Spinning Platters of Lacquers that Matter - Michell Gyro SE Turntable

Vinyl, records, phonograph plates of pleasure are riding a wave of revival that show no signs of slowing down - and with good reason. Let's not dwell on the format wars of quality and purity, but instead, acknowledge the ritual.

Deciding on the mood, thumbing the vinyl collection, pulling out that favourite album of the moment, carefully removing the sleeve. A glance or a detailed read of the sleeve notes with the emotional nostalgic memory of when/where it was bought or where it was first heard. A close inspection of the record condition, squinting at the track listings (that seem to get ever smaller). Then firing up the turntable, the gentle caress of a record brush and finally, the needle drops and listening begins. The Michell Gyro SE takes the vinyl ritual to histrionic proportions - spinning bling of beautiful industrial design.

History

Michell Engineering was first founded by the late John Michell, who had been a prominent figure in the audio world for over 50 years. He was also well known for making scale models during the 1960s and it was during this time that he met Stanley Kubrick and built the spaceship ‘Discovery’ for the film 2001 – Space Odyssey, later to become the inspiration for the revered GyroDec.

Since the early 1980's, when the Michell Gyrodec first burst on the scene, it still remains one of the most desirable, iconic turntable designs of all time. The Gyro SE is a variation of the GyroDec design. Doing away with the full size acrylic plinth and hinged lid of the Gyrodec and replacing them with a single acrylic spider to support the turntable. This was done to reduce the overall size of the GyroDec and create a smaller more compact turntable.

Design Features of the Michell Gyro SE

The low contact area feet of solid aluminium are shaped so the area in contact with the supporting surface is very small, this is done to minimise the transfer of vibrations from the supporting furniture into the turntable.

The spring suspension system The three towers are fixed to the acrylic base to hold the suspension springs in place and provide height adjustment for the sub chassis.

The weighted pendulum style sub chassis hangs on these three suspension springs, this provides a rigid dense platform to mount the main bearing, platter and tonearm assembly, ensuring there is no movement between them, while also acting as a ‘resonance / vibration sink’ drawing away unwanted vibrations from the sensitive elements of the turntable. Thus, unlike the Linn LP12 where the suspension system springs are in compression , the Gyro’s springs are in tension.

The inverted oil circulating main bearing. Contrary to traditional designs, the main bearing has the point of rotation at the top of the assembly, not at the bottom. This orientation allows for full lubrication of the inside of the entire bearing while the platter is turning. This is achieved by way of a modified Archimedean screw that is machined into the inside bore of the bearing. The oil is drawn from a reservoir at the base of the main bearing up to the thrust ball at the top, fully lubricating as it goes, it then returns to the reservoir via a waste hole drilled into the bearing spindle. Lubricating the precision parts of the main bearing in this way means that any potential for noise or vibration created by the rotation of the platter is avoided.

The Michell Gyro SE in our bristol shop demo room

The impedance-matched platter with solid brass weights: The platter material was chosen for its vibration dampening characteristics and because sonically it is a very similar material to vinyl, so it has a very neutral sound characteristic. The brass weights are added to give the platter extra mass and subsequently more momentum when spinning. This greatly improves speed stability and helps keep wow and flutter to a minimum.

The free standing motor unit: The motor unit used to drive the turntable is completely separate to the turntable, meaning it doesn’t touch the turntable in anyway. The only connection between the motor and the turntable is the drive belt that drives the platter. This greatly reduces any noise or vibration created when the motor is running getting through to the sensitive parts of the turntable.

The TechnoArm 2 is a custom one piece arm tube with 22 drilled holes on the underside to reduce mass. The tonearm is assembled using ultra-low friction polymer bearings. The wiring loom is 99.9999% pure silver litz wire from the cartridge tags to the phono plugs with no internal wiring joints.

Cartridge Matching

Here at Audio T Bristol, we have experimented with various cartridges on the Michell Gyrodec SE. What is apparent is the manual VTA adjuster allows greater flexibility in cartridge selection. The Rega MC cartridges are an excellent fit, the Hana SH Shibata High output MC is just fantastic and close run with the Dynavector 20x2. We pushed the boat out for this setup - mounting the Dynavector XX2. According to Dynavector, the DV XX-2 MKII retains the benefit of the flux damper, but features the Alnico-5 magnet and the similar rigid construction to the Te Kaitora Rua. Alnico magnets exhibit high magnetic flux density combining with a low coercivity, therefore magnetic resistance is lower than other magnetic types such as rare earth and ferrite, providing the exceptional stability of the XX-2 MKII output voltage. There is also the additional advantage of low magnetic and electrical resistance contributing to a discernible improvement in sound quality.

The XX-2MKII also exhibits deep powerful bass, treble is both clear and lively possessing none of the hardness found in many moving coil designs, and this compliments the punch of the Gyro SE Turntable, rhythm and excitement.

Setup

Source: Michell Gyro SE
Phono Stages: Rega Aura, Rega Aria MkIII
Amplifiers: Rega Osiris, Naim NAP 300 DR
Preamplifiers: Naim NAC 252
All-in-One: Naim Uniti Nova

Listening

Christmas came and went, but left behind a lovely selection of fresh records to spin, among them Bonny Light Horseman, self titled album, which sees Fruit Bats singer Eric D. Johnson join veteran multi-instrumentalist Josh Kaufman and singer-songwriter Anaïs Mitchell to revisit ancient folk songs presented beautifully. The Gyro SE shines with this multi- layered acoustic tapestry and live recording feel. The sense of space and timing is excellent. Equally, vinyl recordings by Stereophonics, You gotta go there to come back, Amy Winehouse, Back to Black and Portishead, Dummy are all played with such gusto, elegance and fun that the Gyro SE just leaves you wanting to listen more. There is a molasses thickness to the bass and lower mids giving great punch and weight to the sound stage. It never shows up a bad recording or struggles with different genres, but seems to get to the heart and the drama of everything that is spun.

Comparatively, the Michell Gyro SE with the Dynavector XX2 II MC Cartridge comes in around £4,500. This puts the deck between the Rega Planar 10 with Apheta or Linn’s entry level Linn Majik. Either of these decks are a great vinyl experience. Effortless, textured, great imaging and depth of sound stage. Each have their unique characteristics, design philosophies and ,as a result, quite different presentations that are well worth an audition side by side to establish your preference.

Thanks for reading.

Justin, Max & James - Audio T Bristol

Be sure to keep up to date with what’s going on in store by following on Instagram & Facebook

You can have a listen to the music we use in all our demonstrations and test systems in our listening rooms with the constantly evolving Audio T Bristol Qobuz Playlist - Here.

Contact Us to book an audition to hear the Michell Gyro SE for yourselves at Audio T Bristol.

Michell Engineering can be found at the following Audio T stores

• CARDIFF

• MANCHESTER

• SOUTHAMPTON

• SWANSEA

The Fabled Faber's Fascinating Fine Sound - Olympica Nova I

Sonus faber Olympica Nova I Speakers

Italian manufacturers have always been famous for their iconic designs. A visit to the Haynes International Motor Museum proves this. Exemplified by many, all time classics; the Bristol 401, Alfa Romeo 2000, Aston Martin DB6, Jenson Interceptor, Bentley Continental & far too many Ferraris to mention - all penned at Carrozzeria Touring Superleggera in Milan. But this Italian excellence isn’t unique to the automotive world…

Sonus Faber represent classic craftsmanship.

Here we have Italian flair - like a classic Riva Aquarama Motoscafi cruising the canals of Venice. Handmade works of art steeped in traditional virtues with modern technologies used to enhance creations. Their speaker ranges are referred to as collections, with the Olympica Nova coming in line after the Reference and Homage ranges. There is an essence of luxury boutique that exudes Italian quality, with the philosophy of Sonus Faber founder, Franco Serblin, clearly still bursting through. And beneath the veneer are solid foundations of exquisite sound.

These speakers have been brought to us by the UK distributor, Fine Sounds.

The cabinet's asymmetrical lute shape is an original design concept that allows versatile positioning of the speakers to tune the bass response in any room. Inspired by nature, the lines follow the flow of a circular spiral motion, achieving a more organic cabinet structure.

There are a number of Sonus Faber core technologies that permeate the ranges and are intrinsic to the vocalisation of their creations.

Sonus Faber’s very own D.A.D (damped apex dome) technology is a localised dampening of the tweeter. In a standard soft dome tweeter, apex anti-phase behaviour is responsible for the high frequency early roll-off. D.A.D tweeter technology allows better reproduction of high frequencies.

