Roberts Revival iStream 3L DAB+/FM Internet Smart Radio
Roberts Revival iStream 3L DAB+/FM Internet Smart Radio with Bluetooth – Portable Radio – Berry Red
 |  |  |  |  |  | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DAB / DAB+ / FM Radio | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Internet Radio & Podcasts | ✓ | ✓ | ||||
| Bluetooth | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Streaming Services | Spotify, Amazon Music, Deezer | Spotify, Amazon Music, Deezer, Tidal, UPNP | ||||
| USB Device Charging | ✓ | ✓ | ||||
| Aux Input for Legacy Devices | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Alarm Functions | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | ||
| Battery | 6 x AA | 6 x AA | 6 x AA | 4 x AA | Lithium | 4 x AA |
| Power Source | Mains adapter (included) | Mains adapter (included) | Mains adapter (included) | Mains adapter (included) | USB-C (cable included) | Mains adapter (included) |
| Headphone Socket | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Dimensions: | 10.6 x 25 x 16 cm; 2.5 Kilograms |
| Model: | REV-ISTREAMLBR |
| Manufacture: | Roberts |
| Dimensions: | 10.6 x 25 x 16 cm; 2.5 Kilograms |
| Origin: | China |
I purchased this direct from Roberts website to get a limited edition ‘platinum’ version of the 3L, but the only difference seems to be the front grille and top facia are silvery in colour rather than gold – the internal workings seem to be the same as the versions available on Amazon.
It’s pretty easy to set up, as long as you;re familiar with how to connect things to the internet and bluetooth – the menus are similar to my old Roberts WM200 internet radio which helps. The sounds is really very good on both speech and music, a nice warm bass sound for the size of the unit. I haven’t heard any of the ‘shoebox’ style internet radios like the 94i but certainly it’s a lot better than any previous portable radio I’ve owned. The sun shining through the window onto the front grille shows up two separate speakers within – a bass and treble, which must be unusual for a radio of this size. It does mean it’s mono only, but the sound is so good that I don’t miss stereo (I understand the line out socket is stereo so you can listen on headphones or connect it to separate speakers if you do want stereo).
The sound characteristics are slightly different from each source, so it’s worth fiddling around with the Equaliser settings. I somethimes find the ‘warm’ bass a bit overbearing, but that’s easily solved by selecting the ‘jazz’ option or manually changing the settings in the Equaliser yourself.
A word about Spotify – I was hoping to be able to control it from the radio without using my phone, but you still need to drive Spotify from a phone or tablet, and connect it to the radio. It has Spotify Connect, but you need a Spotify Premium account to operate that. However, it works perfectly well if you connect via Bluetooth with just a free Spotify account, and you can even control basic functions like volume and ‘skip’ tracks from the radio. You could also use a 3.5mm jackplug cable from the headphone socket on a phone to the Aux In on the radio.
Battery life seems as suggested – using Duracell 2500mHa batteries fully recharged, after 7 hours of use there was still one of the three battery ‘bars’ left, so 10-11 hours total time seems achievable. Cheaper or less powerful batteries might not give the same results though. It seems fairly slow to recharge too, so if you want a full day of battery use make sure you’ve given them an overnight recharge first. I’d definitely recommend fitting batteries if you move the radio around a lot, to stop it shutting down and having to restart each time you unplug it.
A couple of really minor quibbles – the presets for FM stations only save the frequency not the station name, and the wooden box structure of the unit mean that things that were on the back of my previous Roberts radio are on the top or bottom of this one. The fully retractable aeriel on the top sometimes gets in the way of the strap when I’m trying to pick it up – it took me a while to work out the best way to angle the aeriel. And having the power socket on the bottom is kind of awkward for me as I do move the radio around a lot (either to use as a portable or to plug it in to a different power cable in a separate room), but if you only leave the unit plugged in in the same place this isn’t really an issue.
I’d highly recommend this radio.
Really smart, tactile radio. It looks good, sounds wonderful and once I work out how to operate all the additional functions it will be in constant use.
With so many available radio channels and genres, it’s no wonder Radio 2 have lost all their listeners!
My mother had some of the cheaper Roberts Radios back in the day and they were truly awful. If you’re going to buy a Roberts Radio then it has to be the Revival. The only thing I miss of the old models is a turntable base. That apart, the warmth of the tone and clarity when listening to spoken voice or music transmissions is all there. The controls are actually very easy (they COULD add some old style plastic push buttons to select preset stations but then it wouldn’t look like the original). I prefer to use internet radio rather than DAB (zero interference although the volume is not as high at the top end). Love the colour. This will be my kitchen radio and will no doubt serve me well for a number of years.
Brought for my partner as she wanted a replacement radio alarm clock. However she loves it and has decided as it goes with the decor downstairs she’s going to use it there mainly! She’s going to buy batteries as well to be able to use in the gardenwhen the weather is better! The radio set up was fairly easy as long as you don’t get distracted and press the wrong button. Memory retained even without batteries which is good. Has a nice mellow sound and the volume is loud enough for an average house without being too loud. It looks great and is well finished. I remember my parents original Roberts radio and they look from a distance the same except the choice in colours now is far better. My son has brought his mum a 6 months subscription to Spotify which we have yet to set up but so far it’s been easy to use.
Just an absolute amazing and beautiful radio, worth every penny
I bought this some time ago and I am trying to set it up today.
I am finding it difficult to connect to my router.
The instructions are not clear and the time given to perform tasks is limited – problematic if the router is not in the same place as the radio.
Connectivity should be much easier – preferably automatic – once you have selected your router details.
I managed to get set up with help from Roberts customer services.
The sound is great and it’s a very well constructed radio. Station selection is fiddly.
It’s a great product but not the easiest thing to set up.
Purchased this radio for my wife. She loved it. Early impressions – The build quality is excellent. Sound quality is decent for its size. The controls and knobs feels premium and the UI is easy to understand. The smartphone app works fine in my iPhone. It’s pricey, but for me it’s totally worth the price. Thank you Amazon for the discount.
The 2nd one I’ve bought. The first was for my bedroom, and this one’s for the kitchen. I love it so much!
Given as a gift to my Mum to replace old Analouge Radio. The Internet function picks up obscure Radio stations which are usually picked up by Analouge Radios with lots of hiss, crackle and overlapping signals.
The settings at first seem complicated, but once you use them once or twice, they are fairly straight forward and user friendly. Sound quality is excellent, only downside is volume is limited probably to protect speaker, so is fine.
This radio is a little gem. I was very surprised to find that Robert’s have not only given the radio a retro style but its sound is almost retro too , and more familia to a beautifully rounded analogue sound of the past. It takes me right back to the radio I was used to as a child. Considering the size of the radio its small speaker fills the room like something much bigger of 30 years ago. It’s now become a pleasure to go into the kitchen and work, and I even found myself sitting in there at the table purely for the pure pleasure of listening to the radio. I must say that this nicely sized device has done wonders in terms of life enhancement and I haven’t even taken it out of doors yet. In addition it has a lovely feel and is easy to set up. It connected with internet, Spotify and reached DAB stations right away, even in a wireless problem spot, and not hard to figure out which knobs and buttons do what.
This radio is a jack of all trades and a master of most. Many versatile input methods. Sound quality is excellent for all day listening. There are minor limitations to its many functions. For example Spotify requires another device to use and the USB playlist shuffle function will not work if there are too many tracks. FM and DAB depends on your location signal reception strength. My favourite usage is for internet radio which works fine. Battery life is very poor. Battery mode is OK for short power cuts, otherwise only use radio on mains electricity. Power consumption is 2 watts when playing music. When ‘off’ consumption is 1 watt which can deplete batteries. Active efficency is good. Batteries must be at maximum strength to work. Quality rechargeable batteries are recommended. Disposable batteries are simply impractical.
Nice well made speaker radio. 6 AA batterries are not good enough to last with blue tooth or wifi a built in recharge battery would’ve bette
This Roberts Revival iStream 3L DAB+/FM Internet Smart Radio with Bluetooth – Portable Radio – Midnight Blue is great! Nice quality! easy to use! nice sound quality! Very handy! Good value for money
Great sound but battery life is a little disappointing and I am using duracell rechargeable but only get a couple of hours out of them and that’s just using DAB mode.
Superb radio. Have had Roberts for years now and they never fail to impress. Excellent DAB reception, also links up as a bluetooth speaker. Sound quality is superb. Can’t fault it. And on top of all that it looks dead funky as well! 5 stars, I just love it.
