Roberts Unologic review: A robust portable radio
Contributing Editor
Here at Radio Fidelity, we love any opportunity to play around with one of the latest products from Roberts Radio. When the chance to review one of the latest environmentally-friendly devices from Roberts came along – we were eager to leap straight in.
The Roberts Unologic DAB radio with built-in battery charger is one of the most convenient portable radios on the market today, designed for people who don’t like to be tied down with their listening experience. If you’re the kind of person who likes to have access to excellent DAB streaming when you’re in the garden, on-the-go or just working out with friends, the Roberts Radio Unologic could be just what you need.
Sure, this DAB radio might not be as stylish as alternative options from Roberts like the Revival Uno, but it provides reliable performance and excellent functionality when you need it most.
Here’s our complete Roberts Unologic digital radio review…
Roberts Unologic review: Design and build
Created by the incredible team at Roberts, the Unologic DAB radio with built-in battery charger is a portable system designed to keep you listening to the shows and tunes that you love, whether you’re in the garden, camping out, or just getting things done at home.
The Unologic claims to be one of the radios from Roberts with a lower environmental impact, but there’s nothing particularly eco-friendly about the design. The biggest benefit that this device has for the planet is the fact that you don’t need to plug it into a mains outlet to keep it powered up and on. You can listen to the Unologic with up 20 hours of rechargeable battery life instead. There aren’t any solar panels or wind-up functions available, however.
When it comes to assessing aesthetics, the Unologic is pretty straightforward. It’s a small, rectangle radio that you can easily carry around in your hand, with a tactile volume and tuning knob, and various easy-to-use buttons. There’s also an extendable aerial to improve your radio connection. The screen on the device is clear and easy to read – even in low light situations, and the whole design reminds us a bit of a bulky-looking envelope.
We’re not sure if that’s a good thing or a bad thing – so we’ll leave the verdict up to you. For us, however, the Roberts Play radio is a slightly more attractive portable option at first glance.
Additionally, the Unologic has a power button in a weird place – so it’s easy to turn it off accidentally.
Roberts Unologic review: Features
The Roberts Unologic is pretty similar to the Solar DAB 2, except it doesn’t have the option to power your listening using nothing but solar energy. You’ll get a very familiar set of features aside from that, however. For instance, the Unologic comes with tactile volume and tuning knobs, an extendable aerial, crisp DAB connectivity, a digital display, and more.
You’ll get about 20 hours of battery life from each charge on average, which should give you plenty of time to listen to FM, DAB and DAB+ stations when you’re on the move. There’s also the option to set your own presets at the touch of a few buttons too.
Like the Solar DAB, the Roberts radio Unologic is also very portable, with a lightweight design that fits neatly into most backpacks. There’s even a built-in battery charger that you can use on-the-go.
Another helpful feature we noticed during this Roberts Unologic DAB radio review is that the device also comes with an aux-in stereo line so that you can play music directly from your smartphone, tablet, or computer too. Unfortunately, there isn’t any Bluetooth for the time being.
Features include:
- DAB, DAB+, and FM connectivity
- Stereo line-in connection
- Headphone jack for private listening
- Built-in battery charger
- USB software upgrade option
- Black and white colour options
- Telescopic extendable antenna
- User guide included
Roberts Unologic review: Performance
Performance-wise, the Roberts Unologic DAB radio is pretty much what you would expect from a portable radio from the Roberts brand. The device can pick up DAB stations very well and deliver a clear and consistent quality of sound. Unlike other portable digital radios, the Unologic doesn’t distort your sound when you turn the volume up a little louder than usual.
Whether you’re listening to music on your Roberts Unologic digital radio, or you prefer to tune in to talk shows, this device will give you plenty of consistent sound quality, with a decent amount of bass when you consider its tiny size. There’s also a helpful “Favourite” button on the front of the device that will allow you to save your preferred station so you can access it quickly.
Unfortunately, the “Favourite” option only works for a single station, which isn’t much good if you want to browse through multiple channels to find the content that you enjoy. Personally, we prefer our DAB radios to give us a bit more flexibility.
Still, if you’re looking for a portable DAB radio with a built-in battery charger and price isn’t an option, then the Roberts Unologic could be ideal for you.
