Roberts Revival Petite 2 DAB+/FM Bluetooth Radio

A 430 g DAB+, FM and Bluetooth portable with a built-in rechargeable battery good for around 20 hours and USB-C charging.

At a Glance

• Rechargeable battery life: 20 hrs
• Station presets: 20
• Weight: 430 g
• Charging: USB-C

The Revival Petite 2 is the second-generation Petite: a hand-sized DAB+, DAB and FM radio with Bluetooth, weighing 430 g and measuring 124 by 73 by 85 mm. It moves easily from a bedside table to a bathroom shelf to a picnic blanket, and it suits anyone who wants digital radio without a mains lead following it around.

The built-in lithium-ion battery runs for approximately 20 hours from a full charge and refills over USB-C in about six hours at 500 mA, using the lead in the box. Over the original Petite, this version adds a telescopic aerial for DAB and FM, USB-C charging in place of micro-USB, and a clock with an alarm.

The Petite 2 fixes the things that mattered most on the original: a proper telescopic aerial, USB-C charging and an alarm you can actually wake to.

Ideal For

• Bedside listening: The clock sets itself from DAB or FM, the alarm can wake you to a chosen preset or a buzzer, and display brightness turns down for a dark bedroom.
• Moving around: At 430 g it travels between rooms, out to the garden and into a bag without ceremony. Around 20 hours per charge means it rarely needs to find a socket.
• Shared households: Bluetooth 5.0 remembers up to eight paired devices, so several people can hand over to their own phone without repeating the pairing routine every time.

Key Features

• 20 hours per charge: The built-in lithium-ion battery gives approximately 20 hours from a full charge, so a week of bedside listening between charges is realistic.
• USB-C charging: Charging is over USB-C at 5 V and 1 A, taking about six hours at 500 mA. The lead is supplied, and it is the same connector as most modern phones.
• 20 station presets: Ten DAB and ten FM presets are held even through a power failure, so the stations you actually listen to stay one button away.
• Bluetooth 5.0: A2DP and AVRCP with SBC and AAC codecs, storing up to eight paired devices. Track controls on the radio work with what is playing on your phone.
• 40 mm driver, passive radiator: A 40 mm loudspeaker works with a passive radiator to put more low end behind speech and music than a cabinet this size would otherwise manage.
• Telescopic aerial: New to the second-generation Petite, the telescopic aerial serves both DAB and FM and makes a real difference in rooms where digital reception is marginal.

• What changed from the original: The Petite 2 is a genuine revision rather than a new colourway. It gains a telescopic aerial for DAB and FM, which the original did not have, and it charges over USB-C instead of micro-USB, so it shares a cable with almost everything else in the house. It also adds a clock and alarm, which turns it into a bedside radio rather than a portable you carry to the bedroom. One thing goes: the 3.5 mm aux input is no longer fitted.
• A day and night radio: The clock updates itself automatically from DAB or FM, so it is right after a power cut and right after the clocks change. The alarm can wake you to a specific preset station or a buzzer, and there is a snooze. At the other end of the day a sleep timer runs from 15 to 120 minutes, and display brightness is adjustable, which matters when the radio is sitting a metre from your face.
• Twenty hours away from a socket: The 2600 mAh lithium-ion cell inside the Petite 2 is rated at approximately 20 hours from a full charge, which is the difference between a radio you plan around and one you simply pick up. A full charge takes roughly six hours at 500 mA over the supplied USB-C lead, so an overnight top-up covers a week of use. Being USB-C, the same charger that handles your phone will do. There is no aux input, so anything not on DAB or FM arrives over Bluetooth.

How It Compares

The Verdict

Strengths

• Approximately 20 hours from a full charge
• USB-C charging with the lead included
• DAB, DAB+ and FM RDS tuning
• 20 presets retained through a power failure
• Bluetooth 5.0 with AAC and eight device memory
• Telescopic aerial for DAB and FM
• 430 g, small enough for a bedside table

Considerations

• There is no aux input on the Petite 2, so wired sources cannot be connected; use Bluetooth instead.
• A full charge takes approximately six hours at 500 mA, so plan a top-up overnight rather than before you leave.
• The battery is built in rather than a set of removable cells, and there is no internet radio, WiFi or streaming support.

What's in the Box

• Revival Petite 2 radio x1
• USB-C charging lead x1
• Quick start guide x1
• Safety and warranty leaflet x1