People constantly think that radio is a thing of the past in a world where people can tap an app on their smartphones and stream.
If that were the case, radios would be consigned to the dustbin of history. But new ones are still being launched, and the Elan Move from Pure is aimed at those who want to take the radio on the go.
At a price that’s affordable and backed up by Pure’s strong record in the radio market, can the Elan Move make (radio) waves with its performance?
Design
Compact size
Build quality feels good
No IP rating
The Elan Move is designed to portable and that’s what you get. I’d wouldn’t agree with the pocket-friendly description that Pure blesses the radio (unless we’re talking non-trouser pockets) but it is compact, the build quality is reassuring (better than the Groov-e Lisbon) and it’s light to carry.
Colours come in cream and black options, but there’s no mention of an IP rating, so best to keep it clear of any inclement weather or drinks.
The 1.4-inch display is on the top right, and viewing angles are decent head-on and off-axis. It’s bright enough to view from close range, and considering the size of the radio, it’s not something you’ll be spying on from across the kitchen anyway.
Despite the presence of what looks like a power button (labelled Standby), the on-off slider is actually on the side. The buttons, at least at first, can seem confusingly labelled, but most of them are pulling double duty. For example, the icon on a button is one function (playback), but the button is called after another function (Select). It might seem a little strange at first, but I got used to the labelling and what each button does after a while.
The controls themselves don’t feel cheap or plasticky to use, which can be common at this price level, with a nice click that registers when you’ve pressed a button.
There’s a telescopic aerial to find a better signal – I only had a brief issue with the signal dropping out when testing the radio at home and in the office – as well as a 3.5mm headphone input and USB-C input for charging the speaker.
As far as design goes, the Elan Move is a smart-looking, well-built effort, which is exactly what you’ll be after if you’re taking it with you on your travels.
Features
Bluetooth streaming
80 presets in total
16-hour battery life
There’s no Wi-Fi support and therefore no Internet Radio, but that’s not a feature you’d expect to see either at this affordable price or for a portable radio. What you do get is DAB, FM, and Bluetooth 5.3.
There are 40 presets for DAB and 40 for FM, though you might notice that there are only two buttons assigned to Favourites. If there are stations you listen to very often, that’s what the two Favourites buttons are there for. To add more, hold on the ‘Add’ button, cycle through and press Select. The slight issue I find is understanding how to tune into your stored playlists – I keep overwriting my presets instead of playing the ones already there.
You’ve got EQ options to play with the sound in Voice and Music, but I can’t hear a difference between the two when switching between them. It might surprise some that there’s no alarm support with this radio.
The battery is rechargeable (and removable), so no need to spring for double AA batteries. I’ve played the radio at 50% volume for six hours, and the unit didn’t register much of a drop in battery life. The reported 16 hours that Pure claims for the Elan Move seems more than doable.
Sound Quality
Smooth midrange
Highs can sound crisp
Not much bass
Powering up the radio for the first time and I felt the Pure Elan Move sounded a little distorted, but over time the sound’s become smoother, and compared to other models I’ve tested around this price point, it’s been a step up in clarity, detail and tone.
Listening to sports (football, tennis, etc) and the commentary comes across clearly (though not quite crystal clear). Presenters’ voices are separated from the crowd noise in the background, so there isn’t a clash or a sense of muffled sound – the Elan Move also refrains from sounding too sharp and sibilant, though on some stations the presentation can verge on sounding slightly bright.
Switch to Bluetooth, and like many radios, the loudness at default volume is not the loudest. But once up to desired levels, the performance is smooth with decent levels of detail. Vocals come across clearly, though on a listen to Radiohead’s Pyramids, Thom Yorke’s vocals could stand out better from the rest of the track.
There’s a little crispness to the highs, and they sound natural too for the most part, but where this portable radio is lacking the most is with the low frequencies, as bass is described in small terms. That’s not a surprise for a radio, which often focuses on the highs and mids, but considering its portable nature, you may want a bit more power to the lows.
Compare the Pure to the similarly priced JBL Go 5 and Tribit Stormbox Micro 3, and you get more clarity, dynamism and detail from those portable speakers. While they’re obviously not radios, you can stream straight to them from the likes of BBC Sounds and get better sound.
The reason to buy the Elan Move is for its built-in DAB/FM mode but if you’re considering something just to play your tunes, there are portable Bluetooth speakers available for the same price, if not slightly less you may want to consider.
Final Thoughts
The Pure Elan Move performs admirably for a portable radio. Don’t expect it to sound as good as a portable Bluetooth speaker, but for radio fans it offers a clearer performance than similarly priced radios, long battery life and a better level of build quality than other models I’ve tested.
If you want the best performance, the Roberts Revival Petite 2 gets my vote, but at double the price, the Pure Elan Move is a good budget alternative.