Pure Evoke F3 review
Contributing Editor
These days, radio systems are becoming gradually more impressive.
You don’t just have the choice between FM and AM signals anymore. The best radios come with access to everything from DAB digital stations to Bluetooth streaming. For instance, the Pure Evoke F3 is one of the latest state-of-the-art radios from the Pure brand.
Despite a relatively low price tag of just under £130, the Evoke F3 comes with many of the most important features that modern listeners are looking for, including a digital tick approval, Bluetooth streaming, and DAB+. This compact radio even comes with a handy full-colour screen.
If you’re wondering whether a modern radio could be the perfect addition to your home, we’ve got you covered.
Read through our Pure Evoke F3 review to learn more.
Pure Evoke F3 review: Design and build
The Pure Evoke F3 is a part of the “Evoke” range from Pure. This portfolio of products comes with a wide selection of excellent devices, including DAB/CD players and standalone digital radios.
The Pure Evoke F3 doesn’t instantly look like a part of the rest of the Evoke set, because there’s only one colour to choose from. However, you still get the same real wood surround sound that you get with other Evoke products. What’s more, you won’t have a CD player included with the Evoke F3, but you do get Spotify streaming instead.
At first glance, we felt that the Pure Evoke F3 Digital DAB/FM/internet radio looks a lot like an old-fashioned television. There’s a large single speaker towards one side of the set, and a small colour display on the other side. The colour screen is perfect in a range of light conditions and delivers plenty of information about what you’re listening to.
The Evoke F3 is also surprisingly small when you consider how powerful it is. Like many other products from Pure, this model has clearly been designed with compact performance in mind. We think that’s excellent – as it means you can fit your new radio into your living room, bedroom, or kitchen with ease.
Pure Evoke F3 review: Features
The Pure Evoke F3 is one of the less expensive options in the Evoke range, largely because it’s lacking the CD player function that comes with many other models. However, if you don’t have a huge CD collection anyway – then this product could be ideal for you.
According to many owners, the F3 fully makes up for its lack of a CD player with extra features like DAB digital radio which provides access to stations all across the globe. If that wasn’t enough, you’re also going to have access to endless online and FM channels too, so you shouldn’t struggle to find something to listen to.
The Pure Evoke F3 internet DAB radio also comes with access to Bluetooth for all your smartphone or laptop music lists. You can even connect the device to Spotify with an in-built app that’s easy to access from your colour screen. Frankly, we were impressed with just how many options you get with the Evoke F3.
Features include:
- Ultra-clear 2.4 inch colour display
- Remote control management through the Pure Select app
- 20 pre-sets to help you find your favourite channels
- Good quality sound
- Built-in Bluetooth
- Spotify connect access
- DAB, DAB+, digital and FM radio
- 3 year warranty
With so many features, you’d expect the Evoke F3 to be a clunky or large machine. However, we think it would fit neatly onto any coffee table or bookshelf without much of an issue. If you’re looking for the ultimate solution for modern audio, the Evoke F3 could be exactly what you need.
Pure Evoke F3 review: Performance
Last but not least, our Pure Evoke F3 review wouldn’t be complete without a look at how well this device performs. From a usability perspective, we found the F3 model to be very intuitive. The colour screen makes finding the content you need a lot easier, and the fact that you can access and control your music from a smartphone app is a huge bonus.
The only downside is that this product might not be the perfect choice for older people who don’t have a lot of experience with technology. You do need at least basic tech-savvy knowledge if you don’t want to spend hours going through the Pure Evoke F3 manual.
When it comes to sound performance, the Evoke F3 doesn’t have quite as many customisation options as some other DAB radio options. However, you shouldn’t need to spend too much time fiddling with the audio anyway. The Pure Evoke F3 internet DAB radio comes to you hand-tuned by the engineering team at Pure.
The wooden cabinet, with support for extra bass and the powerful amplifier built into the system, ensures that you get a comprehensive and rich sound that fills moderately sized rooms. The depth of the sound combined with the wide selection of internet radio stations and other listening options you get from the F3 makes it a truly versatile piece of tech at this price point.
Pure Evoke F3 review: Verdict
At first glance, the Evoke F3 seems a bit like the black sheep when compared to the rest of the Evoke family. There’s no CD player, no fancy traditional wood colouring, and a highly modern colour screen.
However, perhaps this model is evidence that sometimes modern tools can be just as attractive as their traditional counterparts.
We liked the unique design of the Evoke F3, which reminded us of a traditional television set, but was still compact enough to fit into most rooms. What’s more, access to Spotify Connect and Bluetooth helps this device to really stand out for modern users.
However, we think that this tool may not be 100% ideal for older customers who aren’t familiar with tech.
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