First look: Roberts Stream 202

Monday, July 7th, 2008

With 75 years of experience and a brand almost synonomous with the word ‘radio’, I dare say Roberts knows more about radio design than I do.

Yet, if I asked you – without looking at the labels – to guess what that big shiny button slap bang in the middle of the picture above did, I bet the vast majority of you would plump for the volume knob. Maybe it’s just me, but every time I go to turn the volume up on the Stream 202, I end up scrolling from BBC Radio 2 to Jerusalem FM, or some other remarkably obscure net radio station.

In addition to internet radio, the Stream 202 spits out Dab, FM and streams music from other PCs in your house, making it a versatile beast. And while I’m still struggling to get to grips with the volume controls, the sound it produces is simply sparkling, with every rolled R of the Stephen Fry podcasts, and every thumping beat from 6 Music faithfully reproduced, without the slightest hint of rattle or distortion.

Check out our full review later this week.