Revo AXiS

We’ll forgive Revo the keyboard torturing name of the AXiS because at first glance the Scottish radio specialists have produced another landmark WiFi Radio device.

With the Revo Blik our workhorse radio here at Wifi Radio Review Towers, we always look forward to the next product release out of Lanarkshire and the AXiS is ticking all the boxes (even if it did just take 3 attempts to get the case of each of those letters correct).

Revo has taken the now ubiquitous featureset demanded of top end WiFi Radios – DAB, DAB+, internet radio, media streaming, iPod dock, LastFM – and added in a 3.5 inch touchscreen, bringing it inline with rivals such as the Pure Sensia (although the Sensia is 5.4″ compared to the AXiS’ 3.5).

Revo insist that AXiS will have superb audio performance. To quote them directly this “is thanks to the inclusion of NXT’s patented ‘Balanced-Radiator’ (BR) loudspeaker technology. BR drive units combine the performance attributes of an NXT flat panel speaker with the pistonic movement of a conventional loudspeaker, resulting in a high performance compact drive unit that can cover a wider range of frequencies.”

The Revo AXiS will start to ship on October 1, 2010. We are looking forward to getting our hands on one.

Read more here on the Revo website.

Revo Heritage

Reg Hardware has reviewed the Revo Heritage describing it as a ‘supremely versatile and rather fine sounding box of audio tricks’.

‘Unlike some DAB radios that simply try too hard to be retro, the rather Presbyterian Heritage doesn’t look painfully artsy or over styled.’

The Heritage even impressed with its audio – ‘No matter what music I threw at it, I was thoroughly impressed by the quality and composure of the sound even with the volume turned all the way up.’

Read the full review here.

Revo Mundo

PC Pro says that the Revo Mondo has “modest ambition … matched by a modest price”.

“For those who’ve already invested in a decent hi-fi, the Revo Mondo provides a relatively cheap way of adding internet radio to the mix.”

Like most Revo products “the device itself is nicely made”.

Altogether they awarded the Mondo 3 out of 6.

Read more at PC Pro

Revo Heritage

MacUser came “to love the Heritage” during their tests, but they found it hard to look past the wallet-busting price tag.

“Revo’s Heritage is a lovely modern version of the table top radio, but its price tag means that there is better value to be had elsewhere.”

The sound quality was praised, but they identified a couple of omissions – “the Heritage can only be powered from the mains – there’s no battery option – and there’s no onboard memory to buffer DAB or Internet radio streams, so you can’t pause or rewind them.”

Read the full review here

Revo Pico RadioStation

Revo Technologies will release of the world’s first portable ‘hybrid’ DAB/DAB+ and internet radio on September 15th.

PICO RadioStation follows in the steps of the company’s ground-breaking BLIK RadioStation model, by combining DAB and DAB+ reception with the latest wi-fi internet radio technology. In PICO’s case however, these features and benefits are now available in a compact, highly portable form factor, rather than in a traditional table radio format.

PICO’s acclaimed industrial design is the proud recipient of both Red Dot and iF Product Design awards for 2008.

Thanks to its splashproof construction and 12 hour lithium-ion rechargeable battery, PICO RadioStation can be used just about anywhere, as happy in a bedroom or steamy bathroom as it is in the garage or garden.

PICO RadioStation features full DAB and DAB+ digital radio reception, FM radio coverage with RDS, Wi-Fi internet radio (easy access to over 11,000 stations from around the world), wireless MP3 media streaming from PC or Mac, and the ability to serve as a portable sound system for any MP3 player.

PICO RadioStation is one of only two commercially available digital radios (the other one being REVO’s BLIK RadioStation model) that are ready to receive next-generation DAB+ broadcasts without the necessity for paid-for software upgrades or downloads.

PICO RadioStation is the result of a long and fruitful collaboration between Revo Technologies and Frontier Silicon, the industry leader in digital radio technology. At the heart of PICO RadioStation is Frontier Silicon’s new multi-standard Venice 6 module.

PICO RadioStation has an SRP of £169.95 and will be available from the 15^th of September from the usual REVO retailers, or alternatively directly from www.revo.co.uk

Revo Blik Wi-Fi

“The least attractive part of the Blik is its design,” says Computeractive, but they find lots to like in Revo’s tabletop offering

“Sound quality is excellent, detailed and with good sound across high and low tones”.

