Roberts R9927 Radio Review

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Summary:
Ideal if you want a straightforward and reliable LW/MW/FM radio.

Buy it online:
See on Amazon.co.uk

The Roberts R9927 is a small and portable LW/MW/FM radio. It could be a good choice if you want something affordable and straightforward and aren’t ready to switch to DAB digital radio. Let’s see what it can do…

Features

LW/MW/FM wavebands
Treble and bass controls
Can be plugged into the mains or powered with 4 x C-size batteries
Mono headphone jack

Dimensions: 28 cm wide x 17.5 cm high x 9.5 cm deep
Weight: 1.11 kg

Performance and use

This radio doesn’t have DAB or DAB+, which means it’s not ‘futureproof’ and could become obsolete at some point in the future. However, it could be a good choice if you still have poor DAB signal in your area. It’s unlikely that AM or FM will be switched off in the next few years, so you should still be able to get a good amount of use out of this radio.

One advantage of this being an AM/FM radio rather than a DAB radio is that the battery life is much better than it would be on a digital radio. The Roberts R9927 should last for weeks before you need to replace or recharge the batteries. A portable DAB radio by contrast would normally only last about 8 hours before the batteries would need recharging.

The Roberts R9927 sounds decent for a small radio, and is fine for listening to speech stations like Radio 4 and Radio 5 Live. It’s not so great for listening to music, but you can adjust the bass and treble controls to improve the sound.

This radio doesn’t have many features, but this makes it very straightforward and easy to use. You can’t save preset stations, and there isn’t an alarm or sleep function. However, if you just want a basic radio this doesn’t matter.

Design-wise the Roberts R9927 is quite humble and doesn’t look very stylish or impressive. While Roberts are known for their high-quality radios, the R9927 feels a bit flimsy, though this is to be expected from a budget portable radio.

Pros

Straightforward and easy to use without too many buttons
Decent sound quality, especially for speech stations
Much better battery life than DAB alternatives such as the Roberts Elise
Bass and treble levels can be adjusted with separate controls
Low price (see on Amazon)
Good reception on all wavebands, especially on AM
Features long wave, which means you can listen to things like Test Match Special

Cons

No DAB radio
Feels light and flimsy
Doesn’t look very impressive
No alarm

Verdict

The Roberts R9927 is an excellent basic AM/FM radio from well known British radio manufacturer Roberts. It sounds quite warm when compared to cheap portable DAB radios, and has good reception. It’s quite a small radio, and would be better in the kitchen or bathroom than a large living room. This radio is ideal if you want a straightforward and reliable LW/MW/FM radio.

Similar radios

Roberts produce a number of similar LW/MW/FM radios such as the Roberts Radio Classic R9954 and the Roberts R9993. Their nearest digital equivalent is probably the Play10, which offers FM as well as DAB and DAB+.

Another radio to consider is the Panasonic Four Band FM/LW/MW Radio, which lets you listen to AM, FM and shortwave radio so you can listen to international broadcasts. For more recommendations, check out our roundup of the best AM/FM radios available in the UK.