Ruark sabre 1 bookshelf speaker

Ruark sabre mark 1 - made by irish master cabinet maker Brian O’Rourke. Like Quad and Tannoy, Ruark bookshelf speakers are being remade for a new generation of audio enthusiasts once again.

This set in black ash are in remarkable condition for audio equipment that is 40 years-old. The hand-built and extremely heavy cabinets are well preserved and whilst there is a small corner ding or two, these are very minor and hardly noticeable (shown in one of the photos).

As you can see from the photos, the soft tweeter domes are perfect, as are the drivers. The faces of both speakers, with their distinctive brass screws and high quality veneer, are in lovely condition and have lots of vintage cool.

Most importantly, the Sabres still sound extraordinary, justifying the company’s reputation as the best value bang-for-your-buck speaker ever made. And that reputation has endured almost 50 years - search online, you will only read reviews raving about Ruark speakers (including the Mk 1 Sabres). And people say how much they regretted ever selling theirs.

Sabres have a beautifully warm and precise sound with a wonderfully solid bass response (due to their weight and sealed cabinet design). They deliver a broad soundstage with a dynamic and transparent midrange that became Ruark’s calling card. Silky smooth to listen to, they are excellent on all genres of music but particularly come to life on vocals and strings.

Build quality is second to none. As mentioned above, Ruark were cabinet makers before they turned their hand to audio, so these were built to last. The speakers even carry a Master Craftsman Guild stamp of approval. The grilles are in excellent condition.

Specs -
Crossover: 3.2KHz
Frequency Response: 50Hz - 22KHz +/- 3dB
Nominal Impedance: 8 ohms
Amplifier Requirements: 25 - 120 watts
Sensitivity: 86dB/watt @ 1m
Dimensions: 200 x 335 x 270mm (W x H x D)