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Ruark speakers

S

say it as it is

pfm Member
Hi anyone used older ruark speakers seen some older ones bit rough but the seem to be sealed boxes rather than ported?
At over 20 years old would they need be drivers or crossovers serviced?
Ruark any good or better with newer stuff for parts etc?
 
I occasionally listen to an older set of Sabre Mk1 that I had at one point and are now at my parents' place - they are really good, I think - very nice, clean sounding, not harsh, but not mellow or warm either, I would say. These are the sealed boxes, and I quite like that kind of slightly dry or monitor-ish presentation - if that makes any sense.
 
I have a pair of Crusader 2 floorstanders and they're really very good speakers. They are 3 way, front-ported and have a superb midrange and very decent bass extension for their size but they do need a couple of feet of space around them and a fair bit of juice from a decent amplifier to bring them to life. Tonal balance is generally neutral with perhaps just a hint of warmth. The downside is that if your source or a given recording is in any way not up to scratch they're very revealing of the fact (without adding any nasties). Mike P of this parish upgraded the crossover caps on mine which made for a nice improvement. Re parts, the only issue with the Crusader 2s is that the midrange driver (a Dynaudio item I believe) is now getting rather difficult to find. An excellent S/H buy though for the money.
 
crusaders mk 2 are old looking but fab sounding

mine are on the end of an rsl 72 , avondale zap 250 amp and they sound lovely

clear, detailed and have some bass too. yum
 
I had the Sabres, and then the Talismans for quite a few years.
Both nice speakers, and still going strong (sold them to friends, who've still got them).
 
I am not familiar with the models of Ruark they all seem very different tbh
I want to get away from rear ported due to plasterboard walls.
The ones I have seen so far am not sure if they are rear ported
Prologue
Prelude
Templar

Anyone know or ran or run these models ?
 
I have been running a pair of Ruark Templars (Mk 1; be aware that Mk 2 Templars are front ported) for the past three years or so. Driven by (currently) a Quad 306 in a 12 by 8 room. They seem to be available S/H for around £150. Can't go wrong at that price. Easily resold if you don't like them.

I'm almost totally besotted with them. Which is probably because I was given them:)
 
Mark 2 Templars are not front ported, they are a sealed box and very good sounding speakers. The Talismans are the ones with a front port and also receive praise from those that have heard them.
 
bit off tangent but when looking for interesting old stuff at good vfm I have seen old Neat Mystique floor standers they look very old but only ever heard good things about Neat
 
say it as it is said:
bit off tangent but when looking for interesting old stuff at good vfm I have seen old Neat Mystique floor standers they look very old but only ever heard good things about Neat
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They are very good
Not quite the transparent window to performance as later models but very coherent.

Nevertheless a good purchase depending on price and condition.
 
I'm using a pair of 15+ year old Prelude 2's that I've owned from new and they still sound mighty fine.
Currently driven by a Naim Uniti 1, but were hanging off 252/SC/300 for a while.
 
I have Equinox's. I had the tweeters swapped from their standard Scan-Speak D2905/9000 for a pair of later D2905/9500. Mechanically they are a straight swap and Audio Components (UK) checked the frequency response before and after to see if they would need a cross over change (no change was required) so electrically also a straight swap. The 9000's have a tacky coating on the dome attracting and clinging to all household dust. The 9500's have no tacky coating so are more domestically friendly.

Have you ever made a change to your system and on first audition within three notes of an instrument being played knew straight away things were clearly much better?

Well that's what I got with the new tweeters. They sounded clearer, more open and less fatiguing. At the same time notes sounded more defined and less fuzzy. If you like the character of your Equinoxes this upgrade preserves what you like but improves the upper range.
 
Second the vote for Crusader II's. Insanely good (great!) speakers and probably can't be bettered nowadays for anything less than £2000. Work best pulled out away from the wall, so your plasterboard walls shouldn't cause any problems. If you can find a pair, get 'em. You won't be disappointed.
 
I've had a fair few pairs of Ruarks over the years. Started off with some Swordsman then Sabres, then Talisman IIs and finally some Broadswords. The only pair that didn't work for me were the Talisman - ported and also had chambers filled with some kind of ballast. If you're into fiddling with setup, they are probably are good/great - eventually. All the others are sealed designs and much quicker/less fuss required to get them working properly.

Alas one of my Broadsword drivers is down - suspected voice coil - though it's kind of intermittent - so needs some TLC. My fave pair out of all of them, followed by the Sabres. Old school looks, beautiful build and excellent musical performance.

Pity Ruark don't do dedicated 'speakers these days. Hey ho!
 
I owned a pair of Talisman II speakers for a while, and was happy with them. The styling was a bit odd, with wooden moulding around the base, that lent the speakers a reproduction furniture or Dynatron vibe, and also seemed to chip quite easily.
 
stevied said:
I've had a fair few pairs of Ruarks over the years. Started off with some Swordsman then Sabres, then Talisman IIs and finally some Broadswords. The only pair that didn't work for me were the Talisman - ported and also had chambers filled with some kind of ballast. If you're into fiddling with setup, they are probably are good/great - eventually. All the others are sealed designs and much quicker/less fuss required to get them working properly.

Alas one of my Broadsword drivers is down - suspected voice coil - though it's kind of intermittent - so needs some TLC. My fave pair out of all of them, followed by the Sabres. Old school looks, beautiful build and excellent musical performance.

Pity Ruark don't do dedicated 'speakers these days. Hey ho!
Click to expand...

I have some Talisman's I'm about to sell and agree about the ballast.

I forgot their weight when I tried to move them. They are now too heavy for me to lift so a stronger neighbour did it!

Mine were pre filled by the HiFi shop and were demonstrators.

Whoever buys them, will need a strong back.

They sounded tight and tuneful on the end of my Cyrus setup.
 
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