Pure Digital Evoke-3 review

The gadgets grab the headlines, but the Evoke-3 is fundamentally a great choice as a portable radio Tested at £200.00

What Hi-Fi? Verdict

The gadgets grab the headlines, but the Evoke-3 is fundamentally a great choice as a portable radio

Pros

  • +

    Endless specification

  • +

    well made

  • +

    superior sound

Cons

  • -

    Not the most expansive listen

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So the Evoke-1 is mono, the Evoke-2 is stereo, so what does that make the Evoke-3 – three-channel? Not quite: there may not be much to distinguish this model from the £150 Evoke-2XT at first glance – they share the same aesthetic, which is functional or uninspiring, depending on your point of view – but the Evoke-3 has gorged at the specification buffet.

There's an SD-card slot –making recording broadcasts or playing back MP3 files simple – plus an Electronic Programme Guide (just like digital TV), pause-and-rewind facility and a remote control. There' aremore: digital and analogue outputs, a 3.5mm stereo input for amplifying the mandatory iPod, and a surfeit of alarm and timer memories – 20 of the former and 99 of the latter - with the handle on top functioning as a snooze button.

An enterprising listen
Powered either by mains or the optional ChargePak battery, the Evoke-3 tunes swiftly. The big, six-line display and numerous menus make the radio highly customisable and, once it's set up to your exact spec, it's an enterprising listen.

Yes, the sound struggles to escape the confines of the cabinet, but s well-defined, focused and distinct. Tuned to BBC6 Music, the Pure delivers respectably taut bass along with a crisp top end and natural midrange, and FM reception is equally substantial.

So it's ideal. It's proper radio, with some of the suddenly essential fripperies thrown in, too. Another one off the middle of the bat for Pure, then...

What Hi-Fi?

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