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The Story of Ruark Audio
Based on the south east coast of England, Ruark are a family-owned company with an amazing, passionate team. Ruark has over 30 years of experience creating beautiful music systems and this has firmly established them as leaders in the British audio industry. Their inspiration is varied and comes from experiences, things they admire, the love of music, and walks along the beach in Southend. This is the story of Ruark Audio.
Heritage
Ruark’s origins go back to the early days of hi-fi. Their first product, back in the early 1980s, was the Sabre - a lovely little bookshelf-type, two-way speaker that won awards and put them on the map.
In those days, all speaker cabinets were made of wood, many still are. Ruark Audio founder Alan’s dad, Brian, was a trained cabinet-maker and worked with some of the pioneering greats of British Hi-Fi. He understood just how important materials and construction are to how a music system sounds. And, it is these principles that Ruark still apply today when we are updating or designing our products.
Design
For many of our customers, great sound isn’t always their biggest priority.
In an era where we are wanting our homes to be stylish, every item has to earn its place and look beautiful in its position.
So Ruark design products that are as pleasing to the eye as they are to the ear. In fact, many people include Ruark’s music systems in their overall interior design.
The goal has always been to create products with a design style that is timeless. An aesthetic which looks good in contemporary homes but also more classic decor, too. It’s a fine balance to achieve this, and Ruark take their time; some of their products can take up to two years to develop, from concept to launch. And, they are continually looking to improve on their existing products so although the design may not change much, the way it functions will gradually evolve and update.
The Technology inside
As technology evolves, so do Ruark’s products. You can enjoy the benefits of the latest developments, with the assurance of knowing your music system will stand the test of time.
As enthusiasts, not just manufacturers, Ruark are on top of all the new audio technology developments. But they’re not driven by them. It takes time to design and produce a new music system, so Ruark need to be certain an innovation is right for them, most importantly, will be relevant and useful to their customers.
Across the range, Ruark use the finest components and technologies that will give you wonderful, trouble-free sound for years to come. And as a responsible company they take green issues seriously, so their materials are ethically sourced and hazardous materials avoided.
The Ruark Sound
Live music flows naturally. If it’s been equalised by an engineer, you don’t notice. That’s the effect Ruark aim for with their products. Ruark optimise the design of their drive units for the specific cabinet volume, to give a big sound that doesn’t feel forced.
They also pay close attention to the cabinets themselves. A Stradivarius violin or a Gibson guitar sounds the way it does because their makers knew their materials, and understood how to use them to give that beautiful tonality. In the same way, Ruark harness the natural properties of the materials they use to create an authentic sound with real depth and power. And, they are continually looking to improve on their existing products so although the design may not change much, the way it functions will gradually evolve and update.
Award-winning sound
When the Daily Telegraph referred to one of Ruark’s products as ‘the Aston Martin of DAB radios’, that was just perfect. It really hit the mark of what they were trying to achieve with their products.
Ruark have always built the best products they possibly can. Whether you’re looking at one of their smaller products like the R1, or the flagship R7, you can be sure the same love and dedication went into creating it.
And the accolade Ruark value most is a customer telling them how much they enjoy listening to music thanks to their Ruark system. Because in the end, it’s your listening pleasure that really matters.
