Ruark Audio unveiled its R7, a “modern-day take on the iconic radiogram”, almost a decade ago, and we recall 2017's Mk3 was drawing crowds at the Bristol Show with its added multi-room smarts and improved streaming tech.

The R810 is pitched as a “ground up” design; still, it sports the same strong design language found in the likes of Ruark's desktop R410, such as the 4-inch TFT colour display and refreshed RotoDial controller (the supplied rechargeable remote mimics the nifty RotoDial), as well as the classicly beautiful, wood details in the cabinet and slatted grille. Ruark tells us that these handcrafted elements are sustainably sourced, spliced and reconstituted for consistent grain patterns.

While Ruark may take inspiration from musical furniture of the past, the R810 is most certainly a statement piece from the 21st century with up to 32-bit/384kHz hi-res audio supported and wireless streaming supplied by AirPlay 2, Chromecast built-in, Spotify Connect, TIDAL Connect, aptX Bluetooth, and UPnP. Ruark's R810 will also link to your wired sources, including your telly, thanks to HDMI eARC. It also offers optical input, RCA phono input, and USB-C. Of course, radio channels are accessed via FM, DAB/DAB+ alongside internet radio.

Ruark's flagship R810 is a 4.1 system featuring 180W of Class A/B amplification powering a pair of 30mm silk dome tweeters and twin 10cm paper cone woofers, further augmented by a 20cm long throw paper cone subwoofer.

Alan O'Rourke, Managing Director, Ruark, told StereoNET:

The inspiration for our original R7 and now R810 came from the beautiful Radiogram that my grandmother had in her home. As a kid, when we visited, I would spend hours listening to radio stations, playing records and dancing. R810 is our most technically advanced product to date, but a loving homage to those radiograms of yesteryear.

The Ruark R810 is available in grey lacquer or 'fused' walnut wood veneer, priced at £3,000.  

Visit Ruark for more information