After delving back into the world of passive speakers with the Sabre-R bookshelf model, Ruark Audio has turned its attention to one of its best-known floorstanding designs.
The Talisman floorstanders have been resurrected to mark Ruark's 40th anniversary, and this fourth-generation model features the same slim profile and sloped baffle design as the 1990 original.
We first glimpsed these new floorstanding speakers at the Bristol Hi-Fi Show earlier in the year, but they are making their official debut at the High End Vienna 2026 show this week alongside the new R710 streaming amp with CD player.
In keeping with the original floorstanders, the new Talisman-R is a two-way bass reflex design with a dual-flared port, but includes plenty of new technology and components. It features a 27mm silk dome tweeter alongside a 16.5cm NS+ long-throw fibre woofer, while the "carefully optimised" crossover features premium audio-grade components to ensure "best signal transfer and reduced distortion."
The result, says Ruark, are speakers that should deliver seamless integration and "a wide natural frequency range."
The cabinet of the Talisman-R has been given plenty of attention to reduce colouration. Aside from the fresh cosmetic design that keeps the visual identity similar to the current Sabre-R and 100 series – the lovely wooden slats, for instance – the floorstanders feature a new decoupled front baffle design. The bolts on the front suspend the baffle on elastomer bushings (a flexible mount) and, along with a dual damping strip, help to limit vibrations transferring from the drives to the main enclosure.
The enclosure's internal bracing system controls "acoustic hotspots" and is lined and damped with compound wadding to absorb a wide frequency range and control internal standing waves – all to deliver a purer sound.
The plinth for each tower is machined from 10mm plate steel, which adds mass to keep the Talisman-R stable, as well as giving them a floating appearance. Removable grilles with acoustically transparent fabric are also provided.
Made for "people who care about their home as much as their music," the Ruark Talisman-R is available in two finishes: fused walnut veneer or satin charcoal lacquer, to match the R610 streaming amplifier and/or newer R710 system with integrated CD player.
The Talisman-R floorstanders will cost £1499 / €1799 per pair, and will be available to buy later this year.
We reviewed the previous iteration, the Talisman-R III, back in 2006, and praised the five-star speakers' impressive build quality and fast, dynamic and exciting performance "that aim to bring out every last percentage point of entertainment from a piece of music." Let's hope the new version lives up to that reputation.
MORE:
Read our Ruark Sabre-R speakers review
And the Ruark R610 review
All the latest news from High End Vienna 2026
