REVIEW: John Lewis & Partners Octave DAB/DAB+/FM/Internet Radio with Wi-Fi & Bluetooth

[@XtremeKremaTor]

Thank you for in such detail showing off the Internet radio features, that was the part of the device that interests me the most.

[@jeg1972]

Glad you enjoyed the review Szymon!

[@johnbrown1531]

The rear USB port definitely supports a Blue Tooth TX for headphones. But both the headphone and the TX must be the same version. (Either v5 or v4.2) This is contrary to what some sites are saying!

[@andrewjackson246]

Interesting... Most of the BT TX's I've seen available seem to be for plugging into the 3.5mm headphone or line out socket on the back?

[@JeanClaudePeeters]

I found that lifting my laptop about 2 " on the left solved the tripod problem 😁

[@ParishTraveller]

Hi John, fantastic review and subsequently bought an Octave. Do you have any idea how long the plug cable is?

[@jeg1972]

From the the plug that goes into the device, to the point the wire enters the transformer, is 180 cm (71 inches)

[@johnbrown1531]

Hi John, Enjoyed watching your video on the Octave radio again! After programing 15 stations into the presets I cannot get it to put one into number 16 or more. Any ideas? I also have bought a Lidl Silvercrest DAB. Not sure if you will be enamoured with it but I think it ideal for the garden!

[@jeg1972]

Nice to hear from you again John... I'll have a look at my Octave and see what the problem could be. I've not seen the Silvercrest radio... I'll have a look for that as well!

[@jeg1972]

Sorry for the delay... It worked for me, I just long pressed the 5+ button so it said "Save to Preset", then turned the jog wheel on the top to select an empty part of the list , 18 in my case, and then did a single click on the jog wheel and it save correctly.

[@CaptainDarrick]

Jon, I bought a used one from Amazon and it was in mint condition , the USB worked but guess what ...there was NO sound coming out of the bass speaker underneath ...It's going right back. Any idea why it didn't work ?

[@jeg1972]

There are so many things it could have been... The crossover circuit could have failed, cone could have blown... But more like it was a failed solder joint or a wire came off.

[@CaptainDarrick]

@@jeg1972 Update . I sent it back ..and believe it or not , I managed to find another one ( 2nd hand ) . I snapped it up ( as they're becoming hard to find ) and it had a different problem ..no sound coming out of left speaker ? I was distraught . I decided I was going to have a look and opened her up and found out that the speaker connection ( a simple plug in connector ) had worked loose ..I plugged it back in firmly and now , it sings like a bird . ( the sound is fantastic from these units )

[@CaptainDarrick]

Also Jon, I have an older M5+ ..It needs a display board ..( it is working but the ribbon connection to it is damaged .) Any ideas where I can find one ?

[@archloy]

Hi from France ! Thanks for the review ! I'm just curious about the internet radio : the list of radio is from witch services ? Is it simple to add radio not listed ? Thanks !

[@jeg1972]

Hi Loy, Like most Internet Radios, the list of stations is provided by www.frontiersmart.com/ but you can add your own favourites

[@archloy]

@@jeg1972 Okay thanks !

[@kamranakhtar7905]

Great review. I managed to get an octave however I don't have the USB option on the gui. However the USB does charge devices. Out of curiosity is there a way I can update the software on my Octave

[@jeg1972]

Apparently, since I did my review, John Lewis have changed some aspects of the Octave and playing MP3s from a USB sticking appears to be one of these causalities. You can upgrade the firmware by using the option under the System Settings.

[@kamranakhtar7905]

@@jeg1972 Hi John. Thanks for your response. What I was hoping to do was change the firmware et al on the chip and revert it to have the USB media playback option. However I can't find any information about the chipset on the frontiers website. Surely there must be a way we can stick the old firmware on a USB stick and force update. A bit gutted why John Lewis would do this to an awesome piece of kit.

[@sparrowshandmadebbqs4144]

will the .anttena come off so you can add a external one thank you

[@jeg1972]

Can you get the antenna off? Yes. Is it supposed to come off? No. 😄

[@wheelsares]

Thanks for the review John, love the product and its workability and sound. However, of late have noticed the loss of all those station brand logos displayed onscreen going with that station along with the song details playing that all used to be typical. Really helped with station identification. Now only the song details are being fetched? If I do a default reset, I will lose my saved station listings. Any ideas?

[@jeg1972]

I'm trying to speak to John Lewis about a few things and put this in a new video, let me see if I can work this out for you.

[@wheelsares]

@@jeg1972 Cool John, Thanks for that. JL might be aware if it was a central network broadcast problem, but all my saved stations are affected in the same way. Pity, as the logos are attractive, helpful and easily identifiable I guess. Keep up the good work and thanks for the reply.

