Ruark Audio

R410 Music System

US$1,799 RRP

If you are a relative newcomer to hi-fi, the Ruark Audio brand will be synonymous with well-appointed, all-in-one music systems and high-quality DAB radios. However, some may be surprised to hear that it started its life as a famed British loudspeaker maker, with the Essex-based brand debuting its Sabre model in 1985, a year after it was founded. This was followed by three more well-received models before the company spotted a potentially less-competitive niche focusing on the then-new DAB radio tech in 2004.

It is one of the more recently released music systems from the family-owned business that is the subject of this review. The R410 is, somewhat confusingly, part of the brand's 100 Series of products, which mostly follow the Rx10 naming convention, aside from the brand new Sabre R bookshelf speakers and even newer CD100 CD Player.

The R410 is the largest of the desktop offerings, with only the wonderfully retro, floorstanding R810 High Fidelity Radiogram beating it in size, not to mention presence. This all-in-one system is pitched as a premium device and priced accordingly. This finds it in a competitive marketplace also inhabited by some talented do-it-alls such as KEF's LSX II and Technics' SC-CX700 streaming speakers, Naim's Mu-so 2 and even Sonus faber's Omnia. However, if you are looking for something with a woody vibe and want to avoid an incongruous pair of speakers in, let's say, the office or kitchen, then the Omnia may be the only genuine alternative in that grouping.

UP CLOSE

Lifting the R410 out of its packaging, it is difficult not to be impressed by just how handsome this piece of audio furniture is. It evokes the heyday of radio, or the wireless, which would take pride of place on the mantelpiece and sport elegantly carved scrollwork and aerodynamically curved wooden fascias before the trend for Bakelite and plastic took hold. Measuring a stately 150x560x290mm [HxWxD] and weighing 9.5kg, it still managed to look instantly at home in my kitchen. Somehow, the Ruark can look contemporary and classic while remaining timeless. This could well be due to touches such as the company's trademark horizontal wooden slats that constitute a grille and the little metal legs it sits on.

Thankfully, these aren't merely window dressing as the R410's build quality is faultless, with my review model sporting a 'fused' walnut veneer, adding a degree of elegance that would not be out of place in a classically appointed drawing room. To create this, Ruark takes sustainable woods, which are then spliced, coloured and recomposed, resulting in a beautiful, consistent grain pattern. Moreover, I am told that it is also resistant to colour change over time and should give the owner years of the same quality finish. It also feels much better than the cold exterior of modern glass and metal casements. If a wooden cabinet is too old-school for you, there's also a 'soft grey' finish option (above) to the outer that retains the wooden grille, as grey tones have inexplicably become the colour of choice for many interiors.

Within that classy exterior sits a quartet of drivers split between a pair of Ruark's 20mm silk dome tweeters and a brace of the brand's 100mm NS+ mid-bass units, which are augmented via downward-firing ports and utilise the feet to create a fixed boundary distance, and so should be perfectly tuned. These are pushed along by a 120W RMS Class D amplifier (0.02% THD @ 30W/CH) for a claimed 35Hz-22kHz frequency response.

Living up to its all-in-one credentials, the R410 is well-appointed for connectivity, boasting an HDMI eARC port, line-level phono and digital optical (up to 24-bit, 192kHz) inputs, USB-C and Ethernet ports and even a moving-magnet phono stage input.

If you prefer silver discs to vinyl, that USB port enables a CD drive connection, such as the aforementioned CD100. Alternatively, it can be used for file playback with the Ruark supporting AAC (320kbps/96kHz), WMA up to 48kHz/320kbps), WMA 9 up to 48kHz/256kbps and FLAC, ALAC (Apple Lossless), and WAV up to 32-bit/384kHz.

If going cable-free is more your bag, then Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.1 (SBC, AAC and aptX HD codecs), Apple AirPlay 2, and Chromecast should make you smile, as well as Spotify Connect, TIDAL Connect, and UPnP. Naturally, given Ruark Audio's raison d'être, FM, DAB, DAB+, and internet radio are also baked in, and an aerial is supplied in the box.

Control of the unit falls primarily to the now-famous RotoDial on the top of the R410. This covers all primary functions and is simple to operate. I do love that you also get a portable version bundled in, identical to the integrated control and USB-C rechargeable, to enable control from your listening position. It might not have the wow factor of MOON's BRM-1, but it is a nice thing to hold and use, nonetheless.

Helping you navigate through the plentiful menu options is a 4-inch (102mm) portrait-oriented colour TFT display on the front panel. While the resolution and brightness of this screen are pretty good, its size means the text is quite small, meaning you have to be up close to the unit when searching and selecting a radio station until you lock it into a preset. Here, Ruark breaks from current thinking by not offering a control app. To be fair, most interactions will be either of the RotoDials or the streaming service's own application. Once I had our radio station choices in the favourites and had added the R410 to Roon via AirPlay, I did not miss the option of a Ruark app being added to the already packed 'Audio' app folder on my phone.

THE LISTENING

Someone at Ruark has a penchant for bass-biased EQ, as my box-fresh review sample surprised me when what sounded like a rave kicked off in my listening room courtesy of Radio 6. However, this was at least consistent when testing other sources, such as TIDAL Connect and my Pro-Ject Xtreme fitted with a Nagaoka MP500 cartridge. For my tastes, a notch or two down on the bass in the EQ settings gave a more even sound.

That said, the bass set as it was presented without undue flabbiness and seemed relatively controlled. Meanwhile, clarity wasn't much of an issue even with the default bombastic bass, thanks to the mid and upper-frequency bands coming through punchy and clear. Given Ruark's radio cred, it may not be a surprise that the R410 handled vocals well. Indeed, feed it with some material such as the hi-res remaster of Kate Bush's Top of The City from her Red Shoes album or David Sylvian in his Nine Horses guise performing Money For All, and the music system delivers a full-bodied and articulate rendition with a directness that makes each performance seem personal. Part of the reason for this is that the R410's soundstage is no match for a pair of well-separated and sorted stereo speakers.

That said, thanks to a talented midband, it was never congested or claustrophobic. The Ruark deftly organised the acoustic in such a way that the listener is treated with such a discernible and eloquent performance that they don't pine for expansive imaging – as the singer is serving just them. The upper frequencies aid that insight and benefit from just enough meat on the bone to prevent the treble delivery from becoming thin and brassy. Instead, the cymbal work in the intro of YYZ by Rush definitely cut through with enough incisiveness without becoming brash or hard-edged.

The R410 did a decent job as a soundbar with no noticeable lag, when hooked up to my Philips Ambilight OLED TV. However, some people might find the unit's height an issue if hoping to sit the Ruark as close to their screen as possible. The Lord of The Rings: Rings of Power and Agatha All Along sounded much more robust than my skinny telly's drivers could muster, and delivered effects with aplomb.

Additionally, the moving magnet phono stage was better than you might expect, with an adequately silent background and a decent amount of gain, enabling vinyl playback at an enjoyable level. Somehow, seeing my old Pro-Ject sitting next to the Ruark didn't seem quite right to me. On the other hand, adding Ruark's CD100 CD drive makes more sense to me. The company has done a great job with the R410, and it's clear to me that it has been very carefully considered. Where I might be critical of one aspect, it pulls back another point or two somewhere else. For instance, it might not have the most expansive soundscape, but the integration of the drivers is seamless.

For overall dynamic prowess, my ageing Naim Mu-so 2 edges ahead, but the R410 is still good enough to add Classic FM to the first spot in your Favourites list. Indeed, when the Ruark needs to go loud, there is plenty of headroom in the volume department, and I had no issue filling my open-plan kitchen/living room with well-defined sound.

THE VERDICT

The Ruark Audio R410 is a feature-rich, flexible and classy one-box music system, plus an attractive piece of functional furniture that can take pride of place in any room. Its musical prowess will undoubtedly impress every member of the family, no matter if an avid radio listener or enthusiastic music streamer. While a dedicated soundbar is a better companion for your TV, and a stereo speaker system remains the best option for in-depth listening, Ruark's R410 does little badly and plenty very well – and looks darned good while doing it. If you need a classy do-it-all in your life, this is well worth adding to your shortlist.

Visit Ruark Audio for more information