Ruark's R5 has been around for a couple of years now, so what makes the Ruark R5 Signature special? Well, there's that fancy piano lacquer finish and rose gold metal detailing for starters. However, that's not enough to pique our interest at StereoNET, as we know that audio beauty is more than finish deep.

What makes the R5 Signature newsworthy here is that it's more than just a new wrapping. We are informed that the signal paths have been revised as well as the internal cabling being upgraded. Ruark has apparently focused its efforts to improve musical clarity in the R5 Signature.

Additionally, we are promised a cleaner soundstage with greater depth and realism. The end result is Ruark's STEREO+ feature.

Where the R5 Signature still uses the same high fidelity Class A-B amplifier system as its standard sibling, we cannot escape the attention given to its shiny outer shell. Ruark says that it must be gradually built with hand sanding between coats to achieve that glorious piano finish. Once the final coat is applied, the lacquer is then wet sanded with a fine-grit abrasive before being hand buffed and polished to a glass-like finish. OK, so we are a little impressed and admit it does look rather lovely.

Naturally, you still get all the bells and whistles of the original R5, with the integrated CD player, Spotify Connect, and access to streaming services such as Amazon Music, Deezer and Tidal, Bluetooth, DLNA streaming and multi-room functionality.

Those refinements and fancy casement do come at a premium, mind. The Ruark R5 Signature has a limited production run from June and is priced at £1,250, whereas the standard model has a £995 price tag.

Visit Ruark for more information