Ruark Returns To Speakers With The Sabre-R

Posted on 27th September, 2024
Ruark Returns To Speakers With The Sabre-R

Ruark announces its Sabre-R bookshelf loudspeakers alongside the R610 Music Console.

Ruark may have made its name by making radios and music systems; however, it has a storied legacy amongst the famed British loudspeaker makers, 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 focused on the then-new DAB radio tech in 2004.

Ruark Sabre-R Speakers and R610 music console

Ruark now returns to where it all started with the Sabre-R bookshelf speakers designed to "enthral new generations of music lovers" whilst aiming to deliver a "stunning, natural, musical experience."

Ruark Sabre-R Speakers

The name may invoke memories of the company's first release, but the Sabre-R uses modern technology while sticking with its love of retro-styling. Ruark's Sabre-R is a two-way design featuring a 26mm silk dome tweeter and a 15cm treated natural fibre cone mid/bass driver crossing over at 2.2kHz.

Ruark Sabre-R Speakers

The resulting sensitivity is quoted as 86dB/W/m with a 6-ohm nominal impedance, meaning that most modern amplifiers that manage 25-100W output should find them easy enough to drive.

Ruark Sabre-R Speakers

The 290x175x215mm (HxWxD) MDF cabinet is braced and damped and features the same slatted wood design detail as seen on Ruark's popular radios. The Sabre-R promises to show the same high-quality fit and finish we have come to expect from the brand while maintaining classically timeless looks that fit into any home environment.

RUARK R610 MUSIC CONSOLE

Joining the Sabre-R is the matching R610, which, according to Managing Director Alan O'Rourke, who founded Ruark Audio with his father Brian O'Rourke, "allows music lovers to build an entire system that looks every bit as beautiful as it sounds." 

Ruark R610 music console

The R610 shares the design language of its R100 series stablemates and features high-quality materials and components alongside tactile controls. Here, you have handcrafted slatted wood grilles and a five-inch, full-colour touchscreen display. Control is, of course, via Ruark's signature RotoDial control dial, which also features a separate remote.

Ruark R610 music console

Under the R610's hood, you will find a pair of Class D amplifiers delivering 75W of power per channel, Burr Brown DACs and a switch mode power supply.

Furthermore, the R610 gives you abundant options for how you consume your sounds, including wireless streaming with AirPlay, Google Cast, Spotify Connect and TIDAL Connect baked in, as well as UPnP compatibility for hi-res files up to 32-bit/384kHz. Naturally, there is also Bluetooth aptX HD, DAB/FM and internet radio support to add to your list of sources.

Ruark R610 music console

Do you want more? How about a moving magnet phono stage enabling you to add your vinyl collection to this party? Yup, the R610 delivers. Do you want to connect your TV, too? Well, there is HDMI eARC, which you will find near the USB port, that you can use to connect an accompanying CD drive arriving later this year. That unit will also play nice with the R410 and R810.

Ruark R610 music console

The Ruark Sabre-R speakers are £699 per pair, while the Ruark R610 costs £1,200. Both are available now in two finishes: fused walnut and satin charcoal lacquer, so they will make an attractive set together.

Visit Ruark Audio for more information

Jay Garrett's avatar
Jay Garrett

StereoNET’s resident rock star, bass player, and gadget junkie. Jay heads up StereoNET as Editor for the United Kingdom and Europe regions. His passion for gadgets and Hi-Fi is second only to being a touring musician.

Posted in: Hi-Fi | Lifestyle

JOIN IN THE DISCUSSION

Want to share your opinion or get advice from other enthusiasts? Then head into the Message Forums where thousands of other enthusiasts are communicating on a daily basis.
CLICK HERE FOR FREE MEMBERSHIP

applause awards

Each time StereoNET reviews a product, it is considered for an Applause Award. Winning one marks it out as a design of great quality and distinction – a special product in its class, on the grounds of either performance, value for money, or usually both.

Applause Awards are personally issued by StereoNET’s global Editor-in-Chief, David Price – who has over three decades of experience reviewing hi-fi products at the highest level – after consulting with our senior editorial team. They are not automatically given with all reviews, nor can manufacturers purchase them.

The StereoNET editorial team includes some of the world’s most experienced and respected hi-fi journalists with a vast wealth of knowledge. Some have edited popular English language hi-fi magazines, and others have been senior contributors to famous audio journals stretching back to the late 1970s. And we also employ professional IT and home theatre specialists who work at the cutting edge of today’s technology.

We believe that no other online hi-fi and home cinema resource offers such expert knowledge, so when StereoNET gives an Applause Award, it is a trustworthy hallmark of quality. Receiving such an award is the prerequisite to becoming eligible for our annual Product of the Year awards, awarded only to the finest designs in their respective categories. Buyers of hi-fi, home cinema, and headphones can be sure that a StereoNET Applause Award winner is worthy of your most serious attention.

00001474