Expert’s Rating
Pros
Cons
Our Verdict
I ’m old enough to have fond memories of portable radios . These were n’t the large - succus - box - sized transistor radios that accompanied kids during the World Series but rather the feeler - bearing thick - hardback - sized radios your parents rent to the beach to listen to the rough AM rock ‘ n ’ roll station of the fourth dimension . Purebrings me back to those genus Halcyon days with its $ 230 Evoke Flow cyberspace radio .
Unlike those radios of one-time , the Evoke Flow radio receiver eschews the AM band and alternatively supports FM and thousands of Internet radio stations ( include a pick of podcasts and ambient sounds ) , music streamed from your figurer or local server , and rootage plug into the radio ’s adjuvant input knave ( an iPod or certificate of deposit player , for example ) . It does n’t offer such streaming servicing as Pandora or subscription services such as Rhapsody , Napster , Rdio , or Mog . standardized to those previous radios , it plays mono audio through its individual speaker . That speaker produces quality consanguineous to that of a decent clock radio — dead ok for the kitchen or chamber or for spoken - parole content , but not something that ’s proceed to tout you away sonically . luckily , the Evoke Flow has both a headphone port and a stereo out port on the back , so you may attach headphones , speakers , or colligate a liquidator to it for better stereo speech sound . It can also be power without a plug by Pure ’s optional $ 50ChargePAK E1 rechargeable battery pack .
Setup
To get the most out of the Evoke Flow wireless you have to do more than attract it from its boxwood and secure it in . You first need to make a Wi - Fi connection . Out of the box the Evoke Flow supports just wireless connections for streaming substance ( though you may pull in FM radio just like a steady radio ) , but you may also create an ethernet link with Pure ’s optional $ 30USB Ethernet Adapter . This is done via a internet options command in the Options menu . The tuner displays available wireless internet within range . take the one you desire with the Select thickening , cast down the pommel to choose it , and , if necessary , enter the connection watchword using an onscreen alphanumeric showing with the thickening .
Once you make the connection , lumber on to thePure Lounge , which is where you cross-file your radio and do most of the heavy lifting configuring net stations — searching for station and saving pet to booklet . These favorites and folders then transfer to the wireless wirelessly .
While at the Lounge , you’re able to download a copy of Pure ’s FlowServer to your computer . This allows you to stream euphony between your calculator and the radio . You set this up within your WWW web internet browser . Here you could designate the placement of music on your Mac . Only unprotected medicine will swarm to the radio — DRM - protected music you may have buy from the iTunes Store before Apple dropped such restriction wo n’t work .
Controls and navigation
The Evoke Flow bears two pommel ( that also operate as button when push ) and five touch - sore buttons . The first knob is for adjusting volume up and down and , when pushed , muting volume . The 2d thickening serves more purposes . It can be used for navigating up and down a screen of options , hark back to a previous blind and , when pushed , choose items on the display or pausing a performing track . The first two touch - sensitive button are contextual . When you ’re using the Evoke Flow to heed to FM radio , for instance , the first lets you call up stored station presets ( you may create up to 40 ) . When listening to music rain buckets from your computer , the two serve as former and next buttons , respectively .
The third button is most always judge Options . rap it and you often feel options for configure alarms and timekeeper , the display , the media thespian and connection preferences , as well as a duet of navigation options for moving to the top storey of a peculiar purpose ’s card or to the house screen . The last clit is marked with a Back symbolisation . utilize it to move back to the premature concealment or dwelling blind ( depending on the context of the blind you ’re currently viewing ) . The last sense of touch - sensitive button is for turn the radio on and off .
Given the number of thing the Evoke Flow can do , the modified controls , and the multi - function nature of most of the controls , it ’s possible to get into situations where you draw a blank how to pilot to peculiar functions or screen . Even after several days of using the radio I ’d still exploit the Back release cerebration that it would take me back a sieve when , in fact , it propelled me to the Home screen . likewise , when you ’re customary to using the second knob to move around the current screen , it ’s disconcert to wind it counterclockwise and be taken back a covert .
The Evoke Flow shares another interface limitation with similar portable Internet wireless — moving through a farsighted list of substance is tedious . For representative , if you ’ve connected your massive iTunes library to the radio and need to scroll through a long list of artists , album , or tracks , you ’ll either spend a average moment of clock time twirling a pommel or use the Evoke Flow ’s hunting function , which take you to accede characters via a clumsy on - screen interface to find the content you need . In an idealistic humanity it would be great if there was an iOS app to control the radio receiver , but that may be beyond the technical capability of the twist .
For subject matter from the Lounge you may produce favourite so that it ’s far easy to return to Internet stations you enjoy . The Lounge Web site is a boon in this regard because it ’s relatively easy to add stations via the site . But for those times when you do n’t have admission to a calculator and desire to find newfangled depicted object , it can be a battle when using the wireless controls alone .
Macworld’s buying advice
The Evoke Flow has access to plenty of content — Internet radio , sublunar FM wireless , and audio rain cats and dogs from your computing gadget or waiter — but some masses will require more in the form of Pandora and Last.fm and , perhaps , AM radio . And when your public is fill with Apple ’s elegant interfaces it ’s easy to be put - off by devices that you have to occasionally fiddle with to operate . That said , if you understand the Evoke Flow ’s limitations and embrace its primary purpose — a fairly flexible wireless as at home base at the beach as it is in the kitchen — it may be for you .
