PURE StreamR Splash Waterproof DAB Review

Reviewed by Colin Hewitt

I’m an unashamed gadget fan. I work from home a considerable amount, music and talk radio programmes are constant companions; therefore, my favourite tech-toys around the house are DAB radios. I already own a couple of much older PURE products (an Elan Radio and the unusually designed Bug Radio), but I had never considered purchasing a smart speaker until now. I couldn’t really see the point of asking Alexa to do anything. Surely it would be just as quick to do it myself. However, when I was allowed to review the PURE StreamR Splash DAB+ radio, I quickly looked at the specification and was so intrigued by the product that I jumped at the chance.

PURE offer a wide range of voice-controlled DAB+ radio – smart speaker combos. The waterproof StreamR Splash, available in two colours, stone grey and charcoal, is the family’s, entry-level baby. At 0.35kg, it’s very lightweight and designed to be highly portable. There are no intrusive controls, and it is very tactile. It’s fully waterproof, apparently capable of withstanding 30 minutes at a depth of one metre. I didn’t have the nerve to test this, but it’s obviously more than enough to fight a British summer at its worst, or any accidents by the poolside, and very useful if you’re more adventurous than me and want to take it kayaking!

What’s in the box? In addition to the radio itself, there’s a USB charging lead. Note that the mains plug isn’t included, but it fits any standard USB AC adaptor (I used the one from my mobile phone). An elasticated bungee style carrying strap – ideal for hanging the product from a gazebo etc. The Quick Start Guide was comprehensive enough for me to get the unit up and running before consulting the full online instruction manual. Finally, there’s a spare AUX cable cover (see Auxiliary Input below).

I charged the unit for a few hours before use; however, I noticed that it had some charge before arrival. A full charge can last up to 20 hours.

I set the unit up in the order that I thought I would use the most.

DAB Radio
I don’t live in a region where I can use dab radio without an aerial; however, the product has a clever design feature, with the aerial being wrapped around the body. When not in use, it looks just like part of the casing, in-fact so much so it took me a little while to figure out where it was (maybe a picture in the complete on-line guide would help – although if I’d watched the video on the PURE website all would have been revealed much sooner).
Automatic scanning brought in an impressive 60 dab stations; obviously, this will vary depending on where you live. The unit has four coloured ‘preset corners’ which can be set up to store your favourite stations – a combination of DAB and FM stations can be stored.

Bluetooth Streaming
This was very straightforward to perform. My android mobile phone and iPad both easily found and paired with StreamR Splash. I was able to stream music from Spotify and my own music collection stored on my devices. Note that when you activate the voice commands, Alexa only controls music from the Amazon Music service. I couldn’t use it to control the Spotify service.

FM Radio
Since the introduction of DAB, I don’t use FM radio too much; however, some of my family live in a slightly more remote area where DAB reception is very patchy. Because this unit is so portable, it will be coming with me on future visits. It pulled in a lot of FM stations.

Auxiliary Input
You can plug any audio device into the speaker using the cleverly designed aerial. The end of the aerial has a removable plastic cover hiding a 3.5mm plug which can simply be plugged into the headphone socket of a mobile phone or radio to boost the audio quality.

Voice-Activated Smart Speaker
To use the voice-controlled smart speaker functionality, you need to set up Alexa by downloading the PURE Home App. This is available for Android via the Google Play store and from the App Store for Apple devices. I have an Android mobile, and I must admit I had huge reservations about the App when I read the less than favourable reviews. My fears were completely unfounded. The App downloaded perfectly, and I managed to get it up and running and controlling the speaker within minutes. I really can’t understand why the App reviews are so negative.

Sound Quality? This is a small unit, so it will never really compete with more substantial speakers in the PURE range; nevertheless, I found the quality very clear with a reasonable amount of bass for such a small item. I’ve played this outside, and I was very impressed with the volume and lack of distortion when played loud.

I started this review by saying that I couldn’t really see the point of asking Alexa to do anything; OK, I’ve been proved wrong, we now have a great relationship. It’s a fun addition to the speaker, and I’m currently using the function a lot, especially as a distraction when I’m supposed to be writing – “Alexa, play a music game!” “Alexa – what’s the weather forecast?”

If I was really pushed to say anything negative about this product, it would be that some of the controls are a little fiddly; but that’s a minimal compromise that had to be made to enable such a compact portable device.

With father’s day approaching, and if the budget allows, this would be a brilliant idea for an extravagant gift; it certainly wouldn’t disappoint. It would be a great addition to any tech lovers armoury of must-have gadgets, especially if they like outdoor activities.

Rating: I’m highly impressed by this product, so it’s a well deserved 5/5

RRP: £129.99

This product can be purchased here.