News

Ruark Unveils the new Crusader Mk III Loudspeakers (28/7/2006)

Ruark is proud to unveil its glorious new Crusader Mk III loudspeakers which not only celebrate the company's 20th anniversary, but also sit at the top of the marque's Heritage Series as Ruark's new flagship transducer.

Compact, yet capable of delivering a surprisingly large soundstage, the £2,800 Crusaders are an evolution of one of Ruark's most revered designs. While still embracing many exceptional elements of the old model, the Mk III's implement new and improved driver technologies and construction techniques. The result is a speaker that is musically involving yet compact and good looking enough to grace any living environment.

The Crusader III's front baffle leans gently backwards to aid time alignment of the drivers and dispersion, so despite their modest dimensions they still provide a room filling sound. The Crusader III is a true three-way design, incorporating a ribbon tweeter, a 7.5cm dome mid-range driver and 18cm composite carbon/pulped fibre woofer.

The aluminium ribbon tweeter is a highly evolved design where the low mass of the aluminium ribbon allows an extended high frequency response and natural reproduction of harmonics. The system is driven by an advanced neodymium motor system and mounted on machined alloy faceplate.

The 7.5cm mid-range treated and damped fabric dome driver is mounted on an aluminium former and coil with internal vented magnet system. This unit provides exceptional dispersion and performance through the mid-band frequencies.

Bass frequencies are handled by a highly specified 18cm treated carbon/pulped fibre woofer which employs a high loss, low reflection rubber surround mounted into a rigid die-cast alloy chassis. Allied to a high flux magnet system and lightweight voice coil assembly it provides extraordinary control and extension.

These units are all housed in hand crafted cabinets that have been partitioned and optimised for acoustic performance. As the design is deeper at the base than the top, this disperses internal resonances resulting in lower cabinet colouration.

Moreover, the mass loadable 25mm thick MDF enclosures are critically damped with an internal non-symmetric brace system. Finally a contoured 25mm veneered plinth provides the system with a large footprint and excellent stability when used with the adjustable 8mm spikes.

With the option of three standard veneers and two specials the Crusader III again offers the elegant design and construction quality that Ruark is renowned for.

Crusader III's efficiency and load make it suitable for a wide range of audio and video applications, but it is in quality music-based systems that the company feels it will win many new admirers with its even-handed balance and musicality.

SUGGESTED UK RETAIL: £2,800 per pair.

www.ruark.co.uk