What does a modern hi-fi system look like? From the products themselves to the various ways we can listen to music these days, it has all evolved to such a degree that we now live in a world where everything is connected and integrated, and you can play music wirelessly at the tap of a button. Alongside that, what a music system looks like has gone beyond the shackles of a traditional separates set-up, which is good news for many of us short on space and cash but still wishing for proper good audio.
A blend of modern and retro aesthetics seems to be de rigueur and has wide appeal across generations too, and that’s reflected in our rather stylish, versatile and compact system here.
Ruark Audio may be famed for its lifestyle-friendly radios, but the top-of-the-range R2 Mk4 is also bestowed with popular internet streaming powers, making it more akin to a premium wireless speaker imbued with hi-fi heritage. Similarly, Grado’s decidedly retro headphones styling both contrasts and complements the sleek Apple iPad for controlling all your music – put together, you have a trendy-looking, modern music system that sounds as good as it looks.
The system
- Internet radio/streaming system: Ruark Audio R2 Mk4 - £479 / $540 approx / AU$949
- Wired headphones: Grado SR80x - £99 / $125 / AU$179
- Tablet: Apple iPad 10th Gen - £349 / $449 / AU$749
- Total price: £927 / $1114 approx / AU$1877
Radio/streaming system: Ruark Audio R2 Mk4
The Ruark R2 Mk4 is the centrepiece of this system and fully functions as a music system in its own right. It’s a beautifully made cabinet, with slatted wood grilles and a large bonded-glass full-colour display for at-a-glance track information (and the time, date, station name and more). The elegant unit is larger than most bedside clock radios, but it can sit proudly on a bookshelf, kitchen counter or table, as long as it’s connected to the mains.
It is a radio at heart, with FM, DAB/DAB+ tuners and internet radio offering thousands of stations across the globe. But it also boasts support for popular music streaming services such as Spotify, Amazon Music and Deezer once connected to your wi-fi network, giving you access to millions of songs from these online catalogues. You can connect any mobile or laptop device to the Ruark using Bluetooth too, meaning you can play music from Tidal, Apple Music, YouTube and many more. An aux input allows you to plug in wired sources, while the USB-C port handily charges up your smartphone or tablet as well.
Sonically, the Ruark R2 is a delight. In our R2 Mk4 review, our in-house team of expert reviewers said: “For what is a fairly compact unit, the sound that emanates from the R2 Mk4 is surprisingly big and spacious, and it can reach decently loud volumes without getting too strained or losing composure. Even more importantly, the musical cohesion of a song remains intact and a compelling listen even at lower volumes.”
It’s a full-bodied, expressive presentation with pleasing clarity, detail and natural warmth to voices, the latter being particularly well-suited to playing talk radio, live sports commentary, podcasts and vocal-heavy tracks. Basslines have texture, drive and convincing weight, while there’s ample headroom for high notes to soar.
Rhythmically, it’s spot-on and hugely entertaining. Whether you’re listening to Absolute Radio’s pop hits, a bit of Classic FM, sludgy grunge tracks or Agnes Obel’s pristine vocals, the Ruark delivers subtlety, dynamic punch and textural depth in spades. It’s a wonderfully satisfying wireless speaker/radio system that can compete with the likes of Apple, Bose, Sonos and more, and while it’s on the pricey side, we find it is absolutely worth it.
Tablet: Apple iPad (10th Generation)
The Ruark comes with an integrated “RotoDial” controller – a tactile, physical control on top of the unit with buttons and a dial for selecting menus, stations, sources, changing volume and many more options. It’s intuitive to use, but you can also download a third-party app (Undok or Oktiv) to make browsing radio stations, saving presets and playing from any music source much easier.
You can use any smart device for this, including your existing smartphone, but we’ve picked the Award-winning Apple iPad here, especially if you use multiple music streaming sources and want a richer, streamlined experience for controlling the Ruark and your music.
The 10th-generation iPad offers Apple's best tablet experience without breaking the bank. The screen quality is sharp, detailed and punchy, it is uber-slick and powerful in use, and it remains a great-sounding source for playing music. Every popular music streaming and podcast service, from Apple Music to SoundCloud to BBC Sounds, can be downloaded, not to mention various video streaming and game apps, should you wish to give all entertainment options an audio boost by beaming the sound to the Ruark R2.
Wired headphones: Grado SR80x
The Ruark R2 also sports a 3.5mm headphone jack, and we have an excellent pair of wired headphones to complete this mini system. Headphones are a must if you like listening to music late into the night and/or don’t want to disturb your housemates or neighbours with Billie Eilish or MFDoom on repeat.
Don’t let the Grados’ industrial looks fool you: these are lightweight, open-back headphones whose airy, transparent nature is ideal for long listening sessions. Rather unusually for these days, the SR80x is an on-ear model with foam cushions that might feel odd at first, but years of using Grado headphones have proven that they remain durable, breathable and cover our ears fully. Their open-back design means that they will leak a fair amount of sound and let outside sound in, but for home use we find this combination to be perfectly fine.
This SR80 model has evolved over three decades and the current ‘x’ version features improved 44mm drivers and is easier to drive when plugged into smartphones, hi-res music players, wireless speakers and more. What hasn’t changed is their wonderfully dynamic, open and clearly detailed performance. We noted in our SR80x review: “Everything we like about their predecessors – their nimble-footedness, expressive, rolling dynamics, and insight across well-defined frequencies – has been inherited,” along with punch and a terrific sense of timing and agility. They have a wonderful sense of space and clarity, and while they’re a touch on the forward side (though without being clinical), that authentic, forensic approach works well with the Ruark’s smoother balance.
Verdict
This combination gives you the best of both worlds: retro charm and cutting-edge streaming technologies, all culminating in incredible audio performance with true hi-fi heritage forming the backbone of this compact system.
With this trio of products, you have got a bona fide music system that’s modern, accessible and sounds fantastic.
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