Setup
As with most DABs, setup on the Oasis was painless. As soon as the radio was switched on it auto-tuned itself to all available digital radio stations and displayed their names on the built-in LCD. Pressing the Info button cycles through all the available information about a specific station, while the Menu button gives you some basic options like switching off the LCD backlight.
Features
The Oasis can tune into all Band III broadcasts, meaning that every DAB station in the UK can be received on the radio at a quality of up to 256kbps. The autotuner on the radio is relatively fast compared to other DABs we've tested, but you're unlikely to need to retune the radio very often during its lifetime.
One of the most impressive features on the Oasis is its battery life, which stands at an impressive 15 hours. When you pick up the DAB it's easy to tell where this extra battery power is being drawn from -- the radio is pregnant with ChargePAK power cells, which make it notably heavy to lug around. When you do finally run the internal battery flat, the radio will take a 9V power supply that powers the device while charging the internal cells.
If you have an existing iPod, CD or MiniDisc player, you can connect this to the Oasis for amplification using the aux-in connector on the side of the radio. There's also a USB connection, which doesn't transfer music, but will let you update the firmware on the Oasis if PURE introduces new revisions of the internal software.
Performance
Despite our reticence over mono-speakered DABs, we've been impressed with other mono devices before, not least the Roberts Gemini 10. The Oasis has a more modern tone than the less expensive Gemini, and reproduces digital radio with an uncoloured and crisp approach. Listening to Tied Up Too Tight by Hard Fi revealed an acceptable low-end for a small speaker. The high end had a typically trebly sound that made it impossible to confuse the source for anything but radio. However, our overall impression was good. Especially impressive was PURE's decision to volume-limit the amplifier to within its ability to drive the internal speaker. This means there is absolutely no clipping, even at the highest volume. This will increase the lifetime of the radio as well as avoid the nasty distortion common on most radios when the volume is maxed-out.
Listening to a play on BBC Radio 4, the Oasis demonstrated excellent sonic characteristics. Voices were clean and rounded, with no distortion even at maximum volume. The background sound effects came alive even though the Oasis is monophonic, and we were surprised by how good a mostly plastic chassis can sound with such a small speaker cone. If you're looking for a rugged radio that is also one of the best-sounding mono units out there, the Oasis is, like its namesake, a pleasure to pass the hours by.
Edited by Michael Parsons
Additional editing by Nick Hide
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User reviews4
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Whistle Blower. 4 February 2010
Good: Build Quality , Sound Quality and able to upgrade software.
Bad: Serious ventilation and internal battery issues.
Comment: Pure recalled the early models due to ventilation problems in that the inbuilt rechargeable battery was susceptible to overheat when being recharged.
Another important floor in its design was that when the internal rechargeable battery naturally came to the end of its life (after only 18 months with average use) the owner had to send the whole unit back to the manufacturer's to have the new battery installed at some considerable expense and inconvenience to the owner! The public would see this as a "con"
Given the above facts, it is not surprising that Pure quickly pulled this model off the market!
If the manufactures would have got the design right at launch, the Oasis would have made it big in the DAB world as some of its other features were very good if not outstanding.
George123 5 April 2009
Good: robust, weatherproof, reasonable quality sound
Bad: haven't found anything yet
Comment: We want a radio to carry out and use when swimming in the pool. This is fine.
We had an old radio which lasted about 3 days before adjusting it with a wet finger caused the controls to stop working. The Pure Oasis however has now been going for the best part of the year without any problems at all, and it is prodded with wet fingers every day
Yes it is bulky, but then it has also been dropped on a concrete floor couple of times, and that is done it no harm at all. Obviously it would not stand dunking in the pool, so we haven't tried that.
The sound quality is reasonable, we are quite happy not to have concert quality reproduction outdoors or when swimming. The controls are easy to use. It also makes a useful kitchen radio, and doesn't take up too much room on a worktop.
The only thing that has been less than perfect has been the inset rubber protective strips, coming out of their slots. However a dab with suitable clear rubber adhesive at the end of each strip has stopped that happening
Mike Stewart 11 January 2007
Good: Great sound, very portable, extremely robust and can be used virtually anywhere.
Bad: A bit on the heavy side, could do with a bigger screen.
Comment: Superb. It follows me everywhere round the house and garden.
See all 4 user reviews