- Ruark Audio sees the new Ruark M610 Music Console and Ruark Sabre-R Bookshelf Speaker combination as a compact, extremely elegant HiFi system.
With the new Ruark M610 Music Console audio system in conjunction with the equally new Ruark Sabre-R Bookshelf Speaker, the English company Ruark Audio wants to tie in with its own roots and is once again deliberately and skilfully playing with the retro charm of the HiFi heyday of the late 1960s and early 1970s. According to Ruark Audio, this was a time when stereo music centres dominated the market and HiFi solutions were designed to blend discreetly into a modern living environment.
This is exactly what the new Ruark M610 Music Console and Ruark Sabre-R Bookshelf Speaker solutions should be able to achieve, because here too, the concept of stereo music centres is used, but in the form of a solution that boasts state-of-the-art features.
Ruark M610 Music Console – Elegant All-in-One System
Let’s first take a look at the Ruark M610 Music Console, which presents itself as an extremely elegant, flexible All-in-One system. With dimensions of just 95 mm in height, 300 mm in width and 280 mm in depth, this solution is extremely compact, although strictly speaking the height must be stated as 107 mm, as a so-called Ruark RotoDial Control System is located at the top as a central, intuitive control element and protrudes slightly beyond the housing. At 4,1 kg, the Ruark M610 Music Console is not too heavy either.
The front is adorned with a 5-inch colour display that provides all the relevant information and, in conjunction with the aforementioned Ruark RotoDial Control System, allows very, very convenient control directly on the device. In this context, it should also be mentioned that a remote control is included in the scope of delivery, which works via Bluetooth and is also designed as a Ruark RotoDial Control System.
The housing is optionally available in so-called Fused Walnut Veneer in combination with walnut-coloured strips on the front or Satin Charcoal Lacquer and also walnut-coloured decorative strips on the front.
From radio and HDMI to phono preamp and Bluetooth
It wouldn’t be a flexible All-in-One system if it didn’t have a wide range of sources available, be it via a pure series of external interfaces or directly via the Ruark M610 Music Console.
The Ruark M610 Music Console has an integrated FM and DAB+ tuner, meaning it can use any type of terrestrial radio. There is also a Line In for connecting external analogue sources and an integrated phono preamp that can be used to connect record players equipped with MM pick-up systems. It should be mentioned that a Pre Out is also available, as well as a separate output for subwoofers.
Digital sources can be integrated via an optical S/PDIF interface, while an HDMI port is available for integrating a TV set, which functions as an eARC, i.e. enhanced Audio Return Channel, and supports HDMI CEC for centralised control. Storage media and portable devices can be integrated via USB-C.
This USB-C port can also be used to connect a CD drive to play audio CDs. Smartphones and tablets can be used ‘wirelessly’ via the Bluetooth module, which is based on Bluetooth 5.1 and supports SBC and AAC as well as aptX and aptX HD and Bluetooth Low Energy.
Flexible streaming client
If the new Ruark M610 Music Console is connected to the network via the RJ45 Ethernet interface or the integrated WiFi module in accordance with IEEE 802.11ax, it functions as an extremely flexible streaming client, initially supporting UPnP as a dlna-certified solution.
In addition, access to Internet radio is possible, as is access to a wide range of other streaming services, such as Qobuz, Amazon Music, BBC Sound and Deezer.
The system also supports the streaming technologies TIDAL Connect, Spotify Connect, Google Chromecast and Apple AirPlay 2. It should also be mentioned that the signal processing of the new Ruark M610 Music Console can be carried out at up to 32 bit and 384 kHz.
Class D amplifier
The Ruark M610 Music Console relies on a Class D amplifier design in order to be able to offer sufficient power in view of the compact design. Two 75 watts are available here, which is quite remarkable considering the small dimensions of the system.
Ruark Sabre-R Bookshelf Speaker
According to Ruark Audio, the new bookshelf speaker system Ruark Sabre-R Bookshelf Speaker is the perfect partner for the Ruark M610 Music Console, as it has an identical design. Here, too, the HiFi heyday of the early 1970s was the inspiration, with a cabinet in satin charcoal or walnut, in which the front always has a removable speaker grille in anthracite, held in place by magnets, and narrow strips in walnut.
With dimensions of 290 mm in height, 175 mm in width and 215 mm in depth, this speaker system weighs 5 kg per speaker.
Two-way bass reflex system
The new Ruark Sabre-R bookshelf speakers are designed as a two-way bass reflex system, using a 15 cm long-throw woofer with a specially coated fibre cone and 30 mm 4-layer voice coil in combination with a 26 mm silk dome tweeter with a powerful drive unit based on a neodymium magnet and aluminium heat sink.
With an impedance of 6 ohms and a sensitivity of 86 dB, the system is said to be suitable for amplifiers with an output of between 25 and 100 watts. The frequency response is stated as 50 Hz up to 20 kHz, with the crossover starting at 2,2 kHz and the Bassflex system tuned to 55 Hz.
Prices and availability
The new Ruark M610 Music Console and the matching speaker system in the form of the Ruark Sabre-R Bookshelf Speaker are due to be launched in November 2024. UK HiFi manufacturer Ruark Audio has announced a recommended retail price of € 1.499,- for the Ruark M610 Music Console and € 799,- for the Ruark Sabre-R Bookshelf Speakers.
Getting to the point
With the Ruark M610 Music Console and Ruark Sabre-R Bookshelf Speaker, the English HiFi manufacturer Ruark Audio presents an extremely fine All-in-One HiFi system in the most elegant form, once again skilfully playing with the retro charm of vintage HiFi solutions, but of course relying on state-of-the-art features and promising intuitive operation.
| PRODUCT | Ruark M610 Music Console and Ruark Sabre-R Bookshelf Speaker |
|---|---|
| Price | Ruark M610 Music Console € 1.499,- Ruark Sabre-R Bookshelf Speaker € 799,- |
| Brand | RUARK AUDIO |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | Ruark Audio |
| Distribution | TAD Audiovertrieb GmbH |
| More about this manufacturer at HIFI BLOG |
