I do not have a DR111 but I've got an opinion anyway

Trying to reconcile the dismal performance of the DR111 found by PCJ Radio [Vimeo][YT] with the enthusiastic reception over at drmna and friends. There is a video series of it in action, as well as signal generator tests. From the videos, audio quality is mediocre, but it looks to be capable of pulling in DRM even if the receiver is not in the target area (i.e. RNZI on the American West coast).

But if it costs $120 USD? Not worth it. It's small enough to be portable, but you're not paying for portability since it doesn't take batteries. And if it's not going to be portable, you really are better off with a cheap laptop, cheap radio with IF output, and Dream or Sodira as your decoder.

Can't afford a laptop? Then just get the cheap radio. Analog isn't going to roll over and die any time soon.

This doesn't sound like a ringing endorsement of digital broadcast radio. It's not. If the price tag of the DR111 is any indication, DRM will be expensive for a while yet. A cheap receiver should cost, at most, $20 to be considered cheap as AM. That's probably not feasible given the amount of DSP one has to throw at a DRM signal, so let's say max $50 for an inexpensive DRM standalone receiver.

I think you can get pretty close to $50 if you didn't have to pay to license the patents of the DRM Consortium. Nothing against them personally, I'm sure they're nice people, but do you know how much it costs to get a DRM license key to use in an Excalibur? Almost 50 Euros. At current exchange rates, that's about $60 USD, which is half the cost of the DR111.

I guess that assumes that the manufacturer is paying a license fee at all, as opposed to committing patent infringement, and is paying what the rest of us plebs pay. But if that assumption is wrong, then Chengdu NewStar is making sick, Apple-like margins, and not really advancing the cause of DRM for the masses.

Anyway, DRM used to be for people who can afford more than a cheap mobile phone. After the DR111, DRM continues to be for people can afford more than a cheap mobile phone.