Ruark Sabre 1986 British speaker compared modern budget speaker

[@ChilledMatt]

Great you are back. I was getting a bit worried about you.

[@mattharwood4413]

Ditto!

[@sidesup8286]

More people missed you than you can even imagine Kelvin. You seem just like an ordinary guy like a lot of us, who try to get around these greedy high prices by finding a cheaper way to get good sound. So glad to have you back. One of the best ideas and best kept secrets of audio is to stack identical speakers two to a side. Harry Pearson the late editor of The Absolute Sound magazine started out with stacking Advent Loudspeakers. Stacking bookshelf speakers always: 1. Makes the sound bigger and more spacious. For some reason depth is eerily better. 2. Better power handling and dynamics. You don't have to worry about your speakers being too loud and in danger of damage. 3. The bass sounds 20 to 25 hz deeper when you stack. Buying 2 pairs of vintage Era Design (now called Peachtree) D4 bookshelf speakers and stacking them, gave me an amazing glorious sound that was hard to find anything wrong with. They were designed by Michael Kelly who has his own high end speaker company called Aerial Acoustics. It sounded like I had a full range high end speaker for around $300 used, total for 2 pairs. If lined up with care it looked like it was one speaker instead of 2 stacked.

[@stereoreviewx]

Interesting seriously not something I think I’ve ever come across I thought of so now I nead A second pair of something I might be able to get some DM4 actually Thanks for the tip. K

[@bobaround5338]

@@stereoreviewx If you do it post up the results! I'd be interested to hear about how it all turned out.

[@nigelh3253]

Enjoying you back - KZbin wasn't KZbin without you!

[@matereo]

The best hifi review channel on the tube :) Ruark speakers are super rare in Sweden. I heard Ruark Equinox loudspeakers a long time ago and i thought they sounded very good back then. I think they used very good quality drivers from manufacturers like Vifa, Peerless and Scan Speak in their loudspeakers.

[@stereoreviewx]

Yes, the quality is definitely there

[@MorriSoft]

The Sabre, Swordsman, Swordsman Plus & Swordsman Plus II did indeed use Vifa drivers and tweeters - I've repaired a few of each over the years.

[@INeedsMoneys]

we have missed you more than you could imagine mate. welcome back!!

[@mattharwood4413]

Hi Kelvin- Again, I’m so glad you’re back. I would like to see you review a pair of Kef 104.2s. I have a pair here that I bought in late 85/early 86 that I would love to loan you but I live in L.A.!! LOL! Great philosophical discussion of equipment. So spot on!

[@jimsregaturntableshifijukebox]

Fancy meeting you here, buddy 😉👍

[@jimsregaturntableshifijukebox]

Fancy meeting you here, buddy 😉👍

[@mattharwood4413]

@@jimsregaturntableshifijukebox Hey Jim!! Another important youtuber! I hope Kelvin can put out more. I know its a lot of work!

[@Velvet_Torpedo]

Love learning about the vintage stuff we don't see very much over here in Canada. Still have (and listen to) my first system a 1989 Yamaha RX700U receiver with a pair of JBL 830T's. I've got into the newer stuff since those old days but your videos have really given me the vintage HiFi bug over the last year or two. 😃Hope you keep the videos coming! Always find you a pleasure to listen too.

[@davidmee7239]

Glad to have you back Kelvin. Thought you might have been locked in Audio Gold over the past year.😃Royd is another name that I recall a bit like Ruark. I think Royd started out in the early 80s by Joe Ackroyd. Had a pair of Coniston's with the paper cone but the rear port on the rear had sponge around it which deteriorated over time. Those cottage industry companies are dying out now.

[@stereoreviewx]

Yes I think I reviewed a ride Sintra small speaker has a steel plate in the back and A really high quality tweeter. Very nice and yeah you know this man was a good designer .

[@mikeday62]

You're style is interesting and nice to listen to. A few years ago I bought 2 pair of KEF C10 from 2 different sellers on EB. Both pair were about $60 each including shipping. They were more than 30 years old, in good condition with small bumps and bruises, but sounded great for the money. I had them wired together in parallel.

