Was fine yesterday, playing CDs and streaming. Just turned it on to listen to the new Sparks cd (It’s MAD!) and it just continuously reads it with no end result. Can’t even eject it.
I’m heading out shortly to see Sparks so the plan is it will work miraculously tomorrow. Fräu Steady wonders if the heat has affected it’s delicate mechanisms but it’s in a cool spot in the kitchen and is slightly cooler today than yesterday.
MAD!
The Sparks album was mentioned in the recent lens cleaner discussion.
I’m concerned about playing it again now in case it contains magical hardware knackering properties.
Oh, ruddy heck.
Maybe ask Ron and Russel if they have any advice?
“Oh no, my Ruark is playing up”
Afterword t-shirt.
“Oh no , my Ruark is playing up.”
But I can’t do anything about it because I’m going to a gig.
MAD!
What is a Ruark?
It’s a big wooden boat that you regret building.
Boom-tish!
A quite brilliant riposte @pencilsqueezer.
Not of course to be confused with a Roo- Ark. A large, wooden, Australian boat, built to save marsupials from flood waters.
👍👏
I think you’re taking the Robert.
Class 🙂
Does it do it with other CDs? Did you clean the offending one?
It only started doing it with the Sparks cd yesterday but previously had played it perfectly well along with others.
It’s still happening this morning, just reading and reading and reading and not being able to eject so my cunning plan of leaving it overnight has failed. I’ve completely unplugged it now.
There is a FAQ section from Ruark and one of the suggestions is to prise the front grid forward a mm or so! MAD!
Time to go into warranty mode Fred. I can’t recall exactly when you purchased it but return it and get it replaced.
Just 3 weeks ago! I’m still attempting a fix but it will probably have to be returned.
Problem is, there’s a cd stuck in it!
You may have to sacrifice that Fred, just don’t do anything to the device that may void your warranty. Explain that there is a DVD stuck in the machine and ask if there is any way it can be either returned to you, replaced or refunded. Pob lwc.
DVD? There’s the problem!
Personally never had an issue with them. I will add though that I don’t like slot loaders one little bit.
It’s definitely a cd
Anyway.
Sparks were magnificent. Absolutely superb. A mixture of the new album, the obvious hits and some lesser known ones (to me at least) which will send me down a wormhole. Ron sang “Suburban Homeboy!”
It made me think how many other bands/artists have such longevity and are still producing fantastic music and live performances.
Oh and I think it was the first time I’ve worn sandals to a gig.
Socks? Or no socks?
Socks !
FFS
Don’t try that down here.
No socks. Always no socks.
I managed to negotiate the toilets safely too
Did you get the gentle mist at the urinal moment? I’m assuming shorts as well, the only way you get to realise how much slash back you get, especially with those polished metal ones. I mean the long troughs, as opposed the inverted old ladies salon hairdrier option.
Or, even worse, the double-sided troughs at Glasto, where the chap the other side of the dividing wall aiming down into the V, can bounce it out the other side.
And thus onto the front of my shins.
Quite by accident I once met an Incredible String Band Fan whilst stood at a pub’s urinal. Looking down I was struck by the enormous quantity of disinfectant blocks that were lying in the trough. They reminded me of a cluster of ameobas (bloody artists eh) I muttered under my breath “Ameobas are very small”. The chap stood down the urinal from me replied “Hangman’s Beautiful Daughter is a fu* king masterpiece.” No further communication followed. It had all been said.
Not a trough, individual urinal.
Anyway, the bloomin’ Ruark eh?
Stop trying to change the subject Freddy. Air dryers or paper towels?
I once held my hands under an air drier…bloody thing isn’t working…tut tut…oh, it’s a paper towel dispenser….
Air dryers. Sparks fans wouldn’t use paper towels.
Which begs the question. Whose fans would prefer a paper towel? Pulp? Magazine?
I had trouble with my Ruark early this year. Kept failing to read the CDs but at least it was possible to eject them. After a couple of conversations with their customer support I sent it back to them and they did a repair that sorted it out. Cost over £100 but a lot less than buying a new model.
