Ruark’s first subwoofer set to boost our favourite desktop speakers' sound

Ruark RS1 Subwoofer
(Image credit: Ruark)

Ruark Audio has announced its first-ever subwoofer, the RS1, which has been designed with the intention of elevating the company’s long-running, Award-winning, Ruark MR1 Mk2 desktop speakers.

It’s no secret that even though smaller speakers can sound great by themselves, they just can’t produce bass in the same way a dedicated sub can. The intention for the Ruark RS1 is to step in and extend the low end of your music and complement the existing soundscape.

The aesthetic of the RS1 matches nicely with Ruark's MR1 speakers, with the sub sporting a lead grey cabinet cloth along with rich walnut top and bottom panels.

Ruark RS1 Subwoofer

(Image credit: Ruark)

The RS1 subwoofer makes use of Class D amplification, with a claimed output of 100 watts powering its 17cm downward-facing driver, which should be plenty for beefing up your music in smaller listening spaces.

Additionally, the Ruark sub offers a frequency response of 25Hz-200Hz and features an adjustable crossover filter ranging from 50-180Hz, useful for fine-tuning with your speakers.

The RS1 connects to the MR1 speakers using a mono RCA connection and includes a couple of nice user-friendly utilities. This includes an auto-on / standby feature, which automatically turns the speaker on/off depending on whether you're using it. There’s also a soft clipping filter, which provides automatic protection if the system is ever overloaded and avoids causing accidental damage.

The Ruark RS1 subwoofer is available standalone for £349 / $499 USD / $799AU or bundled along with the MR1 Bluetooth speakers for £698. 

MORE:

Read our Ruark Audio MR1 Mk2 review

Best subwoofers 2023: deep bass for music and movies

Staff Writer

Ainsley Walker is a staff writer at What Hi-Fi?. He studied music journalism at university before working in a variety of roles including as a freelance journalist and teacher. Growing up in a family of hi-fi enthusiasts naturally influenced his interest in the topic. Outside of work, Ainsley can be found producing music, tinkering with retro tech, or cheering on Luton Town.

  • Austin hifi
    Hello, just wondering if this is ruarks first in house sub, rather than first ever subwoofer. I have a Ruark Vita 50 sub doing sterling duty in my kitchen with a pair of rega bookshelf speakers from the naughties.... I believe it was a rebadged MJ Acoustics Sub50.
    Reply