[@stereoreviewx]

Nice

[@robertgough5804]

Great another review from someone i started to miss v glad you are back

[@georgecoles7220]

Good to have somebody back on who likes the old Gear and save a penny or 2 thanks

[@heifetz14]

Great to have you back ,Kelvin. Looking forward to some more reviews.

[@TheMildperil]

I bet those Sabres are being massively limited by the old caps in the crossover. I have a pair of Ruark Swordsman (the entry level model from the Ruark range at the time), and they used the cheapest Alcap electrolytic caps in the crossover. I changed them for some cheap polypropylene film caps and they really sing now. Bass is particularly tight and impressive, resolution is superb through the mid and treble. The Sabres with the larger, better quality box should have even more upgrade potential. You should send them down to me in Brighton, and I'll see what I can squeeze out of them and send them back for review.

[@paphian2990]

The late Brian O'Rourke was a good friend of mine, and I have a pair of his Sabres, in a box in my office, but the cheaper Swordsman II was by far the best value speaker in the range and sounds better than the Sabre.

[@TheMildperil]

@@paphian2990 Good to know. I think my Swordsman have the same drivers as these Sabres, a slightly smaller but sturdy box and a rather drab black finish. They do sound really very good though, and outperform the vast majority of newer budget speakers by some distance (I buy and sell used hifi, so I've heard most). There is absolutely nothing exotic or radical in their design, so where did speaker design lose its way?

[@mike_lowndes]

I have a pair of these. I'd be interested to test that theory.

[@allanpowell7208]

Hi Kel, I had a big bargain at the local recycling depot, a pair of Proac 2000 signature and a pair of Mission 700s for $40 oz (23 quid equivalent), in mintish condition. Pays to visit this place once a week. I think the Proacs were 1100 quid new. I remember when I picked up all ranges of the little Sansui amps around $40 oz but the gear that's surfacing now in the charity shops and recycling is getting to be first rate. Good times ahead.

[@edjrod29]

Nice of you to include the history trivia ❤

[@superkev]

welcome back kelvin i hope you are well i always enjoy your you tube video's looking forward to more reviews take care 😀

[@eazydraw4681]

Yes great to see you back and the reviews are for me among the best on the tube so wishing you a healthy and happy time this Xmas

[@TheMildperil]

I believe Brian O'Rourke made speakers under the company name Diesis before Ruark, and before that made cabinets for other speaker manufacturers. The cabinet quality is usually very good on Diesis and Ruark speakers.

[@langston1aladdin]

Update on my Ruark Epilogue speakers. I love them. Very good speakers for my small office room. Paired with my Sansui 771, it is a bit lacking on the bass a low volumn, as I knew they would be, but very clear and warm speaker. Love it in ma space. Liked it so much, I went ahead and got stands for them. Thanks again for the recommendation.

[@bigblueocean]

I'd love to see 'best used speaker I've heard for £100' or "best used speaker for £250“ if you can Kelvin. Just using your experience.

[@stereoreviewx]

Definitely an idea

[@snuffpappy]

We missed you here in Halifax NS

[@asx1248]

You said just what I've been thinking recently about the new speaker by Andrew Jones. It's great marketing by the OEM - you can't fault their approach and they will sell more because of it. Andrew seems like a really nice guy when you see him in vids and I'm sure he knows what he's doing but I'm sure there's also a premium on that SP10 speaker now because his name is attached. And spot on Kelvin... every speaker has been designed by someone!

[@gavinryan4166]

These were the second set of speakers I purchased, replacing a pair of Castle Durhams in about 1989. They were a good upgrade. They were driven by an NVA amplifier (try finding one of those now!) with my Manticore Mantra turntable on the front end - which I bought in 1986 and still have today. I used them until 2004, by which time they were hooked up to a Cyrus amplifier stack and mounted on quality stands they performed amazingly well for a small and relatively inexpensive speaker. I replaced them with a pair of Spendor S6e which are still in use, now hooked up to a Naim Uniti system. The Spendors are in a different league, as they should be given the price relativity. I sold my Ruarks in a garage sale I had about 10 years ago and got $50 for them. I reckon they were an absolute steal for that money.

