TIMELESS CLASSIC Tivoli Audio Model One+ £209
The original Tivoli Audio Model One was designed in 2000 and boasted unique looks and AM/FM tuning. The One+ maintains the understated, solid-wood elegance of the original – and also its silky-smooth tuning dial – but adds in DAB/DAB+, Bluetooth for streaming convenience and a pin-sharp digital LED display. Unusually for a tabletop radio, it has a single top-firing 75mm speaker and ported cabinet, and despite the lack of directional sound, it does a great job of filling my kitchen with clean and articulate audio. The hands-on controls hark back to a simpler, analogue time, although they do throw in a full remote control in case you decide to position it out of harm’s way on a shelf. tivoliaudio.com
PORTABLE VALUE Roberts Mini Rambler £69
No article about ‘radio’ is complete without Roberts. Founded in 1932, the brand is responsible for some of the most iconic transistor designs. Here, they’ve distilled that unmistakably British look into a compact portable radio with Bluetooth streaming as well as DAB, DAB+ and FM tuning. Measuring just 18cm x 11cm, and in four fashionable colours, it’s an eye-catching accessory. No, it’s not as impressive-sounding as the others on test, but it’s affordable, has battery power convenience, and projects with assurance despite its size. robertsradio.com
BEST IN TEST Ruark R1S £299
Ruark’s R1S has added Wi-Fi
British audio brand Ruark has an almost faultless track record producing premium products that look and sound beautiful. And with the R1S they’ve finally added Wi-Fi streaming and internet radio alongside FM, DAB, DAB+ and Bluetooth to their most popular product.
If you don’t want to be able to play content from internet stations, Spotify, Amazon Music or Deezer platforms, the R1 MK4 sounds just as good and costs £60 less. But for me, aside from the initial tedium of inputting passwords using the dial, it is worth the extra, especially as it can now be controlled via the OCTIV app (iOS and Android).
Thanks to the acoustically tuned polymer casing and NS+ neody
