The Long And Winding Road Of The Upgrade Path with Cyrus Audio

/ Audio T/

Matt from our Cardiff store is on the upgrade path once again, this time revisiting the heart of every Hi-Fi system: the amplification. And what better brand to explore than one that both Matt and the team at Audio T hold in high regard – Cyrus Audio.

The Cyrus 40 Series on Display at The Bristol Hi-Fi Show 2025

Many of you will have hopefully read my blogs over the years (for which I’m extremely grateful), following the many changes to my home Hi-Fi system. Some might say I’m a bit of a gearhead! Like all of us, I’m always chasing that elusive perfect Hi-Fi sound. Back in my days in the guitar business, I used to call it ‘chasing tone’—which probably explains why I own more than a few guitars...

Much like Hi-Fi enthusiasts, musicians (myself included) are always searching for that perfect sound—or tone, if you will. This pursuit leads us to explore new equipment, experiment with different combinations, and fine-tune every element of our systems, from the source to the amplification—the heart of the system—to the loudspeakers. Even the finer details, such as cables and interconnects, play their part.

Working for Audio T at the Bristol Hi-Fi Show, I had the chance—like many of you who attended—to listen to some fantastic equipment and chat with manufacturers and customers alike about different system choices and ultimate upgrades. Now, with the show behind us, I, like many of you, have been reflecting on my own Hi-Fi system and considering what’s next on the upgrade path.

The Cyrus 40 Series on Display at The Bristol Hi-Fi Show 2025

In this case, my focus is on the heart of my Hi-Fi system—my amplification. It’s no secret that I’m a big fan of Cyrus as a brand. Nearly two years ago, I treated myself to a Cyrus Classic amp and PSX-R2 external power supply, which some of you may remember. Not long ago, I wrote a blog about my choices when it came to integrated amplifiers, where the Cyrus Classic amp came out on top.

Fast forward to last year, and our brilliant Cyrus representative, Jason Saxon—who many of you may recognise from countless Cyrus product videos or have met at the Bristol Hi-Fi Show)—visited our store to introduce us to the brand’s 40th-anniversary lineup. He even shared preview images of the new 40 series, which I was really excited about.

A couple of months later, Jason returned with demonstration models of the 40 amp, 40 power supply, 40 CD, and 40 ST Streamer. My first impressions? Saying I was impressed would be an understatement. Sonically and visually, the new 40 series surpassed even the already outstanding XR range—but for me, the real star of the show is the 40 Amp.

Home Demo Time

Almost a month ago, we received our 40 Series demonstration stock from the fantastic team at Cyrus. I seized the opportunity to take the 40 Amp home and put it through its paces. But before I dive into how this exceptional amplifier performed, let’s take a moment to talk about its specs.

Wattage and power
- x2 100W into 6 Ohms or 2X 113W into 6 Ohms with the 40 PSU

DAC
- ESS Sabre ES9039Q2M 32-bit DAC chipset.

Inputs
- x4 Analogue Inputs
- x1 Phono moving magnet Input
- x1 Digital Optical SPDIF input supporting 16/44.1K - 24/192K
- x2 Digital Coaxial inputs
- x1 Asynchronous USB-B input supporting 16/44.1K - 32/384K
- x1 HDMI eARC
DSD Formats supported up to DSD 256
DOP Supported formats up to DOP 128

Outputs
- x1 Preamp analogue output
- x1 Fixed output
- x1 3.5 Headphone output
- RJ45 socket for software updates.

cyrus 40ppa phon preamplifier

Briefly digressing, while working at the Bristol Hi-Fi Show this year, I had the pleasure of meeting Cyrus Audio’s Managing Director, Nick Clarke.

Nick shared insights into all things Cyrus, including the brand’s new casework production process. He also gave me a sneak peek at another exciting addition to the 40 Series arriving this summer—the 40 PPA phono preamplifier. I can’t wait to get my hands on one when it’s released!

Right, Back In The Room!!

Now, onto the most important question—how did the new 40 Amp perform?

But before we settle in with a cup of coffee, what bands and tracks did I put it through its paces with?

Artist : Joe Walsh
Track : Rocky Mountain Way
Album : The Smoker, the Drinker, the Player You Get* (1973, Vinyl)

Artist : Temple of the Dog
Track : Wooden Jesus
Album : Temple of the Dog (1991, CD) – Although I have the 25th anniversary version, which was released in 2016.

Artist : Stone Temple Pilots
Track : Sin
Album : Core (1992, Vinyl)

Artist : Pearl Jam
Track : Fatal
Album : Lost Dogs (2003, CD)

How Did The 40 Amp Hold Up?

Matt’s set-up at home

Starting with vinyl, I had my Rega Planar 6 and trusty Nytech CDP 122 phono stage plugged in—ready to rock. First up was the great Joe Walsh and Rocky Mountain Way, and I can honestly say I’ve never heard it sound like this before—big, open, and full of life. The 40 Amp was really flexing its muscles through my Spendor D7s. Every guitar riff and vocal felt effortless, and one detail caught me completely off guard—the snare drum at the start of the track had a natural reverb I’d never noticed before. Joe’s slide guitar solo sounded more alive, with extra attack on the strings. I even caught the odd detail of the slide knocking against a fret or two on his Les Paul Deluxe. Being a bit of a guitar nerd, I know that ‘70s Les Paul Deluxes have a distinct tone, thanks to those mini humbuckers, and the 40 Amp revealed it beautifully.

Switching to CDs, I hooked up my Cyrus CDXT Signature via coax into the 40 Amp. To say Cyrus has done a great job with the DAC section would be an understatement—the ESS Sabre DAC onboard really shines, especially with eight different filters to play with. The changes are subtle but effective, and I found Linear Phase Fast Low Ripple brought out the best overall performance in the music I was listening to.

One track that really stood out was Wooden Jesus by Temple of the Dog. Matt Cameron’s percussion at the start had incredible presence, and when Chris Cornell’s vocals kicked in, I could almost hear how close he was to the mic. But the real surprise? If you’re as keen-eared—or as much of a music nerd—as I am, you’ll know there’s a banjo buried in that track. Through the 40 Amp, it didn’t just sit in the background—it came alive.

THE CYRUS 40 AMP SAT on isoacoustic isolation pucks

It’s All In The Fine Details

The Cyrus 40 Amp doesn’t just sound incredible—it looks phenomenal too. The team at Cyrus has done a fantastic job modernising the entire 40 Series in all the right ways, and in my opinion, the build quality is absolutely spot on. The user interface is effortless to navigate, and I have to say, I love the new remote.

Now, the big question—did I take the leap to the 40 Amp?

In short, yes, I did. From the moment I first heard it in our store, I was hooked. Bringing it home only reinforced that feeling. So, I took the plunge, placed my order with Cyrus, and now it’s here, settling in nicely. In fact, I’m already diving back into my record collection, rediscovering my favourite albums.

The next question—will I upgrade again?

On the amp front, I’m very, very happy. But I do have my sights set on the rest of the 40 lineup—the power supply, CD, and Stream. Maybe even the new phono stage. As they say… watch this space!

Thanks for taking the time to read my blog!

Matt Aaron - Audio T - Cardiff

Cyrus can be found at the following Audio T stores -

Dreaming of Streaming: Is £2,000 and Above the Golden Number in the World of Streamers?

/ Audio T Cardiff/

Matt at our Cardiff store takes a closer look at the world of streaming, focusing on the £2,000 and above price bracket—often considered the higher echelon of streaming. For those eyeing a significant upgrade to the source end of their Hi-Fi systems, Matt has chosen three standout streamers that shine in this category. Let’s join him on this month’s journey to see what he’s discovered.

Where Streaming Fits Into My System

Over the past three years, my Hi-Fi system has evolved dramatically, as many of you may have noticed in my blogs. I’ve made various upgrades and additions, covering both vinyl and CD playback. Yet, one key source remains conspicuously absent: streaming.

So why haven’t I added a streamer to my setup? After all, for many, streaming is the cornerstone of a modern Hi-Fi system. As we often say, the source comes first—it’s the voice of the system, setting the tone for everything downstream.

Streaming offers unparalleled access to music, far removed from the days of flipping through records at my local shop, Spillers in Cardiff, debating whether an album was a one-track wonder or a masterpiece. Today, with platforms like Qobuz, discovering new music is effortless, and that’s a compelling reason to embrace streaming.

Auralic Vega S1 Streaming DAC

Why Focus on the £2,000 Bracket?

As we know, the quality of the source should match the rest of your Hi-Fi system. The £2,000 bracket marks the point where streamers begin to deliver exceptional build quality and components, including DACs and power supplies. Many models also allow for upgrades with external power supplies, much like turntables or CD players.

The Contenders

To explore this world, I’ve chosen three streamers that sit confidently in this range:

Cyrus Stream XR

cyrus stream xr


With my system already built around the latest Cyrus Classic range, the Stream XR is a natural choice for synergy. Featuring Cyrus’s second-generation QXR DAC, based on the ESS9038Q2M chipset, it offers stunning performance. Its internal power supply is another standout, delivering clean, stable power for uncompromised sound quality. The BluOS interface, developed in partnership with Bluesound, is intuitive and seamless to use.

AURALiC Vega S1

auralic s1 streamer


Next is the AURALiC Vega S1 Streaming DAC. AURALiC has long intrigued me, and the Vega S1 more than lives up to its reputation. Introduced with the Tesla G3 streaming platform, it delivers exceptional processing power and flexibility. The Lightning DS app is highly user-friendly, and the build quality is outstanding. The Vega S1 also features three DAC filters, allowing you to fine-tune the sound to your preference. It’s a dream for those who love to tweak and experiment.

Naim ND5 XS 2

Naim is a name that requires no introduction, with years of experience in streaming technology. The ND5 XS 2 features a Burr-Brown DAC, offering a rich, detailed sound. Its proprietary streaming app is both reliable and intuitive, making it a joy to use. The ND5 XS 2 brings warmth and detail, making it a classic choice for discerning listeners.

The Listening Test

Now, the real fun begins! To put these streamers to the test, I used a range of music across genres:

Cyrus Stream XR

The Stream XR’s synergy with my Cyrus Classic amplifier was immediately evident. Its QXR DAC revealed intricate details, like the texture in Rory Gallagher’s guitar tone and the gravel in his voice. The BluOS interface made browsing Qobuz effortless.

Auralic Vega S1

The Vega S1’s sound was expansive, revealing layers in Big Wreck’s In Fair Light that I hadn’t noticed before. The DAC filters added flexibility, letting me tailor the sound to suit the track.

Naim ND5 XS 2

The ND5 XS 2 delivered a spacious soundstage and a beautifully warm tone. Tracks like Taree by Soundgarden highlighted its ability to balance detail with musicality, showcasing both the power and nuance of the recording.

The Verdict

All three streamers are excellent, capable of decoding HD formats up to 32-bit and offering fantastic connectivity. However, the Cyrus and Auralic models allow for external power supply upgrades, which elevate their performance but push them beyond the £2,000 budget.

In Conclusion

There’s no one-size-fits-all answer in Hi-Fi. Each of these streamers delivers exceptional performance, and the best choice depends on your system and preferences. Why not visit your local Audio T store and have a listen for yourself?

Thank you for taking the time to read my blog.

Matt - Audio T Cardiff

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…

Naim can be found at the following Audio T stores

AURALiC can be found at the following Audio T stores

Cyrus can be found at the following Audio T stores

*All prices, credit terms and interest rates quoted are correct at the time of going to press but may be subject to change. E&OE

Riffs and Revolutions: A Very Different Kind of Vinyl Listening Event!

/ Audi T Cardiff/

As many of you know, Matt from Audio T Cardiff is a keen musician. Recently he hosted a vinyl event in Pontypridd, one of our home counties, alongside the fantastic team at A Strings guitar shop and with sponsorship from Rega. The event took place on Saturday, 28th September. If you were lucky enough to attend, you’ll know what a fantastic day it was—but if you missed out, here’s an account of what went down."

Over the years, our branches have traditionally hosted in-store events that have been highly successful, giving us the chance to showcase and demonstrate our featured brands at their best. These events have always been a real pleasure. But how do we reach a wider, more diverse, and perhaps younger audience, you may ask?