[@mike_lowndes]

After 30 years I just replaced my Sabre 2s with Dynaudio Emit 20s (I was using the Ruarks with old Eclipse subs to fill out the bottom end). Not night and day at all, but the Dynaudios just edged the Ruarks for clarity, imaging and depth. Still, given the Emits are now up near £800 the Sabres remain an _absolute steal_ and I sold them to an enthusiast in Scotland who knows the company. The irony is that a few weeks later I decided to set up a second system in my garage/gym... and ended up buying a pair of Ruark Prologue One floorstanders! £2-300 quid second hand and they still beat modern stuff over £1000. Would be good to see you review them, and I recommend searching them out if you want bargain floorstanders that still compete.

[@Flatearther620]

Great to see you back, love your reviews 👍

[@boris994]

The expensive ones, from the 90's, ones with the wood sides and the vertical lines on front fascia are beautiful

[@nwr99nwr99]

Great to see you back Kelvin.

[@langston1aladdin]

Ok…… You done it again. I just purchased. A pair of RUARK EPILOGUE Full Wood Face And Rear. 2 WAY REAR PORTED BOOKSHELF SPEAKERS off eBay based on your review. I know, they are not exactly the same as the Sabre you reviewed, but as close as I could find. Been looking for them for awhile and decided to pull the trigger on these hoping they would be real similar. Going to hook them up to the new Sansui eight deluxe I recently purchased. You got me going full tilt. Haha. Let me know what you think. As always, appreciate your reviews and channel.

[@domejunky]

I bought some Heybrook Heylos, maybe 15 years ago (?) from a second hand shop in Plymouth - been rocking them in the living room ever since - they look like remarkebly similar drivers to these!

[@sachinthakaabeywardena581]

Wonderful to see another review in a short time. Thank you Kevin. Wow, speaker are well looked after who ever used them before you purchased. In very good condition.

[@saudade369]

It’s so nice to hear and see a reviewer who speaks clear language and without the overly excited “ heyyyy guys “ style of so many reviewers , it’s like chatting to a mate about Hifi , without the pretensions of being an “ expert” . So thanks . Your reviews are honestly subjective and without apology and with some interesting analogies asking questions and pondering things without forcing answers , which I guess is how we all think about much of Hifi . I’d love to hear what you think about Cyrus amplifiers and their aesthetics and how they work with other equipment and speakers such as Tannoy, quad and Rega ? Comparing the older Cyrus and the new with other mid to high end amps would be very interesting . So thanks for some interesting , insightful thoughts

[@stereoreviewx]

thanks I do like the Cyrus but not heard for ages

[@saudade369]

@@stereoreviewx well get those listenimg ears on quick sharp ! We’re waiting !

[@saudade369]

@@stereoreviewx 🤓

[@jerrygerza7565]

Wish you'd do a pair of Quad ESL57s. Glad you're back BTW!😀

[@stereoreviewx]

Yes, so do I have only heard and briefly in my life

[@larssundin8029]

I have been waiting... and I still have my Ruark Crusader II, as a second system, paired with a Sugden A48. I once had the Ruark Broadsword.

[@stereoreviewx]

Sugden, a 48 is a killer amp

[@larssundin8029]

I boght it from Laskys in London 3rd of april 1975. Did not use for the last 25 years, it had a burnt circuit board, but now it is in full working order, after service at a fairly local firm.

[@larssundin8029]

@@stereoreviewx bought it for £94 in 1975

[@RobertWiltshire-j9d]

Thanks for the reply, I will give the Ruarks a try! Thanks again Bob

[@gdwlaw5549]

anyone here remember the JPW Sonata's? My first pair of speakers

[@rossrichards8021]

Glad to see you back!

[@elkartian]

Ive got Ruark Accolade speakers,Now they are really fabulous,

[@stereoreviewx]

Good thanks

[@budgetaudiophilelife-long5461]

GREAT TO FIND BARGAINS KELVIN 🤗 that’s been my way too 🤗👍💚💚💚

[@markgriffiths6540]

I swapped out the drive units to Monacor SPH-165 and Peerless D27TG35-06, redid the crossover, and added 2 skinny bass ports to the back - much prefer them over my Wharfedale Evo 4.1s which I bought to replace the Sabres. I am not a crossover expert so maybe not optimally balanced, but the information they reveal now is shocking. Buy these to build your 'new' DIY speakers - there are different woofers and tweeters out there worth a play with........

