June 28, 2023

Audio T Cheltenham and the Lyngdorf CD-2 CD Player

June 28, 2023/ Audio T Cheltenham/ Cheltenham

Just as the Compact Disc medium decides to fight back with a vengeance Sir Elton John was interviewed on breakfast telly earlier this week in his “record room” as he calls it. He actually said, and I quote “nobody buys CDs anymore do they?” But he is soooo wrong. Talking to the amazing staff at my favourite local music vending emporium they assure me that the CD is healthier and selling more now than it has been for years! And the perfect player to ride that wave of increased enthusiasm is quite probably this little beauty…..The Lyngdorf CD-2.

Pure Audio Drive

Lyngdorf is the sister brand of Steinway, the people who produce the legendary grand pianos and as such shares the same revolutionary company DNA, and the important thing about this little marvel is that it has been designed specifically for Red Book digital audio only. Using this pure audio drive is simpler and better. All players that use a multi-format drive will inherently produce more digital noise and also be clunky and slow in use. Lyngdorf offer cutting edge research and development and boast that this player ranks up there with the very best on the market.

Happy Accident!

We came across the Lyngdorf CD-2 by happy accident really. We really wanted to stock and sell the Lyngdorf range of amplifiers (also lovely by the way), but we were told that in order to sell those we had to stock the CD player too. Initially we were not that keen but said yes anyway! A few days later, after taking delivery and having spent a little time running them in we were gradually coming to the conclusion that whatever we played through it was sounding rather lovely and customers began agreeing with us too. A couple of them even preferring the CD-2 to some very expensive alternative brand disc spinners….mentioning no Naims!

Blues Pills

For the purposes of supplying music to this blog I dug out my copy of the first album by Blues Pills. This is another one of those albums that I bought just because I thought that the artwork was so evocative of the hippie era long since lost. I also thought how could a record label called Nuclear Blast not be worth a punt! It hasn’t disappointed either. The combination of great female vocals from Elin Larsson with stinging guitar work from Dorian Sorriaux backed up by a powerhouse rhythm section of Zack Anderson on bass duties and Cory Berry on drums.

A Time Of Endless Flux

A bit of background here… Marijke is hailed as the mother of psychedelic art. She helped shape the imagery of the sixties as it exists in the nation's collective memory today. She turned the era's music into colours that pop, shapes that ooze and illogical patterns that evoked the creativity blossoming in the time of endless flux. It was the ultimate vision of hippie aesthetics, Koger-Dunham created album art and costumes for The Beatles, painted Eric Clapton's and George Harrison's guitars and painted the mural on the theatre that debuted the musical "Hair." She was enmeshed in both the musical and visual arts as member of "The Fool," a design collective and band, allowing her to seamlessly translate from sound to sight. Her imagery is dripping with freedom and passion. Plants shoot up with reckless abandon only to melt into washes of hallucinatory hues. Everything is growing and changing; mirroring the politics of the time.

Adding To The Vibe

Anyway I think that in this instance the cover art adds to the vibe and helps the music to come to life. I chose the track “Astralplane” and was immediately astounded by the detail retrieval of this player. This track has a double tracked guitar with one in the left channel and the other in the right channel. This combined with the atmospheric addition of organ by Robert Wallin was producing a soundstage that you positively jump into! Lovely bluesy old Fleetwood Mac at their prime kind of sound with power and passion and as for that guitar soloing….just wow! The CD-2 was able to portray both power and delicacy so that the bass drums and guitar never overpowers the passionate vocal performance and it is still easy to pick out and follow the organ part in the background. Nuances that are lost on so many other players.

Lee Morgan’s Charisma

Charisma by lee morgan… quintessential mid-'60s hard bop

Next on the playlist was this lovely slice of classic Blue Note jazz by Lee Morgan who is joined here by the altoist Jackie Mclean, Hank Mobley on tenor, pianist Cedar Walton, bassist Paul Chambers and drummer Billy Higgins is probably most famous for the Sidewinder album but I prefer this one, which was recorded with his band towards the end of 1966 just as Flower Power was beginning to catch on, and a bit of that is reflected in the blissed out summery jazzy grooves on this wondrous outing. One of my all favourite Blue Note albums (and there are lots of them!). Now you cannot go wrong choosing any of the tracks on this album but I decided to go for the aptly named “Somethin’ Cute”. I love this track for its sense of open-ness and space around all the instruments and the way that you can really hear the sheer joy of all the musicians and their interplay with each other. Just gorgeous, and the CD-2 lays bare the exuberance of the piano and bass in the background as the two saxophones and trumpet sparkle and shimmer in between the loudspeakers.

Shockingly Good

So on this basis Sir Elton could and should be well and truly proved wrong! This CD spinner is shockingly good. It proves that there is a lot of life left in the old format yet. Indeed this Lyngdorf CD-2 may well be the perfect CD player. It sounds great, it looks great and it is quick and easy to use. None of that clunky bluray/streamer mechanism malarkey that means your CD player takes ages to even twig what kind of disc it has in it and then makes you press the buttons multiple times as it takes an age to respond the button press! It out performs a whole host of CD players that would have cost you an awful lot of money even only going back a few years, let alone older players. Heck, it even out performs a lot of very much more expensive CD players that you can buy today, so on that basis alone you have to put this one on your audition list.

The End Bit

If your interest has been piqued and you would like a listen to the amazing Lyngdorf CD-2 for yourself then please feel free to contact us at Audio T Cheltenham. The kettle is always on and we always have biscuits too!

Thanks for reading…

Andy, Jon and Farid - Audio T Cheltenham.

If you have any questions about any of the equipment featured in this article, or any other Hi-Fi or home cinema enquiries, be sure to Contact Us.

If you’ve enjoyed this, why not go ahead and read some more of our other blogs, and be sure to follow us on our social media channels below…

Lyngdorf can be found at the following Audio T stores…

May 30, 2023

Audio T Cheltenham And The 50th Anniversary Rega P3

May 30, 2023/ Audio T Cheltenham/ Cheltenham

I must admit to having a big soft spot for the Rega Planar 3 turntable having purchased one myself back in 1983 when the RB300 tonearm had just been added to it and had significantly raised the performance level. It joined my A&R Cambridge A60 amplifier and Rogers LS7 loudspeakers to make a wonderful sound. Now to help Rega celebrate their fiftieth anniversary they have released the Planar 3 50th Walnut and I am here to tell you why it is rather special!

The Sticker on the box doesn’t give much away!

This Is What’s In The Box

In case you hadn’t realised, I am also a bit passionate about vinyl and have loved the Rega Planar 3 in all of its different guises and editions over the years but the new P3 50th Anniversary has to be right up there at the top. Everything about it is just that little bit special. It comes supplied with the upgraded EBLT Reference belt, which normally comes with the much more expensive decks. And it also boasts the 24 volt low noise motor fitted with the beautifully CNC machined belt drive pulley that is normally found on the Planar 6.

close up of the reference belt and upgraded drive pulley.

Custom Tuned PSU

The power supply, which gives you the option to change speed from 33 to 45 RPM, is specifically custom tuned to match each individual deck. That normally doesn’t happen until you go up to the Planar 6.

The P3 50th Anniversary deck also comes fitted with the Exact which is the top tier of Rega’s handmade moving magnet range of cartridges. Built to the tightest achievable tolerances and using an advanced ‘Vital’ stylus profile, (a complex fine line micro-ground from a rectangular diamond billet). This advanced profile is guaranteed to extract more music from your vinyl by tracking the grooves with greater accuracy.

Close up of the factory fitted Exact cartridge.

The Plinth comes in the hugely popular new walnut wood effect finish, and is badged with exclusive aluminium plinth and lid badges for the finishing touch.

anniversary plinth badge completes the look

Let’s Play Some Music

Apart from my soft spot for Rega turntables I also have a serious fetish for great Prog Rock (as if you didn’t know already) and chose to check out the new Rega 50th Anniversary deck with a couple of proggy classics!

First on the P3 platter was “The Ghosts Of Pripyat” by Steve Rothery. Just so you know… Pripyat is an abandoned city in northern Ukraine, located near the border with Belarus. It was founded to serve the nearby Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant. The city with a population of almost 50,000 was evacuated on the afternoon of 27 April 1986, one day after the Chernobyl nuclear reactor went into meltdown and has stood empty ever since and has now become a tourist attraction!

If any of you reading this have even only half an interest in good Progressive Rock then this album by Marillion guitar genius Steve Rothery has to be listened to! I chose the 12 minute long track Old Man Of The Sea. Steve is joined on this track by both Steve Hackett (from Genesis) and Steven Wilson (from Porcupine Tree) and listened to on the new P3 I am immediately struck by how big and open the soundstage is. Bass depth and rhythmic propulsion is rock solid. Detail and background sounds are so easy to follow, and when all three guitar players unleash their guitar pyrotechnics towards the end of the song it is truly goosebump inducing! Sound quality on this album is top notch too!

Down By The Riverside

Next I chose another classic in the shape of the very first album by Polish Prog greats Riverside. The album is called Out Of Myself and the first track on side one is the rather amazing song that goes by the title of The Same River. This one is a real slow burner gradually building up to a crescendo of real rhythmic power and passion. The Rega P3 once again doing a wonderful job of keeping everything under tight control and portaying the whole thing within a huge stereo image….just amazing! It was so good I just had to play the whole album just to make sure!

SUMMARY OF THOSE KEY FEATURES

Walnut Effect plinth with custom aluminium badge.
RB330 Precision tonearm.
Exact MM cartridge factory fitted
Custom tuned Neo turntable PSU MK2 included.
24 V low noise, low vibration motor, hand tuned to the custom Neo PSU Mk2.
Double brace technology.
12 mm float glass opti-white polished platter.
CNC machined Planar 6 drive pulley for use with the Neo PSU.
Supplied with a smoked dust cover as standard.
Reference EBLT drive belt fitted as standard.
Anniversary Special Edition only available to buy during 2023.
Lifetime warranty against manufacture defects.

The Bit At The End

If your interest has been piqued and you would like a listen to the new Rega 50th Anniversary turntable for yourself then please feel free to contact us at Audio T Cheltenham. The kettle is always on and we always have biscuits too!

Thanks for reading….

Andy, Jon and Farid.

If you have any questions about any of the equipment featured in this article, or any other Hi-Fi or home cinema enquiries, be sure to Contact Us.

If you’ve enjoyed this, why not go ahead and read some more of our other blogs, and be sure to follow us on our social media channels below…

Rega can be found at the following Audio T stores

April 17, 2023

Stunning Lyngdorf, now at Audio T Cheltenham

April 17, 2023/ Audio T Cheltenham/ Cheltenham

Here at Audio T Cheltenham we have newly taken in the rather wonderful Lyngdorf range of streaming amplifiers and the totally amazing CD2 compact disc player, as a bit of competition to the other brands we stock!

Lyngdorf Audio is a pioneer in digital audio. They created the world’s first fully digital amplifier, the iconic Millennium, and the most sophisticated digital room correction technology, RoomPerfect™. Lyngdorf also happens to be the audio component arm of Steinway Pianos and the passion and desire to be the very best is evident in the Lyngdorf Audio brand.

