My favourite Ruark Bluetooth speakers just got rebuilt from the ground up with this huge upgrade
The MR1 Mk3 is Ruark’s biggest rethink yet of its beloved Bluetooth bookshelf speaker system
If you’d asked me yesterday what the best Bluetooth bookshelf speakers were, I’d have pointed straight at my MR1 Mk2 setup without blinking. In proper money-where-mouth-is fashion, I’ve got a set in front of me as I type (which replaced an amp/speaker combo) and another hooked up to the living room telly. But today? Ruark’s shattered my pointy certainty by unveiling the shiny new Ruark MR1 Mk3, which will set you back $579/£399 when it rocks up in early July.
At a glance, this revamped Ruark system looks reassuringly familiar, with the same friendly vibe and compact footprint. Rather than screaming LOOK AT ME, the Mk3 is all subtle, soft curves that should fit into any office or living room. But there have been some changes. The grilles are now slate grey and charcoal ousts soft grey as a finish, joining walnut. Bevelled edges reduce the design’s boxiness. And the speakers have grown a bit, although that’s hardly noticeable unless you moonlight as a ruler. (Oh, fine: they’re 5mm wider and 10mm deeper, making them H185mm x W135mm x D155mm.) That extra space isn’t for show, note – Ruark’s used it to pack in some serious upgrades.
Amp it up
Crack open a Ruark MR1 Mk3 speaker and, well, you’d probably invalidate your warranty. But you would be able to gawp at the Class D amp tech adopted from Ruark’s R410, paired with new NS+ bass/mid units and custom 20mm silk dome tweeters. The result, according to Ruark, is more power, more controlled bass, a lucid midrange, exceptional detail, and an audio experience that defies the size of these speakers.
But then, Ruark would say that. Still, as someone who, remember, owns two pairs of the Mk2s, I can confirm they punch well above their weight. So unless Ruark’s forgotten how to make speakers, you can expect these will be great as well. And Ruark’s savvy is surely confirmed when you flip the Mk3 around and spot the connectivity options. There’s combined line-in/optical, a dedicated turntable input for vinyl fetishists, subwoofer output (for which Ruark, natch, recommends its own RS1), and a very welcome new USB audio input.
Hate cables? AptX HD Bluetooth in the Mk3 handles high-quality, low-latency wireless audio and lets you adjust the volume using your TV remote. So no more fiddling with the tiny zapper that came with the Mk2 and was so small it could conceivably be lost down the back of an atom. Just one more reason, then, to hover over that buy button come July.
Craig Grannell
Contributor 
