Pure Digital Move 2500 review

Great performer if the DAB reception is strong, but reception can get awfully iffy Tested at £90

What Hi-Fi? Verdict

A great performer in the right circumstances, but the Move 2500 is hobbled a little by the vagaries of DAB reception

Pros

  • +

    Compact

  • +

    good ergonomics

  • +

    long battery life

  • +

    open, informative sound

Cons

  • -

    Reception can get awfully iffy

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DAB radio has many virtues, but portability is rarely among them. Digital broadcasts are notoriously sensitive to the position of the receiver, which tends to preclude much in the way of movement.

That doesn’t stop manufacturers trying, of course. Pure, an acknowledged DAB expert, scooped an Award back in 2006 with its PocketDAB 1500, and the Move 2500 is its latest attempt to advance the portable radio art.

Spacious, detailed presentation
Lightweight, compact and with a battery capable of 14 hours of playback between charges, the Move 2500 is nicely finished and ergonomically sensible.

It’s packaged with a pair of reasonably comfortable in-ear headphones, noise-isolating inasmuch as they fill average ear-holes almost entirely.

The quality of DAB broadcasts is infamously variable, but given something worthwhile such as the BBC’s Radio 3 to deal with, the Pure serves up a spacious, detailed and nicely balanced sound.

There’s a pleasing amount of heft to low frequencies, eloquence in the midrange
and benign crispness at the top, and the 2500 handles dynamic shifts well.

All of the above depends on you finding a ‘sweet spot’ and staying in it, though
– treat the Move 2500 as a truly portable device and those peculiar DAB monkey noises, chirrups and squelches that indicate imperfect reception are all too prevalent.

A tough reception for digital signals
These can be eradicated by switching to FM reception, of course, and there’s a strong case for saying that the Move 2500 sounds better with FM broadcasts than with their DAB equivalents in any case.

But as a truly portable DAB radio the Pure comes up fractionally short – and it isn’t even really this device’s fault.

The mercurial nature of DAB reception means that listening is sometimes as painful as it is pleasurable.

See all our digital radio reviews

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What Hi-Fi?

What Hi-Fi?, founded in 1976, is the world's leading independent guide to buying and owning hi-fi and home entertainment products. Our comprehensive tests help you buy the very best for your money, with our advice sections giving you step-by-step information on how to get even more from your music and movies. Everything is tested by our dedicated team of in-house reviewers in our custom-built test rooms in London, Reading and Bath. Our coveted five-star rating and Awards are recognised all over the world as the ultimate seal of approval, so you can buy with absolute confidence.


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