Red Book Optimised CD2

This is the bit that we are most excited about. Developed with the experience gained from multiple-award-winning Lyngdorf Audio digital amplifiers and CD players, this player is one of the best sounding pure audio CD players on the market. The Lyngdorf CD-2 is designed for audio only, using a pure audio drive which is both simpler and better than multi-format drives, which are always based on video designs and clocks where the audio output is then re-sampled to audio output clocks, and that never sounds as good. This player is slim and extremely well built and in the metal looks lovely. Oh, and it punches way above its weight too. In an age where decent CD players have become a bit of a rarity, this is a welcome addition to the shelves here in the Cheltenham store.

Streaming Amplifier TDAI-1120

The Lyngdorf TDAI-1120 is a small footprint streaming amplifier offering 2 x 60 watts RMS into 8 ohm loudspeakers. Connect it up to your WiFi and enjoy all the integrated streaming services.

Chromecast built-in
Spotify® Connect
TIDAL Connect including MQA decoding
Roon Ready
AirPlay2
Bluetooth connectivity
Internet Radio (vTuner)
Network/local file playback

With Lyngdorf Audio’s world-famous digital amplification technology and patented RoomPerfect™ room correction the TDAI-1120 delivers a perfect musical experience in all living rooms. Without the need for extensive acoustic treatment, you get a sound system with optimal frequency response, seamless level alignment, and bass management that perfectly integrates the speakers and subwoofers. What’s not to like!

The TDAI-3400 Stereo Amplifier

Extreme audio processing options combined with the most powerful and advanced digital amplifier technology, makes the Lyngdorf TDAI-3400 the most powerful and versatile product that Lyngdorf Audio have ever made. A variety of inputs and outputs provide plenty of options to connect your audio and video sources: Seven digital inputs including optical, coax, AES/EBU, USB-B, USB-A, two RCA analogue inputs for analogue music sources, one optional analogue module for more analogue inputs including XLR and phono MM, and one optional HDMI 2.1 module with two inputs and one ARC / eARC output.

The TDAI-3400 accepts all media interfaces and features a built-in media player with the highest playback quality. Through your local network or via the USB connectors, you can access your entire library of music through the DLNA/UPnP enabled player. This media player also allows music streaming using Roon Ready, Spotify Connect, and AirPlay 2 as well as internet radio. The TDAI-3400 also supports TIDAL Connect which allows lossless audio quality with the TIDAL app as the controller.

The result is a fully customisable giant of high quality sound, packaged in a sleek, minimalistic chassis that radiates Danish design at its best.

We have been very impressed with these amps and CD player and we think that you will be too. So if I have whetted your appetite even a little please feel free to give us a call and bring in a pile of your favourite music and have some fun… We do! We also make a great cup of tea or coffee and have some nice biscuits too.

Thanks for reading,

Andy, Jon and Farid - Audio T Cheltenham.

If you have any questions about any of the equipment featured in this article, or any other Hi-Fi or home cinema enquiries, be sure to Contact Us.

You can find out more about Lyngdorf and their history by reading a full article in Music at Home+ Spring 2023.

If you’ve enjoyed this, why not go ahead and read some more of our other blogs, and be sure to follow us on our social media channels below…

Lyngdorf can be found at the following Audio T stores…

March 27, 2023

Spendor Classic 3/1 - Small Speaker with a Big Big Sound

March 27, 2023/ Audio T Cheltenham/ Cheltenham

Here at Audio T Cheltenham we have an unwavering love for the classic looking Hi-Fi, which some would arguably now call “retro” or “vintage” in its design.

This month we’re looking at the rather cute Spendor Classic 3/1. A 2 way reflex ported stand mount speaker that encompasses that “retro” look…

Classic 3/1 sat on top of its own dedicated stand.

The Science Bit

Weighing in at a fairly hefty 9.9kg each and measuring 39.5cm tall by 22cm wide and 28.5cm deep the build quality is truly exemplary, but then Spendor do have their own cabinet making facility so you would expect nothing less really.

Sporting a very high quality 18cm EP77 polymer cone bass/mid driver supported by a cast magnesium alloy chassis. Available in cherry and walnut real wood finishes and they come supplied with grilles that attach to the solid front baffle by means of magnets, so there are no unsightly fixing holes if you are going to use them with grilles removed.

Sensitivity is a generous 88db for 1 watt at 1 metre, so a good match for either valve amps or solid state electronics. They have a typical in-room frequency response of 40hz at the bottom to 25 khz at the top (if you can hear that far up). Impedance is rated at a very amp friendly 8 ohms.

No Grilles for an arguably improved sound quality.

Spendor’s Obsession

All the design, engineering and manufacture work is based in Spendor’s East Sussex production facility where the distinctive Classic sound is honed to near perfection, thanks to their obsession for capturing the spirit of the musical performance.

Rear view showing chunky gold plated speaker plugs.

The rear of the speaker is where you will find a set of nice solid gold plated speaker sockets designed to facilitate bi-wiring or to bi-amp the speakers. Also round the back is where you will find the reflex port, which gives the speaker deeper bass extension.

The Importance of Good Support

The stands are important to mention here too as they are an integral part of the loudspeaker design. They support the speaker cabinet in each of the corners on four slim solid alloy pillars. The pillars are rigidly tied together via two independent machined solid alloy hubs. The result of this is a completely stable ultra-rigid lightweight non-resonant structure, that results in no spurious noise or vibration to detract from the natural dynamics, transparency, soundstage and detail of your music.

Sorrows Away

folky Goosebump time courtesy of The unthanks

Now onto the fun bit where I get to put the Spendors through their paces with some juicy music. First up I pulled out a copy of the latest LP from “The Unthanks”. “Sorrows Away” contains pretty much everything that makes the band great: impossibly luminous harmonies, great arrangements, sinuous ensemble work and a symphonic sense of scale. Wonderful artwork too which is inspired by a collection of beautiful nineteenth century Japanese firework illustrations. I chose the first track “The Great Silkie Of Sule Skerry” and was immediately transported by the delicate ethereal beauty of the voices with the gradually growing intensity of the music behind them. All made wonderfully real by the huge soundstage projected by the Spendor. Imaging from the Classic 3/1 is amongst the very best that you will hear from a loudspeaker of this size and price anywhere in the Hi-Fi world. The themes of this album of emergence from the dark and into the light, reaching from bleak times towards something warmer and brighter and driving “Sorrows Away” are really laid bare by the Spendor Classic 3/1’s… a truly moving listen.

Slip Into The Vortex

Spacerock improv lunacy from The Oresund space collective

The Spendor Classic 3/1’s were soooo good with “The Unthanks” album that I thought I would see how they coped with the album “Into The Vortex” by “Oresund Space Collective” who are a music collective from Denmark and Sweden that play totally improvised space rock music. They have released 38 records since 2006. Music for your mind to escape the Matrix...This was album number six and is still my favourite of theirs.

Now this can be a difficult listen if played through speakers that are not up to snuff, but on the Spendor, the immense eighteen minute long title track was revealed in absolutely all of its wonderfully blissed out psychedelic beauty. The interplay between the various band members sets up something truly hypnotic and mind bending, that comes across so well on the Spendor that you would swear you can follow everything at the same time without the music ever sounding over busy or confused at all.

Real Wood Veneers

A Spine Tingling Conclusion

To sum up then, here we have a loudspeaker that is assured and powerful and will take you to the very heart of the performance. They have warmth and richness combined with clarity and transparency, which brings out all the colours and textures in your music, creating an immersive and comforting soundscape that many listeners may find missing in other loudspeakers. They will send shivers down your spine and encourage you to rediscover the music you love. Above all else, they capture the real soul of the recording bringing a new intimacy and intensity to your listening experience.

If I have whetted your appetite even a little please feel free to give us a call and bring in a pile of your favourite music and have some fun… We do! We also make a great cup of tea or coffee and have some nice biscuits too.

Thanks for reading,

Andy, Jon and Farid - Audio T Cheltenham.

If you have any questions about any of the equipment featured in this article, or any other Hi-Fi or home cinema enquiries, be sure to Contact Us.

If you’ve enjoyed this, why not go ahead and read some more of our other blogs, and be sure to follow us on our social media channels below…

Spendor loudspeakers can be found at the following Audio T stores

January 27, 2023

Spot the difference! Taking a look at the Rega Planar 1 and Planar 2 Turntables

January 27, 2023/ Audio T Cheltnham/ Cheltenham

They may look the same on the surface, but what exactly is the difference between the Rega Planar 1 and Planar 2? This is quite probably the most often asked question that I get in the shop, here at Audio T Cheltenham. Well as the subject of this month’s article, I will explore the differences and hopefully answer this question for you in detail!

Rega Planar 1

Apart from banana plugs and loudspeaker cable, The Rega P1 is the single thing in the shop that we sell the most of. Although it is the entry level model in Rega’s range, it punches way above its weight in regards to price point. It is built like a tank and is designed to be a “plug and play” solution. Rega actually boast that it can be set up within 30 seconds. Super smooth tonearm bearings mean that the RB110 arm factory fitted with the Carbon Cartridge will track those record grooves with consummate ease for years and years. Latest drive belt technology with the EBLT belt delivers greater accuracy and improved speed performance. It boasts a hi-tech phenolic resin, flywheel effect platter which is powered by a high quality, 24V low noise synchronous motor.

The Planar 1 is available in matt black, matt white and now a stylish walnut finish that will complement most home furnishing styles. This model of turntable comes with a protective perspex lid to complete the look - Both the black and white finishes come with a clear lid, and the special edition walnut finish is supplied as standard with the premium smoked dust cover to set off the design.

I reckon that if you are a newcomer to the vinyl revolution, or if you are are looking to get back into vinyl, and want serious performance from a turntable that doesn’t cost the earth and will last you a lifetime, then look no further.

Rega Planar 2

The next model up the range is (surprise surprise) the Planar 2. As we’ve already said, you’d be forgiven for thinking it looked the same as the Planar 1, but if you look a tad closer you will see that this one has a whole host of features that the younger sibling lacks. Firstly, it has a heavier, float glass ‘Optiwhite’ 10 mm platter to improve tracking accuracy.

One of the biggest upgrade features between the two models is the improved RB220 tonearm with Rega designed ultra-low friction bearings housed within a brand new, stiffer and lightweight bearing housing. This was developed with a new updated adjustable bias mechanism allowing greater flexibility and compatibility with a wide range of cartridges should you feel the need to upgrade. This is not really possible on the P1 due to its fixed bias. On the P1 the headshell is glued onto the main arm tube. The arm on the P2 however has a continuous one-piece casting. This offers greater rigidity and better performance at the frequency extremes. Rigidity is massively important in a tonearm because the stylus is measuring minute movements. If there is any give or play in the tonearm then that will lose the valuable data recovered from the groove. Put simply; less music for your ears.