The “Stealth Reflex” system, is an innovative “para-aperiodic” interpretation of the tuned loudspeaker. It allows reduction of acoustic volume dimensions, providing greater extension in low frequencies response and reduction of distortions, it also eliminates spurious wind noises, typical of traditional reflex systems.

The most significant peculiarity of the Olympica Nova range regarding positioning in the environment, is that the side reflex channel is handed. This means there is a choice to position the speakers with the reflex channel outlet facing internally or externally, according to the acoustic conditions of the room used or personal taste.

Test System

Sources:
Linn Klimax DSM - Qobuz Streaming, Rega Planar 8, Audio Note CD2.1X/II CD Player

Amplifiers:
Rega Aethos, ATC SIA2 150, Rega Osiris, Naim NAP 250, NAC 282

All-In-One:
Naim Uniti Star

Accessories:
Rega Aria Mk III Phono stage, Chord Odyssey X - Speaker cable, Naim NACA5 - Speaker cable, Audioquest Cinnamon Ethernet, Audioquest Vodka RCA Interconnects, AudioQuest NRG-Z3 IEC Mains Cables

Setup & Listening

The Sonus Faber Olympica Nova I do seem to offer a wider stereo image and larger sound stage than expected. System wise - they were well handled by the Naim or Rega setups above. Personally, I found the Rega and Sonus Faber combination had a magical synergy. This could be because of their 4 Ohm rating better utilises the Rega power. However, the Naim amplification with Linn streaming brought forth a clarity and control that really is astounding.

Hifi+ writer Alan Sircom dropped a reference track in a review that runs counter to the ideals of Hi-Fi sound. His argument is best read Here, but in summary - using Electronic music to evaluate a systems performance is counter intuitive, since the synthesised instruments created have no real world equivalents and most reviews focus on 'real' world reproduction of real instruments. Trentemøller’s Chameleon on the album Last Resort, has a square wave bass that has transients impossible to create in the 'real' world. I have tried this track with a number of speakers, and whilst it is unrealistic to expect speakers to reach 20Hz (or even hear that frequency), what does materialise in ported speakers is a chuffing sound in the bass that blurs these transients - some more than others. One of two things happen with this track - the speakers give way to chuffing or the room gives up to rattling and annoying resonances. The bass speed of the Nova Olympica I is full, no port noise with complete room control. And whilst a standmount speaker, it can't reach Mariana Trench like bass - it degrades so gracefully as to not matter.

Sonus faber Olympica Nova I Speakers

It's rare that we use a CD Player as a source for reviewing speakers, but a recent expedition to the shops meant that I had a new selection that I was eager to explore. Every Kingdom, the debut studio album from British singer songwriter, Ben Howard, features the track Old Pine. The sparse opening yielded a beautiful separation, solid deep sound stage. The transients of the acoustic guitar superbly handled. Ibrahim Ferrer, Buena Vista Social Club, Marieta- Ry Cooder's production feels alive with a real sense of the live recording space. The voice of Ferrer soaring with Hemingway’s Old Man and the Sea gravitas. Moving through Moby Play, Sir George Solti Mozart Symphony 40, Bert Jansch Black Swan - no matter what the genre - the Sonus Faber Olympica Nova I show their speed and versatility to open up the emotion of the music without any colouration, but a vocalisation that is unique, rare to find and extremely accessible - there is always a great feel of grip, smoothness, relaxed, yet with great detail.

In summary

Like the inescapable magnetic draw of Italian taste, flair, design and shear drooling excitement. This is a sumptuous loudspeaker - think Italian Truffles with a full bodied red - Fettuccine al tartufo served with a smoldering Brunello di Montalcino 2007.

Thanks for reading.

Justin, Max & James - Audio T Bristol

Be sure to keep up to date with what’s going on in store by following us Facebook and Instagram.

You can have a listen to the music we used in all our demonstrations, and test systems in our listening rooms with the constantly evolving Audio-T Bristol Qobuz Playlist - Here.

Contact Us to book an audition to hear the Sonus Faber Olympica Nova I for yourselves at Audio T Bristol.

Sonus faber can be found at the following Audio-T stores

• BRISTOL

• CARDIFF

• SWINDON

• SOUTHAMPTON

HELLO HALO - THE GREAT BRITISH ICON EVOLVED - B&W 800 SERIES

All great manufacturers will have a product in their line up that takes the mantle of figurehead. Typically, these are built by dedicated teams and represent the brand's pinnacle in both engineering and manufacturing. The automotive world calls them 'Halo' cars - think of the BMW M3, Mercedes McLaren SLR & Audi R8. They define a brand's "this is what we are about" ethos, instantly recognisable, scream character and most of all capture the imagination. Revered & anticipated, Bowers & Wilkins statement of accomplishment - Audio T welcomes the new flagship B&W 800 series.

From their inception, back in 1979 with the model 801, the focus and constant evolution has been to engineer a loudspeaker with as little resonance as possible. Both the speaker shape and the materials it's made from exert a huge influence on how effective it is at controlling these unwanted resonances. Solving these limitations, as opposed to tuning them out, becomes more viable when higher prices supports the use of more exotic materials, the engineering and complex tooling required to form those theoretical designs to final production define that effectiveness - function follows form. As these rarefied technologies mature they trickle down to the more affordable ranges (as can be seen with the Continuum™ mid-bass driver in Bowers & Wilkins entry level 606 S2.

The Little Diamond

6 Years after the release of the third generation model, the new 805 D4 evolves from their 2015 D3 predecessor in a number of key areas. Most visibly the tweeter housing - now 35cm in length - twin decoupled from the enclosure below, aluminium top-plate with leather cover and Reverse Wrap cabinet manufacturing process. This cabinet improvement has allowed the sensitive crossover components to be housed separately on the back plate.

The drivers are the new 165mm (6.5in) Continuum™ mid-bass cone with stiff aluminium bass pods that afford exceptional bass extension and scale for a relatively compact speaker. The higher frequencies are handled by a 25mm diamond dome tweeter. A tweeter dome formed by chemical deposition of diamond material. The original Steyning Research Establishment (SRE) team having identified this as the optimum tweeter material for rigidity and lightness back in 2010, is further refined in clarity and great top end resolution. Typically a tweeter frequency response breaks at around 25KHz. B&W push this limit to 35KHz thus moving harmonic distortion out of hearing range.

Test System

Sources: Linn Selekt DSM - Qobuz Streaming, Rega Planar 10

Pre-Amplifiers: NAC 252, Rega Aura - Phono Stage

Amplifiers: NAP 300DR, Rega Osiris

Accessories: NACA5 Speaker cable, Audioquest Cinnamon Ethernet,
Chord Shawline Interconnects

Setup & Listening

The speakers require careful positioning, but because of the front port design, they can be placed fairly close to the wall. System wise - they are handled equally well by the Naim or Rega setups above.

Recently we discovered Kenny Burrell’s, Midnight Blue 2012 remaster - classic Blue Note sound an essential listen. The album opens with “Chitlins con Carne". Kenny's guitar bursts into frame on the left channel with a searing precision that sounds like the vinyl lathe operator jumped in on the gain controls just in time. Throughout this 1960s recording, those transients and initial attack of instruments are controlled well by the 805s. Depending on your preferred audio flavour, that transparency can feel dry, bright, a little hard and sharp, but never overly so or crass. That clean hard detail is well supported by a punchy mid range and bass performance that charms.

The opening huge kick drum on Semper Femina’s, Soothing, Laura Marling has a clean resonance, where you can hear the skin of the drum flexing - giving the illusion of a large room with the vocals soaring over a deep bass. The precision of the B&W impresses with speed and dynamic control.

Moving onto classical - Beethoven: The Piano Concertos, Piano concerto No.5 in E-flat Major, Op. 73 "Emperor":2. Adagio un poco mosso, Alfred Brendel, Simon Rattle, Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, Philips. This beautifully recorded classical piece is a huge challenge. It begins very quietly and grows. The Piano is central and all the instruments easily identified and spot positioned with a nice rake, the flute and woodwind sections float over the piano. The 805's come into their own - impeccable at performing the detail. The execution, character and vocalisation of B&W philosophy is astounding. Reviewers have sometimes questioned the B&W sound as dry, over clean, too bright, but not here. With the right component & setup up the new 805 D4 is in a class of it's own.

