Ruark Audio M1 Bluetooth Speaker System Review

Small speakers provide a big sound.

I have an interest in different types of wireless audio systems. When I found this small style of speakers from Ruark Audio, I was intrigued. The M1 Bluetooth Speaker System provides a large sound for smaller speakers.

First Impressions

When I unboxed the speakers I found them to be stylish, but subtle. The M1 Speakers come in three finishes — soft black, soft white and rich walnut. I had chosen the soft black speakers because I felt like they might blend the most with my decor. I like speakers to blend into the background and not be their own piece of furniture. Again, this was a big plus for this smaller style of speakers because they aren’t stand out pieces of flare.

Next, I noticed that these are not wireless speakers. They come with minimal connection wires — AC power and interconnect cable. These speakers do connect to devices via Bluetooth, but there is also an option to connect with an aux cable via a line-in port. These speakers also come with a plug-in option for a subwoofer addition, but I have to admit, just using these speakers with movie playback and music, I don’t really feel that additional depth is needed.

The M1 speakers have a very simple connection method. There is a multipurpose button on the top of the right speaker. You depress it once to turn on the power and then hold it in to put the speakers into Bluetooth pairing mode. This button is also the volume control knob. It’s a very simple interface and one that is appreciated.

This system also comes equipped with a small remote. With this remote, you can power the speakers on/off, adjust the volume, mute the speakers and switch input modes between line-in or Bluetooth. This comes in very handy if you have the speakers installed in a place where it’s not easily accessible.

Installation/Connection

Something that is really big with me is the ease of connection with Bluetooth devices. Some devices that I’ve tested take eons to connect to your main device — in this case an iPad Air 2 — and some connect instantly. Once I had the M1 speakers connected to power and each other, I put them into pairing mode and visited the Bluetooth menu on my iPad. I was surprised that they weren’t recognized faster than they were. It took approximately 30–45 seconds for them to appear on my iPad’s menu. To some, this may not be a long time, but when I’ve had other Bluetooth devices connect within 5 seconds, it’s an eternity. I will say that once they were connected, I didn’t have any problems with the speakers disconnecting or being recognized by the iPad after being powered off.

Sound Quality

This is the information you’ve really been waiting for — the sound quality. During my testing, I used my iPad Air 2 (as mentioned above) and connected using Bluetooth. I found that the best sound came when I listened to instrumental music — movie scores to be exact — from Pandora. I also tested a movie out through Netflix and found that while it was nice to have amplified sound for it, there were just too many highs and lows mixed with music and speaking for these speakers to really shine.

That being said, if you listen to straight music, you will be very impressed. When you are just listening to music, it’s sort of like wearing a really nice set of headphones — except that they are speakers. I mentioned above that you really don’t need a subwoofer and I stand by that. Listening to music that has a wide range of style like instrumental/musical scores is a great test. Delicate sounds like the triangle in the percussion section and then great booming sounds like the deep sound of an bassoon or tuba, are not lost on these speakers.

Final Thoughts

The M1 Bluetooth Speaker System does give a wide range of big sounds. I have thoroughly enjoyed testing them and would recommend them if you are looking to supplement a greater set-up.

For more information, visit http://www.ruarkaudio.com/products/mr1-overview.

Find Ruark Audio on Facebook and Twitter.

Purchase yours from Amazon here. Ruark Audio MR1 — Bluetooth Speakers