Ruark Audio R1S review

Ruark Audio’s smallest, entry-level radio has a strong history at What Hi-Fi?, with a slew of five-star reviews praising its stylish design and impressive sound quality that belies its compact dimensions.

The Ruark Audio R1S is an evolved version of this standard radio: while a fourth-generation R1 FM/DAB+ radio exists (at £239), the new R1S smart radio has built-in wi-fi for the first time and includes music streaming support to cater to today’s listening habits and demands. 

At £299, this R1S is a fair bit pricier than the £160-£180 asking price of the R1 Mk2 from back in 2010 (the R1 Mk3 went up to £200 in 2015), but it’s no secret that the cost of products has risen across the board. Ruark, to its credit,  justifies this price tag with a smart design, intuitive controls and stunning sound.

Build & design

Elegant, stylish, gorgeous – we have used many superlatives to describe the lovely Ruark R1 radio over the past decade or so, but this current generation’s design is even more elegant and premium than before. While the compact dimensions remain – small enough to perch on kitchen counters, work desks or bedside tables – the front panel boasts a sleeker fascia that hides the driver and looks classy in any environment. The full-colour display is larger and crisper, with a strong contrast that makes the text legible from a distance. It doesn’t try to cram the screen with too much information, but there’s enough space when scrolling through the station presets and sub-menus.

The radio’s build quality is of a high standard. The acoustically damped cabinet is smooth and solid with nicely rounded edges, and the slatted wood grilles (hand-crafted, fused walnut, just like on the more premium R410 system) look sophisticated. The mid-grey lacquer finish as seen in our review sample is smart if a little unexciting. Other radios in Ruark’s repertoire boast additional cream, light grey and walnut finishes, but the R1S is restricted to just one finish; but to be honest, we don’t even notice it after a while as it blends in when placed on desks at home and in the office.

As always, the ensemble is topped off with Ruark’s customary RotoDial controller on top of the unit. It remains responsive and easy to use for changing volume, selecting music sources, recalling saved presets (eight per radio source), controlling playback and scanning radio stations. You can also access the numerous menu options, including changing display brightness, setting alarms, timers, searching for specific stations and more. 

The third-party Oktiv iOS/Android app is available and you can even buy a separate remote control for £15, but we don’t feel the need for it. The on-unit dial is more than enough to control all aspects of the Ruark radio, but it is handy to have the free app to access stations and favourites more easily.

Features & connectivity

Whether you view the R1S as a radio with streaming powers, or a wireless speaker with radio functions, the fact remains that this Ruark is a versatile unit that gives you enough options to be able to play music in a variety of ways.

Love radio? FM, DAB/DAB+ tuners are built in, and a telescopic aerial comes fitted as standard. The R1S also has internet radio thanks to the built-in wi-fi – so once you’re connected to your home network, you have access to thousands of global stations at your fingertips. Scanning for stations (digital or analogue) is easily done, and while a radio’s quality always relies on the signal strength and proximity to a transmitter where you live, the Ruark has no problem accessing all of our local Berkshire FM and popular digital stations. 

Want to stream from your mobile devices? Easy. Also integrated are Spotify Connect, Amazon Music and Deezer, which are the popular music streaming services that are typically built into smart internet radios (seen also in the Award-winning Roberts Stream 94L and more expensive Ruark R2 Mk4). You won’t find any sign of Tidal Connect or Apple Music (or any hi-res capabilities), but those wanting to play any other music source from a phone, laptop or tablet can easily connect to the R1S using Bluetooth. Pairing is swift and stable, and switching between the sources is a breeze.

Around the back you’ll find a handy USB-C port that charges your smartphone and plays MP3 files from compatible devices, a 3.5mm aux input for connecting other audio sources (such as an MP3 player or a phono stage-equipped turntable, for instance) and even a 3.5mm headphone jack so you can plug in your favourite pair of wired headphones for personal listening. There are more premium wireless speakers we’ve tested that aren’t quite so generous with physical connections, so we are fond of how friendly and resourceful this little Ruark is.

There is also space to add an optional battery pack to make the R1S portable. This battery pack costs £69 extra, but it could be a worthwhile investment if you want to enjoy the R1S’s talents in the garden or want more flexibility with its placement in your home.

Sound

Under the hood is a single full-range driver powered by Class A/B amplification – it’s a set-up we’re familiar with from Ruark.

What we aren’t familiar with is the sound. We’ve often described Ruark’s products as having a rich, full-bodied sound with a strong, lush midrange. These are ideal sonic characteristics for a radio, especially a small one. 

The R1S is different. It sounds so articulate, neutral, precise and authoritative. It takes us a while to get used to it when we first start listening, but after a while we start to appreciate just how talented this radio is. 

It’s surprisingly clear and crisp, with plenty of detail revealed. Its timing is terrific: precise and agile, with ample solidity underpinning every note to sound satisfyingly tethered and natural. There are physical limitations to how much bass you can eke out of a small cabinet (with a downwards port) but the R1S delivers just enough bass that is pulled deliciously taut to land with impact and drive a song’s momentum. 

We play a variety of music genres and stations, from Agnes Obel and Waxahatchee to Disturbed and Run The Jewels, from Kerrang! to Scala Radio, and the radio’s punctuality combined with a good sense of authority is unusual to hear. We play Skinny Love by Birdy (an old test track favourite) and her breathy vocals sound crisp, authentic and nuanced. From DJs and presenters to podcast hosts and radio play casts – voices are all projected clearly and sound characterful. 

Moreover, instruments aren’t pushed to the background in favour of putting the spotlight on the midrange, as many radios tend to. It’s all more democratic and cohesive through the R1S. There’s dynamism and emotion in spades, all delivered with a confidence and organisation that is really rather impressive for a product of this type. 

Waxahatchee’s breezy Americana tunes sound natural and fluid, Disturbed’s heavy metal tracks are raucous and muscular, but it’s with piano that the R1S really delights. Even more impressive is when we switch to a more classical piano piece such as Erik Satie’s Gnossienne No. 1 that we marvel at how solid, how resonant and how real the piano notes sound. It’s more akin to the kind of maturity and subtlety that separates hi-fi products deliver, rather than humble radios or wireless speakers. And we’re not even listening in hi-res here…

The R1S is designed to occupy small spaces, so this is a radio that performs at its best when placed close to a wall or in a corner. Out in free space, that solid, controlled sound starts to feel untethered, with the top end of the frequency sounding a little thin as it struggles to fill a larger room. If you want a bigger, more spacious, room-filling sound, you’ll want the bigger R2 Mk4 sibling. The Ruark R1S’s closest rival, the Roberts Stream 94L (£200, now discounted) also sounds bigger but is softer around the edges and not as defined and articulate as the R1S.

The radio is fairly evenly balanced, but if you find the top end starting to shimmer then you can tone down the treble just a touch, as we did. We’d leave the bass control and unsubtle Loudness mode alone, though.

Verdict

From its elevated design to the broad spread of music-playing options available, the Ruark R1S is a long way removed from the humble radio of its origins. Appealing aesthetics and versatility aside, the sound quality is so sophisticated, nuanced and precise – it’s a level of quality we’re surprised to hear from a product of this size and price. If you’re after a talented do-it-all internet radio that has modern streaming talents, this is one you should consider.

SCORES

• Sound 5
• Features 5
• Build 5

MORE:

Read our review of the Roberts Stream 94L

If you want a bigger sound, also consider the Ruark R2 Mk4

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