Ruark Talisman-R review

When you think of Ruark, what comes to mind? We suspect most people will think of classy premium radios and all-in-one systems. These components are what the brand has become known for over recent decades, and its success can be measured in five-star reviews, a truckload of Awards and, we suspect, impressive sales.

Older readers may remember something different. Those of a certain vintage may well associate the brand with immaculately crafted and sonically capable premium speakers. Models such as the Crusader, Equinox and yes, the Talisman were highlights.

The original Talisman was launched in 1990 and proved a huge success for the Ruark. There were three generations of this particular floorstander, spanning the best part of two decades until the company decided to focus on the radio and system path it is on now.

However, Ruark seems to feel that the time is right for a rebirth, so here we are with the new Talisman-R.

Build & design

The floorstander’s appearance looks familiar without shamelessly aping the original design. It remains a compact two-way floorstander with a slanted front baffle.

At 85cm high, it is small enough to fit into most modestly sized UK rooms without issue, particularly as the Talisman-R’s unfussy nature means that it can be placed closer to a rear wall than most rivals, and still sound balanced.

Take off the Ruark’s magnetically held grille, and you will find a 27mm silk dome tweeter partnered with a 17cm NS+ treated fibre mid/bass unit. The speaker’s low-end is tuned by a front-firing reflex port.

The Talisman-R’s build quality is as good as we’ve come to expect from Ruark. Its cabinet is reasonably hefty at just short of 18kg, and the walnut veneer feels premium. This is one of those rare speakers that we would leave the grille on, as the overall sonic balance doesn’t suffer much, and they look a little unfinished without it. The front baffle border that extends past the cabinet sides lacks a little elegance to our eyes, too.

Still, there is some lovely detailing here, from the grooved wooden section just above the base to the metal badging and neat plinth design. There are two finish options: the Fused Walnut of our review sample and a Charcoal option. We prefer the more traditional look of the wood option.

Compatibility

On paper, the Talisman-R shouldn’t prove difficult to drive for any price-compatible amplifier. Its sensitivity is 87dB/W/m and the nominal impedance is rated as 6 ohms. Take a closer look at the specifications and you will find that the minimum impedance is 3.8ohms at 5kHz, which is still relatively easy to accommodate.

Given that we expect most of these speakers to be sold with Ruark’s premium streaming amplifiers, the R610 and R710, it makes sense for them to be an undemanding load.

Given such style-focused partnering electronics, we are a little surprised to find the Talisman-R equipped for biwiring, when a single connection per side would be simpler and neater.

While the Talisman-R is right at home when driven by its sibling streaming amplifiers, we push it hard with integrated amplifiers such as Arcam’s A15+ and the Naim Nait XS3. Our main sources are the Cyrus CDi CD player and our reference Naim ND 555/555 PS DR music streamer. We also plug in our reference Burmester 088/911MkIII pre/power to really spotlight the Ruark’s performance.

While these speakers produce the most convincing stereo imaging when given a bit of room to breathe, they remain surprisingly balanced when placed as close as 20cm from the wall in our 3 x 7 x 5m test room.

Sound

These Ruark floorstanders aren’t the speakers to buy if you crave the most revealing and transparent performer for the money. Their superpower isn’t about dissecting a recording so it can be examined in obsessive detail. Instead, the Talisman-R encourages the listener to simply sit back and enjoy the musical experience.

In the old days, these speakers would have been described as having ‘a nice tone’. They are pleasant and easy-going without veering into blandness. It is a difficult balance that Ruark has managed well.

Listen to a vocal-based material such as Vilma Flood’s Rosen and the Talisman-R are right in their element. Their communicative midrange makes the most of Flood’s emotionally charged singing. Her voice sounds appropriately full-bodied and grounded, while the speaker’s expressive nature highlights the nuance of her delivery and the texture of her voice.

The Talisman-R’s two drive units integrate seamlessly, and there is a lovely top-to-bottom consistency to the speaker’s sound. Highs aren’t short of bite when the music demands it, despite being smooth and well behaved. It would take a lot to provoke these speakers into sounding unduly harsh or aggressive.

We are not as convinced about their bass ability. While it is nicely balanced and decently agile, we would like the lowest notes to be tauter and better defined. At times they border on the polite, lacking the outright punch of rivals like the Acoustic Energy AE309 Mk2 and the PMC Prodigy 5 when playing hard-hitting material such as Janet Jackson’s Rhythm Nation 1814.

Stereo imaging is good though, with the soundstage floating clear of the speaker cabinets. It isn’t the most precise or layered we’ve heard, but remains convincing in terms of the sense of space and scale it provides.

We have a great time listening to Mahler’s Symphony No.2 ‘Resurrection’, where the Talisman-R manage to convey the changing momentum and dynamic sweeps of the music well. They remain composed when the music becomes dense and have a balanced tonality that sounds natural and unexaggerated.

Verdict

Ruark’s Talisman-R are easy floorstanders to like. They have an unfussy nature that focuses the listener’s attention on the music rather than the mechanics of hi-fi.

Sure, you can buy more insightful and analytical towers for similar money, but for the right person, these Ruarks are a great buy.

Review published: 11th November 2026

SCORES

• Sound 4
• Build 4
• Compatibility 5

MORE:

Read our review of the Acoustic Energy A309 Mk2

Also consider the PMC Prodigy 5

Read our Dali Sonik 5

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