Roberts Revival iStream 3L DAB+/FM Internet Smart Radio
Roberts Revival iStream 3L DAB+/FM Internet Smart Radio with Bluetooth – Portable Radio – Pastel Cream
 |  |  |  |  |  | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 23.9 x 16.5 cm; 2.56 Kilograms |
| Model: | REV-ISTREAMLPC |
| Manufacture: | Roberts |
| Dimensions: | 10.6 x 23.9 x 16.5 cm; 2.56 Kilograms |
| Origin: | Ireland |
I needed to replace my old Bush internet radio because it was no longer compatible with the new platforms the BBC are now using. I was originally put off by the high price of this Revival range, but I’ve previously bought different Roberts radios and have been very satisfied with their performance and reliability. This model looks stylish and has good display features. The quality of sound for something this size is very good indeed. However, the navigation on this set – finding internet stations in the UK and many others abroad that I want to listen to – is terribly fiddly and time-consuming. You need the patience of a saint to identify and then store via the preset button the different stations. I have to say that compared to all the complexity of doing that on the Roberts, navigating on my old Bush is an absolute doddle. In addition, the accompanying instruction leaflet is confusing and not at all user-friendly. Finally, mindful of the benefits of buying British and supporting home industries, I was not at all happy to see that Roberts radios are now made in China. You might just as well call the entire company Zhang-Ping.
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!
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.
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.
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.
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
Fantastic little radio. Great quality sound. Although think it helps if you’re a little bit tech savvy getting it all set up. Not sure my mum could do it..!!!!
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.
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.
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 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.
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.
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.
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 …