VQ Rosie Lee review
Contributing Editor
The VQ Rosie Lee is a radio you might consider if you’d prefer to wake up to a little luxury by your bedside. Its classic design and impressive range of features are reflected in the slightly elevated price tag.
If you still need a little more convincing, perhaps the hand stitched leatherette cover might just win you over. On top of that, the design team at VQ also thought it best to have each VQ Rosie Lee crafted from a single piece of wood, which is then curved to form its oval shape.
All this put together brings to life a compact sized bedside companion that is sure to put a smile on your face when you get up every morning.
The VQ Rosie Lee, however, isn’t just about aesthetics. This smart little radio also brings a lot to the table in terms of functionality.
The DAB/DAB+ radio comes with Bluetooth connectivity, which allows you to connect your smart device and stream tracks from your preferred music apps; whether that’s Deezer, Apple Music or Spotify.
If you’re on the fence about whether or not the Rosie Lee is for you, read on, as we discover and describe the key factors that are likely to influence your decision.
The VQ Rosie Lee radio review
The VQ Rosie Lee DAB radio has been designed to fit in well with your surroundings, especially if your space has been created with natural materials in mind. It might appear diminutive in product shots, but don’t be fooled; the radio is actually quite large when you get to hold it.
It’s also not particularly light – it’s a good kilo in weight. This shouldn’t be an issue, however, since it’s not designed to be particularly portable.
As a radio that offers both FM and DAB/DAB+, there’s a wide selection of the stations to tune into. Also included with the Rosie Lee radio is a USB port, and this allows you to plug in and charge your smartphone.
VQ Rosie Lee review: Design
There’s no doubt that the VQ Rosie Lee is an attractive radio, although its retro form could also be a little Marmite. The facia is made of wood, with a centred display that shows you everything from the time, to the station that you’re listening to.
The 3 inch display also features a wide viewing angle, making it easier to read even when you’re not just at your bedside. Being stereo, it has speakers on both the left and right sides of the display, with controls placed on top of the unit.
The rear of the unit houses an extendible aerial, while the underside has small metal feet that help deter any vibration when the volume’s cranked up. The VQ Rosie Lee comes in 4 distinct colour themes.
There’s black leather walnut, cream leather oak, grey & grass green oak, and lastly, grey & limed oak. Depending on your taste, all of these options have appeal, although the black leather walnut is our pick of the crop.
VQ Rosie Lee review: Features
To get a clear picture of what to expect from the VQ Rosie Lee, here’s a list of its features:
- FM/DAB/DAB+ radio
- Bluetooth connectivity
- Full range, dual,
ultra wide 5W speakers (10W output) - Dual alarm (week/weekend settings)
3 year warrantyUSB port for charging or playback- Mains powered
Upto 60 radio presets- Headphones, aux-in
and USB charge port - Customizable equalizer
Weight: 1.5kg
Dimensions: 26cm x 8.15cm x 16.05cm
VQ Rosie Lee review: Performance and connectivity
The VQ Rosie Lee radio really has an impressive capacity of up to 60 presets. This means you’ll probably never have to do a radio search again once you’ve saved your favourite stations.
The radio is also mains powered, but unlike others, the clock has its own inbuilt battery that prevents you from setting it up again every time the radio is disconnected from the mains. This is a nifty little feature that is hard to find on other mains powered radios, but very necessary.
The Rosie Lee has dual alarm feature which makes it possible to program two separate alarms. Being a bedside radio, you could opt to get woken up by your favourite radio station, or just the classic beeping alarm.
VQ Rosie Lee review: Sound quality
As a testament to the high level of quality delivered by British engineering, all VQ products deliver decent enough sound at the price point, and the Rosie Lee is no exception. Its twin 5W speakers give rise to a 10W output, and unlike most bedside companions, its bass level is quite satisfying.
Users will also have the option to listen to music privately by plugging in their headphones in through the headphone jack. The Rosie Lee can also amplify sounds from another source since it has an aux-in jack, allowing you to use it as an external speaker.
VQ Rosie Lee review: Usability
The VQ Rosie Lee presents no difficulties in use; on the contrary, it actually has a couple of features that make it really user friendly. One such feature is its auto dimming LCD display.
This display is able to adjust its brightness based on that of the current room that it is in, lessening the stress on your eyes especially at night.
The equaliser is also quite handy for those preferring more personal adjustment to their sound. It comes with presets that you can sample and see what you might like. There’s a setting for flat, classical, pop, rock, jazz and your own customised setting saved as MyEQ.
VQ Rosie Lee: Verdict
The VQ Rosie Lee is a great addition to your bedroom if you’d like to have both sound and style in the choice of your radio. You should however be prepared to pay more for this uniquely packaged radio.
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