Summing up, the new 805 D4 is a triumph. A great evolution from the D3. Incredibly well built, accurate, revealing with an immense sense of entertainment and a thrilling listen. In the words of Pink Floyd - Shine on you Crazy Diamond!

Thanks for reading.

Max, James & Justin - Audio T Bristol

Be sure to keep up to date with what’s going on in store by following us Facebook and Instagram.

B&W 800 series can be found at the following Audio-T stores

• BRISTOL

• SOUTHAMPTON

THE GRAND SELECTION - REASON VERSUS THE SENSES

Epicurus, the ancient Greek philosopher, believed that the senses are the only reliable sources of information. He famously rejected Plato's ramblings of "Reason" as a reliable source of knowledge about the world and was bitterly opposed to the Skeptics, who not only questioned the ability of the senses to provide accurate knowledge about the world, but also whether it is even possible to know anything about the world at all. Here at Audio T Bristol we believe that the senses are very much the only source when it comes to comparing speakers…

The Grand Selection before you are the finest stand mount speakers for around £1,000. Each one of these speakers is worthy of a write up of their own, indeed, consider reading our previous reviews of the ATC SCM7 and the Acoustic Energy AE500 series.

NEW to Audio-T Bristol are the much lauded creation by Italian craftsmen, Sonus Faber Lumina II, the larger sibling to the entry level Lumina I.

To Placate the Platonic readers - here's how they "measure up" -

So, the Platonic winner here is the Acoustic Energy AE500. The largest speaker by a sip under a pint, the broadest frequency response, the most sensitive and they weigh the most - all important £/KG factor. Done - next review... The Skeptics have decided that this is pointless and have returned to their caves to make fire.

"Not so fast!", cries the Epicurious. It's all about savouring the sound, What do they taste like? Well, all are made from HDF - woody? But, then the Sonus Fabers are leather clad - so beefy?

THE SETUP

To put these speakers to the test we matched a fairly typical system -

Integrated amps: Naim Supernait 3, Rega Elex-R,

Source: The NEW Bluesound Node with Chord Qutest,

Cables: Chord OdysseyX, Chord Shawline 2RCA - 2RCA 1m, Chord Epic X coax Digital Interconnect.

Streaming service: Qobuz

Turntable: Rega P3 with Elys cart

HOW DO THEY SOUND?

There is no getting away from the fact that these are astounding stand mount speakers in their own right. All have first class build quality, remarkable bass performance for their size, low distortion at high volumes, crisp treble and superb voicing. The ATC SCM7’s have a musically revealing, monitor-like quality performance - the benchmark for the price and size. The AE500 from Acoustic Energy have the widest dispersion, thanks to the waveguide and deeply sunken drivers. Surprisingly the Italian Lumina II’s are the best of both worlds. The revealing mid/upper mid clarity akin to that of the ATC combined with the low depth of the AE500’s thanks to the Sonus Faber front firing bass port. The final decision is a matter of personal choice…

The ancient Greeks were also pioneers of astronomy, and with today's opinions, views and review ratings, stars are as plentiful as in the night sky (or a What-HiFi review). It is extremely difficult to make a truly informed decision. Which is why the Epicurean feasting of your ears on this Grand selection and listening for yourselves is really the only way to decide - So why wait? Book an audition with us - All philosophers welcome.

Thanks for reading.

Max, James & Justin - Audio T Bristol

Be sure to keep up to date with what’s going on in store by following us Facebook and Instagram.

Sonus faber can be found at the following Audio-T stores

• BRISTOL

• CARDIFF

ATC can be found at the following Audio-T stores

• BRISTOL

• CARDIFF
  

Acoustic Energy can be found at the following Audio-T stores

• BRISTOL

• CARDIFF

• CHELTENHAM

• ENFIELD

• ONLINE STORE

• PORTSMOUTH

• READING

• SWANSEA

• SWINDON

• OXFORD

• BRIGHTON

• SOUTHAMPTON

• MANCHESTER
  

ACOUSTIC ENERGY AE1 - LEAD A MORE ACTIVE LIFESTYLE

In order to maintain a healthy body we really should aim to do 10,000 steps a day, eat your five a day, consume less meat, drink less alcohol and generally be more active.

So with that in mind, I thought it time to visit an active speaker - The Acoustic Energy AE1. The rise in Hi-Fi devices equipped with pre-outputs, particularly streamers, make this a compelling choice…

Acoustic Energy AE1 Actives

One could argue that the ever changing technologies of sources, particularly digital sources, means that if you decide that minimising box count is the way, it's more sensible to lock the amplifier/speaker and free the source, thus future proofing a minimalist system.

Why Active?

When a manufacturer designs a passive speaker, they have to consider a plethora of amplifiers with performance specifications and notably varying outputs.

If we take a source, integrated amp and two way speakers (a tweeter and a mid-woofer - otherwise called drivers). The traditional source signal, for example, from a CD player, streamer or vinyl is fed to the integrated amp which in turn amplifiers the signal. Integral to the passive speaker is the passive crossovers, the most common type of audio crossover located in the speaker. They use a network of passive electrical components (e.g., capacitors, inductors and resistors) to split up an amplified signal coming from the amplifier, so that it can be sent to the two loudspeaker drivers. In our example, that may result in relevant frequencies to the tweeter - that handles high frequencies, around 3.5Khz - 20,000KHz and the Mid-range from 42Hz - 3.8Khz.

With an active speaker, the source signal is directed to the crossover first, then there is an amplifier stage after that then sends those relevant frequencies to the driver.

For a speaker designer, there are clear advantages to this. The ability to tune the amplification and crossover relationship to get the optimum out of the cone design. By doing away with a lot of the passive crossover components, theoretically the source signal is cleaner and the pursuit of perfect phase alignment and less distortion more achievable.

History of the AE1

The AE1 had its first incarnation in 1987, since then has drawn many plaudits and awards. Over the years, the constant refinement has resulted in a very well sorted speaker with a sound and presentation that defies belief from such a small cabinet. In 2014, a wholesale redesign debuted at the Munich High End Show and this went into production in 2016. A few more tweaks and today, here we have 34 years of finely honed development.

Rear features - IEC power input, XLR or RCA inputs, trim control, Bass and Treble +/-4dB fine adjustment

Design & Technologies

Each speaker contains two 50W Class A/B amps, 3.5kHz 4th Order Linkwitz-Riley crossover, with RCA and XLR inputs. Key to the success of the AE1 Active design is its unique pure piston ceramic aluminium cone technology. Now in its fifth generation, this 125mm ceramic hard-anodised spun aluminium cone offers exceptional stiffness at low weight. This negates the cone flex and break-up nodes at frequencies typical of paper and plastic cone designs. The tweeter is an all-new Acoustic Energy designed 27mm metal done unit designed to work in harmony with their Wide Dispersion Technology (WDT) waveguide. Because the design team have control over the crossover and amplification the drivers can be tuned to perfect phase and control over how the dome flexes.

Larger than the passive, the 27mm metal dome unit designed to work in harmony with the Wide Dispersion Technology (WDT) waveguide.

The surrounds are a foam like material, rather than the usual rubber. This allows for a dampening of any reflected frequencies. The cabinet is HDF construction, braced with a 7 lacquer finish. Again less bracing and cabinet dampening is needed because of the active driver control.

Main driver with foam surround - 125mm ceramic hard-anodised spun aluminium cone offers exceptional stiffness at low weight.

System & Sound

Actives have a reputation for being overly analytical, cold sounding & dry. That is why their design is favoured by recording studios of the pro audio world where neutral flat response is crucial for sound production. Whilst this is a presentation that many Hi-Fi Enthusiasts and ourselves really seek out and enjoy, it can be fatiguing where the main aim of a good Hi-Fi system is to intrigue - a sound profile that invites you to explore Music/Film and presents it in a way that emotionally involves us listeners.

We started off with the Bluesound Node, 3m Chord RCA interconnects, Audioquest NRG power leads. Setting up was a breeze. The trim controls and the bass/Treble fine adjustments on the AE1's allow for a wider setting with placement much closer to the walls. Very satisfying results were achieved.

How far could we push the source? So, we connected the Chord Dave to the Bluesound optical out. Over £8k worth of Chord Electronics digital superiority attached to a pair of speakers around the £1k mark is like putting an Aston Martin V12 engine in a Ford Focus, not a setup we would normally advise, but then in a feat of chameleon-like change the AE1 revealed the detailed resolution and Chord signature sound with great gusto.