Personally, I wholeheartedly believe that music fans and musicians alike deserve access to a great-sounding hi-fi. Am I right? Of course, I am! Everyone should have a hi-fi that truly engages them—making you smile, even shed a tear, but most importantly, gets your feet tapping. Some of us even know that special piece of music that inspires us to pick up a guitar and master that riff or solo. (Thank you, Eddie Van Halen.)

As many of you know, I’ve previously organised Audio T Cardiff vinyl events outside the store at MEC Coffee, which were fantastic. This time, though, I thought it was time for something a little different.

Time for a little time travel! No, it doesn't involve a DeLorean.

When I talk about time travel, I’m really talking about this event. As most of you know, before my days with Audio T, I worked at a local guitar shop in Cardiff for 17 years. Being a guitarist, I started thinking about organising an event that combines my three biggest passions: music, hi-fi, and, of course, guitars. Musicians are often overlooked when it comes to hi-fi, which got me wondering—how can we bridge the gap between musicians and audiophiles?

Reflecting on my childhood, I feel lucky to have experienced music in such quality, thanks to my dad’s studio days. Everyone deserves access to great hi-fi, and I wanted to show that you don’t need to spend over £10,000 to enjoy a high-quality system, especially for vinyl playback—my favourite way to listen. How could I best demonstrate this? That’s when it hit me—I should reach out to my favourite guitar shop, A Strings.

In the hi-fi world, everyone knows everyone, and I’ve known the guys at A Strings, Andrew and Adam, for years as both friends and a customer (keeping my guitar addiction alive). I asked if they’d like to co-host an event with us in their store, and they were thrilled to say yes. We set the date, and both the A Strings team and I couldn’t have been more excited!

How about a little history about A Strings?

A Strings was founded in Cardiff back in 2006 by Andrew Morgan, originally specialising in guitar strings and accessories. Stocking over 1,000 varieties of strings—ranging from the popular to the obscure—they quickly built a loyal customer base, with many of their original customers still returning to this day. Over time, they expanded to stock a range of leading guitar brands, including Fender, Gretsch, and Gibson.

Fast-forward to the present, and A Strings is now located at 66 Broadway, Treforest, Pontypridd, where they’ve been for the past 15 years. In fact, they celebrated their 15th anniversary at this location on the day of the event.

An interesting fact about A Strings: they have supplied strings and gear to legendary musicians such as Brian May of Queen, Eric Clapton, the Manic Street Preachers, Motörhead, Killing Joke, and Mark Knopfler, to name just a few.

Reaching out to the turntable kings – Rega, that is.

With a good idea of the system I wanted to bring to the event—mainly Rega equipment—I reached out to our fantastic Rega representative, Rob Noble, about promoting the event on their website as well as ours and A Strings’. I also enquired about the possibility of a turntable giveaway, and Rega went above and beyond by generously donating a Rega Planar 1 Eco deck for the event’s prize draw.

Rega Planar 2 with nd3 cartridge

Rega’s God of amplification.

With everything in full swing—the advertising sorted and nearly everything ready to rock—I received an email from Rega’s amplification guru, Mr Terry Bateman, which was a real honour. Terry and I discussed how unique this event was compared to typical hi-fi events and how it bridges the gap between audiophiles and musicians. We also talked about amp design, especially the renowned Rega Brio, which Terry designed and voiced much like a guitar amplifier. It’s known for that rich analogue class AB warmth, reminiscent of solid-state guitar amps.

Terry shared his experiences before joining Rega, when he worked as an amp repairman for guitar amplification, focusing on brands like Fender, Marshall, and Vox. Like me, Terry has roots in the guitar industry and has even worked with notable musicians, including Robin Trower (if you haven’t heard Bridge of Sighs, give it a listen), The Hamsters, and many others. After our chat about amps, music, and classic rock, Terry said he would come along to the event. It’s a true privilege to have someone of his stature attending—as I said at the start, an amp legend!

What equipment did I bring to the event, I hear you ask?

Starting with the sources:

On the amplification front:

On the speaker front:

Cabling: Black Rhodium Intro speaker cables and interconnects.

Hi-Fi rack and stands:

On the vinyl cleaning side of things:

And now the fun really begins.

With the system set up and ready to go in what I can only call ‘guitar heaven,’ we were all set to rock. I spoke with many people about their records, collections, and equipment, and we even did several A-B tests, playing records before and after they’d been cleaned. One rare gem was Andrew’s original pressing of Queen II, and we played March of the Black Queen. Hearing the difference post-cleaning was incredible—the improvement was, as they say, night and day.

We also put the Rega system through its paces; to say it sounded fantastic doesn’t quite do it justice. The system truly demonstrated that you can build a great hi-fi setup without breaking the bank. The event itself had an amazing atmosphere, with rock tracks from every genre filling the space. Chatting with new faces about hi-fi, music, and guitars (my three favourite subjects), spending the afternoon with Andrew and the fantastic team at A Strings, meeting their customers, and having Terry from Rega there made for an absolute joy—a perfect afternoon of rock & roll and hi-fi.

And we have a winner!

A week had passed since the fantastic event at A Strings, and it was time to announce the lucky winner of a Rega turntable! I headed back to A Strings to reveal the winner on Fear’s Friday update. Yes, I did this live, and it went well—it was an honour to be part of their regular Friday video. So, who’s the winner? Drum roll, please... congratulations to Kris Morris!

Kris came by our store to collect his brilliant new Rega Planar 1 Eco deck. While he was here, I took him through a few amplification and speaker options to help him get set up and ready to enjoy his new system.

Are there more events like this on the way, you ask?

The short answer is a big, resounding yes! The event had such a fantastic vibe that it’s definitely worth doing again. In fact, I’ve spoken with Andrew and the team, and they’re keen to host another event with us at Audio T in the near future—so watch this space!

Thank you

A huge thank you once again to Andrew, Adam, and the team at A Strings for co-hosting the event with us, and to Terry and his lovely wife for attending—it was a real honour to have them there. Most importantly, a big thank you to everyone who came to the event; it was a genuine pleasure to meet you all, and I hope to see you again soon!

Thank you all for taking the time to read my blog.

Matt - Audio T Cardiff

Matt and the A String Team

Low End Theory - Let’s talk REL Subwoofers

/ Audio T Cardiff/

“Are Subwoofers All About Bass? Are subwoofers all about surround sound? Can a subwoofer be added to a two-channel system?” These are questions that we get on a daily basis here at Audio T, so Matt from our Cardiff store has decided to take a deep dive into the world of subwoofers, exploring their effect in two-channel systems and how they can improve your Hi-Fi’s overall performance. So, let’s embark on this two-channel sonic journey with one of our favourite subwoofer brands, REL Acoustics, and see where we end up.

On my wild and wonderful journey through the world of Hi-Fi, I have set up many REL subwoofers in customers’ surround sound AV systems for home cinema, but surprisingly not so many in two-channel systems. Granted, in-store I have demonstrated subwoofers in two channel systems quite a few times, and I have always been very impressed with how the system sounds when adding a subwoofer or two into the mix. This raises the question for me: How can a subwoofer improve the sound of my own Hi-Fi?

After a chat with Rob Hunt, UK Director of Sales for REL, I decided to take home their T7x subwoofer for the weekend to try it in my own system.

The REL t7x in white

Before I dive in and talk your ears off about my findings, let’s talk a little history…

Where Did It All Start for the Kings of the Subwoofer?

REL Acoustics was founded in our local county, Bridgend, right here in South Wales by Richard Edmund Lord. As you can gather, his name is where "REL" came from. Richard first entered the Hi-Fi scene after feeling rather dissatisfied with the subwoofers available at the time, as they were not performing in the ways he wanted them to.

This led him to design his first subwoofer, which he built into a bay window area in his own home. Fast forward to 1990, and REL Acoustics was born when Richard first came up with the high-level input to match the signal from the final output stage of an amplifier or receiver. This produces a seamless quality that precisely matches the sound being fed to your loudspeakers. There have been many more innovations from REL over the years in their subwoofers, such as Class A/B amplification circuits. Their cabinets are also acoustically braced, not unlike an acoustic guitar, which goes to show it’s not just about the amplification or the speakers; the cabinet and how it’s tuned play a really big role in how the subwoofer sounds.

Is It All About Bass?

In some ways, yes, a subwoofer is there to create big low-end frequency. But I feel there’s more to it than just low end with REL subwoofers, especially the T7x I have at home right now (which I will tell you more about shortly).

But First, Let’s Talk About Speakers

As we know, most speaker can only reproduce a certain amount of bass frequencies due to the size of the cone as well as the magnet behind the driver. A loudspeaker will sound its best in the manufacturer's anechoic chamber or recording studio locked away in the R&D dungeons, or the mind blowing Jupiter speaker analysis system at Dynaudio HQ in Denmark. The main problem with any speaker design arises in our own listening environments.

Dynaudio jupiter - speaker analysis system in denmark

Dynaudio Evoke 10

For instance, the low frequency of my Dynaudio Evoke 10 is at 47Hz. In the perfect room, they sound amazing, and they do sound great in my own system, but there is just something missing from the overall sound stage. This is due to my own living room, as I, like many of you, don’t have a perfect listening space.

So here comes the really big question: How do I fix this? Do I get bigger speakers? Hmm, I do like my speakers, and I don’t feel that changing them for anything of a comparable size will help. This is where a subwoofer comes to the rescue.

What Does a Subwoofer Do?

The main job of a subwoofer is to reach frequencies that your speakers can’t, all whilst matching the movement and timing and crossover point of the bass driver in our loudspeakers, thus giving you that missing sub-bass frequency without compromising the other frequencies.

As we know, not all speakers have the same frequency response as one another, but luckily the subwoofer can be perfectly tuned to match the system. For instance, in a two-channel setup like I have here, this can be adjusted using the high-level control and the crossover control found at the back of the subwoofer. (If you are running a surround sound combination, you will run both the high-level and the LFE (low-frequency effects) connection.)

“How Is the Subwoofer Connected in a Two-Channel Setup?”, I Hear You Say!

REL kindly provides a high-level cable with every subwoofer they manufacture, which has a Speakon connector on one end with red, black, and yellow wires on the other.

Rel Hi-Line Cable

The main Speakon connector goes into the back of the subwoofer. You may be wondering, what do I do with the three wires? There are a few ways you can run these into your system; the two main ones are: first, going straight into your amplifier via the speaker terminals on the back of your amplifier. The best way to look at this is: red to the right red terminal (i.e., the positive terminal), yellow to the left red terminal, and black to either of the black terminals (i.e., negative terminals). This is generally the preferred method for sound quality. The other way is to connect the wire directly to your speaker terminals, twisting the red and yellow wires together; they go to the red positive terminal, and black goes to the negative terminal. This can be useful for cable management if you’d like to tidy your system up.

REL also offer a range of upgraded Bassline Blue Cables that have either banana or spade connections on the other end of the Speakon to offer maximum audio quality.

I went with the wired-direct-to-the-amplifier option

Now that we’re all wired up, with a little fine-tuning and correct placement, my amplifier is all warmed up and ready for some serious listening.

Now for the Fun Part - How Does It Sound?

Here I am, sitting in my music room on a Sunday evening with a few choice albums ready to rock. The artists, albums, and tracks are as follows:

Artist: Alice in Chains
Album: MTV Unplugged
Release Year: 1996
Track: Brother
Format: CD

Artist: The Cult
Album: Sonic Temple
Release Year: 1989
Track: Sweet Soul Sister
Format: Vinyl

Artist: Peter Gabriel
Album: i/o Dark-Side Mix
Release Year: 2023
Track: Panopticon
Format: Vinyl

My ever-growing system

It’s important to note that when looking to add to or change our Hi-Fi systems that we are the best judges of what we want. So we should trust our ears. We are the ones who are familiar with the sound of our Hi-Fi, our houses and what’s in our music collections.

Even though I know that there are always improvements to be made, I can honestly say my system already sounded great before adding anything. Now, with the subwoofer on, I can assure you the REL T7x really adds more dynamic range to the music.

Yes, there is more low-end, but the bass has better definition and is more assertive, which also helps the mid and treble range coming out of my speakers, underpinning everything and really bringing out a much bigger soundstage. Above all, it adds musicality and makes listening more fun. I’d even go as far as to say it’s transformative. it’s like having the band in your living room.

