Sign in   |  Join   |  Help
Untitled Page

ARCHIVED FORUM -- March 2012 to February 2022
READ ONLY FORUM

This is the second Archived Forum which was active between 1st March 2012 and 23rd February 2022

 

Brilliant idea.... Ruark R7

rated by 0 users
This post has 21 Replies | 1 Follower

9 LEE
Top 10 Contributor
Eastbourne, UK
Posts 7,218
OFFLINE
Founder
Moderator

The new, old, new, old, new answer the old stacking system...

it's a piece of furniture, it's minimalist, it's stylish, it's everything you need.  I love it !!!

B&O were the master craftsmen of the Radiogram - and I'd love to see them kick @ss in this department again. Everything comes around and goes full circle, and maybe this is a new niche?

edit - I'll post a pic now i'm not on the iPad!

Lee

Jeff
Top 25 Contributor
USA
Posts 3,793
OFFLINE
Silver Member
Jeff replied on Tue, Dec 17 2013 2:29 AM

There's a couple of other similar systems out there, some more modern looking than others. And I guess the A9 is as well, without the CD and radio. Honestly, how important is a CD and radio these days? I don't know which would sell better.

Still, it seems odd to me that we've gone full circle back to console stereos and the equivalent of big old radios. I guess people got tired of running wires. Maybe wireless speakers will change that.

Jeff

I'm afraid I'm recovering from the BeoVirus. Sad

Chris Townsend
Top 50 Contributor
Qatar
Posts 3,531
OFFLINE
Bronze Member
I've seen and heard it, and cosmetically it's reminiscent of the 40's or 50's, so would appeal to anyone that regularly uses our public transport system. The sound is nice but a bit underwhelming, and I'm with the Jeff about CDs and the radio.

Since I got Spotify I haven't bought or listened to a single cd, or downloaded from iTunes for that matter. I listen to a lot more variety of world radio now using the tunein app, which again could be sent wirelessly to an A9.

I like the Ruark brand though, and hope it does well.

Beosound Stage, Beovision 8-40, Beolit 20, Beosound Explore.

moxxey
Top 25 Contributor
South West, UK
Posts 5,359
OFFLINE
Bronze Member
moxxey replied on Tue, Dec 17 2013 7:23 AM

I have a little Ruark alarm radio and love it, too. Well made, looks good, great audio. And bought from Waitrose!

BTW here's the link - as a clickable link - if anyone wants it: http://www.johnlewis.com/ruark-r7-dab-fm-cd-bluetooth-wireless-integrated-music-system-walnut/p701207

bayerische
Top 25 Contributor
Ekenäs, Finland
Posts 4,770
OFFLINE
Bronze Member
bayerische replied on Tue, Dec 17 2013 11:33 AM

It's no doubt a cool idea, but not for me. I like to keep my furniture and electronics different. 

Too long to list.... 

bishbosh12
Not Ranked
Posts 30
OFFLINE
Bronze Member
bishbosh12 replied on Tue, Dec 17 2013 11:37 AM

I had a look at one on the weekend and love it, I was told next year it could have orange grills as an option which would make me happy.

As to the CD question, I still love em and buy em, as well as downloading. and get frustrated when streamers don't have them ;-) I find it surprising that these things have FM radio built in......

Killyp
Not Ranked
Posts 55
OFFLINE
Bronze Member
Killyp replied on Tue, Dec 17 2013 11:48 AM

As someone working in the music industry, it's nice to see manufacturers still encouraging listeners to use CDs and not switch to Spotify/streaming. Currently there is no future for music if it's all in streaming but this is an entirely different debate.

 

Nice design. Quite costly though...

Chris Townsend
Top 50 Contributor
Qatar
Posts 3,531
OFFLINE
Bronze Member
Killyp:

As someone working in the music industry, it's nice to see manufacturers still encouraging listeners to use CDs and not switch to Spotify/streaming. Currently there is no future for music if it's all in streaming but this is an entirely different debate.

Nice design. Quite costly though...

They said exactly the same thing about photography when the first digital cameras came out. I'd suggest there are more photos, and a greater range of music being listened too than at any time in our history.

The moment somebody like Spotify can distribute music at CD quality, the games up for plastic discs. Linn are making a start at least.

Beosound Stage, Beovision 8-40, Beolit 20, Beosound Explore.

