Pure Pop Midi with Bluetooth review

A neat bedside radio, but we have certainly heard better Tested at £80

What Hi-Fi? Verdict

A neat bedside radio, but we have certainly heard better 

Pros

  • +

    Looks good

  • +

    Nicely made

  • +

    Neat ‘Pop’ button

Cons

  • -

    Sounds a bit small, cluttered and hard

  • -

    Small screen

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Pure has a proven track record of making good radios: the company took gongs in our 2013 and 2014 Awards.

Next up is a trio of digital radios - the Pop Mini, Midi and Maxi. And what we have here is the middle-sized unit. Why is it called Pop? Because it’s the most noticeable feature of the radio.

Press the comically large power button at the top and it will pop up, doubling as a volume knob.

Build and design

Make sure you think about whether you’d prefer Bluetooth or 3.5mm auxiliary input – there are two versions of this product

Make sure you think about whether you’d prefer Bluetooth or 3.5mm auxiliary input – there are two versions of this product

The front has a small screen and a single driver, while the cloth-grille wrap is deceptive: sound only comes out the front. Power is from a microUSB connection, as opposed to a bulky power brick. The bottom of the device opens up to take four ‘AA’ batteries, or Pure’s rechargeable ChargePAK D1 battery pack (£35, sold separately).

As a radio, it handles DAB/DAB+ as well as FM. This model, as the name says, handles Bluetooth, so you can bring your own music to the party (Pure also makes a slightly cheaper Pop Midi with a 3.5mm auxiliary input instead).

Performance

The Pop is lovely to use and a tidy device, with friendly dimensions (17x9x10cm). Powering on the device will automatically bring up the station previously selected, as well as the last volume level.

The sound, however, could be better. You get a decent amount of detail and weight, but there’s no escaping the small size of the audio. There’s a hard edge to everything, too, that can get tiring.

Verdict

It’s a decent device for the price. Just don’t expect excellence.

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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