Standing Room Only For Pink Floyd & KEF Blade 2

A big thank you to all that made our last vinyl evening the most attended to date,over 70 music lovers enjoyed Pink Floyd played through the new Kef Blade 2 speakers.

 The system used was entirely British designed featuring KEF, Arcam, Rega and Chord Cables.

·         Chord Epic Reference speaker cable and Chameleon VEE 3 interconnects (£1,500).

The album played was ‘The Endless River’ by Pink Floyd.

This was followed by the first side of ‘The Dark Side Of The Moon’ by Pink Floyd.

Other tracks that were played included:

Is There Anybody Out There?’ by Pink Floyd from the album ‘The Wall.

Hey Now’ & ‘Nightcall’ by London Grammar from the album ‘If You Wait

Lullaby’ by The Cure from the album Disintegration

Limit To Your Love’ by James Blake from the album James Blake

Walk On The Wild Side’ by Lou Reed from the album Transformer

Barcelona’ & ‘Listen To The Man’ by George Ezra

Six Blade Knife’ by Dire Straits from the album Dire Straits

Don’t Stop Me Now’ by Queen from the album Jazz & Greatest Hits

Turntable Stocking Fillers for Christmas

We've got a great range of accessories for the turntable lover this Christmas

From new cartridges to cleaning systems and phono stages

And we're always happy to give advice

Even Boswell is getting into the Christmas spirit!!

 

call in, or give us a ring, we're bound to have something for you.

Classic Vinyl Night No 14, 2nd December Pink Floyd's, The Endless River

Following the success of our thirteenth Classic Vinyl Evening, we are pleased to announce Classic Vinyl Night number fourteen, featuring Pink Floyd's New Album, The Endless River. The speakers we'll be using are KEF's brand new baby Blade II's. 

This will be on Tuesday 2nd December and once again will be held at the Fusion Room restaurant, 80 Friargate, Preston, PR1 2ED, at 7pm 7.30 start.

Click the link to find where we will be http://www.fusionroom.co.uk/

The album we have chosen is The Endless River by Pink Floyd

The idea is simple... just turn up and listen to an album in it's entirety on vinyl with a short break to grab a drink half way in. If you are interested in joining us please email the store preston@audio-t.co.uk or call us on 01772 883958 to confirm your place

If you require any additional information, please feel free to contact us.

We look forward to seeing you

Ian, Gavin and Andy  

                              

Naim mu-so sets new benchmark in wireless audio.

Naim Audio have once again raised the stakes with a truly innovative product. As ever they bring us the pleasure of high end audio but this time in a stand-alone wireless audio system. I refer of course to the mu-so wireless all in one music player.

 

 

The mu-so is a high quality active streaming receiver. It can play music from your PC , Mac or home network. It can connect to Spotify , internet radio, Apple AirPlay or Bluetooth and even has a USB and digital optical input. It is compatible with MP3, Flac (regular and high res 24 bit), WAV, and Apple. In short, as wireless streamers go there's not a lot that it doesn’t do.

 

Beneath the surface, the mu-so houses six custom designed speakers, each driven by its own 75 watt amplifier bringing us a total of 450 watts of power using technology inspired by the audio systems that Naim build for Bentley Motors.

 


When we first opened the box and took the mu-so out, you could tell straight away that this was a quality product built to amazingly high standards. The look and design of the mu-so is superb elegant and simple. Its brushed silver anodised aluminium chassis combined with the illuminated touch panel control and rotary volume seem almost futuristic and yet, are intuitive and easy to use. The mu-so can also be controlled by the Naim app available on both apple and Android devices.

 

 

With its varied functionality there are a few different ways to connect and set up the mu-so all of which are logical and straight forward. We soon had ours sat happily on our wi-fi network and playing from our music library. The music reproduction is amazing. For a relatively small product the sound that it delivers is super smooth with crystal clear clarity and jaw dropping bass, and its not shy when it comes to volume either.

 

 

So come in and have a look, have listen and you'll soon be adding a Naim mu-so to your Christmas list.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dolby Atmos is here, and it's amazing!!

 

 

I have just been to Dolby's European headquarters in London to hear the new Atmos system at work, and it is very impressive indeed!

Pioneer had arranged an introduction to Atmos in the wonderful 60 seater cinema at Dolby HQ which I have to say is the best sounding cinema I have ever heard (plus the HQ is a lovely buiding as well)

 

As I'm sure many of you are aware, Atmos is the next step forward in surround sound, although it is probably better described as fully immersive sound. The new processing allows the soundtrack mixers to place sound "objects" accurately in a three dimensional space, and to move them wherever they need to within that space.

The result is a remarkable immersive experience, one clip being in the middle of a thunderstorm with the thunder literally overhead while the rain falls around you, and although it has been used in cinemas for a while it is now available for the home cinema as well. With an Atmos equipped receiver and as little as a couple of extra speakers the home cinema experiece quite literally takes on a new dimension.

