Ruark R710 - Music System
Matte Black - Ruark Audio

Hi-Fi Systems · Streaming Music Console

Music has a remarkable power: it can lift your mood, calm the mind and turn an ordinary evening into something special. For four decades, Ruark has built products you don't just listen to, but love to look at. To mark its 40th anniversary, the British manufacturer presents the Ruark R710, the most powerful system in its 100 Series to date: a compact music console that combines a streamer, CD player, phono stage, HDMI eARC hub and a powerful 2 × 200 watt Class D amplifier in a single, beautifully crafted enclosure.

Visually, the R710 pays homage to the hi-fi design of the 1970s: clean proportions in a choice of walnut or black lacquer, pleasantly tactile soft-touch controls and a generous 6.8-inch colour display on the front that shows station details and album artwork in crisp detail. Beneath the surface sits cutting-edge technology, from Spotify Connect, TIDAL Connect and Qobuz Connect to AirPlay 2, Google Cast and hi-res playback. Analogue charm and digital convenience, with no compromise on either side.

Unlike Ruark's well-known compact systems such as the R1, R2 or R410, the R710 has no built-in speakers. Instead, it is a fully fledged amplifier and source hub for passive loudspeakers. It is aimed at anyone who appreciates the convenience of a lifestyle system but wants the sound of a proper stereo setup. The integrated hi-fi Class D amplifier delivers a nominal 2 × 200 watts, driving not only compact bookshelf speakers with ease but also larger floorstanders that demand real volume and a deep, controlled foundation.

With a frequency response of 22 Hz to 22 kHz (+0 / −3 dB), the electronics reach deep into the bass and cover the entire audible range. The R710 handles high-resolution music files up to 32-bit / 192 kHz, whether hi-res albums streamed from Qobuz or TIDAL or your own collection served via UPnP from a NAS or media server. From recording to loudspeaker, the detail that defines a great production is preserved: delicate reverb tails, breath and attack, the air around an instrument.

Of particular interest to vinyl lovers: the R710 features a phono input for moving magnet cartridges with RIAA equalisation. A turntable without its own preamp connects directly — no additional phono stage, no extra cables, no more space taken up on the shelf. Paired with the 1970s-inspired look, the result is a coherent, uncluttered analogue setup that simply works.

If you never gave up your CD collection, you'll appreciate the integrated CD player, a rarity among today's streaming systems and a genuine argument for anyone who values physical media. For the TV, there is an HDMI ARC/eARC input: the R710 takes over the television sound and replaces the soundbar with a real stereo system that brings films, series and concert recordings to life with noticeably more body and space. An optical digital input (up to 24-bit / 96 kHz PCM) is also available, for example for a games console or older sources, along with a Bluetooth receiver with aptX HD for spontaneous playback from your smartphone in near-lossless quality.

When it comes to streaming, the R710 covers virtually everything that matters today: Spotify Connect, TIDAL Connect and Qobuz Connect are built in. The advantage of these Connect solutions: you choose your music in the familiar app, but the R710 fetches the stream directly from the internet. Your smartphone acts only as a remote, phone calls or a low battery won't interrupt playback, and sound quality does not depend on a Bluetooth connection. Add to that Apple AirPlay 2 and Google Cast, which bring almost any music app to the R710, plus internet radio with access to stations from around the world.

Via AirPlay 2 and Google Cast, the R710 can also be integrated into a multiroom system and grouped with compatible speakers in other rooms. Weekend breakfast in the kitchen plays in sync with the system in the living room, without being tied to a single manufacturer's ecosystem.

The build quality shows in every detail. The enclosure is available in walnut or black lacquer and, measuring 375 × 345 mm and just 125 mm high, fits into sideboards and media units where traditional hi-fi separates won't. The console's soft-touch controls feel premium and pleasantly tactile.

For control from the sofa, the rechargeable RotoDial remote is included — Ruark's distinctive rotary dial concept that handles volume, source selection and menu navigation with a single intuitive movement. Because it uses Bluetooth, there's no need to point it at the unit. The high-resolution 6.8-inch TFT display shows album artwork, track and station information clearly, even from a distance. Practical extras complete the everyday experience: 8 individually programmable alarms with snooze make the R710 perhaps the most beautiful alarm clock in the house, and headphones can be used both wired and via Bluetooth — ideal for late-night listening without disturbing the neighbours.

The R710 is supplied without speakers and can be paired with almost any pair of passive loudspeakers. If you want a set that is perfectly matched in both looks and sound, Ruark offers the ideal partners: the Talisman-R and Sabre-R loudspeakers (each available separately). The names are no coincidence — Ruark was founded in 1985 by brothers Alan and Brian O'Rourke in Southend-on-Sea, England, as a loudspeaker manufacturer, and models such as the Talisman and Sabre are among the classics of those early years. With this anniversary, the circle is complete.

Within the Ruark range, the R710 sits at the top of the 100 Series and is the logical choice for anyone who has outgrown a compact system with built-in speakers but doesn't want a tower of separates in the living room. Streamer, CD transport, phono stage, TV connectivity and power amplifier are combined in one unit, controlled by a single remote — a system that impresses in everyday use just as much as during focused listening.