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The earliest and cheapest radio set for the home was the crystal set. The essential components were a fragile fine wire (the 'cat's whisker') acting as an aerial connected to a small piece of mineral crystal such as galena, which received and converted the signal to audio that can be listened to on headphones.

Sound quality was relatively poor, and the set could only really be listened to by one person. But they had the advantage of requiring no power, operating purely on the energy in the radio signal.

From 1922 to 1927 the syndicate of radio manufacturers who comprised the British Broadcasting Company developed numerous sets, which were all badged with the Company's ±«Óãtv logo.