A CAREFULLY CURATED HEADPHONE SELECTION......

There are times when we want to listen to music in peace, or when others don’t want to listen to our music! Perhaps you like to listen in your office, or work from home or maybe you live in a flat with thin walls? Well, there is a way you can still listen to the full emotional and sonic magnificence of your music collection. High fidelity headphones are the answer. So, with that in mind we have carefully curated a selection of headphones, the ones that our resident expert on the subject, Gareth, thinks hit the sweet spot at each price point. 

CLOSED BACK OR OPEN BACK?

What does this mean?. Basically, closed back headphones do not leak much sound from the ear cups, open backed ones can leak sound to those close to you, which others may find it intrusive. so, you have been warned!

THE SELECTION

In cost ascending price order we have…

Meze Audio 99 Classics

The Mezes are well built and sturdy with a precise assembly. The closed back ear cups are made with a satin finished wood, each with its own individual and unique grain. Real luxury here with CNC carved wood ear cups, cast zinc alloy hardware with electroplated coating, stamped manganese spring steel headband, memory foam and soft PU leather are the materials your hands, eyes and ears will enjoy. All the parts are completely serviceable.

The mezze audio 99 classics & Sennheiser 660s

Put them on, sit back, and enjoy your favourite sound of strings, upbeat grooves or thumping beats, with stylish good looks to boot. As one of our colleagues has already said,  “pretty much anything sounds fun and engaging through these wooden gems"

 Sennheiser HD 660s

The HD 660S have been created so that you can enjoy music in supreme quality and from many different audio sources. Accordingly, it comes with a choice of cables for just about any occasion. All cables are made of highly conductive OFC copper, featuring very low handling noise

The open-backed 660S is strong yet lightweight in construction. The elliptical ear cups are shaped to follow the anatomy of the ear, while thick padding on the headband and the replaceable ear cushions guarantee hours and hours of listening in supreme comfort. Uncompromising craftsmanship combined with a high-end aesthetic

The sound is pure and effortless, with a crisp bass, excellent mid-frequency response, and a gentle, pleasantly natural treble, the HD 660S has a musical expressiveness that stays exceptionally accurate and transparent.

Beyerdynamic Amiron (Wired)

The Amiron has Tesla technology to make your living room sound more like a real concert hall. This is a cutting-edge innovation from Beyerdynamic, employing a much stronger magnetic field than standard headphones.

The beyerdynamic T1 & T5 V3, together with A beyerdynamic A20 Headphone amplifier

These open-back headphones produce a spacious three-dimensional sound, allowing you to experience music of incredible closeness and transparency. It feels like you are in your own personal concert hall. The Amiron combines a very precise bass with transparent mids and pleasantly clear highs, with a real concert hall feel. 

Beyerdynamic T1 and T5 V3 Headphones

The Beyerdynamic T1 and T5 headphones look very similar at first glance, especially considering they both currently sit at the same price point. The T1 is semi-open backed and the T5 is a closed back headphone. Both are designed for hi-end sophisticated music enjoyment, including high resolution music. Again they employ Tesla technology giving an unrivalled richness of detail and spatiality. 

So how are the T1 and T5 different? Well, the heart of the third generation T1 has a gently intensified bass to give the very neutral, spatial sound signature even more warmth. The third generation T5 achieves better, more natural reproduction of high mid-range frequencies. This means the sound signature is even more realistic.

Fit quality, comfort and materials standards are as you would expect. High-end through and through. 

Sennheiser HD 800S

The latest HD800S offers a more natural and balanced sound compared to its predecessor through the inclusion of an acoustical absorber. This gives an extended and smoother frequency response with fewer "peaks", resulting in a more natural sound throughout the frequency range.

At the bass end, improvements have yielded a headphone that sounds more balanced and cohesive as a whole when compared to its predecessor. Rather than just increase amount of bass, with a consequential detrimental impact on sound quality, Sennheiser have instead opted to extend the useful output of the phones allowing them to dig deeper at the bass end. Clever.

Generally, the 800S majors on exceptional sound quality, design, and comfort.

The sennheiser HD800s & HD 820 with the beautiful Chord Electronics HUgo TT2 DAC/headphone amp.

Sennheiser HD820

The sound field of the HD 820 is wide open, which is not what you would expect from closed back headphones. So, you can listen to your music without intruding into the sound space of those close to you.

The signature breakthrough to such a transparent performance had been achieved by the legendary Ring Radiator transducers being fitted with unique glass covers. This visually striking feature was actually developed wholly in service to the sound. The concave glass reflects the sound waves from the rear of the transducer to an absorber, which results in minimal resonance. Thus, the sound waves are effectively “gone”, as they would be in open backed headphones.

SUMMARY

Headphones are very much like speakers – a matter of personal preference and taste.  They are similarly affected by the conditions in which they are expected to work and need to be right for that situation. Another variable to consider is how will the music be delivered? It could be a hi-res mobile player, a preamp or integrated amp, a specialised headphone amplifier,  a streamer or a DAC (digital to analogue converters). 

We will be happy to help you make the right choice to match your requirements, whether it be for the delightful aesthetic of early renaissance Italian choral music, the sonic charms and signature changes of Nitin Sawhney, or the immense dynamics of Massive Attack. Whatever floats your musical boat. 

As we said earlier this is a curated selection and we can also obtain other headphones for you to hear from across the Audio T range.

Happy listening!

Rob & Gareth – Audio T Reading

Be sure to keep an eye out on what’s happening at the Reading store by following us on Facebook.

A selection of headphones can be found at the following Audio-T stores -

• BRIGHTON

• BRISTOL

• CARDIFF

• CHELTENHAM

• ENFIELD

• MANCHESTER

• OXFORD

• PORTSMOUTH

• READING

• SOUTHAMPTON

• SWANSEA

• SWINDON

• ONLINE STORE

LEAK STEREO 130 OLD SKOOL LOOKS WITH 21ST CENTURY PERFORMANCE

IAG, owners of Quad and Audiolab amongst others, has decided to reintroduce the LEAK Brand. LEAK have a hallowed history in British hifi, producing a revered range of valve pre and power amplifiers, transistor integrated amps, tuners and speakers in the 1960’s and 70’s.

So, what do we have here? Well LEAK have revived the traditional LEAK look based on the 1963 Stereo 30, one of the first transistorised amplifiers, except that the internals are fully updated to current high standards. This beauty comes with a remote, front panel volume control, and tone controls for bass, treble and balance. For those who eschew tone controls there is a bypass to take the tone and balance controls out of circuit.

The Stereo 130 also has a good quality moving magnet phono input for vinyl-based music and two more for other analogue inputs. Digital inputs include coaxial and optical connectors, USB and Bluetooth aptX. The internal DAC is a sophisticated ESS ES9018 DAC, fully capable of playing most digital formats, handling up to 32/394 PCM and DSD256 via USB.

The speaker driving capabilities are good, with 55 Watts into 8 Ohms, rising to 64 Watts into 4 Ohm loads. More than enough to go loud in all but the largest rooms.

So, internally, this is a highly sophisticated and versatile amplifier with a broad range of capabilities, but with a lovely external retro chic vibe. 

How does it sound?

Jon Coltranes “A Love Supreme” was conveyed with its all of its emotional and sonic intensity in hi-definition form.

With Bob Marley and the Wailers “ Positive Vibration” (Vinyl), the Stereo 130 impressed with its great bass performance, timing and rendition of voices.

Rage Against the Machines’ “Killing in the Name” visceral intensity was captured and handled with full intent.

In Summary

The Leak Stereo 130 ’s all-round performance is engaging, full-bodied and refined, with great linearity and low distortion. Detail, timing and dynamics excel, regardless of source or medium. This allows the Stereo 130 to enhance the expression and enjoyment of your music collection. 

