A few years ago the Digital Radio was seen as a 'must-have' item, heralding the dawn of a new digital age where the analogue radio frequencies would potentially be switched off. In practice however, the initial crop of digital devices weren't especially refined - clumsily put together and rather power-hungry. This was certainly the case with my first Digital Radio, the 'Pure Evoke 2' - it produced a magnificent sound, but ate batteries at rate of knotts. Nowadays, it seems that Pure have found a conscious, making radios with eco credentials in mind. My recently acquired Pure Evoke-1S for example, uses less than one watt in standby mode - now that's more like it. Currently costing £79 from Amazon, this classy one-speakered wonder is available from a range of retailers, both on the high street and online.


DESIGN & APPEARANCE - what does the radio look like?
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Measuring only 175 x 210 x 110mm, the Evoke 1-S is a compact little device which looks extremely pleasant. The front of the unit is silver in colour, and the surround is made from maple. On the top is a sturdy metal handle that makes transporting the radio from room to room an easy task. Round the back, a telescopic aerial tucks neatly away when not in use, and underneath there are four rubber feet which prevent the device from sliding around when placed on a surface. In terms of the connectivity options, there's a 3.5mm headphone socket, a 3.5mm input for an extra speaker, a stereo out socket, and an auxiliary in socket. The DC power cord is nice and lengthy at just under two metres, although if you prefer not to use the mains you can buy the optional rechargeable 'ChargePak' which currently retail at £29.99.


THE SET-UP - how do I get started?
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Setting up the radio is pretty simple - all you have to do is fully extend the antenna and turn on the system via the blue standby button on the bottom left. The screen will then prompt you to choose a language, and your selection can be made with the tune knob (turn to scroll through the options, and then press in to select). After that, the radio will automatically tune in all available stations, and Hey Presto, you're ready to go. The inbuilt tuner picks up DAB stations with relative ease - it even managed (after a bit of crafty aerial angling) to operate downstairs in the house, where radio reception is always in issue - so top marks for Pure there.

The radio's small screen is a pleasure to behold - easy to read and smooth scrolling, efficiently providing the listener with information regarding the current programme (known as 'intellitext'). It can also be used to check the signal levels, and show you the amount of battery left if you're using the ChargePak. Cleverly, the screen has its own ambient light detector, so when the lighting conditions in the room are dim, the screen will similarly dim, and visa-versa.


ADDITIONAL FEATURES - the extra bits / miscellaneous items
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The Evoke 1-S has the ability to store thirty different presets - five of which can be instantly accessed with the numbered buttons on the radio's front panel. This makes navigating through all your favourites very easy, and very quick too. As well as its DAB tuner, the radio can also pick up FM frequencies - this means that those of you whose favourite station hasn't yet made the transition to digital won't miss out. Finally there is an alarm clock that's simple to set, allowing you to be woken by the radio or an alarm tone.


SOUND QUALITY - perhaps the most important part of the review
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In terms of the sound quality, i'm pleased to announce that the Pure Evoke-IS really delivers the goods - the overall tone is clear and bright, perhaps set-up favourably toward the mid to low end of the aural spectrum, but generally perfectly suited to listening to spoken word. Unfortunately there's no control to tweak the sound, as the 'tone' knob from the two-speakered Evoke 2 doesn't make an appearance. The sound from all stations is very clear, and although the single speaker on the front isn't especially large, it can produce a decent (large room filling) volume.


FINAL WORD - a worthy investment?
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Although it's only a small radio, the Pure Evoke 1-S produces a quality of sound which belies its dimensions. That said, it could be argued that due to its dynamic range, the radio may be better suited for listening to spoken word programmes and sport rather than music. The device looks especially pleasant, and compared to many of the cheap and plasticky digital radios out there, it's certainly one of the more visually appealing numbers. The radio is really easy to use, and I would recommend it as a device which can be operated simply by young and old alike. It's great to see that Pure are continually refining their range of products, and I would have no hesitation in recommending the Evoke 1-S as an excellent all-round radio.