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A family company based on the south coast of England, Ruark Acoustics was formed in 1985 and, after initially making loudspeaker systems, began to manufacture music systems and radios in 2006. It aims to create design icons that deliver perfect sound and which owners can be proud of.
Revo is a newer brand, having been founded in Lanark in 2004. It designs digital audio devices that combine the latest digital audio technology with the finest design principles.
Product Ranges and Features
Both companies are committed to creating quality products and both are relatively small but with worldwide sales.
Ruark’s products have won numerous industry awards and its first generation R1 Bluetooth radio was described as “the Aston Martin of DAB radios” by The Sunday Telegraph and as “the most beautiful radio in the world” by Tatler.
Revo is also the recipient of many international awards including seven Red Dot and three iF product design awards.
Ruark produces speaker systems, a hi-fi radiogram and music systems as well as a standalone radio. Its product range is relatively small due to the size of the company and the need to keep quality standards high.
Revo, similarly, has a restricted range of products that includes speakers, music systems and digital radios. All are available in wooden cabinets for their acoustic properties combined with aluminium facias and speaker grilles.
Models Compared
Popular models include:
- Ruark Audio R1 Mk 3, a compact radio for any room in the house with premium design and great sound quality. It features DAB/DAB+ and FM radio with ten pre-sets for each, Bluetooth for streaming, a USB socket, OLED display, dual alarms and an optional battery pack.
- Ruark R4 Mk 3 integrated music system that has DAB/DAB+ and FM radio, multi-format CD player, Bluetooth, multiple inputs including USB for playback and device charging, and an OLED display.
All Ruark devices have a RotoDial control system that accesses menus by scrolling and then pressing to select. Added to that, there’s a remote control plus an UNDOK app for use on a phone or tablet.
- Revo SuperConnect is a table-top radio with DAB/DAB+ and FM tuners plus internet radio through Wi-Fi, Bluetooth wireless streaming, Spotify support, multi-room capability, dual alarms, multiple connectivity and operation by either an on-device control knob, a remote control or from a phone or tablet using the UNDOK app.
- Revo SuperSystem
is an all-in-one music system that includes DAB/DAB+, FM and internet radio, Spotify Connect support, Bluetooth wireless streaming, connection to NAS drives and other devices, Ethernet, USB charging and other connectors. Controls are as for the SuperConnect and there’s an OLED display plus dual alarms.
is an all-in-one music system that includes DAB/DAB+, FM and internet radio, Spotify Connect support, Bluetooth wireless streaming, connection to NAS drives and other devices, Ethernet, USB charging and other connectors. Controls are as for the SuperConnect and there’s an OLED display plus dual alarms.All these products are good-looking systems constructed from quality materials to give a great sound. They’re all packed with the latest features so it’s a matter of choosing what’s essential to you.
Because they’re all of such high-end radios, they’re all relatively highly priced—the best is never cheap.
The Ruark R1 is a smaller radio than the Revo SuperConnect and is correspondingly cheaper while the Revo SuperSystem is considerably cheaper than its equivalent Ruark R4 music system. However, they’re all great products and you need to consider what you can afford and really need.