The positives of this product are well documented in the other reviews: sound quality is excellent, display is clear and bright, solid build quality, attractive unit, etc.
When I was reading some of the reviews before purchasing the Roberts MP53 I noted a number of people complaining about the remote. I thought this would be a minor negative, that the remote was simply clunky and unattractive.
In fact, the remote control barely functions at all. It is without a doubt the most unresponsive remote control I have ever come across on any piece of electronic equipment. As another reviewer acknowledges (September 2009 I think), you literally have to aim the remote directly at the unit in a straight line for it to function. Even if you are at a slight angle, the Roberts MP53 refuses to acknowledge your button pressing, no matter how frantically applied.
I'm sorry, but for an expensive product like this it's completely unacceptable. The remote renders the Roberts MP53 inoperable at times. You can't just flippantly press the up volume button or the next song button - instead you have to get up out of your chair (or your bed - I stupidly bought this for my bedroom) to align yourself with the IR port.
You might make the same mistake I did, thinking "oh, so what about the remote? I care about the sound quality, the dab radio, etc.". Don't make that mistake. Your whole interaction with this thing is through the remote control, there are very few commands you can operate on the machine itself, outside of volume and power.
I regret buying this enormously, and I've already relocated it to my sitting room where it gets little use. It's a real shame, because everything else about the Roberts MP53 is great but it's let down horribly by the almost criminal neglect of its designers to produce a remote that actually functions.