Roberts Revival Mini review
Contributing Editor
At Radio Fidelity, we’ll admit to being fans of the Roberts Radio brand, so we approached this review with pretty big expectations and high hopes.
Ultimately, throughout the years, we’ve always been able to rely on Roberts to deliver everything we were looking for when it comes to sound quality, performance, and style. With that in mind, we didn’t expect any less from the Roberts Revival Mini.
The Roberts Radio Mini is a compact version of the Roberts Revival. Imagine your favourite radio had a baby and made it available for a slightly lower price. That’s what you’re getting here.
The great thing about this small Roberts radio is that while it still shares the retro design of the Roberts Revival, its compact enough that you can take it with you on the move.
Trust us, you’re going to want to show this radio off.
Read on to find out what we made of the Roberts Revival Radio Mini…
Roberts Revival Mini review: Design and build
Let’s start with the basics: How does the Roberts Revival Mini look?
Well, at a glance, it’s exactly what you would expect – a smaller, more compact version of the Revival. There’s that fantastic retro vibe that made us fall in love with Roberts Radio in the first place.
Plus, you get a bunch of colours to choose from, which is always nice when you’re searching for tech that suits your style. We love the leaf, zesty lime and duck egg versions – but there are options from black to orange, red, grey, and pastel cream.
The Roberts Radio Mini is a super-stylish bit of kit, with a stunning front grille that just screams “Radio history”, and a carry handle so you can take your investment with you wherever you go. The gold plating really makes the accents of this radio stand out too.
One downside? The radio uses an LCD screen, which just isn’t that nice to look at in today’s era of high-tech gadgetry. However, it’s not too much of a deal-breaker. Even with the imperfect display, the Roberts Mini radio will catch attention wherever you go.
Roberts Revival Mini review: Features
Now, the Roberts Revival Mini looks great, it sounds amazing, and it even feels good to carry around with you. However, Roberts is offering their smaller radio at a discount price, which also means that you have to compromise a bit on features.
At the top of the Roberts Mini DAB radio, you’ll find a set of dials and buttons that allow you to choose preset stations and change your volume as needed. The experience is very straightforward – excellent for anyone who’s sick of the bells and whistles of modern radios.
Unfortunately, the Roberts Revival Mini is also lacking some crucial features, like Bluetooth and a USB port, or even an alarm function. You don’t necessarily need those features to enjoy your radio, but their absence makes the experience a bit lacklustre.
Features include:
- DAB, DAB+ and FM wavebands
- FM RDS to show the stations name on your display
- Preset station options
- Clock function
- Built-in battery charger
- Stereo line-in for playing music from phone, iPad or computer
The Roberts Revival radio mini also comes with a 1 year warranty when bought straight from the brand, and you can either power it by the mains or use batteries (not provided), to take it with you on the move.
Roberts Revival Mini review: Sound quality
You could argue that the Roberts Revival Mini is a bit of a gimmick. It’s a way to get your hands on the Roberts name without having to spend as much as you would for the true Revival. It’s also an opportunity to check out some of the amazing styles of Roberts Radio too.
However, while the mini might be lacking in features in some areas, the good news is that it doesn’t have any trouble with sound quality. Like the other radios in the Roberts portfolio, you can expect a smooth and warm sound that’s sure to revive your love of music.
Not only that, but the Roberts Mini radio can still perform at high volumes – despite its compact size. Though it’s not perfect, the Roberts Mini radio is proof that big things really can come in small packages.
Roberts Revival Mini review: Verdict
So, should you buy your own Roberts Mini DAB radio?
Well, that depends. The Mini isn’t as compelling as the original Revival, but we can definitely see it has appeal. The Mini provides a portable and cost-effective option for people who want to become a part of the Roberts community.
If you’ve always wanted to explore the benefits of Roberts sound quality for yourself, or you just love that Retro look, then the Mini is a fantastic entry point into the brand. Additionally, while it doesn’t come with certain features, like an alarm, it does feature everything you need for a good radio experience – which is what counts.
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