RUARK'S PRELUDE II

     RUARK'S PRELUDE IIS are immensely likeable speakers. They draw the listener into the music and keep hold. There's no harshness in the sound yet they remain delightfully expressive.
     The Prelude IIs prefer to deal in broad strokes; the performance is the important thing, not how far the singer is from the microphone. Don't get us wrong, as there's no lack of detail, it's just that the Ruarks' priorities are elsewhere.
     Midrange performance is open, fluid and in formative. Vocalists such as India Arie thrive through such speakers, sounding natural and full-bodied. Despite a brightly lit high-frequency performance, There's no undue aggression in the top-end.
     These are compact floorstanders, with a sloped front-panel, so internal volume isn't massively different from some of the standmounters in this test. Consequently, bass extension isn't going to trouble the Richter scale. However, there's enough here for all but the maddest bassheads, and it remains taut and tuneful.
     Fussy is an alien word to the Prelude IIs, They're at home with all genres of music, and will work with a wide range of amps. A free-space position is ideal, though the speaker's out-of-thc-box presentation means that toe-in isn't really an issue.
     Flaws? Some rivals are more tonally neutral and dig further into the mix. But if musical enjoyment is paramount, give these a long listen.

	Sound
	Build
	Compatibility
	VERDICT
These Ruarks are lively and involving floorstanders that pull the listener into the music
Free space	Recommended position
Two-way floorstanders	Type
18 cm coated paper	Mid/bass drive unit
27 mm soft dome	Treble drive unit
Front	Reflex port
Biwire	Terminals
45Hz-22kHz	Frequency range (+/- 3dB)
88 dB/w/m	Sensitivity
8 ohms	Nominal impedance
Not available	Minimum impedance
50-120 watts	Recommended amplifier power
88x21x22	Dimensions
Natural cherry, red cherry, natural oak, black oak	Finishes available