The Stereo 130 costs £699, or £799 with the gorgeous walnut sleeve featured in this blog.

As an Addendum…….

Jimi Hendrix used to live in London and his flat has become a museum and tourist attraction. The Handel & Hendrix Museum has re-created his stereo system. Bang & Olufsen donated a fully-functioning, original 1960s Beogram 1000 turntable; Lowther supplied a set of their restored Acousta 115’s speakers developed in the 1960s. To complete the setup, LEAK sent one of their new LEAK Stereo 130 integrated stereo amplifiers, modelled on the classic Stereo 30 from 1963 which Hendrix used.

We hope you enjoy the Museum article, together with the video, which delves into the Hendrix Record collection.

Thanks for stopping by -

Rob & Gareth - Audio T Reading

Be sure to stay up to date with everything going on in our store by following us on Facebook

LEAK can be found at the following Audio-T stores

• BRIGHTON

• READING

• CHELTENHAM

• BRISTOL

• CARDIFF

AND NOW FOR SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT… THE AUDIO NOTE (UK) COBRA!

Cast your memory back 20 months in to the past, to that beautiful time when we could congregate in large numbers and admire the latest innovations in Hi-Fi and Home Cinema. That’s right, I’m talking about The Bristol Hi-Fi Show 2019. It is here that we first heard the Audio Note (UK) Cobra. An incredible integrated valve amp that offers an outstanding level of performance.

JUST LIKE ITS NAMESAKE, IT’S Ready to pounce…..

THE TECHNICAL BIT

The Cobra is an integrated amplifier with a pure Class A valve design, comprising an input stage of 2 x 6AU6 and 2 x 5670, feeding the push-pull configured EL34 output valves, two of which are used per channel. The C-core output transformers are custom designed and manufactured by Audio Note (UK) and are of extremely high quality, offering outstanding, class leading performance.

The power supply is a multi-element design with choke smoothing, ensuring precise operation of each circuit stage, whilst a separate DC supply feeds the valve filaments.

As with all Audio Note products, it has been specifically engineered for sonic performance rather than technical specification and fulfils all Audio Note (UK) Level 1 criteria of pure Class A Push-Pull Pentode operation and materials and component quality.

A bit of operational detail.

Connections

At 28 watts per channel, the Cobra is capable of driving a wide variety of 'speakers thanks to its exceptional double C-core output transformers.

It is equipped with three analogue stereo inputs, and an additional three digital inputs, via the onboard DAC. The digital coax inputs can accept signals up to 24-bit/176.4kHz (native bit-depth for the Philips TDA1543 D/A converter chip is 16bit, so anything above this is truncated down). The Optical SPDIF input can accept signals up to 24-bit/96kHz (see above). The USB input can accept up to 16-bit/48kHz.

And a first for an Audio Note integrated amplifier, an internal D/A section and a remote volume control, with mute and input selection!

Great lines….

The Cobra looks great in the flesh bringing some of the design clues of the Jinro, Tomei and the legendary Onganku.

The Cobra is intended to bring the virtues of Audio Note, that is to get as close to the dynamics of live music as possible, but here at a more “introductory” level price.

From the top……..

HOW DOES IT SOUND?

“Ghosts” on Japan’s Tin Drum - here the eerie nature and laments of this track were strongly conveyed, David Sylvian’s voice was to the fore as it should be, and the ghostly gongs and synthesiser effects were, well, sinister and unearthly! This track was conveyed with all the emotion intended and some.

Following a strong cup of coffee, we put on Rage Against the Machine “Killing in the Name Of”. This is a strong test of dynamics, particularly drums. The Cobra rocks big time, realising this music with superb pace and timing, the drums locked in and strong and the anger of the vocals intact. What a result!

Finally, as a come down, we put on Peter Gabriel’s Us album, choosing the harmoniously complex and laid back “Blood of Eden”. This track also has a warm, deep bass. The emotions of Gabriel and the exquisitely textured music and harmonies flowed along. Quite beautiful.  

We can strongly recommend this integrated amp for all types of music. It is exciting, detailed, dynamic and tonally outstanding. A strong all-round package at the centre of any well curated music system. Just magical.

Come and hear it for yourself. Just remember that all Audio T stores are operating on an appointment only basis at the moment.

Audio Note (UK) products can be found at the Reading and Bristol Audio -T stores.

Gareth & Rob - Audio T Reading

Be sure to keep an eye on what’s happening in the Reading store by following us on Facebook.

New Russell K Red 50: Better Value Than Ever!

Many of you I’m sure will be aware we are great fans of Russell K loudspeakers: for those that may have forgotten what been said here about them can read previous posts here & here.

Well, you may ask, what’s new about these? Haven’t they been available for quite some time now? And the answer to that is yes but now they represent even greater value than ever in the form of a new variant.

Russell K Red 50

Just to recap; what makes Russell loudspeakers stand out from the crowd is the blend of old and new thinking; not everything that is old is redundant; not everything new is better.

Rather than just following the herd, Russell designs his speakers to get to the core of the music whilst offering a larger than expected presentation in a modern and compact enclosure finished in high quality real wood veneers.

Russell K Red 50

With this new offering he has eschewed the wood veneers for an elegant, more industrial finish in the form of a textured black powder coat; this is deliberately echoing the look pro monitors used in studios rather than the more common flat or satin finishes and with probably be more robust in use.

Russell Red 50

It must be said that absolutely none of the fantastic sound quality has been sacrificed along the way making them outstanding value for money.

But it doesn’t end there. We thought, in these very troubled times, that we would offer a very limited quantity at a special introductory price available exclusively through our online store here.

Red 50 Textured Matt Black Fleck £899.99 Special price £749.00

Also available;

Red 50 Oak or Walnut wood veneer £1099.99

Audio Note Meishu Tonmeister Integrated Amplifier Teaser!

Eagle-eyed customers who pop their heads in our lower demo room door may notice a new entry in our tube amp portfolio.

Spot it? You can’t miss it!

I am reliably informed by those lovely people at Audio Note (UK) that we are in possession of the very first sample of the new Meishu Tonmeister integrated amplifier on demonstration in a UK dealer; and what a handsome beast he is.

This is first of three variants available and represents the entry into Audio Note pure class A directly heated triode operation, 300B SET, (single ended triode), zero-feedback design amplifiers and a significant upgrade from the existing Meishu. Ours includes a tube phonostage.

Our unit is currently undergoing our usual in depth running in program i.e. we’re playing loads of fab music through it often at ridiculously loud levels ;-)); and oh-boy are we enjoying the process! With Audio Note high-efficiency loudspeakers it’s just staggering what 8wpc can do!

I will cover this and the other variants in a future post when it’s fully run in (though feel free to drop in for a sneak listen anytime) but in the meantime here are some juicy pics to drool over.

System Synergy! Creating A Great Sounding Home Hi-Fi System Using Naim, Rega & Acoustic Energy

According to Wikipedia, Synergy, is the creation of a whole that is greater than the simple sum of its parts. At Audio T we have a wealth of knowledge and experience gained from working over many years, with a multitude of different Hi-Fi manufacturers and their products. This collective knowledge means we can suggest and created great value, balanced and musically satisfying home audio systems. We also know that partnering a series of 5 star award winning products doesn’t always make for a great sounding Hi-Fi system!

So, with that in mind, we thought it would put together a complete mid-level Hi-Fi system for small to medium sized rooms, that would cope equally well with reproducing vinyl, but also introduce the option of entering the world of high quality music streaming. We wanted to put together something that would straight away get to the heart of the music and the artists performance, in a thoroughly enjoyable way.

To meet our brief, we have put together some new outstanding products with an old but good favourite. So what have we lined up?

