Pure Elan BT3 review
Contributing Editor
There are some radio brands in the UK today with a reputation that precedes them.
One of those companies is Pure. Pure Radios pride themselves on delivering state-of-the-art audio solutions to radio lovers around the world. Pure products aren’t just stunning – they’re designed to combine form and function into the perfect audiophile experience.
While some of the Pure radios on the market are a little pricier – you do get what you pay for. Take a look at the Pure Avalon N5 for instance – one of the most compelling digital radios available. Today, we’re going to be looking at a slightly smaller and more affordable item in the Pure portfolio – the Elan BT3.
The Pure Elan BT3 portable radio offers DAB/DAB+, Bluetooth streaming, and retro style all in one neat package. Here’s everything you need to know about this digital tick approved device.
Pure Elan BT3 review: Design and build
The Pure Elan BT3 is a simple but effective portable DAB radio with Bluetooth streaming and a full-colour touchscreen. Available in a range of colours to suit your sense of style, this Pure portable DAB radio is ideal for any room of the house. There are a number of features that make this device really stand out from a visual and design perspective.
First, the Elan BT3 comes with a sleek, lightweight design – something you’ll be accustomed to if you’ve seen other products like the Pure Siesta Rise before. The Elan is compact enough to carry with you around different rooms of the house – and battery power is available if you don’t want to rely on the mains for your energy supply.
Another point to note about the Pure Elan BT3 portable, is that it’s one of the few DAB+ radios in its price range that comes equipped with not only Bluetooth connectivity but a full-colour display too.
You can browse through stations with ease, check out the album art for your favourite tunes, and skip through content without any unnecessary hassle. We loved how vivid the 2.8-inch touchscreen was.
If you don’t want to spend all of your time staring at the album artwork, you can even update the display to showcase things like weather details or even just the time. Combine the modern screen with the retro radio shape and a compelling range of device colours, and you’ve got the perfect blend of futuristic performance and aesthetic appeal in one product.
Pure Elan BT3 review: Features
Okay, so the Pure Elan Portable DAB radio looks great – and it’s lightweight enough to use in any room of the house too. But, what can we expect when it comes to features?
The Pure Elan BT3 radio is packed full of useful functionality, so you’re getting a great blend of fantastic-sounding radio, and fun extras too. We appreciated the fact the device comes with a headphone output, so you can use it at night if you want to drift off listening to music, without disturbing your partner.
Aside from DAB/DAB+ and FM radio functionality, the Pure Elan BT3 Bluetooth radio also comes with the option to connect your phone to the speaker. You can either use the Bluetooth setting or link your device up using the available aux-in port.
There’s also a kitchen timer (in case you’re using it while you cook), and two alarms built-in. Whether you keep it in your bedroom, kitchen or living room, the Pure Elan BT3 will come in handy.
Features include:
- Aux in and Bluetooth streaming
- Headphone input
- DAB, DAB+ and FM radio
- 40 available station presets
- Colour screen with a full TFT display
- Two alarms for your bedside table
- Kitchen timer
The chunky buttons on the Elan BT3 and the clear colour display also mean that this device is incredibly easy to use. You’ll have no problem browsing through stations and finding the music you need in an instant, even if you haven’t read through the Pure radio instructions before you get started.
Pure Elan BT3 review: Performance
The Pure radio brand is excellent at creating devices that are intuitive and easy to use. You won’t need to spend hours pouring over a Pure digital radio manual before you can start listening to tunes on the Elan BT3.
This device is all about simplicity. Connecting the device to your smartphone is a doddle with excellent Bluetooth pairing, and you can easily search through radio channels using the colour display too.
When it comes to sound performance, the Pure Elan BT3 radio has plenty to offer in that regard too. The device comes with a tailor-made 3-inch speaker that’s powered by a digital amplifier.
The Elan BT3 incorporates a host of equalisation settings so that you can adapt your listening experience according to different preferences and specific genres of music too. There’s also the option to adjust your loudness, treble, and bass to any individual requirements.
The FM connectivity is pretty good with this Pure radio – which might be a surprise for people who usually have to fiddle around with aerials just to get a good signal. Additionally, DAB+ access means that you’ll be able to unlock a lot of channels that you simply wouldn’t have been able to listen to with an FM device.
Pure Elan BT3 review: Verdict
Simple, attractive and easy to use, The Pure Elan BT3 portable is one of the most appealing devices in the current Pure portfolio.
We loved how intuitive and user-friendly this device was and appreciated the fact that we could listen to music using a variety of different connection options.
One other massive benefit of the Elan BT3 is that like many Pure products, it comes with access to a 3-year guarantee. That means that you have the peace of mind that comes with knowing your radio is protected – no matter what might happen.
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