Under the rigid acrylic high gloss laminated plinth you will find a new 24V, low noise motor and a newly designed central bearing mean that this innovative new turntable is designed to extract the maximum amount of information and detail from your vinyl collection.

The proof is in the listening…

Right that’s all the nerdy stuff explained…now on to the fun bit, the listening. And as luck would have it, Riverside who are one of the most exciting producers of prog rock, have just released a rather fab new album which I will use to suss out the differences between these two decks!

Front cover of i d. entity the new album by riverside.

Along with Marillion and Porcupine Tree, Riverside, from Warsaw in Poland are one of the greatest Prog Rock bands of the last twenty years (Seriously… Look them up if you have never heard of them). This new album really shows off the band’s adventurous side, complete with energetic writing and a wonderfully immediate and enjoyable production. In particular, I love the throwbacks to the classic bands that peep through here—be that Camel, Rush, or the critically acclaimed, aforementioned Porcupine Tree - which give the album a timeless progginess.

It wouldn’t be prog without great art …. Inside the gatefold with lovely illustrations by Jarek Kubicki.

My reference system for this little escapade and the perfect partners for the Rega turntables consists of the newly reduced in price Rega Brio amplifier and the juicy little Acoustic Energy AE100² loudspeakers.

The sleek and minimal design of the Brio

This amp and speaker set up combines to produce a treble that is sweet and unfatiguing, the mid-band is lush but highly transparent and the bass has a glow and free-flowing, unforced quality, good eh?

Are Acoustic Energy the hifi worlds best kept secret?

I chose side three track two… “Self Aware” for the business of comparing the P1 and the P2, and the differences are immediately apparent. The P2 gets much more information from the grooves. The music is easier to follow the dynamic range is better. The bass goes down quite a lot deeper too and is firmer and better defined. What impressed me the most was how the P2 made the vocals sound like they were being sung with more passion and were more emotionally charged. The juxtaposition of the lead guitar and the “Tangerine Dreaminess” of the synthesiser becomes more deeply hypnotic. Then at around the five and a half minute mark when you think the band are winding down is when the track really takes off with throbby deep bass guitar and beautiful synth work that goes on for another glorious four minutes of prog rock heaven!

More of that gorgeous artwork from the lyric sheet.

I think most people will be rather pleasantly surprised by the gulf in the performance of these two vinyl spinners! The Planar 1 is arguably one of the best entry-level vinyl spinners for the money on the market, but the improvements in the quality of components of the Planar 2 really do raise the level of enjoyment quite significantly and make it well worth the extra investment! Oh….and don’t forget you can upgrade the cartridge on the Planar 2 thanks to the advanced RB220 tonearm, meaning you can improve on the sound even further should you so wish.

As usual, you are welcome to give us a call on 01242 583960 to arrange a demonstration for you to make your own comparison between the two. And if you’re just passing by, why not pop in and take a look?

Many thanks for reading!

Andy, Jon and Farid - Audio T Cheltenham.

If you have any questions about any of the items featured in this article, and would like to hear how good your favourite albums can sound on some of our finest systems, or if you have any other Hi-Fi or home cinema enquiries, be sure to Contact Us.

If you’ve enjoyed reading this, why not go ahead and read some more of our other blogs, and be sure to follow us on our social media channels below…

Rega can be found at the following Audio T stores

Acoustic Energy can be found at the following Audio T stores

December 22, 2022

Albums Of The Year 2022 at Audio T Cheltenham!

December 22, 2022/ Audio T Cheltenham/ Cheltenham

Mince Pies And Twiglets!

This blog is going to be a little self indulgent I’m afraid, but bear with me! Basically it is a big shout out for some of my favourite music of the year just gone (2022 in case you’d forgotten in a haze of football and reality TV mediocrity). I am always on the lookout for new pieces of music that are a little off the beaten track but are a dead cert to make your hifi system sound amazing. 2022 has been a year that has seen so many stunning new albums from a plethora of stupendous bands and artists

Mistletoe and Wine!

First on the list (but in no particular order) comes this juicy little improv spiritual jazz thing from Flock.

Beutiful Artwork by Muhammed Fatchurofi sets the scene for some sublime music

Flock consist of and all music is improvised by….

Bex Burch: gyil, vibraphone, bass drum, shakers, bells, gong, snake drum, electronics
Sarathy Korwar: drums, tabla
Danalogue: fender rhodes, roland juno-60, upright piano, roland SH-09 bass synth
Al MacSween: prepared piano, piano, Moog Sub37
Tamar Osborn: bass clarinet, flute, soprano sax, EHX deluxe memory boy

All the pieces were recorded in one day with the emphasis on breathing and listening to one other,” explains Bex Burch. “Improvisation is composition in itself, so although the music was freely improvised, we sometimes chose to stay on form and rhythm, repeating melodies and groove.” As Dan commented on the day, we “murmurated”.

For me the standout track is the expansive 13-minute piece ‘How Many Are One’. This is the perfect example of a collective following and leading as the music and rhythms shift and fold into each other as they develop. And the bass on this track will really test out your speakers. Just as you think the bottom end goes down low it gets even deeper……Nice!!

Figgy Pud

Next on the ( in no particular order ) list is the very wonderful album By Fenella that goes by the title “The Metallic Index”.

Fenella is Jane Weavers experimental ensemble in collaboration with Peter Philipson and Raz Ullah, They return with a hallucinogenic excursion into ambient textures and hypnagogic drones on new album ‘The Metallic Index’. Taking further steps into their combined compositional universe with this follow-up to 2019’s acclaimed Fehérlófia album.

Loosely based on a genuine story recounting the short-lived abilities of a young psychic nurse in 1920s London, Fenella’s niche muse Jane Weaver justifies this celebratory return to vinyl, as she says “not once does it fall into the supposed tropes of staid hauntological-plunderphonics which repeatedly come to muddy our thirsty streams”. Fenella make spirited melodic progressive pop music that pulsates with the same magnetism that fans of Jane Weaver's own The Silver Globe and Modern Kosmology have come to respect and hold closely.

Handcrafted using a generous archive of some of the best vintage equipment in the country, the sound structures you hear at the heart of this album form the basis for Fenella's best work yet, while the individual spectral vocalisations and ethereal electronics that circle the room capture this trio's return, as peripheral visions, in full. The result is truly breathtakingly gorgeous and wonkily weird. Stand out track is “Telekinetoscopes” The soundstage is huge with sounds appearing and disappearing way outside the plane of the loudspeakers. See how good your hifi system is at revealing the beauty from within the glitchiness and the power from the propulsive deep bass. Go on try it, you never know you might just fall in love! Oh, the movie is a real corker too!

Crackers and Cheese

My final choice is “Solace” by Held By Trees.

The Beautiful cover painting is by nicola stockley

Held By Trees is an instrumental prog rock/post-rock collaboration of musicians heavily inspired by Talk Talk/Mark Hollis, consisting of musicians that took part in the infamous sessions for Spirit of Eden (1988), Laughing Stock (1991) and Mark Hollis' solo album (1998). Other inspirations include the minimal piano work of Ryuichi Sakamoto, and early 70's Pink Floyd. Not a bad little list of influences then eh?

Musically there is more than a hint of Talk Talk and any one who is a fan of theirs will really enjoy this. Legendary guitar player Eric Bibb guests on a couple of tracks too! Stand out track is definitely the six minute long “In The Trees”. The moment when the acoustic bass comes in is drop dead gorgeous.

Don’t Let The Bells End

These are just a few of the great albums from 2022 and I believe are much more fun than your run-of-the-mill hifi show demo smooth jazz, Nightfly by Donald Fagan anyone? Or any one of the awfully recorded Oasis albums? Play these and I guarantee that you will be more than pleasantly surprised at how good your hifi can sound when it is fed with top quality music that is well produced and recorded. And strictly speaking ( well writing actually ) all the greatest hifi equipment in the world would be totally useless if the music we played on it wasn’t up to snuff wouldn’t it?

Right ….now I am off to scoff mince pies and stollen….see you all on the other side!

Many thanks for reading, hope you have a great Christmas.

Andy, Jon and Farid - Audio T Cheltenham.

If you have any questions about any of the music featured in this article, and would like to hear how good your favourite albums can sound on some of our finest systems, or if you have any other Hi-Fi or home cinema enquiries, be sure to Contact Us.

If you’ve enjoyed reading this, why not go ahead and read some more of our other blogs, and be sure to follow us on our social media channels below…

December 01, 2022

At Last, We Have A Good Soundbar! - The Sennheiser Ambeo Family

December 01, 2022/ Audio T Cheltenham/ Cheltenham

Having never been fans of the whole soundbar genre we were of course a tad sceptical of the boast from Sennheiser that the Ambeo Plus coupled with its partnering Ambeo Subwoofer would make us change our minds! Normally of course Sennheiser are more famous for a wonderful range of top quality headphones…not so much the soundbar thing but all that has changed with the Ambeo models and here we are putting the Ambeo Plus Soundbar and Ambeo Subwoofer through their paces.

Set Up Is A Breeze

First of all set up of the Sennheiser Ambeo Plus was so simple. Just a quick download of the Sennheiser Smart Control app which talks you through the set up procedure step by step and will also very cleverly calibrate the soundbar and Ambeo Subwoofer to your room for optimum surround sound. It gets the bar connected to your Wi-Fi (or you can use Ethernet if you happen to have a cable near your TV), and then guides you through the optional steps for using Alexa as a voice assistant and using Google’s Chromecast built-in.

Set up screen that greets you when you open the app

Classic Movies

Once set up and working with an HDMI connection from our Bluray player I Played a couple of my favourite movie demonstration clips. First I played the beautifully filmed and choreographed Echo Game scene from House Of Flying Daggers with blind dancer Mei played by Zhang Ziyi, in which the floor is surrounded by drums on poles. Her nemesis throws a bean at one of the drums. She is to hit the same drum with the weighted end of her long sleeve. First one bean, then three, then countless beans are thrown, as Mei whirls in mid air to follow the sounds, hitting the drums with beats of her own. This becomes a ballet of movement and percussion with an amazing almost Kodo like drum sound that is a real test for the Ambeo subwoofer, which needless to say it passes with much aplomb. A simply stunning rendition of one of cinemas great scenes!

One of the best scenes in the history of movies!

Secondly I chose the brilliant final showdown gun fight scene from Kevin Costner’s 2003 American Revisionist movie Open Range. The gun fighting scenes in this film were intentionally filmed in giant wide shots and were praised for their intense realism. More importantly the gun fire sound is truly visceral and the Ambeo Soundbar Plus with its partnering Ambeo Subwoofer even make it sound like the echoes from the bullets are totally real as they fade away! This has to be the best gun fight in a movie ever!

You just know this isn’t going to end well!

Don’t Forget The Subwoofer

Although the Sennheiser Ambeo sub works really well it is possible to hook up any sub of your choice, not something that can be done with the majority of the competion. If your TV is wall mounted there is an optional wall bracket that can be had for an extra £50.

That’ll be the subwoofer then! It is possible to use up to four of these!!