So, what did the REL do to the sound of the albums I was spinning? (It was a long listening session, so I promise I won’t go on too much and bore you rigid)…

Starting with the Alice in Chains track: with the subwoofer on, the whole performance felt more alive, Layne Staley & Jerry Cantrell’s vocals were more present, and the acoustic guitars sounded fuller-bodied. For the next track, Of Course, the volume and drive of the performance went up.

The Cult’s Sweet Soul Sister - let’s just say Billy Duffy’s guitar tone with the subwoofer on was more nuanced. You can really hear the natural tone of his Les Paul and Marshall combination. I let the whole album play through (Oh, my poor neighbours!).

Last but not least, Peter Gabriel’s track Panopticon. This track sounded amazing already, but with the subwoofer on, it really changes the track, giving more assertiveness in the bass and bringing Peter’s vocals out more in the recording. The guitars are also more present.

Which Is the Right Subwoofer for Me? There Are So Many!

The great thing is REL has an amazing tool on their website to help calculate which subwoofer is right for you by determining what speakers you have in your system and matching the correct subwoofer to you (Click Here to have a go yourself). In my case, the REL T7x is what was suggested and it is the right fit for me. I can happily say that there will be a REL T7x residing in my system very soon—watch this space.

If you’re interested in putting a subwoofer in your system or just want to hear for yourself what it adds to the mix, we can demonstrate different subwoofer options both at home and in-store. Let us show how much of a big change a subwoofer can make and pop in and see us and have a listen.

Thank you for taking the time to read my blog.

Matt - Audio T Cardiff

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…

Dynavector - The sound of Japanese precision.

/ Audio T Cardiff/

On my own personal journey through Hi-Fi and various changes to my system, one of the biggest advancements I’ve made was making the jump from a moving magnet (MM) cartridge to moving coil (MC) cartridge. A good moving coil cartridge can be quite expensive and as we say, the source is the most important part of the Hi-Fi system…

Going back just over a year ago, not long after I started working for Audio T, I had the opportunity to listen to a Rega planar 8 turntable with a Dynavector 10X5 Mk II high output MC cartridge. The system we had with this turntable at the time was the Trichord Dino+ phono stage going into the very new at the time Leema Acoustics Elements amplifier driving a pair of Spendor D7.2 floor standing speakers. I remember clearly the record and track I listened to. It was Iron Maiden - Lost in a Lost World from their album Senjutsu, it gave me goosebumps! The system on the whole is phenomenal but the source of the system, the turntable and cartridge is what pulled me in and made me sit down and listen. That listening experience has stayed with me; the clarity, accuracy and detail from the Rega and Dynavector combination certainly made the right impression. I have listened to many other brands of cartridge since then and I’ve found that Dynavector especially the 10X5 is the right cartridge for me. As a result, I now own a Dynavector 10X5 MK II, proudly fitted to my Rega planar 6 turntable. In fact, both my colleagues (Nick and Kerrin), have 10X5’s on their turntables. You could say that Dynavector has become a strong favourite among cartridge brands here in the Cardiff store. So, I thought it was high time I wrote about Dynavector and explored their other models and the brands history…

Dynavector’s Rich History

The company was started by Dr Noboru Tomonari in 1974, after retiring from a career as a professor in mechanical engineering at the Tokyo Metropolitan University. Noboru always had a passion for music and creating the best sound possible, so he decided to bring his mechanical expertise to the world of Hi-Fi and thus Dynavector was born.

Starting with his first commercially available cartridge, the XE1S, which was a design way ahead of its time. It comprised 8 alnico magnet in a V formation housed in an aluminium body. This was a replacement for his original prototype D13 cartridge, which we now know as the D17DX karat. Something that I believe sounds truly amazing.

Dr Tominari’s cartridges are not just about the diamond or the cantilever, it’s also about how the cartridge is wound and the types of magnets used.

the current dv507mkii

Dr Tominari also designed a groundbreaking tonearm, the DV 507, which first appeared in 1984. The DV 507 is a bi-axis inertia-controlled tonearm so no matter what type of cartridge you fit it can trace the music signal grooves cut in the recording with extreme accuracy. The DV 507 also provides superb trackability even on warped recordings. The resolution and musical detailing are quite remarkable. He didn't stop there. He even worked with William Firebaugh of Well-Tempered Labs to come up with the DV500 turntable which featured the DV 507 arm, but sadly this turntable has been lost in time as it is no longer in production.

Dynavector also manufactures amplifiers such as the HX100 power amplifier and fantastic phono stages such as the P75 which compliments the Dynavector cartridge range.

Dr Tominari sadly passed away in 2003 but his dedicated team at Dynavector Systems, led by his son, Taro, continue his work ensuring that the irreplaceable legacy and knowledge of its founder is carried on for years to come.

Dynavector Cartridges

Now let’s get back to the cartridges and take a look at the three main models we carry in stock and why we like them so much…

The 10X5 MKII

DV-10x5MKII

Starting with the 10X5 MK ll high output cartridge, this particular cartridge is Dynavectors starting point within their range. Since the release of the original MKI back in 1978 the 10X5 set the benchmark in the Hi-Fi industry. Now, with the MKII getting the stylus upgrade from an elliptical to a diamond shibata lll giving us greater detail and a more open sound. Being a high output moving coil cartridge you can pair this with a moving magnet phono stage. I personally use the Nytech CDP 122 phono stage set to moving magnet. Soundwise, this one I personally class as a great rock ’n’ roll cartridge. Going from my music taste the 10X5 MKll is lively with detail and control, even tracks that are a little heavy on the bass have more definition and control. This one is a shop favourite, as mentioned previously myself, Kerrin and Nick own a 10X5, I feel that speaks volumes. Just recently Dynavector have released a low output version of the 10X5 MKll.

The 20X2L

Now onto another great cartridge we carry in stock the Dynavector 20X2L low output cartridge. To say this cartridge is more refined than the 10X5 MKll is definitely true. Before I talk your ears off about how good this cartridge is let’s talk a little about the spec. DV20X2 has a solid aluminium body and rigid magnet construction giving this cartridge a really clean look as well as its strength. The cantilever is a 6mm length of hard aluminium pipe. The stylus tip itself is a micro ridge diamond enabling the cartridge to track with less surface noise and following the groove on the record with perfect precision, giving a more open and transparent sound changing the listening experience. I can definitely hear why this cartridge is a good upgrade from the 10X5 MKll, I can hear a dramatic change in how the 20X performs, presenting cleaner lead guitar tones and more pronounced detail in other instruments like a Fender Rhodes piano. These elements becomes more engaging and less muddy in tone. In short the Dynavector 20X2L is a great fun sounding cartridge with a-lot of detail and character. The Dynavector 20X2L is also available as a high output cartridge.

The Te Kaitora RUA.

On looks alone this cartridge looks stunning on the end of many tonearms. Some would agree the Te Kaitora is a work of art not just in looks but sound performance too. The Te Kaitora was the result of collaboration between Dynavector japan and Dynavector New Zealand with both house’s bringing their most innovative ideas to the table. The Kaitora has a highly polished titanium headpiece made for maximum rigidity and not just for good looks. This cartridge has been wound with special grade copper wire utilising the use of alnico magnets giving the Kaitora a smoother presentation. With its boron cantilever and pathfinder contact stylus this cartridge certainly is the perfect build for the perfect sound.

DV Te kaitora mounted on the Linn krane

To the Maoris of New Zealand, “Te Kaitora” means “The Discoverer”. Dynavector want us to embark on a voyage of discovery to the outer limits of listening to vinyl. Discover we certainly have done! The Kaitora sounds big and open with greater detail than any other cartridge I have heard at this level. Bass is more controlled and more pleasing to the ear even some of my heavier taste in music sounds more exciting, yet still incredibly controlled. On the treble side of things this cartridge presents a smoother and more tuneful presentation. We have compared the Kaitora with more expensive cartridges and in our humble opinion the Kaitora certainly holds its own. Yes, the Kaitora is a big jump from the before mentioned 20X, this cartridge is a work of art from the ground up and that promise of being taken on a voyage of sound is 100% true.

dv d17dx

As we know Dynavector make many other cartridges in their range such a the before mentioned D17 Karat and the equally stunning XV-1T. For now, I am just scratching the surface and can’t wait to listen to more of the Dynavector range as I am certainly now a big fan of their sound and how my 10X has transformed the sound of my turntable. The only bad thing is I’d love to one day own a Te Kaitora, maybe some time in the future.

Why not pop in and see us to have a listen and tell us what you think. 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.

Thank you for reading

Matt, Nick and Kerrin - Audio T Cardiff

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…

Advancing The Sounds Of The Compact Disc With Advance Paris

/ Audio T Cardiff/

Matt from our Cardiff store takes a deep dive into one of our newest and most exciting brands, Advance Paris and of their components particularly the X-D500 CD transport. So let’s test drive this phenomenal piece of kit and see where we end up…

advance paris xd500 cd transport

I find myself once again on the wonderful wild ride through the world of Hi-Fi. As previously mentioned, for this month’s blog I am focusing on the compact disc side of things. The CD source in question this month is a wonderful CD transport made by the amazing French company, Advance Paris.

Advance Paris first came onto my radar in February of this year at the Bristol Hi-Fi show, where I was invited to visit their room and have a listen to the exciting new range of products they had to offer. It was a great opportunity to get to know the brand and I was (and still am) very impressed not just with their look & build of their product range, but also their sonic performance.

advnace paris embossed logo top panel xd500

Advance Paris History

As you will no doubt have read from blogs from our colleagues in our sibling stores - Advance Paris was born in 1995 by French Hi-Fi enthusiasts, pushing the boundaries of high-fidelity audio and music reproduction at its finest. Bringing audiophile quality equipment such as amplification, CD players and speakers to our ears at reasonable prices.

Moving forward to 2004 Advance Paris developed their first integrated amplifier which laid the foundations for the innovations we see in their range today, such as the beautiful yet functional features including preamp valves and VU meters. These features were later joined by streaming with products such as the WTX Stream Tubes network player and amplifiers like the Playstream A5. These products are just the tip of the iceberg in Advance Paris’s fantastic arsenal, and there is truly something for everyone. Whether you’re just starting out or you’re expanding your sonic horizons Advance has it.

The Tech Bit

The XD 500 has a linear power supply with 2 toroidal transformers for perfect separation of the different power supplies, for the operation of this product such as mechanical management, and processing of the signal from the laser etc.

This CD transport also has an over sampling function (up scaling) from (16bit/44.1kHz) to a signal bit rate of (24bit/96KHZ or 24bit/192kHz).

The XD-500 also benefits from a chassis with significant rigidity thanks to its mechanical design. Each circuit is separated from the others by compartmentalised construction, ensuring effective shielding. Equipped with Coaxial (RCA), Optical (Toslink) and AES / EBU (XLR) digital outputs.

Advance paris xd500 cdtransport rear panel

Let The Listening Commence

advance paris remot control

I have said many times before one of the great things about working for Audio T is the ability to bring the latest and greatest kit home to get to know how each piece of equipment performs. As we say to our customers, there’s nothing quite like listening in the comfort of your own room. As I write this, I am in my music room with the wonderful Advance Paris CD transport plugged into my system, sat on my sofa with a cup of coffee listening to a selection of CDs as the evening rolls on.

Thos of you that have got to know me from my previous blogs or have met me in store will know that vinyl & turntables are my first love. The CD format does come a very close second and I have collected rather a lot of CDs over the years, possibly in the high hundreds in all honesty, I’ve lost count. It is safe to say that the CD player, or in this case the CD transport, is just as important in delivering quality sound as the turntable. You may be thinking why bring the Advance Paris XD 500 home and plug it into a Cyrus amp. My reasoning for this was that the XD 500 sounds phenomenal through Advance Paris’s own amplification using the internal DAC and I feel it is just as important to test the flexibility of a CD transport as many of us out there mix and match brands in our Hi-Fi systems.

How Does It Sound?

First impressions, as with all the Advance Paris equipment I’ve had the pleasure to come across, is that the build quality is superb and the aesthetic styling is clean and modern. With looks that would grace anyone’s home system.

(Although, I must say that it looks especially impressive if you pair it with the A10 integrated amplifier as they really complement each other.)

Aside from looks, let talk about performance...