·      Naim Nait XS3 amplifier

·      Naim ND5XS2 streamer

·      Rega Planar 6 with Exact moving magnet cartridge

·      Acoustic Energy AE500 bookshelf speakers

The talented individuals - but do they excel as a team?

Naim Nait XS3

The new Naim Nait XS3 amplifier makes a simple, elegant and powerful music playing solution. The amplifier is all analogue, with a wide and flexible range of inputs; the moving magnet phono stage is a new introduction for this model to reflect the resurgence of vinyl. It makes a great low-box pairing with the matching ND5 XS 2 streamer

Sideways glance..

Naim ND5XS2

The ND5XS2 uses the latest innovative new streaming platform from Naim with an expanded feature set. This is a versatile player giving access to a full range of streaming options including Tidal, Spotify, Internet radio etc. Naturally you can additionally install a server should you wish to stream local files; ripped CDs, Hi-Res downloads etc. It’s also Blutooth and Chromecast enabled. The Naim software can be operated from a mobile phone or tablet. The ND5XS2 can form part of a multi-room setup with other Naim streaming products too. The quality and versatility of the Naim streaming app is very good indeed.

Rega Planar 6 and Exact MM

The Planar 6 benefits from the trickle-down technology derived from ongoing research at Rega. It follows the Rega design ethic of a low mass but rigid structure, to minimise unnecessary distortion. It comes with an advanced anti-vibration motor circuit powered by a separate NEO power supply, tuned to each individual deck. Regas’ attention to rigidity is further enhanced by a double brace between the tonearm and the hub pillars to further accuracy in playback. It is clear that a lot of thought and engineering detail had gone into this simple but elegant package.

Planar 6, Exact and Aswad!

Acoustic Energy AE 500

The AE500 is a new compact stand-mount loudspeaker from the flagship AE 500 Series. It features a newly developed carbon fibre tweeter and mid/bass drivers, to enhance musical power and accuracy, but with improved self-damping for a smoother, more transparent sound. It is an attractive speaker, well put together and surprisingly heavy, given its size!

Showing the carbon drivers

Well, the important bit is how does the system sound?

It sounds very balanced and dynamic, able to easily convey the depth, richness and dynamics available from vinyl. The voicing and phono stage of the XS3 amplifier and the Rega combine to provide a very convincing and immersive sound.

The ND5 XS2 benefits from classic Naim engineering and fastidious attention to detail ensuring that it delivers natural, engaging sound quality from all streamed digital sources. Its musical and technical performance is highly satisfying and informative.

Throughout all this the XS3 provides a solid, powerful and musically coherent, tonally accurate foundation, to allow the system to really breathe and unleash the music.

The AE 500’s more than hold up their end of the bargain being rich, dynamic, insightful and faithful to the intensity of the performance. Given their size they cannot defy the laws of physics and produce prodigious bass, but they nonetheless give a very solid foundation to the music.

Together, it is a great system that makes you forget what kit you are listening to and instead become immersed in the musical performance. Everything works well together to produce an exceptional result. That is true Synergy.

If you are looking for a system built around compact speakers, you need to have a listen to this!

All items are available for demonstration at Audio T Reading.

Rob - Sales Consultant.

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

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

Acoustic Energy HI-Fi products are available from the following branches of Audio T: Bristol, Cheltenham, Enfield, Online, Portsmouth, Preston, Reading, Swindon

"We All Need One Of These 'Suckers!" ProJect VC-S2 Alu Record Cleaning Machine

Over the years there have been so many record and stylus maintenance products brought to market; record cloths, stylus brushes, sticky rollers, carbon fibre record brushes, anti-static guns etc, these ranged from just a few pounds to £50+ with varying degrees of success.

Pro-Ject VC-S2 Alu shown with optional Carbon fibre stylus and record brushes

Alongside these relatively affordable items lurked a number of quite exotic and in some cases hideously expensive record cleaning machines (RCM); many extremely complex in design and difficult to house. Since the ‘vinyl revival’ more and more such products have hit the market, some quite outstanding in performance but beyond the means or needs of many.

However, such products display a distinct advantage over the cloths and brushes, they actually remove all the contaminants from the record rather than merely redistribute them more evenly around the surface of the disc giving one the visual impression of a clean record. Sure, the larger fluff particles are mostly lifted by carbon brushes and their daily use is to be encouraged but such fluff is pretty benign in terms of record and stylus wear.

The real damage is caused but much harder particles of dust, grit and metal. Metal? Yes metal; especially true of new records. How’s that, one may ask? Well you only have to look at a moving coil cartridge under a microscope to see attached to the bottom is what looks like grey dust. This ‘dust’ is actually tiny shards of metal swarf (remember those old toys whereby you rearrange metal to put a beard on a face using a magnet?)

MC cartridge caked in dust and metal swarf.

My MC, arrow marks the ‘bridge’ location

So where do these metal particles come from? Well actually the only possible explanation is the factory where they are pressed; probably created by the machinery itself, which means that the most important records to clean are new ones. It’s not only the record and stylus wear that’s exhibited either. My personal and very expensive moving coil cartridge started to produce horrible distortion in low bass notes on just one channel. The distributor found upon examination that such shards of metal had formed a ‘bridge’ like some species of ants do, from the coils on the armature to the yoke impeding the movement of the assembly. Clearly this is bad news for both record and stylus, indeed many will opine that a well looked after stylus and record collection will mean it’ll be the cartridge’s suspension that will deteriorate before the stylus actually wears out; here’s the solution;

Some years back, Project identified a market for an affordable and compact RCM and thus the VC-S was launched later to become the VC-S Mk2, ironing out a few niggles in the original design.

Switch gear.

Now the design has gone through a serious makeover to make it easier to use, quieter in operation and built to last longer whilst looking sleeker too.

Here then is the Pro-ject VC-S2 Alu, and as the name suggests, it has a very elegant aluminium finish using an aluminium-composite laminate, replacing the rather dated vinyl-wrap MDF casework. This means fluid spills no longer can seep into the casework and cause damage; it’s noticeably smaller too.

Operation is a doddle; place the record (I’ll refrain from calling them ‘vinyls’ if I may?) on to the small foam topped platter and screw down the similarly protecting foam surfaced clamp (the foam is there to prevent any fluid soaking into the label) and switch on the motor which rotates at 30rpm. Apply a generous quantity of the provided fluid and, using the goat hair brush provided scrub lightly to agitate all the contaminates to thus be suspended in the solution then simply position the arm across the disc and with the motor still running and switch on the vacuum. After one or two rotations switch the motor to reverse, allow two more rotations before lifting the arm. Finally stop the suction and then repeat on the other side leaving one with a record cleaner than new!

Pro-Ject VC-S2 Alu in action.

The bottom line is that deploying the use of carbon fibre record and stylus brushes and a Project VC-S2 RCM will not only make your records and cartridge sound better but will significantly increase their longevity for a most modest outlay.

Simon Walker - Audio T Reading

Pro-ject Hi-Fi products are available from the following branches of Audio T: Bristol, Cardiff, Cheltenham, Enfield, Manchester, Online, Oxford, Portsmouth, Preston, Swansea, Swindon

Rega Planar 8 Skeletal Turntable, So Much More Than Bare Bones!

A few years ago when Rega set out to build the ultimate turntable, they looked at completely new ways to create a plinth with massive stiffness and negligible weight. So a project was set up to develop and expand its existing engineering expertise and philosophy, also bringing in and developing technology from F1 and aerospace.

Naked!

From this the Naiad record player was born - the only cost no object product the company has ever built. It’s something the company considers the ultimate representation of its engineering ideas when executed with little regard for cost or ease of manufacture. In other words, the best deck Rega knew how to make at that time, given that Rega technology continues to evolve today!

