PURE's first Evoke digital radio picked up a shelf-full of awards, and version 2 improves on a winning formula. It's better looking than before, boasts better speakers and includes a feature called Active Audio Filtering that's designed to get the best sound from your broadcasts. You also get an input for iPods or MiniDiscs, a clock display, alarm clock and kitchen timer. There's a USB connection for installing any future software updates.
You'll love or hate the styling, but there's no arguing over the sound quality: whether you listen to speech or music, the audio quality is top-notch. It's good value for money, too, with a typical price of around £150, although if you shop around you should be able to find it online for about £130.
Design
The Evoke-2XT is an attractive blend of modern and retro design, although the cherry wood case and the metal front look very plasticky. The bright blue LCD display is mounted between the stereo speakers, with three control knobs -- volume, tone and tuning -- and 12 buttons arranged underneath. In this grid you'll find six buttons for storing and accessing presets and a button for accessing station info and a standby button. The remaining buttons control the backlight, the tuner, the built-in timer and the radio's menu system.
It's functional rather than flashy, which means it should look fine whether you put it in the kitchen or the front room. The design shouldn't date, either, so it's unlikely to embarrass you in a few years' time.
On the back you'll find a Charge-PAK-compatible battery compartment that takes six standard type-C batteries, together with the connector for the supplied 9V DC adaptor. There's a headphone output and a line out, together with an Aux In for playing audio from an iPod, MiniDisc or other audio source. The Evoke-2XT also boasts a USB port for software upgrades via your PC, and there's a digital output for connecting the radio to other hi-fi equipment.
on Accessories 
Facebook 
iPhone App 
Newsletters 
Twitter 
RSS Feeds 
Send Us Tips
User reviews2
Add your review
Sandy Wilson 9 July 2007
Good: Sound quality, reliability
Bad: Only 6 presets, ChargePak not included
Comment: I have been using the Pure Evoke 2XT since December 2006, and I cannot praise it highly enough. The sound is excellent from such a small unit (can be heard well in the garden too), and the receiver does its best with some of the lower bit rate stations, making them sound as good as it can. Optical Out, Line Out and Line In mean that the unit is flexible too, I would highly recommend it to anyone looking for a DAB radio.
Chi Chung Lee 19 June 2007
Good: Good sound quality, option to connect to iPod and the sleeper function
Bad: Size and look, price, few presets and Q radio station not available!
Comment: I recently bought this radio for a whopping £120, which was a bit expensive given that it is a digital/FM radio only.
But true to the review, the sound quality is great - and great for the bedroom (I've yet to use it in the kitchen, and frankly don't think I will). Haven't bothered using the FM radio as yet, as long as there's Magic on digital.... :P
I'm not entirely convinced by the size of the thing, it looks and feels a little bulky to me. The ability to play your songs from an iPod (or iTunes on your laptop) is great - the bad thing is, you'll need to buy another cable for this, so add another £10 (but worth it I think).
Overall, pretty good indeed.
See all 2 user reviews