The idea of the ‘music system’ never really went away – it just needed a moment to catch up with consumer requirements.
Ruark Audio is the latest brand to offer an ‘all-in-one’ option with this, the fully loaded-to-compete R410. Looks the part, doesn’t it? So as long as it has the performance to match, the likes of Naim might perhaps be worried…
As you might have discerned, the Ruark R410 is a rather premium system. In the United Kingdom it’s priced at £1299, and so budget, it ain't. This price puts the R410 up against some pretty formidable all-in-one competition. Everything from the Technics SA-C600 (£899, just add speakers) and the KEF LSX II (£1099, entirely speakers) to the Naim Mu-so 2 (£1149) and the Sonus Faber Omnia (£1599) is ready to offer you a viable alternative.
Ruark Audio has worked its specific magic with the way the R410 looks. Those 15 x 56 x 29cm (hwd) dimensions are just correct, somehow, and the aesthetic is familiar. From the little metal legs on which it stands to the trademark vertical wooden slats that constitute a grille, this is a product with a confident, coherent look.