Compact Music System

[TitanTim]

My trusty Sony music system that I bought from Roy Townsend, remember them in 1999 is slowly secumbing as the CD player has just packed in so I'm looking for a suitable replacement thats compact but has decent speakers.

I'm currently looking at Ruark Audios compact players specifically the R3 thats just been released.

https://www.ruarkaudio.com/products/r3-compact-music-system?gclid=Cj0KCQjwy8f6BRC7ARIsAPIXOjgBQiEfvv7pkc3_F7AV9mnB-glbFlmo--I-GkRjWxrISbnbzv4MYckaAoWCEALw_wcB

Its around my budget and would like something thats well made and will last some years. Don't know alot about Ruarks stuff but if anyone has experience of them or can suggest somethng similar, same features, price range it would be appreciated, I'm not really after seperates, i.e. speakers, CD payer etc but just something thats an all in one with a decent sound.

Cheers,

Tim.

 

[Z4C_er]

I read your post, but separates can be hidden away, and these days the items are small. (Some/all?) DVD players double up as CD players? Hook up a nice little amp and some Wharfedale diamonds (or Tannoy golds or some other little bookshelf speaker) and voila! Total cost would be way under that Ruark item. Also with the added advantage of placing the sound where/how you like it.

 

[mmm-five]

How about something like the Cambridge Audio One,

plus a pair off decent bookshelf speakers...

Sorry, just re-read your post and you'd prefer something all-in-one

 

[mr wilks]

Ive had a Ruark system in our second room for a few years , gets regular use , quality item with clear tone + refined sound , won't knock you off your socks in terms of outright volume but then they don't aim or claim to do that .
Id buy the brand again

 

[Stevo1987]

It all comes down to how good ones ears are. Mine are Friday afternoon Amstrad specials so I can't tell the difference between something quite good and super smashing gravy.

 

[TitanTim]

Ive had a Ruark system in our second room for a few years , gets regular use , quality item with clear tone + refined sound , won't knock you off your socks in terms of outright volume but then they don't aim or claim to do that .
Id buy the brand again

Thanks for the feeback, thats helpful and good to know

The only criticism I've seen of these units is no Alexa connection which is a nice to have but not the end of the world as it has a remote.

I've noticed that Ruark do graded products so the top of the range R5 unit has a couple of hundred knocked off

https://shop.ruarkaudio.com/collections/graded-products/products/copy-of-r5-high-fidelity-music-system although still slightly more expensive than the new R3.

I think one of these R3 or a graded R5 would be good enough

Tim.

 

[TitanTim]

Thanks for the replies, appreciate them.

Yes sorry I would really prefer an all in one than going for seperates and appreciate I could potentially get a better set up audio wise but as such I'm just after something thats convienient to move around the house easily as needed which would be more preferable.

Tim.

 

[M1k3yC]

How about something like the Cambridge Audio One,

That's really nice. I've had a Cambridge Audio A5 amp hooked up to my PC and DJ gear for years and have a Cambridge Audio CD player connected to an Onkyo home theatre amp in a different room.

 

[M1k3yC]

I'm just after something thats convienient to move around the house easily as needed which would be more preferable.

Would a good bluetooth speaker suffice? I have a decent one that I use every day and move it all round the house, including into my garage if I'm doing stuff on the cars. Virtually all my music comes via Spotify or podcasts these days so I don't need a built in radio or CD player. I have a CD player in a room with better audio equipment that I don't move around. Just a thought.

 

[Anonymous]

My father-in-law has that exact Ruark and he loves it so you can't go wrong with it.

Have you ever thought about going digital? Some of the Sonos systems are incredible and you have can control all of your music, podcasts, dab radio from a single controller (or multiple if you prefer)

 

[mmm-five]

How about something like the Cambridge Audio One,

That's really nice. I've had a Cambridge Audio A5 amp hooked up to my PC and DJ gear for years and have a Cambridge Audio CD player connected to an Onkyo home theatre amp in a different room.

I've got one of their TV2v2 'sound-bases' under a small TV in the bedroom for when I need a bit more volume/presence from a movie

Had a look at lots of other options, but the TV is in an alcove so the bigger bars or amp & speakers wouldn't work, and it wasn't worth spending hundreds on a bigger/better system for occasional use. It was a bit of a bargain at £129 when I bought it in May.

 

[TitanTim]

I'm just after something thats convienient to move around the house easily as needed which would be more preferable.

Would a good bluetooth speaker suffice? I have a decent one that I use every day and move it all round the house, including into my garage if I'm doing stuff on the cars. Virtually all my music comes via Spotify or podcasts these days so I don't need a built in radio or CD player. I have a CD player in a room with better audio equipment that I don't move around. Just a thought.

I do have a couple of small Bose bluetooth speakers which get carried around the house which I stream from my phone, but as I have a largish CD collection I still like to play these over music streaming in the main so a CD player is a must for me.

Not that I'm old fashioned but I do have a soft spot for older Radios,

I picked up this mint 1969 Grundig from Italy few years back, lovely radio with a beautiful warm rounded tone, the aerial is about 30ft







Tim.

 

[TitanTim]

My father-in-law has that exact Ruark and he loves it so you can't go wrong with it.

Have you ever thought about going digital? Some of the Sonos systems are incredible and you have can control all of your music, podcasts, dab radio from a single controller (or multiple if you prefer)

Thanks Greg, I'm swaying towards the Ruark but also looking at the Pure Evoke combis and Tivoli but a curveball is John Lewis's own combi which gets pretty good reviews and decent features compared to the others for the money,

https://www.johnlewis.com/john-lewis-partners-cello-hi-fi-music-system-with-dab-dab-fm-internet-radio-with-cd-player-wireless-connectivity/p3356211?sku=236889946&colour=Walnut&s_ppc=2dx92700056053636594&tmad=c&tmcampid=2&gclid=CjwKCAjwkdL6BRAREiwA-kiczFrmBYKiRyomQgtacQTtaFkF2JQs1xSjIwrth1B589X8E0dbRqBZlxoCptYQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

Tim.

 

[Anonymous]

We’ve had the R2 for a few years..SWMBO had a melt down over the price but she loves it...quality is superb..sound is impressive for a small box, the John Lewis product, IMHO, is not a patch on it..

If you can afford it and appreciate quality you won’t be sorry....

Personally I would drive a R2 with an old iPhone as an iPod but that’s because I’ve got 600 CDs and it’s easier to put that all on an iPod and get playlist support etc..

 

[TitanTim]

We’ve had the R2 for a few years..SWMBO had a melt down over the price but she loves it...quality is superb..sound is impressive for a small box, the John Lewis product, IMHO, is not a patch on it..

If you can afford it and appreciate quality you won’t be sorry....

Personally I would drive a R2 with an old iPhone as an iPod but that’s because I’ve got 600 CDs and it’s easier to put that all on an iPod and get playlist support etc..

Many thanks, I've ordered the Ruark R3, fingers crossed it will be ok

Tim.

 

[maxman]

That Ruark R3 looks a lovely piece of kit. What type of music do you listen to.Hope it gets more use than the 140M.

 

[TitanTim]

That Ruark R3 looks a lovely piece of kit. What type of music do you listen to.Hope it gets more use than the 140M.

Virtually all 60s music, blues in the main, but my top of the list is Jimi Hendrix

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qFfnlYbFEiE

Unsure how much use it will get as it will be sitting on the M140s dash

Tim.