage like 32 and 64 GB. Listening to MP3 music files on this radio is surprisingly enjoyable. The audio quality is quite impressive, given the price point. However, it lacks a screen to display song information, and there's no shuffle function. Instead, it plays songs in alphabetical order of the file titles. You can skip ahead by 10 files if needed.

Audio Quality

The built-in 5.5 cm speaker provides a maximum 5 watts of mono audio output. Considering the small form factor, there is not much space for high bass response variations though the sound is clear when the reception is good.

Battery

The radio is powered by a removable 3.7V BL-5C 1020mAh rechargeable Li-ion battery. A generic manufactured battery is included in the device which in my experience bloated and became unusable within a year. The device runs without the battery though, if the USB cable is plugged in providing live power.

Warranty

The product comes with a 1-year manufacturer warranty on the device.

Reviews

On Amazon the radio is rated 4.3 out of 5 based on 1,500 customer reviews.

Conclusion

In summary, the XHDATA D-328 is a decent radio for its price, but for a bit more, you can find radios with more features. It's compact, offers decent audio quality, and handles local stations and MP3 podcasts effectively. It's a solid choice, especially if you're on a tight budget, but there are other radios in the same price range that provide even better value. If you're interested in small and affordable radios, there are various options from manufacturers like Tecsun, Tivdio, Degen, and others, so it's worth doing some research to find the one that best suits your preferences. While it may not excel in all areas, its affordability and features make it a compelling option for radio enthusiasts and casual listeners alike.

The D-328 product page at xhdata.com.cn

The product page for the D-328 is here

The user manual is available here at TEKLIB.

Fossil Q Explorist HR (Gen 4) Smartwatch: Impressive looks but lacks in the battery

The Fossil Q Explorist HR (Gen 4) smartwatch (Model: DW6F1) is a Wear OS-based smartwatch made by the Fossil Group. It has a round bezel with a masculine look and feel and water resistance up to 98 feet. It doesn't support SIM-based mobile communications but has Bluetooth and Wi-Fi options to pair and synchronize with a smartphone. The watch was first announced in August 2018 and subsequently released later in the same month in the US and elsewhere.

Fossil Q Explorist HR (Gen 4) - FTW4016

The watch case is made of stainless steel which is available in 6 attractive color combinations. Some popular case colors are stainless steel, smoke stainless steel, brown leather, tan leather, black leather and black silicon. Printed on the back panel is the Fossil logo, the model number, a CE marking and the country or origin, which is China.

The one that I will review here is the SKU variant FTW4016 that comes in a blue stainless-steel case with tan leather straps which was purchased in November 2018 when it was retailing in Amazon.com for $178.50 before taxes. The delivery was fairly quick, and I had the device in my hands in two days. It comes in a hard cubical box which includes the smartwatch with the battery built in, a magnetic charging dock with a USB cable, and a quick start guide. The same was selling on Fossil.com for $179 with an original listed price of $275 before taxes. This 2023 review is based on experiences after its use in the last 4.5 years.

Setup

Setting up the device is simple. Before powering up for the first time, charge it till 100% using the provided magnetic charger. Install the Wear OS app on your smartphone and pair it with the watch using Bluetooth.

Fossil Q Explorist HR in the box

Display

The touch screen display consists of a 1.4-inch AMOLED screen with a resolution of 454 x 454 pixels. The 16M color screen displays pretty crisp and vivid colors and is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass. The interface is nice, and the screen is pretty responsive.

Calling

As the smartwatch doesn't include a built-in speaker, it doesn't allow to speak over the device itself. It, however, does show notifications for incoming calls and let you receive or reject calls directly from the display. To carry on the conversation, you have to use your phone. This is useful though when you are driving with your phone connected to the vehicle's infotainment system.

Messaging

The messaging application displays Short Messaging Service (SMS) messages on-screen. If you have other messaging apps installed, like WhatsApp, they can also be displayed.

Sensors

The device has several inbuilt sensors for accelerometer, ambient light, gyroscope, and heart rate.

Performance

The watch runs the Wear OS by Google on a Qualcomm Snapdragon Wear 2100 CPU with 512 MB RAM and 4 GB of internal storage. It is compatible with phones running Android OS 4.4+ and Apple iOS 9.3+ and handles most tasks smoothly, sometimes with a little lag after all these years.

Audio Quality

The device doesn't have an in-built speaker.

Microphone

An in-built microphone allows you to use voice commands to perform a variety of tasks - which includes performing a web search.

Camera

The device does not feature a camera.

Internal Storage

The internal memory of 4GB provides storage for installing a fair number of apps from the Google Play Store. You can also store music in the internal storage and play them straight from the watch.

Expandable Storage

There is no option for additional storage.

Battery

One major component of a wearable device is the battery as that is what keeps it going. The smartwatch is powered by a non-removable 3.8V APack 1ICP4/25/30 330 mAh Li-ion battery packed into the casing. The watch charges from a small magnetic charging dock with an attached USB cable. It supports rapid charging that can get the battery up to 80% in an hour. The battery life at the time of purchase was about a day with moderate usage but this has deteriorated significantly over the last couple of years.

Connectivity

The Q Explorist HR allows synchronization with a smartphone via Bluetooth 4.1 LE. It also connects through Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n. There is no option for cellular connectivity through a SIM card. GPS is in-built so the watch can use GPS even when it is not tethered with the phone. It also supports NFC at 13.56 MHz which lets you make payments from Google Pay even when your phone is not with you.

SAR (Specific Absorption Rate)

The highest SAR value for this smartwatch is 0.40 W/kg on the face and 0.60 W/kg on the wrist. The SAR limit for a wrist-worn mobile device set by the FCC is 4.0 W/kg.

FCC ID

The FCC ID for the device is UK7-DW6A and the reports are available here.

Warranty

The product comes with a 2-year manufacturer warranty on the device. For me, within a month's use, the leather band was damaged, and the Fossil support told me that the accessory was not supported within the warranty. It took some convincing to get a replacement band from them.

Reviews

On Best Buy the watch is rated 4.2 out of 5 with 81% recommendation based on 196 customer reviews. Amazon has also rated it 4.2 based 4,400 customer reviews.

Conclusion

The smartwatch has performed well over the years and the body and display is still intact with no scratches. I have seen the battery life deteriorate pretty fast over time. The look and feel are still attractive.

The product page for the FTW4017P is here.

The user manual is available here at ManualsLib, and here at the FCC ID database.