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Pure Digital Evoke 1S DAB digital radio

A DAB hand?

The current text set can be scrolled through using the same Tune button as was used to freeze the text, so all the relevant information is available, not just what was on the screen at the time it was paused.

A more advanced text function is available through Intellitext, an on-demand text-delivery package that is supported by stations like Virgin and all the main BBC stationsT.

Pure Digital Evoke 1-S DAB digital radio
...and in cherry

You can choose which stations you want to receive information from and which categories of service from those stations, so a bespoke information delivery service can be established. It's relatively early days for this kind of thing, but we think there could be some good potential here for broadcasters adding value to their brands. But we're also sure many of them will see it as another avenue on which they could piggyback some advertising.

The 1S' sound performance is really strong for a product of this size. There is a full-range 3in speaker that delivers a detailed and warm sound with not to much brightness, but enough detail. Bass response is particularly good, and there is an all round clarity that helps the Evoke deliver a good performance regardless of whether talk radio or planet rock is your thing. There is also an optional standalone speaker, which can add a genuine stereo dimension to the radio as the drivers can be placed far enough apart to get proper stereo spacing.

The 1S' battery is billed as providing around 24 hours of fully portable listening. This can drop of a fair bit when listening at high volume, but the company has gone a long way to answering some of the battery life issues which have dogged the portable DAB radios of all kinds. At any time the percentage of battery power that's left can be viewed on the radio’s display.

Pure has attempted to improve the 1S' eco-friendliness. This product is the second from its EcoPlus range, and Pure claims it has reduced significantly the amount of power the radio uses in stand-by. We'd suggest it simply does away with stand-by altogether.

Still, Pure scores better by making sure the packaging is made from a minimum of 70 per cent recycled material and finishing the product in a water-based varnish. All documentation is printed with soya-based ink on recycled paper.

Verdict

This little radio has a lot to live up to given the strong popularity of its older brother, the Evoke 1. Thankfully, the Evoke 1S is leaner, with more functions and with a better sound, all in the now familiar Evoke package. The machine’s looks have also been tweaked for a sharper appearance and all the controls feel solid with a tactile ‘click’ operational action. If its a compact digital radio you are after, then the Evoke 1S is hard to beat.

90%

Pure Digital Evoke 1S DAB digital radio

Simple and effective. A future classic...
Price: £99 / €142 RRP

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