Pure Siesta Rise review
Contributing Editor
For those looking for a perfect bedside companion, the Pure Siesta Rise is a serious contender. With its large LCD display, small form factor and a long list of features, this clock radio sees Pure demonstrating the perfect balance between functionality and design.
Compared to some radio brands, Pure strives to ensure its products are aesthetically pleasing while packing them with the latest technology.
A brief look at Pure’s history reveals a long list of pioneering achievements stemming back to the company’s inception in 2002, demonstrating consistent adherence to quality and the ability to see around the corner as far as innovation in the radio industry is concerned.
The Pure Siesta Rise is no exception to the rule, and this is probably one of the reasons that it forms part of the award-winning Siesta range of radios. To demonstrate exactly what it can do, we’ve created this in-depth review where we’ll explore different aspects of the radio and help you decide whether or not it’s a compatible bedside companion.
Read on for Radio Fidelity’s full Pure Siesta Rise review…
About the Pure Siesta Rise radio
The first thing that captures your attention after switching on the Pure Siesta Rise DAB radio is its large self-dimming clock display, which not only sets itself but also adjusts automatically for daylight savings.
Its compact size allows you to place it on a large or small bedside stand and wake up to your favourite station every day.
As is standard with all Pure products, the Pure Siesta comes with a three-year warranty, assuring you of long-term use to complement its premium price tag.
The radio offers DAB, DAB+ and FM reception, as well as a three-alarm setting and a 2.5 RMS output speaker. You’ll also have the option to charge your smartphone thanks to its USB port, but you’ll always have to connect it to the mains as it doesn’t allow for using batteries as a power source.
Pure Siesta Rise: Design
The Pure Siesta Rise is best described as tasteful and understated, with an integrated speaker taking most of its rear end and the controls sitting right above the top side panel.
Here, there’s a source button for switching between FM, DAB and DAB+, followed by the three-alarm buttons, another for switching to presets, and a menu button at the very end.
These form the first set. The second set consists of a power button, a snooze/station selector between two scrollers, and the sleep button.
While the CrystalVue LCD display takes up the entire front face, the Siesta features auto-adjust brightness based on its surroundings. This considerate feature ensures the Siesta doesn’t disturb your sleep pattern. There’s also the option to make this adjustment manually if the responsiveness of the display isn’t to your liking.
Pure Siesta Rise: Features
The Pure Siesta Rise has a list to get excited about. This includes:
- Up to 20 channel presets (10 FM, 10 DAB)
- Up to 3 alarms
- Adjustable backlight display
- Snooze button
- Gradually increasing alarm volume
- Provision for software updates
Weight: 0.5kg
Dimensions: 65mm (H) x 139mm (W) x 136mm (D)
Pure Siesta Rise: Performance and connectivity
We have no complaints about the Pure Siesta Rise DAB clock radio’s offering of up to 20 presets. If, however, you’d prefer not to set up those presets manually, the radio automatically tunes itself the first time you switch it on, so you can go ahead and set your presets from a pre-selected list of top picks.
The Siesta’s nifty alarm feature allows listeners to select up to three separate alarms, with the option to have a separate tone or your favourite FM radio station to wake you from slumber.
The alarm also gradually increases in loudness as it rings instead of suddenly going off and jolting you out of sleep.
Unfortunately, the Pure Siesta Rise doesn’t offer many great options for connectivity. Its USB port allows you to charge your device but doesn’t let you play any music from your phone or tablet.
It is also not Bluetooth or Wi-Fi enabled, but for those who can’t live without better connectivity features, the Pure Siesta Rise S is a Bluetooth-capable alternative.
Pure Siesta Rise: Sound quality
The sound quality on the Pure Siesta Rise is perfectly adequate, although it won’t shake the foundations of your living space.
Still, it’s relatively impressive, especially for a radio of its size.
Pure’s team of UK-based engineers have tuned the Siesta in a way that provides authority and scale while also performing well with talk radio. However, the Siesta Rise doesn’t come with an equaliser, so you’re limited to the factory setting.
Reception also depends on how well you extend the wire aerial, so you might want to think about things like the distance between the socket and your bed stand as you set it up.
Pure Siesta Rise: Usability
One of the biggest issues cited by users is the Siesta’s interface. Many owners argue that navigating an interface to select which presets to tune into is counter-intuitive.
If you consider yourself technologically adept though, this shouldn’t be an issue.
Aside from this, including a sleep timer allows you to set a time for the Siesta to automatically shut down. You can drift off to your favourite station without worrying about the radio playing all night – a prerequisite for a bedside radio at this price point.
Pure Siesta Rise: Verdict
This Pure clock radio definitely demands more than most people are prepared to shell out for a bedside companion, as its features, design, and quality ultimately justify its premium price tag.
At this price point, however, the Siesta Rise is not without competition.
Want to know the magic behind Pure’s radios? Here’s everything you need to know why it’s one of the top UK brands, The Pure Radio Story.
For another equally gorgeous device, you may be interested in our review of the Pure Move R3.
Radio Fidelity: For the love of radio.
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