Six or seven years ago, I bought myself a Ruark R4 MkIII music player. I still have it and still use it every day. It has a radio tuner, a CD player, plus inputs for connecting analog devices. However, my Ruark R4 can’t connect to my home network, so I can’t stream music or listen to Internet radio.
Ruark says the R410 has been designed with perfect proportions and provides a modern twist on classic 1970s styling. The company has used modern materials and sustainable woods for the hand-crafted wooden grille and cabinet. The grille has been spliced, colored and recomposed to resemble slow-growing hardwoods with consistent grain patterns and a color that won’t fade over time.Some of the R410’s features have been carried over from the old R4 MkIII.
The speakers in the R410 are driven by a new generation of highly efficient digital amplifiers that offer ultra-low distortion. The two-channel amplifiers are small enough to be attached to the rear of each bass/midrange unit, enabling the signal path to be as short as possible. So, how does the new Ruark R410 sound in use? I turned to the classic Riz Ortolani and Norman Newell’s song “More” to find out. With Frank Sinatra singing, backed up by the Count Basie Orchestra, playing a Quincy Jones arrangement of the song, I figured that was a big enough piece of music to put the Ruark through its paces. And it did indeed blow any cobwebs out from the R410.