I didn’t think I would ever be so impressed with a radio. This Roberts radio has brilliant sound and has the retro look. The radio is really easy to set up and it easily connects to the internet.
AC Adaptor
Radio
Streamling Services Leaflet;
Manual
Measurements: 10.6L x 25W x 16H centimetres
Seamless streaming with Bluetooth connectivity
Smart Radio & Internet, DAB+, FM radio
Built-in Spotify and Deezer
Acoustically tuned wooden casing
This is a great product that is reasonably priced. As they say you get what you pay for.
The sound quality is great at all volumes including high and low and you can configure it to various music and spoken word styles very easily. Right now I am listening to classical FM using the rock mode – and it sound superb.
You also have three power source choices – cable, 6 AA batteries or 6 rechargeable batteries. The AA batteries don’t seem to last more that a few hours, so I am likely to buy rechargeable ones to use with this radio – they then recharge through the regular power cable.
The radio looks super too – the quality, retro appearance is absolutely in keeping with the excellent sound quality. This radio is not at all cheap, but it is most certainly a high end, quality item, that should last for years and years – not so expensive when you think how much pleasure it will give you for a long time.
I am really pleased with this digital radio and think it is very good quality.
The radio came in a lovely, smart box, suggesting good quality and was well-packaged inside with no plastic waste.
The radio can run from the mains or batteries. You can select whether the batteries are rechargeable or not. 6 AA batteries are required. I have chosen to run this off the mains.
The set up wizard makes getting the radio connected really straight-forward — easier than what the instructions imply! It is smart and intuitive. The only fiddly bit was having to scroll through all the letters, numbers and characters when it came to imputing the wi-fi password.
The radio has very good audio quality. The display is clear, bright and in colour. The text is not too small to read. It is easy to navigate through the controls. Spotify connects automatically to play through the device; other streaming services require the UNDOK app.
This app is easy to use and you can control all radio functions from it, even including the power. For Amazon music, your likes and playlists are still visible but you cannot add to them — this needs to be done through the dedicated Amazon Music app instead. There is some lag when you choose to skip tracks and sometimes the phone takes a while to catch up.
I like being able to stream music and still use my phone. I can make phone calls and the music is not interfered with. The radio is even easier to control from the app and I like its functionality.
This is a high quality radio that looks good and sounds good. The versatility of listening to FM radio to podcasts and streaming means this is a device that adapts to listening habits. I think all generations would be able to use this device, especially because of the ability to control it from a smart phone and the controls are larger too. I would highly recommend it.
Lovely clear sound, brilliant and clear. Very easy to find a Country and station, wish I’d bought an internet radio earlier, my Roberts short wave radio is now redundant and used for display only .Well done again Roberts.
Beautifully packaged and protected.
Omg when I first saw it, I fell in love!
Well Done Roberts on this Revival iStream Edition, it oozes with quality, everything about it is so well made and well designed.
You have a nostalgic/retro design, beautiful leather casing, nice weight, love that this is rechargeable so you can take this anywhere with you, quick recharge time, I had this on all day from 9am till about 6pm playing music, great play time from one full charge, you even get a switch for the type of battery you use.
You can set up the iStream manually or you can download the UNDOK App and do it that way, I tried both ways which was very easy to do.
The screen on top shows what’s playing, who’s singing, you have the choice of fm radio, DAB, Podcasts, Deezer, Amazon Music, Spotify enabled, there is a usb on the top, headphones socket, they’ve thought of it all with this!
Multi functional buttons and knobs, so easy to navigate your way around, sound quality is amazing, I’ve had this blaring with no distortion at all, you can change the sound equaliser depending on what genre you are listening to.
Amazing range colour choices, I’m gutted I never saw the Amy Winehouse Limited Edition.
This one fits in with my colour scheme in my open plan downstairs living room, kitchen, diner.
One very happy bunny am I
We already had a Roberts DAB radio but my husband wanted one for the garage. Our existing one is about 12 years old but still working perfectly so he’s having that in the garage.
The new one is a lovely looking radio in a vintage retro design and the blue matches our kitchen.
It was fairly easy to set up and the sound is perfect.
Can be used on batteries but as it will permanently be in our kitchen we don’t really need them.
The LCD screen us easy to see and read.
It’s expensive but it is a quality radio.
Extremely pleased with our 2nd Roberts DAB radio
My first ever roberts radio and I am so inlove.
A great radio with very impressive sound quality. I would say that it is on a level with some more expensive radio. Nice and simple to set up and the internet radio feature which is great for my husband as he loves listening it.
I love the bluetooth options as I can stream my youtube from my phone and play so well, the sound is amazing with good volume. I plugged it normally when at home, it has good length cable which I set up on our garage as I listen to my tunes.
Its great when you have your own playlist amd can skip any unwanted music or if you just want to tune in on local radio, the antenna coverage is great and long.
Having these is like a having a posh bag its so cute in cream colour, each buttons are made well and the entire body is finish to detail.
There’s a reason why this radio is so expensive, its are well worth it and will give you so much more enjoyment that cheaper radios from other brands. You get what you pay for! Highly recommended, would make a great gift.
Personally I don’t need the Amazon Music or Spotify or Deezer facilities – I just want a solid internet radio with DAB and FM.
This is that, in a quality build.
The only thing missing in my opinion – and I’m surprised that it does not provide the functionality – is media streaming of music from my own computer network (DLNA etc). My TV does this as do many rival products in a cheaper price band.
However, it does what it says it does, does it well – so 5 stars. Add media streaming and I would be more effusive.
This is our first Roberts DAB radio, and while we have become familiar with DAB through a couple of other major brands, the main functions are quite similar and familiar. This radio has a solid feel with nicely balanced buttons — they are responsive without feeling flimsy (a difference from some less expensive options we have tried). The styling is retro and understated — the smoky blue leather/fabric cover would blend into most traditional decors. The look is not sleek or modern but then it’s not intended to be.
It is easy to set the radio up for direct signal reception and connection to home wifi. Finding, storing and retrieving DAB stations is intuitive and even when switched off the presets are maintained. There is a good alarm function with choices of how you wake up. Having all the controls on the top of the radio make it particularly suited for bedside use (but of course the clock is less visible from across the room than if on the front panel).
I struggled a bit at first with the streaming function — the significant added extra of this radio — as I am not really used to streaming in general. However, once connected to an account (I connected to my Amazon Music membership), it is okay to use — it can be controlled from the radio itself but is actually easier if controlled from your phone or tablet using the streaming service’s own app. There is an app — Undok — you will benefit from downloading to make the radio easier to use. Initially I didn’t download it as the setup instructions suggested setting up without it, but I soon found I would need it for streaming and podcasts.
The sound is very good. I mostly listen to talk (Radio 4, audiobooks, podcasts) but having tried some of my favourite music I can confirm that the sound is clear and strong both on radio and streaming. It’s possible to adjust the bass and while I didn’t feel the need for this, I can imagine it would be useful for a serious music fan (whether of Beethoven or Black Sabbath). I haven’t tested it at high volume but even at a moderate setting I can easily hear the radio as I move around a large room.
The radio is in theory portable and uses standard rechargeable batteries — which will recharge in the radio if plugged in, saving the need for separate charging. It’s a fairly large unit to carry around (but the sturdy handle helps) and I wouldn’t expect its primary purpose to be as a portable; it weighs nearly 2kg so perhaps it would be best used in a semi-permanent setting (like the garden shed) where battery power is needed but the radio isn’t actually being carried in use. The batteries don’t seem to last as long as the handbook suggests but I often find this with rechargeables; it isn’t really possible to make a fair assessment of the radio’s battery life given all the variations in the quality, strength and age of the batteries you put in.
This is a top-of-the range option and it is priced accordingly. At around 200 it is an investment but if radio — or streaming — is your thing and you use this for several hours every week, I would see it as worth the money. Roberts is reputed to have good build quality and after sales service so if the radio lives up to expectations by lasting for years, it will be money well spent for a top quality unit with a lot of flexible functions.
Packaging
This radio arrives in lovely packaging which makes it ideal for gifting. Looks very high end in the box and the image of the radio on the box.
Looks
The radio itself looks amazing. It looks retro but with a modern twist. Perfect for any home! I chose the cream one and it’s perfect. It looks like it’s leather I don’t know if it’s real or fake but it doesn’t look cheap if it is fake.
Set up
It is mains connected and it comes with the power adapter but it also has the ability to be battery operated if you wanted and would require 6 AA batteries. It was super easy to get connected I think anyone could do it.
