VITAL STATS
THE MILLENNIUM PLAYER
Ruark R410
Ruark’s new one-box hi-fi system looks like it belongs in the ’70s, but it’s crammed with up-to-date hardware
£1299 / ruarkaudio.com
If you’d prefer something that looks a bit more modern than Cliff, you can also select a grey cabinet option, which brings the styling a little more up to date.
● Inspired for sound
When it comes to transcending eras, nobody does it better than Sir Cliff Richard. The human ventriloquist’s dummy was the first artist to have top-five albums across eight different decades, from 1959’s Cliff Sings to 2020’s Music... The Air That I Breathe. Ruark’s new R410 might look like something designed when Cliff was recording I’m Nearly Famous in 1975, but it brings together old and new tech in one do-it-all box. The only thing that really gives it awayistheundeniablymodern 4in TFT display.
● All plays guaranteed
Behind that screen and grille, inside a cabinet that’s handcrafted from recomposed sustainable woods, the R410 is about as current as hi-fi gets. Spotify Connect, Tidal Connect, AirPlay 2, Chromecast and aptX HD Bluetooth are all on board, with Burr-Brown DACs that support hi-res playback. USB, digital optical and analogue phono inputs, plus a built-in phono stage, mean you can also go old-skool and connect a turntable or CD player, and there’s DAB+, FM and internet radio too. It even has an HDMI port with eARC for your TV.
● Size up
This is the first entry in Ruark’s new 100 Series, so apart from the twin 20mm silk-dome tweeters (also found in the excellent MR1 bookshelf speakers), everything inside is new – including the 100mm mid/bass drivers and 120W Class D amp. The RotoDial on top will be as familiar as Cliff at Wimbledon, though, with a matching Bluetooth remote for when you’ve got so comfortable listening to Summer Holiday that you can’t be bothered to get up.
INSIDE IT’S AS CURRENT AS HI-FI GETS, BUT YOU CAN ALSO GO OLD-SKOOL AND CONNECT A TURNTABLE
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