Subj : I test audio kit for a living and these are among the best pound- To : All From : TechnologyDaily Date : Thu Sep 25 2025 11:15:10 I test audio kit for a living and these are among the best pound-for-pound powered stereo speakers I've heard Date: Thu, 25 Sep 2025 10:00:00 +0000 Description: The Ruark MR1 Mk3 powered stereo speaker system is a pound-for-pound contender for best on the market. FULL STORY ======================================================================Ruark MR1 Mk3: Two minute review From February 2017 to September 2025 is a fair while for an audio product to stay on the market so it just goes to show how right Ruark got the predecessor to its new Ruark MR1 Mk3 and what a tough act it has to follow. Happily, its more than up to the task. Slightly larger than the product it replaces and significantly better specified (the MR1 Mk3 can handle everything from aptX HD Bluetooth and vinyl records to 24bit/192kHz hi-res digital audio), this new Ruark is the perfect desktop system. Its also got great credentials when it comes to TV audio (its so much better looking than your average soundbar and can connect via digital optical), and will happily support a fairly extensive system in a small- to medium-sized room. The Ruark MR1 Mk3 sounds far larger than it looks, and has impressive low-frequency presence thats complemented by great detail retrieval and an undeniable facility for entertainment. The Ruark can do analysis for you as well as any desktop system around, but it doesnt lose sight of the fact that music is to be enjoyed every bit as much as it is to be admired. Soundstaging is good, dynamic headroom is appreciable, and the frequency response from top to bottom is smoothly even. The MR1 Mk3 sounds admirably consistent no matter which of its inputs youre using, too. In short, the Ruark MR1 Mk3 has been worth the wait, and sits firmly in the best stereo speakers on the market . Which is not the same as saying Id be happy to wait until 2033 or something for the Mk4 (Image credit: Future / Simon Lucas) Ruark MR1 Mk3 review: Price and release date Released June 2025 $579 / 399 / AU$899 The Ruark MR1 Mk3 is on sale now, and in the United States it's yours for $579. It goes for 399 in the United Kingdom and AU$899 in Australia. To be fair to Ruark, that compares quite favourably to the $499 / 349 / AU$749 the MR1 Mk2 launched at back in early 2107, and it means the MR1 Mk3 is, all things considered, even more competitively priced than the model it replaces. (Image credit: Future / Simon Lucas) Ruark MR1 Mk3 review: Features 25 watts per channel of Class D power Bluetooth 5.1 with aptX HD Moving magnet phono stage Ruark has ditched the Class A/B amplification of the MR1 Mk3's predecessor in favour of a Class D alternative derived from its very well-received R410 integrated music system. Power is up from 20 watts per channel to 25, and the driver array (a 20mm silk dome tweeter and 85mm NS+ treated natural fibre mid/bass driver in each speaker, bolstered by downward-facing bass reflex ports) is good for a claimed frequency response of 50Hz to 22khz. Input options have undergone an upgrade, too. The MR1 Mk3 uses Bluetooth 5.1 for wireless connectivity, and is compatible with the aptX HD codec. Theres a 3.5mm socket thats a hybrid optical/analogue input in digital mode its capable of dealing with file resolutions of up to 24bit/192kHz. A USB-C input can handle anything up to 24bit/96kHz. And theres a moving magnet phono stage behind a pair of stereo RCA sockets, so a record player can easily be integrated into the Ruark system. A pre-out for a subwoofer completes a very agreeable line-up. Features score: 5/5 (Image credit: Future / Simon Lucas) Ruark MR1 Mk3 review: Sound quality Impressive low-frequency presence Detailed and dynamic Great sonic consistency across every input Theres a definite sensation of the Ruark sound to the MR1 Mk3, which is great but hardly unexpected. Whats equally impressive, and perhaps less predictable, is just how consistent the Mk3 sounds no matter which of its inputs youre using. Obviously theres an appreciable difference between the sound of Sad and Lonely by Secret Machines being streamed as a 320kbps file via Bluetooth to the same song delivered via the integrated phono stage. But the fundamental Ruark character never wavers: in every circumstance, the sound is bold and punchy, spacious and properly defined, and is loaded with detail both broad and fine. Everyone hopes their tunes will sound musical and entertaining, but the MR1 Mk3 understands and delivers on this better than any price-comparable alternative. Theres a touch of warmth to the systems tonality, but this just allows the weighty and nicely varied low frequencies to swing even more naturalistically. Bass sounds are properly controlled, which means rhythmic expression is sure footed the Ruark is capable of quite startling extension and low-end attack. The midrange is open and revealing, with plenty of detail concerning tone and timbre, especially of voices, revealed. At the top end, the Ruark gives substance to treble sounds just as readily as it gives shine and here, just as with the rest of the frequency range, detail levels are impressively high. Theres more than enough dynamic headroom available for the MR1 Mk3 to make the fluctuations in volume and intensity during a listen to Music Has the Right to Children by Boards of Canada obvious. And