Simple design with powerful sound from the Ruark R3
The R3 is a compact super-system from the British audio designer

These days, music comes at us from all directions. But there’s no point in pining for the simplicity of a CD when you have something that blends every conceivable format and service into a single stylish box.
The Ruark R3 is one such device, an audio ‘platform’ designed to accommodate streaming services, analogue, digital and internet radio, WiFi connectivity to modern TVs and Smart Home set-ups along with that increasingly rare beast, an integral CD player. You can also connect it up to any other traditional Hi-Fi equipment such as turntables, tape decks and DATs using the auxiliary connector.
The necessary cluster of connections at the rear of the R3 is countered by a minimalist front fascia, with a screen and CD slot set amidst a traditional fabric-covered front that conceals the device’s stereo speaker set. The British company’s ‘RotoDial’ is mounted on top and there’s also a remote control. All this is squeezed into a softly curved cabinet – either finished in grey lacquer or walnut veneer, small enough to be moved around without any hassle and powerful enough to fill a room.
As a box that ticks boxes, the R3 is unrivaled, and sounds pretty good to boot.
INFORMATION
Ruark R3, £629, ruarkaudio.com
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox.
Jonathan Bell has written for Wallpaper* magazine since 1999, covering everything from architecture and transport design to books, tech and graphic design. He is now the magazine’s Transport and Technology Editor. Jonathan has written and edited 15 books, including Concept Car Design, 21st Century House, and The New Modern House. He is also the host of Wallpaper’s first podcast.
-
Meet Studio Zewde, the Harlem practice that's creating landscapes 'rooted in cultural narratives, ecology and memory'
Ahead of a string of prestigious project openings, we check in with firm founder Sara Zewde
-
A whopping 92% of this slick London office fit-out came from reused materials
Could PLP Architecture's new workspace provide a new model for circularity?
-
How will future car interiors take shape? London studio NewTerritory has a vision for automotive design
Design studio NewTerritory has set up a new automotive division to explore the future of car interiors. We interrogate the team
-
The Fender American Ultra II combine made-in-the-US quality with contemporary tech
A deluge of new products from Fender shows the iconic guitar manufacturer still knows how to innovate and entice
-
Moog’s mood-altering Labyrinth and five more new synthesizers and sound tools
Explore soundscapes and ambient realms with these new synthesizers and other desktop composition tools for shaping all forms of audio
-
From Tangerine Dream to cult PlayStation hits, eight books chronicling the art of noise and play
We explore eight titles that get under the skin of music history, technological evolution and the art and experience of digital culture
-
San Diego-based audio specialists Wrensilva update their elegant Record Consoles
With new materials, upgraded electronics and input from three industry greats, the new Wrensilva Standard and M1 Record Consoles are the ultimate in audiophile furniture
-
A new limited-edition Rhodes piano and Gibson doubleneck guitar aim for the stars
The new Rhodes Mk8 Earth Edition piano and Gibson Jimmy Page EDS-1275 Doubleneck guitar revisit classic instruments at a price
-
20 of the best CD players as the compact disc comeback continues
We expand our guide to the best compact disc players with a fresh selection of good looking and great sounding models
-
Six new ways of making music, from sonorous start-ups to note-perfect classics
Our music technology round-up showcases six new ways of making music, from a piano designed to blend into the modern home to sophisticated effects units and an all-in-one DJ system
-
Hands on with new Nothing Phone (1): a clearly different smartphone
Nothing Phone (1) launches, hitting the sweet spot between price, performance, and efficiency, and promoting the simplification of your smartphone life