Functionality
This radio has FM and DAB+ radio. It also has Bluetooth, USB and Aux so you can plug or connect your device to it and use it as a speaker. What I was most impressed with this retro looking radio is that you can connect Spotify and Amazon music as it’s built into the app. I was very surprised with this but very pleased! It has a range of functions like sleep function and you can preset your favourite stations.
Conclusion
Overall, this is an expensive radio but I think it’s worth it. The sound quality is excellent especially for something so small. Definitely worth the splurge. Would look amazing in any room.
There’s that perfect blend of retro elegance and high-end technology, that makes you look at it and think – wow it’s so cool! This is why you don’t get a lengthy product description by Roberts, just literally – welcome to quality.
It’s not just a radio – it’s a hybrid. You get an FM radio with digital scanning and presets, a DAB+ radio and Internet radio. Also this is a Bluetooth/USB/AUX speaker. You can plug your headphones in or connect another device using a jack cable. You can send the sound of the radio to a larger speaker system via line out socket. Finally you get Spotify, Deezer and Amazon Music built-in (configured in the app). It’s a beast.
I chose the cream version and I know it’s the worst for marks, but I just couldn’t help it. It simply looks gorgeous. It’s covered in leather (artificial or real one – don’t know but it’s high quality). The top is metal, with superb knobs and buttons as well as a very climatic color display. Underneath, the casing is wooden and specially tuned for great sound performance.
And it is great. It’s really loud for its size, but the sound quality is just on a different level. And guess what – it’s got its own built-in equalizer, with quite a few sound presets, as well as the ability to set your own. Perfect.
On top of everything it has alarms and sleep mode. You can use it to fall asleep and wake up to the sound of your favourite station, yay!
The unit is mains powered (with a proper power adapter) and it can also run on 6 AA batteries. They are not required to keep the stations if you unplug. Not sure for how long, but it seems to remember the setup. The clock resets but you can decide if you want it set from FM, DAB or Internet, and it picks up as soon as you switch it back on (provided you have the signal).
The FM transmission in my place has always been terrible, so I wasn’t surprised it only caught two stations. Much better with DAB – scanning revealed around 50 stations, enough to satisfy anyone. And you also have endless Internet stations. And the music streaming services. And if you’re really in the middle of nowhere, you can always play music from your mobile or USB stick.
The display is somehow slightly different to the one pictured on the item page. A little less colorful I’d say, plus the icons are arranged differently. Not a biggie, but had to mention it. You can see it in the video.
Radios have very slowly but inevitably been fading away, same as cassette players or even CDs. Everything being taken over by streaming services. Only vinyls somehow managed to survive. But with what Roberts did here, I can see the future. The number of options available, the perfect look and sound – it is worth paying over 200 for this little baby. Highly recommended.
Thank you for reading my review. I hope you found it helpful.
This radio looks great sitting in a living room or kitchen. The sharp and colourful berry red looks very good and makes a great appliance in any room.
The sound is very good and the quality overall is of a very high standard.
This has great features, including Bluetooth connectivity, Smart Radio – Internet, DAB+, FM radio and Built-in Spotify, Amazon Music and Deezer, which are great.
I sometimes use the radio, but I mainly use this as a speaker to play music from my phone. There are other connectivity methods, including a 3.5mm headphone jack, aux in port and a USB port for charging.
Highly portable, as it’s quite light in weight and there’s a built-in battery. That said, the battery is on the weak side, and the price at 229.00 is very expensive for what this is, so I have to knock a star off.
Overall, I’m very happy with this, and it’s a great radio/music player appliance.
* A well presented model which looks very attractive and compact. It fits well on many
surfaces
* The device plays DAB, internet and FM radio, as well as Podcasts and streaming services
* Quite intuitive controls
* The sound quality is very good and is a huge improvment in from the previous models – we already own the iStream 2
* It’s easier to operate than previous models – I found this particularly good for setting presets. It features 10 presets for DAB and FM, and 40 for Internet radio and Podcasts
* There are both mains and battery functions, but find it mostly useful in a permanent setting such as our kitchen
* The LCD screen is much better to see. Previous models were monochrome so it was difficult to see details. This one is colour, so makes a significant improvement in quality
* It has a range of modes, including access to streaming systems such as Spotify, Deezer, Amazon Music and Google, although if you have these on your smartphone you can cast or Bluetooth these across as well
*Cons*
* I experienced some difficulty setting up Spotify on the iSteam 3, but find easier to cast via my smartphone anyway as I find it much more flexible
* AC power requires 6 AA batteries, and these don’t last longer than 4-5 hours, so it’s not really useful for portability
*Summary*
I previously purchased the iStream 2 model and have enjoyed using this for several years now, particularly its access to internet radio. However, it is starting to seem quite dated in relation to other models on the market, especially in its screen and the length of time it took to function. I was therefore looking forward to trying this new model, and I’ve been highly impressed by this, which seems to me a great leap forward in several departments, namely presentation, ease of functions and quality of sound. Setting it up as easy, with a more basic instruction leaflet rather than the book that accompanied the previous model, and, guided by that, the process was quite intuitive. In almost all departments, this radio is far better than the
previous model, and the sound quality is much improved and clearer, although not as the level of more sophisticated speakers, but then again, you get more for this. My only reservations are 1. getting the streaming systems operating. I’ve found it easier to have these on my smartphone and then cast to the radio and 2 . It requires a large amount of battery power. As I’ve never used this except in one setting, I wouldn’t want to comment on its portability, but I think more suitable for one setting (in my case, the kitchen).
Overall I give this 4.5/5
The quality is just outstanding.
It is beautifully made and looks premium.
The outer material feels like leather and is neatly stitched. The metallic parts are shiny and robust. This radio is available in nine attractive colours. The device is well-made and feels sturdy. It has some weight to it and is heavier than regular radios.
All the buttons are functional and easy to use. But unlike classic antenna/aerial, the one on this radio does not rotate and goes straight up. It’s not a big deal but still, it would be great to have a classic style antenna/aerial that would rotate.
The radio can be powered by (6*AA batteries) if needed. I preferred to use a wall plug to power it on, which is very convenient and less hassle.
The sound quality is top-notch.
This would be a surprise because the quality of the sound is far away from being classic. It is crispy clear and modern.
The appearance is retro, but it is a smart radio player. It would be a great memorable gift.
Expensive but worth it.
I have heard of Roberts Radios, but have never actually seen one in the flesh before now. One of my colleagues is always banging on about how good they are, so I was quite excited about being given the opportunity to take this Revival iStream 3, in midnight blue, for a spin.
It was nice to see Roberts taking environmental concerns seriously. There was no disposable plastic in the packaging at all. Even the wire-tie on the power supply cable had a paper sheath.
The radio itself is quite small, but surprisingly heavy – which is down to the wooden cabinet I guess. It’s styled as a portable radio, but considering the weight it might not be practical beyond moving it from room to room around the home. It weighs in about 2.5 Kilos sans-batteries.
As can be seen by the myriad pictures on this page, it’s a very ‘retro’ style with a look reminiscent of the radios that would have been seen in numerous nan’s kitchens in days of yore.
Behind the retro faade it quite a modern piece of kit. It houses DAB and FM radios, plus Bluetooth for playing from phones/tablets etc. and Wifi for internet based radio stations – plus Deezer, Amazon Music, Spotify. There’s also a USB (Type A) port which can be used for charging a phone (when running on mains power), and also for playing music files directly from a USB drive – there are some limitations around USB playback regarding play-list size/number of tracks that can be shuffled and so on – all the info is in the extremely detailed PDF manual which can be downloaded from Roberts website. As user manuals go, it’s a very good one.
There is also a headphone socket and Aux In – plus hidden away underneath where the power connects is a line-level Output – which is useful if you want to use it with an external amp with bigger speakers. I really like how the power connects into a recess underneath the radio which means there is no wire sticking out from the back or side. It’s nice and neat.
When doing the initial setup, the first thing that struck me was that the screen wasn’t touch sensitive, no matter how many times I poked it nothing happened :] The knob to the right of the screen highlights menu items as you rotate, and you push it to select. I started going through the setup procedure, then realised when it came to dialling in my wifi credentials, it might end up taking a bit of time when presented with a screen full of letters and numbers to dial around and select one at a time…
So I aborted and downloaded the unDock app (as advised in the quick start guide) for my phone. The radio has a wifi access point built in which you can connect to with your phone and run through the configuration process in the unDock app instead. It was a lot faster this way and I was up and running in a couple of minutes. The unDock app exposes all the same functions as the radio’s control panel – it’s just a bit more accessible. I will say that the controls on the radio are quite intuitive and nice to use – but I strongly advise doing the initial configuration in the unDock app.
