We were invited to be one of the first medias in Malaysia to test Ruark Audio‘s latest range of high-fidelity speakers. Being used to listening to consumer level speakers, our expectations were high and the company did not disappoint.
Who is Ruark Audio?
Ruark Audio is a family-owned British audio brand led by Brian O’ Rourke and Alan O’ Rourke, his son. From Brian’s love for music, he started his own small loudspeaker company called Diesis in 1982. Then in 1985, Brian built up Ruark Audio with his son, Alan O’ Rourke. Since then, the family has made popular sound systems that comprised of its signature full-bodied warm tones.
How Do They Sound?
Ruark Audio R1 + Ruark Audio MR1
We were brought into a room, and there were two sets of speakers displayed on the table. Presented to us was the Ruark Audio R1 and the MR1 speakers. After a brief introduction, we got to test the speakers, and they sound amazing. We were pretty impressed with how much volume and clarity the speakers could output. Tones were warm and smooth, even for its entry level speakers.
Ruark Audio R5 + Ruark Audio MRX
Then, we were brought into another room and introduced to the Ruark Audio R5 and Ruark Audio MRX speakers. These were a step up from the R1 and MR1, as they could go even louder and produce even clearer sound with a lot more depth.
The demonstrator then paired both these speakers together via the “Undok” app for a more complete audio as the R5 with a built-in subwoofer, handled the lows, while the MRX took over the highs and mids. He even connected the R5 to a turntable via a Phono connection, and we were treated to a 90W powered concert performance.
Ruark Audio R3
We reached our final room, and in the corner was this huge console table looking speaker, which is the R7, but we’ll get into that a little later. On a table in the corner, sat the Ruark Audio R3. Even though it looks like a shorter version of the R5, don’t be fooled by its looks. The R3 was more than capable of filling an entire room without breaking a sweat. There was never any sign of distortion or noise crackling, and the sound was even warmer and smooth when it comes to vocals.
Ruark Audio R7
We have reached the mothership. We turned our heads to the R7 and honestly, we really liked the design. Full wooden enclosure, with an OLED panel on the front, and a rotary control panel on the top, the R7 packs a marvellous design that would compliment any house or room interior.
It sounds even better than it looks. The songs played were more focused on the vocals, and it handled them really well. But I wanted to test the lows, so when the session I stayed back to test out a few songs:
Just by listening to these three songs, I’ve heard details from the songs I’ve never heard before with my standard set of speakers or earbuds. The Huawei Sound X did reveal some of the underlying acoustics within the songs, but it still doesn’t come close to what the R7 did. Because it has a wider range of speakers to play with, the sound stage got widened and you can hear every little ting and clang that goes on in the background. When the bass dropped, the best way I can describe it is that it “travelled”. I could feel the bass move around the room as it pounced on the subwoofer’s diaphragm.
Pricing and Availability
Ruark Audio speakers are more on the high-end, so their prices are a little higher than most speakers you’d normally see in stores. But, with its set of connectivity (Bluetooth and Wi-Fi included) features and rich sound you’re getting, it’s definitely worth every penny. They’re now available nationwide in Malaysia through online – Lazada, Shopee, as well as offline platforms.
- MR1 – RM2,099
- MRX – RM2,399
- R3 – RM3,999
- R5 – RM6,999
- R7 – RM15,999