Ta. Think I’m just going to return mine to John Lewis.
Are you able to eject the Sparks CD yet, Fred?
You might want to return the CD as well. It’s quite possible it’s a duffer.
Nope, still the same problem. I’ll try Leedsboy’s advice when I get home though I don’t recall a small hole. Sorry Mr Squeezer.
Or perhaps try this (if it is this model).
https://www.ruarkaudio.com/customer-support/answer/the-cd-will-not-eject-on-my-new-r3
“the likely cause is that the front grille has been forced down to far during transit.”
Great at hi-fi, terrible at speeling/grammer
Tried that . The front grill is immovable. And anyway, it worked perfectly well. And then it didn’t.
Have you tried powering on whilst pressing the eject button? That sometines works. Or look for the very tiny hole near the tray and push an unbent paper clip in there gently. If it has a hole of course.
Has it gone all hot in here or is it only me?
I cut and pasted it from the script of Carry On HiFi.
No small hole to poke a pin into. I can almost sneak another cd in but I guess that’s not a good idea.
Definitely take it back.
I’ve taken it back. The very polite man at Tech Support in John Lewis tried in vain to fix it, looking at the Ruark website and trying the same things I’d tried , to no avail. I’ve had a refund with a bit extra for the missing Sparks cd (MAD!) and a replacement R3 ordered which I get to pick up from my local Waitrose on Thursday. So I’ll pick up some nice cheese too.
Parting is such sweet sorrow…but cheese!
@fentonsteve has kindly been asking after an update so here goes.
I picked up the replacement a week or so ago plus some rather lovely Ossau-iraty. Get me! Mind you , blooming Waitrose, a fiver for a smidge.
Anyway, the new R3 was set up last weekend, DAB and streaming all fine. I’d avoided playing a cd because, well , that’s the sort of thing I do but I’ve just tried a couple (An Ian McNabb and a Goat album) and all is well though it didn’t recognise McNabb as the artist….which might not be a bad thing!. I played the cd, stopped it, switched the R3 off, turned it back on and it was fine so fingers crossed. Frau Steady has made what could be a wise comment about the location of the R3 because it’s on a work top very near a washing machine and she was wondering it if that had something to do with the previous problem. I’m currently avoiding thinking she is correct.
I’ve also been in contact with Ruark customer service because I want my Sparks cd back! A long shot but we’ll see. I’ll keep you updated!
I do like a smidge…
Frau Steady may well have a point. Vibrations from such things as washing machines in the vicinity of delicate audio kit are better avoided. Have some cheese and mull it over.
Ah, ok. That could be a problem due to the layout of the kitchen. I can move it so it’s further away from the washing machine but would be in direct sunlight for some part of the morning .
I’ll check my cheese stocks.
It may be ok Fred but check by putting your hand on the surface your Ruark is on the next time the washing machine is doing it’s thang. If you feel vibrations do a Cliff and move it.
Alternatively, you could make a vibration-proof platform out of a granite chopping board and a couple of squash balls chopped in half.
Thank you John Noakes.
I’m sure there are actual things called vibration mats though?
You could try something like ISO Acoustics feet, or a platform by AVID (both available from Richer Sounds) but they’re essentially all variations on the concept of a heavy weight on squidgy feet.
Even a slab of packing foam or bubblewrap would prove the point, before you go and spend actual money.
I think you’re probably right @pencilsqueezer.
I won’t be doing any washing till tomorrow at the earliest but it does make a racket . Thanks for the advice but I’m concerned now! I’ll have a move round later and see how it looks. With regards to the sunlight, it probably won’t be that bad, it would only be early morning and it’s not exactly Andalusia here. I will have to move some of Frau Steady’s plants though, yikes.
Courage mon brave.
The comments on vibrations sound logical – I have accidentally jogged a CD player in the past – but how do in car players get over this issue? I assume they must have a quite different mechanism.