I must live in a pretty good reception area for DAB radio, I didn’t even need to put the antenna up to get excellent reception from loads of stations. Which was a nice surprise. DAB and Bluetooth from my phone (via poweramp) will be main usage.
I’m pretty impressed with the overall package. it’s a bit up there in price but you get lot in a small package – the sound quality far surpasses my expectations and the functionality available is great.
Maybe a touch screen would be nice for the initial setup. Also, when using it as an alarm-clock-radio, the screen is not visible to see the time unless you are looking over it. A couple of printers that I own have screens on hinges that can be flipped up so you can see the screens without standing over them – maybe a future iteration could have something like that.
I have an earlier model of this Roberts DAB radio, in the same colour (duck egg blue) and it has served me well for nearly three years. The sound of the “newer” iteration is just as great, though if you are using it for DAB (and that means any DAB device) you will need to position it in your home where the signal is strongest.
The radio itself oozes retro style and even when it isn’t switched on it brings a smile to my face when I walk into the kitchen and see it on the shelf. It’s way more expensive than a stock DAB radio but if you have the cash and you like “nice” things, check it out.
The set up was less complicated than I first thought it would be, I did it on the radio but I believe you can so use the app.
Once set up I found it easy to use, navigating the menus is easy. Personally I find it easier to search for stations on the app rather than on the radio and it’s really easy to use the app to turn it on and change stations.
But the app is pretty limited and for all the settings you need to do that on the radio itself.
I tried the Amazon music integration, you have to go via the app and to be honest it wasn’t a great experience, I would rather be able to go via the Amazon app and cast to the device. But you can also set the radio up as a Bluetooth speaker so not so much of an issue. Just a shame that it misses the mark on that point. I didn’t try any of the other music services so I don’t know if they have better integration.
The radio also has the option of being portable as can operate on batteries with the option of disposable or rechargeable and as long as you get the correct type of rechargeable batteries (the instructions tell you the correct type) you can use the radios power lead to charge them. If you go down the disposable battery option be warned it needs a lot.
As to the sound quality well i can just melt away to classic FM. It’s such a lovely rich sound. No muffling. The sound has been spot on for radio plays, rock and well everything, I am so happy.
In terms of styling. Wow it’s gorgeous, I couldn’t be more pleased.
Can definitely appreciate the cost.
The reception is good, and the sound is good, although I do think my tower speaker has a slightly better sound. My only problem really with this radio, is the power supply. It arrives with a lead and plug and needs to be plugged in. It does have the ability to take batteries but I would have much preferred an inbuilt rechargeable battery. I have a much much cheaper radio which has this . It is possible to use batteries and also for this radio to take rechargeable batteries, but I think that it is a shame that it does not have an inbuilt battery or did not come with the batteries included. I now need to order some.
I’ve owned vintage Roberts radios before so I know the brand. This is the first time I updated my Roberts Radio to DAB.
Upon opening the box, I was flabbergasted at how high quality of workmanship and materials has gone into this radio. The radio feels luxurious in ones hands and has a nice hefty weighty feel to it. The teal blue leather exterior finish and a posh shimmering gold fine glittering radio acrylic top. I find the top control panel so beautiful to look at and very easy to operate. If you know how to use your basic phone, apps and computer features, operating this DAB radio is a piece of cake.
I set up the DAB radio first because that’s what I listen to alot. Other features are handy if you have music account passwords to sign in. This radio has an awesome looking front honeycomb golden grill that looks so retro and especially with the gold Roberts logo emblem.
The AUX in and Headphones port are handy for those occasions when you need to plug a speaker to the radio or if you wish to use Headphones. Both these features are ideal because I will make use of them for different parties and occasions.
The Roberts Radio can use the power supply to power it or you can use 6 pcs of AA sized batteries which should last a fair while. Once the battery flap is secured, it’s sturdy and doesn’t fall off. I’ve had it on for a week and still amples of playtime yet.
The DAB Radio spent a few moments to tune into the stations available. Once I tuned into my favourite radio station, I was flabbergasted at how professional the sound was! The bass, vocal, talking etc.. was as if I was listening in the actual radio control room. The sound quality was so good that I have no bad words to say. The music was also amazing quality as expected of DAB, and the Roberts Radio quality components gave this radio the extra edge and sound quality through the excellent professional speakers.
Tuning the dial and volume etc. was good feeling and everything was well thought out and no matter young or old, you can enjoy this fantastic experience. It’s good for parties, work, leisure and many more occasions.
It sure was a massive upgrade from my analogue Roberts Radio from 40+ years ago! The DAB radio makes me want to listen even more. I am so pleased with this product and think it’s well worth the value for such awesome workmanship and sound quality.
Update
I bought some Eneloop Pro 2500mAH batteries and they gave a battery life of about 12 to 14 hours at a low volume setting, a big improvement over my original batteries and more in line with the battery life given for alkaline cells.
I have often looked at Roberts radios with a covetous eye and as I have gotten older, grown more appreciative of their handbag-derived (it’s true) classic looks.
We already have DAB radios (John Lewis and Amazon/UMI) and I like their functionality, but living in a poor radio reception area at the moment, limits the stations that we can receive (much the same for FM). This means that we rely instead on our excellent Amazon Echo Dot devices, but sometimes I want to not have to think of a radio station and call it out, but to search and see what’s out there. I also used to use internet radios stations on my laptop way back when I was studying, and to have those options available with DAB, FM and streaming radio, and bluetooth connectivity with Roberts quality and audio know-how sounded like a truly smart radio, and was too much to resist.
The first thing to say is that this radio is neither small nor light. For those prizing portability and diminutiveness above all else Roberts and others do other models that will better fit that bill. For a start this Revival iStream 3 radio has ‘acoustically tuned wooden casing,’ and I am not sure if I am more impressed with the ‘acoustically tuned’ or the fact that they have made part of it out of wood! It is lovely looking in a unashamedly retro style and if you have seen Roberts radios you will know whether or not that is your thing. I opted for the Midnight Blue radio, though in truth with nine colours to choose from, there should be one for everyone, and while I am very happy with my choice I could easily have chosen from any of about 4 of the other colour choices.
The Revival is nothing if not versatile. As well as its many ways of bringing you music it is portable; operating with either 6xAA batteries, a built-in charger for NiMH rechargeable batteries (like Panasonic Eneloops or the Ikea equivalent), or with the included mains cable when you don’t need to listen outside the home. It has an auxiliary input, a USB input and headphone out on the top, along with its physical buttons and knobs/dials. Also on the top is a decent-sized colour screen. The power cable input, ethernet port, and line out reside underneath next to the battery compartment.
In use:
Setting up the Revival took a bit longer than I thought it would. Initially I thought to use the Undok app on my Android phone, but it didn’t discover the Revival until I had linked the Revival to my wi-fi using the radio itself. I got there in the end though and since then I have used a mixture of Undok and the radio itself to navigate around. We live in a poor reception area for DAB and FM radio and so I was interested to see what the Roberts would find compared to our John Lewis and Amazon Uni DAB radios. The initial scan was unimpressive with just 6 stations found, all from nearby Suffolk. I then extended the aerial fully and got 10 times that many! There’s not the choice that those in better reception areas might get, but it is enough to be going on with.
I then tried Amazon Music and logged into my account, which was somewhat of a faff. I could access my Amazon purchased songs and also radio stations etc. though the experience was less easy than using my voice to select songs, radio stations etc. with an Echo device.
I don’t have Deezer or Spotfiy accounts so I can’t comment on how well integrated those are in the Revival.
The internet radio function though was what really intrigued me as I hadn’t used that since I was studying and wanted something new for background music while writing essays. I started off browsing stations by genre, location etc. on the radio itself. It perfectly possible to do it in this way and I had saved a dozen or so presets before I determined that there must be an easier way and found the search function in the Undok app. The app isn’t perfect, far from it, but it is far quicker to search for stations using it than via the radio. In the end I opted for a hybrid method of searching on the app and saving on the radio. You get 40 presets for the internet radio (and 10 each for DAB and FM), which I thought sounded a lot. Before I knew it though I had filled up all 40! Admittedly some are provisional choices and based on the briefest of listens and the list will be refined over the course of time. One real find for me though was an internet radio station called ‘Mike Allen appreciation society.’ The instant I found this and started listening I was transported back to the mid-eighties and my childhood and listing to genuine old-school hip hop. It would be flippant to say that discovering this station alone made the inclusion of internet radio worthwhile, but suffice to say that it put a huge smile on my face. In fact, the Roberts Revival and its internet radio function has taken over somewhat from my trawling Youtube for old music videos when I am in a nostalgic mood. How appropriate that the Revival itself has a nostalgic look and sound – though not like an 80s boombox obviously 🙂
Next I tried the bluetooth function and paired the Revival with my Mac without too much trouble. At first though i-Tunes and Youtube were not playing through the Revival and I was at a loss to know why. The solution was a simple as selecting the Revival as the output and everything was fine after that and the sound appreciatively better than my Mac. I didn’t get it to recognise bluetooth headphones, and I suspect that while it can act as a bluetooth speaker, it cannot transmit bluetooth to power headphones.
