We're big fans of Ruark's high-end audio kit: when we reviewed the Ruark MR1 MK2 speakers we gave them five stars and said they were up there with the very best. But until now Ruark hasn't made a hi-res audio streamer. That's changed with the launch of the Ruark R410 Integrated Music System, which appears to have taken our entire hi-fi wish list and put it into a single and very good-looking system.
This is the first model in the firm's new 100 Series, and it's powered by a processor designed to deliver high quality streaming from the likes of TIDAL Connect, Apple AirPlay 2, Chromecast and Spotify Connect as well as DAB/DAB+/FM radio, aptX HD Bluetooth and hi-res audio up to 24-bit/192kHz. It has the same tweeters as the MR1 speakers but everything else is brand new.
Ruark R410: key specifications and pricing
This system appears to be the Swiss Army knife of audio, with an RIAA phono input, TOSLINK digital input, HDMI with eARC and UPnP media server compatibility as well as the aforementioned streaming service support. Its twin 20mm silk dome tweeters are supplemented with twin 100mm long thrown NS+ bass mid units and dual bass reflex enclosures. The digital amplifiers are new, and Ruark says they deliver high efficiency and high output with very low distortion: "along with audiophile-grade components, Burr-Brown DACs, a fully active speaker system and the latest audio processing technologies we have achieved a magical leap in performance," Ruark says.
Given the performance of the MR1s I don't doubt that the R410 will sound amazing, and I think it looks pretty spectacular too: all the tech is wrapped in absolutely gorgeous seventies-inspired grilles and enclosures, and the case is made from sustainable woods that have been spliced, coloured and recomposed to produce wood that has the appearance of hardwoods but is less prone to changing over time.
This is definitely a system to lust over, but sadly it's a bit out of my price range: the Ruark R410 has an RRP of £1,299. But if you're serious about sound and streaming I suspect this is a system that'll make your day better just by looking at it, never mind listening to it.
