Pure reveals Evoke D2 by Rob Ryan DAB radio review

Pure has announced a special edition version of the Evoke D2 DAB radio, designed in partnership with Rob Ryan. Covered in the paper cutouts the visual artist is renowned for, as well as a poem written by the man himself, the D2 Rob Ryan Edition aims to add a splash of colour and charm to Pure’s DAB digital radio range. We spoke to Ryan about the the design process, and got a hands-on look at the radio ahead of its UK launch next week to bring you some first impressions.

“I kind of stripped it back to my kind of feelings about radio and my own kind of memories,” Ryan explained. “I was remembering the days pre-walkman, when on summer days like this we would go to the park with a transistor radio – it was much more of a kind of shared experience in a way.

“The BBC has this fantastic motto, ‘nation shall speak peace unto nation’. Anywhere in the world you can listen to anything made in another part of the world.

I wanted [the D2] to be this positive, uplifting thing; it was the power of communication is the power to understand and listen to people, other people’s point of view.”

The Rob Ryan edition D2 is based on the original D2 with Bluetooth, with built-in FM, DAB and DAB+ radio, a 3.5mm auxiliary input and A2DP Bluetooth for pairing a smartphone or tablet. The 3in main driver produces 1.6W RMS sound power, and the mains-powered unit can be turned into a portable wireless speaker with the optional battery pack.

Like the basic Evoke D2, the Rob Ryan Edition is also certified by Digital Radio UK with the new Digital Radio Tick mark – meaning it is “future ready” for any changes in spectrum, frequency or sensitivity to the DAB spectrum, letting customers buy with the confidence that their purchase won’t be made obsolete in the near future.

The Evoke D2 by Rob Ryan will be going on sale next week through John Lewis for £119, and you’ll also be able to pick one up from the man himself via his Ryantown shop in Hoxton or online at shop.robryanstudio.com/.