Jeff
Top 25 Contributor
USA
Posts 3,793
OFFLINE
Silver Member
Jeff replied on Tue, Dec 17 2013 3:13 PM

I can't find it right now, but there's a company over here that sells a similar unit, albeit with a turntable, tube amps, and single driver full range speakers for an exorbitant price. If I find it I'll post a link. 

I don't know about your side of the pond, but here in the US radio has long been a complete wasteland. Back in the 70's when I was in college was the heyday of the album rock stations. I had a Marantz receiver with that neat horizontal tuning wheel, right next to the corner desk I studied at. You could spin the dial and find all sorts of great, interesting stations and music, with great variety and few commercials. Now, most stations are owned by Clear Channel, all play the same formulaic crap, and are mostly commercials, at least on FM. AM is pretty much all talk radio. 

Worthless. The only thing now that reminds me of the good old days is Internet radio, a zillion stations, and amazing variety from classic rock and jazz to really freaky stuff. I keep stating at the big old Onkyo tuner in my equipment stash, when I should just get rid of it. No matter how much nostalgia I have for radio it just ain't ever coming back, and in the small town I live in we have a crappy NPR station and one commercial laden rock station. The rest are country and religious Bible thumping stations. And you can barely get most of them without a really good antenna. 

Jeff

I'm afraid I'm recovering from the BeoVirus. Sad

vikinger
Top 25 Contributor
Vestri Kirkjubyr, UK
Posts 5,422
OFFLINE
Gold Member
vikinger replied on Tue, Dec 17 2013 6:18 PM

Interesting that the John Lewis description includes the advantage of being able to play CD's without ripping them first:

"Enjoy your CD collection in its original quality without time-consuming ripping. The slot loading CD player plays CD-Audio and MP3 music disks with total clarity. Adjustable EQ also lets you tune your listening to perfection."

 

Graham

Killyp
Not Ranked
Posts 55
OFFLINE
Bronze Member
Killyp replied on Tue, Dec 17 2013 7:36 PM

Chris Townsend:

They said exactly the same thing about photography when the first digital cameras came out. I'd suggest there are more photos, and a greater range of music being listened too than at any time in our history.

 

 

The moment somebody like Spotify can distribute music at CD quality, the games up for plastic discs. Linn are making a start at least.

 

This isn't to do with quality. Spotify is not a replacement for CDs, but it is being marketed as so.

Streaming music does not pay musicians enough for them to justify making the music which Spotify then distributes. Music is very expensive to manufacture (lots of man-hours, huge amounts of practice & dedication, the studio booking time, often incredibly expensive instruments, marketing which is especially important nowadays etc) and services like Spotify aught to cost many more times their actual price if they are to truly pay for the content they are providing.

Currently it is the musicians who are funding the music industry, not the listeners, and I don't think that's right.

 

tournedos
Top 10 Contributor
Finland
Posts 7,357
OFFLINE
Bronze Member
Moderator
tournedos replied on Tue, Dec 17 2013 8:11 PM

vikinger:
"Enjoy your CD collection in its original quality without time-consuming ripping.

LaughingLaughingLaughing A breakthrough!

Regarding radio - I believe it sucks in the US because it's always been mostly small independent stations doing whatever they want with nobody to force any quality (either technical or artistic) upon them except from the commercial viewpoint. Over here, ALL radio programming was strictly done by the national broadcasting company well into the '80s. There are a few things to be said on the downsides of that, but at least it kept the quality up.

Besides, I listen to a lot more than just music on radio, and none of that other stuff is on Spotify or whatever.

--mika

linder
Top 100 Contributor
United States
Posts 983
OFFLINE
Bronze Member
linder replied on Tue, Dec 17 2013 8:27 PM

Jeff:

I can't find it right now, but there's a company over here that sells a similar unit, albeit with a turntable, tube amps, and single driver full range speakers for an exorbitant price. If I find it I'll post a link. 

Is this what you meant?

http://www.symbolaudio.com/modern-record-console/

I guess retro is in.

mbee
Top 75 Contributor
Paris, France
Posts 1,842
OFFLINE
Bronze Member
mbee replied on Tue, Dec 17 2013 8:30 PM

I must say that I'm not found of this kind of concepts, too old school for me. And a radio+CD is so dated now (I'm more the kind of people that buys lossless files than stream spotify, so I've got CD quality, a personal library, and no CDs taking all the surface of my flat...)

If I was obliged to buy this kind of thing, I would certainly choose the one from La Boîte Concept, a french company focused on good sound quality in retro-styled furniture. The nice thing with the La Boîte Concept desk is that there is no source, the source is what you want to connect to it, wired or wireless!

