Ruark R4i CD/DAB/FM/USB/Bluetooth Audio System

If you like 100-page instruction books and more functions than the Starship Enterprise, this is not for you. The R4i is not a toy; it is an elegant, well-designed player with a sound quality that belies it relatively small size. My first impression on opening the box was that for a small player it was quite big and also pretty heavy (always a good sign, as this means it is packed full of components), so I was glad that my shelf was deep enough to hold it. If you're thinking of buying one for a particular space, check the dimensions first. I turned the player on, wondering whether it would find any DAB stations with the ariel halfway up, discretely hidden behind some books. The process was effortless and within half a minute, I'd programmed all of my favourite radio stations. The sound quality didn't hit me at first and I was a little alarmed to discover that instead of a bass and treble function, or a wide range of equalizer presets, the number of options was quite limited. But as I spent the evening playing different types of music, experimenting with the radio, CD player and USB port, I realised that the sound was so perfect, it didn't need 'enhancing'. Listening to the player now, with its powerful (but not oppressive) bass and natural-sounding treble, it is hard to believe that the sound is coming from a small unit with speakers that are so close to each other. This is, without a doubt, the best player I have ever bought. I use mine in a small room so the volume is relatively low, but when I've turned it right up to test a dense, orchestral passage, there is absolutely no distortion or loss of quality. This player could easily cope with a large hall as well as a small room. The remote control takes a little bit of getting used to, but I love its quirky round design and solid feel, which knocks the spots off all the other dull, grey plastic ones. I haven't tried an iPod, but USB playback is very good, however if the storage is anything above 4GB it can take a while to search the contents, but perhaps there's an easy solution that I haven't found yet. So far, that has been the only slight niggle. Overall, I would warmly recommend this player. It looks great, sounds wonderful and has made me fall in love with my music collection all over again.

First of all I wanna say that the R4i is fantastic. Second I have to remove 1 star, because the display was loose when I got the player. Fortunateley I could fix it myself after having explained the problem to Ruark itself. They reacted immediateley and told how to fix the display. So, no trouble with sending back, waiting etc. The walnut-design has style.

I've had the R4i for about 5 months now, and feel that I am able to give a more balanced appraisal of the system. Having forked out the £570 for the system, as I believe it was priced then, I was clearly looking for a system which could deliver exceptional sound from my iPod Classic collection, the tunes for most of which are encoded in Apple's lossless format. The first thing to say is that the R4i is not a digital system. It will not process the digital tracks on-board, it will rely on the internal DAC of your iPod Classic to do this (or whichever device you are using). This means that the sound output will depend on the quality of the device you are pairing it with, and will be filtered through its EQ. I know this for a fact as I got confirmation from the company, saying 'The R4i uses the analogue output.' I knew this beforehand, but you should be aware of this. Having used the device over the past 5 months, I would say it plays well, but if you are wanting to be blown away by the sound, this isn't the right product for you (even with the 80W speakers). I am disappointed by the reviews overpraising of the item. To put it in context, I prefer to listen to the music coming from my computer speakers, which are Dell proprietary speakers (i.e. not expensive). The Stereo separation might be one reason for the apparent unhappiness I have with the sound, but I think the main issue is that it seems to lack that warmth I get from my computer speakers. Listening to Liszt's Faust Symphony, I could really detect this. I would say it has a slightly tinny edge to it. The fact that you only have 3 options for changing the EQ on the R4i has probably some part to play. The subwoofer is useful, but not amazing. Although in theory it shouldn't crackle, I'm sure I have heard it struggle from time to time, but it can cope with most music. The DAB is pretty good, reception is great where I listen from. There is only memory for 5 DAB stations though, which means you are practically limited to which stations you are likely to use on a day-to-day basis. The CD player is quick and useful to have. The remote is terrible, truly. It functions both as a remote and the device's control system (annoying if you need to turn down the volume quickly). Whoever thought limiting a remote to 13 buttons was a good idea must have been a little crazy. Sure, it looks nice but it's terribly impractical. To change source, you have to use 3 buttons, to set the sleep timer you have to do the same. The worst thing about the remote is the range. From a few metres away, it will not respond. The sensor on the R4i is not sensitive, and requires a lot of work. Its not a terrible product, but I think for the price you are paying, you have the right to expect great things. I think a 5 star rating is overrated, really. I bought the Pure i20 with the product, so that I could get an independent, budget DAC to go with the device. I can't say it improved the sound much if at all (whereas pairing it with my AV receiver downstairs did lead to a sound improvement). I believe this is due to the R4i being unable to handle signals with a 'high gain', which means the volume has to be turned down on the ipod, which is not ideal. You are limited to connecting one auxiliary input (2x phono) to the device through the rear connectors and one jack in the front. If you have a USB too, you can pair the device with that.

