The first thing you notice about the Evoke-1 is how well-built it is. The stylish Maplewood casing with pearlescent white and silver facia is very sturdy and designed to take a few knocks. Although the Evoke-1 looks like a portable radio, it is powered by a mains adapter and features stereo line-out, headphones and external speaker sockets in the back of the unit.
Setting up the radio is so easy, a child could do it. When you first turn on the radio, the player will automatically tune in to any available stations. The Evoke-1 features a green backlit two-line LCD display on the front of the unit which displays the station name as well as additional information sent from the radio station such as current track info and contact details. Selecting a station is very easy, simply turn the tune dial until the station you want appears by name on the screen and then press the tune dial. The six preset buttons come in handy as it can save time switching between favourite stations. The LCD display is used for displaying station frequency details and the date and time. The only bad thing about the LCD screen is that the viewing angle is very small and so is best viewed face-on.
Where DAB radio excels over conventional AM/FM radios is in the quality of the audio, and the Evoke-1 doesn't disappoint. When the signal strength is good, the sound is brilliant. We found that the signal strength varied depending on where we placed the unit--the higher in the house the radio was placed, the better the signal strength. When the signal strength was low, there is some audio distortion-–but this is no fault of the radio. The telescopic antenna can be easily removed and replaced with a more powerful external aerial if you find the signal strength too weak in your area.
The Pure Evoke-1 is a great radio that sounds as good as it looks. The sound output from the internal speaker is superb, and the lack of a second speaker isn't really an issue as the audio-out capabilities enable it to be plugged directly into an external amplifier or hi-fi. Whether you use it in the kitchen, in the study or on your desk as work, the Pure Evoke-1 is a top-quality product that really shows off the benefits of DAB radio. --Martin Snelling
Great sound - easy to use - great build quality.
The down side... well it's only mains powered so I'm not sure it counts as a true "portable", and personally I would like to have had a dimmer on the display (which tends to light the whole room up at night), but that's about it really.
The Evoke was one of the first in the market and it is now available in a variety of packages (you can get versions with additional speakers, different finishes and alarm clocks added etc etc), and with a bit of shopping around you can find some very competitive deals now. Whichever way you cut it you will be able to find cheaper DAB receivers, and ones with more features for the money, but for me... I'll stick with the Evoke any day!
Originally it took me months to track one down, but wow, was it worth the wait!
The Evoke scores full marks in both form and function. Easy to set up, easy to use, excellent quality sound, very easy on the eye and a joy to use. Tuning is simple and easy and all the controls have a quality feel about them.
A few reviewers have commented about the lack of portability. This is only a down side if you need it to be truly portable.If I am working in another room for a few hours I am happy to take the mains adapter and plug it in there - No more hassle than having to change the batteries regularly and much cheaper. I have not qualms about the fact that my Evoke will not run on batteries.
A number of reviews also say that they have not / will not bother with the extra speaker. Well, I would say, think again! I had mine for a few months before getting the extra speaker & I believe that it is an excellent addition, with great quality stereo imaging. Obviously if you can plug your Evoke into your hi-fi then don't bother with the extra speaker, but if you use it regularly where you don't have a full hi-fi system, then it is money well spent.
So, is there any bad news? Well, I am struggling to find any but would agree with a comment made elsewhere.....I have mine on my desk, which means I look down on the display, which makes it a little difficult to read! OK, no big problem, but that is how good the Evoke is.
Conclusion - If you are reading this you are interested in an Evoke, don't read any more, go ahead and buy one. You will not be disapointed.