Pioneer are as always at the forefront of this new technology with their receivers, including the award winning SC-LX58. They also unveiled two new BluRay players with superb construction and performance.

 

We have the SC-LX58 on dem in Brentwood and ready to play some Atmos soundtracks for you, so come along and see (and hear) what all the fuss is about.

Upcoming November Events in Brentwood

 

We're having a few fun musical events/ open days in Brentwood during November.

On the 20th REL will be visiting with some BIG subwoofers to show how much can be gained by adding those lower registers to both HiFi and home cinema systems. We'll also have the projector room set up with a Dolby Atmos system for your delight and delectation. This will run in store from 12 noon until 8PM, be sure to come along and prepare to be impressed.

 

Then on the 27th we will have systems from KEF, The Chord Company, Chord Electronics and Project running again from 12 noon until 8PM. Chord Electronics are promising some meaty amps (alongside current favourites like the Hugo and Qute DACs) to drive the Blade 2 from KEF. There will also be some new KEF Reference speakers, Chord Company Tuned Aray cables and one of the top flight Project turntables for some vinyl delights.

And speaking of vinyl delights don't forget our Vinyl Saturday on the 15th with the guys from Diverse Vinyl

 

We're looking forward to seeing you and tempting you with some wonderful sounds and equipment....and maybe a bargain or two!

See you then

 

Paul, Francis, and Boswell

Diverse Vinyl day in Brentwood

The guys from Diverse Vinyl will be spending the day in our store on the 15th of November.

There will be a great range of music to choose from, some choice turntable based systems to hear, and a lot of fun to be had.

 

Paul will be doing health checks on turntables for free (although depending on demand you may have to leave the turntable for a few days)

 

We will also be offering 10% off turntable servicing and accessories

 

Remember the date, and we look forward to seeing you

 

Paul, Francis, and Boswell the bear

The New Ruark R1 Dab Radio is here.

We now have in stock the third generation of the Ruark R1 desktop radio and very nice it is to.

This is the latest incarnation of the ever popular Dab radio, and with many upgrades and improvements it is a great gem of modern gadgetry presented in an elegant and stylish cabinet.

So what’s new ?

The first thing you will notice is the display which now uses an OLED screen. This gives much better detail and clarity, also the brightness can be adjusted to suit anyone’s preference.

The control panel has also been improved. Using a much nicer version of Ruarks unique rotodial, it now has fewer buttons and is easier to navigate through the options. By giving it a smaller and separate power button you no longer accidentally turn it off while adjusting the volume.

The biggest upgrade is the addition of Bluetooth connectivity. This enables us to connect our smartphones, tablets, laptops etc and play our own music. The R1 wil read and display the track information as you listen.

Turn the R1 around and on the back you will find a stereo headphone output, an analogue line in and a USB socket. The line in gives us the option to connect an external source and the USB can be used to charge your phone or tablet.

On the whole its a great little product, with Dab , Dab+ and FM its a fantastic radio and suitable for any home or office enviroment. Available in three colours, Black , White , or the classic wood finish Walnut.

For more information check out the Ruark website http://www.ruarkaudio.com/products/r1-overview.

Quad returns to Brentwood with the Vena amplifier

Quad have come up with something VERY special in the Vena digital amp!

On the surface it looks very much like one of their classic series pre amplifiers, but it is somthing quite different for the venerable British company.

 

The small (midi width) stylish case contains a stereo amplifier rated at 45W into 8 ohms, plus a DAC with optical, co-ax and USB inputs, there is also APTX bluetooth on board alongside traditional line level inputs.

 

We have been playing with this little amp since it arrived, and we are delighted with the sound quality produced, great stereo separqtion and placement and plenty of oomph too.

So far it's been powering speakers from the diminutive Q Acoustics 2010i right up to the Focal Electra 1028 without any hint of strain.

The version pictured here is the standard Lancaster Grey which retails for only £600

£100 more gets you the amp clad in gloss black, gloss white, or a beautiful real wood veneer.

Come and have a listen to this little beauty as soon as you can.

 

KEF Reference 5 On Demo...One Week Only!

In store now for one week only, we are proud to announce we have the latest incarnation of the of the revered KEF Reference range of speakers from our good friends at KEF UK. This generation of Reference speaker really has raised the bar when it comes to performance and imagery combined with elegance and cutting edge technology, this floor standing speaker is more than capable of bringing recordings new and old into your listening environment.

Just a teaser picture to whet your appetite.

So many aspects of this range of new KEF Reference speaker has changed and been improved since the last generation, from the shape of the cabinets and the layout of the drivers, all the way down to the binding posts which have been plated with platinum no less.

