When Ruark Audio launched the R410 all-in-one system and R610 streaming amplifier in the last couple of years, the 40-year-old brand thought it was done with CDs. These hi-res streaming-laden music systems also featured radio tuners and a phono stage, but silver disc playback was never part of the picture.

But then everyone started asking about CDs, says owner and managing director Alan O’Rourke. That led to an optional CD drive being offered that you could connect via USB-C to any of the R100 series, but a more integrated solution was clearly needed.

The new Ruark R710 streaming amplifier with integrated CD player launched at High End Vienna 2026, and it shows just how strong customers’ demand for CD playback currently is. This reflects reports across the wider hi-fi and music industry, where physical media as a whole has been on the rise for years, buoyed by vinyl’s astounding continual popularity, and a slow but steady rise in sales of CDs as well.