Forget vinyl, Ruark's latest system proves CDs are in vogue – and I loved using it at the High End Vienna show
The Talisman-R also see Ruark return to floor-standing speakers
If you'd told me even 10 years ago that CDs were due to make a comeback, I don't think I would have believed you. But that's the current intersection we've arrived at, as the Compact Disc revival for music-lovers gathers momentum.
Ruark, the British audio brand, has been making systems for decades. It's already ingrained in my life, as the R610 hi-fi console lives in my home office – and I loved it so much that I've even wall-mounted the Sabre-R bookshelf speakers. Now I just need a subwoofer to really step it up.
This week, while wandering the halls at the High End Vienna show, I was introduced to Ruark's next-step model in this series: the R710. It's bigger, more powerful, and will drive the brand's also-new Talisman-R speakers – which mark a return to floorstanders after an extended hiatus.
It's also a product with an integrated CD player. That's due to demand, Ruark tells me, with many R610 owners opting to buy a separate CD player – typically the Ruark R-CD100 – and customers have been calling for the Compact Disc's return.
I even requested a disc, just so I could enjoy the sensation of inserting one into the drive – which is semi-hidden among the R710's wooden slats, ensuring it's subtle to the point of near invisibility. There's a physical eject button to the side of the front display, if you're wondering.
There's a lot to be said for CD quality – which is a lossless 16-bit and 44.1kHz output – which many streaming service subscriptions can't match. Plus, with physical media you've the assurance that your library won't change when, say, one album gets removed from your subscription.
The R710's front display is far larger in this new design, too, helping to put into visuals the CD artwork – or from other sources, as you can just as easily stream, tune into DAB, or connect via Bluetooth – to make a real statement.
There's even an HDMI port, should you want to source from a TV – but this is no Blu-ray player, it's built with a proper CD laser reader, meaning you can playback CD-DA audio from CDs, CD-Rs and CD-RWs. Note: it's not able to play SACD types, just classic discs.
Ruark is no stranger to the concept of visual statements either. Its retro-chic design has more than a nod to 70s aesthetic, while ensuring there's an up-to-date nature to its products' look and feel. I'm a big fan of the real walnut finish, which is something of a trademark for the brand.
Those Talisman-R speakers sound a treat, too, and they're a smaller scale than many typically taller floor-standers – but do keep in mind that they'll cost you £1499 for a pair (other regional pricing is TBC).
As for the player itself? That wraps in two 200W of output, which is much larger than the 75W of the smaller R610 unit. There's the familiar RotoDial system up top, even a forthcoming connection for Bluetooth headphone output directly from the device.
The R710 will cost £2199 when it goes on sale this October (again, regional pricing is TBC) – although you can already pre-order it from many reputable dealers, including Sevenoaks Sound & Vision. If you've already got a stack of CDs waiting to be re-loved then it could be your perfect new purchase.
