Punching above its weight: Roberts Revival PETITE2 DAB Radio review

The Revival PETITE2 is a portable DAB radio that comes to us from Roberts, the British audio brand renowned for its high-quality radios. Established in 1932, Roberts is known in 2024 for combining classic design with modern technology, offering products that blend vintage aesthetics with contemporary functionality and exceptional sound quality. The PETITE2 is a good representation of this reputation: a portable DAB+ radio with the visual trappings of a vintage device.

A seemingly tiny radio, the Roberts Revival PETITE2 offers DAB, DAB+, and FM capabilities, granting access to numerous stations with impeccable sound clarity. The intuitive rotary dial spins to switch between stations or can be held to access settings where you can perform expected actions, such as controlling screen brightness or retuning stations. The plus-and-minus adds or subtracts volume, while the bottom left switches between playback modes – DAB, FM and Bluetooth – or can be held to set the alarm.

Building on the original PETITE, the PETITE2 has a rechargeable battery that provides up to 20 hours of uninterrupted listening pleasure. It has a telescopic antenna for improved connectivity and Bluetooth connectivity to allow streaming from smartphones and other devices. An alarm has also been added.

Verdict: This is one of the best DAB radios I've tried. It delivers powerful sound, making it a stylish and functional addition to any space, perfect for living room corners or carrying into the garden.

What's good?

Let’s get the obvious out of the way: this radio looks excellent. Its design is a well-balanced blend of modern and retro. I tested the radio in Pop Orange, and I suspect this might be the best and most fun, but all available colourways are joyful.

Considering the size of the Roberts Revival PETITE2, its sound packs a punch. So long as you have a good station signal, the quality of the 40mm speaker can be heard, whether listening to talk radio or music, with real clarity to the details of voice and instruments. It’s no shock that this isn’t a bass powerhouse, but it has a balanced, rich tone that handles talk shows on Radio 4 just as well as floor-fillers on KISSTORY.

The radio's build quality is high, with the body, ports, buttons, and selection dial all feeling robust. This should be no surprise to anyone familiar with Roberts’ pedigree in radio building. Though small, the PETITE2 is anything but delicate, feeling weighty in the hand and like it can take plenty of use.

Part of that weightiness comes from the battery, which carries a generous 20 hours of charge. When it comes to topping up, this is via USB-C (an upgrade of the original PETITE model), which is nice and speedy.

Also, a telescopic ariel, an update on the previous model, improves reception. In my test, I found the PETITE2 to have reliable connectivity indoors and out.

What's okay?

The PETITE2's Bluetooth seems willfully outdated and is a strange choice by Roberts – it's version 2.0. This outmoded version of Bluetooth launched in 2004, while the radio was launched in February 2024.

Granted, this radio isn't designed as a Bluetooth speaker and the Bluetooth 2.0 is serviceable, but we're now well into version 5.0, which has increased data throughput and greater power efficiency. It would have been great to see a newer version of Bluetooth carried here, like you'd find on other Bluetooth speakers for around £100.

Any negatives?

For the most part, the OLED screen is a nice touch. Its two-tone colouring is legible and pleasant to look at and sets it apart from the slightly cheap-looking black-on-yellow screens that some DAB radios carry, which look closer to calculator screens. Sadly, the screen has weak backlighting and is dim, even on full blast. I took it out into the garden several times and struggled to read the display any time the clouds cleared slightly. Even in the shade, it can be trouble.

If you stick to one radio station, you’ll likely not find this an issue. However, as a bit of a station-hopper, I found this a real frustration on an otherwise well-thought-out device.

Other items to consider:

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William Austin-Lobley is the Editor for What's The Best. Here, he oversees, curates and researches listicles and reviews as many products as his home office can handle.

He has spent nearly five years writing about tech, audio, outdoors and fitness and has reviewed everything from smartphones to ice baths. In addition, he's well-versed in sniffing out the best deals and savings the internet offers.

When not at his desk writing, reviewing or deal-hunting, he'll be relaxing with Japanese crime novels, bingeing some classic anime, strolling the countryside or at the gym listening to the heaviest metal Spotify has to offer.

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