[@gordthor5351]

The science of a closed box is quite simple. When the driver is pushed out, the air pressure in the sealed box decreases. Thus the atmospheric pressure will push the driver back to the resting position. Which allows for quicker/tighter bass. Basically the driver has an air spring pulling it back and that is why it takes more power to push it forwards. I will take a sealed box over ported any day, because I like fast and tuneful bass.

[@stereoreviewx]

Yes thanks for that. I like close box too, seems kind of rare in the modern age I think

[@StukaUK]

I still have mine bought new in 87. No longer in use, but maybe I’ll set up a vintage system in a spare room and take a trip down memory lane.

[@ford1546]

What annoys me quite a bit, especially when I buy used speakers, is that they have so many scratches to notice on the underside and top. people handle that stuff so badly!! It is so easy to put on some soft protective knobs and you avoid this on the underside!! Loudspeakers with plastic foil cannot be repaired easily! Samne with nice hifi devices that are repaired! They are turned upside down on a rough table top without anything soft in between. I see a lot of youtube repairmen who do this and make a lot of scratches on a nice device!!

[@RobertWiltshire-j9d]

Thanks for all your reviews. I have a choice to make between 3 vintage speakers. Kef Coda ii, Cantor ii or Ruark Sabre. All about the same price. Any thoughts would be appreciated. Bob

[@stereoreviewx]

well not easy to say but kef cantor or ruark . I think kef were going off the boil by this time . the ruarks are a more well made speaker

[@DomRivers67]

Be great if you could get some Mordaunt Short MS20i Pearls........their last big hit as an independent UK company, got bought out and lost the plot shortly after, fairly modern design given they are 30 years old now....the TDL RTL2's were a fun speaker too, great impact. I loved mine

[@martinscase3904]

Had a pair of Swordsmans for a few years. Interesting hearing your thoughts on the Sabres, as I think I concurred ... Ok but not a keeper. Always thought they looked better than they sounded!

[@ford1546]

Hello. Have a question. Do you use furniture protection knobs under the speaker box? Many people do not and it gets incredibly unnecessarily worn and scratchy under the box!!

[@stereoreviewx]

Truly, I don’t worry about the bottom of the box I do put a wooden block on my metal speaker stands like 2 inches thick pine and it does an amazing job off taking the sound away from the speaker like better imaginging

[@ford1546]

@@stereoreviewx What annoys me quite a bit, especially when I buy used speakers, is that they have so many scratches to notice on the underside and top. people handle that stuff so badly!! It is so easy to put on some soft protective knobs and you avoid this on the underside!! Loudspeakers with plastic foil cannot be repaired easily! Samne with nice hifi devices that are repaired! They are turned upside down on a rough table top without anything soft in between. I see a lot of youtube repairmen who do this and make a lot of scratches on a nice device!!

[@RennieAsh]

Cork pads can work ok

[@LucasRichardStephens]

My Mother is still listening daily, to a pair of W.A.R speakers made in Gloucestershire in the mid seventies, sears 8" bass, Autax soft dome, BBC style closed cabinet, (on target stands), they sound really lovely and are beautifully made. Point being who has heard of W.A.R. ?

[@stereoreviewx]

The only reason I can say yes it’s because you reminded me of the name and I’m still nothundredpercent🙃

[@LucasRichardStephens]

@@stereoreviewx Keith Mercer was a drinking mate of my parents, I think he was one half of W.A.R. his, house/workshop amazed me as a kid, full of the techy stuff of a sound engineer.

[@sansui_miau4450]

cheers for a tip, what about proac, studio 100 & 200 ?

[@sansui_miau4450]

thank you

[@MustangBoss1973]

Just the thought of it makes me cry too.

