Fourteen years after its first effort, Ruark has revealed the latest radio in the R1 Mk4.
Ruark has taken the covers off of its latest entry in its R1 series, and the newest model has undergone a few big changes.
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Not one to rest on their laurels, Ruark has ditched the wood cabinet that made previous efforts look so stylish, opting for a moulding process that allowed the company to “gently profile the enclosure”. The result is a more contemporary looking radio, with the new Light Cream and Espresso finishes offering a more modern aesthetic.
But the use of wood materials hasn’t been ditched completely with the Mk4’s hand-crafted slatted wood grille. Ruark says the new R1 offers improved sound over previous efforts, with the acoustic treatment implemented for the Mk4 offering a strong and acoustically inert foundation for its Natural Sound+ driver. A linear amplifier works with the NS+ driver and adaptive equalisation to produce what Ruark calls an “eminently listenable sound at all volume levels”
The OLED display shows time, alarm and programme information and auto adjusts to suit ambient light levels so you can see it clearly at all times. The R1 Mk4 features a built-in real time clock that ensures time and date remain correct even when power is disconnected or transmitted data is not available. It also supports most Western and Eastern languages, which may make it useful for using abroad (or if you want to see different languages).
With a DAB, DAB+ and FM tuner, the latter can be tweaked to suit US and Japanese frequencies. Like the rest of Ruark’s products, operation is via the RotoDial on top of the unit, but there’s also a remote control available as an optional extra.
Other features include a high-quality Bluetooth receiver, external battery pck, switchable auxiliary input and headphone output, plus a USB-C port for charging and connection external devices. Also included are adjustable EQ presets and a dual alarm set-up.
The Ruark R1 Mk4 is due to go on sale in December for £229.