Sound-wise the Revival is warm rather than clear, and full rather than loud. The bass and mids can at times sound somewhat muddy with lo-fi and bass-heavy music, but it still somehow contrives to sound just well nice. The sort of sound that doesn’t get tiring to listen to and, to my ears, suits a wide range of music. I don’t know much about the benefits of a tuned wooden casing, but I can confirm that the Roberts has a lovely sound for a radio and speaker of its size.
The output (headphone and speaker) seems to crackle and cut out a bit when I used the Revival to play my own songs on Amazon Music, which is annoying. Loading time for Amazon Music and to a lesser extent Internet radio is something that you have to get used to, but once you are on a station that you like its fine.
Operating the radio is pretty easy and the buttons and dials, like the rest of the radio, feel of a decent quality. Navigating around the different modes and presets is a breeze and the only things that I haven’t really tried yet are the aux input (emergency speaker for a Korg Volca?), USB input (which I will try with a USB stick and some old songs at some stage) and the alarm function (which I won’t use). One thing that I find odd is that the location of the power input and line out, which like the battery compartment are located underneath the radio. The batteries being under there makes sense, but siting the power cable there means that the radio is always sitting on it. Not a problem really, but just seems an odd choice unless putting it at the back would have affected the acoustically tuned wooden case? (or more likely the aesthetics).
PROS:
Looks – what a great, timeless, classy-looking radio
Easy to use once set up
Undok App, while not the best makes finding internet radio stations easier
Sound is warm, full and suits anything that I threw at it
Lovely clear screen on the top of the radio to provide station feedback and, if you are lucky, song and artist information
A really top quality DAB and Internet radio
Very well made and presented very nicely in the box it comes in too – great gift potential
Has as many functions/features as you could possibly want – the retro radio masters are bang up to date!
Can run of batteries and charge them at the same time
40 Internet radio presets
A great way to discover new radio stations and new music (or old favourites)
CONS:
I have read a few reports that the operating time of the Revival on batteries is not too impressive, but for me this is too nice a radio to take out in the garden so I will be plugged in when listening to it
Some audio cut out on Amazon Music, but not sure what the issue is there
Not cheap and so will not be for everyone’s budget
There is some waiting time when using internet radio and Amazon Music, but it’s pretty minimal and once you find a station you like you are away
OVERALL:
This is just a great looking, feature-packed, easy to use, great sounding radio. If you like listening to DAB or internet radio or streaming services and are fed up with the compromise of your computer or phone’s speakers, then this is for you. If you can afford it, get it.
I have always liked the sound quality of Roberts radios and this model doesn’t let the standard down. Tonal range is rich and clear through the large front-mounted speaker. But its the extended range of media options that really marks this radio out for me.
It has the traditional FM, DAB, AUX input and Line Out features I’d expect from a high quality portable radio, along with mains and battery power options. But by adding Internet Radio, Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, Deezer, Bluetooth, WiFi and a USB port the maker has achieved a truly comprehensive array of audio entertainment choices in a portable format.
With all those options the designers have done their best to build in a workable control panel to get the user to the media of their choice. Using the Mode key I can select from the options via a clear LCD screen on the top panel that is really easy to use.
Setup wasn’t hard and with plenty of help from the User Manual I managed to connect to my smartphone via Bluetooth and my internet connection via WiFi. Once this was done the Manual suggested I download the UNDOK app to remotely control the radio. UNDOK detects the radio via the WiFi network and then allows a pretty comprehensive set of browsing, track selection, media and volume choices to be made.
I’ve enjoyed using the iStream 3L to explore international Internet radio stations from a variety of genres and I can’t imagine anyone would be disappointed by the different kinds of music and voice stations there are out there to be freely accessed.
Plugging in a USB memory stick makes the radio immediately register the folders on the stick and arrange for them to be played.
My main question with the Istream 3L is the cordless feature. This needs six AA size batteries inserted into a compartment in the base. They can be either alkaline or NiMH rechargeable types and a tiny switch has to be set to make sure the radio knows which type you’re using. It won’t try to charge alkaline ones though. The radio can recharge the NiMH type when it’s turned off but plugged in. This feels rather old fashioned and I would have preferred a more reliable Lithium-Ion unit for longer life and faster charging.
I notice that the Bluetooth standard used is 4.2, which has given me problems with smartphone connection in the past. It has a smaller range than the later versions and uses more power to do its job. But I had no problem with pairing during setup with this product.
WiFi is version 4 as far as I can see, supporting the original 820.11 b, a, g, n standards. For audio I expect this is sufficient and it certainly works in my house.
This is not a cheap product but it has the capabilities of a modern multimedia HiFi. It can be linked to a stereo amplifier and speakers for better/louder audio. It can also be linked to a TV, tablet or phone for an upgrade to the audio quality they produce. It can access all the media types I can think of apart from video, which makes it competitive in price against a dedicated HiFi network streamer/amplifier. It loses a star for me because of the battery but don’t think this makes it a bad choice at all. It’s well worth the money if you’re in the market for a portable high quality audio system. It’s classic design (i.e. 1950’s) will make it fit in with many modern interior design schemes. Recommended.
Beautifully made and very versitile. Battery life isn’t fantastic [I’m getting 3-4 hours] but it’s perfect for the garden. DAB performance is excellent. Streaming works well on Spotify. Not cheap but it’s a premium piece of kit.
I have always fancied having one of these Roberts radios, but I have never had the opportunity to until now. This radio puts all others to shame. The quality of the sound is pure, and you definitely don’t have that tinny sound that you often get with cheaper radios. Yes this is a very expensive brand, but it is worth every single penny if you can afford it. I love that Spotify and Deezer are already installed. Setting the radio up is easy, and if you don’t want to connect to the internet you don’t have to. If you set up DAB you can listen to the radio station of your choice (80s music has never sounded so good). Plus you have the added bonus of knowing that the clock will set automatically to daylight savings time. I haven’t put any batteries in the radio, I just use the power cable. But if you want to keep your settings and for the clock to remain correct after a powercut I think back up batteries will be necessary.
Another thing I love about this radio is that it is so retro looking until you get close up and look at the control panel, it has all the fancy doodahs but keeps it’s gorgeous look.
I love with this radio and it is something that definitely will be passed down through the generations.
Though not cheap this is a classy piece of tech with just a couple of grumbles (that didn’t cause enough concern to drop the score).
This is a smart radio/speaker that is primarily a dab radio, with FM and internet radio also. It can connect to streaming services (Deezer, Spotify and Amazon), take from USB, AUX and also Bluetooth. It is hooked into your wifi and so can stream internet radio and podcasts.
All this can be controlled on the radio (which has a crisp colour display on the top of the unit) or through an app on smartphone. So, gripe number 1. I set up the radio and smartphone and streamed from phone, played dab and then hooked into my Amazon music account fine. However, when I left the Amazon account the app stopped working. I could switch source via the radio but the app would not open the radio. To fix I did a factory reset — all is now well and hopefully it was a one-off glitch. The app and the control on radio are absolutely intuitively designed.
The style is retro and the radio design is pure class, with a lovely (pu, I’m guessing) leather cover to the unit. The underside of the unit can house batteries — and you can set it to standard batteries or rechargeable and charge in unit. Gripe number 2. The mains connect underneath the unit (and there is a line out under there too). Why, it means, plugged in, the unit is never plumb as the wire has to emerge from under the unit. The optimum design would be on the back, surely? Not a point to die over but after so much thought has gone into the design this seems a silly flaw.
The sound is good, with a depth to it. There is an equalizer with pre-sets and controls for bass and treble — and you can get a decent bass from it.
Expensive — yes. Classy — definitely.
