There's something deeply lovely about the design of a Roberts radio: my family had one in the kitchen when I was growing up, and I remember it as much for its gorgeously retro looks – it wasn't that different from the very distinctive Roberts R66 of the 1950s, even though ours was decades more recent – as for its sound quality, which made other radios sound embarrassingly bad. So I'm delighted to see that the latest Roberts radios have packed their distinctly modern tech in designs that Harry Roberts himself could have created.
Roberts has unveiled three new additions to its Rambler family: the Rambler Uno, the Rambler Midi and the Rambler Max. And while they wouldn't have looked out of place in my childhood kitchen they're packed with today's tech.
Roberts Rambler Uno, Rambler Midi and Rambler Max: key features and specifications
The Rambler Uno is the most affordable of the new radios, and it's a replacement for the Rambler Mini. It's a DAB, DAB+ and FM radio and alarm radio with a full-range speaker and passive bass radiator, a clear OLED panel and Bluetooth, and it runs on four AA batteries. It's really pretty and pretty affordable for a Roberts, with a price tag of £129.99 (which is around $171 or AU$254, give or take a dollar). You can choose between duck egg, navy blue or pastel cream.
Next up there's the Rambler Midi at £179.99 (so, around $237 or AU$350). This is a new design that's much more compact, although it shares the same design DNA as the rest of the Rambler range. Once again it's a radio and alarm radio with DAB, DAB+ and FM with Bluetooth, and this time the single full-range driver is ported for better bass. There's a front-facing LCD display and once again it runs off four AA batteries and comes in duck egg, navy blue or pastel cream.
The Rambler Max is the smartest of the bunch, supplementing its radio features with Spotify, Deezer and SmartRadio integration. a TFT display and an optional Lithium battery pack. There's no cream option for this one so far; the choice is between navy blue and duck egg. The Roberts Rambler Max has an RRP of £199.99 – around $263 or AU$390.
The Roberts Revival Petite 2 is the company's most recent success – yes, it's proudly among the best DAB radios we've ever tested, along with two older Roberts options. Will a product from Roberts' new Rambler trio soon join it? We're working on that…
All three new Rambler radios are available now from RobertsRadio.com and from the usual retailers.
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