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Ruark R1S Smart Radio with UKW, DAB, Bluetooth and WiFi - Radio on a whole new level

Radio via FM and DAB or DAB+, Bluetooth and also WiFi and thus direct access to services such as Internet Radio, Spotify, Deezer or Amazon Music, all this is offered by the new Ruark R1S Smart Radio from the English specialist Ruark Audio.

Story Highlights
  • It is a solution that takes the timeless medium of radio to a whole new level, is how the English specialist Ruark Audio describes the new Ruark R1S Smart Radio.

Once again, the English company Ruark Audio proves with the new Ruark R1S Smart Radio that radio is by no means obsolete, because it offers a solution that takes the timeless medium of radio to a whole new level, a compact, elegant all-in-one system that is called a smart radio. Radio via FM and DAB or DAB+ is combined with Internet radio, which is accessible via WiFi as well as music streaming via Spotify, Deezer or Amazon Music, and of course Bluetooth is not missing.

And although it is a very compact system, the new Ruark R1S Smart Radio is said to be able to come up with particularly appealing sound quality, once again Ruark Audio speaks in this respect of the best quality solution in this class.

Ruark R1S Smart Radio – Tuner with FM, DAB and Internet Radio

Ruark Audio calls the new Ruark R1S a so-called Smart Radio Tuner, meaning that it is possible to receive radio not only via FM and DAB or DAB+, but also via Internet Radio, as soon as this solution is integrated into the network.

And this integration into the network is of course particularly easy, namely via the integrated WiFi module.

Once the Ruark R1S Smart Radio is in the network, Spotify can also be used directly via Spotify Connect and content from the Deezer and Amazon Music services should also be available for direct access.

Smartphones can also be connected directly to the Ruark R1S Smart Radio via Bluetooth and used as a source, and there is also a USB-C port that can be used for corresponding storage media. Of course, there is also an input for analogue signals and the user does not have to do without a connection for headphones.

Simple operation with Roto Dial Controller and TFT display

Ruark Audio’s new Ruark R1S Smart Radio is characterised by its Full Colour Auto Dimming TFT display, a colour display that is quite generous in view of the radio’s compact dimensions and whose light intensity is automatically dimmed according to individual lighting conditions.

As with all Ruark Audio solutions, the central control element is the so-called Roto Dial Controller on the top, which combines all essential functions in a combination of different control elements in an intuitive way.

Outstanding sound

It is essential that the flexible possibilities go hand in hand with an appealing sound quality, and Ruark Audio considers this to be an obligation.

The new Ruark R1S Smart Radio uses a high quality Class A/B amplifier module and an adaptive equaliser to ensure a balanced performance at all volumes. The latest Ruark NS+ drivers are used here, and the cabinet is also constructed in such a way that a remarkably deep reproduction is achieved, according to Ruark Audio’s promise.

The weight of 1.6 kg, which is achieved despite compact dimensions of only 175 mm in height, 130 mm in width and 135 mm in depth, shows that this is a very high-quality product.

By the way, the Ruark R1S Smart Radio is offered in the Mid Grey Lacquer finish with a fused walnut grille, as the manufacturer literally puts it.

Finally, it should be mentioned that the optional Ruark BackPack 3 Battery Pack can be purchased for the Ruark R1S Smart Radio. A matching infrared remote control is also available as an option.

New app for Apple iOS and Google Android

Directly at the market launch, a new app will be available, namely the Oktiv App for Apple iOS and Oktiv App for Google Android, as the manufacturer explains on its website. This is intended to enable full control of the Ruark R1S Smart Radio, whereby the app is particularly helpful when searching for Internet radio stations or podcasts.

“As a kid the radio was always on in our home and as a teenager I fondly remember listening to Radio Caroline and every Sunday the Top 40 Chart Show. It was radio that nurtured my love of music and with the growing popularity of DAB in the early 00’s we saw this as an opportunity to use our audio expertise to design and build a ‘High-Fidelity’ radio. The result was our original R1 and this great little product took us in a new and exciting direction. Radio is still one of the greatest forms of entertainment available and R1S with streaming technologies included makes radio better than ever.”

Alan O’Rourke, Managing Director, Ruark Audio

Prices and availability

The new Ruark R1S Smart Radio is expected to be available shortly, with the manufacturer itself listing the recommended retail price for this solution at £299.

Getting to the point

Ruark Audio is undoubtedly right in claiming that radio is by no means obsolete today, but still immensely important for many users in their everyday lives. This is ensured not least by solutions such as the new Ruark R1S Smart Radio from the English specialist, which interprets the topic of radio in a modern way and relies on all the possibilities offered by modern networked entertainment electronics. And when this is done in a very compact, but particularly elegant and high-quality way, the result is an extremely versatile product.

PRODUCTRUARK R1S SMART RADIO
Price£ 299,-
BrandRUARK AUDIO
ManufacturerRuark Audio
DistributionTAD Audiovertrieb GmbH
More about this manufacturer at HIFI BLOG
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Michael Holzinger

Michael Holzinger, founder and editor-in-chief of HiFi BLOG and sempre-audio.at, has been working for years as a journalist in the fields of IT, photography, telecommunications and consumer electronics.

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