[@CANVASCANDY]

Thanks again for breaking it up. I came across some Goodmans Magnum K. What is your view on this brand, and this K speaker ?

[@stereoreviewx]

Well, generally speaking, I would say, Goodmans never made it to the high end of hi-fi But the good manners you talk of has a big driver is a three-way system and a bet it would outperform loads of £400 speakers today Certainly give some big scale to the sound

[@neilneil5115]

i would like to hear about the monitor audio r652md iff you could fella many thanks. and the ruark equinox.

[@coffeegirlofficial9079]

Best channel on KZbin

[@gino3286]

hi thanks a lot for this old gems hunting 60 pounds these days don't buy a single decent woofer imho i have found that best sound usually comes from heavy cabinets i don't know if these are heavy kindest regards gino

[@stereoreviewx]

Yes, there is truth in what you say, and these are heavy well-built cabinets. BTW

[@gino3286]

@@stereoreviewx Hi Thank you for the very kind and valuable advice I think that it could be a matter of vibes control I remember your video where you very well suggested to tighten the drivers screws that could get loose with age I would like to see more bolts used at least for the big woofers Thanks again and kindest regards gino

[@rabit818]

Not bright means good for CDs/streaming. LED lights please, love your show

[@stereoreviewx]

You have a point there

[@richardcrook2112]

Great video. Your right, that Beth Orton song is annoying.

[@SamFirthDesigner]

I have an idea for a video, perhaps... You could try doing some simple revisions to secondhand speakers and seeing how it affects them. Rotating the drivers and maybe changing the capacitors for new? If you have two pair you could still do an A/B comparison

[@stereoreviewx]

Yes, I’m thinking of doing that I have to Sansui 441 thanks

[@montynorth3009]

Around that time I had a pair of Celestion Ditton 15's which were very popular but I didn't like them. They lacked the detail and presence that I wanted, particularly at low volumes. I replaced them with the B&W DM110's which I really liked. How these would compare to the Ruark's would be interesting. My money would be on the B&W's which I considered a great budget speaker.

[@stereoreviewx]

Yes, the Celestion, Ditton 15s werent exactly lively From what I’m hearing you would prefer the DM 110s

[@matc6221]

Yay more Kelvin!!

[@flamehairdisaster1]

Love your work. Do you have any old Monitor Audio speakers worth reviewing? I'd love to know what you think of them. Keep them coming!

[@stereoreviewx]

Yes, I did a couple on my channel, particularly monitor audio ma fours which I have two pairs of wickedly good

[@D1N02]

There is lots of good vintage stuff out there. I have two pairs of BNS (232 E12s, Dutch so you probably won't know them) speakers with about the same form factor paid about 60 euro's per set. One closed the other ported. Ported one is a bit more sensitive (90db vs 89db) so whenever I switch them the E12s sounds livelier, but that's mostly volume. For any length of listening I prefer the closed box one. I think is has the same or very similar bass driver as that Ruark (Seas?) and a Vifa tweeter the well known D19TD-05 3/4" I think they probably are a bit brighter than the Ruark, the way you describe them. You might want to check your camera settings, I'm getting a very rosy view of you over here.

[@stereoreviewx]

Yes I’m having a crash course in videography right now thanks

[@alanrobinson2229]

Isn't the nad 3020 an integrated amp?

[@MustangBoss1973]

All I can think of is hutch sliding over the bonnet of a Gran Torino, Thanks.🤣 When I was a kid in the 70's he stopped at the traffic lights next to me In Catford (London) Imagine that hutch next to you at the lights in the 70's he was in something a bit rubbish though like a renault 5 I was in a MK1 Cortina. Must have been acting at Catford theatre I asked my dad to race him from the lights, my dad gracefully declined my baiting.

[@stevesmith3990]

I have a question. I've had the same pair of speakers since about 1986; a pair of Linn Index's. I can only play them at low volume these days due to neighbours but I'm wondering about how some new speakers would sound given the improvements of speaker tech. over the years. The thing that bugs me though is that modern speakers are so tiny. Any advice from anyone would be appreciated, thanks.