With my amplifier all warmed-up from the get-go the XD 500 CD transport really adds something a little different to what I am used to.

This CD transport seems to add a certain warmth you’d expect from an analogue source whilst maintaining a sense of digital magic. It works perfectly with instruments such as the iconic Fender Telecaster tone of Bruce Springsteen, especially on Racing in the Streets, where it sounds more alive than ever before. Stephen Perkins’ drums on the Jane’s Addiction track, The Great Escape, seemed to be cleaner whilst retaining the solid groove he plays throughout the track.

I feel that the XD 500 really captures what we want from the music, and more. The fact that it performs as well as it does at this price bracket is a testament to one of Advance Paris’ main goals “…the aim is to deliver uncompromising sound quality at affordable prices”.

Demonstration Tracks

1: Bruce Springsteen - The Promise

Track: Racing in the streets

2: Jane’s Addiction - The Great Escape

Track: Irresistible force met the immovable object

3: Artist: Incubus - Morning view

Track: Just A Phase

Demo albums used

Conclusion

In short, Advance Paris really has set out to impress with their innovative designs, whilst tipping the proverbial hat to vintage technology such as valves and VU meters. But above all else, the sonic performance of the entire range conducts itself well above its price point.

So why not give us a call and book yourself in for a demonstration and tell us what you think.

Thank you for taking the time to read our blog!

Matt - Audio T Cardiff

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…

Isolation Is The Word - A look at IsoAcoustic and fine-tuning your Hi-Fi system

/ Audio T Cardiff/

Matt from Audio T Cardiff takes a deeper look into the story behind one of our favourite brands, IsoAcoustics, and how we can better isolate the components in our Hi-Fi systems.

As promised, I’m following on from last month's blog and talking about IsoAcoustics; what makes them tick, how they got into the audio business and the evolution of their purpose and design process. But, more importantly, how IsoAcoustics can help fine-tune your Hi-Fi components from turntable, amplification, right down to your speakers.

So come with me now, and let’s take this journey and see where we end up…

Last month I invited you to join me as I continued on my personal journey through Hi-Fi and talked about the importance of dedicated furniture and the difference it makes to how our components sound. But I’m not stopping things there… Although people don’t realise it, there’s more to isolation than meets the eye (or ears), and this is where IsoAcoustics comes into the equation.

Like many Audio T customers, I own a few IsoAcoustics products which I use in my personal system. At the time of writing this, I have Orea Graphite isolation pucks under my turntable and speakers. Before I talk about the difference it has made in my system’s sound, let's talk a little about where IsoAcoustics as a company....

So where did it all begin?

Like a lot of great audio innovations out there, IsoAcoustics was born in the recording studio. This is where the now company president and co-founder of IsoAcoustics, Dave Morrison, and co-designer and inventor, Robert G. Dickie, both from Ontario, Canada, started.

Dave and Robert's ideas took shape whilst working with television and sound studios such as CBC (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation) back in 2010, using their patented speaker stands to help isolate and control the speaker system within the studio. But isolation work with CBC studios wasn’t only limited to speaker stands. Dave also worked on the structural side of the very building they worked in, using isolation treatment under the suspended floors, helping to create the perfect studio recording environment.

Dave’s passion for sound and attempting to recreate perfect audio has helped many studios around the world. All their hard work and design resulted in the birth of IsoAcoustics in 2012. The rest, as they say, is history…

“How do IsoAcoustic products work?” I hear you ask!

First, imagine a perfectly still pond. Now imagine throwing a stone into said pond. When the stone hits the water, you can clearly see the ripples expanding across the water’s surface.

What does isolation have in common with ripples in a pond, I hear you ask? Well, this is how sound waves work. They radiate in all directions away from the source, the only significant difference is that we can’t see them.

The issue with isolation when it comes to Studio, Hi-Fi or Home Cinema equipment is that we’re not just dealing speakers, sound waves and standing waves (the bouncing of sound waves between fixed points). We also have to deal with vibrations created by the physical components.

All of these waves and vibrations are moving the air around us, which affects our listening space and, more importantly, our listening experience and thus the enjoyment of music.

There’s a lot of physics involved in all of this. For example, when a loudspeaker cone moves forward pushing air, the opposing force wants the enclosure to move backward. In an ideal world, the cabinet would not move or vibrate at all. But that is only achieved with an enclosure of infinite mass, which is a physical impossibility.

But that problem isn’t limited to just the cone and cabinet. A loudspeaker will sit on something, whether that be the floor, a desktop or speaker stand, each surface will have the same problem opposing forces and vibrations. The unwanted resonant frequencies and vibrations from the speaker work their way through the surface they sit on. Obviously most floorstanding speakers will use spikes to attempt to quell these effects by dramatically reducing the touching surface areas… But that’s not enough.

So, I guess that leads us on to question of “How does an IsoAcoustics product help to counteract these problems?”

ISOACOUSTIC PATENTED DESIGNS

A great example of one of IsoAcoustic’s products and how it controls this very problem is the Aperta speaker stands. Dave Morrison and Robert G. Dickie effectively developed a floating speaker stand that has two specially designed upper and lower platforms that manage how sound reflects within the two structures.

Internally, rubber bushings are used in the top and bottom plates, which the connecting rods push into. These bushings enable front-to-back movement of the connecting rods while minimizing side-to-side motion, effectively creating a floating speaker stand with each connecting rod decoupled from any outer casing.

A very similar design principle is used in other products in the range, such as the Gaia isolation feet and the Orea pucks.

Time to weigh-in

For those not in the know, rubber is measured by tensile strength, the composition, and the thickness of the material used. So, each of the varying models of Gaia feet and Orea pucks have different weight-load options, meaning you can get the right isolation for your specific product - from small desktop speakers, to the biggest floorstanding monoliths or to massive monoblock power amplifiers.

The great thing is IsoAcoustics has simplified the way to find the right products for your equipment using their product selection wizard, which you can find on our site here. Trust me, it’s such a valuable tool!

So, to answer the question, “What Do these products do to help with unwanted vibrations in equipment?” The answer is that they effectively help to remove most of these unwanted vibrations, reducing noise and providing us with the best listening experience possible. Take, for instance, my personal setup. As you may know, I’m quite limited with space and trying to control frequencies such as bass and also things like acoustic feedback became somewhat of a problem in my room.

So how did I fix these issues in the room and fine tune my system.

If you read last month’s blog you will know I bought a Solidsteel rack to compliment my system., but I didn't stop there. I had to think about how to control vibrations toward my turntable, causing the feedback issue I was experiencing.

I have used the Orea Graphite pucks at three points under the turntable. The effect of using these has eliminated the feedback and tightened up the sound from my turntable source. I have also used the Oreos on my speaker stands as my Dynaudios have to sit pretty close to the wall. Using the pucks have on the speakers gives more control on the bass frequencies and opens up the mids, giving the speakers a more focused and detailed sound.

In conclusion

IsoAcoustics is quite an amazing company, and Dave and Robert have come up with some true engineering marvels, bringing near perfection to how equipment sounds in the studio and in our homes. My best advice is to try their products and listen to the differences they make to how your Hi-Fi system sounds. It's surprising in a good way, trust me.

Thank you for taking the time to read our blog!

Matt - Audio T Cardiff

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…

Rack 'em up! - Dispelling the myth around Hi-Fi Furniture

/ Audio T Cardiff/

A question we get asked a lot is “Does a Hi-Fi rack make any difference sonically?” Matt from our Cardiff store takes a deeper look in to how we set our Hi-Fi systems up at home and sets out to answer questions like “How does it improve the performance and presentation of the music?” as well as “Do we go for style over function? Or do we walk the line between the two?”

On my exciting journey through the wonderful world of Hi-Fi, there have been many changes to my own system of the past couple of years. One big change came this year after attending the Bristol Hi-Fi Show, where I had a rather in-depth chat with MIAN Audio Distribution who represent Solidsteel Hi-Fi furniture for the UK.

I had some issues with my current set-up with unwanted acoustic feedback and vibration problems when listening to music at home (teamed with a difficult placement situation). After a very informative conversation, I decided to finally take the plunge and I bought myself a new rack. Now my system proudly sits on a rather cool SolidSteel S3-3 in black. 

Matt’s Hi-Fi rack at home solidsteel s3-3

Since I made this big change in my Hi-Fi it has made the world of difference to how the music sounds. How much difference does Hi-Fi furniture make? How does isolating components help with things such as noise floor?

Studio Time

As I’ve mentioned in other blogs; in my late teens I used to quite often help my dad in the TV studio he worked in. I was tasked with such things as carrying cables and making coffee, especially when working on outside broadcast.

I remember one day asking my dad why the equipment was mounted in rack cases. He essentially told me that it makes it easier to strip down the rig if there is a problem, but more importantly it keeps everything isolated. This is especially important when you’re recording quite instruments or speech as the least amount of component noise is required.

Fast forward to present day and working at Audio T, I feel Hi-Fi racks play a important role as a rack case would in the studio, isolating our equipment and giving easy access to individual components.

The big question?

All this talk about how we house our systems brings to light the big question I hear you asking out there, are Hi-Fi racks and Hi-Fi furniture worth it? How much difference does it make to the sound of my system? and also just as important, how does a Hi-Fi rack perform this magic act of changing the way our system sounds?

Let’s talk technical

Talking technical, I promise I won’t go on too much but I will give you a bit of information to think about. Most of our audio equipment generates unwanted vibrations and standing waves which are barely audible but can disturb the components in our Hi-Fi systems, such as our turntables and other sensitive electronic components, compromising sound quality. It manifests in the form of noise and gives your audio an unnatural harshness or even distortion. These unwanted vibrations can come from the transformers in our components for example, even movement from our speakers or other appliances in our homes is also a factor.

All of this makes a dedicated rack an essential part of any good audio system making our listening experience more enjoyable (sorry to sound a little vain but a rack really makes your system look the business too).

It’s all material

All of the Hi-Fi furniture manufacturers we deal with at Audio T have a well established background in engineering and design. Companies such as Solidsteel, Quadraspire and Atacama to name but a few. Before we talk about these three amazing companies, let’s look into the materials they use and why.

Many companies such as Atacama and Quadraspire use more natural materials for their damping characteristics, bamboo being one example. Suitable hardwoods such as solid oak are favoured by others. Hardwood ply has excellent acoustic properties since it consists of multiple layers of wood which have different resonances. Another alternative being MDF, which companies like Solidsteel use to make their shelves due to its more consistent density from a lack of wood grain.

There are other things at play in how a rack is built, leg design and materials such as aluminium alloy being particularly dead and easy to machine. For example, Atacama put their legs on spikes between shelves to further decrease contact between components and reduce the amount of unwanted vibration.

Let’s talk a little history

Let’s start with my personal favourite, Solidsteel. Their story is deeply rooted in passion and craftsmanship with Moreno Conti, a music enthusiast, laying the foundation for the brand in the early 1990s. His commitment to excellence has led to Solidsteel being one of the most recognised hi-fi furniture brands available in the UK.

SolidSteel S5-3 Rack

The name ‘Solidsteel’ traces its origins back to the 70s and 80s with a young man from Pescara, driven by a love for music and motors. An interesting side note is his love of motors can be seen in their speaker stands which, believe it or not, are welded by the same gentleman that welds Ducati’s motorcycle exhausts. He has experimented with cutting-edge metalworking techniques over the years which led to the creation of their first metal furniture.

Moving onto Quadraspire

The company was started by Dutch designer Eddie Spruit back in 1995 in an east London Studio, but now based in Bath. Going back over twenty years ago he set out to deliver near perfect Hi-Fi performance and something that looks the part as well. After a lot of research and experimentation, Eddie came up with his preferred materials. Bamboo for the shelves and solid machined aluminium for the legs. Using a curved design on the shelves as well as cutting cross sections out from the underside of the shelves. This fine tuning removes any unwanted resonances, almost like a spruce top on Martin acoustic guitar, they use what is know as ‘X‘ bracing to tune the wood. All of these design aspects help with the overall performance of Quadraspire racks.

And last but certainly not least

Atacama Audio, formerly know as “Sambell Engineering Ltd”, goes right back to 1969. Specialising in aerospace engineering while working beside prestigious companies such as Rolls Royce aircraft division.