Saucy sources. Chord Dave, Naim Heaphone amp, Bluesound node

Coming out of fantasy land got us thinking about the typical customer for active speakers. With the advent of the new Naim Uniti Atom Headphone Edition amp - this represents a great entry to the Naim experience for those who enjoy headphones and will happily drive the accomplished Sennheiser HD660s to very high end models, such as the Focal Utopias. Usefully, the Naim HE comes with pre-outs both XLR and RCA. The AE1's really shone with great timing. We had to trim the bass by -2db, but the sound stage is properly 3D, locked and deep with dynamics that would drive a smile across the face of the most critical listener.

Conclusion

Overall, with extremely wide and spacious imaging, deep bass, unmuted clarity with a truly engaging sound the Acoustic Energy have achieved with the AE1. So, while you chew through your salad, know that your music has meat.

You can have a listen to the music we used in all our demonstrations, test systems and fill our listening rooms with over at the constantly evolving Audio-T Bristol Qobuz Playlist - Here.

Max, James & Justin - Audio T Bristol

Be sure to keep up to date with what’s going on in store by following us Facebook and Instagram.

Book an Acoustic Energy AE1 demo at the Audio-T Bristol store.

Acoustic Energy can be found at the following Audio-T stores

• BRISTOL

• CARDIFF

• CHELTENHAM

• ENFIELD

• ONLINE STORE

• PORTSMOUTH

• READING

• SWANSEA

• SWINDON

• OXFORD

• BRIGHTON

• SOUTHAMPTON

• MANCHESTER

AUDIO NOTE MEISHU TONMEISTER 300B VALVE AMPLIFIER

For over 25 years the Sussex based Hi-Fi manufacturers have been at the forefront of audio systems development - from wall plug to speaker. There aren't many who could also claim to have such a rarefied fan base and near cult status when it comes to highly ambitious Hi-Fi enthusiasts.

Proper rack needed, as the meishu weighs in at 20KG & measures 50CM(d) X 40CM(w) X 20CM(h)

The Philosophy

Just like fans of the brand, Audio Note remain committed to obsessively focused engineering, circuitry and material science designs that converge in the best possible jaw-dropping sound reproduction. From the tip of the turntable’s cartridge, through to cables and amplification, right down to the drive units in the loudspeakers, everything is designed and produced by Audio Note (UK) in their factories in the UK and Europe.

Central to this philosophy is the Audio Note Level system that runs from -2, -1, Zero, 1-5. The minus categories are reserved for anything that's transistor type amplification. I won't enter into the conjecture that surrounds such opinion - religious wars have started based on much less! If you would like to know more check it out - "Are you on the Road to Audio Hell?” by Leonard Norwitz and Peter Qvortrup of Audio Note is well worth a read.

According to Audio Note, the majority of the high-end audio marketplace is occupied by ill-conceived low efficiency loudspeaker systems. Audio Note believe their designers are blinded by the dogmatic quest for high sound pressure levels and flat response. They say, what of the other factors which are essential for emotionally involving music reproduction? What about coherence, full natural micro - as well as macro - dynamics, inner detail?

4 inputs, tape loop, outputs for 4 ohm & 8 ohm speakers

The MEISHU Tonmeister Line is specifically engineered for sonic performance rather than technical specification, and fulfils all Audio Note (UK) Level 3 criteria: - Pure Class A operation, Zero Negative Feedback, Single Ended Output Stage, Valve Rectification, Directly Heated Triode operation, high quality materials and components.

The valve compliment consists of 1 x 5U4G, 2 x 300B, 2 x 6X5, 2 x 5687,2 x ECC83, 2 x ECC82, and 1 x 6SN7

The circuitry is elegant - a pure Class A design with zero feedback and a single-ended output stage, using one directly-heated 300B triode valve per channel to produce a power output of 8W per channel into 4 or 8ohm loads.

System & Listening

Highly efficient speakers, anything above 90dB, are an absolute must with a low wattage valve system. We chose the Audio Note An-E Speakers. But, also experimented with Audio Note An-Ks and Spendor Classic 3/1. We fed the Tonmeister from an Audio Note DAC 0.1x, though the DAC 2.1x signature would be even better, and, using an Innuos Zen Mini MkIII in Roon mode. Also, on occasion we hooked up the Linn Akurate LP12 with a Rega Aria phono stage. The Audition room measures 7m x 4.5 x 3m high. We found that positioning the speakers wider apart, nearer the wall and corners provided the best listening experience.

You can have a listen to the music we demoed on the Audio-T Bristol Qobuz Playlist - here.

Fabio Biondi Vivaldi Four Seasons has an openness of sound stage, exquisite timing, layer upon layer of detail with an amazing sense of timing. Moving to Bob Marley’s Exodus vocals soar, supported with rich & solid base. The effervescent sound of the South African pianist Abdullah Ibrahim is incredible on his album Sotho Blue.

The Tonmeister leaves you with an emotion - no matter what you’re listening to. Music is reproduced to a different level of expression. This is the single malt equivalent of Hi-Fi.

Suffice to say that the proof is in the listening - no amount of waxing lyrical is going to describe an Audio Note system experience. Note also, there is a treasure trove of Audio Note's Hi-Fi knowledge and expertise that can be read here.

Book an Audio Note demo at the Audio-T Bristol store.

Max, James & Justin - Audio T Bristol

Be sure to keep up to date with what’s going on in store by following us Facebook and Instagram.

Audio Note can be found at the following Audio-T stores:

• BRISTOL

• READING

"What if each of us could hear music perfectly tuned to our unique hearing?" - Dr. Luke Campbell, Co-founder of Nura

Nura was founded in 2016 by medical doctor and hearing scientist, Dr. Luke Campbell, and electrical engineer, Dr. Dragan Petrovic.

Inspired by Dr. Campbell's research, they set out to answer a question, "what if each of us could hear music perfectly tuned to our unique hearing?". They didn't anticipate they would be reinventing the headphone from the inside out.

How it works?

Using the Nuraphone app, and following the setup procedure, the Nuraphone plays a range of tones into the ear, and then measures a very faint sound that your ear generates in response to these tones called the Otoacoustic Emission (OAE). This tiny signal originates in the cochlea and vibrates the ear drum, turning it into a speaker and playing sound back out of your ear. Yes our ears make sound! This sound is about 10,000 times smaller than the sound that went in.

Encoded in the returning sound wave is information about how well you heard the sound that went in. The nuraphone uses an extremely sensitive microphone to detect this returning sound wave, and a self learning engine built into the nuraphone to create your profile. No buttons or knobs. It all happens automatically and in about 1 -2 minutes. It is a little bit of magic.

Once the Nuraphone has created your hearing profile - think of it as a personalised graphic equaliser (though you can't manipulate it yourself). it sonically shapes your music so that it matches your hearing system and delivers all the detail of the music.

How does it sound?

I'll start out by saying - me and headphones don't get on. If it's the not the fit that falls at the first hurdle, it's the sound and the position of the sound. Some headphones position the sound right behind your nose - those ones make me sneeze. Some the bass is so strong that my jaw vibrates. Then there are microphonics caused by rough cables, headbands, badly fitting in ear plugs, faux leather pads. That's why I've stuck with the in-ears that came with my iPhone.

There are a bunch of reviews around, and I admit to being quite sceptical. What I found is an open sound, immense detail.

Some thoughts on the Nuraloops

• The fit is really very good. The adjustable loops over your ear ensure a secure fit and the ear bud options made it very easy to get a good seal.

• Really top notch build quality, high class look and feel and great packaging.

• Some applications of ANC make you feel you've dived to the deeps of Mariana Trench and compress the music by a similar pressure. The Noise cancelling of the Nuraloops is the best in class experience.

• The touch sensitive is the resistivity type. This means the slightest touch activates something. On a particularly windy and rainy evening, I put my hood up and that created so many touch responses that it bricked the headphones. This was fixed by connecting the headphones to the charger.

• The immersion setting works well with classical and jazz music, not so well with heavy bass tracks.

• The soundstage is expansive. The position of instruments, vocals and background sounds are so clearly defined.

• In order for headphones to deliver the right sound, they must be matched to the listener. Nura even recognizes you when you put them on.

Some thoughts on the Nuraphones

• It takes a little getting used to. It feels a little wrong, Like you're being probed by some Alien device.

