Pure One Mini Series II Review

Verdict

Pros

• Low price
• Lovely soft touch finish
• Petite form factor
• Decent sound quality

Cons

• Fab battery pack an extra
• Small radio, smallish sound

This second edition of the dinky DAB improves build quality and looks, while keeping the price at rock-bottom.

DAB radio has its problems – it’s power-hungry, offers questionable sound quality in the UK and gives rubbish signal quality on-the-go – but none of them stop it from being perfect for small home radios. It’s less fiddly, and generally cheaper, than internet radio and offers a wider selection of stations than FM. At £49.99, the Pure One Mini is one of the cheapest big-name routes to radio fulfilment.

In terms of pure shape, the Series II edition of the Pure One Mini looks just like the original. It’s small, square-ish and not as intensively-styled as some of Pure’s wood-bodied models like the Pure Evoke-3.

However, take a closer look and you’ll see that this is a significant upgrade. Perhaps the most common complaint about the first One Mini was that it looked and felt cheap compared with Pure’s other models. Its blend of a plastic high-gloss finish and bright chromed controls was a bit brash, a bit gaudy. This time, the design has been toned down and classed-up. Both the black and white models now have a matt soft touch finish, and the controls’ chrome finish has been clouded to give that shine a more subdued look.

This maturing of the Mini range is a great, if subtle, success. Its body is gloriously smooth to the touch and no longer feels – or looks – particularly cheap. It’s still not going to challenge the Evoke series on style, but if that’s a big turn-off that’s something you can tell just from a picture or two.

The Pure One Mini Series II only supplies the basics in terms of on-body connectivity, but this suits the device perfectly. Along the left edge there’s a 3.5mm headphone jack, a 3.5mm auxiliary input and a miniUSB socket. The latter is for software updates.

Around the back is a battery compartment that takes up perhaps a sixth of the device’s volume. This may seem like a waste when it could be sacrificed to make the unit even trimmer, but the additional functionality is absolutely worthwhile. The Pure One Mini doesn’t take standard batteries, instead requiring the B1 4200mAh battery pack.

This costs £25, is charged by the power adaptor, and lasts for up to 20 hours. With the battery factored-in, the Pure One Mini is still lighter than the Evoke 1-S. There’s no carry handle, but the 130x135x60mm body (doesn’t take into account the side control knob, but still…) is small enough to hold without one. This is a seriously portable DAB radio.

The Pure One Mini Series II uses a single 3in driver, to handle the whole frequency spectrum. However, so do several of Pure’s larger classic models, including the Evoke 1-S and Evoke Flow.

Pure One Mini Series II sound quality

Pure has supplied the One Mini with surprisingly good sound quality, given its size and low price. It’s less bassy than some larger Pure models, but that’s too be expected when there’s precious little extra room in this little box to act as a speaker cabinet. Balanced and punchy, this little DAB is perfect for any low-key situation. Whether listening to the news while cooking or some music while relaxing outside, the One Mini is a great solution – especially if you splash out on the additional battery.

Bear in mind though that the volume and scale of sound are necessarily limited. It performs very well given its form factor, but you’re expecting too much if you want it to fill a room with lush sound or power a party. It asserts its presence in the mid-range – there’s not masses of refined high-end detail (which the DAB signal often doesn’t supply anyway) or much of a  low-end bassy thump.

The portable DAB radio seems to have hit a plateau. Several are available for under £50 now, and most all-new models tend to venture into internet radio territory. However, the Pure One Mini Series II offers the smallest footprint of any big-name budget DAB radio we’ve covered – itself a highly attractive feature if space is at a premium.

Add in the low price, reasonably-priced optional battery and good sound quality and the One Mini appears quite the bargain. If you can stomach the extra cash, the Evoke 1S offers a more attractive design and warmer sound, but we do think this second series model represents a significant upgrade over the original 2008 One Mini.

Verdict

Although this Series II model is primarily an aesthetic upgrade over the original Pure One Mini, it’s a worthwhile one that solves a pair of that model’s problems. It no longer looks or feel cheap or tacky – so while the sound quality may not have improved, the desirability factor has.

The scale and volume of the radio’s output are a little limited, but the sound is otherwise well-balanced and punchy. On its own, it’s a great affordable radio that won’t take up the whole work surface in your kitchen. Matched with the B1 battery pack (which sells for around £25), it’s a great diddy device for a holiday, picnic or road trip.

The Pure One Mini Series II uses a single 3in driver, to handle the whole frequency spectrum. However, so do several of Pure’s larger classic models, including the Evoke 1-S and Evoke Flow.

Pure has supplied the One Mini with surprisingly good sound quality, given its size and low price. It’s less bassy than some larger Pure models, but that’s too be expected when there’s precious little extra room in this little box to act as a speaker cabinet. Balanced and punchy, this little DAB is perfect for any low-key situation. Whether listening to the news while cooking or some music while relaxing outside, the One Mini is a great solution – especially if you splash out on the additional battery.

Bear in mind though that the volume and scale of sound are necessarily limited. It performs very well given its form factor, but you’re expecting too much if you want it to fill a room with lush sound or power a party. It asserts its presence in the mid-range – there’s not masses of refined high-end detail (which the DAB signal often doesn’t supply anyway) or much of a  low-end bassy thump.

The portable DAB radio seems to have hit a plateau. Several are available for under £50 now, and most all-new models tend to venture into internet radio territory. However, the Pure One Mini Series II offers the smallest footprint of any big-name budget DAB radio we’ve covered – itself a highly attractive feature if space is at a premium.

Add in the low price, reasonably-priced optional battery and good sound quality and the One Mini appears quite the bargain. If you can stomach the extra cash, the Evoke 1S offers a more attractive design and warmer sound, but we do think this second series model represents a significant upgrade over the original 2008 One Mini.

Verdict

Although this Series II model is primarily an aesthetic upgrade over the original Pure One Mini, it’s a worthwhile one that solves a pair of that model’s problems. It no longer looks or feel cheap or tacky – so while the sound quality may not have improved, the desirability factor has.

The scale and volume of the radio’s output are a little limited, but the sound is otherwise well-balanced and punchy. On its own, it’s a great affordable radio that won’t take up the whole work surface in your kitchen. Matched with the B1 battery pack (which sells for around £25), it’s a great diddy device for a holiday, picnic or road trip.

Trusted Score