Pure One Elite Series 2 Radio Review

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The Pure One Elite Series 2 is a portable FM/DAB radio with some interesting features, including the ability to pause and rewind live radio. It’s been around a while, and was named the “Best desktop DAB up to £100” by What Hi-Fi? in 2010.

Let’s see what it can do…

Features

FM and DAB radio
Optional rechargeable battery (Pure ChargePAK C6L)
Choice of mains, batteries or ChargePAK
Pause, rewind and replay live radio (up to 15 minutes)
FM with RDS
Countdown/kitchen and sleep timers
Saves up to 50 preset stations (25 for DAB and 25 for FM)
Dual speakers

What’s in the box?

In addition to the radio itself, the Pure One Elite Series 2 comes with an AC power adapter and an instructions manual (also available online), as well as a 3-year warranty. Unfortunately the rechargeable battery isn’t included, and needs to be bought separately.

Performance and use

The Pure One Elite Series 2 has very good sound quality for a small radio, and the sound is crisp and clear.

The rubberised texture makes it easy to carry around without dropping it. However, it can quickly become dirty as dust and dirt stick to it, and it is quite difficult to clean.

The most unique thing about the Pure One Elite Series 2 is that it has a pause and rewind feature that lets you pause live radio and rewind it for up to 5 minutes. This is great if you didn’t catch what someone said and want to hear it again.

Pros

Clear sound
Durable construction with a rubberised exterior so it won’t slip out of your hands
Numbers on the clock are large and easy to use
Ability to pause and rewind radio

Cons

Reception can have a lots of interference and crackling
Battery pack isn’t included, and is quite expensive at around £30
Rubberised coating becomes sticky and dirty after a while, and it’s hard to clean

Verdict

First released in 2010, the Pure One Elite Series 2 is fairly old now. Nevertheless, it still performs well on both FM and DAB, and the pause/rewind feature is very useful.

When bought with the optional ChargePAK, this radio seems relatively expensive for what it is. Unless you want the pause/rewind feature, you can get a similar radio for a cheaper price.

Similar radios

A newer alternative to the Elite Series 2 is the Roberts Radio Play10. It’s a straightforward portable FM/DAB radio with a black design not unlike the Elite Series 2. While it lacks the pause/rewind feature, it’s a fair amount cheaper than the Elite Series 2 at the time of writing.

The Pure One Classic Series 2 is essentially the same as the Elite Series 2, but with a single speaker rather than dual speakers.

For some more options, see our roundup of the best portable DAB radios.