Roberts Gemini 10 FM/DAB radio review
1950s Britain was full of home and optimism after years of warring. And as part of this near world was the introduction of fabulous looking televisions and radios with their fashionable styles, curves and delightful looks. Which is why we really, really like the Roberts Gemini 10 DAB radio because it has the oldie-worldly looks of radios from the past but all the mechanics of a modern, up-to-date digital radio.
Design |
| This is a lovely DAB radio to look at. And not only does it look great with all the style of the 1950s but it smells great too. And that’s because of its leather covering which gives it an extra special feel and adds to the overall retro look, making it totally different to the very modern Pure Digital Bug. Like old radios the Gemini 10 DAB is compact in size and very basic. At the front it almost looks like a handbag with the leather surround and wire mesh in the middle which hide the speakers. Up at the top there are two dials on either side of the DAB radio, one a tuner the other for volume. And then the buttons in-between these include on/off, FM/DAB, Auto tune and Info. There’s also a small two line display on top. Now turn the radio around and you’ll notice a little suitcase style clasp on the side which when opened reveals the back of the radio. At first glance you might think you’ve been robbed there’s so little there but you soon realize the space is for the acoustics of the radio and there’s also room for four large batteries. On the rear of the Gemini 10 there’s a telescopic aerial which, like most of the Gemini’s fittings, comes in a gold finish, and we love the fact it’s really sturdy and doesn’t feel like it might snap off in your hand. There’s also a headphone socket and a stereo line-out for wiring the Gemini into your stereo. |
| Setup/Installation |
| Setting up is fairly easy. When you first switch on the radio the Gemini 10 DAB starts automatically tuning in all the available stations. Unfortunately there aren’t any presets so you need to turn the tuning dial around to find the station you want and then press it down to select. In a way it’s quite nice not having presets as it’s in keeping with the retro feel of the DAB radio but we have a suspicion it might be a draw back for Roberts. If you move the radio around and reception is disrupted the Roberts Gemini 10 DAB starts retuning of its own accord. |
| Features |
| There’s very little to write about in the features section. This really is a radio from the 1950s which has a digital tuner. All you get with the Gemini 10 is a the luxury of digital radio and an information button that displays information such as the song being played, the station you’re listening to and the artist on the small LCD that has room for 16 x 2 characters which is back lit in an amber glow. |
| Performance |
| As long as you’re not into listening to tinny techno or modern pop the Gemini 10 DAB is great. The sound quality for old fashioned lounge music or verbal commentary is brilliant but a bit disappointing when listening to Radio 1. But what ever you’re listening to don’t bother turning the radio to full volume because the sound becomes really distorted and a bit fuzzy and muffled. Like all DAB radios the Roberts Gemini 10 does suffer from signal loss at times but when it does it’s very quick to re-tune. But what was really good was battery life. When we unplugged the cord and shoved some batteries in, the radio seemed to go on for ages. |
| What's In The Box? |
| Roberts Gemini 10 Digital radio |
| Overall Opinion |
| We love the look of the Roberts Gemini 10 digital radio because of its retro look. Being ‘ol fashioned folk at Unbeatable we were hooked on the look. On the whole it’s a really good little DAB radio but the fact that you can’t listen to modern music and the absence of preset channels is a bit of a setback for this radio. However, if you’re into talk radio then this is the perfect radio to fit seamlessly into any home. |
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Pros + Lovely retro look + Easy to use + Simple features + Good battery life |
Cons - Limited music playing - No preset channels |
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Overall Rating 
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By Babita Wakelin
27/10/2006 at 3:11:34pm
27/10/2006 at 3:11:34pm
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