A Bit More Info…

With the exception of the Ambeo Soundbar Max, I don’t think you can get a more immersive audio experience from a single speaker than the Ambeo Soundbar Plus. That is most certainly true when you feed it multi channel surround sound formats like Dolby Atmos or DTS:X, but it can be just as thrilling when listening to 5.1, 7.1, or even good old two-channel stereo.

The ambeo plus is a super slim 5.3 inches tall

Musically there is connectivity via Bluetooth, Apple AirPlay 2, Spotify Connect, TIDAL Connect with Dolby Atmos and Google Chromecast built-in too for good measure.

Voice Enhancement allows for better speech clarity while Night Mode offers improved listening at lower volume levels, if the rest of the family are in bed and you don’t want to disturb them.

The Bit At The End…

Ok so this won’t replace a dedicated set of stereo or surround speakers but it is a great way to experience two channel sound in a truly immersive 3D presentation. If you want a single speaker solution with great sound and great looks this may well be for you.

As usual if you are even vaguely interested then you are welcome to give us a call on 01242 583960 to arrange a demo or pop in to the Cheltenham store where the Sennheiser Ambeo Plus is on (fairly) permanent demo. And if you’re just passing by, why not pop in and take a look at it too?

Many thanks for reading,

Andy, Jon and Farid - Audio T Cheltenham.

If you have any questions about any of the equipment featured in this article, or any other Hi-Fi or home cinema enquiries, be sure to Contact Us.

If you’ve enjoyed this, why not go ahead and read some more of our other blogs, and be sure to follow us on our social media channels below…

Sennheiser can be found at the following Audio T stores:

October 27, 2022

Cyrus & Acoustic Energy In-Store Event at Audio T Cheltenham. One not to be missed!

October 27, 2022/ Audio T Cheltenham/ Cheltenham

On Thursday December the 8th between the hours of 12.00 midday and 8.00 pm, the Cheltenham store will be playing host to British Hi-Fi powerhouses Cyrus and Acoustic Energy, in what promises to be a truly stunning system match up not to be missed. We will have the newly released Cyrus XR range coupled with the Acoustic Energy 500 series loudspeakers and take it from me, they make a wonderful sound together!

Stylish. Elegant.

Acoustic Energy AE 509 (the big one) and AE500 both in the walnut wood finish,

Acoustic Energy was founded in London, England in 1987 with the creation of the now-legendary AE1 loudspeaker. The AE1 redefined what was possible from a compact enclosure by setting new audio performance standards for dynamics, power and clarity previously unheard of outside larger, high-end speakers. These design principles have remained enshrined in the company ethos to this day…

Cyrus Audio is an internationally acclaimed, high-end audio brand based in Cambridgeshire, England. The company has been at the forefront of the audio scene for nearly 40 years. Having launched the original Cyrus One amplifier back in 1984, it quickly established itself as a company providing outstanding quality for the most discerning of music-lovers, and it has been designing and manufacturing award winning audio products ever since. Cyrus is proud to be one of the few remaining independent British brands, with their range of integrated amps, CD players, power amps and power supplies continuing to be manufactured here in the UK.

On hand we will also have Jason Saxon from Cyrus and Adrian Dykes from Acoustic Energy as representatives from both brands to answer any questions or queries you may have on the day. Both of these guys have a wealth of knowledge and experience in the hi-fi world and between them there is nothing they don’t know… So come along and test ‘em out!

The awesome three way AE520’s will be there on the day too

Please feel free to bring in some of your own favourite music to play and test out the systems on the day. This can be vinyl or CD and any genre you like (don’t worry as we have have very wide tastes here and you won’t upset us). Anything from Katy Perry to Fu Manchu (look’em up!) is fine by us!!

Entry is free and there will be drinks and nibbles too, so please feel free to join us on what promises to be a really great day!

For all enquiries regarding this event please contact Audio T Cheltenham on either 01242 583960 or cheltenham@audio-t.co.uk

Thanks for reading,

Andy, Jon and Farid - Audio T Cheltenham.

If you have any questions about any of the equipment featured in this article, or any other Hi-Fi or home cinema enquiries, be sure to Contact Us.

If you’ve enjoyed this, why not go ahead and read some more of our other blogs, and be sure to follow us on our social media channels below…

Acoustic Energy can be found at the following Audio T stores

Cyrus can be found at the following Audio T stores -

September 28, 2022

Isolation… It’s not all bad! A look at IsoAcoustics Orea Isolation Pucks

September 28, 2022/ Audio T Cheltenham/ Cheltenham

Are you feeling isolated? Well if you are not, we think that you jolly well should be! Isolation is not just a wonderful track on the second and final Joy Division album “Closer”, nor is it just what you should be doing for five days after catching Covid. It is a subject that every audiophile should be well acquainted with. Isolation issues can make or break the performance of pretty much any item of hi-fi and when properly addressed will improve the sound of your system to the extent that you can forget about the equipment and get closer to the music (see what I did there?).

IsoAcoustic OREA’s

OUR STORE mascot, THE BLUE MEANIE WITH THE IsoAcoustics Orea in three of the four available sizes.

A Sneaky Peek

The subject of this months blog is the OREA isolation pucks from the Canadian company IsoAcoustics. I first came across the IsoAcoustics products at the Bristol Hi-Fi Show in 2018 while I was working in the sales room on the third floor. By midday on the first day I was beginning to get rather inquisitive as to why so many of the show visitors were coming in to our room eager to throw money at us for many and varied products from the IsoAcoustics range. I decided to take a sneaky peek to see what was going on and sat in on one of their product demonstrations. To say I was gobsmacked was a bit of an understatement. The A-B demonstrations that they were doing always made a big difference and throughout the whole show they continued to sell in bonkers amounts. IsoAcoustics have a large and varied range of vibration control and isolation products, but for the purposes of this article I am going to concentrate on the OREA range.

Ooh….Shiny!

OREA pucks in all their shiny glory. From left to right Graphite, Bronze and Indigo.

The Science Bit

The OREA’s are designed to eliminate parasitic vibrations and provide greater sound clarity and focus. They are ideal for electronic components including Amplifiers, DACs, CD Players, Speakers, and Turntables. Made of machined stainless steel, they have a low-profile design to minimize any increase in height. Each OREA model is designed with a different weight capacity. They each have a coloured ring on the bottom isolator that denotes the model and weight capacity, and are packaged individually to allow greater flexibility when determining the number of units to use. IsoAcoustics recommend a minimum of 3 units under each component depending on the weight of your equipment. The existing feet on an audio component may connect well and fit nicely around the perimeter of the OREA isolator. Alternatively, you may get better performance by either removing the feet entirely or placing the OREA’s beside the existing feet to have them connect directly to the chassis or base of the component.

The whole field of vibration control and isolation was met with a certain degree of scorn when first introduced but is now fully embraced as a nailed-on method of improving transparency, resolution, dynamics, coherence, bass performance and soundstage dimensionality.

Isolation for our demo Rega P3 with Exact Cartridge

The Music Bit

As an experiment I tried a before and after test using our Rega Planar 3 with Exact cartridge using a set of the Bronze OREAs and the differences were just amazing. I chose a couple of very different tracks from two very different albums. First on the felt mat was the track “The Bell That Never Rang” from the album of the same name by the experimental Scottish folk trio Lau. This seventeen minute long musical exploration veers from classical to folk to electro and is riveting throughout. The climax at the end has some of the most humongously deep and sinewy bass that you will ever hear your system reproduce. Now the OREAs did not magically produce more bass but what they did was to make it all sound tighter and faster as if it were coming from a huge inky black background. The soundstage became enormous with vocals just hanging in mid air and the violins viola and cello became wonderfully real and solid. This is a beautiful sounding album and was produced by Joan Wasser at the very reputable Castlesound Studios in Scotland which has played home to many of the greatest Linn Records recordings over the years and is run by Calum Malcolm (just look up his client list!).

Next on the playlist was “A Round Of Applause” by Los Angeles psych rockers Hooveriii (pronounced Hoover Three apparently).This is one of those albums that I bought because I really love the artwork on the sleeve. I am a huge fan of the artist Jean Giraud Moebius and although this is not by him it is very much in his style… So I bought it! I was not to be disappointed with the music either which is a melange of soaring psychedelically twisted guitars, glam rock synthesiser power pop and super hooky melodies. Listening to the track “My Directive” before and after the OREAs were planted under the Rega Planar 3 I was immediately aware that the song now had more propulsive power and increased swagger. Everything now being more open and all the individual strands of the song easier to follow. Just stunning.

The magnifent “A Round of Applause” by Hooveriii. Just WOW!

So…

By now you have probably realised that I quite like what the OREAs can do to improve an item of hi-fi equipment. Indeed my very own CD player at home has been improved with the addition of a set of the Graphite OREAs to such an extent that without them I think it sounds a bit meh! So if you too are even just a tiny bit curious about what they could do for you then pop in to see us here in the Cheltenham showroom and we can talk you through the options and we can even let you take some home to try before you buy. This is something that we do rather a lot with OREAs and not many of them come back! I also cannot believe I am talking about this in September but they would make great things to put on your Christmas prezzie list! They are on mine!!

If you’d like to find out the best IsoAcoustic product for your speakers or hi-fi component, you can use the Selection Wizard Here

Thanks for reading,

Andy, Jon and Farid - Audio T Cheltenham.

If you have any questions about any of the equipment featured in this article, or any other Hi-Fi or home cinema enquiries, be sure to Contact Us.

If you’ve enjoyed this, why not go ahead and read some more of our other blogs, and be sure to follow us on our social media channels below…

IsoAcoustics can be found at the following Audio T stores

August 27, 2022

Big Speaker Fetish! Getting intimate with the Acoustic Energy AE509…

August 27, 2022/ Audio T Cheltenham / Cheltenham

The Bit at the Beginning

It’s not really much of a secret that, alongside Prog Rock in all shapes and forms, I have a pretty serious and full on fetish for big loudspeakers. The latest recipient of my lascivious lusting is the rather sexy AE509 from Cotswolds loudspeaker experts Acoustic Energy. As a company Acoustic Energy was founded in 1987 and quickly built a reputation for great quality at reasonable prices, that was the envy of many manufacturers at the time. After a period in the wilderness ( those pesky Americans! ) and after a management buyout ( yay for the Brits! ), they are well and truly back and have a wonderful range of loudspeakers that will suit most rooms /systems/budgets. Over the past year or so I have grown to really love what this particular pair of loudspeakers is capable of, and I feel that the world needs to know what they can do too!

The Techie Bit

The AE509 has a Mid Tweeter Mid/bass (MTM) driver layout with a 2 way crossover using high voltage polypropylene film wound capacitors and air core inductors for optimum sound dispersion .

The Carbon Fibre Drive Units In All Their Glory.

The 125mm mid/bass drivers include new oversized 35mm voice coils, for low thermal compression and very high motor force factor, to provide a highly dynamic yet controlled bass response. The woofer has an optimised motor and suspension system for maximum linearity and lowest distortion, ensuring pin point mid-range definition, whilst the lightweight nature of the carbon fibre cone material increases transient speed and clarity.