Moving forward to 1987, Atacama became involved in the Hi-Fi industry. Drawing from their past experience with aluminium, they had the perfect means to design legs and feet for a Hi-Fi rack. Next, they had to come up with the perfect materials for shelving. They started with tempered glass shelves which worked really well but were still prone to vibration, they then went onto using what they felt was the perfect materials, oak and bamboo. They also incorporated a curved design to the shelves as well as using spiked isolation between them to develop their signature characteristics.

Do all Hi-Fi racks cost a small fortune?

The resounding answer is ‘no’, the great thing is Solidsteel and Atacama both have racks in their ranges that are cost effective and look great, such as the Solidsteel S2 series and the Apollo storm range from Atacama. Both are fantastic options, but I personally decided to up the performance and went for the S3 rack. That being said, the S3 is still very reasonably priced and above all great performing.

Standing up for ourselves, with speakers that is!

All three of the aforementioned companies also make speaker stands using the same design aspects, taking unwanted resonances out of the stand and increasing the performance and focus of our speakers.

For instance, I own a pair of Atacama Nexus 600 speaker stands for my Dynaudio Evoke speakers (pictured to the right). Although they are the basic range from Atacama, they do have some amazing and functional design cues. For instance, their tubular steel legs can be filled with sand or Atacama’s own Atabites to dampen any resonance they might still have.

I can’t mention speaker stands without talking about a true favourite of mine (a very near future purchase for me 😉) - The Solidsteel SS-6. As well as looking great they also isolate the speakers really well. The top plate is made from MDF, bolted into the frame as well as resting on three bearing points, again reducing any movement from vibrations.

Other ways to isolate the components in your system…

IsoAcoustics, a brand born from the recording studio and the brainchild of Canadian Dave Morrison who started the company in 2012. He was closely involved in the design of music and television studios.

I personally have some of their Graphite range pucks under my turntable and speakers, believe you me they do make a big difference, I highly recommend giving them a try! However the graphite range is the tip of the iceberg for these guys. I will be taking a bigger dive into IsoAcoustics in another blog in the very near future, so watch this space!

IsoAcoustics Orea Graphite

In conclusion

Going back to that original question, “Is Hi-Fi furniture worth it or is it just smoke and mirrors?”…

Smoke and mirrors? Definitely not! They serve a very real purpose that is audibly noticeable when implemented, especially when moving from generic furniture from the likes of IKEA that is popular with many people.

As well as proving to make a sonic difference to your system’s performance, dedicated Hi-Fi furniture showcases your set-up in the best way possible and gives it the stage it deserves.

But don’t just take my word for it pop into our store and try out the Solidsteel, Quadraspire or Atacama series racks for yourself.

Thank you for taking the time to read our blog!

Matt - Audio T Cardiff

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…

“Spin The Black Circle” - The Vinyl Revolution

/ Audio T Cardiff/

Matt from Audio T Cardiff takes a deeper dive into his passion for vinyl records and why there has been such a resurgence in the format and its effects on both the turntables and Hi-Fi industries in general.

With yet another great Bristol Hi-Fi show done and dusted, it’s a great time to reflect on the year’s activities as well as our own setups and systems. And I must say, Wow! What a show it was. With it being my second year working at the show I had a better idea of what to expect, and was mentally prepared for the sheer scale, and it was great to see and meet many of you there again. Some of us took the opportunity to grow our record collections with the numerous vendors at the show, others used the show as the perfect excuse to plan upgrades, and some younger attendees even taking the leap and buying their first ever turntables, with numerous customers starting their journey with the award winning Rega Planar 1. I know I came home from the Bristol Hi-Fi show with another three records and a continued desire for the Rega Naia, which is on many people’s wish lists.

All of this talk of turntables has no doubt got us buying yet more vinyl. Oh the addiction continues!

When we talk about the resurgence in vinyl collecting, I see this as a great thing, encouraging younger generations to get immersed in music and not just listening to it streamed (which is still a great way to listen to music and discover new bands) but to enjoy an album from start to finish. It is incredibly enjoyable.

In my opinion there’s nothing like walking into a record shop and discovering that album, getting it home, opening up the gate fold, putting the record on and looking at the album artwork as we listen to the music. In my eyes, it’s the perfect way to listen to music and I feel that it’s a great thing that record companies are reissuing old albums, giving new younger generations the chance to listen to the classics as they should be, as well as listening to new artists of the day.

pearl jam vitalogy lp

You might be wondering about the title of this blog “Spin The Black Circle” which is a song by Pearl Jam on their ‘Vitalogy’ album. Eddie Vedder wrote this song about his love for vinyl. I highly recommend listening to this album.

Where The Magic of Vinyl Started

Let’s go back in time a little, not as far back as the gramophone but the age of popular music in the 50s. This was a time when our only access to new music was either listening to the radio or going to the local record store and listening to the new singles of the day. Music styles change over time and artists evolve but to me, the big changes started to really happen in the late 60s with the rise of the guitar heroes such as Clapton, Hendrix, Beck and Page, to name but a few.

As consumers, we bought their singles and then their albums as this was the way they were released at the time. Many of us still buy music this way, although sadly there’s very few listening cubicles in record shops these days, but in saying that, some of the small independent record shops out there will put a record on if you ask!

The Vinyl Time Machine

For me, records hold memories and emotions, new, old, good and bad. For instance, this takes me right back to when I was a lot younger, queuing outside Spillers Records in Cardiff when an album was released. I remember nagging my dad back in 1987 to take me to my local record shop to get Guns ‘n’ Roses ‘Appetite For Destruction’. Opening that gate fold and looking at the album artwork while listening to the record and thinking ‘this is a cornerstone in the sound of rock & metal’.

Moving on a little later, I remember queuing up for Metallica's ‘Black’ album in 1991… Yep I was once one of the long haired band T-shirt brigade. Not much has changed apart from getting older and my hair being a lot shorter now! It’s fair to say my listening habits haven't changed. The funny thing is, I will still wait in line for a record even now. It’s memories like these that tie us to the music that we enjoy.

All this talk of music brings up an important question. Why have Vinyl LP sales been increasing year on year for the last 16 years? The truth is, vinyl never went away, despite new technologies coming along such as CD players and then streaming. The turntable seems to be stronger than ever right now. Why? Is it a trend, a fad or a passing craze? The truth is that turntables and vinyl collecting has always been here and the wonderful, magical analogue way of listening to music has never completely ceased. When mainstream record labels opted for digital formats, independent labels, especially those specialising in Punk and Metal really leaned in to vinyl and pushed limited edition coloured variants to encourage sales.

The great thing is that as well as people rediscovering their love for their record collection; younger generations have discovered vinyl for the first time and started their journey into collecting. This discovery/re-discovery of the format has piqued a great interest in new turntables and good quality Hi-Fi to complement it. With customers looking beyond the basic turntables sold in the high street shops it’s no surprise really… Why play a £30 record on a £100 all-in-one player? We all know vinyl can sound so much better!

The Ultimate Vinyl Sound?

A big question asked in store is “can vinyl sound better?” The answer is a big resounding “YES” and the other question is, “Do I have to spend thousands to accomplish a great sounding turntable?” The answer is “No”, you don't have to spend thousands. A great example of a turntable to start with is the Rega Planar 1 Plus teamed with a Wiim streaming amplifier and a pair of Dali Spektor 1 speakers, a fantastic starter system. This system takes care of the vinyl as well as streaming, so you have the best of both worlds. The only thing is, there’s always a way to make things sound even better.

wiim streaming amplifier

One Giant Leap For Vinyl

The possibilities are endless with so many manufacturers out there, it can get very confusing. The great thing is that all of us at Audio T are here to help and guide you. Although my own system is very good I can still see ways of improving the performance, as we say “there’s always room for improvement”!

What do I look at first? We strongly believe source first. This brings the turntable back into the equation as this is the voice of the system. My advice will always be to listen to at least three options of turntable, for instance Rega Planar 2 to Rega Planar 3 or other brands such as Linn and Michell. The other part of your turntable to look at is the cartridge, from moving magnet to moving coil options we supply brands such as Audio Technica, Ortofon and Dynavector. As we know every cartridge has its own sound and is a very big part of the character of your turntable. The proof is in the listening and we can offer you the chance to hear what sounds right to you, as I always say there are no wrong answers.

Taking Care Of Business

One of the only annoying things about vinyl is noise, snap, crackle and pop and not in a good way. So how can we help with this annoyance? How do I look after my turntable? And just as important, how do I look after my vinyl? Fear not, there are multiple ways of looking after your new turntable and keeping your prized possessions such as your vinyl in good shape.

Let’s start with the tools of our trade.

  1. Record brush

  2. Stylus brush

The record brush: Static can be an LPs worst enemy and a good quality record brush can reduce static build up. We offer solutions such as one of our favourites the Audio Technica AT 6013A record brush which has two steps of carbon fibre bristles as well as a velvet pad which removes the dust particles from the record. While the LP is spinning on the turntable you gently hold the brush on the record and the dust will start to collect on the carbon fibre bristles, then proceed to pull the brush toward you off the edge of the LP. The carbon fibre bristles remain straight and can get deep into the vinyl groove. Also available is the Pro-Ject Brush-IT which does a job but our go to is the Audio Technica AT 6013A.

Vinyl & stylus cleaning tools

The next tool to have on hand is a stylus brush. The Pro-Ject Clean-IT is a fantastic little stylus brush for everyday use, again utilising very fine carbon fibre bristles for a safe and effective clean of the stylus tip. With the tone arm locked in the arm rest you offer the brush to the tip of the stylus and then gently clean the stylus by pulling the brush towards you. This brush gets rid of those little bits of fluff on the stylus and helps with the life of the LPs and the stylus itself. If the stylus is very dirty you may need to use a fluid or a gel to get rid of that ingrained dirt. The Audio Technica “Tacky Gel” AT617A is a simple yet effective way to clean the stylus tip, or for a deep clean the tool for the job is a stylus fluid. The Audio Technica AT607A stylus fluid should only be used when the stylus is particularly dirty and should be used sparingly.

Sill Not Sounding Right?

There are a few things you can check such as the tone arm set up. Tracking force, cartridge alignment and anti-skate set up. Wear on the stylus or even wear on the belt which can cause speed issues. If you don’t feel comfortable checking these things yourself fear not, we can help with this. I find there’s nothing more satisfying than getting a turntable playing and sounding like it should. Speaking of turntable setups, we can set up your new turntable for the first time when bought from us, also if you buy a cartridge from us we set up your tonearm and check the health of your turntable free of charge.

Cleaning Vinyl

There are multiple ways we can clean our vinyl collection and no it doesn't involve the dishwasher. On the odd occasion you might find a second hand bargain in a charity shop but the trouble with that is a lot of the time the vinyl isn't in the best shape giving you those unwanted crackles and pops and possibly extra stylus ware. There some great products on the market to clean your vinyl and get it sounding right.

The first method we recommend is record cleaning spray which works really well for manual cleaning. The cleaning method with the Tonar spray is really simple yet effective. A couple of light sprays on the vinyl then using the Tonar micro fibre cloth wipe around the record then wipe with a dry microfiber cloth.

The second manual way we recommend for cleaning your vinyl is a little more fun in the process the Project Spin clean Mk2 which comes with cleaning fluids and drying cloths. This cleaner is really simple but effective.

The third way we recommend cleaning your vinyl is even more in depth than the manual way of cleaning back to the Project brand once again with VC-E2 and VC-S3 cleaners both cleaners work their vacuum system to draw the cleaning fluid and dirt away from your vinyl into the machines inboard tank leaving your vinyl clean and ready to play.

degritter mkii

The fourth way we recommend is more intensive again and is now currently our favourite way to clean vinyl, the Degritter Mk2 ultrasonic vinyl cleaner. This vinyl cleaner goes even deeper again when it comes to how it gets into the groove of the record with its ultrasonic cleaning process. You can alter the cleaning time depending on how dirty your vinyl is. It also dries the vinyl for you and it’s relatively quiet. Although this is one of the most expensive vinyl cleaners that we sell, I feel it is definitely worth its price tag if you have a large vinyl collection.

All of these cleaning methods above don’t just clean the vinyl they can also help with static build up on the vinyl. The other thing we recommend to do after you have cleaned your vinyl is to use a new antistatic record sleeve, which again helps to keep your record in tip top shape.

