If you are looking for wireless desktop speakers, the Ruark Audio MR1 Mk2 will definitely be one of the finest choices to go for. It is the worthy successor of the popular Ruark Audio MR1 and has gained plenty of accolades. This pair of award-winning wireless speakers has improved sound quality over its predecessor which gives us even more incentives to go for the latest iteration instead.
The Ruark Audio MR1 Mk2 is a pair of active speakers which means it has a built-in amplifier powering the speaker drivers that consists of a 0.8″ (20mm) treated textile dome tweeter and a long-throw 3″ (75mm) woofer. It is a linear Class A-B amplifier with 20W nominal output and tuned to match the Ruark Audio MR1 Mk2 drivers so that they will sound their absolute best. With this built-in amplifier, you can just plug and play immediately or simply use the Bluetooth connectivity with aptX to stream your favorite music via your mobile devices. The subwoofer output is handy as you can connect to an active subwoofer and significantly improve the overall bass performance.
More Details at Amazon – Ruark Audio MR1 MKII (Rich Walnut)
Still, there are some missing features such as a USB input, Phono stage, and high-quality stereo preamplifier to really complete your sound system. Not all these missing features may be of concern to you but if you see the one which sparks your interest, you might want to continue to read on. We will be addressing these concerns and come out with solutions that might help you to overcome these minor setbacks so that you can have an enjoyable music listening experience.
Table of Contents
External DAC
Since it is a pair of wireless desktop speakers, it is more than likely you will connect the Ruark Audio MR1 Mk2 to your PC, laptop, Mac, etc. If your devices have an optical output then it would be great as this would give you an all-digital connection to your MR1 Mk2 thus using their built-in D/A converter. But what if your devices do not have optical and only have an audio line out and/or USB connectivity, furthermore, the Ruark Audio MR1 Mk2 doesn’t have a USB input. To make matter worse, the onboard DAC of your devices is subpar and does not give you a good enough sound quality. To solve this, you can always go for an external DAC.
To make use of your devices’ USB connections, you can go for AudioQuest Dragonfly which is an award-winning USB DAC at an affordable price. The AudioQuest Dragonfly can also act as your preamplifier and headphone amp, providing you with even more value. If you prefer your devices (via USB) to be connected to your Ruark Audio MR1 Mk2 optical instead, then you might want to take a look at Douk Audio U2 which is a USB to Coaxial Optical converter. This will enable you to make use of the MR1 Mk2 built-in DAC.
More Details at Amazon – AudioQuest DragonFly Red USB DAC
More Details at Amazon – Douk Audio USB Converter
Phono Preamplifier
The Ruark Audio MR1 Mk2 wireless speakers do not have a built-in Phono preamp and without it, your vinyl records sound quality will drop or simply sound strange. Some turntables have their own built-in Phono preamplifiers such as the Pioneer PL-990 and Sony PS-LX310BT where you can connect your Ruark Audio active speakers directly to them. If you haven’t bought your turntable yet, you might want to take a look at them. The Pioneer PL-990 and Sony PS-LX310BT are highly rated turntables at an affordable price.
More Info at Amazon – Sony PS-LX310BT Belt Drive Turntable
Getting a Phono preamplifier separate will be another option and could be a better choice as well since they have only 1 job to fully focus on. There are plenty of options out there on the market but if your budget is tight, we will suggest going with Schiit Mani or Emotiva XPS-1. Both of them are affordable Phono preamplifiers that do not compromise the sound quality, not to mention, they are from reputable brands which are well-recognized by audiophiles. If you have a decent budget, we will suggest you check out this award-winning Cambridge Audio Duo. It is a magnificent Phono preamp with the capability of projecting a large soundstage, has amazing stereo imaging, and many more. If you want the best but without breaking the bank, then perhaps the Musical Fidelity V90-LPS might tickle your fancy.
More Info at Amazon – Schiit Mani Phono Preamp (Silver)
The mentioned Phono preamplifiers would match well with the multi-awards winning Pro-Ject Debut Carbon. It is a brilliant turntable that is modestly priced and would be great for listeners who are planning to start his/her vinyl journey. It has over 30 years of history and it is been improved throughout this time, the number of praise it has garnered from critics and fans further shows us how exceptional of a turntable the Pro-Ject Debut Carbon is. Furthermore, it looks stylish and sleek with loads of color options to choose from.
