Pure Digital ONE > Reviews (8)

Our 'Pure One' digital radio has been an excellent long term investment. A good basic DAB radio, this has given us reliable everyday service for over four years. Reception is good and (mono) sound quality acceptable for its size. It's solidly built and straightforward to use. The only potential drawback is its limited portability, though not such a major problem when used mainly as a kitchen radio.

Background

This was our very first digital radio, a welcome present from our daughter who had carried out her usual painstaking research and chosen carefully. Pure had a good reputation as an established manufacturer, one of the first to enter the UK digital radio market. This model had been well received and has now stood the test of time, certainly compared with our short-lived digital alarm clock radio. It still represents a huge improvement over what went before.

Functionality

Our 'One' may not quite have all the bells and whistles of newer models but it still does what it does just as well as it did when we first got it. The range is now well established, with minor modifications to new models and some increased functionality, but I find ours still meets all our needs. We use it plugged into the mains on the kitchen window ledge, where it takes up little space and gets excellent reception on both digital and FM settings, with the aerial barely extended.

The usual information can be displayed 'on screen', including date/time, channel, signal etc., as well as 'Intellitext'. Scrolling text can apparently be paused and controlled, though I can't say I've ever explored this possibility.

Other standard functions include setting timers and 'presets'. Note however that while a sleep timer can be set, there seems to be no full alarm function. This model was clearly not intended for use as an alarm radio; indeed, the user guide specifically refers to 'kitchen timers'. Later models seem to have improved in this respect.

Connectivity is quite limited, as might be expected, with just a mains adaptor, headphone socket (presumably stereo) and a USB socket for system upgrades (not tested).

Portability and power consumption

Early experiments using batteries were slightly disappointing as power consumption is relatively high, requiring six expensive size 'C' batteries or an even dearer custom 'ChargePak'. However, the unit is quite compact and relatively lightweight without the batteries.

Usability

Basic functions like selecting stations and changing the volume are simple to perform. The controls are quite intuitive and not too fiddly. The display could perhaps be a little bit larger/more prominent but selecting the 'Backlight on' option definitely helps with this.

It is now quite some time since we first set this up but, as I recall, this was pretty quick and straightforward, as tends to be the case nowadays with auto-tuning digital devices.

These days we tend to listen mainly to national BBC stations and to Classic FM. Switching between these is quite easy, either manually or using 'presets' (up to 20).

In fact, I only quite recently bothered to store our favourites for quick access.

User guide

I was relieved to find this still available to download from the manufacturer's website (see below). It is concise with 10 pages of clear text and black & white illustrations. This is easy to follow, though rarely required!

Summary & recommendation

A good value, durable digital radio. Recommended, especially for kitchen use. Worth checking latest specifications.

Availability and price

Pure 'One' range currently available from c. £35. Check latest prices online.

Related links

* www.pure.com

[© SteveS001 2012. A version of this original review may appear on other review sites]