Ruark's R810 is a stylish music system that evokes radiograms of old

Radiograms were music system that came in the form of what could only be described as a sort of desk. It’s that kind of style that Ruark’s R810 looks to evoke.

Following in the footsteps of the R410, the R810 is a bigger unit that can also act as a desk of sorts (or as Ruark describes it, “a piece of sculptural furniture”). We’d probably not want to sit on this speaker though.

An evolution of the brand’s previous R7 design, the R810 features a cabinet with a veneered finish and polished chrome stand to stand out in a home, the wood selected for the handcrafted grille and cabinets is available in soft grey or walnut to match your décor. Like the R410, the cabinet is made from fast-growing sustainable woods that have been spliced and reconstituted to resemble the grain patters of slow-growing hardwoods.

Inside the cabinet are two 30mm Ruark silk dome tweeters, two 100mm paper cone woofers, and a 200mm Ruark long throw paper cone subwoofer to make up a 4.1 system, supplied with 180W of power through its Class A/B amplifier.

The 4-inch TFT colour display, which is vertical to emulate the way in which smartphones are used, can replicate album artwork, as well as relevant source information.

The R810 has been optimised for vinyl and streaming fans, with turntable able to be supported through the dedicated phono inputs. You can even connect a CD ROM for those who have one through the USB-C socket. HDMI eARC/ARC support also allows for the R810 to be hooked up to a TV, you might even consider placing the TV on top of the music system if it’s small enough.

Those who prefer to stream music get the option of playing music directly from the service in Spotify Connect and Tidal Connect, while Apple AirPlay 2 and Chromecast offer streaming from BBC Sounds, Amazon Music, Deezer, Qobuz, and others, as well the option of Bluetooth (aptX-HD).

Having support for these streaming options also allows for multi-room playback with other supported devices. DAB/DAB+, FM and Internet radio complete the various ways to listen to audio through the R810.

Control of music can be done through native apps, but control of the R810 is done through Ruark’s distinctive RotoDial that’s integrated into the music system, with a matching rechargeable Bluetooth version also supplied for control from a distance.

The Ruark R810 is priced at £3000 / $4489.