What Hi-Fi? Verdict
A skinny version of the Pure Evoke range, the One still hits the spot
Pros
- +
Good, clear sound
- +
mains and battery
- +
new DAB text features
Cons
- -
A little extra money buys more substantial sound and build
Why you can trust What Hi-Fi? Our expert team reviews products in dedicated test rooms, to help you make the best choice for your budget. Find out more about how we test.
Not content with ruling the roost at higher price bands, Pure has models to take care of the budget section of the digital radio world, too. The One is its entry-level DAB radio, and its performance means it should sell in shedloads.
However, don't think you're getting £100-plus radio performance – you're not. Though the One offers good clarity and class-leading levels of detail, it lacks the authority, bass-reach and richness of some pricier rivals. True, those superior-sounding sets cost double the money, but if you plan lots of radio listening, they're probably worth it. The One is a good listen, though, and if you struggle to pick up digital signals (as you occasionally might, due to its diffident tuning), there's FM as a back-up.
Features
The One hosts a couple of nicely innovative features: when listening to digital stations, you can pause the scrolling text (handy to note down info), and you can also store text data and read it later. Power is either via mains or battery – 20 hours from the bespoke £30 Pure battery unit, or 35 hours from six C size batteries – meaning the One is truly portable, and the build, though lightweight, is fine for the money.
Pure doesn't seem to build anything but competitive digital radios – the One is no different.
