Joined in 2023 
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63 About this deal
Power: Mains operated or portable with 4 LR6/AA batteries (not included) Performance and design Ease of use Hi Nigel ! Just out of interest, is there a brand these days who impress you with after-sales support ? Something that customers would appreciate ! I suppose the thing with digital radios sold commercially is to "be happy with things that work moderately well"... Sony are still one of the best for after sales support, but like everyone else it's not what it was - the money isn't there to offer decent support any more. Everyone wants cheaper and cheaper prices, and cutting service support is one way of doing that. The Petite’s use of a micro-USB port for charging also feels a bit outdated when most of the competition are incorporating USB-C, but this is far from being a dealbreaker.
Roberts Radios are just cheap made in China radios, and seem to have very little spares support now.I've never known anything about Pure, as far as I'm aware there was never much support from them, and they seemed to appear from nowhere. The big caveat here is that there’s a definite volume ceiling. Up to 75% (or 15 out of the Petite’s 20 levels) it’s great, but that final 25% sees distortion creeping in on bass-heavy material and the tone becoming strident. On first switch on it goes into a tune mode for DAB stations and it found 67 in my area. It defaults to the first found. 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.
Aside from the aforementioned distortion at high volumes and minor dip in sound quality while streaming over Bluetooth, there’s very little to dislike about the Revival Petite. The Roberts Revival Mini has rotary dials for tuning and volume control, which are very easy to use. You can also set and recall preset stations by just pressing a button, which is much easier than with most DAB radios where you would need to press a complicated sequence of buttons. Sound quality After my problems with the Solar DAB II, and learning far too much about Frontier Silicon modules and the "closed source" business model for my brain to handle, I built my own software defined radio which decodes all the regular broadcast stations, which is what I enjoy listening to - AM, FM, SW, DAB and DAB+. For DAB and DAB+, it uses the open source software Qt-DAB. It runs on a Raspberry Pi 3 and uses an RTL-SDR dongle. For anyone looking for a reliable Bluetooth speaker with DAB and FM radio that you can throw into a bag and know that it’ll last throughout the afternoon and long into the evening, this little Roberts should be on your list. Any individual yet to invite the joys of the original wireless into their lives will find this device a compelling gateway product. It’s also a decent Bluetooth speaker, it offers wired listening, and it sounds every bit as good as anyone can ask for the price.For a truly tiny product, the Revival Petite sounds as big as you could reasonably hope to achieve; a credit to Roberts’ know-how when it comes to gleaning the best possible sound from a portable design. We listen to it outdoors hooked up to our old iPod. We listen to Capital FM radio in the kitchen, then talkSPORT DAB at our desk. We send a playlist to it via Bluetooth from our phone. Every source the Roberts relays is delivered with agility, textured vocals, pleasing depth and clarity. In Macy Gray’s I Try, Gray’s vocal is central, crisp and emotive alongside a regimented bassline in a cohesive, surprisingly detailed and musical mix. Listen to Debussy’s Clair de Lune and the keys feel three dimensional, with a generous sense of rise and fall through the dynamics. With the Roberts Revival Mini you’re mainly paying for the stylish retro design and the prestigious Roberts name, though it does have decent sound quality and the built-in battery charger is a great feature. 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. One feature which few DAB radios have is ‘Prune’ and this allows you to remove stations that are permanently off air or those you know you will not ever want. 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.
Most other radios at this price point have an alarm function, and many have Bluetooth and/or a USB port. If you want a compact, stylish FM/DAB/DAB+ radio and don’t need any other features, the Revival Mini is a good choice. You might even prefer a straightforward radio with just a few features. Similar radios 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. Our only issue is when listening to it at its top volume increment, number 20. Here, things do start to distort slightly through the treble (which hardens) and the bass (which begins to bloat). But take a moment to remember, this thing is the size of a modest 1970s battenberg cake – it is not intended to become an alternative to your hi-fi system. At more sensible listening levels, you’ll hear it display rare talent for its level. If you want alarms or EQ settings, let alone internet streaming features, then you’ll need to move further up Roberts’ price and size range, but if you just want a compact, simple and easy-to-use radio, then this one has you covered. The white goods suppliers seem to be a bit more hands on than the brown goods suppliers and a number still run their own network of service agents e.g. Electrolux's ServiceForce who may use independent repairers but are there to provide national support for their products.
COMING SOON 01.12.23
Occasionally, a product ventures through our testing facility that not only surprises us sonically but makes its way into our everyday lives, to the point that we miss it when the time inevitably comes that we have to return it. The Revival Petite is one such device. This radio is based on a 1950s design, with an attractive metal grille, a wooden cabinet and gold plating. While it looks great from a distance, it feels a bit cheap when you get up close. The Roberts Revival Mini is the smallest and cheapest radio in the Revival range. The Revival RD60 is the next model up, and features two speakers rather than just the one. If you’d like a retro Roberts radio with more advanced features, you should consider the Roberts Revival iStream2 , which has WiFi and Bluetooth allowing you to wirelessly stream music from your phone or listen to podcasts and online radio.
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