The Naiad pushed out the envelope of the engineering, creativity and the materials science knowledge of Rega Research. This broader expertise proved to be invaluable and has trickled down to the development of more affordable turntables. The first one to really benefit was the RP8 launched some five years ago. The ideas and learning from the Naiad project have been refined and taken further and the current beneficiary of approach is the Rega Planar 8. The Planar 8 design incorporates as many of the Naiad’s design elements as could be included in a production model at a sensible and certain price point.

Plinth
Every aspect of the Planar 8 is engineered to extract as much detail from the vinyl surface as possible. Rega have used the most advanced materials and engineering solutions built around a lightweight plinth to ensure the greatest level of performance.

The Planar 8 is a completely skeletal turntable and the idea is to minimise plinth mass whilst increasing rigidity. Rega’s philosophy is that mass absorbs energy and that ends up taking the life out of the music. The Planar 8 is constructed using an ultra lightweight Tancast 8 polyurethane foam core (a material developed for the aerospace industry). This material is sandwiched between two layers of HPL (high pressure laminate). HPL is exceptionally thin and extremely rigid. This new construction makes the new Planar 8 skeletal plinth 30% lighter than the original RP8 while offering increased rigidity over the previous model.

Rigidity is especially important between the tonearm mounting and main bearing, so Rega has added a phenolic brace between the two – thus adding strength without significantly increasing overall mass. These phenolic resin double braces are placed above and below the plinth where increased rigidity is required between the tonearm mounting and the main bearing, to ensure minimal movement between the two, thus forming a structurally sound “stressed beam” It thus increases accuracy in line with Rega’s criteria and turntable design philosophy of a “vibration measuring machine”. This rigid plinth design prevents energy absorption and unwanted resonances that would otherwise add unnatural distortions to the music.

Additionally, the plinth shape enables the means of fixing the arm-base, main bearing and motor, plus feet placed such that it stays secure when placed on a surface. There are three compliant feet to help absorb external vibrations.

Main Bearings
The main bearing has been redesigned with a single piece machined aluminium sub-platter and hardened steel spindle which sits in a brass housing  mounted in such a way to deter energy being transferred into the plinth. 

Motor and drive
The Planar 8 also features the latest generation 24v, synchronous, low vibration motor technology. Linking all these mechanical entities together is another innovation - EBLT Drive Belts. For three years Rega has been researching and developing with chemists the use of a bespoke new rubber compound for drive belts. Using a specialised curing system, the new drive belt offers superior consistency of modulus (a constant representing the degree to which a substance has a particular property, especially elasticity). These new belts are manufactured on Rega designed, state of the art, super-accurate tools which produce 'perfectly round' and 'dimensionally accurate' belts, critical for perfect speed stability.

Neo Power Supply To Turn On & Change Speed

Power Supply

Power is controlled by Rega’s Neo power supply, which is hand-adjusted to match the motor optimally and minimise vibration. The Neo PSU is standard and offers electronic, speed change, advanced anti-vibration control and user adjustable electronic fine speed adjustment to ensure total accuracy and control over the motor.

Platter
The platter is a beautiful thing. It’s made of three pieces,, designed in such a way as to add mass to the outer rim, creating  a flywheel effect to smooth out any small speed fluctuations. This three piece laminated glass platter is the result of collaboration with a British glass engineering company Pilkington and is constructed from two different types of high quality glass.

Arm
Planar 8 is fitted with the new RB880 arm that features an improved vertical bearing assembly constructed using an aluminium and stainless-steel, low mass assembly with vastly improved stability and rigidity. This tonearm is using Rega's advanced preloaded zero tolerance bearing assembly adjusted to less than 1000th of a mm, this gives friction free movement and zero levels of unwanted play. RB880 is then terminated with a low capacitance phono cable terminated with high quality, locking phono plugs to ensure the best possible connection

RB808 & Apheta 2 Exposed

Decently Covered

Cover
Rega haven’t left the P8 completely without protection from dust, a new acrylic cover is provided to simply lift off to play a record.

Options
The Rega Planar 8 is available in four package versions. You can buy the deck without cartridge for £1699, but it can be equipped with the Exact moving magnet (+£210), Ania moving coil (£ 2199.00 inclusive) or with the Apheta 2 MC ( £ 2,439.00 inclusive) that we have on test here. The arm and table are capable of realising the benefits of a range or other high quality cartridges, provided, as always, the phono amplifier stage is of sufficient quality.

Set Up
Set-up is easy. In the case of the Rega cartridges, the cartridge is pre-mounted and its alignment is guaranteed via  Rega’s own three-point mounting system. All the user has to do is remove the packaging protecting the main bearing and arm, fit the tracking weight and set bias. The Apheta 2 tracks between 1.75 and 2 grams. Rega recommend 1.75 grams as a starting point.

Sound
The initial impression is that the Planar 8 it delivers a high level of level of clarity, depth and insight. The P8 and Apheta combination copes well with the music’s dynamics and changes in momentum. The presentation is insightful and organised with a high degree of composure. The Planar 8 always sounds in control no matter how complex the music becomes. Yet, that sense of control doesn’t water down the drive and excitement of the recording, (Groove Armada – Song 4 Mutya)

It is tonally well balanced. It’s smooth when required but still has enough bite when the music demands it. It has real solid authority and weight; the dynamics are powerful and unflustered. This is combined with stable and focused stereo imaging, rendering an expansive and finessed soundstage and locks instruments in place even when the production becomes dense. Image scale is good– the sound extending well beyond the edges of our reference Dynaudio Special 40’s.

While delivering each musical strand and intonation with clarity, it manages to bring everything together to produce a cohesive, enjoyable and tonally correct whole. Simply communicating the emotion in the music and performance is what the Rega does so well. One gets drawn in to listen to the music and the performance rather than the equipment

It has a glorious articulation with bass instruments that conveys punch, power and texture beautifully (Japan, Tin Drum – Talking Drum & Ghosts). The lows don’t over-dominate, but they do give a solid and deep underpinning for the rest of the frequency range to do its stuff. An articulate mid-range ensures that distinctive vocals come through with the intensity and insight they need. Highs are dynamic, balanced and not over explicit

The Rega P8 has a good sense of timing It brings a tonal neutrality and shape to music, with dynamic expressiveness, especially with the micro-dynamics that gives music a sense of “reality and performance.  Low-level detail resolution is also outstanding. This turntable is pitch stable and quiet allowing through a wide dynamic range and cohesiveness, with little extraneous noise to affect your perception and allow insight into the performance  (Ry Cooder – Bop Till You Drop).

The Rega Apheta 2 moving coil cartridge when connected to the Planar 8 provides an agile and responsive combination to help you experience vinyl as a high-performance format. Together they will play anything you throw at it and make sense of it all, whatever the complexity and dynamics of the music.

Undressed. (Minus Mat)

Verdict
Rega aim for neutrality in engineering their record decks and essentially this turntable adds as little of its own character to the recording as possible. This means you hear a vast amount of whatever was laid down in the mastering studio or venue, every note and its nuance and shape making music vibrant and enjoyable. Insights and previously hidden or masked details emerge. Music sounds physically solid with a sense of detail, showing the depth and scale engineered in the studio, or imparted by the recorded venue, all with a remarkable realism.

Rega’s engineering ambitions have paid off. Rega has pushed the boundaries of performance at this level. The Rega Planar 8 has a remarkable ability to thrill, entertain and inform.

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

Three Into One Does Go! The All New Audio Note (UK) TT3 Turntable

It seems as though a new turntable is launched every day such is the plethora of new decks hitting the marketplace. Many are true Goliath’s, incredibly sophisticated designs made of the most exotic materials costing ever more outlandish sums of money and many more are clearly ‘wannabes’ cashing in on a buoyant market.

