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Ruark Audio R5 Music System Crafts Form Into Function

02.08.19 | By
Ruark Audio R5 Music System Crafts Form Into Function

Ruark Audio is a family-owned British audio company with a warm hearted origin story that revolves around a shared passion for audio and music between father and son. The pair began designing loudspeakers in 1985, in time evolving into a brand synonymous with audiophile quality all-in-one systems designed with a distinct aesthetic catering to listeners seeking audio components that look as good as they sound. Their latest music system is the sleek and handsome R5 High Fidelity Music System.

Ruark’s latest R5 High Fidelity Music System takes both design and technological cues from their flagship R7 system, integrating a crafted cabinet covered in walnut wood or grey lacquer, with a newly developed Class A-B amplifiers rated for 80 watts nominal output in a 2.1 stereo speaker configuration, all scaled down in dimensions into a form factor suited to blend into nearly any sized room.

The R5’s sophisticated and timeless midcentury profile is accompanied with a small RotoDial controller for remote operations, while an iOS and Android compatible Ruark LINK app allows controls via smartphone or tablet if preferred.

Any audio system today is only as good as which formats and sources it can playback, and the R5 is equipped for a rather comprehensive list of options for playback: Wi-Fi streaming via Spotify and support for Tidal, Deezer, and Amazon Music, a built-in multi-format CD player, aptX HD Bluetooth, DAB/FM and Internet, radio tuners, USB playback/charge port, analogue and digital inputs including a dedicated RIAA input for those looking to add a turntable into the mix.

The R5 is slated to go on sale starting Spring 2019 for £999 (roughly $1,300), with additional details and updates provided with sign-up at the Ruark R5 website.

Gregory Han is a Senior Editor at Design Milk. A Los Angeles native with a profound love and curiosity for design, hiking, tide pools, and road trips, a selection of his adventures and musings can be found at gregoryhan.com.