You might be thinking of gyroscopes and servos, but all they actually do is read the CD in fast time and stuff the data into RAM, then read it out at normal rate.
Drive over pot holes for 5 minutes non-stop and the music will cease. As will your vertebrae…
The AViD thingy is £300 or thereabouts. Yikes.
The Ruark does have some rather splendid semi-bouncy legs which will hopefully absorb some vibration. Frau Steady is of the opinion we need to move it completely away from the white goods but I’m really not sure where it can go. I will procrastinate.
Honestly, some bubblewrap or a couple of jiffy bags will prove the point.
There’s a high-end valve amp designer who lives round here. I’ve seen his high-end turntable, balanced on a DIY stand made of few housebricks topped off by a layer of bubblewrap sandwiched between two Asda granite chopping boards.
Granite chopping blocks are very useful items. Add some squishy feet and Bob’s your aunty’s decoupled husband.
It’s only gone and happened again. Was playing perfectly fine Saturday night and now it’s not. Continually reading and not ejecting.I’ve managed to get the cd out this time ( The new Self Esteem cd since you ask) with a wooden fork so that’s something. I’ve just risked a freebie cd in there and the problem persists. Definitely something wrong with the mechanism as when you put the cd in the slot , it doesn’t appear to be engaging with anything and it most certainly doesn’t eject though again, my wooden fork magic worked.
It’s going back and I’m back to my original dilemma of what is out there in the market that suits my needs.
Grrrrrrr!
That’s wretched luck Fred. It looks like an unavoidable design flaw. I’ll have a dig around to see what else is on offer. What’s your budget? Please don’t say as cheap as possible as that doesn’t help.
Thank you kind Sir. I’ve had a footle around on a couple of forums and haven’t found much. Im either very unlucky or it is the washing machine but I had moved it further along the work top away from the vibration. Just odd that both times it was working and then the next day not.
The Ruark was just over £600 and probably my limit . I’m not that big an audiophile and my ears aren’t brilliant. There don’t seem to be too many alternatives out there, the usual suspects of Pure and Roberts. It’s also got to be quite slim, depth wise, if that makes sense.
Have you tried the vibration isolation tricks mentioned above (chopping boards, bubble wrap, squash balls, et al)?
You took the words right outa my mouth. I’ve had a bit of a root around and found there to be a bit of a paucity of options and I doubt if the two I’m going to suggest will match the Ruark sonically or aesthetically. Nevertheless the two are…
Pure Classic C-D6 £179 @ Amazon or Richer Sounds.
Roberts Blutune 300L £279 @ John Lewis
I’ll keep digging now I have your budget and see if I can turn up anything more exotic.
I’ll try to gather recent editions of the Radio Listener’s Guide and have a look at the reviews. They’re A5 pamphlets and so easily mislaid.
OK after taking a look around at slightly more expensive options I’ve turned up another two options Fred.
Tivoli Audio Music System £699 @ Debenhams
Loewe Klang s3 £549 @ Peter Tyson
I rather dig the Loewe it’s a pretty cool minimalist industrial design that comes in black or silver. It looks pretty cool in silver but of course that’s my taste not yours.
If I find anything else I’ll let you know Fred.
Wow! Those two certainly fit the brief. That Loewe Klang unit looks amazing…
Thank you. Let me do some proper research.
Pure Evoke Home £400 got 8 out of 10 in the 2023 Radio Listener’s Guide. Might be discontinued now, though.
Similar design concept to the Loewe Klang.
They were both two products I looked at and concur with your view.
I’ve not passed that by Frau Steady. She’s into her aesthetics.
Arf!
Bear with me here…I’ve been pondering this thread ever since Freddy first posted, and trying to identify the niggling question that keeps bubbling up. And here it is.
I know you’ve paid for the CD player and all, but given the multiplicity of other listening options available to you on this desirable piece of kit, why clutter up your kitchen with CDs? I know there’s a point of principle at issue here, and no doubt you’ll return it and either get another one or get your money back, but I can’t help wondering.