Audio Note TT3, Arm3, PSU3 & iO Gold

First announced more than four years ago, Audio Note (UK) started work on what would be their first in-house all newly designed ‘affordable’ turntable. Many of the design principles have been taken from their ultimate deck, the Reference but as with all good engineering projects, simplified; thus proving the original concept to be sound.

Finally after many supplier set-backs and delays the final result, the TT3 is with us and oh boy was it worth the wait?

Outwardly the deck looks very simple; a solid plinth on top of which are mounted not one, or even two, but three motors! These turn a lightweight acrylic platter by means of a flat belt around its circumference, each of the three high torque AC motors being mounted equidistant from each other. Within the gaps between each motor is the suspended sub-chassis that is ‘Y’ shaped; one leg of which is mounted the arm and the other two terminates with a weight the mass of which is exactly that of the former. This sub-chassis is suspended buy means of three ‘Pram’ springs mounted on hidden turrets beneath the sub-chassis each of which is adjustable for levelling but no ‘tuning’ is needed as the weight is evenly distributed.

Suspension Turret

Power is provided by one of three external power supply options PSU1, 2 & 3, each more sophisticated, accurate and costly than its predecessor; all have switchable 33 & 45.

Unlike the vast majority of turntable designs that feature ever more massive platters that rely on the flywheel effect to keep the rotational speed at a constant, the TT3’s platter is intentionally light to reduce the flywheel effect to the minimum. The overriding principal here is total control of the platter’s rotation via high torque motors and a highly accurate power supply governing them. This may seem at first an easy task but in practice is anything but, as the motors must be very finely toleranced and the power supply equally so or the motors will oscillate with disastrous results.

With this arrangement the platter’s equivalent mass is many times greater but without the potential over-shoot associated with the flywheel effect.

First listen immediately confirms that they have got it right such is the absolute solidity of the presentation. There are very few decks at any price that can produce such incredible pitch accuracy in my experience let alone in such a compact and easy to live with design.

From such an impressive foundation every other element of the sound reproduction sits. Pitch and timing are flawless as is the pace. Weight of sound when called for is in abundance, which is especially necessary for large scale orchestral work or rock music, yet the most delicate of sounds are easily rendered, such are the dynamics on offer. Sound-staging is rock solid too.

When asked by Audio Note (UK) MD ‘ how does it sound’ I replied ‘I can’t hear it’ which is the best compliment I can think of as the TT3 just allows you to be immersed in the music

One of only two in the U.K. at present, the TT3 is now available for demo with either PSU1 or PSU3.

£5950-£10450 excl. arm & cartridge

Audio Note arms from £806

Audio Note cartridges from £380

Come on in and have a listen at Audio T Reading.

Audio Note UK Level 2 System

Our Audio Note UK brand launch back in November 2018 at the Roseate Hotel here in Reading, where we demonstrated their flagship £800K system proved to be an overwhelming success. Equally the response we have had from those who have visited our store and heard a more affordable system in our all new dedicated Audio Note UK demo room has been nothing short of phenomenal.

Level 2 system in our new dedicated Audio Note UK room

In this demo room we have in permanent readiness, two full systems of vastly different costs to showcase the Audio Note UK sound; it is the lower cost system I would like to describe in this post.

 This system, all hand built in Hove, Sussex, comprises of a choice of source components in the form of a CD player and/or a turntable, an integrated amplifier and a pair of loudspeakers.

 At this point I would suggest reading Audio Note UK’s philosophy to better understand the designs and choices they make. (Saves me from a lot of typing too).

 The CD Player.

Audio Note UK CD3.1x/II

CD3.1x/II

A Red Book integrated CD player designed specifically for sonic performance rather than specifications, it features a vacuum tube output stage being driven by an Analogue Devices AD1865 18bit chip set with no over sampling or digital filters whatsoever. Typically for Audio Note UK, their own in-house wound copper foil capacitors and tantalum resistors are used when commercially made components that meet their exacting demands are not available.

The Turntable.

Audio Note UK TT2 Deluxe

TT Two Deluxe Arm 3 iQ3

The TT2 origins are founded in the highly acclaimed Dunlop Systemdek of the 1990s but completely re-engineered to meet today’s exacting standards and expectations.

At the heart of the TT2 is a two motor drive system designed to take full control of the lightweight acrylic platter by means of high torque enabling this deck to have superb speed control and pitch; essential for accurate reproduction of music, especially acoustic, be it piano, orchestral or jazz.

iQ3

The cartridge, their IQ3 is the top of a three model MM (moving magnet) range. It features their very own stylus profile mounted to a unique tapered titanium cantilever as found on their £3k and £6k moving coils. This in turn is mounted onto the top of their three arm range; Audio Note UK Arm 3. A highly rigid, in-house build tonearm featuring pure silver wiring throughout. Arms 1 and 2 differ by use of two grades of copper wiring to reduce costs but the mechanicals remain identical.

 The Amplifier.

 Audio Note UK Oto Phono SE Signature

Oto Phono SE Signature

Representing something of a sweet spot in the middle of the Oto range of amplifiers, the SE (single ended) Signature features an all vacuum tube phonostage, a perfect match to the IQ3, and an 10wpc output stage comprising of 4 matched EL84 pentode tubes in pure class A single ended configuration with in-house custom designed and built iHib output transformers. Four inputs plus tape monitor, balance and volume controls complete the classic uncluttered aesthetic.

 The Loudspeakers

 Audio Note UK AN-E Spe HE Hemp

AN-E Spe HE Hemp

The AN-E is the top and largest of a three model series constructed not from MDF but Russian birch ply. These speakers feature a minimum of damping and bracing to allow the the cabinets to enhance the drivers performance to the maximum ensuring the highest level of musical performance possible rather than the usual totally inert designs of their competitors.

 Another sweet spot in a vast range of AN-E options, the Spe HE Hemp feature all silver internal wiring and voice coils. Paper bass/mid cones are replaced with stiffer and lighter HE (high efficiency; 98dB ) Hemp bass/mid drivers and horn loaded silk dome tweeters. The key to the design is high efficiency, full range bandwidth (18Hz -23kHz) and high dynamic range making them perfect partners to low powered, high quality tube amps such as the Oto.

The speakers sit atop a 10” mass filled custom designed stands and are available in 20+ high quality exotic veneers at no extra cost unless one specifies high gloss lacquer. They are designed to be placed close to a wall, indeed preferably in the corners whereby they pressurize the room for maximum efficiency and an optimal tonal balance.

 The Cables

 Audio Note UK ISIS LX Reference

Isis LX Reference interconnects and speaker cables

Finally, the system is wired with a complete loom of Audio Note UK’s own custom designed cables. Isis Reference represents their flagship in copper and only topped by their ranges of all silver cables at considerable cost too.

All cables are copper litz in configuration and hand built to order.

 The Sound

Rather than attempt to dissect this into describing the sound of the individual components I shall allude to the system as a whole, indeed, as good as any Audio Note UK components are, it’s when they are assessed as a collective then their true magic shines.

 The first thing that strikes you is the sheer sense of scale, that an event is taking place before you.

Instruments, singers, indeed the whole ensemble is present in the room, or rather, when the recording allows, you are present in the recording space; often almost life size.

The second, is the dynamics. No one expects the sudden change in volume this system can muster, from the tiny sound of a triangle to full blown orchestra in an instant, (Scheherazade, Living Stereo, Analogue Productions AAPC 2446). With such high efficiency speakers this comes easily and without any trace of distortion or strain promoting the desire to increase not decrease the volume; low volume listening is equally rewarding though. 

What grabs next is timbre accuracy. Instruments sound like they are supposed to, not Hi-Fi caricatures; each and every one in its own space with its own correct scale.

PRaT (pace rhythm and timing) come so naturally that you don’t even think about it leaving your grey matter to concentrate on the composition or the musicians’ virtuosity whilst the dense harmonics course through each piece with ease; it all adds up to a natural, unforced sense of completeness and above all in a totally coherent fashion; in a word, effortless.