• Really top notch build quality, strong and feels very durable. High class look and feel with great packaging.

• Get passed the weird fit and there is no headphone at this price that offers such a revealing experience.

• The immersion setting is a little strong on some tracks

Whether it’s the loops or phones - these are well worth a consideration as your next headphone, and according to Forbes “Nuraphone Are The Last Headphones You Should Ever Buy“

Be sure to keep up to date with what’s going on in store by following us Facebook and Instagram.

Thanks for Reading -

Max, James & Justin - Audio T Bristol

Nura can be found at the following Audio-T stores

• ONLINE STORE

• BRIGHTON

• BRISTOL

• CARDIFF

• CHELTENHAM

• ENFIELD

• MANCHESTER

• OXFORD

• PORTSMOUTH

• READING

• SOUTHAMPTON

• SWANSEA

• SWINDON

Greetings Mr. White! No Reservoir Dogs, Just Woofers Introducing the New AE520

Every once in a while a speaker comes along which resets the price/performance mark. The Acoustic Energy AE520 are just such speakers. Beautifully designed and finished with foot tapping, awe-inspiring presentation & control.

Also available in gloss black and walnut

The AE520 is the latest flagship model in Acoustic Energy’s AE 500 series, which is designed as their reference line. We wrote about the AE500 and AE509 in a blog last year - this is a wonderful development.

The Design - “This feels like the future..”

The cabinet is thicker with bracing points and a central sealed chamber that houses the D'Appolito MTM (mid-range Tweeter & mid-range driver) arrangement. The lower three drivers drive 2Hz lower than the AE509.

This is a full 3 way with the crossover at 373Hz handing over to the mid-range and 2,800Hz to the tweeter, with a sensitivity of 90dB, which means there are a lot of options to drive and match components.

The carbon fibre 25mm cones with a resin binder, are stiffer & lighter with great damping and tonal quality. Acoustic Energy have mastered getting the best out of this material over aluminium, paper or kevlar options - this feels like the future. The lower 3 cones are housed in a stiffer surround, allowing for a longer throw and solid control over those lower musical registers.

The tweeter is noticeably set back more in the cabinet than the AE509s, with a much deeper and flared lens dispersion housing. This allows the high frequencies to blend seamlessly with the mid-range, yet curiously, still very detailed with the positioning of cymbals and high hats for example.

The Setup

We paired the speakers with a Rega Planar 6 and Naim NDX 2 streamer for source, using Chord Odyssey X cable. We wanted to investigate the options for amplification. At around £3-4K, the Rega Aethos was our first choice - though along the way we found the Naim Supernait 3, ATC P2 and a full Naim 300 system proved that these speakers aren't afraid of exotic power.

Listening

Overall, these speakers are a leap forward - in one word - control. The balance is superb. Beautifully wide separation & deep sound stage, tight base and smooth clear crisp vocals. They never felt forced or over analytical or too clinical. No matter what the setup was, they seemed to soar with an immense sense of timing and natural presentation.

Book an audition, bring along some of your favourite music & experience the AE520s for yourself.

Post by: Max, James & Justin Audio-T Bristol

Be sure to keep up with what is happening in the Bristol store by following us on Instagram and Facebook.

Acoustic Energy are available at the following Audio T stores -

• BRISTOL

• CARDIFF

• CHELTENHAM

• ENFIELD

• ONLINE STORE

• PORTSMOUTH

• READING

• SWANSEA

• SWINDON

• OXFORD

Chord Electronics HUEI - Lights, Turntable, Action.

Chord Huei Phono Stage - Front view with polychromatic controls spheres

Introducing the HUEI phono stage. Chords Electronics solution to a well priced, high performing moving magnet/moving coil phono stage that can integrate into a range of systems.

From first impressions it is very easy to tell this is a product designed by Rob Watts and his Engineering team in Kent, with its classic, well built housing and eye catching candy lights, that appear on many of their products. It was a no brainer that this was something we had to try, and we are glad we did.

Now looking at the specifications of the HUEI from the front panel, the first thing we notice is that you are easily able to switch between moving magnet and moving coil with the simple press of a button. This is very handy as this will allow all types of cartridges to be used with the Huei. The moving magnet is at 47,000Ω, whereas the moving coil has a 12 step user selectable impedance button, also located on the front of the unit. This ranges from 100Ω - 3700Ω, and can be set to match your cartridge easily from the top of the unit. 

As well as an impedance button, the HUEI also boasts a gain range selection button that is set at an 8 step user selection for both moving magnet and moving coil. Once again this will allow you to marry the phono stage to your cartridge, to get optimum sound quality and clarity in the music.

Chord Huei phono stage - Rear panel, 12v DC power, RCA inputs, RCA outputs and XLR Outputs

The unit has balanced XLR and unbalanced RCA stereo outputs, which is very useful, and one RCA input. With a phono stage at this price point, it is very creditable.

Listening to the HUEI, first impressions indicated that this unit will shine as the level of detail that came from the music once swapping it out for a phono stage at a similar price was phenomenal - which is what we have come to expect from any Chord Electronics product. We used this with the new REGA Planar 10, feeding into a line level input on the new highly regarded REGA integrated Aethos amplifier and finally ATC SCM19 speakers.

Chord Huei phono stage with sticker placed under unit - colour reference sticker with impedance, gain, MC & MM settings

What we did notice was that with music ranging from classical to progressive rock and even modern electronica, the HUEI phono stage didn’t trip up on itself at all and handled all genres very well. We find this throughout the Chord Electronics product range, the extraction of detail and clarity in music is very noticeable.

The surprising thing is that for the money, it sure packs a lot of detail as mentioned, as well as musicality (something we think that can be lost when a system is over clinical) therefore setting a nice well balanced sound.

We have tried the HUEI with a range of pre/power and integrated systems as well as other well known and loved turntables, such as Michell Gyro SE (Michell Tecnoarm A and Dynavector 20x2 cartridge) and a LINN Akurate LP12. The HUEI performed really well with all these highly regarded turntables. For us it is a serious contender for its price and performance. If you are looking to change your phono stage this is definitely one to consider. Get in contact with your local Audio T and we will be happy to show you!

Don’t forget you can book a demonstration to hear the comparisons for yourself.

Justin, James and Max - Audio T Bristol

Be sure to keep an eye on what’s happening in the Bristol store by following us on Instagram and Facebook!

Chord Electronics products are available in all Audio T Stores.

Spendor Classic 2/3 And 4/5 Standmount Loudspeakers For The Audio Connoisseur

At Audio T, we test everything in the shop and that means listening... a lot of listening!  Then mixing and matching components to bring synergies out in the whole system.  Loudspeakers are the final piece of this puzzle and arguably the one that can make the biggest difference.

Spendor was founded in the 1960s by Spencer & Dorothy Hughes, hence Spen-Dor.  Spencer’s applied knowledge and expertise came from many years as an engineer in the BBC sound department.  The iconic BC-1 he created went on to become one of the most iconic speakers of our time. 50 years on and the range of Spendor from the A-line, D line and Classic all have design cues, sound profile and performance that is unmistakably Spendor. The Classic range are styled and have a sound profile from the days of the BC-1, but have evolved into a very special sound.

It’s all about presentation in the end. The loudspeaker, with its crossover, bit of wiring, cabinet and drive units are going to fill your room with the illusion of a full London Symphony Orchestra, thumping Hendrix live a Woodstock or Norah Jones, whispering in your ear. 

Broadly speaking, and I’m generalising, there are 3 basic “ speaker presentations”; forward, neutral or back.  The trend today is forward, the Spendors are an involving listen,  back presentation and a sound that you listen into.  The detail in the treble is silky, gentle, direct and not at all metallic or edgy.  The bass rhythmic, supportive and precise.  Where these excel is in the mid-range.

J Gordon Holt, founder of Stereophile magazine and the father of subjective audio-equipment evaluation once wrote “if the midrange isn’t right, nothing else matters”. 

So, naturally it was straight to Metallica! Taking a Classic speaker and chucking rock at it is a bit uncouth, we’ll admit. But our job is to help you decide upon a system that will exceed your expectations not just for now, but for the long-term and assisting with critical listening is one way we can help you to enjoy your music selection even more.  There is a place for audiophile music with perfect recording settings, mastering notes and all the rest and we love helping those customers too and more often than not, their decades of high-end audio experience is a personal journey that we also learn from.

