The latest internet radio from Pure
can do much more than play your favorite stations. Andy Shaw puts it to the
test.
In Issue 316 (bit.ly/webuser316), we tested
six internet radios and gave Pure’s Sensia 200D Connect our Gold Award.
However, its unusual rugby ball-shape doesn’t appeal to everyone, so if you're
after a more traditional design, Pure’s new Evoke F4 looks more conventional
but still includes innovative and interesting new features.
The basic radio function includes FM, DAB
and internet radio. The latter is streamed through the Pure Connect service
(connect.pure.com), which offers access to more than 21,000 international
stations.
Pure
Evoker F4
Unlike the Sensia 200D, there's no
touchscreen on the F4, just a standard text display to tell you what's going
on. The two large knobs on the front have a solid, textured feel when you turn
them: one can be rotated to select from menus; the other controls the volume.
There are five touch-sensitive buttons between
the screen and the knobs, which change their function according to context, to
perform actions such as adding the current radio station to your Favorites.
Menu navigation
The menu system isn't as easy to control as
a touchscreen. We found the selection knob a bit slow to respond, which left us
twiddling pointlessly, waiting for it to kick in. It's also difficult to
remember whether a clockwise or anti-clockwise twist will send the menu
selection up or down. Pushing the button to make your selection feels like you
might push over the radio itself, though the rubber feet do a good job of
stopping the radio slipping.
The
Pure Evoke F4 has a smart retro look
To avoid the F4’s fiddly knobs and menu
buttons, you can set up your favorite stations on the web or by using the Pure
Connect app (available for free on Android and iOS). The app can also be used
as a remote control for everything on the radio except DAB, FM and streaming
music from network or USB storage.
Play stored music
To play tracks stored on your phone or
tablet, you need to use the F4’s Bluetooth dongle. This plugs into the USB port
on the back of the unit and lets you pair the radio with any
Bluetooth-compatible device. You can then play music from the apps installed on
that device. Visitors can also play their music, without having to download the
Pure app.
Pure
Evoke Mio
The radio also works as a media player, so
it will play any songs you have stored either on your network or a USB storage
device. However, the radio only has one USB port, so you can’t have the
Bluetooth dongle and a USB storage device plugged in at the same time.
The app doesn’t let you scroll through and
select tracks, so you have to use the selection knob. However, it recognizes
UPnP-compatible playlists, so you can prepare these in advance using a program
such as Windows Media Player to cut down on unnecessary twiddling.
Audio from the device is good for a unit of
its size, but it only has one speaker. If you want stereo, you’ll have to buy a
separate speaker for $52.87. When we compared its sound with the Sensia 200D
Connect, we found the F4 didn’t sound as good, and was much less powerful.
Pure Music
To get the most from a Pure radio, it’s
worth subscribing to Pure Music. The free service lets you stream radio, but
for $7.54 per month, you can also get access to Pure’s streaming service, which
uses 7digital’s catalogue of artists and albums. Although this provided access
to a vast selection of music, we found that rival service Spotify provided
more. Spotify also lets you save songs for $15.09 per month, although Pure
intends to introduce a similarly-priced premium service that will allow you to
do this. On the other hand, Spotify charges an extra $7.55 a month to stream
its music on other devices, such as your phone or tablet, which Pure Music has
in its $7.54 service.
Pure
Evoke 2S
If you already use a different streaming
system, or would prefer to use Spotify to Pure Music, you can still fall back
on the Bluetooth connection, as long as you’re subscribed to the Premium
service and can stream through a Bluetooth device.
Pure Music is integrated into the Pure
Connect app, so if you’re listening to music on your phone and want to play it
on the radio, you can click the Pure Connect icon and choose the radio from the
list of available speakers. It’s a bit like Apple’s AirPlay, except it only
works with Pure devices.
However, if you have more than one of
these, and they’re compatible with the Jongo system (as this radio is, see the
box out above), the app one speaker on your network, syncing the sound so all
the speakers are playing the same music at the same time.
You can set up your favorite stations using
the Pure Connect app
Jongo Multi-room
One of the cleverest tricks built into the
F4 is its compatibility with Pure’s new Jongo multi-room system. Pure’s Jongo
S3 (bit.ly/s3321, $256.85, launched in April) is a standalone portable speaker
with a 10-hour rechargeable battery. It connects to your Wi-Fi, will play music
from your Pure Connect app, and also has Bluetooth streaming, so you can play
music from other music-streaming services apart from Pure Music. If you place
several of these speakers around your house, you’ll be able to listen to music
wherever you are.
Pure’s
Jongo
The Evoke F4 works on the same system, so you
can link the devices together, and play radio broadcasts through other Jongo
speakers, or use the radio as an extra speaker as part of your multi-room
system.
If you already have a stereo or speaker,
you can use the new have a stereo or speaker, you can use the new Jongo A2
(bit.ly/a2321, $151.08) as a bridge to connect it to the Pure system. Simply
set up the A2 with your existing speakers using coaxial digital or standard
stereo cables, and it will stream music from your F4 via Wi-Fi, playing everything
through the connected speakers.
·
Our Verdict 4/5
·
Features 5/5
·
Performance 4/5
·
Ease of use 3/5
·
Value for Money 4/5
The Pure Evoke F4 is a good standalone
internet radio, but it’s at its best when used with Pure’s phone apps.
If you intend to use it with a music-streaming
service, and are happy to spend money upgrading the other speakers in your
house, then the interconnectedness of Pure’s Jongo range can provide you with a
seamless and flexible set-up.
Pure’s
Jongo multi-room
If you only want the basic radio, the F4
will work without any of these extras, but we think you’d be better off with
the Gold Award-winning Pure Sensia 200D Connect. This is available at a similar
price but has more powerful speakers and a touchscreen interface that is much
less fiddly to use.
|
Product Info
Pure Evoke F4
·
Website: www.pure.com
·
Price: 271.9
Specifications
·
DAB, FM and Wi-Fi internet radio (Ethernet
optional)
·
802.11b and 802.11g Wi-Fi
·
WEP and WPA/WPA2 encryption
·
Supports WMA, AAC, MP3, MP2 music formats
·
UPnP media server compatible
·
7W RMS audio power output
·
3.5mm auxiliary line-in
·
Full-size USB port for recording/playback
·
3.5mm stereo headphone socket
·
128 x 175 x 110mm
·
1.5kg
For
·
Good audio quality for a small radio
·
Integrates well with Pure Connect app
·
Works with Jongo multi-room system
Against
·
Fiddly to use without apps
·
Sensia 200D Connect has better speaker and
touchscreen
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