Think not that a valve based system necessarily sound overly warm and soft, many do but not Audio Note UK; this system astounds in it’s ability to rock when required; John Bonham’s drums pound, Jimmy’s guitar soars as if his amp is in the room (‘Heartbreaker’ LED Zeppelin II, Atlantic 588198) or play some dub-step such as Noisia’s ‘Split The Atom’ (Maustrap MAU5CD010P) and the sheer force almost bowls you over; the bass shakes both you and the room.

 Music should surprise and be unpredictable, be immediate and involving otherwise the killer of all killers, boredom sets in. At any volume this Audio Note UK system delivers in spades and at the cost offers supreme value for money and promotes long term satisfaction.

Our most recent Audio Note UK customer commented when first hearing the above system “my God, I’ve wasted the last 20 years faffing about with HiFi”. Says it all really. Needless to say, he bought it.

Audio Note UK components are categorised by levels 1-5, 1 being entry and 5 being state of the art, albeit that there are many products of different performance and cost within each level. They recommend not mixing between levels beyond one above or one below so as to maintain system performance. The above system falls within level 2 with the exception of the speakers, which are level 3 in this instance.

So why not pop in anytime, no need to book a demo, and have a listen. Bring an LP or CD you like and maybe make a new discovery?

 We’re thrilled to be in partnership with Audio Note UK and hope you’ll enjoy it too.

 The cost

 TT based system £24,400

CD based system £23,400

TT&CD based system £30,300

Each includes 3.5 Isis single run bi-wire speaker cables and Isis cabled mains block.

Bask In Splendid Isolation With Meze Audio Classic & Neo Headphones

With the clocks about to go back, and the latest series of Strictly Come Dancing well underway, you may feel that it’s time to consider an antidote in the form of a pair of headphones.

Here in store we have a selection of headphones of the closed and open back varieties, and in this blog we thought we would focus on a couple of models which might help you through these difficult few months.

MEZE AUDIO 99 CLASSIC

Antonio Meze’s company is based in Baia Mare, Romania and has been making headphones since 2009. The 99 Classics were launched in 2015 and have been making waves in Head-Fi circles since then, for a number of reasons.

99 Classic

For a start, they are very nicely made from good quality materials and are assembled using old school techniques, which means that any maintenance or repair is a straightforward process – no glued components to separate.  The ear cups are beautifully turned from solid walnut which gives a touch of class; rare for any headphone, let alone those which sell for such a reasonable price.

The self adjustable mechanism means they are very comfortable on heads of all shapes and sizes; they come with a useful set of accessories and, most importantly, sound extremely entertaining.

99 Classic

They are a closed back design so isolation from ambient noise is good; sound staging is a little more restricted than one would expect from an open back pair but there is still a pleasing openness about the midband and plenty of treble detail without the upper frequencies becoming painful or intrusive.

Bass (particularly the lower mid bass region) is particularly potent which makes these ‘phones really good for lovers of music with oodles of low end, and it also gives a pleasing richness to classical and acoustic music.  In reality, pretty much anything sounds fun and engaging through these wooden gems.

99 Range

They sell for the princely sum of £269 and are available in either Walnut/Gold or Walnut/Silver finishes. To make the deal even more impressive, if you buy a pair from us you will receive a free pair of Meze 11 Neo in-ear monitors which retail at £49. We currently have stocks in both finishes.

MEZE AUDIO 99 NEO

If you would like the function of the very impressive 99 CLASSICS at a lower price point, the 99 NEO might fit the bill. They are very similar in construction but are made from ABS plastic to keep weight and costs down.

99 Neo

Although not quite as natural sounding as the Classics, they are really impressive with more modern and electronic music as the low end has even more heft so you have a choice of flavour.  They come with a similarly good quality case and set of accessories, and sell for just £189. Again, we have stocks in store.

Both these sets of cans have a low-ish impedance and 103dB efficiency so work perfectly well connected directly to a phone or a digital audio player (DAP). However, to really get them singing, you could think about partnering them with the fabulous Chord Electronics Mojo DAC/Amp. This little marvel will drive these (and indeed most other) headphones to perfection, and you will thus be insulated from anything the TV can throw at you. Turn it up loud enough and you might be able to ignore all the Brexit arguments too.

Come on in and have a listen - Simon, Gareth - Audio T Reading.

Meze headphones are available at the following branches of Audio T:

Bristol, Cardiff, Manchester, Online, Reading, Southampton, Swansea

A Shop Refit And A Major Hi-Fi Brand Coming To Audio T Reading Soon

For the last couple of months we have been rather busy creating a new look for our store. We thought it was time to freshen things up so as you can see, we’ve moved away from bright colours to a more contemporary white.

New Naim Uniti / Muso wall

This is complemented with brand new air conditioning, ceiling, lighting, and a dedicated Naim wall greatly enhancing the look and feel.

However we are far from finished; imminent changes to shelving and new carpeting (long overdue) will complete the storefront.

In progress right now however is a complete overhaul of our lower AV demo room. This is to become a solely 2-channel room dedicated to one completely new brand to Audio-T that we have been auditioning over the past 10 months or so, for this we are incredibly exited and are confident our customers will be too.

Work in progress; saying goodbye to green!

Still awaiting updated shelving

We are not quite ready to state which Hi-Fi brand just yet as we intend to make an official announcement along with a launch event in the near future, however visitors with a keen eye have spotted various goodies!

For everyone else in the meantime, here are some teaser shots. Feel free to pop in to take a closer look and maybe a sneaky audition.

The New Rega Planar 1 Plus Offers A Better And Tidier Entry Level Record Player

One could be forgiven in asking the question; does the market really need another budget turntable, indeed, another Rega? Well, as it happens absolutely!

With the amazing resurgence in all things vinyl, we are being continually asked for an affordable entry level record player. In particular for those who have a ‘now defunct’ turntable residing in the loft, or an antiquated that doesn't have a phono stage, we often get asked for a record deck that can be used with an all-in-one system or an amplified speaker.

The obvious answer would normally be the Rega Planar 1 with a Rega Mini Fono A2D phono stage - £249 + £90 plus an additional interconnect; a formidable combination indeed. However, in typical Rega style, they have both managed to surpass its performance and dispense with the separate phono stage which costs less.

Enter the new Rega Planar 1 Plus £329

The Planar 1 Plus is the exact same turntable as the venerable Planar 1 but with a higher quality phono stage built directly into the deck, which allows you to connect the deck to any line input (aux on many products) with the supplied phono to phono or phono to 3.5mm lead (upgrades are available).

Removing both the USB interface and the 1.5m armlead (replaced with a short connection to the phono amp) and using the funds to further refine the circuit, Rega has managed to extract even more performance from the Planar 1 design and make for an altogether cosmetically tidier solution and for less money to boot, nice one Rega!

The Rega Planar 1 Plus is available for demonstration at Audio T Reading and all other Audio T stores.

Russell K Red 120 Loudspeakers

We have had the latest speakers from Russell K, the RED 120 for some months now and have proven such a hit that they have become our best selling model at any price at present.

Red 120 Walnut

So what makes them so successful? The answer is a combination of many things.

Firstly, in walnut in particular, they are visually striking but at the same time exceptionally compact. Indeed the pre-mounted plinth is smaller than that of a speaker stand for a bookshelf speaker, this and the fact they are absolutely not fussy about room placement and general set-up make they extremely room friendly.

Red 120 Walnut

Secondly, and most important really is their sound. What shocked us and floors all those that hear them is their sense of scale and amazing depth for such a small cabinet. These speakers throw a huge image in front of you with an uncanny sense of coherence top to bottom. Due to the compact nature of the enclosure and 6’’ drivers mean they are incredibly fast and time on point.

