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Roberts Radio was founded in 1932 in London and now operates mainly from Mexborough, South Yorkshire, with other facilities in Surrey and Suffolk. It’s now owned by Glen Dimplex and is the biggest seller of radios in the UK, selling more than double its nearest rival, Sony.
Pure is another British company, founded in 2002 and based in Hertfordshire. It’s most widely known for designing and manufacturing DAB radios, with over five million sold worldwide.
Product Ranges and Features
Both companies have the stated aim of building quality products, Roberts’ philosophy being never to compromise on quality with an emphasis on style, finish and performance. That’s won it four Royal Warrants and numerous awards.
Pure’s aim is to create beautifully crafted products with great audio quality and which redefine the radio listening experience. It’s also the recipient of numerous awards for its products and is highly regarded in the industry.
Besides DAB radios, Roberts also produces speakers and accessories, turntables and sound systems. Its radios include the Revival and Heritage retro ranges that have 1950s styling combined with modern features that include multiple connectivity and colour displays.
The DAB range features both mains and portable models and includes some from the Revival and Heritage ranges. Most have FM and DAB/DAB+ tuners, USB and Wi-Fi connectivity for access to internet radio and streaming services
Pure, true to its name, focuses exclusively on DAB radios, either mains or portable and car adaptors. All have the Digital Radio Tick Mark of approval and carry a three-year warranty.
Ranges include the well-known Evoke music systems and radios, Move and Élan portables and Chronos CD players with DAB and FM radio. Each has Pure’s stylish design, great sound quality and connectivity.
Models Compared
Popular models include:
- The Roberts Stream 93i won a What HiFi? award for three consecutive years and was commonly thought to be the best radio for the price. It’s been upgraded to the 94i and both have similar features: FM and DAB/DAB+ radio, Wi-Fi for internet radio, Ethernet and USB connections, 120 pre-set channels, multiple alarms, mains or battery powered with an optional re-chargeable battery pack and operation by on-device controls, a remote control or by phone with the UNDOK app.
The nearest equivalent from Pure is probably the Pure Evoke F3, which has similar features but is cheaper. - The Roberts Revival iStream 2 has a retro design with synthetic leather and a metal grille but up-to-the-minute features that include DAB and FM, internet radio and streaming via Wi-Fi and USB connectivity. There’s an alternative Blutune model that has Bluetooth instead of Wi-Fi. Unfortunately, there isn’t a model that combines both.
Pure’s radios have a more modern finish, so there isn’t really a Pure radio that compares with the Roberts Revival iStream 2. - The Pure Move T4 is a small portable radio with DAB/FM and Bluetooth.
- The Pure Evoke H4 Prestige Edition is another portable with DAB/DAB+ and FM radio. It also has Bluetooth for music streaming, multiple alarms, a colour screen and either mains or battery power from a ChargePAK rechargeable battery pack. This product has a similar price tag and a somewhat similar design to the Roberts Stream 94i, but without internet radio.
- The Pure Siesta Rise is a clock radio with twenty preset stations for DAB/DAB+ and FM, and a USB charging port.
The nearest equivalent from Roberts is the Ortus 3, which has a sleek black design and a large clock display.
All Roberts radios are sold through approved dealers and have a reputation for high quality construction and great sound. For those reasons, they tend to be more expensive than rival products; you’re paying extra for the Roberts name and style.
Pure radios are also of high quality, however, but tend to be slightly cheaper and all have a three-year warranty as opposed to the two years for registered products that Roberts offers.
As ever, it’s about comparing the features, assessing the quality and choosing the radio that meets your needs and budget.
what a nice review i have bought many Roberts radios over the last few years on ebay that have slight faults and the build quality inside is just average . Pure seem to assemble with far to many screws i guess to remove any vibration issues the product life of some Pure OLED devices was shocking but it was nice innovative feature the new Roberts radios need a tone and base control Pure have in some of the more top of range models . Local radio on DAB is weighted far to base bias for my ears and the BBC call it a style of the broadcast , tweaking the Tone settings can remove some of the Base Bias . One thing to note Majority Manufacture some remarkably cheaper look alikes sadly the quality of them is not up to that of Roberts and Pure time will tell if they last over 10 years
I purchased a Roberts Radio Expression which packed up within one year (lost signal reception) from Coop Electrical who subsequently replaced it. Just over a year later the same thing happened as it was now out of warranty. I contacted Roberts Radio directly to my surprised they would only offer to repaired it for £30 plus P&P another £16, I bit the bullet. I thought Roberts Radios were meant to last for ever. When it was returned it was a replacement as the serial number had changed. Eighteen months later exactly the same thing happened again. I contacted Roberts again and was told that I would have to pay yet again for a repair. When I questioned them as to why the Expression was no longer available on their website I was told it had been discontinued, I have to wonder why. I have subsequently sent two emails to Owen Watters their CEO and received a read receipt for each so I know he read then only to be ignored. I have now decided to buy a new DAB which will definitely not be a Roberts. I have also decided to spend the £46 that I would have spent on the repair on a new domain name something along the lines of why_i_would_never_buy_a_roberts_radio_again.com in the hope that I can deter others from being sold a substandard not fit for purpose product.