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The Radio Stream 104 measures 21x12x5.5cm with an additional 2cm on the left side for the power lead, as it can be run from batteries I did not include this in the main measurements.
So lets go round the unit on the back is a slide open bay to take 6x‘AA’ batteries rechargeable ones work fine and at the top the dock for the six piece rod aerial that extends to 72cm. The right side is clear while the left side has three near identical sockets the bottom one is for the power lead -1.8metres to power brick -, the middle one for headphones and the top one for Auxiliary input they are marked but black on black needs good light to distinguish them apart above this is a wrist strap for those who want to walk round with the unit.
The front has a single 8cm speaker. This leaves the top which is sloping the front being around 1.2cm lower than the back. On the left edge is the on/off button next is a 5.5x2.5cm five line display white on blue. Beyond this are seven further well marked buttons white markings and finally a large 4cm tuning/selector button.
This is a DAB/FM/Internet/Auxiliary/Music Player unit.
On first switch on raise the rod aerial and move to DAB where a scan found 72 stations. Switch to FM mode and tune to a favourite station once there modern technology will probably tell you its name but you need to set it initially by frequency once found give it a preset and then it’s there for ever unit you decide to over right it as not even removing mains power with no batteries inserted will lose this information.
Network Settings are also remembered once set and here setting presets are essential as there are thousands of them. As an example I love Jazz and setting first UK then it finds 13 stations. If I set say USA it would be hundreds just for Jazz. So moving through the lists would take ages again there are ten presets available just for Internet Stations.
On first start up you can set time from Internet or Radio and all the time there is power this stays even when the unit is off, you cannot dim the display and in a darkened room it can be rather bright but if you set it above you the light is not directly in your eyeline.
Roberts do rather good manuals and this 92 page offering is no exception, if all manufacturers’ manuals were this good they would save money on technical support calls.
Sound quality was quite acceptable and if you want stereo fit a pair of headphones. My job is to point out possible weaknesses and if you use batteries there is no indication of how much power is left and rechargeable needs to be charged externally.
All these things can be overcome by paying more but as it said at the start this is entry level and it does what it does quite well.
The Roberts Stream 104 is available from the link below for £99.99 with free delivery.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B008VPC2GQ?ie=UTF8&tag=gadge0a-21&linkCode=as2&camp=1634
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