“Internet radio has finally come of age”.

Read more here

Revo Blik Radiostation

When we brought you news of the Revo Blik a couple of weeks ago we were fairly apathetic about its arrival. Yes, it had those now-expected Revo good looks and no doubt great functionality, but all in all it appeared to be a Pico, only larger, less portable and with an alarm clock.

And that is still the case with the Blik WiFi.

But wait, Revo brings us news today of a secret sibling in the Blik family, the RadioStation. This beauty combines a WiFi radio with a DAB radio and this seems to be a world first. Better still, it can receive DAB+ as well and just in case you had no DAB or WiFi reception, an FM radio to boot.

Blik RadioStation is the result of a long and fruitful collaboration between Revo technologies and Frontier Silicon, the industry leader in digital radio technology.  At the heart of Blik RadioStation is Frontier Silicon’s new multi-standard Venice 6 module.

Steve Evans, VP of Sales and Marketing at Frontier Silicon said: “The combination of Wi-Fi radio, DAB, DAB+, FM and network music streaming capability will be a very powerful proposition for end users.   Revo has done a fantastic job in designing and releasing this highly desirable radio so quickly.  We expect BLIK RadioStation to have particular appeal to all countries that are rolling out DAB+ services in the near future.”

So, here at WifiRadioReview.com we have two conflicting feelings about the Blik range. The Blik WiFi is not setting our world alight, but the Blik RadioStation may well do.

Revo, please pack all of this functionality into a Pico as well?

Will it be enough to propel it to the top of our ‘must haves’ for 2007?

First Impressions

The Pico WiFi is small and light. The basic construction is plastic, but there is a satisfying enough solidity to the radio to inspire confidence that it could survive the rigours of garden life. The case is actually splashproof so it is more than capable of withstanding a light shower, but not a complete dunking.

The Pico WiFi boasts a more contemporary design than many of its rivals who have gone down the retro route. There is a large LCD display and one main recessed control dial surrounded by six function buttons. It looks good, but not stunning, suggesting that excitement lies under the hood.

Let’s cut straight to the chase.

The Pico WiFi’s stand out feature is its portability. It contains a rechargeable battery that should provide 3 to 4 hours of use depending on the strength of the WiFi signal.

The transformer is built into the plug so the power cable, which disappears into a funky rubber cover at the rear of the device, is pretty subtle. Initial charges take several hours, but speed up with repeat charging. The Pico will charge while operating, but only at a quarter of the rate. On occasion we could hear a high pitched hum coming from the Pico during the charging process, but it was not intrusive.

Operation

If you have ever enjoyed a Reciva powered radio before you will know what to expect here.

On power up the Pico scans for available networks and locks onto the strongest signal. If the network is encrypted it will ask for the key.

Browsing through menu options is done using the central scroll wheel. It is recessed into the casing and is moved using a ‘dimple’ for your finger. This looks great but in practice is not as easy to use as a stick-out dial. It just wasn’t possible to make fine adjustments and we often found ourselves ‘skidding’ past the option we wanted. Entering the network key took twice as long as it should have.

Once the network has been set up the Pico connects, downloads the latest station updates from Reciva and waits patiently for you to tell it to find a station or stream audio from a networked PC or Mac.

Stations are handily categorised by Reciva into location or genre so it’s easy to track down the station you want. If it’s not in the list then Reciva will add it for you if you contact them.

The Pico’s portability also enhances two of its additional features – streaming audio from a networked computer and acting as a speaker for an mp3 player.

Streaming audio files was as simple as locating the PC on the network, scanning for shared folders and creating a playlist. Using the Pico as a portable speaker was even easier. You can use the supplied cable to connect the headphone socket on the mp3 player to the Pico and it instantly detects the presence of a suitable device. Press play on the mp3 player and away you go.

In some ways, the portability of the Pico creates a small problem. Unlike a device which is tethered to the mains, you are encouraged to carry the Pico WiFi with you – into the garden, the garage, places which another WiFi radio would fear to tread. Any holes in your signal will be ruthlessly exposed as the Pico did seem to be more sensitive to low quality signal than a laptop with an embedded WiFi chip. It would have been nice to see an external USB port so that an external WiFi receiver could be plugged in, but then you can’t have everything.