theres just as much attention paid to the dynamic variations apparent in a voice or solo instrument, too. Thanks to the downward-facing reflex ports, the Mk3 always has a fixed boundary the perfect distance away - so its not quite as uptight about positioning as some alternative designs. And when you get the positioning just right, stereo focus is enjoyable and the soundstage the system creates is large and confidently defined. Theres plenty of space between individual elements of a recording, but at the same time the Ruark is able to make sure they all relate to each other and all contribute to the singularity of performance. Sound quality score: 5/5 (Image credit: Future / Simon Lucas) Ruark MR1 Mk3 review: Design 185 x 135 x 155mm (HxWxD) Choice of two finishes 2.2kg Ruark is no stranger to a tidy and attractive bit of cabinet work, and for the MR1 Mk3 its done that thing it does, just on a slightly larger scale. Each Mk3 cabinet is 185 x 135 x 155mm (HxWxD), which is up from the Mk2s 175 x 130 x 140mm in every direction. It also means internal volume is increased to a useful two liters while the system is still a realistic desktop proposition. The standard of build and finish is impeccable. Each cabinet is handcrafted, and is almost as appealing on a tactile level as it is on a visual. My review sample is in a real walnut veneer, but a charcoal lacquer alternative is available both are supplied with fixed slate-grey cloth grilles. Design score: 5/5 (Image credit: Future / Simon Lucas) Ruark MR1 Mk3 review: Usability and setup Operation via remote control or RotoDial 3m braided connecting cable Independent gain control for some inputs Theres not a lot to get your head around when it comes to setting up the MR1 Mk3. The primary speaker the one with all the inputs and amplification on board needs to be plugged into the mains. It then needs to be connected to the secondary speaker using the 3m length of braided cable supplied in the box. And thats about your lot: make any physical connections you might require, and youre in business. Control is available via a small and unremarkable remote control it covers power on/off, volume up/down, and input selection. These functions are duplicated by the classic Ruark RotoDial thats integrated into the top of the primary speaker and is just as pleasant to use here as it is in any of the companys other products. And it makes the primary speaker, in fact, 202mm high. Usability and setup score: 5/5 (Image credit: Future / Simon Lucas) Ruark MR1 Mk3 review: Value Its difficult in the extreme to suggest the Ruark MR1 Mk3 doesnt represent very decent value for money. Its compact enough to be a desktop system, its got sufficient sonic scale and presence to work as an alternative to a soundbar via its digital optical or Bluetooth inputs, and its ideal as a system for a smaller room. The standard of build and finish is hard to criticize. It looks, as well as sounds, good. What more, really, are you expecting? Value score: 5/5 Ruark MR1 Mk3 review: Should you buy it? Buy it if... You want a system that looks discreet but doesnt sound it Bigger than before doesnt mean big, but the MR1 Mk3 sounds it nevertheless. You dont believe in soundbars Connected to a TV via Bluetooth or digital optical, the Ruark will wipe the floor with the sound your television makes. You want a hi-res desktop Got a computer with a top-tier music streaming app installed or hi-res digital audio files in its memory? A connection to the MR1 Mk3s USB-C socket is all you need Don't buy it if... You want Airplay, Chromecast and stuff like that Theres no Wi-Fi here Bluetooth is as much wireless connectivity as you get. Ruark MR1 Mk3 review: Also consider Some Bluetooth speakers can form stereo pairs, so something like a couple of JBL Charge 6 could do a job on your desktop, and youd have a pair of portable speakers for when youre out and about. The battery-only power scenario might not work for you, though, and theres only USB-C as an input beyond Bluetooth. Maybe the Q Acoustics M20 would be a better bet? Its certainly a great-sounding system, and has sufficient physical, as well as wireless, inputs to be a complete system. Its large when compared to the Ruark, though certainly too big for anything but the very largest desktop and is a little less impressive when it comes to the standard of finish too. Ruark MR1 Mk3 review: How I tested Connected to various devices Using every available input Lots of music and TV over a fair amount of time I mostly listened to the MR1 Mk3 on my desktop, where I used an iPhone 14 Pro and a FiiO M15S as wireless sources along with an Apple MacBook Pro connected via USB-C. I also used it on the end of my main system, where I was able to test out its phono stage using my Clearaudio Concept turntable. And I connected it to my Philips OLED using the TVs optical output, where it functioned as a replacement for my Bose Smart Ultra soundbar. I listened to plenty of music and quite a bit of TV content, and made sure to check out the Ruarks hi-res audio credentials as well as its ability to amplify a turntable and handle a wireless stream. First reviewed September 2025 Read more about how we test ====================================================================== Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/audio/speakers/ruark-mr1-mk3-review --- Mystic BBS v1.12 A49 (Linux/64) * Origin: tqwNet Technology News (1337:1/100) .