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Can you imagine a life without music? Neither can we. With its slim profile, SmartRadio tuner, comprehensive streaming options and a natural powerful sound, the R2 has been designed to fit easily into your surroundings and is perfect to discover and enjoy music, old and new. Like that first tea or coffee in the morning, R2 is an essential element to creating a great day, every day.
“If you’re after a high-quality music system that looks great, is lovely to use and sounds wonderful, the Ruark R2 Mk4 should be at the top of your wishlist. It’s the kind of product that could – and should – be considered alongside any budget hi-fi separates as a more lifestyle (but still very hi-fi-sounding) alternative.”
“With a gorgeous finish that hides incredible smarts and solid drivers, this is a top-spec radio to wake up to each morning.”
“The R2 Mk4 is a wonderful way to consume music and radio. It’s the sort of speaker that deserves to be on show, perhaps even on a shelf all of its own.”
“The Ruark is just so easy to use, so easy to get playing with a single tap of the power button, that we reckon it must have quadrupled the amount of music we played in that space during its time. And that’s a recommendation in itself.”
“The R2 Mk4 sounds brilliant and is a pleasure to use. It’s the kind of radio and streaming system that encourages you to explore all the music, podcasts and radio out there – and it’ll make your favourite bands and artists sound amazing.”
“Fantastic styling and excellent sound quality come to define this speaker.”
“The new R2 Music System is a typically splendid offering, with a retro-yet-modern look which will fit into most homes and even smarten them up somewhat.”
R2 Mk4 brings one of our longest-established models right up to date, while retaining key elements that made our original R2 a popular choice, upon its launch in 2007. The most obvious change from its predecessors is its slimmer footprint. These elegant proportions allow R2 to be placed easily around the home and make it perfect for a windowsill or bookcase.
The appearance of R2 is simple yet stunning. The enclosure, with precise lines and soft contours, combines with the hand crafted slatted wood grille to create a timeless retro-modern feel. Along with its bonded TFT on glass display and our trademark RotoDial controller, R2 is undoubtedly a Ruark design and the quality remains clear.
Technology journalist and former editor for What Hi-Fi, Simon Lucas, unboxes one of our R2 Mk4’s and takes you through some of the basic functions and features of this compact audio system.
*R2 will also support Spotify Hi-Fi when made available
‘The most obvious change…. is the R2 Mk4’s slimmer footprint. Such elegant new proportions allow the system to be placed almost anywhere in the home’
A complete compact music system, R2 is equipped with DAB/DAB+, FM and internet tuners with pre-sets, and directly supports major streaming services including Spotify*, Amazon Music and Deezer, and with a quality Bluetooth receiver every other streaming service available. The Bluetooth source also seamlessly integrates with the volume function on phones and tablets, so can easily be adjusted as required. R2 also features a USB-C charge and playback port, switchable auxiliary line input and headphone output. Remote control is available through the free Oktiv app, or a compact IR handset is available as an optional extra.
*R2 will also support Spotify Hi-Fi when made available
Our colour TFT graphic display clearly shows time, alarm and programme information and with internet based sources you can choose between text display or station and album artwork by pressing the volume control. The display intensity can also be set as you want it and auto-adjusts to suit ambient light levels. With two comprehensive alarms and a sleep timer, R2 also makes a great bedside companion.
Like all Ruark products, the R2 incorporates carefully selected technologies to deliver wonderfully clear and effortless sound. The linear amplifier linked with our NS+ drivers and adaptive equalisation provides the perfect sound balance for enjoying music and spoken-word at all volume levels, making R2 an essential way to relax and unwind in today’s often manic world.
‘With its full bodied Hi-Fidelity sound, it makes speech and music thoroughly enjoyable and like that first tea or coffee in the morning, an essential element to creating a great day.’
Our optional compact remote is a convenient addition to R2 and with four direct pre-set buttons you can quickly access your favourite stations and playlists. Also available is a free to download Android and iOS app called Oktiv. This also allows full control of R2 Mk4 and is particularly useful for searching radio stations and podcasts.