Roberts are best known for their iconic Revival series of radios, but they also make a variety of other models too. The Roberts Play 11 is one of the more affordable radios they produce, with an RRP of around £50.
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Design & build
The reason why this model is named the "Play 11" is simple- it's the successor to Roberts' popular Play 10, which was similar in functionality. However, the 10 wasn't the most modern-looking of radios, For the Play 11, Roberts have gone back to the drawing board, and come up with something a lot more aesthetically pleasing. The Play 11 comes in two different colours: black or white (which is really more of a grey on the front). The main body of the radio is plastic, but it has a rather nice fabric speaker grille on the front, which makes it feel a lot more premium than the price point would suggest.
All the controls are located on the top of the Play 11. There are two dials, one for volume and one for scrolling through stations, which makes controlling the radio much more intuitive. In between them is the screen, which displays two lines of text. Many radios of this size only display one line of text at a time, whereas the Play 11 shows both the station name and track information.
Below the screen are three buttons for additional features, which we'll get onto later. Finally, on the back of the radio, there's a telescopic aerial which tucks away nice and securely when not in use.
Sound performance
Design is one thing, but a decent radio needs to sound good above everything else. Roberts have a reputation for excellent sound quality, and we're pleased to say that the Play 11 lives up to this reputation. Given the price point, it's naturally not going to be on the same level as the brand's more expensive radios. But for a model of this size and price, we were impressed with the balance on the Play 11. If you've got the money to spare, then we'd still probably recommend upgrading to the Roberts Revival Petite 2. Given that model costs twice as much, though, the Play 11 is still a decent pick.
Features
As for extra features, this is a portable radio, which means you don’t need to have it plugged in. Unlike some other portable models which require a special power pack or expensive C-type batteries, the Play 11 just takes four standard AAs. We’d recommend buying a set of rechargeable ones so that you’re not having to keep buying them- unfortunately they won’t charge in the radio itself which is a bit annoying, but there you go. And you don’t have to use it with batteries, you can also plug it in to the mains using the included USB adapter. Happy days!
There's also the option of saving station presets. Simply press and hold the preset button (the one with a heart on) while listening, and you'll be prompted to save the station to one of the ten available slots. Up to twenty stations can be saved in total (ten on DAB and ten on FM).
The one thing that this radio doesn’t have is Bluetooth connectivity. To be fair, you'd be hard pressed to find a radio at the sub-£50 price point that also has Bluetooth built-in, just as you’d be hard pressed to find a Bluetooth speaker with any extra features.
Roberts Play 11: The Verdict
If you're looking for a portable DAB and FM radio that doesn't break the bank but still looks smart, the Play 11 would be a great choice. With decent sound and solid build quality, we think it's well worth considering.
Final Rating: 3.75/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐
