High-res music jack of all trades goes live
Ruark Audio, the UK speaker specialist, has introduced the Ruark R410 Integrated Music System, the first instalment of its new 100 Series line.
With the R410, Ruark has once again, melded timeless design with the latest music streaming technology, appealing to both music aficionados and design enthusiasts; it’s essentially a modern twist on 1970s-inspired design.
Let’s start with the design and whether you go for the Fused Walnut Veneer or Soft Grey Lacquer, you’re getting an absolute gorgeous piece of kit, which has plenty of eco credentials.
“Engineered from sustainable woods that are expertly spliced and recomposed, the resulting material closely resembles slow-growing hardwoods, but with the added benefit of true ecological credentials,” we’re reliably informed.
The RotoDial controller from previous Ruark speakers is still there but has been upgraded for enhanced usability.
However, as I mentioned, it’s not all slick aesthetics as the R410 signifies a convergence of Ruark’s storied heritage and forward-thinking creativity.
Gone is the CD loader of the R5 and in its place is a 4-inch TFT colour display. That doesn’t mean your analogue music isn’t supported, there’s a RIAA phono input stage built in to support external music players.
However, the real focus is the digital streaming smarts that, thanks to an internal Burr-Brown DAC, are capable of high-resolution audio files up to 32-bit/192kHz PCM.
Where you get your digital music piped into the R410 is up to you, but there’s an absolute plethora of options including Spotify, TIDAL, Amazon Music, BBC Sounds, Deezer, Qobuz and many more.
There’s also DAB/DAB+/FM & Internet radio plus aptX HD Bluetooth connectivity, as well as UPnP media server support for local digital file playback.
Unlike the Ruark R series, there’s no native multi-room but with Spotify Connect, Google Cast and AirPlay 2 on board, you can group with other speakers from multiple brands to your heart’s content.
If you want to manually hook up with other systems, or even your TV, then you can make use of the TOSLINK digital input, HDMI with eARC.
It would have been nice to see Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant voice controls baked in, but you do have the option of adding in a smart speaker via the line-in on the back to add some voice controls (although you’ll obviously then be streaming at a much less quality.)
Audio quality, using the native skills of the R410, is bound to be top-notch, what with this being a high-end Ruark offering. On that, there’s a pair of 20mm silk dome tweeters, alongside a pair of Ruark 100mm NS+ bass-mid units and a 120W RMS Class D amplifier.
The Ruark Audio R410 costs £1,299 and it’s available now direct from the Southend-on-Sea based brand.
I mentioned up top that the R410 is part of the new 100 Series line and a sneak peak of the forthcoming R810 flagship can also be found on Ruark’s website, so keep your eyes peeled for that.
