"Mike Gilmour" wrote


I've always thought that valve amps and speakers should come as a pair,
though maybe half the enjoyment is finding out what works well with
what... A bad match ends up with folk either laying fault with the amp or
at the speakers door (didn't know speakers had doors ;-) What do you
think of the Ruarks as I used to hear some good sounds at the Ruark room
at London hifi shows..always struck me as being well made though I've
never owned a pair. One of the dems was the Saint Saens Organ Symphony,
can't now remember which model it was but I stayed through as it was very
enjoyable and certainly held together well.


The Ruarks I've had a Paladins (still got them - will never be got rid
of), Broadswords (got rid) and Sabres (fried 'em....)

I like the Ruark 'house sound' and the Paladins have been likened to
electrostatics - huge soundstage, detailed and a tad 'dry' but with bass
(lots of it) from a 215mm bass driver, rated down to 38 Hz.

Ruarks methodology was (don't know about know) to use OEM drivers and have
them tweaked, if necessary, to their own spec. The Paladins have Focal
drivers, the Broadswords had Dynaudio drivers (and were a pig to drive) and
the Sabres had Vifa drivers. (The Sabres are a 'must grab' if you ever come
across them cheap.)



We have a circle of audio nuts around here in which we take turns in
visiting. I'm off soon to Aberdeen to stay overnight and do some serious
listening/supping ...seems we are now all into room correction so its all
about measuring rooms and experimentation with bass traps, diffusers etc.
(all sighted comparisions but what the hell).


:-)


Arseing about with audio gear is half the fun plus you soon get to know
what pairs well together(sighted of course ;-)


Sighted comparisons don't worry me - I never make 'snap decisions', I swap
kit to and fro to see what sticks over long periods of time (weeks and
months).