The new 25mm carbon fibre dome tweeter is much lighter and better damped than other typical hard dome materials, and provides a lightning fast, natural sound without harshness. A new cast aluminium waveguide on this high frequency driver is positioned close to the mid/bass drivers for optimum dispersion, and is extremely stiff to minimise vibration within the tweeter, ensuring sweet, clear and natural highs.

This complement of hightech drivers are housed in Resonance Suppression Composite (RSC) cabinets, evolved from the prestigious Reference Series and featuring the same constrained layer composite, to greatly reduce cabinet acoustic radiation, which would otherwise colour the sound. This is basically a cabinet within a cabinet with damping in between - Clever eh? These cabinets are finished in a choice of high gloss Piano Black, Piano White or American Walnut wood veneer finishes.

Another thing I really like about these speakers is the gorgeous metal bases with proper chunky spikes. Most speakers these days treat the spikes as just a cheap add on and they don’t give you a great method of making sure your speaker does not wobble around whereas the Acoustic Energy base and spikes looks amazing, really works, and makes set up easy as well. The stiffness of these metal structures reduces any unwanted room to speaker interactions that might colour the sound too….genius! There are some rather chunky banana sockets too, proof that no detail has been overlooked.

The Bit In the Middle

Over the course of the last year or so I have grown to really love what these loudspeakers can do. They are at once precise, open and detailed and able to produce a huge soundstage that projects way out of the boxes in all directions. The bass goes down really deep when it needs to, but is always clean and tight never getting out of control. Also, and mega importantly, they never sound overly bright or clinical like so many modern designs can do. They are also easy to drive but respond magnificently to having high quality sources and amplification in front of them. Could they be the perfect loudspeaker? Lets put them to the test with some music shall we?

The Music Bit

Loops In The Secret Society by Jane Weaver

‘Loops in The Secret Society’ contains lots of gloriously wonky, cyclical, ambient re-workings of some of Jane Weaver’s most requested songs from her most recent albums and live shows. Here she uses analogue tape-loop devices, vocal manipulation and dubbed-out multi-layered custom vinyl plates to produce genuinely thrilling and challenging experimental pop, with a Motorik Krautrock vein right through the centre. Played via the AE509’s I am totally sucked in and get lost in the hugeness of it all. A great recording and a beautiful pressing to boot, not a click or a pop on any of the four sides. And what about that gorgeous pink vinyl! Whenever I listen to Jane Weaver I always imagine that this is the kind of music that the late great and criminally underrated Delia Derbyshire would be making if she were still with us……Ah….If only!?

This is ‘Sun’s Signature’, the current project from vocalist Elizabeth Fraser (of Cocteau Twins fame) and her musical and life partner, percussionist Damon Reece. This is a wonderfully lush recording with some truly cavernous bass and an open atmospheric ambience that on the AE509 you can fall into and get lost in. Also on this EP is a healthy and rather unexpected dose of prog rock with, former Genesis member, Steve Hackett providing crackling sustained guitar to the track “Underwater” and his work also sets psychedelic fire to the very trippy “Golden Air”. He contributes Spanish guitar to the beautiful closing track “Make Lovely the Day,” Hell, the album even has mellotron on it. Just amazing! And Liz Frazer can still do it! So if you love The Cocteau Twins and you love Genesis you need this in your life.

The Bit At The End

All this attention to detail produces what must be one of the finest floor-standing loudspeakers that we have ever had the pleasure of listening to at Audio T Cheltenham. They are never harsh or bright sounding, these are speakers that you can listen to all day long and never get tired of. The bass is deep and juicy but always perfectly controlled. The whole soundstage they produce is big and open, extending massively outside the boxes. They are easy to accommodate room-wise, and they do not need lots of space behind them to be able to produce that wonderful lush goose-bumpy soundstage. They are easy to drive so will work with fairly modest amps but they respond beautifully to being driven by big powerful current monsters too.

Thanks for reading,

Andy, Jon and Farid - Audio T Cheltenham.

If you have any questions about any of the equipment featured in this article, or any other Hi-Fi or home cinema enquiries, be sure to Contact Us.

If you’ve enjoyed this, why not go ahead and read some more of our other blogs, and be sure to follow us on our social media channels below…

Acoustic Energy can be found at the following Audio T stores

July 18, 2022

An Upgrade Of Epic Proportions! - The Chord Company Epic Cables

July 18, 2022/ Audio T Cheltenham/ Cheltenham

An audio system can consist of many components and obviously it is really important to choose these ingredients wisely and carefully so that they are well matched and work well together both musically and aesthetically. In fact, you can read my previous article on ‘System Synergy’ Here. An important part of this aforementioned synergy also applies to your choice of loudspeaker cables and interconnects, something that often gets overlooked or skimped upon but can in fact make or break the quality of sound that your system is able to produce.

Tried and Tested

Here at Audio T Cheltenham, we have tried so many different brands of interconnects and loudspeaker cables (and indeed still do) but we just keep finding ourselves coming back to those made by The Chord Company and in particular we really really like the Epic range…

A Brief History…

The Chord Company was formed in 1984. It all started over dinner one night in Salisbury, when a group of Naim retailers, visiting from America asked the manufacturer for a good-quality DIN-to-RCA interconnect. At the table, was one Sally Gibb, then married to a Naim executive, who made the (historic) suggestion that she make the cables and start a business. With the blessing of Naim, the journey to make cables for the American market began.

Sally gibb - founder of the chord company

With the USA referring to cables as ‘cords’, the name The Chord Company, with its obvious musical connotations, seemed perfect and it quickly stuck. Sally drew a logo, designed the packaging and started testing prototypes. Completely British design and construction, although difficult to source at the time, was paramount and days of searching eventually led to suppliers of sufficient quality. Friends of Sally’s at Naim provided expertise and advice, with many of them helping to build the cables.

Sally gibb also featured in naim advertising including this calendar appearance

The first prototype was named “Chrysalis Cable” and the Americans swiftly returned with an initial order of 250! Cables were built, tested, packed and taken along to the Post Office. Invoices were typed on a typewriter! After two steady years, The Chord Company got its first press review (by Malcolm Steward) and then the phone started to ring…and the rest is history!

Epic Powers

Now The Chord Company range is absolutely huge. Starting from from the inexpensive C-Series all the way up to the Chord Music cables, which very much sit at the “How Much!” end of the pricing spectrum. Somewhere in the mid to upper echelons of the pricing scale comes the Chord Epic Range, which just seems to work really well with everything we try it with.

Just for a bit of fun, I have even used Epic X Loudspeaker cable to connect a Denon DM41 micro system and a pair of Quad S1 loudspeakers and it sounded gorgeous! Like I said earlier, most people would buy the Denon and Quad and probably use some cheapo bell wire type cable and then never realise the full potential of the system… Not that I’m saying you should use a cable of this magnitude. I’m simply highlighting the significant difference the cables make.

Epic x Speaker Cable with Ohmic Banana Plugs

Space and Timing

The secret power of the Chord Epic range is to add space around all the instruments and voices within the soundstage produced by the system. Cables like these will allow your system’s components to work at their highest level, making everything sound more open and more detailed. Small details will become more apparent in the mix. A guitar string’s transient attack will be quick with a dynamic edge. On a larger scale, orchestral climaxes will be powerful and have a real sense of physical impact. The loudspeakers will disappear and the musical performance will be hanging in the three dimensional space in front of you.

Starlight Scene

To be able to hear the differences that a cable can make to your system, you first need to be listening to a piece of music that you know really well. You should also ensure it is recorded nicely with plenty of air around everything that is going on in the recording and not overly compressed within an inch of its life. For these moments, my go to piece of music is the track Starlight Scene by Yello, from the album Toy.

I have been a fan of this band since discovering the album Stella in 1985. Their sound is often characterised by unusual music samples and a heavy reliance on rhythm. Yello albums are always superbly recorded and often use guest vocalists including Rush Winters, Billy Mackenzie (from The Associates), Stina Nordenstam, Jade Davies, and the one and only Shirley Bassey. The track Starlight Scene has a guest vocal from Malia, a gifted vocalist whose voice is both strong and sensual and suits this track beautifully. It is easy to tell when a system is on song and performing well with this track because you will be able to just fall into the soundstage, the bottom end of the bass will go down so low and you will be enchanted by that wonderful voice.

The Wonderful Album Convergence from 2014

If Starlight Scene does it for you then you must try Malia’s rather fab album, Convergence, which she recorded as a collaboration with Yello main man Boris Blank. As an album, Convergence is totally addictive. It simply oozes class. I can’t recommend this album highly enough. Boris Blank’s quirky musical style and heritage seems perfect for Malia’s sultry inflections. Lovers of the less erratic Yello songs and followers of blues/soul diva’s have been given a gift. You can’t afford not to buy this diamond.

Summing Up

To conclude, I have a little warning for you. BEWARE, because many expensive cables are ridiculously overpriced and under perform! Price alone is no indicator of quality performance. The Chord Epic range though is a real giant slayer. Try some and I bet you will not be disappointed. If it helps, a home loan/demonstration can be arranged for to you try it in your own system at your own leisure.

And if you still believe that cables do not make a difference then, come on in and hopefully we will show you otherwise. What have you got to lose?

Many thanks for reading!

Andy, Jon and Farid - Audio T Cheltenham.

If you have any questions about any of the equipment featured in this article, or any other Hi-Fi or home cinema enquiries, be sure to Contact Us.

If you’ve enjoyed this, why not go ahead and read some more of our other blogs, and be sure to follow us on our social media channels below…

The Chord Company can be found at the following Audio T stores

Naim can be found at the following Audio T stores

June 10, 2022

“System Synergy” and All That (Free) Jazz… Featuring a first look at the all new Rega Elicit Mk5 Amplifier

June 10, 2022/ Audio T Cheltenham/ Cheltenham

The Holy Grail

It is very true that an inexpensive audio system can often outperform a more costly and ambitious set up with the whole being greater than the sum of its parts. How does this happen you may ask? Well…

There can be many and varied reasons why people put together their hi-fi systems. For most, it is possibly all about a passion for music and getting the best reproduction that they can. For some it may be a desire to own something shiny and expensive to show off to friends and relatives. For others it may have been randomly chosen from a list of magazine reviews, “best buys” or from a long list of great looking specifications and technical claims in the manufacturer’s blurb. Then there are those that like to stay loyal to a particular brand name or have upgraded components one by one over a number of years to finish up with their dream system. The more frugal of us will buy because a particular product is being sold at a big discount price.

All of these reasons are valid but can and probably could possibly lead to a hi-fi system sounding mediocre and less than the sum of its parts. The really important thing to ask is….”Do these system components work well together?” The phrase we give it here in the Cheltenham store is “System Synergy”. Put simply, the art of putting together components that compliment each other sonically, so that the overall result is a musicality beyond what each of those components could achieve if combined with less compatible products.