More Info at Amazon – Pro-Ject Debut Carbon DC Turntable
Stereo Preamplifier
Getting a high-quality stereo preamplifier may improve the overall sound quality and provide you with more features as well, not to mention, more connectivities. With an external stereo preamp, you can simply use the Ruark Audio MR1 Mk2 as speakers and allow the preamp to process the digital/analog audio signals. You can also choose to go for tube preamplifiers where it has warmish and smooth sonic characteristics which also makes it great for vinyl playbacks.
Some of the notable features which you may find useful will be Home Theater Bypass, Subwoofer Crossover management, Headphone amplifier, higher quality D/A converter, etc. These are some of the missing features which you can get from an external stereo preamplifier such as the Parasound Halo P 6. It is a talented 2.1 stereo preamp with a well-balanced tonality and warm sonic characteristic that is pleasing to the ears. It is worth your time to check the Halo P 6 out but if your budget is tight, you can take a look at Parasound’s lower-end series NewClassic. The NewClassic 200 Pre may not be on par with its Halo series brother but at this price point, it is definitely worth your while to have a look.
More Info at Amazon – Parasound NewClassic 200 Pre
You can also go for preamplifiers that have a built-in CD player such as the Cambridge Audio Azur 851C. The award-winning Azur 851C is capable of delivering a musical and dynamic music presentation that has amazing timing where it will punch hard when it needs to. The engaging music delivery of this Cambridge Audio preamp with its class-leading control will charm you and your guests. If you own a lot of music CDs then you should definitely take a look at the Cambridge Audio Azur 851C and hear them out. It also comes with built-in premium features such as the Dual Analog Devices AD1955 24-bit Digital to Analog converters.
More Info at Amazon – Cambridge Audio Azur 851C
Subwoofers
The Ruark Audio MR1 Mk2 is a compact size active speaker with limited amplifier power and won’t be enough to really land an impactful bass that will shake the floor. This is why we suggest integrating an active subwoofer into the mix as it will not only supplement the bass but also improve the overall sound quality. There are two main types of subwoofers that you can go for, sealed and ported cabinets. Each has its own purpose and which type you choose will depend on your usage.
For home theater use and music that is bass-heavy, we will suggest going with ported cabinet subwoofers. Ported subwoofers have higher bass output and maximum SPL which makes them more efficient when dishing out low frequencies. The SVS PB-1000 Pro is an entry-level ported subwoofer that will pair well with the Ruark Audio MR1 Mk2 speakers. When it comes to music, a sealed cabinet subwoofer will be the better option. Sealed subwoofers are excellent at rendering the bass more accurately and have the agility to blend in nicely with the rest of the frequencies. Their bass delivery is taut and fast as well. You can check out SVS SB-1000 Pro which is a powerful 12″ sealed subwoofer and will do well in a home theater environment too.
More Information at Amazon – SVS PB-1000 Pro
More Information at Amazon – SVS SB-1000 Pro
Is a pity that the Ruark Audio doesn’t have their own active subwoofers. There is an advantage in pairing subwoofers that is from the same brand as the speakers, as they will probably share the same sound signatures which will help to deliver a seamless and cohesive overall sound reproduction. A wireless Ruark Audio subwoofer will be cool too.
To Sum It Up
There may be limitations to what the Ruark Audio MR1 Mk2 wireless speakers can do, fortunately, there are HiFi components such as the ones we mentioned to help us overcome certain issues, providing us with more features and also further improving the sound quality. Adding an active subwoofer into the mix should give you an immediate sonic improvement. These are some of the best HiFi components out on the market and you can use them as a reference when searching for other brands and/or models.
It is highly recommended to arrange an audition with the potential audio components that you might be getting so as to judge whether the sound quality is to your liking or does it solve a specific issue. When auditioning the sound quality, you should always use songs that you have listened to the most as this will enable you to notice the difference in sound quality a lot easier than using less familiar music. Auditioning these preamplifiers, DACs, and subwoofers in your own listening room will be the best as it will provide you with a more accurate test result.
