Retro style, modern sound: Roberts Rambler Max review

The best speakers don't just sound good; they look great as well, and that's the goal of the Roberts Rambler Max. With a design inspired by the 1970s, the Rambler Max is stunning to look at and makes for a very stylish addition to any household.

Still, a speaker needs to sound good, and the Rambler Max achieves that with its full-range driver and customisable settings. If the default EQ isn't quite right for you, you can either tinker with the bass and treble individually or choose from a handful of presets. It's also not just a Bluetooth speaker, as the Rambler Max can also be used as a radio.

It's easy to judge from a glance whether the Rambler Max's aesthetics will appeal to you, but it's hard to know whether the sound is right without getting your hands on it. Will it have enough bass for your music taste? Is it a good value speaker? How portable is it really? We've got the answers you may be seeking.

We're here to help with that, as we've had one of our tech experts, Kyle Purves, test this speaker out for themselves. They've used the Rambler Max as both a speaker and a radio, getting a full sense of its capabilities with music and dialogue. They've tried it out in various locations to get a sense of its portability and experimented with plenty of music genres to see how well the bass holds up. Now that they have a solid understanding of the strengths, weaknesses, and unique aspects of the Rambler Max, they're ready to share their thoughts.

What's good?

One glance is all it takes to fall in love with the Roberts Rambler Max. I'm a big fan of the aesthetics, with the panelling on the sides blending in very well with plenty of places around my house. The main body is available in either a deep navy or a pleasant duck egg blue, both of which I quite like. I ended up with the navy, but I think the duck egg would suit those looking for a summer speaker.

The controls are intuitive, making it easy to learn and understand how to use the Rambler Max. The left dial can be pressed to turn the speaker on and off or turned to adjust the volume. The right dial varies by context but is primarily used for navigating menus, pausing music, or skipping to the next song. Between these dials is the screen and accompanying smaller buttons. The leftmost button can be used to change the connection, whether it's Bluetooth or radio, and the little "i" button next to it gives additional information about the current song, usually the artist or band's name. The most important button is the centre one, which lets you navigate the main menus, allowing you to disconnect from the current Bluetooth device, set alarms, or tweak the settings.

I appreciate the ease of using the Rambler Max. Many speakers attempt to minimise the buttons and controls needed, but this often leads to them being more cumbersome in the end. Everything works exactly as one would want it to here, with zero hassle involved.

The overall sound quality is very impressive. The full-range driver delivers an impactful sound, and the projection fills even a large room. Radio talk is discernible, and I never had any difficulties hearing dialogue. Even when I put the speaker outside its intended use case and played YouTube videos through it, everything was distinct and crisp. And as one would expect from a speaker that handles dialogue so well, it's brilliant for music. Each track I played through the Rambler Max came out delightfully rich and high-quality.

Yet, I was initially not enamoured with the sound. In particular, the bass seemed quite weak for my tastes, and I had heard better from many other speakers. It turns out that this was just the case with the default settings, and it actually speaks to the strength of the equaliser settings. Within the system settings, you can either choose between numerous pre-sets that reflect certain genres, such as Jazz, Classical, and Rock, or you can tweak the treble and bass to your personal preference. Once I had turned the treble and bass up, the Rambler Max became a complete powerhouse, easily among the best of the speakers that I've used.

Another strength I want to acknowledge regarding the EQ is that it's built into the speaker. There's no annoying additional app taking up space on your phone that you need just to adjust the settings, it's entirely within the speaker menus.

What's okay?

The Rambler Max's portability is a bit of a mixed bag. The build itself is not overly heavy, and the strap is strong enough to hold it without being cumbersome. It was no issue swapping which room I had it set up in. Yet while it is advertised for potential on-the-go use, I have a few reservations.

Firstly, there's the power source. The Rambler Max is designed to primarily be plugged into the mains. It does not have an internal rechargeable battery, so it can't hold a charge on its own. As you can imagine, that limits how practical it can be to take with you. It's not a dealbreaker, as you can plug it in once at another destination or use an external power source if you're out in nature. I was able to use a cable extender to enjoy some garden listening with it.

There is an official solution to this issue: the Roberts BP3. This fits into a variety of Roberts radios and speakers and acts as a rechargeable battery, offering upwards of 10 hours of playtime. While I would prefer a rechargeable battery to be included and not a separate purchase, I do appreciate that this remedies the issue. I tend to carry a power bank with me for other speakers, so the difference isn't too large here.

Any downsides?

While the battery situation is so-so, even ignoring that, there's still the issue of durability. The Roberts Rambler Max is quite sturdy, with a frame that protects it well enough. However, as far as I can tell, it is not waterproof, and that's quite unfortunate. There are plenty of portable speakers out there that can pack equally impressive audio quality into a more compact and waterproof build. That does mean you'll need to be careful when using it out and about. While it may be unlikely to come into any contact with liquids indoors, whether it's in the living room or at a party, the outdoors and unpredictable weather is another question.

Alternatives to the Roberts Rambler Max

If you're not confident that the Rambler Max is right for you, then there are still plenty of other radio-speaker fusions out there that might catch your eye. We've selected a couple of our favourite alternatives for you to consider.

Who tested it?

Kyle Purves is a writer and reviewer for What's The Best. They've tested numerous speakers and radios before, so they've developed a fine ear for detail. They know what strengths, weaknesses, and unique quirks to look and listen for when it comes to these types of products.

How was it tested?

I tested the Roberts Rambler Max as both a speaker and radio. During work, I would play music from my playlists through Bluetooth to have on in the background, and during lunch breaks, I would listen to the radio for a bit of variety and news. I also moved it from room to room to get a better sense of which type of space is best suited for its sound.

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Kyle Purves is a Tech Writer and Reviewer for What's The Best, with an avid interest in all things gaming and tech.

They're well-versed in reviewing a variety of tech products, with a soft spot for speakers and earphones. They're also no stranger to hunting down the best savings, always wanting to get the best deal possible. Outside of work, they can often be found playing through an RPG, listening to Japanese noise rock, or trying to catch up with their ever-expanding list of shows and anime to watch. If possible, they try to play Dungeons and Dragons a couple of times a week, but getting six adults to be free at the same time is easier said than done.

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