Korum Ksi6 Remote Alarm Set

How well is it built?

Each KSi6 alarm has a compact body with a deep U rest, which I like, because a deep rest holds the rod more securely when it's windy or when a fish takes line quickly.

The thread is an adjustable 3/8-inch fitting with an O ring, so you can line the alarm up straight on a buzz bar or rod pod rather than having it finish at an angle once it's tightened.

Korum have also fitted a rain hood over the high-output speaker, and for me that's a sensible touch on an alarm that'll spend plenty of time out in wet weather. Looking at the photos, the alarms and receiver have a clean, matt black finish with the buttons moulded into the face.

It's a budget set, so I wouldn't expect it to feel as tough as the premium alarms, and that's why it scores 7.5 rather than in the eights. Overall, I think it's a tidy, well thought out build for the money.

How good is bite detection?

Detection is solid for the money. Each alarm has six sensitivity settings, so you can fine tune it for different species and methods, from tight lines for carp to a more sensitive setting for shy fish.

That's two more settings than the Fox Mini Micron X in our guide, and the same number as the Nash Siren R2.

I like that the latching LED shows both forward runs and drop backs, because a drop back is easy to miss on a slack line and the LED tells you what happened if you weren't watching.

The alarms come with red, white and blue LEDs, which I think should make it easy to tell which rod has gone at night.

To be fair, it's a budget head and it doesn't offer anything beyond the basics here, with no extra sensing modes like the dearer alarms. Overall, I'd call it dependable everyday detection rather than anything special.

What are the features like?

The receiver works to 150m, which matches the top of the NGT Dynamic MK2's quoted range, and it has adjustable volume, tone and vibration. It runs on three AAA batteries, and each alarm takes two AAA batteries, so you only need one battery size for the whole set.

Korum also say the alarms use a unique encoding frequency and give a low-battery warning.

So, where does it fall short? Compared with the NGT, the list is shorter. It has a shorter feature list than the NGT Dynamic MK2, and the batteries aren't included, so you'll need to buy them before your first session.

For me, that's fine on a budget set, because the receiver covers the things most anglers use every session. Overall, though, if you want lots of extras, the NGT or the Sonik Gizmo 2 with its linked bivvy light will give you more.

Is it good value for money?

So, is it worth the money? I think value is the KSi6's strongest point.

It costs less than the NGT Dynamic MK2 and the Fox, Nash, Sonik and Prologic sets in our guide, and you still get six-step sensitivity, volume and tone, a latching LED for runs and drop backs, and a receiver with vibration.

You can buy it in two-rod or three-rod form, which I like, because plenty of anglers only fish two rods and there's no point paying for a third alarm. AAA batteries are easy to find too, so keeping spares in the bag is no bother.

Overall, I'd recommend the KSi6 to anglers buying their first set of remote alarms, and to pleasure anglers who fish for carp, tench or bream and want a receiver without a big outlay.

If you want more extras on the receiver, I'd look at the NGT, and if you want finer detection, one of the dearer Fox or Nash sets.