Conclusion

Music is the thing that binds us all and brings us together because of the emotional bond we have with it. Listening to music still remains very personal, wether it’s vinyl, streaming or compact disc. Vinyl will always be the main listening format for me, that wonderful feeling I still get when I lower the tonearm and the stylus catches the groove, especially when it’s a new record I haven't heard before. If you would like to start your vinyl journey, or improve the system you have, why not pop in and see us and have a chat and a listen.

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.

Thanks for reading

Matt, Nick and Kerrin - Audio T Cardiff

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…

Turntable and Vinyl cleaning products can be found at all of our Audio T stores.

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Matty’s Gear Of The Year Round-Up of 2023

/ Audio T Cardiff/

Matt from Audio T Cardiff reflects on all 2023’s Hi-Fi events with the best and brightest products of the year and looking forward to what’s to come in 2024.

Christmas has once again been and gone, and my how fast 2023 flew by! It feels like a blink of the eye and almost the whole year has passed. Now that we’re in 2024 I have been reflecting back on last year’s events, such as my first time at the Bristol Hi-Fi Show, new dealerships and the latest greatest equipment that arrived at our store throughout the year.

Some of this new equipment that arrived has lead to me expanding my own Hi-Fi system (believe you me there will be more changes on the horizon, as we say, there’s always room for improvement). One of the most wonderful things about working in the Hi-Fi industry is discovery, finding that next piece of equipment that makes a change to how you listen to your Hi-Fi systems and, more importantly, sharing all of my discoveries and listening experiences with you all. So, let’s take this fantastic ride to discovery with me through 2023 and see where we end up.

The beginning is a wonderful place to start.

The Audio T sales team at the bristol hi-fi show 2023

This year started for me at one of the most momentous events in the Hi-Fi calendar, you guessed it the Bristol Hi-Fi Show 2023. As you may know this was the first show I have worked at, and it has left a great impression on me in a good way.

For those of you that have attended The Bristol Hi-Fi Show before, you’ll know it gives us the chance to check out and listen to the latest and greatest manufactures have to offer. You may have even read the blog I wrote about my first time at the show, talking about my experience. For those of you that haven’t read it yet, you can do so here.

I recall seeing and listening to a great many products such as the rather exciting Rega Naia turntable, Naim’s New Classic series, the Cyrus New Classic as well as a great many other brands, which I will talk about shortly, but for now let’s talk about the new arrivals…

Decisions decisions!

The first new arrival is the one that made a major change on the amplification side of things to my own Hi-Fi system. This led me to a major shootout between three major team players in the £2000 integrated amplifier bracket: the Rega Elicit Mk5, Audiolab 9000A and the Cyrus Classic Amp. You can read that blog here.

Each amplifier brought something very different to the table sonically, but the winner for me being the Cyrus Classic amp. Nonetheless, each amplifier brand as you know sounds very different, for very good reasons, as each manufacturer has their own idea of what sounds right. As I always say, there’s no wrong answers in our own individual Hi-Fi journeys, it’s all in the ears of the listener and what we feel sounds right to us. For me, the end result was Cyrus as I felt it was the true star of the show, but you may choose something different to me!

Speaking in volumes

dynaudio evoke range at audio t cardiff

dynaudio special forty in the stunning BLACK VINE HIGH GLOSS

Another big arrival for us at Cardiff this year was Dynaudio. This loudspeaker brand has been a favourite of mine for some time, in fact around this time last year I bought my stunning walnut Evoke 10. To me these speakers just keep sounding better and better.

But I digress. Although Audio T has been an official retailer of Dynaudio for some time, we hadn’t previously stocked them in this particular store before. As well as taking on the full Evoke range, we also took on the rather stunning Special Forty.

Dynaudio as a brand has never ceased to impress me. I remember them from my professional audio days. As many of you know, they are used in some of best recording studios around the world. To this day, the fact that you are getting a lot of the same materials and technology in their domestic loudspeakers is something that makes Dynaudio stand out from the crowd.

It’s all in the Naim

Naim classic event Bristol november

Naim 200 Series setup in our Cardiff shop

Going back to early in 2023, I caught wind of the new Naim Classic Series being released and was lucky enough to see the new designs and specifications of the full 200 series. Knowing the reputation Naim has for building great amplification had certainly peaked my interest and as a result I made a beeline for the Naim stand at the Bristol Hi-Fi Show.

I sadly didn't have much time to listen to it but I knew this system would sound phenomenal in our store and we soon got our hands on the NSC 222 streaming preamplifier, the all new NAP 250 power amplifier and the NPX 300 power supply. We set the system up in our demonstration room with one of our favourite pairs of floor standing speakers, the unmistakable Spendor D9.2. We all listened for a good few hours and were amazed how fantastic this system sounds. The Naim streaming platform sounds superb. The whole system sings quality, living up to Naim’s long standing reputation.

Moving forward to September of 2023 (as you may have seen in yet another blog of mine) I had a wonderful trip over to visit the amazing people at Naim to see the New Classic Series and I got to listen to the whole range, including the 300 Series which was otherworldly in its sound. If you get the chance to have a listen to both the 200 and 300 series, I highly recommend it! Put it this way, I'm still thinking of saving up for a new system myself.

A great welsh giant is in the building

Leema Acoustics tucana ii aniversary front panel

You may have already guessed it, but the Welsh giant in question is Leema Acoustics. With their new preamp and power amp combination, the all new Quantum Range which I talked about in my previous blog. It’s been a year since I first heard this combination and now they are finally here, trust me it was worth the wait! To think they are hand built at this price point is phenomenal.

Each time I plug them in they never disappoint. The control and specification of the Neutron preamp performs way above its price point, feeding the class AB monster of the Graviton power amplifier, which never seems to run out of steam, making me want to turn it up and listen more. This combination is unparalleled in my humble opinion, not just in build and performance but price as well. For me, the other big highlight from Leema Acoustics this year was meeting Mr Lee Taylor, the man who’s behind all of those great designs from Constellation through to the new Quantum.

The only way is Essex - Or should I say the only way is “Naia”?

Rega naia Zirconium toughened alumina (ceramic) central bearing

One of the biggest announcements of 2023 has to be Rega’s new high-end turntable, the Naia, one notch down from Rega’s legendary flagship model the Naiad.

Although visitors weren’t given the opportunity to listen to the prototype at the show, we were able to see the turntable on a bespoke mirrored plinth that allowed us to view all of its technical wonders. And boy, is it something rather special! Borrowing a lot of its technology from its big brother, this is a true masterpiece of engineering excellence.

Whilst at the show, our rep showed me the sub platter and bearing assembly, which has a Zirconia toughened alumina (ceramic) central bearing enabling the sub platter to spin effortlessly, a marvel of engineering.

rega naia lifestyle press shot

Fast forward to November and the UK sales manager of Rega, Rob Noble, brought us the Naia fitted with the Aphelion 2 moving coil cartridge to have a listen for ourselves. The demo system we put together for the Naia was a bit of a Rega family affair, with the Aura phono stage running into the Aethos integrated amplifier. On this occasion we used an old favourite on the loudspeaker front, the Spendor D7.2.

After the amp had a good amount of time to warm up, each of us took a turn to listen to this truly amazing turntable. Whilst enjoying the Naia I could soon hear what all the hype is about, it truly has that lively sound which Rega is known for but there are a lot of other things going on. For instance the noise floor on this turntable is next level. Don’t let this turntable’s looks fool you, whilst it does look like Planar 10 from a distance, they are very different from one another. The turntable sounds like the needle is glued to the grooves, giving the perfect stereo image. The more I listened to it, the more detail came through. All I can say is this turntable is highly addictive.

Summary

Reflecting on 2023 and the equipment I have seen and heard, it’s safe to say it was a great one! I feel the equipment I've talked about today is just the tip of the iceberg. As you know, there are many other great brands and products we’ve taken on including Lyngdorf with their groundbreaking room correction software.

Looking forward to 2024, the big question on our lips is what’s to come next at the Bristol Hi-Fi Show, and what great changes are afoot in the world of Hi-Fi.

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.

Thanks for reading

Matt, Nick and Kerrin - Audio T Cardiff

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…

Dynaudio can be found at the following Audio T stores

Rega, Naim and Chord Company can be found at the following Audio T stores

Cyrus can be found at the following Audio T stores

Audiolab can be found at the following Audio T stores

Spendor can be found at the following Audio T stores

Leema Acoustics can be found at the following Audio T stores

Lyngdorf can be found at the following Audio T stores

A Quantum Leap Through Sound - Leema Acoustic's New Quantum Series Amplification

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In this month’s article, Matt from Audio T Cardiff leaps into the fantastic new Quantum amplification pre and power system from Leema Acoustics and takes a deeper look (and listen) to see what makes it fantastic value for money and a big combination tick…

My journey with Leema started not long after I joined Audio T, almost two and half years ago (my how time flies when we’re having fun!)

I listened to what I consider to be one of the best integrated amplifiers I have ever heard in a Hi-Fi system and quickly became one of my favourite two channel amplifiers in existence the Tucana II Anniversary. Going back over a year ago I wrote about this wonder of an amplifier, and at that time I was writing about the Tucana I was introduced to the pre production Quantum range at a Leema event we had in our store. The system comprised of the Positron streamer, the Electron CD player and the two components I am focusing on today, the Neutron preamplifier and the Graviton power amplifier. I remember being completely mesmerised by the sound of this new combination we had for our Leema event, and thinking at the time I can’t wait to get my hands on this fantastic kit.

LEE Taylor at the Leema Event Cardiff August 2023

Fast forward to the summer of this year where we had a pre launch event with Leema Acoustics to showcase the new quantum range. At this time I got my chance to meet the man himself, Mr Lee Taylor, and talk about his pursuit in sonic perfection. As he said to me, “You get out of a system what you put in, and perfection is not worth rushing as we all know it’s better to take your time and get things right”.

Perfection is what I personally feel about the new Quantum range, but we’ll get to that in a sec…

From talking with Lee, I think about the advice my Dad gave me many, many years ago about music and how it should sound. Lee seems to be on the same wavelength. We want music to be played more honestly, you want to hear those finer details in music, both good and bad (sometimes imperfection is perfection) as well as a great sound stage. No matter what source is feeding into the preamp, as we know the source is important, but arguably the amplifier is the heart of the system, breathing life into the sound we hear through the speakers.

Exciting times are afoot…

After what seems like a long time we have received our eagerly awaited delivery of our first Neutron preamplifier and our Graviton power amplifier. I can defiantly say they are worth the wait.

Now I get to do one of my favourite things, which is to get the equipment home and put it to the test, as there’s nothing like your own surroundings to get to know new Hi-Fi components.

Quantum Range Neutron Preamplifier

neutron preamplifier rear panel

Before I talk about my setup and how it sounds, let’s look at a few tech specs on Leema’s great power combination. Starting of course with the Neutron preamp. The preamp benefits from both balance and unbalanced inputs as well as RCA and XLR outputs to connect the power amplifier. The Neutron also has a rather good switchable moving magnet moving coil phono stage which comes out of Leema’s essentials range. It also has a very capable Wolfson digital to analogue converter (DAC) onboard.

Quantum Range Graviton Power Amplifier

leema graviton power amp rear panel

Now onto the Graviton power amplifier. The Graviton offers 150 watts into 8 Ohms, doing the maths the lower the impedance of the the loudspeaker the more efficiently it will allow the signal to pass, and in this case more watts into 4 Ohm rated loudspeakers. This power amp is a true class AB design with its oversized toroidal transformer. It also benefits from both balanced and unbalanced inputs as well as two sets of speaker terminals, which means you can run two sets of speakers if you need to.

System Configuration

Before settling down for a listen to this fantastic amp combo I will give you a rundown of all the equipment used in my setup.

dynavector 10x5 cartridge

Extreme - SIX

Demo Music Used

Now let the listening commence…

Vinyl

clutch - earth rocker

  • Extreme - Other side of the rainbow

Album: Six

  • Clutch - Gone cold

Temple of the dog - temple of the dog

Album: Earth rocker

CDs

  • Temple of the dog - Hunger strike

Album : Temple of the dog


After a good long warm up of the pre and power combination, the fun begins. Starting with the vinyl side of things I’d say this is where this pre and power combination really shines for me. Each Track sounds big and open with a wide sound stage. Instruments such as the Extreme track with Nuno Bettencourt’s twelve string guitar really chimes, and when the rest of the band comes in it doesn't sound messy. There’s perfect separation between vocals and instruments. On the Clutch track there’s a-lot of reverb and space in the track and I could definitely hear and feel more emotion in Neil Fallon’s voice.