A Proper Giant Killer

I have recently been fortunate enough to have several customer demonstrations that have allowed me to listen to a couple of rather nice hi-fi systems, both of which would cost you well over £20K! As you’d imagine, both of them were really really impressive. But then along came this particular demo…

Rega Saturn Mk3, Rega Elicit Mk5 and Acoustic Energy AE209.

This system absolutely defines the phrase “System Synergy”. It consists of two all new releases from Rega - The Rega Saturn Mk3 CD and Rega Elicit Mk5 amplifier, alongside the Acoustic Energy AE509 loudspeakers. The sound that this sexy threesome produces is truly astonishing and really does convey a palpable sense of power, dynamic drive, deep bass extension and a feeling of physical impact so satisfying and way above its price point.

Goosebumps!

I won’t go on and on forever about “effortless reproduction” and “openness of soundstage” or how “the loudspeakers simply disappear and make the walls dissolve so that the music magically hangs in the air around you”. Or that “you get the sense that you can hear the performers in the room with you”. Or any other clichés you’re likely to see in many hi-fi articles… But then that really is the wonderful thing about “System Synergy” and the goosebump moments that you can get when it happens. It is priceless!

Free Jazz

voLITION BY kRAKATAU
**Raoul Björkenheim** guitars, shekere
**Jone Takamäki** tenor saxophone, krakaphone, toppophone, whirlpipe
**Uffe Krokfors** acoustic bass
**Alf Forsman** drums
Recorded December 1991 at Rainbow Studio, Oslo

I have championed this album before in previous articles. It is a stupidly good recording of some difficult but wonderful music by Finnish experimentalists Krakatau. This album was released on the rather wonderful ECM record label and on most hi-fi systems it can be a challenging listen. However, on this combination, the sound is wonderfully dynamic and open. The acoustic bass is so deep and tight. Raoul’s guitar is wild & abandoned, you can tell he is having tremendous fun playing it. Overall what strikes me the most is how the music is laid out in an ultra wide vista with the speakers imaging way out of their cabinets in all directions. Up, down, left, right, front and back to such an extent that I could swear the band were in the room (oops, there’s a slip of banality) . The system was producing a truly spine tingling effect and l know this album inside out and have heard it on some systems that are way more expensive than this, but played on this set up is quite probably the best (and the most fun) it has ever been! The sheer presence and realism is uncanny with a genuinely tangible low-level resolution and dynamic range that many, much more expensive systems would kill for. Now that is what “System Synergy” is all about. I rest my case.

The bit at the end

I could go on dishing out superlatives, but if I have even only piqued your interest a tiny bit then demonstrations can be arranged in store and are thoroughly recommended.

Thanks for reading.

Andy, Jon and Farid - Audio T Cheltenham.

If you have any questions about any of the equipment featured in this article, or any other Hi-Fi or home cinema enquiries, be sure to Contact Us.

If you’ve enjoyed this, why not go ahead and read some more of our other blogs, and be sure to follow us on our social media channels below…

Rega can be found at the following Audio T stores

Acoustic Energy can be found at the following Audio T stores

May 09, 2022

DALI Rubicon 8C Active... The Future Of Loudspeaker Systems Is Here

May 09, 2022/ Audio T Cheltenham/ Cheltenham

Here in at Audio T Cheltenham, we can proudly boast that we have the only pair of the brand new DALI Rubicon 8C wireless active loudspeakers currently on demonstration anywhere in the country!

DALI, which stands for Danish Audiophile Loudspeaker Industries, is a Danish (surprise surprise) manufacturer of high-end loudspeakers. The company was founded in 1983 by Peter Lyngdorf and has become one the best and most respected loudspeaker manufacturers in the world.

So what does the C stand for?

Simply put, the C suffix means that these loudspeakers are active… Not sure why they don’t use “A” for “Active” or “P” for “Powered”… Maybe I’m just being picky?!

So what does active mean? Well, the power amplification that powers the drive units is built in to the cabinets themselves. This gives huge scope for improvement over standard passive systems because each drive unit is directly driven and is fed only the correct frequencies that it needs. None of that pesky crossover stuff to get in the way of a good signal!

The build quality and the standard of finish is simply stunning. Our pair are high gloss black but they are also available in high gloss white and drop dead gorgeous walnut (my description, not theirs). Part of the magic comes from the revolutionary Hybrid Tweeter Module which combines a dome tweeter with a ribbon tweeter for an amazing reproduction of high frequencies, with wide dispersion at ultra-high frequencies keeping things crisp and airy. The dome tweeter is able to reach down well into the midrange frequencies, making the handover from the woofer to the tweeter sound more natural and totally seamless. Along with the wide-banded bass/midrange, this ensures the all-important midrange area is balanced, coherent and detailed…..genius eh?

The 6½” wood fibre SMC-based woofer delivers the midrange and bass frequencies fed by one of the two 250-Watt amplifiers. The combination of the low loss design, the wood fibre membrane and the SMC pole piece enables this woofer to work with minimal distortion of the amplifier signal. This, together with the extremely musical Class-D amplifier, delivers audio with excellent dynamic detail, great bass control and a wonderful open soundstage. The use of SMC (Soft Magnetic Compound) has many advantages, but the overarching result is a significant reduction of distortion from losses in the magnet motor. SMC’s unique ability to deliver a high magnetic conductivity and a very low electrical conductivity, gives all the desired qualities of a really good speaker magnet, without the traditional disadvantages.

Close up of the wood fibre reinforcement

The real star of this show is the imaginatively titled DALI Sound Hub. This is where the game really does change. In reality your Hi-Fi system can consist of just this! The sound hub is the starting point when setting up the Rubicon C speakers. The hub is the base for the distribution of the wireless audio signal. This is where initiating the pairing process begins. The DALI Sound Hub houses all the potential connections. With a focus on zero loss, and easy setup. The wireless connection only requires power to be fully working, which means easy change of setup and no messy installation of cables. The wireless connection between the speakers and the hub will even work without any Wifi signal active, due to the direct connection between the units.

The sound hub also has built-in controls for Power On/Off, Volume control, Source select, Mute and Speaker pairing, and also visual indications for Volume, Source and Speaker placement. The sound hub remote control is connected via Bluetooth, ensuring optimal performance stability, visual feedback, and ease of operation from a distance. Bluetooth also enables the user to place the sound hub anywhere within a maximum of 10 metres, but preferably in the same room as the speakers.

Our hub has the BluOS Streaming module built-in and it can also house a second module to allow full 5.1 surround sound as well. The BluOS expansion module for the sound hub allows multi-room streaming to compatible devices.

For those of you not in the know, BluOS is an advanced multi-room audio technology from Bluesound that lets you stream music from all your favourite streaming services, radio stations, and digital sources to any BluOS enabled stereo system or speaker, using the BluOS app. We just love BluOS…the app is great and it is so intuitive to use… So much so, that many manufacturers are incorporating BluOS in to their own products.

We have been listening to the Rubicon 8C loudspeakers with lots of music streamed from Tidal and have nothing but praise for their big open airy sound-staging abilities. They are never harsh or bright sounding as so many of today’s newer designs can sound. These are speakers that you can listen to all day long and never tire of. The bass is deep and juicy but always perfectly controlled. The whole soundstage they produce is big and open, extending massively outside the boxes. simply the best wireless loudspeaker system we have heard to date. I have just been streaming the brand new Mildlife live album “Live From South Channel Island.” The speakers set up as DALI recommend which is facing straight out with no toe in at all, So it would seem that DALI could actually stand for Don’t Angle Loudspeakers Inwards!

Basically what we have here is a shoe-in for album of the year. Melbourne based Mildlife have released this their first live album this week on the Heavenly record label. The performance was part of a livestream from last March, recorded on location in Port Phillip Bay, an island located off the coast of Sorrento in the south of Victoria. Sounds incredible and the vibes are so strong. Unable to play shows due to the pandemic, Mildlife travelled by boat to a long abandoned 19th century island fort to perform for fairy penguins and abalone poachers. The result is Live from South Channel Island, a 70 minute motion picture and live album where the band masterfully recreate the magic of their live shows, framed by the gorgeous Port Phillip Bay. The album is a beautiful mix of jazz, krautrock and demon grooves and the band has become a word of mouth sensation. Look it up and bask in their jazzy krautrock beauty.

Conclusion

Anyway…. It’s safe to say that here at Audio T Cheltenham, we love these Danish beauties and we’re pretty confident that you will too, especially if you’re ok for space and want a big room filling sound these could be just the thing you need! Demonstrations can be arranged in store and are thoroughly recommended.

Thanks for reading.

Andy, Jon and Farid - Audio T Cheltenham Store.

If you have any questions about any of the equipment featured in this article, or any other Hi-Fi or home cinema enquiries, be sure to Contact Us.

If you’ve enjoyed this, why not go ahead and read some more of our other blogs, and be sure to follow us on our social media channels below…

Dali can be found at the following Audio-T stores

March 17, 2022

Is CD still alive? You bet it is! The Arcam CDS50

March 17, 2022/ Audio T Cheltenham/ Cheltenham

It is a fact that for the first time in 17 years, compact disc sales are on the rise. The Recording Industry Association of America (or RIAA for short) number crunchers have confirmed that compact disc sales rose from 31.6 million in 2020 to 46.6 million in 2021 that’s a rise of a humongous 47 percent. Revenue was also up by just over 100 million dollars. So the trend is clear and CD now seems to be following in the footsteps of the ever increasing yearly sales of vinyl records. I think this may be partly down to prices of CD’s being lower than equivalent new vinyl albums but also because you just cannot beat the thrill of owning physical tactile media with all the extra artwork and information that goes with it. Something that streaming and/or downloading cannot replicate despite being so convenient.

The CDS50 Arcam’s most advanced cd, digital audio and network streaming player yet.

It is also dead easy to pick up really nice CD’s by great bands and artists dead cheap from second hand/charity shops and car boot sales. eBay is awash with really great albums on CD for just a couple of squids (free postage too on a lot of them) so fill your boots I say!

With that in mind we move on to what has become our favourite reasonably priced spinner of those shiny silver discs that we call compact. The Arcam CDS50. This little marvel will play both CD and SACD. It also has a fab built in steamer as a bonus too but as we are primarily celebrating the resurrection of CD I will just say that the built-in steamer is great and concentrate on the silver disc side of this player.

The (Fairly) Technical Bit…

In a sense, digital audio doesn’t exist. You’d have to be a particularly dull superhero to possess ears that can decode the millions of 1’s and 0’s that make up your CD collection or iTunes library. Whatever the source – be it a laptop, CD player, smartphone, USB stick – the result is just a vibration in your speakers. In other words, it all winds up analogue in the end.

Arguably, when playing from a digital format, the most vital component is the DAC, or Digital to Analogue Converter. I’ll spare you the bulk of the science, but this is what translates that otherwise lifeless binary code into audible sound energy. Bit-depth, meanwhile, is a key measure of audio quality.

So, if you’re listening to a 24-bit WAV copy of your favourite album through a DAC that only converts to 16-bit, there’s a good chunk of detail going to waste right there. That’s why Arcam have included 32-bit DACs – the most commonly used bit-depth in digital recording – so you’re guaranteed the full aural picture of whatever the artist intended.

