Very few radios offer a pause and record feature for DAB radio, and rarer still is the ability to record FM, but the new Record R, from Roberts, can do both.
Features and Performance
The styling of the Record R, is reminiscent of the Roberts Unologic, and the Record R has a similar glossy plastic finish to the body. Although the body is quite square, all corners and edges are rounded giving a smooth feel. The radio feels solid and well built, and despite being quite thin and tall the design is reasonably stable.
The radio can be powered by either the mains adapter or 4 D-type batteries. Although the Record R isn’t specifically listed as part of Roberts Eco range, the radio uses just 1W of power when in operation.
The backlit LCD display is large and easy-to-read with clear and good sized text. This is bolstered by variable contrast and manual brightness settings. All of the control buttons surround the display, and these are clearly marked and offer positive feedback when operated. The two rotary controls on the side of the radio have a tactile rubberized coating which give good grip.
Features-wise the Record R has a lot to offer beyond the recording functions, but this is obviously the key feature. Recording live radio is a one-touch function, simply press and hold the Pauseplus/record button and, as long as you have a SD memory card with spare capacity installed, the radio will start recording.
The radio has 4 timers which can be used to preset a recording. Each of these can be set for different times and dates, and a re-occurring timer can be set to record your favorite weekly or daily program on a rolling basis (memory dependent of course).
DAB recordings are made in the MP2 format, which is not as widely compatible on other devices as the MP3 format, and FM recordings are in .wav format. Roberts don’t give detailed information on how long one can record for at various bitrates, but it will vary depending on which station is being listened to, and how large the memory card. Roberts say the radio should be compatible with cards of up to 32GB in size.
Recordings can be played back either on the radio itself, or on an external compatible device by removing the SD card. We tested some recordings on an Apple PC, and the files were instantly recognized and automatically launched iTunes (the default Media Player installed on the test computer). The only slight confusion was that timed recordings and instant recordings were placed in different folders, but those with a modicum of computer experience should find the system fairly straightforward.
The SD card slot can also be used to playback music files stored on a card, and is compatible with a variety of formats including MP3 and WAV, but not WMA lossless or DRM protected files. There is also an aux-in socket for connecting external devices such as an MP3 player.
The radio will pause live FM or DAB radio for up to a maximum of 60 mins. Pressing the Pauseplus button will pause the program and buffer it ready for playback, another press will commence playback. Users can then scroll through the recorded section using the fast forward and rewind buttons. To go back to the live broadcast simply press and hold the Pauseplus button.
Reception sensitivity for both DAB and FM are excellent if you are prepared to experiment with the aerials length and alignment angle.
Although the Record R only has 10 presets (5 for DAB and 5 for FM) these are one-touch and very easy to use with direct access buttons.
There are 4 alarms with a host of advanced features including weekend cancel and power cut backup.
Sound quality is reasonable for such a small radio, giving a nice balanced sound. There is a tone control, but stereo is only available via earphones.
Conclusion
The Record R is a great radio with some excellent recording features, and offers a very accomplished package at a reasonable price. We would have liked to see a simple filing system for stored recordings, but this is a minor grumble, and doesn’t detract from the 5-star performance.
