The Roberts Revival Uno BT is the latest in this range. Is it any good? We put it to the test to find out. Read on to discover what our experts thought of it!
Related: Top 10 Best DAB Radios 2022
Design & build
In terms of design, the Revival Uno BT is a familiar face. It's part of Roberts' iconic Revival range of radios, which originally date all the way back to 1956. Times and technology may have changed, but the basic design of the Uno BT still upholds that commitment to the very best quality that Roberts have always been known for.
The Uno BT is available in a wide range of colours: sunburst yellow, deep green, dusky pink, duck egg blue, teal, dove grey, pastel cream, and black. Each comes with a smart eco-leather casing wrapped around a wooden frame for superior acoustics. On the front you've got the speaker grille and the Roberts logo, while a matching eco-leather carry handle tops off the iconic Roberts silhouette.
The one part of the radio that differs from vintage Roberts models is the control panel on the top. There's an LED screen, along with two control wheels- one for the volume, and one for selecting stations. There are also some additional buttons above the screen for switching modes, setting presets, and so on.
Compared to other models in the "classic" Revival range (excluding the Mini and Petite), the Uno BT is the smallest. There's not an enormous difference- we're only talking a couple of inches.
Sound performance
So, the Revival Uno BT looks the part, but has it got the sound to match? We’re pleased to report that Roberts’ engineers have done a great job of getting the most out of a relatively compact speaker unit. In keeping with the look of the radio, they’ve imbibed it with a nice warm tone that harks back to the golden age of the wireless. In particular, it’s great for listening to speech content, so if you like a bit of Radio 4 or listening to podcasts, you’ll be delighted with the Uno BT.
Given that it’s a fair bit smaller than some other DAB radios, you'd be forgiven for thinking that it can't go all that loud. However, we were pleasantly surprised by how loud the Uno BT can be. Naturally, it's not going to reach deafening volumes, and if you want something that, say, you could listen to while you clean a whole floor of your house, you might want to look at something a bit bigger. But for a medium-sized living room, the Revival Uno is plenty powerful enough -and crucially, there’s no audible distortion even when you’ve got the volume up full blast.
Features
Our one complaint about its predecessor, the Revival Uno, was that it didn't have Bluetooth connectivity. That problem has been resolved with the Uno BT- that's what the "BT" in the name stands for. Pairing up a device is nice and straightforward, and once you've done it once, the Uno BT will remember it from then on, and will usually connect automatically.
At its heart, the Roberts Revival Uno BT is a still a radio. It includes both DAB and FM modes, and it's also DAB+ compatible to keep it futureproof, too. There's the ability to save station presets, which is very handy given just how many DAB stations there are nowadays. Setting these is really easy- just press and hold the preset button while you’re listening to the station you want to save, and a little tick will pop up to show when it’s saved. These presets are then saved in a separate menu. You can save up to 30 of them on DAB, and a further 30 on FM.
If you’ve got one particular station that you listen to above all else, then you can save that to a one-touch favourite button. The process works just like the presets, but with instant access to your station of choice.
The Revival Uno BT can also be used as an alarm clock radio, with snooze control and a sleep timer function for those who like to drift off to the sound of the radio. However, some people might be put off by the fact that the screen is on the top of the radio, so it's not that easy to tell the time at-a-glance.
Finally, the Revival Uno BT can also be used as a portable DAB radio. It takes four standard AA batteries, rather than having a built-in rechargeable battery as a lot of modern tech does. However, a few rechargeable AAs are undoubtedly cheaper than the add-on battery packs which many brands sell, which can run up to £30 or £40.
Roberts Revival Uno: The Verdict
The Roberts Revival Uno is a worthy heir to the Roberts name. While it's admittedly a little on the expensive side, the iconic design and superior sound quality make it worth every penny. With so many colours to choose from, there's sure to be an option to suit all tastes!
