Review Digital radio has come along way in a short time and thankfully the DAB market in now maturing with a wider range of choice that offers not only the variety of DAB stations, but also more features to more effectively exploit the digital nature of the medium.

Revo Pico+ portable DAB radio

The growth in popularity of DAB radio in recent times has encouraged many new brands into the market with varying degrees of success. Many of the newer brands have, at least according to some of the more established players, actually held the format back with inferior products which has to some extent dampened consumer confidence.

So it’s really good to see a new company that does just the opposite. Scotland-based Revo, got its first break in the DAB market when it bought out the Revo in Car DAB Digital Radio Adapter in 2005. This product, which turned an ordinary car radio into a DAB model, won several awards and gave the company the momentum to follow up with products like the Pico+.

At first glance the product looks like a straightforward compact portable DAB radio, but this little gem (just 16.7cm high and 10.3cm wide) packs more features into a DAB of this size than we have seen before. Pico+ delivers a feature and accessory range more often seen on larger ‘kitchen’ type models with pause, rewind and recording of live radio, drag and drop MP3 storage on an SD card and playback from a personal music player.

There is also an infrared remote control, an in-car power cord, DC power cord, a European plug adapter and a cable for personal media player connection all supplied as standard. Also in line with its portable credentials, the Pico+ has a hardy rubberised coating and all the inputs are protected with rubberised covers, which have special plugs that sink into the various connections for maximum protection from the damp.

Many radios claim to be portable, without delivering much beyond the fact that you can pick them up. However, the Pico+’s accessories range and rugged exterior make it the genuine article, perfect for holidays, festivals or bathroom use, which many portables struggle with long-term due to condensation. But the radio is not just about portability and exterior build quality, the Pico+ has performance to match.

The main dial has a nice notched response

After its initial charge period - the manufacturer recommends an overnight charge when the product is brand new - we tuned into Radio 3. Not to everyone’s taste, but a great way to find out if a radio has any subtlety or finesse as the output sweeps between almost silent to huge surges of complex sound.

The Pico+ coped really well for a radio with only a 2in speaker cone and managed to deal with the abrupt changes in volume and found all the edges of all the notes. The volume range of the radio is also good going surprisingly loud for its size, again making it a good outdoor companion or even whilst in the shower. There is also a handy Dynamic Range feature that automatically boosts the output for quieter stations, perfect for fans of talk radio.

Starting the radio up is very straightforward, a quick scan (around 40 seconds) and all the stations available in the area were found. There's also a useful function that allows you to arrange the order that the stations appear in so you can toggle quickly between your favourites. You can also delete from the main list the stations unavailable in your area, which the radio displays with a question mark next to the station name.

In areas where DAB is not an option, FM steps in with the same quality level of performance. The user interface is comfortable and intuitive. The test here is always how many of the functions can the user work out and find, without referring to the manual. Happily here, all the basic functions are easy to locate as are most of the more advanced abilities.

The main dial has a nice notched response that allows the user to move accurately around the menus and has a comfortable indentation, which the thumb slips neatly into so the product does not have to be held with both hands to move between functions. Pause and rewind of 30 minutes is possible, a good amount of time for a product of this size and price.

The Revo Pico+ is available in three colours: 'satin black', 'snow white' and 'titanium silver'

Simply hold down the function button and then use the pause, rewind and fast forward buttons to move around inside live broadcasts. A more permanent and longer recording can also be made by using the radio’s SD card slot. Toggle to the programme you want and then press the function button again, one more click on the record button and the job is done. The example used in the manual is the Steve Lamaque show, quite why you would want to listen to that once - let alone twice - is beyond us. But the function works really well and gives the radio another dimension of use, as of course the recorded content can be played back on other devices as well.

Recordings made onto the SD card from live radio are in MP2, but the sound does not appear to suffer overly. The SD card also allows the unit to connect to a computer and download existing music files. Connect up the radio, you will need your own USB cable as this appears to be the only accessory that does not come with the product.

We were using a PC, but happily Macs are fully supported. An icon called Pico+ pops up on the computer screen: open the icon, drag the tracks you want into the window - and it is as simple as that. Playback using this method is not as good as the radio performance, the sound loses a little of its reality and bounce, but this is more to do with the characteristics of MP3 than any major fault on the part of the radio.

The M-port on the front of the player allows you to connect any personal music player to the device. Recognition is quick, which is not always the case with similar products. Again the sound is flatter than that delivered by radio playback, but again this is a format question rather than the radio’s fault. In fact it is a testament to how good the radio sounds in DAB and FM that when MP3 is played back there is a noticeable difference.

Verdict

Ultimately this is a great little portable DAB that with its tough exterior and impressive level of added features, makes it a genuine contender for one of the best compacts around, whether indoors or outdoors. The Pico+ also has a little brother in the form of a more basic Pico model and a Wi-Fi enabled cousin called the Pico W-Fi.