R610 MUSIC CONSOLE FROM RUARK

Allying itself to the concept of the 70s-style music console, this streaming amplifier catches the eye of Paul Rigby

It’s a dinky little thing, taking up a small footprint of 95 × 300 × 280mm with a neat 4.1kg weight. Then again, despite the small size, it’s also packed with features.

Inside the box is a 75W, Class D amplifier, Wi-Fi 802.11, Bluetooth and Burr Brown DAC support up to 32bit/384kHz.

The power supply is internal with a clover-leaf power cable socket on the rear. Vinyl fans will be happy to see a built-in moving magnet phono amp.

A range of steaming services are also built in including Qobuz Connect, Spotify Connect, Tidal Connect, Amazon Music, Deezer, AirPlay 2 and Google Cast, DLNA and UPnP mean you can connect to media servers or NAS devices on the same network. 

There’s a DAB/DAB+ radio plus FM radio via the external telescopic aerial. Twenty pre-sets are available too. The whole box is controlled by the company’s notable RotoDial, connected via Bluetooth. There is no app support which might be an issue for some but I was happy to just use the remote. There’s no headphone amplifier built-in either.

LOVELY LAMELLAS

The front includes a very nice 5” TFT screen on the left plus wooden lamellas on the right which adds a retro feel to the unit. The top features a RotoDial control interface, built in to the unit, which copies the layout on the remote. Because of that top-most control interface, be careful where you install the R610 in terms of vertical shelf space and if you have designs on using the built-in interface for control.

The rear of the unit also includes a subwoofer output, HDMI eARC for AV use, Ethernet, a pair of RCA inputs and outputs, rocker power switch, USB-C port if you wish to add a Ruark CD transport, the R-CD100 and speaker ports. So, unlike some Ruark units that include the speakers within the chassis, the R610 requires externally fitted speakers to work.

SOUND QUALITY

As this is a streaming amplifier, I thought I’d look at the streaming features immediately and so hooked up the R610 to my Twonky server via my laptop and played a selection of Nick Drake and Tom Waits at 24bit/96Khz. I also hooked up my Spendor S3 5R2 stand mount speakers as my transducers of choice. Mainly because the Spendors are well behaved and disciplined. So, if the Ruark was going to waver, I would hear it. 

And did the R610 misbehave? Not at all. It was, in fact, just as disciplined and polite as the speakers hanging off them. A solid yet restrained bass line, a well mannered upper midrange with plenty of detail on offer and informative treble that did everything well. Without issues. Without any real negatives. No nasties. No disorderly bass boom or smearing detail across the mids here. The neutrality will appeal to many people out there. 

WITH SABER-Rs

Now you may remember that I recently reviewed Ruark’s new Saber-R speakers which you can buy with the R610. I wondered how the Saber-Rs would perform with this box. The Saber-Rs are anything but neutral. They are exuberant, full of energy and high-spirited. Everything the R610 is not. 

How to describe this? Imagine a guy named Bob. Sitting in the quiet of his house. The silence broken only by the ticking of his grandfather clock and the rustle of a turning page as he begins Chapter 3 of Dostoevsky’s Crime & Punishment. He proceeds with a slow care. Suddenly, a brightly clothed and boisterous Kevin throws open the door with such force it bounces off the wall behind, he roars into the room, lifting the ageing dust off the mantlepiece as he storms past, aiming towards Bob, grabs his arm and shouts at the top of his voice, “We are going dancing! Wahoo!” Bob is forcibly dragged out of the house and into the darkness. Destination? Fun. 

That is how the Saber-R speakers grab hold of, affect, change and uplift the R610. These speakers provide dynamic pizazz to the overall sound, they add definition to the midrange, power to the bass and space around the treble. The combination is irresistible. 

In short? The Saber-Rs are meant for the R610, they are destined to be together with the R610. The Saber-R speakers and R610 is a marriage made in heaven. Roll credits. 

CABLE UPGRADE

Also, as much as I like the speaker cables – and they are very good performers, especially for freebies – an upgrade will pay dividends. I plugged in a pair of QED Golden Anniversary XT cables to add space and air to the upper mids, enhancing transients (the accuracy during the starting and stopping of notes) and bass punch. 

Checking out the supplied Internet services, both Qobuz and BBC Radio 6 Music via Internet Radio performed well providing a balanced but still lively presentation which the R610 controlled perfectly. Internet services can sometimes over-reach, losing frequency control. The R610 prevented that.  

That sense of control worked very well with Bluetooth too as I listened to the track Pink Moon from Nick Drake at 24bit/96Khz via the aptX HD codec. Not a favourite codec of mind, I have to say, but the R610 transcended the codec to apply a strict discipline to the Bluetooth output with the Saber-R speakers adding a sheen of vitality and life to the song. 

PLUG-IN TURNTABLE

Finally I turned to Crazy in the Heart, a vinyl LP via Peggy Lee and plugged my Audio-Technica LP5x turntable in the R610’s built-in moving magnet phono amp. This unit performed very well indeed for a freebie. Sure, it’s not perfect, perhaps a little thin in the mids, maybe the treble is slightly rolled off but I’m nit picking here really. This built-in unit will be perfect for those who enjoy occasional vinyl use or a great stop gap for dedicated vinyl fans saving for an external unit. 

CONCLUSION

The Ruark R610 is a great looking piece of HiFi. It will fit easily into your home decor, will please all members of the family and will not frighten the horses with any outlandish angles or tweakery. The footprint is also small so it will not take up too much room. It’s ideal for small houses, flats and bedsits while the wealth of features will put a smile on the faces of most music fans. That you can later add a Ruark CD transport only adds to the fun.

As it stands, the sound of the R610 is both restrained and neutral and that presentation style, on it’s own, will please many people but add a pair of Saber-R speakers and your R610 suddenly becomes the life and soul of the party. It’s great to have that EQ choice, in effect. I loved the sound either way, to be honest and I also loved the price which offers great value. 

Which is why the Ruark R610 is a very easy recommendation. A quite brilliant piece of HiFi style and HiFi technology from this UK outfit. 

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RUARK R610 MUSIC CONSOLE

Price: £1,200

Website: www.ruarkaudio.com

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GOOD: feature set, small footprint, remote, general sound quality, upgradable 

Bad: nothing

RATING: 9 

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