The R7 (RM15,999) from Ruark Audio is the British brand’s modern take on the radiogram, which combined a radio and record player and was the furniture centrepiece of many a mid-century living room. The R7 certainly has a vintage 1970s vibe to its design, albeit one tempered through a present-day Scandinavian lens. It is cleanly presented in a softly rectangular, walnut-veneered chassis with a grey fabric speaker grille and stiletto-like black ash legs. Functionally, it suits the contemporary household with DAB/DAB+/FM and internet radio, Spotify Connect capability, and, if one is in a vintage mood, a slot-loading CD player hiding in pain sight next to the OLED display. It also includes Bluetooth aptX HD for high quality remote connectivity, and multi-room streaming over WiFi.
Its 160-watt linear class A-B amplifier is expressed through two 140 mm dual concentric drivers and a downward-firing 200 mm subwoofer that contributes to its airy, room-filling sound. Ruark Audio prides itself on its warm, fatigue-free audio quality and, as with the brand’s entire line-up, the R7 has particularly good definition in the midrange – vocals and acoustic music are especially at home here.