[@wheelsares]

Hey John, a wonderful day in history! Those station logo brands are back onscreen again today, just like that!

[@jeg1972]

@@wheelsares Excellent news! Did you do anything to get them back?

[@wheelsares]

Lol, I spoke to soon .... guess what? That part of the software is a little glitchy I guess ... but no, I did nothing to prompt its (short!) return. Probably not my radio at fault though...

[@PeaveyPV20]

According to a recent review on john lewis website theres a updated version that does not play music from the usb. Are you aware of updates to the product since you bought yours?

[@jeg1972]

Interesting... I can't think why they would do such a thing. I've checked for updates again this morning but there were no new ones. I can confirm that on mine at least, the functionality to play off USB sticks is indeed still there.

[@PeaveyPV20]

John Gardner cheers. The review was in the past month and said the usb socket was for updates only but unit looks, could always wait until john lewis re-opens and try it out for the usb playback

[@sylla008]

Thank you John, great review.

[@jeg1972]

Glad I could help.

[@billjananne]

Great review. I have bought this radio. It is an excellent unit.

[@johndavies6258]

Hi John i have just read a review that says the usb port is only for updates not music is this true?

[@jeg1972]

Mine does allow playing music from a USB stick, but I've been told that some things have changed since my version...

[@johndavies6258]

Cheers John

[@cosmicgirl2761]

Have you reviewed the bigger tenor unit ?

[@jeg1972]

I'll review it if I can get one 🙂

[@ravi911uk]

Hi John. My Octave does not have the "Player" option in the graphic menu and it says that there is no update available. It looks like the 'Player' icon in the main menu has been removed and along with it, the option to play music from a USB stick and also Music from a Network. I bought this because I really liked these options and it now looks like I'll have to return it and get something else instead. Very disappointing John Lewis..

[@jeg1972]

I think, judging by other people who have commented on this, that John Lewis have changed the firmware between when my version was released (2019) and somewhere in 2020. I've reached out to John Lewis to confirm this, but have had no response. I will try and publish another video warning people of this before they purchase.

[@ravi911uk]

@@jeg1972 Thanks John, that’s a great idea but what amazes me is that JL think it’s ok to remove features from the firmware AFTER people have paid money for the product! It no different to buying a car and three months after buying it, the manufacturer comes around and welds your passenger door shut!

[@rendlesham1]

Hi, John, I need to get a new cd player unit for my cello. have you managed to track these down as I have drawn a blank so far

[@jeg1972]

David, Is it still within Warranty? The Cello and Octave have a two year guarantee so if it's less than two years old you might want to try here; www.johnlewis.com/customer-services/guarantees.

[@rendlesham1]

@@jeg1972 Thanks, unfortunately, I bought it second hand so I cannot claim on a guarantee.

[@jeg1972]

Can you take the back off and see if the CD drive has a model number? In my experience, these are usually standard PC CD drives

[@rendlesham1]

@@jeg1972 The drive looks like nothing I have seen before, the interface is probably designed for a non pc situation. The maker seems to be ADAYO.

[@jeg1972]

@@rendlesham1 I think Adayo make car audio, it's likely to be the drive from a car stereo.

[@xefanzecoke8496]

Hi John, Thanks for this useful review. I live in an area with poor DAB reception. Does the aerial on the Octave have an f type connector so that you can unscrew it and connect to an external aerial? I see that the big brother Cello has this facility. Many thanks ....

[@jeg1972]

If look at 2:23 in my video, you'll see the aerial in question. I've not seen the back of the Cello in person, but looking at an image, they appear to be the same fitting.

[@phoslurperr]

I think this is the same as Lemega ME+ sold on Amazon in US?

[@jeg1972]

The closest Le Mega device I can find is the M3i

[@phoslurperr]

@@jeg1972 I meant m3+ - but in any case looks like the same family of products.

[@johnadey7331]

Hi John check out the Majority Internet radio another contender for john Lewis manufacturer

[@jeg1972]

I've got some Majority radios coming up for review in the next few months...

[@CaptainDarrick]

Where can I buy one of these and how can I know if it is the model which has a working USB port ?

[@jeg1972]

If they still stock it, it will appear on here; www.johnlewis.com/electricals/hi-fi-audio-speakers/c600005. There is no visual way to tell them apart, other that using the version of the software.

[@CaptainDarrick]

@@jeg1972 But you have to take a risk and buy one to find out ...that's no good, John ?

