Disclaimer: Best Radios UK is audience supported. If you buy via links on here we may get a small commission. This doesn’t impact the price you pay & lets us keep the site free.
|
Summary: |
Buy it online: |
The Roberts Radio Classic R9954 is an affordable and portable 3-band radio that offers LW, MW and FM wavebands. Let’s see what it can do…
Features
- LW/MW/FM radio
- Mains or battery powered with 4 LR14 (C size) batteries
- Headphone jack
- Favourite station indicator for finding your favourite stations quickly
- Telescopic aerial
- 1W speaker output
Dimensions: 26 cm wide x 15.5 cm high x 9.5 cm deep
Weight: 970 g
Performance and use
The R9954’s sound quality is relatively good for a small portable radio, and it has a pleasant tone that isn’t too tinny.
The radio generally offers good reception unless you use it in a remote area. However, it can be tricky to tune in as the tuning dial isn’t very sensitive. This isn’t a problem if you mainly listen to the same station, but it can be frustrating if you want to change the station frequently. You can set markers to help you find your favourite stations more quickly, but you can’t save presets to instantly tune into saved stations.
One of the best things about this radio is that it’s very easy to use. You don’t need to navigate through any complicated digital menus like you would on most portable DAB radios. The R9954’s ease of use makes it a good choice for older people who don’t want to learn new technology.
Pros
- Feels well made and should last a long time
- Very simple and easy to use—you probably won’t need the instructions
- Affordable
- Small, and doesn’t take up much space
- Decent sound quality for a small radio
- Good battery life
Cons
- Can be tricky to tune in as the tuning dial isn’t especially sensitive
- No preset buttons
- No advanced features (though this is part of this radio’s appeal)
Verdict
The Roberts Radio Classic R9954
This radio isn’t for everyone, however. It doesn’t offer DAB radio, an alarm or any advanced features such as Bluetooth. However, this could be a good thing if your priority is simplicity and you don’t want something that is overcomplicated.
Similar radios
One of the most similar radios to the Roberts R9954 is the Roberts R9993, which has an almost identical design and also offers three wavebands: LW, MW and FM. Some of the main differences are that the R9993 takes AA batteries rather than C size batteries, and the R9993 is likely to be cheaper.
Another good portable AM/FM radio is the Panasonic 2400EB-K, which is very affordable and exceptionally easy to use.
For some more options see this article: Best AM/FM Radios.