One of Prog Rock’s Finest Loaded Up And Ready To Play

The first thing I decided to play was Voyage 34 by Porcupine Tree. This has a deep propulsive rolling bassline overlaid with trippy swirling psychedelia that is immersive and dynamic. Leading edges of notes and voices start cleanly and crisply. There is a wonderful sense of space around all the music which seems to hang ethereally in the air around the loudspeakers. Top end is never bright as can be the issue with many CD players even today. That 32 bit DAC really is a lovely thing!

Marbles the Second Best Album by Marillion.

The next test for the CDS50 came in the form of Marbles, the 2004 album by the world’s un-coolest band, Marillion. A great album and a great recording too. My go to demo track on here is Angelina. All deep flowing basslines and keyboard washes with a great combination of both male and female vocals. The CDS50 was producing a wonderful wide soundstage with depth and height that really did make the speakers totally disappear. I love it when that happens!

Coming Up For A Bit Of Air

I was having so much fun with this little listening session that I really didn’t feel the urge to stop so I pulled out a copy of The Virgin Suicides by Air. Now a lot of people think that Moon Safari is a great album and it is, but it pales into insignificance when compared to the prog rock glory of this masterpiece. This whole album is full of demo quality tunes with happy titles such as Cemetary Party, Dark Messages, Ghost Song, Dead Bodies and the truly stunning final track, Suicide Underground. The Arcam lays everything bare making it so easy to fall into a huge soundstage and hear everything all at the same time. It doesn’t even matter what the amp and speaker combination is it just works as a great source component with whatever you put it with. This player was doing things for its price point that it really shouldn’t be able to.

And Now The Good News!
If you too would love to cash in on the resurgent CD market and upgrade the sound of your tired old CD Player. Here in the Cheltenham branch we are selling an ex display one of the very same aforementioned Arcam CDS50’s. It is totally mint with box and everything and even still has the protective film on the display. Hurry as there is only one!!! - VIEW ONLINE

Thanks for reading.

Andy, Jon and Farid - Audio T Cheltenham Store.

If you’ve enjoyed this, why not go ahead and read some more of our other blogs, and be sure to follow us on Facebook to keep an eye on what’s happening in store.

Arcam can be found at the following Audio T stores

February 14, 2022

Rega & Acoustic Energy Take Over Cheltenham Store!

February 14, 2022/ Audio T Cheltenham/ Cheltenham

Well, sadly the tech fest that is the annual Bristol Hi-Fi Show has once again succumbed to the effects of Covid-19 and has been cancelled. To help soften the blow, here in Cheltenham we are playing host to UK Hi-Fi legends Rega and Acoustic Energy who will, with a little support from SolidSteel (see what I did there?) be showcasing some of the best sounding and best value for money gear that the Hi-Fi world has to offer. So put the dates of Friday 25th and Saturday 26th of February in your diary and bring along some music, have some fun and take advantage of some special “Show” prices!

Stars of the show will be top of the range Rega Isis CD and Osiris Amplifier.

Rega Osiris Amplifier….This one is a beast!

Completing the stellar line-up will be Acoustic Energy’s wonderful Flagship floorstanders the AE520’s. And on hand to be interesting and answer questions will be James Luce, who is the Creative Director at Acoustic Energy.

AE 520 Showing Off All That Carbon Fibre!

Support for the Rega combo will be ably supplied by Italian brand SolidSteel, purveyors of some rather lovely loudspeaker stands and system shelving to squeeze out the ultimate performance from the Rega system.

Suitable vinyl replay on this system will be courtesy of the range topping Rega Planar 10 turntable complete with Aphelion 2 cartridge so bring along some of those favourite albums on vinyl to hear how good they can sound when played through this wonderful set up!

We will also have another room set up with the amazing Rega System 1 up and running. This consists of the P1 turntable, the Io amp and the Kyte loudspeakers and is truly fab value for money! Another room will house the Planar 8 with Elex R and/or the beast that is the Aethos amps powering the Acoustic Energy AE320. So much to see and listen too. It’s not often that you will get this much Rega and Acoustic Energy all in the same place at the same time

If you would like any more information or you wish to make a booking please call us on 01242 583960 or email us at cheltenham@audio-t.co.uk

So come and join us in store at Audio T Cheltenham for our Show Weekend Events. You can also see what’s happening in our other stores during that weekend Here.

Thanks for reading.

Andy, Jon and Farid - Audio T Cheltenham Store.

If you’ve enjoyed this, why not go ahead and read some more of our other blogs, and be sure to follow us on Facebook to keep an eye on what’s happening in store.

Rega can be found at the following Audio T stores

Acoustic Energy can be found at the following Audio T stores

January 29, 2022

Extra Energy .... Big Difference - The All New AE100² from Acoustic Energy

January 29, 2022/ Audio T Cheltenham/ Cheltenham

The very new, very beautiful Acoustic Energy AE100² is a radical re-working of what was already one of our favourite little entry-level bookshelf loudspeaker. When the folks at Acoustic Energy told us their plans, we didn’t quite believe them. But guess what? They’ve only gone and done it!

Acoustic Energy AE100²

The AE100² has been designed with a view to achieving high sound pressure levels from a small enclosure. This is obtained principally through the use of a 130mm paper mid-bass drive unit built around an ultra-high force, long throw motor system. Bass performance is augmented by a slot shaped duct allowing for a considerable cross-sectional area while negating the issues of air turbulence, chuffing and distortion.

A 25mm soft dome tweeter featuring Acoustic Energy’s Wide Dispersion Technology completes the driver compliment and is housed within a 15mm HDF cabinet. Taking design cues from the award-winning 500 Series and finished in a choice of satin white, satin black or walnut vinyl veneer finishes. The AE100² looks great and performs really well placed on speaker stands or bookshelves.

The rear also sports a set of nice chunky, gold plated 4mm banana sockets that will accept a plug a spade or even (god forbid) a bare wire speaker cable. As we know, the plugs are normally the better way to connect them as you tend to get more of a metal to metal surface area contact than any other method, but why not contact us if you want to discuss this more.

**Nice chunky holes to stick plugs ‘n’ things in!**

Let’s get to listening

On to the fun bit then! To put them to the test I played a selection of tracks from the brand new and totally excellent album that goes under the intriguing title of ‘As Long As The Light’ from Michael Rother and Vittoria Maccabruni. Now any of you familiar with your Krautrock will recognise this man who is among the most influential artists in rock, experimental, and electronic music. He has a long and illustrious history with a long list of great bands and artists including Kraftwerk, Neu, Harmonia and Brian Eno.

The interplay between Rother’s electronics, psychedelic guitar melodies and harmonies and Maccabruni’s gloomy skittering loops, soundscapes and breathy ethereal vocals over these eight tracks is mind boggling to behold. Indeed there are times when you can hear elements of all those legendary bands that Rother has been a part of. The pair make interesting, challenging, and occasionally beautiful music together. If you are a fan of electronica of the gorgeous variety then this is for you. As Long As The Light is nailed on to be one of the albums of the year. It also happens to be a very lovely recording too. Out now to Stream and buy on CD but for vinyl copies, we have to wait until Record Store Day 2022! Oh well, whatever, never mind.

The little AE100² portrayed the soundstage as being big, open and detailed, to an extent not normally associated with a loudspeaker of this size and at this price! The sense of space around all the instruments and voices was such that if you close your eyes the speakers will simply disappear and the music is left hanging in the air in front of you…..I even got goosebumps!

To wrap things up…

So, all in all a great looking and fine sounding little design, small but perfectly formed. Who said you have to spend lots of money to get a big sound from small boxes?

But why take my word for it? Contact your local store to arrange a demonstration today.

Thanks for reading.

Andy, Jon and Farid - Audio T Cheltenham Store.

If you’ve enjoyed this, why not go ahead and read some more of our other blogs, and be sure to follow us on Facebook to keep an eye on what’s happening in store

Acoustic Energy can be found at the following Audio T stores

December 21, 2021

A LEGEND IS REBORN… NEAT PETITE

December 21, 2021/ Audio T Cheltenham/ Cheltenham

To celebrate the 30th anniversary of the original Neat Petite, the very first loudspeaker released by the Teesdale based manufacturer, Neat Acoustics have released a brand new version of this legendary bookshelf design.

Front view of Neat Petite 30th Anniversary Edition. No grilles are supplied with them as this will adversely AFFECT sound quality!

The Neat Petite always had a reputation of being one of the best loudspeakers of its kind. This new version is a complete redesign of this classic little gem. Whilst broadly retaining the outer dimensions of the original model, the Petite 30 is otherwise a ground-up redesign with a new 15cm bass-mid driver with a mineral loaded polypropylene cone and Neat’s stunning Air Motion Transformer tweeter.

In common with all Neat speakers, all the crossover components have been chosen with care, and each pair will have been hand-assembled by just one person from start to finish.

The new Petite 30 has been designed to bring all the virtues of the previous incarnations, with additional refinement and even greater musical coherence.

Connections on the rear are nice chunky bi-wire or bi-amp gold plated 4mm banana or spade terminals. also on the rear are not one, but two bass ports. The larger of the two ports has a foam bung inserted whilst the smaller port is left open. This is the optimal way to use them (as recommended by Neat themselves) and gets the signature sound close to the original model. It is of course possible to experiment by removing said bung which will not give more bass but will increase the presence of the bass! I tried both and preferred the former arrangement with the one bung in.

Nice chunky gold plated terminals can accept banana plugs, spades or bare cables. Can also be bi-wired or bi-amped!

The larger of the two ports with supplied foam bung inserted as recommended.

Now of course the most exciting bit about a new pair of loudspeakers is how they sound and the new Petite 30s do not disappoint. Even straight out of the box and with no running in period to help them out, they sound amazingly agile and musically cohesive with an uncanny ability to image way outside of the boxes. The Air Motion Transformer tweeter is a real treat for the ears never once sounding shrill or sharp. Top end detail was delivered sweetly and emotively up there with the very best that I have heard.

The one thing that consistently springs to mind when listening to these new Neats is that of a Rogers LS35A with knobs on. Great imaging, not only left to right but also up and down and front to back. A really wonderful trick for a speaker to have up its sleeve. I played a variety of my favourite albums from the past year (perhaps more of which in my next blog) and just fell in love with these petite gems!

I have now played with these on a variety of systems at a wide range of prices and they consistently sound amazing. Possibly the only downside to them is the fact that there will only ever be a strictly limited edition of one hundred pairs! Available in gloss black or gloss white, each one sporting a plate on the rear with the signature of the designer Bob Surgeoner on it, just so you don’t forget who to thank for those gorgeous little boxes that give you all that top quality musical enjoyment!

Signature plate on the rear of each speaker….just so you don’t forget who to thank for all the fun!

Oh… I almost forgot to say, you also get a goodie bag! A book detailing the history of the Neat Petite since the very beginning, which I thought was a lovely touch. You’ll also get a USB stick containing examples of Bob’s own musical adventures, which date back to 1967 when he started playing. Rumour has it there will even be some Prog Rock on there!

