The retro look of the Revival iStream conceals the inevitable hi-tech innards, though the loudspeaker is nothing fancy – a single drive unit, bass reflex-loaded by the case. There's also the option of tuning to the subscription 'personalised radio' service at last.fm, and a USB socket on the top of the unit allows you to plug in suitable music players or memory sticks. It's not that it matters so much for a little portable, just that true audiophiles are likely to have their digital music library in an uncompressed or lossless format anyway. WAV doesn't seem to be, though, nor are other lossless formats. Obviously that includes the usual MP3 and also MP4/AAC and, we were delighted to discover, FLAC as well.
Since you're connected to your home network, it makes sense that the Revival iStream can also play audio files on your home computer, as long as they are the right format. The bitrate may be the same, but the coding systems used for internet radio are generally more efficient than DAB's MPEG 2. Foreign radio, special interest stuff, or even your usual fare which may very well be available in better quality via the internet than on DAB.
This at once means that you have access to not only your local quota of DAB and FM stations, but also the 17,000 or so internet radio stations.
Calling this a 'radio' distinctly undersells it, but it's true, not least because its most impressive functions rely on wireless connection to a computer network and, hence, to the internet.
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