Red 120 Walnut

So what, one may ask is so new? Well, it’s a combination of both new and old design principles that are at work here. Although the cabinet measures just 20cm wide and 19 cm deep the sides are thin walled a la BBC monitor compared to the front baffle which means the ‘play’ along with music rather than damped. Indeed, there is also no damping material inside either but there’s not a trace of boxiness. The secret is the internal bracing which controls the resonances so they remain in time with the music rather than smear it, thus the cabinet is acting much like a musical instrument hence the large-scale presentation.

Red 120 Walnut

The other key design feature is the port tuning. Russell has not been tempted to implement the commonly used 40/80hz which is designed to excite the resonances of the average UK room with an 8’ ceiling. Instead the port is tuned to a low 24hz. Although there is little output at this frequency, the speakers in-room response is nothing short of remarkable and not a trace of that 80hz bloom.

Red 120 Walnut

But what sets this model apart for us is that they work exceptionally well within more modest systems but at the same time can deliver awesome results with better partnering equipment. Indeed they work wonders with a Naim Uniti Atom or even a Rega Elex-R.

Ultimately we feel there is nothing not to like about the RED 120 so we're not surprised by its immediate success.

Red 120 Walnut

Come on in and have a listen.

Russell K loudspeakers are available from the following branches of Audio T:
Enfield, Portsmouth, Reading

Catch of The Day. Latest Products from Naim, Rega & Acoustic Energy .

Caught at last!:

They may well be seven months late but oh boy was it worth the wait; finally we have the fantastic Naim Uniti Atom & Uniti Nova on demo and (limited quantities) in stock!

Naim uniti atom

Naim uniti nova

Straight out the box these really impressed but fully run-in they are nothing short of astonishing; seemingly able to drive almost any of our speakers. Finally, all-in-one systems that don't mean one has to use with small or budget speakers. 

The latest haul from Rega:

Rega's fabulous new Ania MC cartridge and the Fono MC phono stage have also been 'landed' here as well as the much anticipated RP6 replacement, the all new Planar 6 turntable, now available for demonstration; 'another big step for'... Rega well done guys! Full details available here.

rega planar 6 inc. ania mc cartridge

details: twin layer glass platter and machined hub

ania mc cartridge available separately £495

rega fono mc £248 (also avalable, new version fono mm £198)

fono mc rear showing dip switches for load and gain adjustment

'Caught, landed and fully prepared': 

Acoustic Energy's brand new AE109 is now on demo. At last a sub £500 (£549 in black) floor-standing loudspeaker that really shines. Stupendous value we think.

all new acoustic energy ae109 also available in walnut £499.99

Chord Electronics Hugo 2 DAC Headphone Amplifier 'Knocks It Out Of The Park' Again!

It has been a long wait, but oh boy was it worth it. We now have the all new Chord Electronics Hugo 2 portable DAC and headphone amplifier available for demonstration.

Chord Electronics Hugo2

A complete re-design of the multi-award winning benchmark DAC, the MK2 Hugo raises the bar once again. In truth, they hardly needed to, as the old one still has the gong but that isn't Chord's way; if it can be bettered then they're 'gonna' do it!

Hugo 2 inputs

We are hearing significant improvements in detail, dynamics and timing over the old model thanks in part to the dramatic increase in the number of taps within the Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) silicon.

All inputs and filter options are displayed via coloured LEDs much like that of the Chord Electronics Mojo for ease of use. Although initially designed to be the world's best portable DAC and headphone amp in reality the original mostly found it living amongst the best home Hi-Fi systems as the primary DAC, such was its giant killing credentials. This fact was not lost on Chord, so one of its new features is that it automatically stops charging the internal battery when it's plugged into the charger for 24hrs which extends battery life. 

Additionally Hugo 2 is now fully remote controlled, another nod to non-portable application.

Full feature list and technical specification can be found here.

You can read the latest What Hi-Fi? review of the Hugo 2 here.

Hugo 2 is available in black or silver.

Now with remote control

Come in and have a listen at Audio T Reading.

Chord Electronics Hi-Fi products are also available at the following branches of Audio T: 
Brentwood, Brighton, Bristol, Cardiff, Enfield, Manchester, Online, Oxford, Portsmouth, Preston, 
Reading, Southampton, Swansea, Swindon

New Naim Uniti Atom, Chord Electronics Hugo 2 & Russell K RED 120 Arriving Soon

After quite an extended period of having little new product to blog about; just like the proverbial bus, three come along at the same time... well nearly.

After numerous delays Naim has finally given a likely manufacturing date for the first of the superb Uniti products, the entry level Atom which will commence shipping by the end of this month, we can't wait. I first heard it at the official launch back in November partnered with a pair of Focal Sopra 1s. What seemed like a most unlikely pairing turnout to be a revelation and breaking most system building rules. This promises to be a top seller.

Naim Atom

Not wishing to rest on the laurels of their success, Chord Electronics have launched Hugo2. The original Hugo set the standard for portable a Dac/Headphone amp but they have been beavering away to produce what on paper promises to be a true bar-raiser...again; such is the genius of their designers and Bob Watts in particular. Due this month though we understand the first shipment is already completely sold out but we will have a permanent demo unit so don't delay.

Chord Hugo2 in silver and black

Missing from the line-up in the Russell K loudspeaker range is a slim, affordable floor stander which is by far the most popular speaker type at present. Well, the wait is over. Due to arrive in 2-3 weeks, the all new Red 120. A 2.5 way compact floor stander with a massive heart. We heard these a month back and were taken by them immediately. The competition better look out because these are seriously good!

Russell K Red 120 Shown here in walnut, other finishes available. 

Naturally I will be blogging about these three exciting additions and any others as soon as they arrive so watch this space as they say.

Simon & Marc - Audio T Reading

The Queen Is (Not) Dead' And Neither Are The Smiths!

We are delighted to have on display in the shop, some outstanding music related photographs from one of our regular customers, none other than the photographer Stephen Wright!

'The shot' The Smiths 

Stephen's most famous shot is arguably that of the Smiths, taken outside the Salford Lads Club for the 1986 classic album, 'The Queen Is Dead', gracing the inside gatefold. (see above).

Prince

Other artists that Stephen has photographed include: Prince, Miles Davis, Nina Simone, U2, John Lydon, James Brown, Madonna, Stevie Wonder and many more.

Miles Davis

James Brown

John Lydon of PIL

Madonna

Nina Simone

U2

Stevie Wonder

Many now grace our upper showroom display area and demo room for all to come and see. These are also available as limited edition photographs and you can see more of Stephen's work at http://www.smithsphotos.com

Below is a collection of Smiths shots from that cold winter day session plus some live performance photos of the band.

Auralic, Russell K & Cyrus: New Product Additions At Audio T Reading

We are delighted to announce the inclusion of a number of new products, two of which are wholly new suppliers to the Reading store.

Auralic

For us the timing could not be better than now to introduce Auralic to our range. In an age of ever decreasing CD player sales, we have been looking, as have many of our customers, for a streaming solution that is universal, i.e. matches any existing brand and at the same time is affordable. Auralic are just such a brand. Indeed maybe the only one at present?

Auralic Aries Mini

Auralic Aries Mini

From as little as just £449, the Aries Mini is a serious quality, tiny (about the size of an Apple TV) full HD streamer (up to DSD even over WiFi) and client in one. With analogue outputs included and the ability to fit an SSD drive internally, it can be a complete solution and simultaneously serve other rooms.

Auralic Aries

For the audiophile the Auralic Aries (£1495) is their high-end solution for streaming, just add your own DAC to the required level.

Auralic Altair Streamer

For those looking for an entire digital streaming compact separates system we have the Altair streamer/pre-amp and Merak 200w Monoblock amps. Just add speakers. £5747.