Of course I speak as one who ditched all his CDs when he moved to Oz.
Cough, splutter.
I feel faint.
Mini update: the second duff Ruark has finally gone back and I’ve had a refund.
Currently edging towards the Loewe Klang at the moment, for aesthetic and space reasons as much as sound ( I know…and I apologise.)
More procrastination required for now
Does anyone know anything about the Denon RCD 12?
If it’s the same device I just checked out it looks like you’ll need to add a pair of speakers Fred. That’s not such a bad thing as you get to pair it with a pair of small bookshelf speakers of your choice. Don’t forget to figure in a pair of reasonable speaker cables.
Sorry for the tardiness, I’ve been stoopid busy at work today (as I have the next 3 days off).
I know someone who has a Denon RCD-N12DAB and it is very nice. Whether it is worth twice the price of a RCD-M41DAB is debatable. It’s certainly a lot prettier.
My go-to bookshelf speakers are by Q Acoustics, which are ace and also not ugly.
Thank you for clarifying that! As far as I could see, there was no actual mention of needing your own speakers on the Denon website but I just about worked it out myself…
If it has binding posts amongst the connections at the rear of a device it requires speakers.
I know you’re all excited about the Mods hard work but I do have an update for you.
I am expecting delivery of the Loewe Klang S3 in the next couple of hours. I am slightly wary it won’t quite sound as good as the Ruark but aesthetically it hits the mark so Frau Steady will be happy. Which is important.
Pob lwc Fred. Hopefully this beast will fulfill it’s function hassle free.
Phwoar!
Thank you. I’m planning to move the location slightly to avoid any washing machine influence. It should be bijou enough to go on a shelf.
The excitement mounts. Slight delay as now it’s between 2 and 4 and is 4 stops away.
I’m on the edge of my seat!!
Squeaky bum time.
It’s here. It looks lovely…
Having a bit of a minor family issue so might have to keep you hanging on. I’ve managed to connect it to the WiFi which is something
(faints…)
Right. It’s in its new position on a shelf above the worktop with the washing machine and because it is bijou, it looks good. You barely notice it if I’m honest so aesthetically Frau Steady (who is out for the evening) will be relieved.
I’ve listened to DAB and that’s really good. CD (tested it with The Armoury Show) is perfectly ok, probably a bit trebly compared to the Ruark but I haven’t played around with settings yet.
So far , so good!
The Armoury Show album is a gem.
@leedsboy innit?
Non-more 80’s flanged, fretless bass sound
Peak 80’s. The (what sounds like syndrums) drums at the end of Waiting For The Floods are so 80’s. Tunes as well. And Jobbo being an impeccable front man. Vastly underrated band and album.
Agree with all your sentiments there.
How’s the Loewe settling in?
Still settling in!
I’ve had a busy few days so haven’t been able to have a proper play around yet. I need to have a look at the EQ and whack the bass up a bit I reck.
It’s a very solid piece of German engineering, natürlich.
Right. I’ve spent a day with the Loewe Klang S3 , it’s in its final position, I’ve tweaked a few settings and I’m pleased to say that it is sounding mighty fine. I’m listening to The Heart is Strange by XPropaganda which I imagine is quite a “modern” sounding cd but whatever, it’s an excellent sound. Aesthetically, it’s looking good too so all is harmonious in the Steady Household.
Thanks to all that contributed but especially @fentonsteve and @pencilsqueezer who pointed me in the direction of the S3 in the first place.
New Afterwords T Shirt. “You can stick your Ruark up your a**e.”
And I’d like you both to share my Hamper.
You deserve it!
Has this worked?
Yes, it has worked. Phwoar!
(rubs thighs)
Oh I say top show that man.
Looks good.
I recently picked this monolith up in a thrift store for playing CDs in a bedroom, will also convert it to receive Bluetooth using AUX input for streaming. $16 CAD, about 9 quid! Sounds really good actually for a Boombox
(cassette doesn’t work but I don’t really care)