User review of the month, July – Ruark Audio R1 Mk3

When it comes to solid recommendations, it's pretty hard to argue with anyone who buys a second version of the same product for another room. Having bought the Ruark Audio R1 Mk3 for their studio, that looks to be the plan for What Hi-Fi? reader, Blue Gazelle. So we'd take note of their recommendation. (There's also our own five-star verdict, of course.)

Looking for a cheap, portable radio for a studio, this Ruark may not have immediately appeared to fit the bill - it's not particularly cheap, and you need to pay extra to make it portable - but the stylish design, ease of use and excellent sound have clearly won this reader over.

As the review reads, "This radio has a sound far beyond its size might suggest. It is built very well, has a lovely wood finish and you don't need a degree in computing to use it!" Can't say fairer than that.

Awarding the full five stars, there's still space for a little room for improvement, though: "If you have good DAB reception you won't be disappointed but I feel the price is too high. If you just want occasional radio in the background while you are cooking or feeding the kids, you might consider something cheaper. But if you love your radio and listen a lot (I do while in my studio) you won't feel short-changed - it sounds terrific."

Clearly good enough to buy another one... "Not cheap, but worth the money. I like it so much I might buy another for the bedroom! Recommended."

This month's winning user reviewer wins a pair of Lindy Cromo NCX-100 noise-cancelling headphones, worth £100.

We’ll be selecting a winning user review every month, with another pair of the Lindy noise-cancelling headphones up for grabs at the end of August. So if you haven’t entered your own review, now’s the time…

You can review anything you own that's in the database. Just search for the product and then click the user reviews tab on the product's review page.

Joe is the Content Director for What Hi-Fi? and Future’s Product Testing, having previously been the Global Editor-in-Chief of What Hi-Fi?. He has worked on What Hi-Fi? across the print magazine and website for almost 20 years, writing news, reviews and features on everything from turntables to TVs, headphones to hi-fi separates. He has covered product launch events across the world, from Apple to Technics, Sony and Samsung; reported from CES, the Bristol Show, and Munich High End for many years; and written for sites such as the BBC, Stuff and The Guardian. In his spare time, he enjoys expanding his vinyl collection and cycling (not at the same time).