In the test: RUARK R410 – A sophisticated music center

The Ruark R410 is an impressive overall package: a stylish, softly-hued gray enclosure (or dark brown walnut veneer) with walnut wood accents. It weighs almost 10 kg, and the dimensions (width 56 cm, depth 30 cm) are still reasonable. The finish and essence convey quality.

R410 is designed to be an all-in-one entertainment center. The enclosure houses a receiver amplifier, including traditional FM radio, a web player with streaming services, and two speakers in a reflex enclosure. The web player supports the most common services, such as Spotify, Tidal, and Qobuz Connect, and of course, internet radio. The device also supports Apple AirPlay 2 and Chromecast streaming. Playback is also possible via Bluetooth, and it supports aptXHD audio codec. A separate R-CD1000 CD player is also available, which integrates into the R410’s interface in a plug-and-play fashion. The price of the player is 299 euros.

There is no application control in Ruark anymore. All settings are made through the device’s front panel display and controls. Use is in itself easy and is very successful without an smartphone, although songs and playlists from Spotify are still easier to find from the phone app, for example. Software updates for the device are automatically installed via the network connection, but no notifications are shown to the user and the version cannot be checked by the user themselves. Up-to-date information remains based on the user’s default settings without application support.

The connections include one line input, a turntable input (MM), an optical input, and HDMI (eARC). A separate CD player is connected to the USB-C port. Unfortunately, the USB-C port does not function as a DAC directly with a computer or smartphone. There is a line output for the subwoofer, but its level cannot be adjusted from the options. The adjustment was completely missing, and we also missed the headphone port.

Setting up is effortless with the front panel display and the "set up wizard”. The device and menu are controlled using the round RotoDial control on the device itself. The first step is to establish an internet connection, either wirelessly or via a cable – provided that streaming services are intended to be used. The connection was established without any problems.