Ruark is a British brand with a proud history dating back to the mid-nineteen-eighties when shoulder pads were large and perms were all the rage. It made a good name for itself with affordable, fine-sounding loudspeakers and then moved into the home audio space with some classy DAB radios. More recently, it has ventured into streaming, making capable and swish-looking all-in-one systems, like the R410 that StereoNET reviewed in 2024. 

If you want to make a more significant statement, then consider the R810 – a modern take on the classic radiogram. Although it will undoubtedly raise eyebrows, most modern music fans will likely want something with a considerably smaller footprint – one that streams music, lets you plug in a CD player and/or turntable, and drives a separate pair of loudspeakers. Enter the Ruark R610 Music Console, which was recently announced alongside the Essex-based hi-fi firm's first separate loudspeakers in decades, the Sabre-R.

UP CLOSE

The R610 is a neat, compact [107×300×280mm, HxWxD] unit which sports the brand's top-mounted Rotodial controls, whose design is replicated in the Bluetooth handheld remote. Whereas other similarly featured one-boxers, such as the Naim Uniti Atom, WiiM Amp Ultra, or Eversolo Play, have a distinctly modern aesthetic, Ruark keeps it warm and homely with some wooden lamellas, even on the black version (satin charcoal lacquer with walnut trim, according to Ruark) we have before us. Those wooden touches are echoed nicely on the Sabre-R's front baffle trim, echoing the style of nineteen-seventies music centres.

Where the walnut slats occupy the R610's right aspect as you look at it, the left side is home to a crisp, bright 5-inch colour TFT display. In addition to guiding you through the setup wizard, which includes connecting to Wi-Fi and pairing the remote, the screen also shows album art, track information, radio stations, and more. The text and images are clear.

Around the rear are inputs for HDMI ARC/eARC, stereo RCA (up to 2.3V rms), moving magnet phono (up to 8mV), plus a selectable line-out/pre-out via stereo RCA connectors, a mono RCA subwoofer output, a TOSLINK digital input (working up to 24/96) and a USB-C playback port catering for Ruark's dinky CD100 digital disc spinner. Alongside the DAB+/FM radio aerial, there is an Ethernet port, while Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 5.1 aptX cater to those who prefer their connectivity sans wires.

The onboard Burr-Brown DAC crunches digital audio at up to 32-bit/384kHz resolution, so FLAC, AIFF, ALAC, and WAV files on your home server are taken good care of, and DLNA UPnP is also supported. For music streaming, Spotify Connect, TIDAL Connect and Qobuz Connect are ready to rock, as is multi-room functionality via Apple AirPlay and Google Cast. Additionally, the former means it also pops up on Roon if you are thus equipped.

Ruark claims 75 watts per channel of Class D amplification, making it a perfect partner for the company's Sabre-R loudspeakers. The company includes a set of nicely braided and quality-feeling speaker cables for this duty. 

The Sabre-R is named after the company's first-ever speaker – also a 2-way bookshelf design – and comes with Ruark's 150mm mid/bass driver, featuring a treated natural fibre cone, a 4-layer voice coil, and a long-throw motor with a cast chassis. The crossover point is 2.2kHz, where it transitions to a 26mm silk dome tweeter, assisted by a neodymium motor with an aluminium heatsink. The damped and braced 290×175×215mm [HxWxD] cabinet is 6.8 litres inside, and the double-flared bass reflex port is tuned to 53Hz. The fused walnut veneer and satin charcoal lacquer finish of the Sabre-R's cabinet seem more upmarket than the usual vinyl-wrapped MDF boxes of this price point. Around the back are two sets of gold-plated 4mm binding posts for either single or bi-wire connections.

Frequency response is quoted by the manufacturer as 50Hz to 20kHz (±3dB), with a quoted sensitivity of 86dB, and 6 ohm nominal impedance. These are good figures for a compact speaker, but you'll need a reasonably powerful amplifier for best results. For the purposes of this review, the audition period began with the R610 driving my reference Marten Duke 2 standmounters, and followed with a pair of Sabre-Rs in situ. Both were mounted on good-quality stands, with tweeters at ear level.

THE LISTENING

Ruark's R610 Music Console has a dynamic and detailed presentation, with plenty of finesse up top backed by abundant impact in the low end, resulting in a crisp performance that leans more towards smooth than flashy and in-your-face. It isn't quite as immediate as Naim's Uniti Atom, but is certainly more dynamic and less veiled than Eversolo's Play.

For example, the powerful electronica of Leftfield's Full Way Round had plenty of bite, as the lower string synth pads filled out the soundscape. The top end had zing without any brittleness or harshness. Music was well textured, especially with the bowed cello and piano in Agnes Obel's The Curse. Vocals were nicely placed in the acoustic setting, while the layered orchestration was presented with separation and space. Both strings and piano benefitted from the darker and warmer tonality of the Ruark when compared with the Naim. This, of course, is a matter of taste, but I believe many music lovers will be drawn to this characteristic, especially those who prefer valve amps.

Despite the R610 having a relaxed personality, Xanny from Billie Eilish demonstrated that it can still clearly convey a dirty, distorted bassline, sparkling piano work and intimate vocals. And when you plug in the matching Sabre-R loudspeakers, the fun quotient climbs further. With a twinkle in its eye and spring in its step, this Ruark speaker brings more life to the midband and upper frequencies while the bass is fuller without sounding bloated. It's evident to me that the R610 and Sabre-R have been designed to work best as a system, although I recommend removing the Sabre-R's magnetic fabric grilles for better definition.

Paul Oakenfold's cinematic remix of The Cure's I Can Never Say Goodbye was great fun – spatially expansive, powerful and rhythmically engaging, it was hard not to like. While Flood by Little Simz, with help from Obongjayar and Moonchild Sanelly, had a pulsating bassline and thumping drum work that brings North London club vibes. The Ruark system showed this to great effect, in no small thanks to its grippy bass and deft midband performance. Those who enjoy more guitar-led fare will similarly appreciate how it handled such rock classics as Marillion's Incommunicado with its intertwined guitar and keyboard lines. It was obvious that the Sabre-R speaker loves being driven by its teammate.

Elsewhere, radio chat shows and plays were perfectly explicit in their delivery. The phono stage proved more than merely serviceable when paired with my trusty Pro-Ject Xpression deck armed with an Ortofon 2M Blue. However, I suspect most buyers will be streaming for the most part, and this is where I see this system winning lots of friends. This especially holds true for musos looking for an entertaining experience in a group who are more likely to argue about which Fall guitarist was the best, than discuss the merits of particular mastering studios.

THE VERDICT

Ruark's R610 Music Console and Sabre-R speaker system offers fine sound alongside beautiful aesthetics. It lets you play a wide range of sources, from DAB and Apple Airplay to aptX Bluetooth and UPnP streaming, with ease. If you already have a pair of speakers that you like, then you're golden with just the R610, but the Sabre-R isn't simply there to make up the numbers – it's an impressive budget design in its own right. This system comes warmly recommended then, especially to style-conscious music lovers in space-limited places.

For more information visit Ruark Audio