The Classic range all have the same form factor and to the eye are dimensionally very similar.  This allows for selection of the best size for room and acoustic properties for positioning.  We found the larger Classic 2/3 sounded best when placed about 1m from the front wall, 2.5m apart with a smaller toe in than most speakers.  The Classic 4/5, 1.7m apart and 50cm from the wall for better bass presentation. We suspect in both cases this is due to the cabinet design being thin walled and flexible, allowing the speaker to interact more with the room.

What is really moving about these Spendors is the way they present the music. 

The perspective, depth of sound stage and elegance of timbre; richness and warmth have become expletives in this modern age. As irrelevant as pipe and slippers, smoking jacket and cravat. But to call these speakers irrelevant nostalgia would be to miss point.  Classic does not do fashion — it’s timeless and engaging in a magnolia world.

The Spendor Classic 2/3 at £3,600 & The Spendor Classic 4/5 £1,600 are available for audition at Audio T Bristol.  

Components used to audition the Spendor Classic 2/3 & 4/5:

Accessories: 
Power cables; ISOL-8 Isolink Wave, Naim Powerline Lite  Interconnects; - Chord Shawline Analogue RCA Interconnect ,  Naim Hi-line Interconnect DIN to RCA Cable; Naim NACA5 speaker cable , stands Solidsteel SS-6&5 Speaker Stands

Sources:
CD Player Rega Saturn R, 
Streamer Naim NDX 2
Turntable Rega Planar 3 with Elys cartridge 

Amplifiers:
Naim Supernait 3 
Rega Aethos 

Music used in all the tests can be found at Audio T Bristol playlist on Qobuz : http://open.qobuz.com/playlist/2438053

Spendor Loudspeakers are available from the following branches of Audio T: Bristol, Cardiff, Cheltenham, Portsmouth, Swindon

Naim & Rega Hi-Fi products are available from all branches of Audio T.

New Flagship Acoustic Energy AE500 Series Loudspeakers At Audio T Bristol

This is not some "Holier than thou" new composite Unobtanium, forged in Mordor creation. This is a speaker that elevates performances in a really engaging way.

Based in Cirencester in the Cotswolds, Acoustic Energy have been around for over 30 years and are highly respected in the professional music industry, producing the highly regarded AE 1 Active and renowned by the Hi-Fi press for the original AE 100. They always seem to make a speaker that punches above it’s weight, puts a smile on your face and yet looks and feels very unstated.

The new AE500 series continues the tradition, currently comprises two models, AE500 standmount and the AE509 floor-stander. Both feature the brand new 25mm dome tweeter and 125mm mid/bass drivers with carbon fibre cone.

Until the end of December Acoustic Energy are offering 25% OFF a new pair of AE 100 / 300 or 500 series when you trade in your old loudspeakers.

Everything from the ground up has been redesigned to work with the new carbon fibre cones - beautiful woven to be stronger, lighter and faster responding to acoustic load than aluminium or paper. The lens surround of all the drivers has been redesigned and are closer together to cast a 170 degree even sound dispersion, most noticeable on the tweeter lens, softly embedded in the cabinet.

Talking of cabinets, the finish comes in Piano Gloss White, Piano Gloss Black and American Walnut veneer with three of the twelve edges with a bevelled curved edge. Personally, I prefer the rustic feel of the walnut wood, which also suits the slim cabinet design . Acoustically, this is the same cabinet construction as their reference series using new Resonance Suppression Composite to reduce cabinet acoustic sound radiation.

The rear firing bass slot, I found is a lot faster, direct sounding with low frequencies being less breathy. The slot design seems to be less sensitive to wall proximity, which increases the speakers placement possibilities.

The internal tuning of the floorstanders is a whittling craft of baffle placement and internally machined port. Lots of loudspeaker manufacturers prefer to handle issues of internal cabinet resonance by manipulating crossover frequencies. AE prefers to keep the crossover neutral at around 4kHz. The standing wave frequency resonances are handled by a hole in the mid-placed horizontal baffle that is tuned by altering the diameter, micrometre by micrometre until a standing wave cancels out the cabinet resonance.

The floorstanders come with these elegantly machined plates with spikes making fine adjustments to positioning easier than the usual mounting underneath. This also means that the speaker has a lower centre of gravity and feels better grounded for its slim design.

For testing, we connected the 500s to Naim's new Supernait 3 using Naim's NDX5 for streaming Qobuz (Audio T Bristol playlistl) content. I suspected that this combination would sound overly bright with squeaky clean dynamics - a clinical examination resulting in a Coroner’s report that the Music died of unnatural causes!

I couldn’t have been more wrong. These speakers are exquisite sounding. Regardless of genre, this series has an uncanny ability of producing a clean, dynamic sound, effortless stereo sound stage and an engaging listen without being overly detailed or fatiguing. Female vocals soar, orchestral classical pieces a new level of detail and very involving performance.

Head to Audio T Bristol and audition the AE500 or AE509. Until the end of December Acoustic Energy are offering 25% OFF a new pair of AE 100 / 300 or 500 series when you trade in your old loudspeakers.

Acoustic Energy Loudspeakers are available from the following branches of Audio T: Bristol, Cheltenham, Enfield, Online, Portsmouth, Reading, Swindon

Bowers & Wilkins 800D3 & New B&W Formation Music Evening At Audio T Bristol

Join us on Thursday 24th October at 7pm at Audio T Bristol and hear Bowers & Wilkins legendary 800 D3 Series, one of the most iconic and revered loudspeakers in the world today!

The sleepy coastal town of Worthing might not seem to be a hot bed of Hi-Fi innovation, but in the 1960s one man lead the way - John Bowers. For over half a century Bowers and Wilkins has been at the forefront of music experience - to savour every nuance and detail in its purest form as the artists' intended. Then again Worthing defined from the Old English personal name Worth (meaning "valiant one, one who is noble", so maybe destiny was at work…

The iconic 800s series is the flagship class that stretches back to the late 1990s beginning with incorporating nautilus technologies, the separate top mounted tweeter housing and the synonymous yellow Kevlar woven speaker cone.

Change, evolution and relentless innovation in acoustic design and engineering are the cornerstones of B&W and today's 800 series diamond have gone further than before with B&W embarking on one of their most ambitious R&D projects ever undertaken - to re-imagine an icon from the ground up, while expanding the range and maintaining the musicality. Starting with the 805’s two way bookshelf, 804’s three way floorstanders, with material quality, cabinet finish, driver size, frequency response and overall sound stage performance rising through 803’s, 802’s & the top of the range 800’s

B&W product range continues to grow, with their audio expertise finding it's way into BMW, Maserati and McLaren cars, headphones and their Formation range, a whole home audio meshing solution.

At the Bowers & Wilkins 800 D3 Music evening at Audio T Bristol you will also be able to experience the new Formation wireless speaker range from B&W, bringing high level speaker innovation, seamless synchonisation with allowing to play your music from whatever source you have digital or analogue. The product line that began with the award winning Zeppelin has now evolved into an array of wireless solutions providing minimalist multi-room musical bliss.

For some people it's enough to hear music, but for some it's a life long journey an all encompassing hobby, others have just never heard the difference. Join us on THURSDAY 24TH OCTOBER FROM 7:30PM at Audio T Bristol with Matt from B&W as he guides us through the Formation series and 800 range and enjoy an evening experience new levels of music performance.

Click here to reserve your place at this not to be missed event or come along on the day.

We look forward to seeing you. Max, James & Justin.

Audioquest Dragonfly Cobalt Portable DAC And Headphone Amplifier "Don't look at the finger, or you'll miss all that heavenly glory" Bruce Lee, Enter The Dragon-fly!

A high quality streaming service such as Qobuz or Tidal delivers high resolution audio heaven! So, why can’t I hear the difference everyone's raving about?

Is this another case of the wool being pulled over our eyes, like serving up a cheap whisky in a heavy glass tumbler and believing that it tastes better?

7 years ago, Audioquest mobilised the world of digital to analogue converters (DACS) with the Dragonfly. While not the first of its kind, Audioquest's work with Gordon Rankin, the digital audio engineer supremo, recognised that most music played via a phone or computer didn’t sound very good. Principally, if the source is digital and you are listening on a mobile device, somewhere in the chain, that information will have to have gone through a low grade digital to analogue conversion process.