Sometimes there comes along a product that simply makes you smile, for me this is the product. It looks retro, it has that amazing 1950s look and when you stare at the front you just don’t think this is a contemporary radio but then as soon as you look at the top, while retaining that traditional aesthetic you see a rather large colour screen and modern controls, it’s a bit misleading on looks alone and I love this, too many modern electronics all look the same and just lack style.
The screen is sharp and bright (with three brightness levels) and the 4.3 shaped LCD screen has a lot of room for text and the text that is there is big and easy to see. It also shows wifi reception quality.
The build quality is exceptional, it has a leather effect texture on the casing and when you hold it it just feels solid. I find where things like this fall down are the audio quality, more about this later, but also the feel of the buttons. However here they feel really nice, the buttons have a nice press and the dials are clicky, there’s just a nice tactile feel to it all, it’s a pleasure to use.
To operate on first switch it you can follow the on screen prompts, I just pressed the WPS button on my router and it found and connected automatically, no fuss or hassle. Once on you press the mode button to see all available options and then the right dial scrolls through the options such as Internet Radio, DAB+ and Podcasts.Other features include an FM radio, Deezer, Amazon Music, Spotify, Aux, Bluetooth and USB stick. This is a lot of options and it means it’s really adaptable. You can even just use it as speakers connecting a device via Bluetooth or Aux.
I think Internet Radio and DAB are going to be the things I use most on the radio. I have found navigating tricky at times but that’s just because you are essentially navigating a lot of options but this is solved by downloading and connecting the UNLOK app which enables you to connect via your phone and makes navigating easy, it also means you can control things such as the volume when not near the radio. I did find at times it dropped connection if not used for a while but tends to connect again quickly. I think this is the apps fault and not the radio though.
Sound quality is amazing for it’s size. It is clear which a nice bass and a good separation of audio, there’s no distortion at high levels and it has a nice and warm tone. Internet radio sounds great and music sounds rich and filled, it does sound like it’s coming form a much bigger system. There are also some preset equalizer settings to adjust the sound to your liking.
I have to give this extra points for it’s DAB reception, I use a number of radios and DAB is hit and miss, on this it was spot on, found the stations, connected and has stayed connected. DAB streams can be poor quality and this is not going to help that as it is poor at source but I did find lower quality streams still sounded good, the lower quality bitrate did not hurt the audio too much, especially on vocals.
USB playback is really well thought out, it works well on the screen, as soon as I entered the USB stick it recongised it and asked me to select the correct folder, it displayed all the tracks and off it went, easy. Audio sounds good as well from mp3 files.
FM reception like DAB is generally very good, no issues with reception or finding FM stations at all.
You can store presets per mode, so if you go to DAB you get your stored DAB presets and if you go to Internet Radio you get the internet radio presets. This is really useful especially with Internet Radio as it saves going to find a channel again.
The radio also has an alarm function but I don’t think I will use this, its too big to have by the bed and looks too nice to hide away. The radio comes with a lead and plug, it can work off battery and if rechargable there is a little switch to charge them in the radio, which is a great feature but it’s such as shame there is no inbuilt rechargable battery. This is a good second best though, it takes 6 X AA batteries.
It’s also nice to see a headphone jack on it, yes a 3.5mm headphone jack, none of this Bluetooth nonsense, when I connect my headphones I don’t want them to run out of battery, full marks for having a headphone socket.
I love the radio but there are a few niggles, it has crashed on me in the menu and hopefully a firmware update will fix this, the firmware can be updated direct from the radio. Also while the screen is sharp and bright I found the refresh rate a little poor, not a big issue as it is mainly static screens but on scrolling text it can be jerky.
The radio has the looks, it has the functions and it has the quality in audio and build and more importantly it makes me smile, fully recommended. One of the best little compact radio/music players I have used.
This radio is extremely easy to set up and once it’s powered on and connected to your WiFi you have a whole list of internet radio stations pre-programmed to get you going.
The screen is small but clear so you shouldn’t have any trouble navigating through the options.
They recommend using the UNDOK app to control services like Spotify and I found that this was pretty easy to set up too.
There are a variety of modes so you should always be able to find something to listen to, either via the radio or via your mobile.
The unit itself feels well made and the materials feel premium. At this price point, you’d expect it to feel solid and I think it does.
In terms of sound quality, I was pleasantly surprised by just how loud the unit could go without distorting and how good the bass seemed to be.
I’m far from an audiophile but this was worlds above the Bluetooth speakers I have lying around, so even if I only used it as such, I’d be happy.
It comes with a mains cable though it can take 6 AA batteries. If you have some rechargeable NiMH batteries these can apparently be charged in the unit which is a bonus.
For the current price of 229, you get a good quality, retro-design radio and I agree with the review by Mariada. If I had spent my own money on this product, I’d be very happy with my purchase.
Absolutely brilliant quality radio as I was expecting from the Robert’s brand. It’s got a retro look that looks lovely in my kitchen. It’s mains powered but batteries will allow it to be portable so I’m looking forward to using it in the garden. It was easy to set up and connecting to wifi quickly. Spotify is easy to use and can be controlled from your phone or there are many DAB and FM radio stations to choose from – even podcasts! I’m very happy and would definitely recommend.
Excellent radio, good sound, fantastic options for listening, easy to set up and my favourite feature is the ability to recharge batteries in the radio. Very attractive leather covering and feels very well made. It looks expensive at first but you are getting tec options and a beautiful radio. Love it!
I have never used a Roberts radio/speaker product before – and I am seriously impressed by both it’s quality overall and the sound.
It look’s incredibly smart – it looks great in my kitchen and makes a change from other boring audio products out there, it looks very ‘timeless’ in my opinion.
Set up was really easy, was able to link my Amazon music account with ease – the radio/DAB feature automatically tunes in the radio stations.
Sound quality is phenomenal to be honest, it’s got plenty of volume and even at high levels – the sound doesn’t distort.
Cons: The leather case can get bit grubby quickly, it attracts a lot of dust – this would be the only ‘con’ to be honest.
Highly recommended, absolutely fantastic built quality and performance – I am so glad I was given the opportunity to try this product!
I don’t believe Roberts produce anything of poor quality. This is a typical retro styled Roberts Radio offering exceptional sound quality an immersive sound field and fantastic bass characteristics. Quite amazing achievement from a relatively small unit. This radio is smart and just looks fabulous. All the control buttons are hidden to the rear of the unit leaving the front to display a handsome and uncluttered speaker cluster. It may have a retro design but this radio offers all sorts of modern technology to connect wireless with the internet via broadband for internet radio and streaming. Or you can also use Bluetooth to connect and play music from a cell phone. The set up process is very straight forward and thankfully very clear instructions are also included. This radio can be powered by mains cable via adapter (supplied) or use AA batteries. (I would have preferred a built in lithium) Very high build quality and fabulous sound sadly isn’t cheap but this Roberts I3 streaming DAB FM radio is worth every penny. 5 stars and highly recommended.
I like Roberts radios and have an earlier version of this radio which is just a basic radio. It sounds great and looks terrific. The brand is British and it’s a little disappointing to see they’re no longer made in the UK, but quality certainly hasn’t been lost.
It’s substantial and looks amazing. I love the midnight blue and gold finish and the leather outer will wear for years. The layout is better than the earlier versions with the aerial on top and it’ll take rechargeable batteries and charge them in use. That’s a big plus as the battery cost if this is used away from mains power can start to add up. The display is larger and coloured and it shows album covers and sonf details when playing from Bluetooth.
I was concerned that set up might be complicated with all the features, but it’s an absolute breeze, with a detailed set up leaflet and walk through instructions on the radio. You basically plug it in and follow the instructions on the unit to connect to wifi. It’s already set up with Spotify, Deezer and Amazon Music and as I have an unlimited subscription to Amazon music, this is an absolute dream to stream easily and with great sound. There’s a USB port so you can charge a device whilst using the unit or play from stored music on a usb stick. Just plug it in, select the usb icon and play.
It scans for best reception radio stations and with Dab+, I was amazed by the number found. I live in a poor reception area, but this picked up more than my other DAB radio. Loads of presets, again, easy to store favourite stations and the loss Ifor podcasts and worldwide internet radio are endless.
As for sound, it’s superb. Roberts are still using wood casing and are experts at creating products which not only look great, but sound superb. For a small unit, there’s plenty of volume without distortion, rich bass and clear mid and trebles. The sound is rich and distinct and it’s great in the kitchen when there are other background noises going on. Absolutely blown away by this upgrade. It’s a quality product that will last for years and the styling is outstanding. Love it.
