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The NUMAN One 2.1
Let’s look at this wi-fi radio in more detail…
Features
- 20 Watt stereo speakers
- Supports Spotify Connect for turning your smartphone into a remote control for Spotify
- Connects to the internet via Wi-Fi or LAN offering a wireless or wired internet connection
- Aux input for connecting an MP3 player or other device
- Dual alarm clock with snooze function
- Sleep timer
- 7 cm colour display
- Saves 10 preset radio stations
- Predefined and customised equaliser settings
- Remote control
- Headphone jack
Dimensions: 28 cm wide x 11.5 cm high x 19.5 cm deep
Weight: 2.6 kg
Performance and design
Design and build quality
The NUMAN One has an attractive wooden casing, and the moment you take it out of the box you’ll know you’ve bought a high quality product. It feels sturdy and well made, and the wooden casing feels expensive and authentic.
The controls are positioned on the top of the radio in a circular shape, and are easy to push down while still offering a decent amount of resistance. The controls are all located very close together, which could make the radio harder to use for those with poor eyesight.
On the back of the radio you’ll find a sturdy telescopic aerial as well as ports for LAN , line out and aux-in.
The colour display on the front is clear and easy to read when you’re close to it. It’s 2.8” wide, and has several lines of text, so it might be hard to read from a distance if your eyesight isn’t so good.
Sound quality
The NUMAN One has very good sound quality with two 3” speakers offering 20 Watts of power. The speakers can be turned up loud without losing clarity.
The speakers offer a lot of volume; easily enough to fill a living room. The radio has a good level of bass on the default setting, which might be too much for you. However, you can adjust the equaliser settings and reduce the bass by using the presets or creating and saving your own EQ settings. Treble frequencies sound good, though they are lacking in fine detail.
Connectivity
The NUMAN One is a very versatile radio with the option of connecting it to lots of different devices. As well as listening to regular FM and DAB radio, you can listen to 20,000+ stations available online over a wireless or wired internet connection, as well as listen to streaming services such as Spotify.
The radio also has Bluetooth so you can connect a smartphone, tablet or other Bluetooth device to stream audio from it. There’s also a line-in port on the back for connecting other audio devices such as a vinyl record player.
Pros
- Versatile with lots of music sources are available: DAB, internet radio, Bluetooth
- Easy to use
- Clear colour display
- Stunning design
- Well built from high-quality materials
Cons
- Default sound has too much emphasis on bass
- Sometimes supplied with a European-style plug
Verdict
The NUMAN One 2.1
Similar radios
The most similar radio to the NUMAN One 2.1 is probably the Ruark R2 MkIII, which the NUMAN One 2.1 appears to be based on. Like the NUMAN One 2.1, the Ruark R2 MkIII
Another high-end internet radio is the Pure Evoke C-F6
You can also check out our roundup of the best internet radios.
I’ve been doing some research and I am pretty certain that this model (and the almost-identically styled Tiny Audio Stereo Wide, which is distributed in Scandinavian countries), though aesthetic styling-wise similar to the Ruark model mentioned, are in fact based on the LeMega M4+, which is also definitely the basis of the John Lewis Cello (the JL Octave, without CD slot, is based on the LeMega M3+). The John Lewis models are the cheapest variants of these with styling most similar to (but not identical) to the LeMega versions. Their software interface is slightly simplified and lacks the built in Spotify interface – and so far looks like it doesn’t have UNDOK app compatibility but I’ve only just got my Cello so I will keep investigating.
Just to update (rather late, sorry!): the JL Octave (equivalent to the reviewed Numan model and the LeMega M3+ original) IS compatible with Undok, as is the JL Cello (equivalent to the Numan Two 2.1 and the “original” model which is the LeMega M4+) is also compatible with Undok.
One update to my first post, which I posted in a hurry: the Numan One 2.1 is of course the model tested here, which is the smaller version WITHOUT a CD player. This one shares a lot with the Tiny Audio Stereo (they look the same aside from badging) and seem to be based on the LeMega M3+, which looks somewhat different from the front. The John Lewis Octave is also based on this, looking similar but not identical to the LeMega from the front, but unlike the others, it has a rectangular button panel on top instead of circular. Strangely, LeMega do a version called the M3A which has the same top panel. All versions differ a bit in the software and the control interface resulting from it.
Once a CD player is included in the design, similar comments apply – the models then being called the Numan Two 2.1, Tiny Audio Stereo Wide, LeMega M4+ and John Lewis Cello. There doesn’t seem to be a LeMega M4A!
I am not sure how the Tiny Audio versions are priced, but the Numan models seem to be the most expensive by quite a margin, with the LeMega models being more expensive (but only by around £20-£30) than the JL models.
Thanks for the insight here. Would you expect any difference in audio quality between variations from different manufacturers? For example, was looking at the Lemega M4+ but the JL Cello equivalent got poor reviews by Which?
I ended up having a LeMega M4+ for one room and the JL Cello for the other, so was able to listen to them side by side. The audio quality (with which I was pleased) seems the same with both. The only difference is that the equivalent volume is reached at lower numeral settings on the JL than the LeMega. The JL’s cabinet is made from solid wood which is very attractive (both are walnut finish ones) whilst the LeMega is veneered in a slightly different pattern of wood. To my taste, the JL’s appearance is slightly nicer, as the cream plastic is a “cleaner” shade and the wide effect to the size of the LCD looks nice, along with the shape of the speaker grilles – but the JL’s actual display is less clear from some angles due to the background becoming brighter at angles and its white graphics (vs yellow on the M4+) are less contrasty – plus all of its other icons are spindly and basically white with an occasional hint of blue, whilst the M4+ uses bolder, full colour icons which are far easier to see at a distance and differentiate. The remote controls are identical in function but labelled in a slightly different style. I do however regret the omission of the Spotify Connect feature (NB it requires Spotify Premium) on the JL which the M4+ has, since using Bluetooth connection feature instead results in lower volume than other sources (on both versions) which is not an issue with Spotify Connect, which is also much more convenient and shows cover art on the display of the unit.