DAC circuitry is typically shoehorned into the ever shrinking mobile device - a space measured in nanometres and which is open and exposed to all manner of signal interference which further degrades the sound quality. The Audioquest Dragonfly series is one of the most affordable and portable USB DAC solutions to this problem, whilst offering improved naturally beautiful sound and incorporating a headphpne pre-amplifier all neatly packaged in a USB self powered stick. Just plug in, add headphones and away you go. It’s that simple.

Today, the Dragonfly portable DAC and Headphone amplifier series comprises of the Black, Red and Cobalt. The Black and Red both use the ESS 9010 DAC chip, with the Red employing a higher performance chip and 2.1v rather than 1.2v in the black that allows driving of larger headphones.

The flagship Cobalt has the new, more advanced ESS ES9038Q2M DAC chip with a minimum-phase slow roll-off filter that offers an even more natural sound. The Microchip's superb PIC32MX274 microprocessor draws less current and increases processing speed by 33%. Improved power-supply filtering specifically increases immunity to WiFi, Bluetooth, and cellular noise.

During testing in all cases and genres of music the sound stage opens up - certainly no sheep involved. The space, clarity and layers revealed make for a more engaging listening experience. The headphone amp in the Cobalt really drives bigger 'cans' effortlessly. Listening to the opening section of Tchaikovsky, Symphony No. 6 in B minor the Bassoon (or Bass clarinet depending on recording) played pppppp (that's six pianissimo) is night and day in comparison with directly connecting to the source.

But don’t take our word for it! Pop in to Audio T Bristol and have a listen with your mobile phone or laptop with the Audioquest Dragonfly Editions and experience the improvement in sound quality yourself. We can promise you there’s no wool or cheap whisky to be seen and you should hear a big difference!

Audioquest products are available from the following branches of Audio T: Brighton, Bristol, Cardiff, Cheltenham, Enfield, Online, Oxford, Portsmouth, Preston, Southampton, Swansea

Take Note! Gold Note PH-10 Phono Stage

Introducing the Gold Note PH-10, a phono stage that we love and we are sure you will too. The PH-10 phono stage makes good first impressions with its slick Italian design and attractive front display. Not only does it look great, more importantly it sounds great. We listened to a “Herbie Hancock” track which had a trumpet piece and it had never sounded so in the room. Gold Note have out done themselves - the Ferrari of phono stages!

It boasts a range of unique features such as the EQ curvature adjustment, as well as load and gain adjustments, allowing you to pair it up with your own cartridge (Moving magnet or moving coil) which in turn will ensure you are getting the best out of your turntable. Did we also mention that it’s the first phono stage with two inputs and 6 EQ curves in one box?

The Gold Note PH-10 doesn't stop there, it’s also upgradeable by adding on its own unique power supply called the Gold Note PSU-10, this allows the phono stage to breathe, adding noticeably more depth, a higher degree of musical realism and much more established dynamics. As it is not essential to run the PH-10 its a nice upgrade to consider for the future. Gold Note proudly, and rightly so, boast that they design, craft and assemble every single part of the unit, which clearly reflects in the final product, sonically and visually.

To conclude, the Gold Note PH-10 and power supply are a fantastic pair of units that can enhance the performance of a wide range of turntables. We can’t stop listening to them currently with our Linn LP12 Akurate

But don’t take our word for it, why not pop in store and we’d be delighted to show you!

Gold Note Hi-Fi products are available from the following branches of Audio T: Bristol, Cardiff.

The Primare I35 Prisma Streaming Amplifier - Not Too little, Not Too Much.

Primare being a Scandinavian company, have certainly incorporated the phrase “Logam” when designing the I35 Prisma. Logam means everything in perfect balance; not too little, not too much. This slick but powerful network integrated amplifier is a unit has been designed to deliver quality audio for everyone in the home.

Boasting a power of 150W into 8ohms, with the addition of a range of unbalanced and balanced inputs and outputs, the Primare I35 Prisma will provide clean cut instant amplification across the whole audio bandwidth. Contained inside the unit is a DM35 Digital to Analogue converter (DAC) that will enable 768khz/32 bit & DSD 256 conversion, so it can play the highest resolution music files you have.

What does Prisma mean you ask? Prisma is the high connectivity solution that will allow you to stream/play your music from any number of devices within the home. It will provide you with full multi-room compatability whether you wanted to choose stored music or a number of high quality streaming services such as Spotify, Tidal & Qobuz etc. The Prisma I35 features Chromecast connectivity, which means that different people can find their favourite track at a party, and play easily and reliably.

Primare Prisma I35 Streaming Amplifier Rear Inputs and Outputs

Primare have thought about a wide range of users when designing this modular range of amplifiers/network streamers. You can choose to have either an all analogue standard integrated I35 amplifier with no streaming. Or if you’d like music streaming, then simply go for the I35 with Prisma built in. Alternatively, you can go for the I35 DAC, that will give you DM35 DAC on board. The DM35 digital to analogue conversion and Prisma modules can be added at a later date and give you options to upgrade and further enhance the sound quality.

Prisma I35 front fascia.

The Primare Prisma I35 Integrate Streaming amplifier offers a musical performance with depth, dynamics and a sound stage filled with life as well offering Scandinavian design chic, warmth and sophistication. We’d highly recommend an audition and we think this should be on the short list of anyone considering a one box hi-fi system. Call in or give us a call at Audio T Bristol, to arrange your personal demonstration.

Primare Hi-Fi products are available from the following branches of Audio T: Brentwood, Bristol, Cheltenham, Manchester

Time To Selekt. Audio T Bristol Takes A Look At The New Linn Selekt DSM Network Streaming System

Linn have always be renowned for creating innovative and superb sounding 'source’ components. The newest addition is the Linn Selekt DSM, which is a dedicated all-in-one network streaming and upgradeble Hi-Fi system, that can improve and modernise an existing stereo system and offer multi-channel surround sound as well.

The built in space optimisation software feature allows the system to be configured for different types of loudspeaker, which ensures you always get the optimum sound quality for your speakers and listening space. It does this by having a wide range of speaker configurations to choose from, but It doesn't stop there…

Space optimisation has its own room builder, so you can replicate your listening environment within the easy to use Linn app. The app includes a wide range of variables and settings, such as the build of the room, wall types, windows, doors, height, depth and much more. Space optimisation has been designed to allow you to improve your entire system and get the sound tailored to your preference, no matter what speakers you have or where they are positioned in the room.

The Linn Selekt DSM is a modular and an upgradeable Hi-Fi system. It has the Linn family trait running through it – a design that can be completely and easily upgraded from the base model to the top spec amplifier with Katalyst DAC.

The base model includes a pre-amplifier, enabling you to connect all your sources, including turntable (MM / MC inputs). Like all Linn products there is always an upgrade option, whether that’s adding the Katalyst DAC to further enhance the sound quality or offering multi-channel surround sound or higher output amplifiers.

The sleek design is complete with customisable smart buttons to provide immediate access with just one touch. Accessing your favourite playlist has never been easier! Sources range from; the normal streaming services (24bit 192 Khz) from local hardrives or music , internet radio, podcasts, your turntable or Blu-Ray player. This is a fantatstic sounding all-in-one with great flexibility, brilliant design and providing an upgrade path to ensure long term enjoyment of your music collection.

But don’t take our word for it, give us a call or email us to arrange your personal demonstration - Audio T Bristol.

Linn Hi-Fi products are available at the following branches of Audio T: Brighton, Bristol, Manchester, Oxford, Preston, Swindon

Bowers & Wilkins 800 Series Now Available At Audio T Bristol

We are very proud to take our love of Bowers and Wilkins speakers to the next level, and welcome the 800 Diamond series to the Bristol shop. We have all models from the 800 range on demonstration and boy do they sound good!

The range starts with the 805; a classic standmount and an excellent entry into the 800 series.

We move swiftly on to the floor standers, starting with the 804 then onwards and upwards with the 803, 802 and the unbelievably good 800.

The Bowers and Wilkins 800 D3 loudspeaker. Perfect fit for our dem room.

We all went to the factory in Worthing, a couple of weekends ago, to get trained up on the range and be introduced to the amazing manufacturing techniques developed by Bowers to make these fabulous speakers.

All lined up and ready to bring a smile to many peoples faces.

The factory is now dedicated to the production of the 800 Diamond series and watching the staff do their work was an experience in itself. They are all obviously passionate about what they do and the standards are so high that you can pretty much guarantee, all the products leave the factory perfect. It is even in the employees contracts that they are not allowed to drink alcohol the night before they have work to ensure a steady hand.