I can remember my mum and dad having a Roberts Radio in my youth, a time when the only thing I would have thought of when somebody said “Stream” was something that I would jump in with my mates on a hot summer’s day!
Times have changed Streaming is now everywhere, technology is still in its infancy and yet it is way beyond what any of us would have been able to comprehend back then.
This Roberts Revival radio may look similar to those of my youth, but they are streets apart. A Dab radio in those days would have been an accident when you spilled your liquorice and sherbet on it; now, it is clearer reception, more channels and track information.
I ordered charcoal grey, and the colour is excellent it feels like leather and has a pretty authentic look apart from all the buttons and digital display of course.
This Roberts radio is a smart radio that can be connected to the internet for you to use it with your streaming services such as Deezer (which it comes with a trial of) and Spotify. It supports DAB+ and FM for the radio, and you can also use it as a Bluetooth speaker.
It was pretty easy to get going, although I didn’t want to do the setup wizard straight away so I bypassed it to get straight to the DAB+, which is what I wanted this for. I like Planet Rock and Greatest Hits Radio, so I actually wanted to be able to listen to these without the internet, and to be able to take the radio with me.
This is great because you can take it with you when out and about because it will operate from six AA batteries as well as from the mains.
The reception on this was pretty good for most the channels I tried, but this will depend upon the area that you live in. The sound was really good for the size of the unit. It had good bass and a nice combination of tones.
If you like modern day vintage and want to access your tech music with it then I would imagine that you would enjoy this radio. If I had any point to make about it it would be that at 229 it seems a little expensive, but then it is a well known brand that has been round for decades and even has the royal seal of approval.
When I first read through the setup instructions for this smart radio, it all seemed a bit daunting … but when I actually sat down and started to work through them stage by stage, it turned out to be quite straightforward and intuitive … especially for anyone with a basic grasp of modern tech. (I’m 66 and female, by the way.)
The radio is the easiest part to get working … and the DAB preset stations make it so much easier to find and hang onto your favourites.
After that I made the connection to my wi-fi network and through that to internet radio and my favourite stations on there. (Internet radio stations are a real boon to anyone learning a foreign language …)
Finally, I set up the Bluetooth connection to my android phone and can now listen to Amazon Music, controlled by my phone, on the radio.
And it was all relatively simple. It’s easy to switch on and off, comes back on at the station you left it on, and it’s quite easy to move between modes – DAD/FM Radio-Internet Radio-Bluetooth etc – via the ‘Mode’ button. It also has a USB port which can be used to listen to music, talking books, etc … or as a charging socket, which is great because I always need more charging sockets.
Physically, it’s a good-looking and timeless design. The first radio I can remember in my family home as a child was my parents’ Roberts radio, which looked – superficially at least – almost identical to this one. Coming in a wide choice of colours, it will fit in almost anywhere. It feels well-made and substantial … as you would expect/hope at this price point.
The sound quality is – to my ears – very good, but then I’m not a purist. All I want is clean, non-crackly and non-tinny sound with decent bass, and this ticks all the boxes.
It can be operated from the mains (cable supplied) or be battery-powered (rechargeable or otherwise).
I like this radio a lot – it manages to be both comfortingly familiar very ‘smart’ indeed.
Is it worth the asking price of 229 (as at 11.7.22) … I’d say so. I received this radio via the Vine program, in return for an honest review, but if I’d forked out my own money for it, I’d be delighted with my buy.
The Roberts Revival iStream 3 is the latest of Roberts Internet and DAB radio. Having had a few Roberts devices the quality has been either really good or disappointingly mediocre. Thankfully, this chunky radio is firmly in the impressive category.
This is not a portable radio unless you have arms like popeye. It’s heavy and rather chunky and takes 6 AA batteries when away from the mains power supply. In return, though, you do get a large lcd display on top, a big speaker and decent sized buttons that are easy to press. It has a USB in for things like thumb drives and aux in at the base.
Out of the box, without using the Undok app, you can listen to internet radio, podcasts and DAB. It still requires connecting to your wifi, either by using WPS to quickly connect or by using the screen to enter your wifi password, which was far less painful than I expected it to be.
To use Spotify, Amazon Music and Deezer you will need the free app to allow it to connect to your account. The app also allows you to control the radio from a distance as a remote and use Bluetooth to stream your device’s music. It’s a little slow at times but works well.
The sound quality is, of course, the most important element here and this radio doesn’t disappoint. On standard settings it’s a little too bass heavy and the treble is very muted but there are lots of preset settings and a good equaliser to set your own. I settled for a treble of 4 and bass of 2 and it was still plenty of bass but with a clearer sound on the treble that didn’t get overwhelmed. As a single speaker though it has a flatter sound than something that has speakers on either side, which may put some off but the powerful speaker manages to make up for it by staying clear even at higher volumes.
The old fashioned design is a nice aesthetic and the materials are good quality. Overall I’d say this is one of the best Roberts products released so far.
1988 to 1995, I used to sell brown goods. The shop would always stock Roberts radios. They always were expensive but with MADE IN GREAT BRITAIN stamped proudly on them. Oh how times have changed. BUT THE SOUND REMAINS THE SAME: rich and smooth. Planet Rock sounds gorgeous. By finding the DAB radio section no Internet connection is required and the clock sets itself automatically.
Its neat and compact appearance is pleasing to the eye (my model is dark brown in colour) with its gold metal details on the handle and grille on the front – as well as the Roberts name above it – combined with the brown, Harry Roberts ‘handbag’ covering, all of which add a touch of ‘class’ to the overall appearance. As soon as you take it out of the box for the first time you know you are handling something ‘classic’ and of quality, in terms of design and construction.
I must disclose at this point that I only use my ISTREAM3 as an Internet radio, as where I live does not have any DAB service and the local radio is something I avoid like the plague. As such, I can only comment on the Internet Radio function, in terms of sound and performance.
The sound and performance are really quite delightful – better, I would say, than my trusty Roberts Stream 93i, which has served me well for a number of years now, but which was starting to look (and even sound) a little long in the tooth, hence the decision to take the plunge and go for the ISTREAM3 as an ‘upgrade’, which it has proven to be since it arrived a month or so ago now.
I must also disclose here that whilst the sound and performance are delightful with the ISTREAM as a stand-alone device, as I quickly discovered once it had been set-up for Internet Radio (easily and quickly, of course, as is always the case with Roberts radios), I do have my set connected to my external loudspeakers (Edifier S3000 Pro) which can be connected either by bluetooth or by cable. I am currently using a cable (QED Reference) connected to the speakers via the headphone socket on the ISTREAM3 and the combination of all three serves to enhance the sound quality even further, especially when I turn the volume up perhaps rather higher than my neighbours would appreciate!
So far so good. However, I have not given this product a ‘perfect’ score for overall rating as I do have two reservations here, which ‘denied’ it such an award.
Firstly, the location of the headphone socket referred to above, means that my QED Reference Cable has to be inserted into the top of the ISTREAM3, resulting in it resembling some form of red umbilical cord emerging from its proverbial womb and so having a negative impact on the overall aesthetic appeal. Had the location been on the back (as it is on the iStream93) then this would not be an issue.
Secondly, I only have my ISTREAM3 connected to the mains and never use batteries (hence the reason why I have indicated no score for battery life, as this is not relevant to me). However, I do have an issue with the location of the DC input socket, which is on the bottom of the radio and so not exactly easy to access. Why is the DC input socket not (also) on the back of the radio (again, as with the iStream 93)? I am sure Roberts will say there are practical or aesthetic reasons for this, but I do not think they would be immediately obvious to someone setting-up their ISTREAM3 for the first time.
Overall, therefore, and notwithstanding the two qualifications outlined above, I am delighted with my ISTREAM3 – in terms of both sound/performance, as well as appearance. I understand and appreciate the fact that it has many more functions and capabilities than I use it for, but even with my restricted use of these I would heartily recommend this radio to anyone who is considering buying an ISTREAM3, but is not sure whether to do so or not, based on the pleasure and enjoyment I have derived from it since it first arrived in February.
Furthermore, as far as those ‘quirky’ headphone and DC socket locations are concerned, I suppose Roberts would be perfectly justified in responding to my comments by arguing that if you are buying a ‘retro-style’ radio that is meant to look like one from the 50s-60s (at least) then you must expect some of its features to also ‘belong’ to those years!
But the main reason I bought the REV-ISTREAM3PC Retro is I wanted an internet radio that was portable and included FM with DAB being the bonus as I’m told that outside of internet radio this is the direction we are going. So these reasons are fulfilled and it takes rechargeable batteries that can be left inside the set to be charged. The WM201 was mains only.