This one is really powerful :

More info there : http://www.laboiteconcept.com/en/la-boite-concept.php

linder
Top 100 Contributor
United States
Posts 983
OFFLINE
Bronze Member
linder replied on Tue, Dec 17 2013 8:32 PM

Tournedos,

I agree, broadcast radio in the US really sucks and most internet radio is worse.  However everybody gets satellite radio in their car which is very good.

Chris Townsend
Top 50 Contributor
Qatar
Posts 3,531
OFFLINE
Bronze Member
Quite a cool way of showing the difference between mp3 and lossless streamed audio..

http://vimeo.com/76862619

Beosound Stage, Beovision 8-40, Beolit 20, Beosound Explore.

vikinger
Top 25 Contributor
Vestri Kirkjubyr, UK
Posts 5,422
OFFLINE
Gold Member
vikinger replied on Tue, Dec 17 2013 8:51 PM

linder:

Tournedos,

I agree, broadcast radio in the US really sucks and most internet radio is worse.  However everybody gets satellite radio in their car which is very good.

But radioparadise.com is just about the best internet radio of all thanks to the unobtrusive managers and hosts, Bill & Rebecca Goldsmith (and their taste which fits very nicely with my preferences, with classical found elsewhere.)

Graham

linder
Top 100 Contributor
United States
Posts 983
OFFLINE
Bronze Member
linder replied on Tue, Dec 17 2013 9:13 PM

vikinger:

linder:

Tournedos,

I agree, broadcast radio in the US really sucks and most internet radio is worse.  However everybody gets satellite radio in their car which is very good.

But radioparadise.com is just about the best internet radio of all thanks to the unobtrusive managers and hosts, Bill & Rebecca Goldsmith (and their taste which fits very nicely with my preferences, with classical found elsewhere.)

Graham

I really feel conventional now.  My wife who originally is from the Rocky Mountain west in the US, listens to country music which causes me to leave the room quickly.

elephant
Top 10 Contributor
AU
Posts 8,219
OFFLINE
Founder
elephant replied on Thu, Dec 19 2013 2:52 AM

Chris Townsend:
Quite a cool way of showing the difference between mp3 and lossless streamed audio..

http://vimeo.com/76862619

Thanks Sad

I thought I was developing cloth ears ...

And now I know I have them

Very depressing

BeoNut since '75

Jeff
Top 25 Contributor
USA
Posts 3,793
OFFLINE
Silver Member
Jeff replied on Thu, Dec 19 2013 4:11 AM

linder:

Jeff:

I can't find it right now, but there's a company over here that sells a similar unit, albeit with a turntable, tube amps, and single driver full range speakers for an exorbitant price. If I find it I'll post a link. 

Is this what you meant?

http://www.symbolaudio.com/modern-record-console/

I guess retro is in.

Yes! That's it...definitely a throwback, not Bly a console stereo but tubes and all. 

I wasn't all that impressed with the vimeo thing. You can make MP3 sound awful with low enough bit rates and poor encoders, done properly with high enough bit rates it is transparent. But therein lies the beauty, if you are ripping or down converting, you can choose to sacrifice sound quality for file size if you need to. It's your choice. If you want a ton of albums on a small device, you might well make the compromise. 

Jeff

I'm afraid I'm recovering from the BeoVirus. Sad

Jeff
Top 25 Contributor
USA
Posts 3,793
OFFLINE
Silver Member
Jeff replied on Thu, Dec 19 2013 4:28 AM

Geneva Sound was another one I couldn't remember the name of that makes similar kit:

http://www.genevalab.com/sound/us_en/genevasound-xl-wireless/

 

Jeff

I'm afraid I'm recovering from the BeoVirus. Sad

Mark
Top 100 Contributor
London
Posts 1,063
OFFLINE
Bronze Member
Mark replied on Mon, Dec 23 2013 11:20 AM

like Moxxey I to own a Ruark DAB radio and it is handsome, well built and of intuitive design. I enjoy this segment of the market  place and also own a Tivoli 1 (I feel they lost the design plot after their 1st attempt) and the Sony  XDRS16DP which always rolls off the tongue easily. 

I would like to see B&O Play enter this market place, although a Beolit 12 owner I feel it lacks that switch on and go feel.

 

 

 

we tend to forget there is more to design than designing.

Page 1 of 1 (22 items) | RSS