The matrix. This is what allows you to here the music and not the cabinet.

We all came back to Bristol having thoroughly enjoyed the trip. A bus mans holiday it certainly wasn’t and we couldn’t wait to get back to the shop and listen to our 800’s. They are here if you want to indulge.

We will be doing in depth reviews as well as dedicated listening events in the very near future.

Bowers & Wilkins 800 Series are available from the following branches of Audio T:

Audio T Brentwood, Audio T Bristol

Bowers & Wilkins loudspeakers are available from the following branches of Audio T:

Brentwood, Brighton, Bristol, Cardiff, Enfield, Manchester, Oxford, Portsmouth, Preston, Southampton, Swansea, Swindon

Bowers & Wilkins 700 Series At Audio T Bristol

Bowers & Wilkins is not the kind of company that sits on its laurels. It is the kind of company that likes to innovate, with every new range you get new technologies or tweaked technologies from the range above. The latest 700 series is a perfect case in point. We get a newly developed tweeter and bass/mid cones developed for the 800 diamond series.

The 700 series range consists of 8 models. 3 stand mounts, 3 floor standing models and 2 centre speakers.

Most of the 700 series

The new tweeter is not aluminium which has been the go to material for Bowers and Wilkins ranges below the 800 series for a long time. The new tweeter, featured in all of the 700 series speakers, is a carbon design which extends the upper range of the tweeter to 47khz. This gives the listener a much cleaner musical image plus more subtle details thus  bringing you closer to the musical performance.

The floor standing models are all three way designs which feature a midrange driver derived from the 800 series.

The smallest in the range is the 707 standmount. It is a fantastic little speaker with a surprising amount of bass for its size. Midrange is superb and the detail from the carbon tweeter exceptional.

706 and 707

Next up is the 706 standmount. It is bigger than the 707 so would suit a larger room. You will get decent levels of bass and a wonderfully detailed in room experience.

The last standmount in the range is the 705. The design of this speaker takes performance to the next level. The tweeter has its own enclosure which sits on top of the box containing the bass/mid. The benefits of this arrangement are immediately obvious when you listen to them. The soundstage gets bigger and even more in the room with the sound appearing to hang in front and around you. If you want a speaker at this price point, even if you think you want a floor stander, then these are a must listen.

Bowers and Wilkins 705

The Bowers & Wilkins 704 is first of three floor standers in the 700 series  (Note as the size of the speaker goes up the number given to it goes down). As it is a floorstander, you get more bass than the stand mounts. Not only that but you also get a dedicated mid-range driver resulting in, unsurprisingly, a better mid-range performance. This is a slim speaker that is very room friendly with just a few compromises compared to bigger speakers for example the 703. Same configuration as the 704 but not as slim. This gives room for bigger drive units and results in a bigger sound with more depth to the sound stage. The biggest in the range is the 702. Here again we see Bowers & Wilkins moving the tweeter to its own enclosure on top of the box. The results are much the same as with the 705 standmount. It’s immediately obvious with the speakers disappearing, leaving just the music floating unobstructed around the room.

You still have till the end of March to bag yourself a fantastic deal and receive up to £400 worth of Chord Company cable when you buy a pair of 700 series loudspeakers. For details click here.

Bowers & Wilkins loudspeakers are available from the following branches of Audio T: Brentwood, Brighton, Bristol, Cardiff, Enfield, Manchester, Oxford, Portsmouth, Preston, Southampton, Swansea, Swindon

Audio T Bristol Welcomes Primare Prisma Range

Primare have been making quality Hi-Fi for over 30 years and their equipment is incredibly well engineered which isn’t just for appearance as it sounds great. The move to streaming has not passed the guys at Primare  by. Their streaming system, called Prisma, is a very capable media solution offering Airplay, Bluetooth, Spotify and Chromecast built in. This allows a seamless solution for all your streaming and multi-room needs.

Primare i35 Range

The Primare i35 streaming amplifier is a cleverly thought out piece of audio engineering. It’s modular design means it can function in any which way you want. So you could buy it as a standard Hi-Fi amplifier which provides ample power, 150w per channel, just add the matching high quality Primare CD 35 CD player. If you already have a streamer you can buy the amp with a card installed for high quality digital playback. If you don’t have a streamer all is not lost as you can buy the i35 with the previously mentioned Prisma solution. If you have an amplifier and need a CD player but you also want to delve into the world of streaming you can buy the i35 CD with Prisma and away you go. I think Primare have all combinations covered here.

Primare i15 Range

The Primare i15 amplifier and DD15 CD player s is similar to the i35 range but in a small package. The amplifier is only available with prisma installed so you could buy that for a complete streaming solution or as part of a muiti-room system. It will drive most speakers with its 60 watts per channel output. If you need CD playback there is a matching CD transport and if you just need a CD player come streamer then it is available with Prisma built in.

We have tried all the above with different speaker combinations and genres of music. We think they perform admirably in terms of the sound they produce and functionality they offer. The streaming side of things is a pleasure to use, which means you can simply get on with listening to music.

As always we say don’t take our word for how good the Primare is, come along and have a listen and judge for yourself. Martin, Max and James - Audio T Bristol.

Primare Hi-Fi products are available from the following branches of Audio T:

Bristol, Cheltenham, Manchester

ATC Entry Series Loudspeaker Range At Audio T Bristol

ATC have been involved in professional and later domestic loudspeakers for nigh on 50 years. Based locally near Stroud, they set up to make drive units in 1974. They were instantly successful as their 12” drive unit (PA75-314) were able to produce sound with less distortion at higher sound pressure levels than the competition.

Two years later they started to produce their very special soft dome mid-range unit which was used by many third party professional monitor manufacturers. A decade later they started making complete speaker systems, which are used widely in the professional world by engineers producers composers and artist including Pink Floyd, Kate Bush, The Killers, Lenny Kravitz, The Rolling Stones, Calvin Harris, Beck. The list goes on and is pretty much a who’s who of music industry icons.

Taken at our recent trip to the ATC factory

So why would you consider an ATC speaker? Well ATC seem to have found the right balance between what is required by the professional world, such as accuracy and reliability, and what is required from a domestic speaker which is totally beguiling sound. When listening, you can immediately get why they are so popular with musicians and engineers as the detail especially in the mids is extraordinary.

ATC SCM7

The ATC SCM7 is the smallest of the range. Small it may be but pick one up and you might raise an eyebrow as each weighs 7.5kg. Listening to them you will hear that they are very agile. They keep pace with the music really well, never tripping up and allowing, exactly what we want, musical engagement. The bass, whilst not going deep, is very accurately reproduced with no overhang whatsoever.

The next speaker in the range is the SCM11. It’s a bigger monitor than the SCM7 incorporating a 150mm bass/mid rather than 125mm of the SCM7. It is also heavier at almost 11kg. It pretty much performs the same as the SCM7 except that the scale of the music you are listening to gets larger. They will also go louder than the SCM7 (108db rather than 103db).

Up next comes the SCM19. It is the biggest stand mount in the range and weighs a hefty 17.5kg, 9kg of that comes from the bass/mid which features a short-coil/long gap motor assembly and integrated 75mm soft dome mid. The SCM19 is the only speaker in the entry range to have ATC’s coveted SL driver technology. SL stands for Super linear and drive units built to the SL standard reduces 3rd harmonic distortion between 10 and 15db. The results are obvious as the midrange gains extra clarity giving even more insight into the music.

This is the first speaker in ATC’s range of speakers where they offer a passive and active version. The active version becomes a floor stander with active filters and a class a/b 182 watt bi-amplifier and retails at £4990. Just add a pre-amp and away you go.

The final speaker in the entry range is the SCM40. It is the first passive floor stander in ATC’s range and just like the 19 is also is available as an active speaker. It is the only speaker in this range that has a dedicated soft dome mid. The hype about ATC’s mid range unit is completely justified and is evident as soon as you listen. The mid range clarity is astounding and leaves you in no doubt about the quality of ATC speakers.

ATC SCM40 and SCM7s

We have tried all the ATC speakers with many amplifiers. As long as it is quality amplification you won’t have any issues, but as we always recommend try before you buy, so come on in and have a listen. In store now but please call us to book a demo as they are in high demand.

Thanks for reading. Martin, Max, and James - Audio T Bristol

ATC Loudspeakers are available at the following branches of Audio T: Brighton, Bristol, Cheltenham, Portsmouth