Promoted in the comedies of the 70s and 80s, the radio alarm clock, without losing a fraction of its convenience, is becoming more and more multitasking – this is the R1S, at least the fifth iteration of the classic model of the English company Ruark. From its predecessor, R1 , the novelty is distinguished by the letter S – streaming. Until now, only the larger and more expensive R2 had such capabilities.
Equipped with Wi-Fi, the Ruark R1S is ready to connect with Spotify via Spotify Connect (Spotify HiFi is promised as soon as it’s available ), Amazon Music and Deezer. Added to this are countless internet radios. R1S terrestrial radio is still no stranger, Ruark’s SmartRadio tuner comes in FM, DAB and DAB+ options. Another wireless music transfer option is Bluetooth 5.0.
Among wired connections, there is a USB-C port for charging, say, a smartphone. There’s also a switchable analog line-in and a headphone jack. The novelty is powered by the mains, but with the optional BackPack 3 battery pack, the R1S model, like its predecessor, can become much more autonomous.
The amplifying-acoustic part of the R1S is the same class A / B end with a neodymium full-range NS speaker. Management – a proven convenient RotoDial on the top panel of a plastic case with a grill made of environmentally friendly wooden slats. Control options are a remote control or the brand new Oktiv app, available in Android or iOS versions.
In the UK, the Ruark R1S bedside radio costs £300 and the BackPack 3 battery pack costs £70 more.