[@stereoreviewx]

Well I think quite a lot of the supposedly improvements are more marketing I mean there are some improvements but it’s not how they describe it and sometimes there’s backward steps for absolutely certain I probably would keep those speakers because you can spend three £400 and get no improvement at all you’ll be disappointed however many stars it gets

[@markcarrington8565]

If you like the tone of your speakers in your room, my advice would be to spend your money on improving your source. It’s like double bubble, because the extra sound quality going into your amp makes the amp behave better too. The overall sound from your speakers will be boosted without altering the tonal balance you love.

[@stevesmith3990]

@@stereoreviewx Many thanks for your reply, I value your opinion. I suppose that's what I've been think for 35 years so why change now?!

[@stevesmith3990]

@@chanslorvalorum6905 Thanks.

[@stevesmith3990]

@@markcarrington8565 Many thanks for your advice.

[@mikeuk4130]

I remember these being well-liked in their day. £60 would be a good buying price for a tidy pair, but you’d need to check that the bottoms weren’t too badly scratched up by a lack of respect from an owner or reviewer. What sacrilege!

[@daniel89ph]

Yes! I also prefer my older (closed box) Gales to new Missions which I smashed under the bed and just the dust falls upon them. They are not perfect, but have their solid, decent character, have their own juicy, tight rhytm. Missions (LV2 or sthing like that) look good, but the sound is kinda muddy, boomy, lazy...Kelvin, put your hands on some Gales and review them too.

[@wolfgangmarkusgstrein8522]

I would like you to sonically adjust my home studio, man.

[@roygumpel8415]

look how gorgeous these olderly things are! That Elac is just so damn ugly, I'd take the Ruark even if they didn't sound quite as good!

[@deputy3690]

Lmao! Your absolutely right Kelvin about everything is designed! Andrew just has that ego about his name being mentioned all the time. I do have a pair of Elacs DBR-62's and they are great speakers for the money in my opinion. I find that vintage speakers aren't as detailed as more modern speakers in general. Would you agree?

[@stereoreviewx]

Well, if you’re just saying the word detail, I would agree that within that word is things like depth of field and the realistic sound of the instrument So I kind of agree, really I wish the speakers today were just better they disappoint me. A lot doesn’t seem like they learn

[@deputy3690]

@@stereoreviewx Instrument separation is noticeable as well depending on the recording of course. Us audiophiles are always searching for that perfect live sound that is impossible to get out of speakers of any era.

[@jeffn1384]

Would love to see you review the IMF rspm mark IV but they're probably too large and rare to be bothered.

[@stereoreviewx]

I’m claustrophobic, I’m in a closed box

[@Michael127gerard]

Are these MK1 or MK2 ? and do you know the differences between them ?

[@TechStuff365]

Capacitor technology has moved on, any of these old speakers with new polypropelene capacitors eg clarity cap esa, and metal oxide non inductive resistors will be a huge upgrade.

[@alessandrograldi4334]

Nice Kelvin try to find a pair of ESB CDX SB2 and test it, i found it amazing for the price (around 100€)

[@stereoreviewx]

If I can, I will, thanks

[@NikEastwood161]

smallish sealed box speakers work well with a subwoofer to back up the bass.

[@tweakerman]

Nice video, l love hi fi from the 80's👍

[@WindomRettes]

Smashing!

[@darrenhawksley4459]

Great vid mate. 💪✨✨

[@stephenperera7382]

Looks great regardless of how it sounds haha

[@richardburnett8595]

Respect

[@Ricky-cl5bu]

Great review

[@Audfile]

I have lots of speakers and one of those is 2 sets of what would have been ultra high end 80s bookshelves. They are still astonishing and basically flawless in sound.

[@stereoreviewx]

You have to tell me what they are now

[@SamFirthDesigner]

I see your b139

[@stereoreviewx]

I love the B139 base you can feel

[@SamFirthDesigner]

I've got two in a big "Coffin" TQWT ;)

[@peterpipe9015]

They look expensive , i wouldnt so no to a pair of them

[@dougg1075]

I remember Ruark in the rags back in the day.

[@zefrog7482]

Prefer a sealed speaker myself.

[@stereoreviewx]

Think I do to