[@pinoisabeldominguezsantana1000]

Donde consiguió esta radio aquí canaria no ahí esta radio

[@jeg1972]

Te puede gustar esto en John Lewis: www.johnlewis.com/john-lewis-partners-octave-dab-dab-fm-internet-radio-with-wireless-connectivity-walnut/p5067041?s_share=jlappdroid

[@tamadoer]

Good Job.

[@jeg1972]

Thanks, I'm glad you liked it!

[@pattypersons8276]

The subwoofer is mentioned but not demonstrated. Why not?

[@jeg1972]

What sort of things did you want demonstrating other than the sound test at at the end of the video?

[@pattypersons8276]

@@jeg1972 I was hoping you would test the subwoofer and let us know how effective you thought it was. If you thought it noticeably enhanced the music. I've never had a tabletop stereo with a sub and was curious as to how much of a difference it made. Thank you.

[@jeg1972]

Well, it has much better bass response than my Bose Wave System III. Perhaps will do a review of both of them together.

[@pattypersons8276]

@@jeg1972 That would be interesting!

[@marvinbeutler2555]

Is Reciva going to shutdown?

[@jeg1972]

Yes, apparently on the 31 January 2021. A message on their site states ”Notice: With effect from 31 January 2021 this website will be withdrawn. Please refer to your radio manufacturer or supplier."

[@raymonddussault5277]

I LIKE JOHN LEWIS INTERNET RADIO VERY PROFESIONEL RADIO NICEOOKING RADIO......

[@jeg1972]

it is a good looking radio, one of the reasons I bought it.

[@peterpulpitpounder]

Same interface as the Como radio. Not intuitive enough, in my opinion. Grace digital is MUCH easier to use.

[@jeg1972]

Unfortunately, Grace Digital interface doesn't appear to be sold outside of the USA.

[@peterpulpitpounder]

@@jeg1972 Hmmm, perhaps that is true. Having recently tried the Como wifi radio, which has the same interface, and the Grace digitial, the grace is so much more user friendly. The como radio developed a problem the day I received it, so it was sent back. This was a blessing in disguise, as I felt the interface, as I mentioned already, was poorly layed out. No big deal. Life goes on, right? :)

[@jeg1972]

@@peterpulpitpounder Life does indeed go on 😀

[@peterpulpitpounder]

@@jeg1972 Yes it does. And the joy of life is not in "things". That's what the Good Book tells us, and how true it is. Have a great day!

[@chedge]

This unit looks like a good move towards a bedroom radio except that it will not auto dim to allow easy sleep. I will not buy it which is a pity.

[@jeg1972]

I'm looking for a solution for the dimming thing... keep subscribed and I'll update you when I find one!

[@RobS1972]

The dimmest permanently on display is far too bright for my taste but there is an option to have the display off (when both in standby and when being used) and activated only when you touch a button on top or remote. Go to settings, backlight, dim settings and set to off. The length of time it stays on after touching can also be adjusted from 10 seconds through to 60.

[@YuryFunny]

есть аналог этого радиоприемника, amadeus stretto dab+ internet radio . меню и внешне очень похож. спасибо за обзор.

[@jeg1972]

I'm afraid I don't understand the Cyrillic alphabet 😟

[@YuryFunny]

@@jeg1972 Hello ! I am in Russia, they brought me a radio from Norway, Spotify and DAB + do not work in Russia, the rest everything works. Only Internet radio under another brand of Radio Amadeus Stretto DAB +, FM, Internet Radio and Bluetooth,usb

[@jeg1972]

@@YuryFunny I agree! This looks identical; www.power.no/hoeyttalere-og-lyd/radio/amadeus-stretto-dab-internet-radio/p-398029/

[@kohnfutner9637]

That is a lot of bass chuffing. Sounds like Bose.

[@jeg1972]

I do have a Bose Wave Soundtouch and the Octave does appear to have more Bass response.

[@johndavies6258]

Just received mine today what a peice of crap sent it straight back.

[@CaptainDarrick]

Why was it a piece of crap..what was wrong?

[@ROCKINGMAN]

Despite the positive review, my only dislike is that the USB port is at the back. If one is to play music using this device often and the unit is against a wall, this would make access awkward. For this one reason I will not buy it.

[@jeg1972]

You can't really put it against the wall in any case as the power supply plug sticks out.

[@gordon5915]

ROCKINGMAN just use a short cable to provide access from the front.

[@ROCKINGMAN]

@@gordon5915 That's a good idea. I didn't think of it.

[@akunaesiobike_tv3009]

How can I in mute mine it's on mute

[@akunaesiobike_tv3009]

@@jeg1972 how can I in mute mine it's on mute

[@mervynhardy3693]

What is A equaliser?,shouldn't it be an equaliser? Why the fascination for using a HARD a? Awful grammar.