Background - Granny’s old Pure Evoke 1s radio no longer powers up. I’m hoping it’s just the power adapter but can’t find my multimeter at the minute to check it over. If it’s just that then probably a simple fix but I found a few videos on the web suggesting a failed display might be the problem.
If it’s not the power adapter any recommendations for a good, simple radio.
Desirable/undesirable features:
1 - Simple FM/Digitial radio
2 - Clear simple display
2 - Simple ‘accessible’ controls/presets for someone well into their 80’s
3 - Nothing complex as she has poor mobility/dexterity
4 - Good clarity as she is hard of hearing and has a hearing aid (do any feed directly to those?)
5 - She is traditional and ‘tech’ averse - no internet at house - a ‘Smart assistant’ would therefore not work, and we’ve tried an old Echo Show at the house before with mobile broadband but she never understood or used it.
6 - No fancy connectivity required unless the whole package is just good value - so many offer things someone without a smartphone would not use.
7 - Reasonably compact - stereo not required
Thanks will take a look, know of the brand but have never used one. They look very smart.
I also need to check where she uses it.
If it’s mainly on a small table next to her armchair a display/controls on the front might be better while she’s seated. If it’s mainly used in the kitchen on a worktop when standing (she mobilises with a frame), controls on top might be best.
While I don’t have experience with this exact model, I have an earlier version on my bedroom nightstand since 2000. Simple, reliable and, for what it is, decent sound. Although, I notice this has an analogue tuner - mine is digital - so idk about presets.
The Play10 is a compact and portable DAB/ DAB+ and FM radio which benefits from all the usual fantastic DAB features. It is simple to use, when you first switch it on it will automatically tune in all the radio stations available. You can then go through and store your favourites.
Built in fm/dab/dab+ with handy radio presets. You can access your favourite radio stations at the touch of a few buttons.
Tivoli Radios have FM and MW/LW, and sound really fantastic. You can choose between the Model One (single mono box) or Model Two (two separate boxes to be spaced apart for stereo).
There is no read-out of the frequency to which the radio is tuned, just a circular dial for tuning to your chosen sration (which may rule them out for your granny, if her vision is poor). I’ve had one in my bedroom for 30 years or so.
“The John Lewis Arietta is a good choice If sound quality is your priority, you’d be hard-pressed to find a better-sounding radio than this. It’s suitable for use in the kitchen, as a bedside alarm clock radio or in any other room in your home. It has an affordable price and John Lewis now has a pretty strong lockout of the best-sounding and affordable DAB radios among the big brands, outclassing well-known rivals Roberts and Pure, with VQ radios consistently being its closest rivals for sound quality in recent years.”
We have a Roberts Revival (retro looking) radio and a Ruark R1. The latter has much the better sound and is very easy to use once some stations are preset. The Roberts looks nice (to some) but is a little more complicated to use, although easy enough when set up. Both are quite expensive though, so, for an elderly lady something cheaper might be adequate. I have never rated Pure personally while Tivoli used to be excellent but I bought one of their PAL models a couple of years ago and had to return it because the sound quality was poor and the construction very flimsy. The Tivoli Model One may be good though if you buy the version with presets it too is expensive.
Revo makes really good sounding and good looking radios. You can have a look here revo.co.uk . It might be an overkill though. Another options is to look on Amazon for simple radios. When I was looking for a similar one there were many results with easy to use radios.
I also use a Revo Superconnect in the kitchen and it is a stunning radio but agree re overkill. I also use a Ruark R1 in bedroom which sounds lovely but I think the controls may be a bit too fiddly for an older person. It doesn’t have separate preset buttons - instead you have to press a single preset button on top and then scroll through.
Perhaps a Revo Supersignal worth a look. Very clear screen and simple preset buttons that can be set up for the owner. Doesn’t have internet capability like Superconnect but that’s not an issue here
Just returned from a visit and I’ve established she wants it in a particular place in the kitchen, that she only listens to a small number of stations (Radio 2 and 4 mostly) but she’s not listened to Radio 3 for ages as whoever set the old one up didn’t add Radio 3 as a preset! She must have had it for years, if only she’d asked!
As a temporary measure I suggested she listened to Radio via the TV and as soon as I picked up the remote to show her there was immediate panic as she didn’t want anything ‘changed as she wouldn’t understand how to go back to TV’ - I was not onto a winner here.
So this convinced me further the replacement will need presets and very simple controls.
My concern with several of the excellent looking suggestions so far is that buttons are too tiny/fiddly for her and text may not be that legible in the rather dark kitchen. I’d put a lovely 150W equivalent LED light in there a few weeks ago which gave fantastic light - apparently it failed and her other daughter’s boyfriend binned it and the bayonet to screw type adapter I bought to use it. Maybe it had failed but it was a Philips one rated for 15,000 hours and I’d not be surprised if the light fixing is a bit iffy as a heavier bulb I’d put in there previously apparently worked intermittently, either that or the bulb had just loosened in the adapter and needed tightening. Ho hum.
That and the Aria 2 seem to have a nice display and an analogue clock view which is nice.
They are both on 50% off clearance on the JL website currently so sound like excellent value. My main concern would be the tiny buttons around the control or volume ring which she might find fiddly assuming she’d understand their functions! I can’t really see from the JL site pics what functions these perform.
Off work this week so I may take a trip to Currys/JL to take a look at several of the excellent options mentioned so far.
I have a Pure Evoke H6 in the kitchen which has been fantastic. If she was previously familiar with the Evoke 1, it might be easier to ‘sell’ her a similar device with (I presume) a similar interface.
Our kitchen H6 replaced a Roberts Play 10, which has been demoted to the bathroom. The Play 10 is pretty simple to use, but is inevitably much less loud than the (larger) H6, which might be an advantage if hearing is an issue.
Looks very nice, possibly a little more costly than we’d intended, again my concern is the modern yet unconventional rotary dial with surrounding buttons. They should have them at the local JL.
