Reviewed in Radio Listener’s Guide 2017 edition
Price at time of review – £190
Pure’s Evoke C-D4 is a kitchen/tabletop mini-system – the smallest system from the current Pure range – offering DAB, DAB+ and FM radio, Bluetooth streaming facilities and a slot-loading CD player plus there is an auxiliary input for other devices.
The case, in common with similar models we have looked at this year, has a rounded design, but the wooden-effect veneer seems to be thinner and less durable than on older models.
All the controls are on the front panel. Buttons and controls are easy to use, and there is a good-sized display which is easy to read. It offers a range of information about the station or track played. There are a number of brightness settings, but no auto-dimming. The C-D4’s traditional menu system is relatively easy to use, but we much prefer the display and menu structure found on the Evoke H-range and C-F6.
On the rear there are power, auxiliary-in and earphone sockets, we felt the later would have been better positioned on the front of the unit.
Bluetooth works well, supporting CDR/RW and MP3 playback. CD playback worked well using the buttons on the unit. The C-D4 also offers a remote control, but in common with the Evoke C-D6 and C-F6 the remote wouldn’t fast forward or rewind CD tracks.
Although it might be large for many bedside tables, the inclusion of two alarms, snooze and sleep features put alarm features on par with most dedicated alarm clocks.
Radio reception is good on FM and DAB, with 10 station presets are available for each radio source on the menu system, and four programmable to direct buttons. They are very easy to set and recall.
The system features a top-firing 76mm speaker, ported for extra bass. The sound quality is very good for such a small system, and whilst the sound might not fill a large room the system is pretty loud, handling its volume without distortion.
We like the Evoke C-D4. It offers lots of functionality, reasonable value for money, and although it doesn’t have twin speakers for stereo separation sound quality is very good. Worth considering if you’ll use its CD playback.