On the CD side of things using the Neutrons DAC this didn't disappoint. The Wolfson DAC has more of an analogue feel to it, clean yet has that layer of warmth to it. The Temple of the dog track Hunger strike when it really gets going half way through with Mike McCready’s big riff, you can hear him really pushing his amp and really sounded how a Fender Stratocaster through a Marshall stack should. In short Quantum really performed well. This pre and power combination definitely controlled my Dynaudio Evoke 10 speakers and they are not the easiest to drive.

Leema has their own sound right from the Constellation range like the Tucana, Pyxis and Hydra. Sonically the Quantum pre and power combination sounds closer to the Pyxis & Hydra pair than Leema’s previous ranges of amplifiers, supplied at a fantastic price point too. The Quantum has definitely made that dream of owning a pre and power set up less of a dream and more of a reality, without breaking the bank.

If this has piqued your interest, then why not pop in for a demonstration and let me know what you think of the new Quantum pre and power.

Thanks for reading

Matt, Nick and Kerrin - Audio T Cardiff

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…

Leema Acoustics can be found at the following Audio T stores

From Cardiff to Salisbury - A Road Trip To Naim HQ

/ Audio T Cardiff/

This month’s blog sees Matt from Audio T Cardiff take a road trip over to Salisbury to visit Naim’s base of operations, take a tour around their factory and meet with one of the leading British Hi-Fi companies…

Naim HQ

Start of factory tour

On my long and winding journey through the wonderful world of Hi-Fi there has always been one brand for me that stands out from the crowd and represents phenomenal build quality, stunning looks and outstanding performance. The brand in question? You guessed it… Naim.

Recently, I had the great honour and opportunity to take a road trip over to Naim’s main base of operations in Salisbury and take a tour around their truly mind blowing factory, all whilst accompanied by Naim’s brand ambassador, Mr Jason Gould.

Naim Audio 50th Anniversary

This year, myself and Naim both share a milestone birthday within months of each other, we were both born in 1973 so I can say it was a bit of a birthday treat for me to visit the wonderful people at Naim.

Speaking of 50th birthdays, Naim has released an amplifier marking this landmark anniversary, the Nait 50 which I am very much looking forward to listening to.

naim nait 50

Interesting sidenote, one of the most important and influential albums in progressive rock was released in 1973. I’ll give you a clue, it has a prism on the cover.

Naim History

Before I take you on a bit of a virtual tour, let’s take a trip back in Hi-Fi history, to where it all started at Naim and talk a bit about their founder, Julian Charles Prendergast Vereker MBE.

Julian was very much a man after my own heart. A music enthusiast and an engineer, not to mention he was also a racing driver (I just love to watch the sport mainly). Julian retired from motor racing in his early 20s. He then went on to work for well known automotive racing modification companies such as Janspeed. Julian, like myself, also had a great interest in cycling and had a hand in designing the folding bicycle with Brompton Cycles, which are still very much around today.

Being a self taught engineer, he was able to turn his hand to anything. Julian was dissatisfied with the performance of the amplifiers & speakers of the time. So, armed with his true entrepreneurial spirit he decided to follow his passion for music and attempt to recreate the perfect performance in our living rooms. This led him to found the Naim Audio visual company in 1969.

A few years later he came up with amplifiers such as the original chrome bumper Naim Nap 200 power amplifier which was brought to the world in 1973. Many years on, Naim as we know it has very much evolved since the late 60s, but walking around the factory I could feel that Julian’s influence and passion is still very much there, ever pushing the boundaries of Hi-Fi, bringing us closer to true perfection in sound.

The Factory Tour

As you’d expect, our tour started at the front entrance, then led into a stunning demonstration room where we met our guide, Jason Gould.

Jason walked us through the factory to where the 500 series and flagship Statement series are made (as they say, it’s better to start at the top.) Jason then proceeded to tell us all about the design and production processes and how Naim decouple components away from the chassis and outer casing to prevent noise…

naim statement pre amp rear panel de-coupled

Staement pre amp internal

The input and output section of the Naim Statement pre-amp is fitted within a faraday cage to help with interference. There is aerospace technology in the case, it’s more outer space technology involved here with how the input and output circuits are decoupled. The circuit boards are mounted in a frame with suspension inbuilt, something normally seen in satellites. Jason was telling me this is where the aerospace technology really comes in to it and other design aspects of Naim such as aircraft grade aluminium used in things like outer casing.

The Classic Range

As you can see from the photos below, there are various stations where each component is meticulously built, ready for the next phase. Every unit is tested rigorously. As we know, soak testing involves putting a system through its paces with a typical production load, over a continuous period. In this case, powering each component on and off. This process is done to make sure when we receive our fantastic new equipment, it is fault and worry free.

A really interesting part of the production process is that they have prebuilt examples of every amplifier, CD player etc with transparent outer casing on them to show each technician where each board wire and component is positioned and decoupled from the chassis and outer casing. Each amplifier and product gets the same love and attention to detail. For instance one of the examples I looked at was a Nait XS3 and it was really interesting to see how everything was positioned inside the chassis.

A Whole Lotta’ Shakin’

naim factory cable shaker

No Naim factory tour could be complete without checking out the infamous Naim cable shaker.

As Jason said, there’s no scientific explanation behind this process but when a cable is manufactured it is highly taut when it is pulled from the reel and put through its manufacturing process. The machine is built to shake all of that tension out of the interconnect cables. This helps with decoupling, as a taut cable can become microphonic. Jason explained that if you put a non shaken cable and a shaken cable side by side in a demonstration you would chose the shaken one every time. In fact, a shaken one will be nice and loose and easier to dress i.e. it won’t be unruly behind your Hi-Fi system and looks a lot tidier.

Walking around this facility definitely shows there is so much passion for every product in Naim’s range from the Nait 5Si right up to Statement Series. You are truly getting sonic and build perfection at all levels. From the design process right through to manufacturing, even down to how every item is shipped out.

New Classic 200 & 300 Series

focal grande utopia

Once we had seen how everything was made, Jason led us back to the demonstration room where we sat down for a listen, or you could say a sonic tour for the ears through Naims’ new classic series.

I am already very familiar with some of the New Classic series. The New Classic 200 series is on demonstration in our Cardiff shop.

Naim has always blown me away with their level of sound quality and detail. Jason proceeded to take us through 200 series from the NSC 222 streaming preamplifier & NAP250 through a pair of rather magnificent Focal Utopia Scala Evo floorstanding speakers. Sonically, as I have found previously with this system, it performed above and beyond my expectations. Great sound quality teamed with good separation in the music. Next the NPX 300 power supply was added to the preamplifier. This change brought the system to a whole new level! I would describe it as more open and energetic, the sound stage is transformed but I have a funny feeling what’s coming next will change all of this…

Earlier in the day, when we first met up in Naim’s bespoke demonstration room, the thing that caught my eye immediately was the New Classic 300 series. I thought to myself, “I’m in for something rather special today”.

This moment is what it’s all about for me. As I have said before, it’s about live sound with me, thinking back to when I was younger closing my eyes to picture where everyone is positioned on the stage. This rings true for what’s coming next…

We started with the NSS 333 streamer the NAC 332 preamplifier and of course the NAP 350 mono block pair. What can I say apart from “buckle up, the ride is about to begin”. Naim has always blown me away, and in the case of the 300 series, the have excelled themselves. A really big step up in power and performance. For instance you could hear the breath of the singer on the microphone and so much more detail on things like reverb and decay of piano notes. Next up, a NPX 300 was added to the streamer. This brought better separation in instrumentation and more of a natural sound in vocals, but I feel the best is yet to come.

Lastly, an NPX 300 was added to the preamp. This changed everything! If you have ever heard the term “the speakers have disappeared and got out of the way” this is the perfect example. At this point it really felt like there was a live band in the room (in a good way of course). Instruments such as bass guitars and electric pianos sounded more real and vocals again sounded as if you were in a sound studio, listening to the vocals isolated for the first time. To say I was impressed with the New Classic 300 Series performance is an understatement, it left me lost for words! I’m seriously thinking of saving up for this setup

Today wasn’t just about Naim’s fantastic equipment. We got to meet some of the wonderful staff, engineers and designers, such as Mr Steve Sells who as many will know is the man behind many products, most notably the Statement range. I also got to meet Ian, who looks after customer orders and is also a very good friend with one of my favourite classic rock frontmen, Mr Paul Di’anno. He was the original frontman for Iron Maiden before Bruce Dickinson.

Not Just 200 and 300

No matter where you are in Naim’s range of products, you are part of a sound that started back in 1973, but much improved as time has gone on with the likes of the Mu-So range, Uniti Series, to the Nait 5Si all the way up to the Statement, Naim has achieved near perfection on all levels but they are always improving on things all the time. I can certainly see Naim on the horizon for me in my own system maybe the all new NVC TT phono stage.

Although I spent a day with these wonderful people, I think if they hadn’t said it was time for us to go home I think I would have been there all night listening to there fantastic equipment.

Why not book yourself in for a demonstration at your local Audio T and listen for yourself.

I’d like to say a big thank you to the guys at Naim for putting up with me for the day, especially Jason Gould, Darren Woodyatt, Steve Sells and Tom Goodridge.

Thanks for reading

Matt, Nick and Kerrin - Audio T Cardiff

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 Naim NPX 300 - The Difference Is Not Discrete

/ Audio T Cardiff/

With the new Naim classic range settling in nicely and securing its place within the industry, I thought It’d be the perfect time to take a look at Naim’s optional NPX 300 Power Supply. With the simultaneous release of the NSC 222 and NAP 250 the NPX 300 could easily have been overlooked but its performance demands I take a deeper dive!

What’s in the box?

The NPX 300 consists of eight discrete regulator ‘DR’ modules in a linear power supply configuration, a classic Naim design staple. Although it is no longer labeled as DR the new classic range very much is, lorded as one of the best upgrades you could make to classic Naim kit - We’re glad it’s here to stay. Although the basic idea of the power supply may not have changed from past designs they have brought it into the present with system automation. The power supply will switch on in sync with the NSC 222 and even matches the logo brightness between units automatically.

In terms of setup the NPX 300 is very simple, plug the provided Burndy cables from the NSC 222 into the power supply and disconnect the original IEC power cable and away you go.

The Difference

In terms of sound quality, it’s simply astonishing. As you might imagine, the NSC 222 and the NAP 250 are no slouch but as soon as you wire up the NPX 300 it becomes an entirely different animal. The most noticeable change is a smoothing of the upper registers, a tightening of the bass and an improvement in the instrument spacing. You tend to find this effect in higher quality amplifiers, where the distortion levels drop. It allows and almost encourages you to play at louder volumes, as the normal problems at high levels disappear. It’s only when someone else enters the room to complain about the noise that you realise how loud it really is! It’s honestly a good sign that I’m enjoying a system.

I found during my listening that it improves every genre I could think of. I threw everything at it from Chopin’s Nocturnes to Aphex Twin and Polyphia. Because it improves so many aspects of the sound simultaneously nothing was left out of the improvement. I find the vast majority of our customers are real music lovers who will enjoy almost everything so this is a really important factor.

Test Setup

Naim NPX300

Naim NSC 222 Streamer / Preamp

Naim NAP 250 Power amplifer

Spendor D9.2 Speakers

Naim NAC A5 Speaker cable

Chord shawline XLR Interconnects

Solidsteel S5-4 rack

The Theory

So that we can really appreciate why these changes happen, I’ll go back to the design board. The ‘DR’ modules simply take a voltage from the transformer and ‘regulate’ it to a reliable and steady voltage. What makes it ‘discrete’ is that Naim have taken a standard tiny regulator and blown it out into its base components. This allows them to really control the specifications to their high standards. Typically those ‘tiny regulators’ would cost about 70p but the time and effort that Naim have gone through to redesign and perfect them costs far more. Normally you would try and remove as many unnecessary parts as possible to increase the profit margins. Thats certainly not what Naim do when they install a DR module into a design. They have prioritized the quality of sound!

