The Ruark Sabre-R & R610 Music System, Designed as a Pair
Buying a console and speakers from the same designers removes a great deal of guesswork. The Ruark Sabre-R & R610 Music System pairs Ruark’s R610 music console with Sabre-R bookshelf speakers voiced by the same Southend-on-Sea team, so the two halves arrive already balanced rather than assembled from strangers that merely share a shelf.
Almost anything a household plays is catered for, from subscription streaming and broadcast radio to the television and a record collection, and setup amounts to wiring two speakers and joining the home network.
Four Ways to Finish
Console and speakers each come in Fused Walnut veneer or Satin Charcoal lacquer, and the two choices are independent of one another. Walnut throughout gives the warm, furniture-like look the 100 Series is known for, charcoal throughout suits a darker scheme, and a mix of the two, walnut speakers beside a charcoal console or the reverse, can tie the system into an existing room.
The Console at the Centre
The R610 takes inspiration from the seventies music centre: a single cabinet for sources and amplification, steered by Ruark’s weighted RotoDial and a colour screen showing album and station artwork. Streaming services play from the owner’s own subscriptions, AirPlay and Google Cast open up almost every other app, while broadcasting is covered by tuners for internet, DAB and FM broadcasts. A phono stage welcomes a turntable, and television sound arrives over HDMI eARC.
Speakers Voiced for the Console
Each Sabre-R speaker, named after Ruark’s first loudspeaker, pairs a long-throw NS+ bass driver and a silk dome tweeter, housed in a tuned reflex enclosure. The console’s 75 watts a channel sit comfortably inside the range Ruark recommends for the speakers, and the result is natural, unforced sound with the stereo width that separate speakers give.
Setting Up and Growing
Speaker cables are packed with the console, and the speakers can stand on good-quality stands or a sturdy shelf. When the time comes to expand, a subwoofer output deepens the bass, the pre-amplifier output can feed a larger power amplifier, and Ruark’s R-CD100 brings compact disc over one USB-C lead. Each half is also sold separately as the Ruark R610 and the Ruark Sabre-R.
Hearing the System in London
For advice on finishes, stands and placement, talk to Audio Lounge on Wigmore Street about the Ruark Sabre-R & R610 Music System. Other complete systems sit together in the hi-fi systems range.
About Ruark
Ruark designs both halves of a music system: the electronics and the loudspeakers that play through them. Loudspeakers came first, from a small Essex workshop run in the 1980s by Brian and Alan O’Rourke; radios and compact systems followed from the mid-2000s; and today every Ruark product, from the R1 radio to the 100 Series, is developed in Southend-on-Sea and signed off by ear. That shared approach lets a console and a pair of speakers be voiced with each other in mind, and the Ruark Audio R610 and Sabre-R are the clearest example in the current range. See more from Ruark.
Questions About the Ruark Sabre-R & R610 Music System
What is the Ruark Sabre-R & R610 Music System?
The Ruark Sabre-R & R610 Music System is a complete streaming hi-fi from Ruark’s 100 Series, combining the R610 music console, whose amplifier delivers 75 watts a channel, with a pair of Sabre-R two-way bookshelf speakers. Streaming, DAB and FM radio, a phono stage and HDMI eARC are built into the console, and both parts come in Satin Charcoal or Fused Walnut.
Are speaker cables included with the Ruark Sabre-R & R610 Music System?
Yes. Two 3m lengths of 400-strand oxygen-free copper speaker cable come with the R610, enough for most rooms, and the Sabre-R speakers include self-adhesive feet for shelf placement.
Can the console and speakers be different finishes?
Yes. Four combinations are offered: walnut speakers with a walnut or charcoal console, and charcoal speakers with either console finish.
Which streaming services does the system support?
The R610 runs Qobuz, Spotify and TIDAL as Connect services from the owner’s accounts, alongside internet radio, and any app with AirPlay 2 or Google Cast can play through the system. Bluetooth with aptX HD handles the rest.
Can the system play television sound?
The R610 takes care of that: HDMI with eARC suits a modern set, the optical input suits an older one, and soundtracks then play through the Sabre-R speakers.
Can the system play vinyl and compact disc?
Yes. Records need only a turntable with an MM cartridge, which connects to the R610 phono stage without extra equipment, and the optional Ruark R-CD100 adds compact disc through the USB-C port.
Can the system be expanded later?
Yes. An active subwoofer connects to the mono RCA subwoofer output, a selectable line or pre-amplifier output can drive a power amplifier, and the Sabre-R terminals accept bi-wiring.
How much room does the system need?
The R610 console is 95mm high, 300mm wide and 275mm deep excluding the aerial, with a weight of 4.3kg, while each Sabre-R speaker is 290mm high, 175mm wide and 215mm deep at 5.0kg. Stands of 60 to 65cm suit the speakers best.