 

All these changes large and small come together to make an incredible listening experience. Want to see more? Why don't you dig out your favourite vinyl or CD and give us a call to arrange a listen before this opportunity passes you by.

 

Introducing Dolby Atmos.

This week we were delighted to visit Dolby Laboratory’s European headquarters in London. We were there at the invitation of Onkyo UK to learn about the next evolutionary step in home cinema surround sound , Dolby Atmos.


 

Dolby Atmos uses new sound processing techniques to create audio that can be steered not just front to back or side to side but now with height and depth. This introduces previously unheard dimensions of movie sound and allows complete room coverage. This is easily achieved by adding a minimum of two small upward firing speakers to your existing 5.1 system. More Dolby Atmos enabled speakers can be added to bigger systems to create even more detail and realism. We heard it in Dolby's state of the art cinema and it blew our socks off, its that good.

 

 

We already have stock of Dolby Atmos ready products like the Onkyo TXNR636. Onkyo are so keen to get people going with Dolby Atmos that they are giving away two Dolby Atmos enabled speakers to anyone who buys one of their receivers. Onkyo also have a great website packed with lots of information about new Dolby Atmos, take a look.

 

http://www.onkyodolbyatmos.com

 

 

If you have any questions or need information about how to upgrade your existing home cinema to Dolby Atmos then give us a call on 01772 883958

Classic Album Evening No 13 Tue 21st October..

Following the success of our twelfth Classic Vinyl Evening, we are pleased to announce Classic Vinyl Night number thirteen.         

This will be on Tuesday 21st October and once again will be held at the Fusion Room restaurant, 80 Friargate, Preston, PR1 2ED, at 7pm 7.30 start.

Click the link to find where we will be http://www.fusionroom.co.uk/

The album we have chosen is Solid Air by John Martyn

 

The idea is simple... just turn up and listen to an album in it's entirety on vinyl with a short break to grab a drink half way in. If you are interested in joining us please email the store preston@audio-t.co.uk or call us on 01772 883958 to confirm your place

If you require any additional information, please feel free to contact us.

We look forward to seeing you

Ian, Gavin and Andy   

   

 

An Explosion of Colour to Liven up Your Sonos System

Colourplay has arrived and is on display in store

These neat little skins for Sonos Play1, Play3, and Play5 are a great way to add colour, match your decor or home interior, or just funk up your system!

Come and have a look or call us for more information

Paul and Francis 01277 264730

brentwood@audio-t.co.uk

 


 

Of course Boswell had to get in on the act, but then red is his favourite colour

 

A vinyl playing system for under £500!!!

We've just taken delivery of the new Project Stereo Box amplifier.

Not only is it a fully featured integrated amp in a tiny chassis with three line inputs, but it even has a built in MM phono stage, and all for £199.

 

 

This got us to thinking whether we could come up with a complete viny playing system for under £500, and with this little amp at its core it is possible.

So we partnered the Project Stereo Box with a Project Elemental turntable at £159, and a pair of Q Acoustics fab little 2010i speakers at £129 and ended up with a rocking little system all for £487, give us £500 and we'll even include some decent speaker cable. Nothing else required for a smart looking great sounding, expandable system

oh and it wouldn't be a blog without Boswell's approval

 

Make Huge Savings.

Check out some of these amazing deals. These and many more can be found on the clearance page of our website.

Monitor Audio GX200 speakers in Ebony were £2759.95 , now only £1999.



Pioneer SCLX87 Home Cinema Receiver was £2000 , now only £1399


Kef T305 Surround Sound Speakers was £1700 , now only £1300

 

Dont forget, if you are an e-Club you will get an extra 5% discount.

For more information give us a call on 01772 883958 or pop in and see us any time.

Delicious Things and Reduced Prices

We've had a few new additions to the dem room in the form of Chord Electronics

Their CPA2500 pre amp and SPM1050 power amp are making beautiful sounds with our Focal 1028be floorstanders. Amazing clarity and impact seem to be the hallmark of this combination without ever losing sight of the music itself. 
The Electra 1028 from Focal is one of our favourite speakers:

and the good news is we have this pair to sell ex-demonstration reduced from £5330 to £4530!

We also have the electra Subwoofer reduced from £2714 to £2171, and the SR surround speakers reduced from £3450 to £2760. If you're interested in all three we could produce a great package price for you as well.

Come on in and have a look and a listen.

Another great night

A big thank you to everyone who came to last nights Classic Album Evening. We enjoyed it very much and it sounded brilliant. The KEF LS50's did us proud and filled the room realy well which was no mean feat for a pair of small bookshelf speakers.

If you would like to hear the any of the equipment again, feel free to call in an see us any time.

If you couldn't make it, don't worry, we will be planning the next one very soon. With that in mind , if you have any suggestions as to which album we choose next please feel free to let us know.

Thanks again, and we'll see you soon