Полочная акустика — Ruark Sabre-R

The Sabre-R is a two-way compact loudspeaker, for use on a stand or a shelf, from Ruark, the Essex-based British company that cites more than 40 years of audio experience behind its products. It belongs to the Ruark 100 Series and sits next to the R-series music systems it was designed to accompany. The UK price is GBP 699 per pair.

Key specs that matter

The internal volume of the cabinet is 6.8 litres, and it is a tuned bass reflex design with a double-flared port tuned to 53 Hz. A 15 cm treated natural fibre cone mid-woofer with a 30 mm four-layer voice coil, long-throw motor and cast chassis covers bass and midrange. Treble comes from a 26 mm silk dome tweeter whose neodymium motor is cooled through an aluminium heatsink. The crossover point is 2.2 kHz. Response is rated at 50 Hz to 20 kHz within 3 dB in free space, sensitivity at 86 dB for 1 W at 1 m, and nominal impedance at 6 ohm with a minimum of 4.2 ohm. Ruark recommends amplifiers of 25 to 100 W. Each speaker is 290 mm high, 175 mm wide and 215 mm deep and weighs 5 kg.

Engineering and use context

Ruark uses a wood composite for the enclosure, which is both damped and braced. Ruark states that a great deal of time went into developing the crossover so the two drivers integrate smoothly, and that the enclosure was tuned to give the drivers suitable working conditions. Two sets of 4 mm gold-plated binding posts allow single-wire or bi-wire connection. Finishes are Fused Walnut veneer and Satin Charcoal lacquer and a fabric grille is held in place by magnets. The port tuning sits just above the rated lower limit of the response, which reflects how the cabinet volume and the driver were matched. The speaker is intended for either stand or shelf placement, and Ruark provides a two-year guarantee that extends to three years when the product is registered. The modest size suits a room of around 20 m2.

Pairing

The moderate impedance and its benign minimum make an easy load for most amplifiers, and the recommended power window covers a wide spread of integrated designs. Ruark positions the speaker as a partner for its own R610 music console and related R-series systems, which provide streaming, radio and amplification in one unit. A separate stereo integrated model inside that power window works equally well.

Alternatives

Ruark makes no other passive bookshelf loudspeaker besides the Sabre-R.