So….book your demo quick or they will be gone and you will miss out!!

Thanks for reading.

Andy, Jon and Farid - Audio T Cheltenham Store.

If you’ve enjoyed this, why not go ahead and read some more of our other blogs, and be sure to follow us on Facebook to keep an eye on what’s happening in store

The Neat Petite 30’s are currently only available for demonstration at our Cheltenham store call them on 01242 583960 for a chat.

Neat Acoustics can be found at the following Audio-T stores

November 17, 2021

WHAT CHANGES NOTHING IN YOUR HIFI BUT MAKES EVERYTHING BETTER?

November 17, 2021/ Cheltenham

The Cheltenham shop proudly announce two special days of REL subwoofer demonstrations, to show how the integration of bass via the perfect subwoofer can make everything else better and transform your system.

Save the dates of Friday 10th and Saturday 11th of December and book your free appointment in plenty of time, as these demonstrations are always popular.

The new TX series from REL both sound and look great.

For REL this quest has been a labour of love, born from a desire for a more perfect sound experience. It began with one man’s dissatisfaction with the performance of subwoofers available at the time. That search for better, that pursuit of perfect sound remains the driving force behind REL. It has persisted through changes in ownership, it has driven massive advancements in technology and innovations in designs. Turning loose the power, the drama and the fun that lies within great music and movies.

For our demonstrations we will be concentrating on the merits of subwoofers in stereo systems.

Rob Hunt from REL will be in attendance to spout forth words of wisdom and wit, and will answer any questions that might pop up regarding set -up, matching subs to systems/rooms, room pressurisation and the benefits of double subs. We will be using some nice gear from Linn eg an Akurate DSM, Akurate 2200 power amp, and Akurate LP12 turntable. There will also be speakers from Acoustic Energy and Neat Acoustics too. There will be demonstrations of the benefits of two subs in the same system with a stereo pair of T9/x and also in attendance…the mighty monster that goes under the name of The Carbon Special! The small but perfectly formed T Zero Mk3, T5/x and T7/x won’t be too far away either.

Book your session by calling the Cheltenham shop on 01242 583960 and speak to Jon, Farid or Andy.

If you’ve enjoyed this, why not go ahead and read some more of our other blogs, and be sure to follow us on Facebook or Instagram to keep an eye on what’s happening in store.

REL can be found at the following Audio-T stores

September 01, 2021

DALI MENUET. A SPECIAL EDITION STUNNER!

September 01, 2021/ Cheltenham

Once in a while a rather special little product will come our way. The day that we were introduced to these brand new little wonders was just such an occasion. In a hotly contested area of the market already well populated with numerous offerings from the likes of Dynaudio, B&W, Monitor Audio, the ever popular KEFs and our personal favourites, Acoustic Energy, comes a brand new star in the guise of the Dali Menuet Special Edition. Make note of that “Special Edition” bit as there is a slightly cheaper standard version of the Menuet too but here we are concentrating on the rather special Special Editions!

The DALI MENUET SE in their new eye-catching finish, Wild Walnut veneer. Made from a variety of natural woods. Every pair is carefully matched and will be unique in appearance. No two pairs will look the same.

Perched on top of the Solid Steel speaker stands looking great and sounding even better !

The intention of this piece is not to list boring specifications and measurements, but instead to talk about the musical response. After all, isn’t that why we’re in this game?

What I’ll say is that we’ve got some extraordinary sounds out of these little beauties. We used them on the end of an all Rega system using the Apollo CD player and the Brio amplifier with a Rega couple interconnect and Chord Company Rumour X loudspeaker cable perched on top of a pair of Solid Steel SS6B loudspeaker stands. The sound of this set up… Wow!

Placement

Dali suggest that the Menuets are used pointing straight out into the listening room with no toe-in. Whilst this seemed like an alien concept to me, I thought I’d tried them the Dali way followed by varying degrees of toe-in. I have to say that Dali are indeed correct! When used with no toe-in the stereo image is just astounding. Yes there may be speakers in this price bracket that can create deeper bass, but in my humble opinion, none of them can throw a stereo image this far out of the box and I’ll take that over bass any day! I’m by no means saying that the Dali Menuets SE are light on the bass either because they are no slouches in that department, believe me.

I just want to take a moment to appreciate how gorgeous these speakers are in their Wild Walnut lacquered wood finish. This is the only finish these speakers come in, and they are beautiful!

Listening

Bass driver uses wood fibre reinforcement for ultimate low distortion reproduction.

As per the pictures, I started off my listening session with a little bit of Blue Note Jazz (thanks Harry). These recordings date from the early 1960’s, but played on the Dali’s they sound vibrant and incisive and most important of all, fun! The Menuets sounded particularly lovely with the track Spring by a band called The Innocence Mission, from the album the album called My Room In The Trees.. A song with a vocal that is to die for and is achingly beautiful and just sheer poetry… Try it for yourself and see what I mean.

Cover of the wonderful album by The Innocence Mission that goes by the title of My Room In The Trees….Try it!

The diminutive Dali’s created a wide soundstage and I was able to hear every little detail that was going on in the music. When I closed my eyes the speakers totally disappeared and the music was just hanging in the air in front of me. A truly amazing response for a speaker at this price. If stereo imaging is your thing, you really need to add these to your audition list !

I Thought this album was sort of appropriate!

Burnin’ Red Ivanhoe…how can a band that looks like this not be good?

To pay tribute to Dali’s Danish heritage, I thought I would treat them to a little bit of Prog Rock from the motherland in the shape of the totally ace album, W.W.W. from the band Burnin’ Red Ivanhoe. I really only intended to play the opening track, Second Floor Croydon, but it sounded so good that I had to play the whole album. First released in 1971 and featuring on John Peel’s, Dandelion Records, gives you a bit of a heads up as to the freaky proggy/avant-garde sounds that awaits. It is a rather well recorded album too, which always helps.

Features

Connection for speaker cable is via a pair of rather nice sturdy gold-plated terminals. Originating from the high-end EPICON series. Refined over the years, they ensure that the DALI MENUET SE always has the best possible connection regardless of speaker cable choice.

I think that the secret weapon of the Menuet is the oversized 28mm soft dome tweeter which is able to start and stop with great speed and precision due to the very low mass of the dome assembly as well as a very powerful motor system. This dome is approximately 30% lighter than comparable standard domes and the magnet in the motor system is made of the strongest neodymium material available. Never once did they sound shouty or over bright. It is also possible to position them very close to room boundaries by virtue of a rear mounted bass ports that fires down at a 45 degree angle to minimise reflections from the wall behind… Genius or what?

Conclusion

Anyway…. It’s safe to say that here at Audio T Cheltenham, we love these little Danish beauties and we’re pretty confident that you will too, especially if you’re tight for space these little Dali Menuet SE’s could be just the thing you need! Demonstrations can be arranged in store and are thoroughly recommended.

Thanks for reading.

Andy, Jon and Farid - Audio T Cheltenham Store.

If you’ve enjoyed this, why not go ahead and read some more of our other blogs, and be sure to follow us on Facebook to keep an eye on what’s happening in store

Dali can be found at the following Audio-T stores

July 07, 2021

BUDGET BEAUTIES THAT PUNCH WELL ABOVE THEIR WEIGHT - MONITOR AUDIO BRONZE 100

July 07, 2021/ Cheltenham

I had fleetingly mentioned the Monitor Audio Bronze 100 in a previous blog where they were being used to demonstrate other parts of a Hi-Fi system. Over the course of the past few lockdowns it has become very apparent that for their size and price, these little beasts are actually rather special and truly are a bargain!

The entry level Bronze range by Monitor Audio have always been admirable performers and fun to listen to, but these new 6th generation bookshelf/stand mount designs with their killer combination of bass weight, delectable highs and gorgeous new contemporary styling guarantees that they will win plenty of admirers.

The Design…

These budget beauties have a price tag of around £360, but don’t let that put you off, there is nothing budget about the solid build quality and the sound these speakers can produce. The star attraction here is the 200mm bass/mid driver. This is the same driver as used on the range topping Bronze 500 floorstander, and is a rare find in a speaker at this price in a market dominated by small drive units. Made from Monitor Audio’s bespoke C-CAM composite material it also features Damped Concentric Mode (DCM) technology, which is designed to reduce distortions and break up in the drive unit…. It looks rather sleek too! These chunky drive units are bolted in to the cabinet by a large rear mounted bolt designed to decouple the diver from the front baffle, this also has the added benefit of providing much greater cabinet rigidity too .

C-CAM is once again used for the Bronze 100’s ‘Gold Dome’ tweeter (same as the Silver range). The honeycomb patterned Uniform Dispersion Waveguide is there to improve off axis dispersion from the recessed tweeter. This also improves the time alignment between the bass and the treble. Monitor Audio also supply a rounded cloth covered grille, should you not like the look of the uncovered drive units.

A nice chunky set of gold plated binding posts allow for bi wiring and will also take 4mm banana plugs.

A flared and patterned rear mounted bass port reduces spurious chuffing noises that a port can sometimes produce. There is a foam bung provided to block up the port should the bass ever prove to be too overpowering. This may be beneficial if the speakers are to be sited on cabinets or in the corner of a room. It goes without saying that for optimum performance the ideal mounting for them is on top of a decent pair of loudspeaker stands.

The proof is in the listening…

Sound wise there is so much that these Monitor Audios do that will amaze you for the money. I decided to put them through their paces with the track Deep Elem Blues by The Grateful Dead from the mainly acoustic live album Reckoning. The Bronze 100’s produced a big open and expansive out of the box stereo image that really does belie their price. The treble sounds detailed and open, making vocals and harmonies sound entirely natural. The real surprise here though is that bass! Fast and deep yet still tight and totally controlled. The live acoustic comes flowing out of the speakers and drags you into the performance. The dual acoustic guitars of Jerry Garcia and Bob Weir perfectly framed within the soundstage.

Next on the playlist was something a bit different. Synthesiser poppy weirdness from the Yello album Toy. The track Cold Flame featuring the vocal talents of Malia chugs along rather well with Malia doing her best Grace Jones! Synth bleeps ooze effortlessly from the speakers, all underpinned by a rock solid bass groove sent from outer space. Here all the instruments and vocals are just hanging free in the air as if the loudspeaker cabinets are totally invisible.

Finish options for these speakers are more varied than usual with Black, White, Walnut and a new ultra trendy Urban Grey to choose from. There is also a two tone approach to the styling to, with the front panel coming in either satin dark grey (for the Black and Walnut) or satin light grey (for White and Urban Grey). The gold coloured tweeters visible behind the UD Waveguide also add a level of visual charm that is rare at any price!

The Bronze 100s are easy to drive and do not seem to favour any particular genre of music over any other. At this price (did I mention that they sit around a mere £360 a pair) they are something of a bargain. A great all rounder with sonic charm and modern styling…a killer combination.

Demonstrations can be arranged in store and are thoroughly recommended.

Andy, Jon and Farid in the Cheltenham Store.

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