Roberts Radio ECO4BT Ecologic 4 Radio Review

The Roberts Radio ECO4BT Ecologic 4 is a portable DAB/FM/Bluetooth radio with a reputation for offering better sound quality than rival radios. Using Bluetooth, you can stream music or podcasts from your smartphone or other device. Let’s look at this radio in more detail.

Features

Dimensions: 30 cm wide x 10.5 cm tall x 10.5 cm deep
Weight: 998 g (excluding batteries)

What’s in the box?

In addition to the radio itself, the box also contains a mains adapter and an instructions manual (also available online).

Performance and use

The radio can be plugged into the mains or used with 6 x D batteries (which need to be bought separately).

The Roberts Radio ECO4BT is easy to set up and learn to use. Like most Roberts DAB radios, the ECO4BT offers good DAB reception compared to other cheaper radios. The volume, bass and treble levels all have their own controls, so you can get the sound you want much quicker than by going through a complicated menu.

The speaker is very clear and crisp for its size; it sounds like you’re listening to a larger radio. The radio has a richer bass sound than you’d get from most other portable DAB radios.

Using Bluetooth, you can play music from your smartphone or iPad through the radio’s speaker. Pairing the radio to a Bluetooth device is quick and straightforward, and you shouldn’t lose the connection. One of the best things about this radio is that it doesn’t forget the Bluetooth connection once you turn off the radio—it will automatically reconnect when you turn it back on.

Verdict

For a small portable DAB radio, the Roberts Radio ECO4BT Ecologic 4 has very good sound quality. It sounds like you’re listening to the radio through an expensive Hi-Fi rather than portable radio. The ECO4BT is more expensive than most portable DAB/FM radios, but if you appreciate quality audio engineering, it’s worth it.

It’s unfortunate that the radio doesn’t come with batteries, but apart from that there isn’t much to complain about with the Roberts ECO4BT.

Similar radios

A cheaper alternative to the ECO4BT is the 1byone Portable DAB Radio. It offers FM, DAB and Bluetooth, but doesn’t have the same quality speakers as the ECO4BT. It’s layout and design also makes it harder to use, but it is significantly cheaper (at the time of writing).

Another similar radio is the AZATOM Multiplex D1. It has a lot of features including FM/DAB radio, Bluetooth and USB charging. Unlike the Roberts Radio ECO4BT Ecologic 4, this radio also stereo speakers. It’s also cheaper than the ECO4BT.