Roberts Revival Mini DAB/FM Digital Radio Review

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The Roberts Revival Mini is based on the original Roberts Revival, which was designed in the 1950s. The Revival Mini is the smaller version of the Revival RD60, and has just the one speaker as opposed to two. Despite having an authentic 1950s-style design, this radio offers DAB/DAB+ as well as FM, and has a very useful built-in battery charger.

Features

FM, DAB and DAB+ wavebands
FM RDS, which shows the stations name on the display
Save preset stations
Stereo line-in for playing music from an iPod, MP3 player or other device
Built-in battery charger
Clock

Dimensions: 18 cm high x 14.5 cm wide x 14.5 cm deep
Weight: 998 g
Warranty: 1 year when bought new
Power: Mains operated or portable with 4 LR6/AA batteries (not included)

Performance and design

Ease of use

The Roberts Revival Mini has rotary dials for tuning and volume control, which are very easy to use. You can also set and recall preset stations by just pressing a button, which is much easier than with most DAB radios where you would need to press a complicated sequence of buttons.

Sound quality

The Roberts Revival Mini has a pleasant warm sound, reminiscent of older Roberts radios.

Design

This radio is based on a 1950s design, with an attractive metal grille, a wooden cabinet and gold plating. While it looks great from a distance, it feels a bit cheap when you get up close.

It’s a shame the radio uses an LCD rather than an LED screen, which would have been nicer to look at. The Roberts Revival Mini is available in a large choice of colours: dove grey, duck egg, leaf, pastel cream, zesty lime, black, orange and red.

Pros

Built-in battery charger is very convenient
Nice retro design—looks great in the kitchen
Small and compact
Saving and accessing preset stations is very easy
Pleasant warm tone
Clear instructions manual

Cons

No alarm function
No Bluetooth
Feels cheap on close inspection

Verdict

With the Roberts Revival Mini you’re mainly paying for the stylish retro design and the prestigious Roberts name, though it does have decent sound quality and the built-in battery charger is a great feature.

Most other radios at this price point have an alarm function, and many have Bluetooth and/or a USB port. If you want a compact, stylish FM/DAB/DAB+ radio and don’t need any other features, the Revival Mini is a good choice. You might even prefer a straightforward radio with just a few features.

Similar radios

The Roberts Revival Mini is the smallest and cheapest radio in the Revival range. The Revival RD60 is the next model up, and features two speakers rather than just the one. If you’d like a retro Roberts radio with more advanced features, you should consider the Roberts Revival iStream2, which has WiFi and Bluetooth allowing you to wirelessly stream music from your phone or listen to podcasts and online radio.

The most similar radio from another brand is probably the VQ Retro Mini, which is another great looking compact radio that you can get in a large choice of colours. The VQ Retro Mini is substantially cheaper than the Revival Mini, so it could be a good choice if you’re looking to save money.