There’s something very beautiful about the design of a Roberts radio: my family had one in the kitchen when I was growing up, and I remember it as much for its wonderfully retro looks – it wasn’t all that different from the very distinctive Roberts R66 of the 1950s, even though ours was decades more recent – as for its sound quality, which made other radios sound embarrassingly bad. I’m delighted, then, to see that the latest Roberts radios package their distinctly modern technology into designs that Harry Roberts himself could have created.
Roberts has unveiled three new additions to the Rambler family: the Rambler Uno, Rambler Midi and Rambler Max. And while they wouldn’t have looked out of place in my childhood kitchen, they’re packed with modern technology.
Roberts Rambler Uno, Rambler Midi and Rambler Max: key features and specifications
The Rambler Uno is the most affordable of the new radios, and replaces the Rambler Mini . It’s a DAB, DAB+ and FM radio and alarm clock radio, with a full-range speaker and passive bass radiator, a bright OLED panel, Bluetooth, and it runs on four AA batteries. It’s really good-looking, and pretty affordable for a Roberts, coming in at £129.99 (which is about $171 or AU$254, make do with a dollar). You can choose between duck egg, navy or pastel cream.
Next up is the Rambler Midi for £179.99 (so around $237 or AU$350). This is a new design and is much more compact, though it shares the same design DNA as the rest of the Rambler range. Once again it’s a radio and alarm clock with DAB, DAB+ and FM with Bluetooth, and this time the single full-range driver has been ported for improved bass. There’s an LCD screen on the front and again it runs on four AA batteries and is available in duck egg, navy or pastel cream.
The Rambler Max is the smartest of the bunch, supplementing the radio functions with Spotify, Deezer and SmartRadio integration. a TFT screen and an optional lithium battery pack. There’s no cream colour option for this one so far; the choice is between navy and duck egg. The Roberts Rambler Max has an RRP of £199.99 – around $263 or AU$390.
The Roberts Revival Petite 2 is the company’s latest success – yes, it proudly stands as one of the best DAB radios we’ve ever tested, along with two older Roberts options. Will there be a product from Roberts’ new Rambler trio soon? We’re working on it…
All three new Rambler radios are available now at RobertsRadio.com and at the usual retailers.