It was back at the beginning of 2019 we got our hands and ears wrapped around the Ruark R5 music system - which delivered a lot sonically speaking, but also cost rather a lot at its £999/€1300 asking price.

That's where the Ruark R3 comes in: this is a slightly smaller system than the R5 (167 x 420 x 220mm just in case you're wondering), yet still aspires to bring big sound (the class A-B amp system delivers 30W). Still a living room filler when it comes to sound, just not a ballroom filler like the R5.

That also has a knock-on effect on the price, with a £629 RRP tag making this product a little more eye-catching to a wider audience.

Ruark, which is a British company, doesn't dabble in voice assistants - although you can connect to an Echo Dot or Google Home Mini if you want such control. It's somewhat old skool in its approach: the CD player being a nod to that.

The R3 of course also facilitates many must-have modern streaming features, including Wi-Fi (Spotify Connect, Tidal, Deezer, Amazon Music all supported) and aptX Bluetooth connectivity.

Design wise it's a very hands-on product, with features such as the trademark RotoDial controller making for a distinctive method of control that helps define the brand.

There's also an OLED display on the front so you can see what's what. That'll make it an ideal living room or kitchen speaker to bang out the tunes.

The Ruark R3 will be available from August in either Walnut Veneer or Soft Grey Lacquer finish.