Roberts Vintage radio review: Timeless style and sound
Roberts Radio is a UK radio brand that does a lot of things exceptionally well.
When you buy a Roberts radio, you can usually rest assured that you’re going to get excellent performance, a simple user interface, and plenty of powerful sound quality. However, the thing that we love most about Roberts Radio here at Radio Fidelity, is how attractive its products are.
Devices like the Roberts Revival iStream 3 and the Roberts Blutune 200 remind us of everything we love about radio and its amazing history in the UK. The Roberts Vintage DAB radio is another exceptional product from Roberts that gives you the perfect view into the past, without ignoring the future.
Offering the perfect combination of convenient modern tools like DAB+ connectivity with a stunning vintage look, the Roberts Vintage radio is like nothing else on the market today.
Here’s what we learned when we tried one of these bad boys out for ourselves.
Roberts Vintage radio review: Design and build
This Vintage Roberts radio is sure to stand out anywhere in your home thanks to its compelling and elegant retro style. Like many of the other leading products in the Roberts line, such as the Stream 67, this device combines futuristic elements like DAB connectivity, with unique pieces of historical design.
Around the sides of the Roberts Vintage radio, you’ll find a smooth wooden finish that both delivers a stunning aesthetic appeal and a higher quality of sound too. The Roberts Vintage also comes with authentic old-fashioned rotary volume and tuning knobs. If this is your first DAB radio, then these traditional elements will make it easier to get used to the new tech. On the other hand, if you’re familiar with the latest tech, the classical elements just make the design of the Roberts Vintage ever more charming.
Available in a choice of matt black and pastel cream, the Vintage is intended to fit anywhere in your home, whether you’re listening in your bedroom or kitchen. What’s more, despite a number of old-fashioned features, the Vintage still keeps up with the top contenders in the radio market with things like a built-in battery recharger, a favourite station button, and unlimited station preset options.
There’s even an aux-in socket available if you want to connect your smartphone to the Roberts Vintage DAB radio and play your own music.
Weighing in at around 898 grams and measuring 23.4cm wide by 8.7cm deep and 13cm high, the Roberts Vintage is also surprisingly portable. There’s even a robust leather carry handle included that you can use to take your music with you wherever you go.
Roberts Vintage radio review: Features
The Roberts Vintage radio is an excellent insight into why Roberts is still one of the most popular radio designers on the market today. The Vintage looks as though it was plucked straight from the early days of radio history, but that doesn’t mean that you have to compromise on features or functionality. The built-in DAB, FM, and DAB+ connectivity means that you can find your favourite stations with ease. What’s more, with unlimited presets, saving channels for later is simple too.
The lightweight and portable design of the Roberts Vintage means that you’ll have no trouble taking it with you on the go. However, what we really appreciated about this device when it came to portability was its impeccable battery life. You can get up to 80 hours on a full charge, then simply recharge your system with the mains.
If FM/DAB/DAB+ stations don’t have the tunes you want to listen to, the stereo line-in socket in the Roberts Vintage also allows you to access the system as a speaker for your personal playlists. This vintage Roberts radio makes stepping into the future easier than ever – particularly if you still have a soft spot for the past. Features include:
- FM, DAB and DAB+ radio
- RDS on FM to show the station name
- Rotary tuning and volume dials
- Aux-in socket for playing your phone’s content
- Stereo headphone jack
- Mains or battery-operated power
Roberts Vintage radio review: Performance
An attractive and easy to use radio set is great – but it’s also important to know what kind of performance you can expect from a device like the Roberts Vintage. The good news is that like many radio kits in the Roberts portfolio, the Roberts Vintage comes with exceptional connectivity and sound clarity.
Setting up your Roberts Vintage radio is simple, particularly thanks to its familiar and old-fashioned design. Even if this is your first digital radio, you’re going to take to it like a duck to water.
This set is particularly good if you love listening to podcasts or talk shows because it has a very clear tone and a high mid-range focus. One downside is that it’s slightly lacking when it comes to treble and bass, and there aren’t any options to adjust those settings manually. However, while some people might be disappointed by a lack of out-of-the-box bass power, others will prefer the simpler and cleaner sound of the Roberts Vintage.
Another major benefit of the Roberts Vintage radio’s performance is that you don’t have to stop listening just because you’re moving to a different room. The option to power the radio via mains or batteries means that the party can come with you, whether you’re indoors or outdoors. However, we’d probably recommend against taking something this expensive outside.
However, you will have to remember that you're paying more for the style of this radio than anything else. It's not the most powerful radio set on the market for high-octane music, and it's not as futuristic as some of the other radios available today. For around £150, you're only going to feel like you've got your money's worth if you want a beautiful design, great FM connectivity, and excellent talk show quality. This isn't the ideal choice for someone in search of a cheap and cheerful DAB radio.