Sound quality

There is only one speaker so sound is definitely mono, but it was good enough for everyday listening. It didn’t quite have the depth of the Tangent Quattro we reviewed last month, but that is a much larger and heavier radio.

Verdict

The Revo Pico WiFi is a world first. Portability adds a whole new dimension to the internet radio experience. This solidly built device will certainly satisfy most users and is the first WiFi radio we’ve ever tried that seems to completely understand what it is all about. That’s not to say it’s perfect. The interface was balanced slightly too much towards looks than practicality and we did suffer loss of connection in areas which should have been fine. However, this is the best WiFi radio to yet hit the market. Yes, it will be beaten one day, but we would bet that it might be Revo themselves who do it.

The Revo Pico WiFi will bring WiFi radio to the masses.

Revo Pico WiFi

Revo Technologies, the Scottish digital radio designer, has let us know that the first batch of its interesting new Pico WiFi Radios sold in 72 hours after launch at the end of last month.

Apparantly pre-orders were large enough in themselves to see that all stock was shifted.

Quite frankly, we’re not surprised. Pico WiFi is the world’s first self-powered internet radio. It has a rechargeable battery that means it really is untethered from those house-bound wires, making garden use a joy.

More Picos are arriving in these shores in a week or so, but judging by the number of retailers who have it on pre-order already don’t expect them to last long.

We hope to get our hands on a Pico WiFi and give it a thorough going over for you shortly.

Revo Pico WiFi

Revo Technologies, the Scottish digital radio designer, has announced a new addition to its popular Pico portable radio family. Pico Wi-Fi is the world’s first self-powered internet radio, capable of receiving over 5,500 radio stations from around the world.

Thanks to its splashproof design and integral rechargeable battery, Pico Wi-Fi can be used indoors or outdoors – as happy in a bathroom or garden as it is in a kitchen or bedroom. Pico Wi-Fi also doubles as a high-quality portable loudspeaker system for your iPod (or other MP3 device). Simply plug your iPod® into Pico’s M-Port using the connection cable supplied, for instant cordless music on the move.

Pico Wi-Fi is capable of accessing over 5,500 internet radio stations from all over the world. Listen to Samba from Brazil’s Radio Caraibas, New Orleans Jazz from WWOZ or even live baseball from New York on WFAN 660. All that’s required is a Wi-Fi internet connection, and a world of radio choice is yours. Pico Wi-Fi also allows the user to access ‘Listen Again’ services such as those operated by the BBC, and even wirelessly stream MP3 music from a
PC or Apple Mac.

Pico Wi-Fi links to any broadband Wi-Fi connection to stream both live and “Listen Again” internet radio broadcasts. Stations are listed alphabetically by country or music type, making selection simple – and Pico’s portable design means that it can be used wherever you have a Wi-Fi connection. Additionally, Pico allows you to play music files stored on any Wi-Fi enabled PC or Apple Mac in your home.

Pico Wi-Fi Key Internet Radio Features

• Easy access to over 5,500 internet radio stations from around the globe
• Search by genre or country
• Access “Listen Again” services such as those operated by the BBC
• Real Media, MP3 and WMA compatible

Pico Wi-Fi Key Hardware Features

• Internal rechargeable battery for complete wireless freedom
• Go-anywhere splashproof design
• Plug an iPod® into Pico’s M-Port^TM and you have a cordless speaker system
• FM radio reception
• Includes infra-red remote control with presets

Pico Wi-Fi also offers full media player functionality, enabling the user to listen to audio tracks stored on PCs or Apple Macs connected to the same local Wi-Fi network.

There are currently more than 5,500 stations listen on the Reciva Gateway, with more added every day. Reciva monitor and review the station list on a daily basis meaning that Pico Wi-Fi will always have the latest stations. Every time Pico Wi-Fi is switched off and back on again, it will automatically download the latest station list.

M-Port – iPod  and MP3 Sound Support

Revo’s M-Port technology allows for quick and easy connection of an iPod (or other MP3 devices or sound sources) to Pico Wi-Fi™. Using the connection lead supplied, simply plug an iPod (or other such device) into Pico’s M-Port™ and you have a cordless sound system, providing high quality, expansive digital audio in a flash.

Pico Wi-Fi costs £149.95 and goes on sale in the UK & internationally on the 16/7/07
Pico Wi-Fi can be pre-ordered by visiting the official Revo website – www.revo.co.uk.