What Hi-Fi? Verdict
More than talented enough to warrant a place at the top table
Pros
- +
Neat design
- +
good spec
- +
enthusiastic, up-and-at-’em attitude
Cons
- -
Nasty plastics
- -
tiny display
- -
could retrieve more fine detail
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.
Imitation is sincere flattery, apparently. Roberts might be feeling pretty flattered by the sight of View Quest’s Retro 1, which apes Roberts’ leather-trimmed Revival styling pretty shamelessly. Fortunately, the Retro 1 is a similarly talented performer, too.
Ergonomically the Retro 1 could be better sorted – its plastics feel cheap, particularly the needlessly small controls, and the display is even more miserly than Sony’s XDR-S16.
On the plus side, though, it includes a neatly integrated iPod dock and can be powered by four ‘C’-size batteries.
It’s a secure and solidly focused listen, with good, well-disciplined low-frequency presence and relatively wide-ranging dynamic shove.
It’s briskly communicative through the midrange, too, and while it’s fractionally short of fine detail there’s undeniable charm in its energetic sound.
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