Auralic Merak 200W Monoblock amp

Key to the Auralic experience is their fantastic IOS app, Lightning DS. By far the most powerful and intuitive music app we've used to date. Giving you full access to your local music library as well as direct to your Tidal or Qobuz accounts.

Innuos

To complement the Auralic and any other streamers we have chosen Innuos. Innuos make a range of Server/CD rippers starting from as little as £699.

Innuos Zen Mini 2TB

Simply slide in a CD and the unit rips, downloads metadata and artwork and builds your library. Full editing access is by an excellent cross-platform browser support page.

Russell K

In a crowded market place full of great speakers (well here anyway) there seems little room for more. That would be true if they didn't offer something new and fresh, a different perspective perhaps or a different set of priorities. 

Russell K Red 100

In Russell K's designs we have just that; a fresh outlook. Russell's top priority was to convey the artist's message more than anything else but not at the expense of tonal colourations and other distortions; a tall order. His solution was not to follow, but to lead by thinking afresh the design parameters. His designs have to internal wadding whatsoever, thin cabinets walls and a thick baffle. The result; speakers that cut straight to the performance with no perceivable time smearing and are capable of serious musical engagement. They have an incredible bass response belying their size and can be driven by affordable amplifiers. We rather like them!

Russell K Red 100

Three models are available; The original RK Red 100 and the smaller Red 50, both standmounts and available in gloss black (premium) or a variety of wood veneers. The Red 150 floorstanders, small but full range.

Russell K Red 100 + Stand

Cyrus

Welcome back, Cyrus One!

Cyrus One Amplifier

After what must be over 25 years, Cyrus again have a model One. Naturally, apart from its dimensions and overall design it's all new and technologically up-to-date.

A little powerhouse of an amp capable of driving any speaker likely to be used at the price point, it's immediate and fun with a great sense of drive, a truly worthy successor.

Cyrus One rear panel

Features include; Bluetooth connectivity and a decent phono stage, so should appeal to all the family's needs. £699

Auralic streaming Hi-Fi products are available from the following branches of Audio T:
Bristol, Cheltenham, Southampton 

Innuos rippers and music streamers are also available from: 
Brentwood, Bristol, Cardiff, Cheltenham, Enfield, Manchester, Online, Oxford, Portsmouth, 
Southampton, Swansea, Swindon

Russell K Loudspeakers are also available at: Enfield, Portsmouth

Cyrus Hi-Fi products are also available from: 
Brentwood, Cardiff, Enfield, Manchester, Portsmouth, Reading, Southampton, Swindon

The Well Tempered Royale 400 Turntable, 50kg of Sheer Musical Joy!

The Background.

A little over two years ago I waxed lyrical about the Well Tempered Versalex turntable, you can read that blog here: and ended up buying one myself.

Everything I wrote back then I still stand by and much joy I have had, as have those customers who purchased one.

However, despite his age, Bill Firebaugh is an industrious fellow and has been working hard on what he would no doubt call a statement product. A deck designed without constraints to realise the maximum potential of his design philosophy. Read that in full here.

The design; in detail.

Enter the Royale 400. 400? Well that refers to the length of the tonearm in mm, which is roughly 16’’. That’s not a typo, sixteen inches! Why so long? Well, for starters, the cartridge will trace a larger arc across the record but Bill says more important than that is that it’s offset angle is now so minimal that there is almost no vector force to require any bias.

Naturally with an arm so long a larger plinth is required and that is the very first thing anyone will notice when they clap eyes on the Royale 400, its size; 63.5x55.5cm. However, in practice, this is only a little larger than a Quadraspire SVT table (59.5x47.5cm) for example. However a custom built 3 tier table the exact size to match is also available. It too uses birch ply for the shelves and features anodised extruded aluminium columns inside which is a one inch diameter steel rod running the entire height of the table and threaded at both ends to facilitate a compression method of tightening. It’s extremely rigid.

As before, the plinth is solid birch ply but instead of the Versalex’s 30mm it is 65mm and this is sandwiched between two 14mm solid aluminium sheets between which is a proprietary rubber damper which is also used under the arm collar and motor mount. Naturally the use of squash balls is out of the question due to the sheer weight of the deck so Bill has designed a unique solution for the Royale 400; four fully adjustable machined aluminium feet that incorporate three ceramic ball bearings, a smaller but identical version of those made for the custom rack. 

Speaking of weight, this deck weighs in at a not inconsiderable 50kg and this along with the whole construction accounts for its immense structural rigidity and self-damping. Indeed, when mounted atop the custom rack one can even thump the top of the plinth and barely a sound is heard through the loudspeakers let alone upset the tracking of the cartridge!

The rest of the design follows previous methodology though beefed up somewhat. The main bearing remains as before, a round spindle in a triangular aperture but of wider diameter and a higher level of machining as can be seen in the images. The oversized platter also remains but increases from 25mm to 38mm in height and therefore much heavier too.

The DC motor is retained but now speed change from 33 to 45 is available via a rear-mounted switch and a speed tuning knob replaces the small rear aperture requiring a screwdriver of the Versalex. Drive, via the polyester thread stays the same as with all WT turntables.

Speed adjuster and 33-45rpm selection

The tonearm is identical to that of the Versalex bar the increased length of course and the replacement of the connection block for the plinth mounted Lemo socket. The two output phono sockets are now mounted on the rear of the deck.

Output options

Our new benchmark in vinyl replay quality is established.

As I said, everything I wrote back in 2014 regarding the Versalex’s performance stands but every now and then something changes that forces one to recalibrate one’s appreciation of quality or performance, whether it’s the new iPhone, the latest Ferrari or the latest turntable design.

This is exactly what the Royale 400 was designed to achieve and oh boy does it achieve it?

Let's start by stating the Royale 400 is clearly recognisable as a Well Tempered. This is no total rethink or contrary design. It is the design principles of a forward thinking turntable designer taken to a whole new level. I was going to say the max but who knows what else Bill may one day envisage?

I could allude to all its hi-fi and audiophile characteristics, which is has in spades and without which, the Royale 400 would no doubt not do what it does.

What this turntable does do though, and far, far better than any in my previous experience is convey the performance of the piece. That’s what strikes one first, the sheer believability of what’s before you. Never before has the emotion of a singer or of a guitar player been so well delivered. The grip and control, of the entire spectrum, macro and micro dynamics is breathtaking and challenges your understanding of your most beloved music. For example; I played ‘’Since I’ve Been Loving You’’ from Led Zep III first pressing and heard bass lines and drum patterns I didn’t know where even there with Jimmy’s searing guitar sending shivers down my spine whilst all along Robert Plants soulful smooth tone remained, that is until he belts out in falsetto.  

Listening to Sonny Rollins’ play ‘’Blue 7’’ on the album Saxophone Colossus one can so clearly hear the reed emanating from the horn in front of you.

I could go on with many such examples but I feel I could never truly do justice to the experience.

After living with the Royale 400 for two whole weeks my only disappointment was the following two weeks getting over its return.

Now, where did I leave my tape measure?

Simon

SPECIFICATIONS

• Multi-layer “baltic” plywood central layer.
• Switchable 33 to 45 RPM
• Anodized aluminium top and bottom layers.
• Proprietary rubber damping material between layers, motor and tonearm coupling.
• Isolation feet capable of supporting the heavy plinth.
• Electronic servo speed controlled motor.
• Refined platter assembly and zero clearance main bearing.
• The now purely mechanical LTD tonearm with 16” (400mm) arm tube.
• Symmetrex tonearm configuration with golf ball suspended in silicone fluid for optimum variable damping
• “Zero Clearance” platter bearing
• 0.004” polyester thread belt
• Easy azimuth adjustment

Well Tempered Royale 400 £10995, Custom Rack £2995