British audio brand Ruark Audio is marking its 40th anniversary with a new hi-fi system that connects the company’s past with its present. Although Ruark has become widely known since the 2000s for its design-led all-in-one audio systems, the company originally began as a traditional British loudspeaker manufacturer in the 1980s. The new Talisman-R is a floorstanding loudspeaker that revives the Talisman name 36 years after the original model was introduced in 1990, while the new R710 CD Hi-Fi Console forms the electronics centerpiece of Ruark’s modern two-channel system.
The two products are also scheduled to be demonstrated together at the StereoNET UK Hi-Fi & AV Expo 2026, taking place September 12–13 at the Radisson RED Hotel at London Heathrow. Ruark plans to present the R710 and Talisman-R as a complete system at the event.
R710 CD Hi-Fi Console Brings the CD Player Back
The R710 is the new flagship model in Ruark’s 100 Series, combining a design inspired by 1970s hi-fi consoles with modern streaming and digital technology. It integrates a CD player, network streamer, DAC, MM phono stage and two-channel power amplifier into a single chassis.
The amplification stage uses Class D technology and delivers 200W per channel into 4Ω at 0.01% THD. Burr-Brown 32-bit/192kHz solutions are used for the DAC and ADC, with support for FLAC, AIFF, ALAC and WAV files at up to 32-bit/192kHz. MP3 playback is supported at up to 48kHz/320kbps and AAC at up to 96kHz/320kbps, while local files can also be played from UPnP/DLNA media servers and USB storage devices.
Streaming support includes Spotify Connect, TIDAL Connect and Qobuz Connect, alongside Apple AirPlay and Google Cast. Network connectivity is provided through dual-band Wi-Fi and wired Ethernet, while Bluetooth 5.1 supports aptX HD, AAC and SBC codecs.
Support for physical media is another major feature of the R710. A slot-loading CD mechanism is located behind the wooden slats on the front panel and supports Red Book CD-DA discs as well as CD-R. The RCA input also incorporates an MM phono stage, allowing a turntable with a moving-magnet cartridge to be connected directly without an external phono preamplifier.
For television connectivity, the R710 provides HDMI ARC/eARC as well as an optical digital input supporting PCM up to 24-bit/96kHz. Other connections include RCA line input, selectable line output/pre-out, mono subwoofer output, 3.5mm headphone output and USB-C. Speaker connections use gold-plated 4mm multi-way binding posts.
The front panel features a 6.8-inch color TFT display with automatic brightness adjustment, accompanied by Ruark’s signature RotoDial controller and a rechargeable wireless remote control. The main unit measures 375 × 105 × 310mm and weighs 6.6kg. UK pricing is £2,199, with sales targeted to begin in October.
The Return of the 1990 Talisman
The Talisman-R also carries particular significance in Ruark’s history. The original Talisman was introduced in 1990 and played an important role in establishing the company’s reputation, with its slim proportions and distinctive angled baffle. The new Talisman-R retains that visual identity while introducing newly developed drivers, enclosure construction and crossover design.
The speaker is a two-way bass-reflex floorstander using a 27mm silk-dome tweeter and a 165mm NS+ long-throw woofer. The tweeter employs a neodymium motor, while the woofer uses a treated fibre cone, a 35mm two-layer copper voice coil and a strontium ferrite motor system.
A newly developed decoupled front-baffle structure is also used. The driver-mounted baffle is mechanically isolated from the main cabinet through elastomer bushes and dual damping strips. Internal bracing and composite acoustic damping materials are employed to reduce cabinet resonances and standing waves. The 14.5-litre enclosure uses a dual-flared bass-reflex port tuned to 42Hz.
The crossover frequency is 2.2kHz, using second-order filters, audio-grade film capacitors and low-loss inductors. Frequency response is specified at 40Hz–22kHz under typical in-room conditions, with a sensitivity of 87dB/2.83V/1m. Nominal impedance is 6Ω, with a minimum impedance of 3.8Ω at 5kHz, while recommended amplifier power is 50–250W.
Each speaker measures 850 × 210 × 250mm and weighs 17.6kg. Dual gold-plated binding posts support both single-wiring and bi-wiring, and removable magnetic grilles are included. UK pricing is £1,499 per pair, with availability planned for September.
From All-in-One Audio Back to a Complete Hi-Fi System
What makes the combination of the R710 and Talisman-R particularly interesting is the way it reconnects Ruark with its own history. Founded in 1986, Ruark began as a specialist loudspeaker manufacturer before establishing a distinctive position in the radio and all-in-one audio market through its R Series. More recently, the company returned to passive loudspeakers with the Sabre-R, and the Talisman-R now revives the name of one of its best-known early floorstanding models.
The R710 also has more in common with a traditional hi-fi system than a conventional lifestyle audio product. It combines 200W × 2 amplification and passive loudspeaker outputs with an MM phono stage and CD player, while also integrating Spotify Connect, TIDAL Connect, Qobuz Connect, AirPlay and Google Cast. Paired with the Talisman-R, it allows an entire two-channel system—from source and amplification to loudspeakers—to be built exclusively from Ruark components.
Meanwhile, Ruark has also been rolling out a free OTA update for its 100 Series products, including the R410, R610, R710 and R810, adding Bluetooth headphone output. Up to six wireless Bluetooth devices can be paired, with headphone volume stored independently from the main system volume.
Key Specifications
Ruark R710 CD Hi-Fi Console
- Amplification: Class D
- Power output: 200W × 2 / 4Ω @ 0.01% THD
- Frequency response: 22Hz–22kHz +0/-3dB
- DAC/ADC: Burr-Brown 32-bit/192kHz
- Supported formats: FLAC, AIFF, ALAC, WAV up to 32-bit/192kHz
- Streaming: Spotify Connect, TIDAL Connect, Qobuz Connect
- Wireless streaming: Apple AirPlay, Google Cast
- Bluetooth: 5.1, aptX HD/AAC/SBC
- Network: Wi-Fi, 10/100Mbps Ethernet, UPnP/DLNA
- CD: Red Book CD-DA, CD-R
- Inputs: HDMI ARC/eARC, Optical, RCA Line, MM Phono, USB-C
- Outputs: Speaker, RCA Line/Pre-out, Subwoofer, 3.5mm Headphone
- Display: 6.8-inch color TFT
- Dimensions: 375 × 105 × 310mm
- Weight: 6.6kg
- Price: £2,199
- Expected availability: October 2026
Ruark Talisman-R
- Type: Two-way bass-reflex floorstanding loudspeaker
- Tweeter: 27mm silk dome, neodymium motor
- Woofer: 165mm Ruark NS+ long-throw
- Frequency response: 40Hz–22kHz, typical in-room
- Sensitivity: 87dB/2.83V/1m
- Nominal impedance: 6Ω
- Minimum impedance: 3.8Ω @ 5kHz
- Crossover: 2.2kHz, second-order
- Cabinet volume: 14.5L
- Port tuning: 42Hz
- Recommended amplifier power: 50–250W
- Dimensions: 850 × 210 × 250mm
- Weight: 17.6kg each
- Price: £1,499/pair
- Expected availability: September 2026