R610 Music Console

I ditched my 1990's full size separates system for this gem.......well, actually, my wife told me to get rid after we downsized!! Anyhow, this console ticked every box for me.....mostly due to the connectivity coupled with its diminutive size! I was ready to be underwhelmed......how wrong was I!! Seriously, this little box packs some punch and has a detailed and sweet sound......I love it! Don't hesitate......buy one!!

I'll start this review in reverse order, and begin with the negatives. Okay, now that's done with, onto the positives - this system (especially when paired with the excellent Sabre speakers) is an absolute joy. Firstly, the look (I went for the charcoal black version). It's stunning. A matt finish, wooden grill (that is actually ever so slightly curved when you view from the side) and a large screen with all the info you could need. It balances modern with retro perfectly. The Sabre speakers are obviously designed to match, and you can even add the CD transport too. It just looks beautiful, well crafted and well thought out. But it can't be all about looks, it has to sound good. And I'll be honest, to start with I did struggle a bit - it took me a little while to get the sound perfect for my tastes. Firstly (and this is my one only actual criticism) there is a Stereo+ mode that is meant to make the sound better if you have a smaller space and can't separate the speakers too much. But I actually found this mode made the sound a bit 'muddy'. It also really struggled with certain presenters on DAB, where I would struggle to hear them when they were talking over music. So imo it sounds infinitely better with this option off. There is a 'Loudness' option that I do have on, that gives the sounds a bit of oomph at lower levels. I think this does work really well. My other comment that may sound negative with the sound is actually completely on me - coming from an old Sony system where I had to crank the bass up to get any kind of oomph to the music, I made the mistake of doing there same here. No need! Bass is brilliant and more than enough (again imo) at a neutral level. I've tested it with electronic music, indie, even a bit of At the Drive-in. And once I'd got the balance right, it absolutely blew me away with just how crisp everything sounds - you can hear everything perfectly, no matter how busy a song may be. So it looks good, it sounds good. It's also got pretty much everything you could need, however you listen. Yes, you'll need to add a CD transport and a vinyl player to play your physical media. However, as mentioned, Ruark have their own CD player and there are a multitude of vinyl players that would look fantastic with this system. Outside of that, you have all the streaming options you could need - Spotify Connect, Tidal, Qobuz etc - plus Airplay, Google Cast - you name it, it's got it. I currently use Spotify Connect the most and it's an absolute breeze to control with my phone. I'm sure a true audiophile could tell there difference between these things, but playing Spotify on the lossless settings sounds every bit as good as anything else to my ears on this system. Podcasts too sound great, at the heart of it this is a streaming system and it streams everything superbly. Then there's DAB and Internet radio - one minor quibble is that sometimes the DAB doesn't play on start up, so I have to hit standby and reboot. Plus for some reason BBC 6Music doesn't show the song info when you listen to it via Internet radio (it does via DAB), but that's probably a 6Music issue rather than Ruark. Other than that, again, it's stunning. I had a pal over the other day who is very much into his music, and he couldn't believe how much depth to the sound there was even on the radio. For future models, something I would like to see is an ability to show artwork when playing via CD - even if it's up to you to upload it. And speaking of artwork, when you listen via DAB random artworks show up - it would be cool to be able to choose between these rather than having random ones. But that really is nitpicking. The chances are, if you're reading this and you've read this far, you're seriously considering getting a Ruark. And all I can say is, if you can afford it, then do it. We have an R1 mk4 in the bedroom as our radio / alarm, and even that as the basic DAB model has a wonderful sound. But the R610, it's absolutely next level. So do yourself a favour, treat yourself and prepare to fall in love with music all over again.

A truly great console. Smart, modern, full of features. Most importantly it sounds wonderful. I love the bass, the clarity, the range. From jazz to death metal it’s being played and played again . Like listening for the first time to music I thought I knew. As a streamer: magnificent. A true piece of quality for which Ruark should be praised. In a word ‘thoughtful’ can be used for style and quality.

My Ruark R610 sounds and looks fantastic! I went with the walnut finish, and it blends perfectly with my decor. It has plenty of power to drive my KEF Q11 Meta speakers with ease. Setup was straightforward and hassle-free. No matter the genre, the music comes through rich, full, and wonderfully natural. Beyond the excellent sound quality, I really love the overall aesthetics, especially that cool “puck” remote. The Ruark R610 nails the perfect blend of high-end audio performance and beautiful industrial design!