I have recently moved into a town from a rural area and felt the FM & DAB feature to be useful. FM is OK but a DAB scan shows many potential stations but very few are receivable unless I place it by windows in front rooms where I do not currently listen to the radio. I just get a garbled sound elsewhere such as my back rooms. OK, that’s not the radio’s fault, more to do with the orientation of my house and the transmitting locality. I’ll need to work on final positioning once I have sorted my rooms out.
Overall the sound is good but it is mono as against the WM210 being with a close stereo speaker arrangement. So the WM201 (still) sounds cleaner. The equiliser settings have been adjusted and it is now not so boomy.
This internet radio and being able to connect to my own music and streams still make this a great radio. It is well built, feels solid. So overall I give it a thumbs up. I had a small discount but I feel the RRP to be perhaps just a little high for what it is. But then, it is a Roberts.
What else can they think of for this iStream 3 to do? Get the lovely Alexa to make the tea, perhaps? Actually I do not wish to talk to electronic ladies (I get into enough trouble with the real ones), I have no music on my phone, don’t have ‘Spotify’ and don’t really need hundreds of internet stations. Apart from FM, I appreciate the DAB facility and that’s about all I need. So why buy this range- topping model? Well, money aside, why would one buy anything but a Roberts and then why would a person penny- pinch on the features, for the sake of 25 over, say, a Roberts RD70? Note that the iStream 3 can recharge suitable batteries-which the RD70 cannot, so that 25 could soon disappear anyway. As to competitors, a Roberts is still a Roberts. Take, for example, twiddling the two control knobs. Actually you do not twiddle them at all, since they both turn with a delightful ‘clicking’ motion that ensures precise setting. Although I dare say a Lexus is very nice and has as much kit as the average Bentley, which would you rather own?
Unfortunately, like Bentley, Roberts Is no longer truly British: I gather that since 1994 a company in the Irish Republic has owned it. Nor are many models now British built, though it seems anything made of wood still is, moreover there is talk of a SONY owned factory in South Wales. In addition ‘Which?’ and other soulless reviewers now rank certain other radios rather more highly for performance. Also, that beautiful leather covering is (and always was) really, well…..
But not to worry, there are more important things. All those competitors look naff by comparison and it was ever thus. Look at my old R250, it still is really beautiful and unmarked after More than 20 years. It’s been well looked after of course, but one really must not mistreat such things. I have seen some Roberts faded or, worse, peeling. It is evident that, unfortunately, some careless people still leave such jewels on sun drenched window ledges or in damp conservatories. My two radios are of almost identical dimensions and I suspect some of the shaping templates used 20 years ago are still used now. Quality of the IStream’s ‘leather’? Time will tell, but it looks well.
There are some not so good developments to report. Whereas for access the old R250 has a rear door mounted on a brass piano hinge, secured by a proper latch, the iStream 3 has to be turned upside down, where there is a rather nasty sliding plastic cover that conceals umpteen (6) miserable little U2 batteries. The base Panel Itself is well fitted but is all- plastic, not wood, and the power cable emerges awkwardly from it. The base of my R250 is covered wood, like the rest of the radio, even though you cannot usually see it.
A seven year old can quickly learn how to tune- in the R250 (instructions, 8 pages) and I suppose a 2021 seven gear old could do the same with an iStream 3, but a 73 year old will struggle with the 75(!) page instruction booklet for all of a long day, since this is really a computer with greater facility than they had in 1969 to put a man on the moon. Those instructions are not in keeping with the machine, written by a techno geek: an easy start guide would be useful. The basics for finding an FM radio station are eventually found on page 48! Moreover it is a flimsey affair with tiny print. Seriously, a hardback rather like the one for my old Bentley (1936 model) would be expensive but also an original selling point given that even a geek will have to refer to it frequently.
There are not really many buttons, but as on all such things today you set the mode, access a menu and then endlessly press away until hopefully the desired function turns up. The viewing panel is too small, but the graphics are beautifully and colourfully done. What does it sound like? Well very nice, clear and adjustable In tone, very crisp and with no buzzing, etc. Whatever the soulless reviewers may declare I would say that this radio is still worth about 200 of your fine British pounds.
PS. Some of the above is somewhat tongue in cheek, so please don’t take it all too seriously. I did indeed own an old Bentley for 19 years, and very nice it was but, unlike this radio, I couldn’t afford a new one!
Then, I switched on the radio and was immediately blown away how good the sound was, once I’d adjusted the EQ to my preference. The main speaker delivers some great bass, even when I lowered that to “-2” and the additional tweeter to the right of the main speaker delivers the right highs to match. At first listen, you could be surprised that this is a mono radio, with the sound quality and the cabinet for the right acoustic quality, it has surely been engineered well in that department.
I was able to set-up the internet radio easily via the initial set-up at 1st switch on and registered to my mobile hotspot easy over Wi-fi reception. I hope you don’t have to lengthy a password on your Wi-Fi or you’ll be scrolling for a while via the display & Tuning/Select knob.
I had a Frontier Nuvola Smart Radio account for a Revo radio, I had purchased then returned, so once I accessed the radio for the code, I was instantly ready with a batch of my Favourite stations I had already stored on the account. The Roberts Radio accepted them easy-peasy! I thought to christen the radio, based on it’s classic design, I should play one or two Oldies stations on the radio first, seems only fair.
The DAB radio also receives stations well (as I expected, being a Roberts!) I live in an area where I’m too far away from my City’s transmitter and not near enough to town adjacent, but the Roberts pulls them in, just struggling on rough weather days (like the 10th & 11th March 21) But receives the stations better than a Majority radio I tried before I returned it that one! FM Radio on the Roberts performs well, with the option to omit or allow weaker signals, etc in the settings.
Bluetooth: Connects well, no fuss there, but not sure why if that is a fault or if it is part of the Radio’s default set-up, but when a device (my mobile) is connected to the iStream 3, it sets the volume up to Max (30) by default, even if I was using another function previously at say Volume 7 or 8, etc. So, make sure that when connected you turn the volume control to the desired setting before playing music, or you’ll get a bit of a nasty surprise!! **Update 12/03/21: I don’t know if it’s the fact that I received phone update to Android 11 or that I decided to re-pair my phone to the Bluetooth, but phone settings have a feature called “Absolute Volume”, so the radio doesn’t jump to Max volume anymore, sorted!
I have recently purchased some rechargeable batteries for the radio. I decided to purchase some 2800mah (only 1.2v) AA batteries and seem to be lasting for as long as other reviewers have mentioned. So-far from the 1 full charge, I had the radio on for about an hour before it showed 2nd level of battery indicator, then about another half-hour before it got down to the last level (but I had been fiddling around with all the options on the radio), had a couple of flickers from the low-battery level (this was generally on the power hungry ol’ DAB), but still working well, I’d say it’s been about 5/6 hours in total so far at the time I write this and will attempt to see how much the last level goes on for.
All-in-all, I’m glad a decided to buy one, it’s a design classic! Just wished I hadn’t dithered about buying all this time, because about 5/6 months ago the Roberts Radio website included a Roberts Ortus Clock Radio free, never mind, this’ll do for me!
with bluetooth connectivity to computer, phone or ipad .. and there is also Alexa voice control
It has excellent sound quality .. and is easy to use and set up ..
The ‘ Old Brit ‘ styling is a paradox .. you expect the crackle of the Light Programme playing..
The Billy Cotton Band-show .. in 1956 … but instead it delivers flawless digital hi-fidelity sound ..
that can fill a room effortlessly with deep rich tonality
The internet radio is an amazing feature .. thousands of crystal clear stations from around the globe easily found
… you drill down by genre and national location .. so easy ..
Also included on the menu are an array streaming Apps such as Spotify , Deezer etc ..
there are even pre-sets for ease of operation .. and two timer /alarm functions.. a windows media player, USB input and phone charger .. also a nice helper App for phone / tablet .. and a headphone port
Six AA good quality rechargeable batteries are needed (not included so you need to purchase them separately ) ..
and then the radio has mains free portable functionality .. for about an afternoon ..
There are lots of great colours to chose from .. which look fab
We chose the midnight blue which sets off the gold grill , controls and trim beautifully ..
this compliments our interior colour scheme perfectly
The radio is not just .. ” Made in England ” .. it is ..
… “Made in Yorkshire ” … So you cannot get better than that …
Without any exaggeration we do’nt just like this radio here ..
We absolutely love it …