Roberts Revere 300

Roberts Revere 300: CD, DAB+ radio and Bluetooth combined

A stack of CDs waiting on a shelf, a favourite radio station, a playlist on your phone: all of it plays through a single device sitting on a sideboard or console table. Roberts brings together a CD player, DAB+ and FM digital radio, Bluetooth and USB playback in an acoustically tuned wooden cabinet, with two stereo speakers and a remote control to operate everything from the sofa.

A wooden cabinet with a black covering

The Revere 300’s wooden cabinet is assembled by hand, then wrapped in a black leather-look covering, a finish Roberts has long used on its radios. The wood also plays an acoustic role: it dampens vibrations better than a plastic housing and gives the sound a solidity that lightweight devices struggle to achieve. On the front, the slot-loading CD player takes the disc without a tray or lid to lift, and the colour screen displays the station, track title, equalisation setting or time. Its brightness is adjustable, so it need not light up the bedroom at night while remaining readable in a very bright living room. At 36.8 cm wide, 13.8 cm high and just under 5 kg, the Revere 300 fits on a deep shelf and is easy to move from room to room.

Two full-range speakers and a rear port

Each channel uses a 7.6 cm full-range speaker, meaning a single driver that reproduces the entire spectrum on its own, from bass to treble, without a crossover to share the work with a tweeter. Voices come from a single point, producing a coherent sound, with the trade-off of less extended high treble and bass than multi-way speakers. To support the lower end of the spectrum, the cabinet has ports at the rear: the air moving inside reinforces low frequencies, provided a few centimetres are left between the unit and the wall; otherwise, the bass becomes boomy. The Revere 300 is sized to fill a living room, dining room or large office with sound. Six equalisation presets adapt the tonal balance to the content, from a neutral profile for speech to a warmer sound for evening listening, and My EQ mode stores a personal setting, useful for compensating for placement in a corner or a resonant room.

CD and USB playback for stored music

The player accepts commercially available audio CDs and burned discs containing MP3, AAC or WMA files, allowing several dozen albums to fit on a single disc. The same formats can be played from a USB flash drive, and the on-screen menus display folders and tracks so you can find an album without fumbling around. A library encoded in FLAC or WAV, however, will need to be converted, as these formats are not on the supported list. The USB port also charges a smartphone or another compatible device, whether while listening or overnight.

Digital radio, Bluetooth and auxiliary input

The tuner receives DAB+, the terrestrial digital radio system that delivers hiss-free sound and displays the station name and programme information, first-generation DAB, and FM for stations still broadcasting in analogue. Forty presets, twenty for DAB and twenty for FM, recall favourite stations at the touch of a button. Bluetooth receives music from a smartphone, tablet or laptop, opening the door to streaming services, podcasts and audiobooks without any special setup. For a source without Bluetooth, a 3.5 mm mini-jack auxiliary input accepts a portable music player or any line-level device, and a headphone output in the same format handles private listening.

Two alarms and an included remote control

The two alarms wake you to either the radio or a traditional buzzer, each at its own time, making them useful both for two people with different schedules and for distinguishing workdays from days off. The remote control, supplied with its two AAA batteries, operates the unit from across the room, while the front-panel controls remain simple for switching between sources without searching.

Technical specifications

Audio and acoustics

• Audio configuration: stereo system
• Speakers: 2 full-range 7.62 cm speakers
• Acoustic design: acoustically optimised wooden cabinet, with rear bass ports
• Equalisation: 6 presets and custom “My EQ” mode
• Sound reproduction: powerful, clear and balanced stereo sound, with deep bass

Radio and connectivity

• Radio bands: DAB, DAB+, FM
• Bluetooth: wireless audio streaming from a smartphone, tablet or laptop
• USB port: audio file playback and charging of compatible devices
• Audio output: headphone jack

CD player and audio formats

• CD playback: standard audio CDs
• Compatible audio formats
  • On CD: MP3, AAC, WMA
  • Via USB: MP3, AAC, WMA
• Navigation: on-screen menus for browsing folders and audio tracks

Display and features

• Screen: colour screen
• Alarms: built-in dual alarm
• Operation: controls and menus designed for easy access to the various audio sources

Box contents

• 1 Revere 300 audio system
• 1 mains power cable
• 1 remote control
• 2 AAA batteries
• 1 quick start guide
• 1 safety and warranty booklet

Dimensions and weight

• Width: 36.8 cm
• Height: 13.82 cm
• Depth: 26.42 cm
• Weight: 4.913 kg