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A British Hi-Fi Specialist Just Elevated Its Definitive Audiophile Speaker

The beautiful hi-fi unit blends modern tech with vintage aesthetics.

Wooden speaker with black grille and circular control dial on a wood surface.Ruark Audio
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By Tucker Bowe

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Earlier this year, Ruark Audio introduced a special-edition version of its R810 Radiogram, an all-in-one wireless speaker that resembles a media console, to celebrate the British audio maker’s 40th anniversary.

Named the R810 MiE Radiogram, Ruark upgraded it with a special artisan finish (created using a centuries-old technique called “marquetry”), but kept everything under the hood the same. And naturally it was more expensive than the standard model.

Now, Ruark Audio is doing something similar with its R410 wireless speaker.

Ruark R410 Anniversary Edition

Wooden cabinet with a beige modern speaker, textured artwork, ceramic vases, and a sculptural lamp on top.
The Ruark R410 Anniversary Edition was created to celebrate the brand’s 40th anniversary.
Ruark Audio

Ruark Audio introduced the R410 in August 2023. It’s a beautifully designed all-in-one wireless speaker that blends modern tech with vintage aesthetics. It pairs a wooden-veneer cabinet and a metallic grille with a high-resolution color display and advanced Wi-Fi streaming capabilities.

Like many all-in-one wireless speakers today, the R410 offers numerous wired connections, making it extremely versatile. For example, its HDMI ARC/eARC input lets it act as a soundbar for your TV. And it has a built-in moving-magnet phono stage for easy turntable connectivity.

Light wood rectangular speaker with black front grille and circular control dial on top, placed on a wooden surface.
The Ruark R410 Anniversary Edition is a versatile speaker that can play audio high-resolution audio up to 24-bit/192kHz.
Ruark Audio
Rectangular wooden-framed speaker with black horizontal grille and central digital display showing Pink Floyd song.
The main upgrade with the Anniversary Edition is a hand-crafted white oak cabinet.
Ruark Audio

Handcrafted, white oak cabinet

With the all-new “Anniversary Edition” of the R410, the difference comes mostly down to aesthetics. Instead of the three finishes of the standard model (where the cabinet is black, gray or walnut), the R410 Anniversary Edition has a white oak cabinet with ebonized inlay and grille. According to the brand, both woods “exude a natural warmth and timeless character designed to complement modern interiors.”

Additionally, the Anniversary Edition speaker features a commemorative badge celebrating its 40-year history.

Wood-finished audio system with black horizontal speaker grills, a digital display, and a silver control knob on top.
Ruark will sell a special-edition version of its CD transport, the R-CD100, to match the Anniversary Edition speaker.
Ruark Audio
Light oak wood panel with a round black control dial featuring multiple buttons and a central knob.
The RotoDial controller on top of the speaker is used for playback, volume control and switching inputs.
Ruark Audio

Everything else about the R410 Anniversary Edition is the same as the standard model.

The speaker has a twin bass reflex design and features four total drivers, a pair of 20mm tweeters and a pair of 100mm woofers, and is powered by a 120-watt Class D amplifier.

For streaming, it supports Spotify Connect, Tidal Connect, Apple AirPlay 2 and Chromecast built-in.

Rectangular wooden box with two black oval holes and two silver metal handles on the sides.
The speaker features a twin-bass-reflex design with downward-facing bass ports.
Ruark Audio
Rear panel of a wooden-cased R410 integrated music system showing various audio and network input/output ports.
The R410 Anniversary Edition has a multitude of wired inputs, including USB-C, RCA, optical and HDMI ARC/eARC.
Ruark Audio

On top of the R410 Anniversary Edition, there’s the RotoDial controller, which gives you a tactile way for adjusting playback, volume and switching inputs. The speaker comes with a rechargeable, wireless version of this RotoDial controller, which allows you to control the speaker from across the room.

Additionally, the high-resolution display shows album artwork and playback information while music is playing. Interesting, this display has a portrait orientation, which is designed to emulate how we look at music services from our smartphone.

Close-up of a wooden speaker with two round black and silver control knobs, one recessed and one raised.
Each speaker comes with a Bluetooth remote that matches the RotoDial controller.
Ruark Audio
Wooden rectangular speaker with black grille and digital display on a wooden cabinet.
Only 500 of these Anniversary Edition speakers will be made.
Ruark Audio

Limited to 500

Ruark Audio is making only 500 of this special edition R410 speaker. And they will be available in ebony or white oak.

The speaker will cost £1,399 (roughly $1,850), making it a little more expensive than the standard model, which goes for £1,299 (roughly $1,740).

Additionally, Ruark will be selling a limited edition of its R-CD100 with an ebonized case to match the special edition model.

About the Author: Tucker Bowe has been on Gear Patrol’s editorial team since 2014. With a passion for consumer tech and hi-fi, he tracks everything from headphones and turntables to smartphones and wearables. If it lights up or makes noise, he probably covers it.

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