I received the R4i yesterday. What impressed me first is the weight. It is a substantial piece of equipment. The wood-metal finish is gorgeous, classic, robust. The CD-slot feels solid. The detachable controller is very smart. Takes a few moments to get used to the philosophy of buttons, but after a while is ok. It takes longer to get used to the idea that you need it at all times, because the main unit does not have any other button to control it. But overall is a well-designed interfase for the objective of having a clean face in the unit (no buttons). The detachable controller also navigates throught the menus in your ipod when docked. Now the sound. It is marvelous. I have set it up as my main stereo system in the living room, and it easily fills the room with sound. Crisp, elegant, clear, full of details. The 3-speaker settings works very well for the purpose. So far I have been testing mostly with instrumental, classic, movie soundtracks, female pop vocals, and it amazes me every time. The CD sound seems to extract every detail from the tracks. You feel the difference between the CD-track and its mp3 version from the ipod dock. I also purchased the QED bluetooth adapter from amazon, and I have it fully connected to my laptop to listen to podcasts or internet radio. It sounds remarkably good. I am quite satisfied with the unit, the sound is beyond my expectations and the unit looks gorgeous.

I was looking for a small music system for my dining room, something simple and did not involve a mass of cables. I spent a couple of days checking up on suitable systems and the Ruark R4i stood out with all the positive reviews on the internet.The Music system was so easy to set up and within an hour I have a pretty good idea on how to use the system.Great looking and a great mellow sound. This is an expensive item, but way cheaper than a BOSE. But you get what you pay for. Solidly built, great looking and beautiful sound quality.I am really pleased and impressed with this music system. Got to look for a better pair of headphones now!

Had this now for about a month and absoutely love it. Ideal for a large room which you don't want encumbered by wires and speakers all over the place. Outstanding sound quality - don't be put off by reviews of the quirky round remote control. Its very easy how to learn to use it properly. Just wish they also could add CD players to the Ruark 2i and I'd then buy one of those also for a smaller room I have.

This for its size is the finest and best sound I have ever heard, a superb device, the only slight problem there is no built in blue tooth you have to buy a reciever, makes a Bose sound cheap!

What a piece of kit. I already have the equivalent Bose system and am really happy with that. I was going to buy another Bose system for the bedroom until I saw an advert for the Ruark. I ordered the Ruark on the basis of reviews that had been published and yes, I was surprised at the quality of this British based product. I understand the comments regarding the remote control, but once you get used to it, its no issue. Buy one today!

...für die Ohren und andere Sinne! Hatte das R4i (Holzvariante) bestellt, ohne es vorher live erlebt zu haben, was bei dieser Marke sicher nicht unüblich ist. Keine Enttäuschung nach der Lieferung! Bester Klang, mächtig, souverän. CDs klingen brillant, iPod naturgemäß etwas weniger Auflösung, aber immer noch sehr gut. Radiobetrieb über die Stabantenne, die ich aus optischen Gründen wohl noch durch ein Kabel ersetzen werde, völlig problemlos, sowohl DAB (digital, nicht zu verwechseln jedoch mit Internetradio, was das R4i nicht bietet) als auch analog. Bei uns beschallt es das Wohnzimmer, und obwohl das R4i dazu keine weitere Unterstützung benötigte, hängen zwei Nahfeldmonitore dran (Adam A5), auf der anderen Seite des Raumes. Wenn die aktiviert sind, geht wirklich die Post ab! Manche Leute kritisierten die Fernbedienung: für mich gibt es dazu keinen Anlass. Sie ist durchaus intuitiv - nach relativ kurzer Beschäftigung damit hat man "drauf", wo die Funktionen liegen. Den Lautstärkeregler finde ich hervorragend, das stufenweise Verstellen (mit dem leichten Zurückschnappen) ist anfangs etwas ungewohnt, kommt mir aber inzwischen als gut durchdachte, anwenderfreundliche Lösung vor. Kritisiert wurde auch, dass man nur 5 DAB und 5 analoge Radiostationen speichern kann: das stimmt, allerdings reicht mir persönlich das, und, mehr Speicherplätze würden zu einem Kompromiss auf der Fernbedienung führen (mehr Tasten), die meiner Meinung nach momentan kompromisslos gut ist! Jemand kritisierte, dass man im CD Betrieb nicht "vorspulen" könne (langes Stück, man will zu einer bestimmten Stelle): das stimmt nicht, es geht einwandfrei. Anders als teilweise beschrieben funktioniert die Fernbedienung auch dann prima, wenn sie nur ungefähr in Richtung Gerät gehalten wird. Und, sie ist einfach schön, wird gerne in die Hand genommen, hat Charakter. Das Display gefällt mir gut, es sieht, wie alles an dem Gerät, stimmig aus. Ich habe bisher, nach zwei Wochen, nichts entdeckt, was ich an dem Ruark R4i vermisse (Internetradio würde ich nicht brauchen) oder was ich für verbesserungswürdig halte. Es bereichert das Leben zuhause, und das ist um so schöner, als ich sicher bin, dass der englische Hersteller sich nicht an seinen Kunden bereichert: das Produkt hat jeden Cent oder Penny, den es kostet, verdient!

Gutes ausgewogenes Höhen-Mitten-Bassverhältnis. Lediglich die Menueführung ist unübersichtlich (s.Sendersuche und Programierung). Sommerliche Grüße aus dem Nordem ja, ja, ja ja