Roberts Stream 219 Review

Introduction

Roberts Radio is synonymous with, well, radios, though the brand has recently focused on embracing modernity. Step forward the Stream 219.

Part of its latest Stream series, the Stream 219 is designed to fit in with more “modern listening habits”, which to you and me means Spotify Connect, Internet Radio and Bluetooth streaming.

You wouldn’t expect Roberts Radio to forget what makes radios good, but can it push radios further into this brave new online world?

Design

• Mostly plastic build
• Rotary dials
• LCD display screen

The Stream 219 still has the Roberts aesthetic, but it’s not distinctly 50s retro in style, feeling more modern and minimalist but a good-looking radio nonetheless.

This version of the radio is available in a black, white and grey finish (there’s a pure black option too), with a perforated grille that wraps around its midriff, and perhaps even makes the Stream 219 look as if it’s made from premium materials. But it is, in fact, plastic.

From a distance, the Stream 219 is a looker. Give the surface a tap though, and it doesn’t quite feel like £149 worth of radio.

Nevertheless, the black glossy surface acts as a nice contrast to white plastic and the build quality feels solid, though I wouldn’t want the Stream 219 to fall from a kitchen worktop.

The 2.4-inch LCD backlit display is sloped, which makes it easier to see. The white text on black display makes it legible even from a distance, though glare from ambient light can affect visibility.

The display is a colour screen that shows track information and artwork. Above are five presets (hold and they save your choice). The heart button shows all twenty presets that you can cycle through.

Beneath the display, you’ve got buttons which at first blush don’t particularly explain themselves but turn out to be alarm settings. There’s also a ‘mode’ button to switch from radio to other sources, and tuning/‘select’ and volume rotary dials that offer lovely clicky feedback when used.

The treble and bass dials are smoother to turn, and you can see the changes on the screen, making the radio rather intuitive to use.

Features

• Bluetooth streaming
• Internet Radio
• 60 presets

The Stream 219 is a radio first, so let’s start there. There are 60 presets to store your favourite stations: 20 for Internet, 20 for DAB and 20 for FM. Suffice to say that’s a lot.

Remember that when pressing presets, you can’t jump from one source to another. Obviously, if you want your FM presets, the Stream 219 needs to be in its FM mode first.

There’s also dual alarm functionality, with the ability to choose how often the alarm goes off, what time, the mode (buzzer, Internet radio, FM, DAB), preset and volume.

Moving onto Internet Radio, and despite the benefits access to the World Wide Web brings, that doesn’t mean access to every radio station. I picked one at random – Big Weck – and was told that because I was outside of the continental United States, I wasn’t able to stream.

Bluetooth support only extends to SBC, which is a slight disappointment, but it’s not always about the codec and more about the tuning of the speakers with regards to what you hear.

The Roberts Stream 219 can be powered through the mains or batteries, and it’s quite a hungry radio, running on six AA batteries. Batteries turn the Stream 219 into a portable model you can take to the garden, though there’s no mention (that I can find) of an IP rating. Battery life is rated at about 8-10 hours.

If you want to plug another device into the Stream 219, there’s an aux input and a headphone output (for private listening). There’s USB too – which Roberts states can be used for playing MP3 files – and can be used to charge devices as well.

Given this is a radio with modern sensibilities, the Stream 219 also has app support via the Ocktiv app. If you’re expecting a feature-rich app experience, you may be a little disappointed. This is more of a playback control app, which means you can operate the radio from a distance, but beyond that, there’s not much else.

Sound Quality

• Modest bass
• Good with voices

The Roberts Stream 219 falls prey to issues that affect radios, but overall, it’s a pretty enjoyable sound.

The obvious issue is that the Stream 219 lacks bass depth. With ear’s Ne Plus Ultra it sounds uncomfortable, both slightly hard and tubby in handling the lows. A fiddle with the bass settings and a push to +10 gives the bass more presence, but it’s still not the power I’m after, nor is there much variation. If you’re going to up the bass, +2/4dB offers the best balance to my ears.

Even at full pelt, the Stream 219 can sound plodding, lack depth and power, and pushing the bass levels to the max brings more warmth but also affects midrange clarity.

It’s not the sharpest sound, but levels of clarity and detail are good, with hints of warmth and smoothness that ensure sibilance isn’t an issue. It sounds spacious too, though some stations will sound different from one another. Jazz FM sounds spacious – others less so, but the width of the sound never escapes the width of the radio.

The midrange is where the Stream 219 sounds most confident, with good vocal clarity (as you’d hope) and a decent enough tone when describing instruments. Voices don’t sound too warm or too crisp, and there’s enough dynamism to make them sound natural enough.

Go to max volume and the Stream 219 sounds strained, emphasising loudness over detail, with the midrange losing clarity. I’d say that level 26 is the highest you’d want to go, while level 20 offers a nice balance.

Streaming from Qobuz over Bluetooth, and highs sound clear and bright; instruments and vocals are slightly less detailed and defined as I’d like, and the lows are again modest; described in hard terms with not much depth and extension. This is a radio that’s focused on the highs and mids, and unsurprisingly, that’s where it sounds its best.

This isn’t a sound that’s attempting to be the most fun or exciting. It’s consistent and engaging, a nice sound to have in the background with a pleasant performance across a wide range of genres.

A Desert Island Discs podcast sounds clear and natural. Internet radio is not quite as clear as other sources, but that might depend on the station’s quality. It’s not tinny or sibilant, and avoiding that tone is a win in my book. The Stream 219 is not about fidelity, but it has a well-judged, amiable sound.

Should you buy it?

The post Roberts Stream 219 Review appeared first on Trusted Reviews.