Casting a glance back to an older XPS DR power supply it’s clear that Naim have updated the DR modules from previous designs. They now have individual regulators for both the positive and negative voltage rails where before they were a dual output. It’s a nice and elegant change that lets Naim have a more modular design, while also reducing crosstalk and noise on the power lines. These regulators are also individually fed via their own rectification diodes and filter caps to create a better level of isolation between each module. What this really boils down to is the refinement of a classic design and that it’s still the same Naim sound and character that we love, just more of it!

I was very skeptical when first trying out Naim power supplies. The first time I heard their 555 PS power supply being added to a NDX2 streamer it literally took seconds for me to realise I was completely wrong. However, there is a problem when I take the power supply out of the system. It’s like splitting a mother and child, they are genuinely meant to be together, the fine picture that the three units paint together, becomes less clear as a pair. It’s certainly very hard to go back…

Thanks for reading

Kerrin, Matt and Nick - Audio T Cardiff

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…

Naim can be found at the following Audio T stores

#naim #npx300 #nsc222 #nap250 #audio #music #burndy #discreteregulator #spendor #solidsteel #audio #hifi #naca5

Do Hi-Fi cables make a difference?

/ Audio T Cardiff/

This month, Matt from Audio T Cardiff takes a deeper look into speaker cables and interconnects, and how different qualities make a difference to the sound of our wonderful Hi-Fi systems, and the big question of price.

On my long personal journey through the wonderful world of Hi-Fi, building up my own Hi-Fi system, one of the things I’ve found intriguing throughout is cables. I’ve always felt it’s important to have good quality cable. Going back to my pro audio days, depending on which instrument cable I used this would show up in my sound. Especially using clean tones on my guitar amplifier, which is all valve so this would show up a bad cable, and in some cases it would feel like my guitar is being strangled, eg. overly compressed and not enjoyable to the ear, whereas a good instrument cable would fix this.

Some people say it’s very much smoke and mirrors with cable and they doubt if all the marketing information is true. I believe any good manufacturer will do their research, test their products and bring their ideas to the table, then offer a range of cables which they feel has certain sonic benefits to our Hi-Fi systems’ sound. There are lots of variations in the way cables are manufactured, high purity copper, solid core or multi stranded, silver plating, how the cable is shielded and the material used to cover the cable, the type of plugs; all these things can affect how a cable performs.

Every company has their own idea of what sounds right, but what’s most important in all of this is to use our own ears, we all have our own taste when it comes down to our system set up, as I keep saying there’s no wrong answers.

Before I dive into cable companies, let’s look at the different ways you can connect your system and types of plugs used and maybe a little history. One of the most common interconnect plugs used, the phono plug (which is short for Phonograph) is associated with the connection of turntable tone arms. The phono plug is also more commonly known as an RCA plug. As we know, RCA is an acronym of the Radio Corporation of America, which became their standard connection in the US.

The other connection used quite often in a balanced set up is the XLR plug/socket which stands for X Latching Resilient connector. The XLR plug was originally invented by the Cannon electrical company.

And finally, the banana plug, which as we know is used on our speaker cables. There are few types out there solid core like Chords Ohmic plugs, and one of the most common designs, the simple but very useful Z plug. The main focus of this article is on RCA interconnects and Banana plugs on speaker cables.

CHORD COMPANY

First up is Chord Company.

Chord has been a well known brand in the industry for a rather long time. The Chord cable company started way back in 1984, with a conversation over dinner with the guys from Naim. The founders of Chord went away and came back with their first prototype cable, the Chrysalis RCA. The rest, as they say, is history.

Chord co. factory terminated epic speaker cable with chord ohmic speaker plugs

Chord Company has been building groundbreaking and award winning cables ever since with some of our favourite product lines such as Clearway, Shawline and Epic.

So how do Chord cables perform?

Throughout Chord’s lineup they seem to have the same lineage in sound in a good way. From the C series, such as their C screen speaker cable and RCA interconnects, right through the rest of their ranges - Clearway, Shawline and especially Epic.

Personally, I have always found Chord Cables to be a great brand to rely on as they seem to get it right pretty much every time. The main cables in their lineup that particularly shine for me are Shawline and Epic. Both have great sonic benefits. The Shawline RCA interconnects with their Array technology and silver plated conductors, fitted with their Chor-Alloy plugs, are a constant for me in any set up and they seem to bring great detail, accuracy, and control over bass to the sound. Whether it’s a turntable setup, CD or streaming I feel these are a great choice.

chord co. shawline analogue rca to rca

On the EpicX lineup, the speaker cable is where it’s at for me, again Chord’s great combination of copper and silver plating and high-frequency shield translucent PVC jacket for an improved performance, combined with Chords Ohmic banana plugs makes this a truly great speaker cable. For me, the sonic performance of this speaker cable offers detail, well controlled bass, and I even feel it improves timing between instruments.

BLACK RHODIUM

Black Rhodium’s origins date all the way back to 1975, when Graham Nalty began in the hi-fi industry, selling loudspeakers that he would demonstrate in customers’ homes. Later he put his vast knowledge into designing and building groundbreaking audio cable.

The Introductory level is the gateway to their wide range of products, I believe these cables perform way above their price point. The RCA interconnects Copper core construction, good shielding and gold plated RCA plugs make a great interconnect. Sonically I regard these as a very honest sounding cable, while being clean and precise, they don't colour the sound.

black rhodium intro speaker cable

Their Intro speaker cables have twin copper conductors and a large Ferrite core. The cable is sheathed with an expandable braid which reduces mechanical vibrations within the cable. These cables come fitted with gold plated Z plugs.

How do Black Rhodium cables perform?

Again, I feel that these speaker cables perform way above their price point, they have been our go-to cable for lower to mid priced systems for some time now. They have a clean and precise, well balanced sound, and good overall control.

HOW MUCH SHOULD I SPEND ON CABLES?

This really depends on the type of Hi-Fi system you have. A smaller system like a Rega Brio amp, Rega turntable and a pair of Dali Oberon 1 speakers is perfectly happy with something like Black Rhodium Intro, whereas if you put the same cable on the Naim NSC 222 with NAP 250 combination, the system will not perform at its best. So a better cable from Chord or Naim would be in order. It’s all about finding the right cable for the job, but do aim for the best cable you can afford within your budget.

We strongly recommend trying out different cables, listening to the differences they make to your system. To assist you with this take advantage of our home loan scheme, and see what you think and what difference cables can make to your sound.

Thanks for reading

Matt, Nick and Kerrin - Audio T Cardiff

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…

Chord Company can be found at the following Audio T stores

Black Rhodium can be found at the following Audio T stores

"£2K Tone Monsters" - The search for a new Hi-Fi Amplifier

/ Audio T Cardiff/

Thank you for once again joining me on my long sonic journey through the world of Hi-Fi and once again I am looking to make a change to my own Hi-Fi system. This time I’ll be looking to change my amplifier…

One of the most wonderful advantages of me working for Audio T is being able to search for that perfect sound in my own system and in-turn help others on there on their respective high-fidelity journey.

Within the Hi-Fi industry we often say that the source is the most important part of the system. As we know, this is where the music starts. But I, like many others, feel equally passionate about the important role the amplification plays. I always refer to the amplifier as the heart of the system. Every different amp brand bringing a different character to the sound coming from the speakers. Amplifier brands can be categorised in three or more ways like sounding forward, laid back or even neutral; some amplifiers out there defy all of these characteristics. You could say it’s searching for the holy grail, the thing we all hope to find in our HI-Fi systems - that tone, that perfect stereo image and the system synergy between source, amplifier and speakers. You may have heard me say this before, but I want a record to sound like a live band in my living room. To sit back and close my eyes and picture where all the band members are on stage putting a smile on my face or bringing a tear to my eye, truly engaging me in the music and the performance.

The Search Begins…

Like we all do, when we start looking for equipment we set ourselves a realistic budget. In this case I have set my sights at £2000, which as we know there are many worthy amplifiers out there that fit the bill at this price point. But, not only should the amplifier sound right to my ears, like many of us out there, we must also think think about how it’s going to affect our pockets and how to achieve near perfection within a price point. I have luckily narrowed the list down to three contenders which I will tell you all about very shortly but before I do, I’ll tell you about what led me to this dramatic change in my system.

the three contenders

My last change to my system was my loudspeakers. I went down the Danish route with Dynaudio and now proudly own a brilliant pair of Evoke 10’s in stunning walnut. My current amp driving these speakers is a Rega Elex-R which is a fantastic bit of kit but there is a slight problem in that the the Evoke 10’s like a fair amount of drive from the amp to hear them at their best. The Evoke 10’s are a 6 Ohm speaker with 84db sensitivity which means turning the Elex-R up to a fairly high volumes. Now, as much as I enjoy my music at higher volumes, I don't feel my neighbour's would be too happy with that.

So, this brings me to the next big change in my system, the amplifier. So, as I was saying a little while back, what I am looking for in a new amp is as perfect a sound as possible, but I want great performance at lower volumes too.

The Contenders

So, after some deliberation, I was able to whittle down the selection to three contenders:

To help me along choosing an amplifier I have pretty much replicated my system at home…

The Setup

Who will win the race? Let’s dive in ears first and join me on this journey see where I end up!

The Shoot out

Starting with the Audiolab 9000A, this amplifier has been one of the most talked about and well reviewed amplifiers in its class since its release last year. Audiolab as we know has great lineage in Hi-Fi history, going right back to the early 80s with the original 8000 series. Many years down the line it’s now time to replace the 8000 series with the all new 9000 series. The 9000 follows in true Audiolab tradition being class AB design delivering 100 watts into 8 Ohms and 160 watt into 6 Ohms so this amplifier is no slouch. As well as having many analogue inputs it also caters very well in the digital department where I feel the amp really shines with Audiolab’s ESS 9038PRO flagship 32 bit digital to analogue convertor (DAC) chip on board. This makes the Audiolab 9000A amp something rather special, especially the many filter settings on the DAC like Audiolab’s M DAC+ it gives you plenty of scope to set the DAC to your own taste. Whether your source is CD or streaming this amp is certainly capable. Sound-wise the amp had great detail in its sound, well controlled with warmth of tone and full of character. I feel this amp is a bit of a swiss army knife of amps a great do it all machine for sure.

audiolab 9000a rear panel

The 9000A feels right at home with the Dynaudio’s with plenty of power to drive them especially listening to tracks like Led Zeppelin's - No quarter off the Houses of the Holy album. With John Paul Jones’s organ part at the start of the track I could hear fantastic definition with the chorus effect he uses leading perfectly into the rest of the track, drawing me in and enhancing my listening experience.

rega elicit mk5 speaker terminals

To me, the Rega Elicit MK5 is like putting on my favourite pair of Vans trainers. Being a proud owner of a Rega amplifier I feel this is very familiar amplifier and the Elicit certainly has that Rega amplification sound. It’s a true class AB monster of an amp borrowing it’s FET based preamplifier circuit from its big brother the Aethos. The Elicit MK5 also has a very capable DAC on board the tried and tested Wolfson 24 bit DAC giving fantastic warmth and easy going analogue feeling tones on the digital side. I do feel the Elicit MK5 party trick is analogue reproduction, when a turntable is connected this amplifier really comes alive. As I said, this amp has a very familiar sound which I am very comfortable with but certainly does have its surprises, such as its ability to drive some of the most demanding speakers out there including my Dynaudios. The Elicit MK5 will deliver 127 watts into 6 ohms which is plenty of power. This amp sounds great at low volumes as well as cranked up but it made me want to turn it up! It just gets better and becomes more alive and one with the music, especially when I put the new Extreme album “Six” on the track being their big single “Rise”. Nuno Bettencourt’s guitar tone was just soaring as well as every detail in the band. In short this amp seems to have it all, so far so good. I feel the Elicit is a superb analogue amp, that’s warm with a hint of vintage Hi-Fi tones as well as forward sounding, near perfect to my ears.

cyrus classic amp rear panel

The Cyrus Classic AMP is up next and thinking back two years ago when I first started working here at Audio T Cardiff the XR range from Cyrus was first released. I vividly remember being blown away by the sound of Cyrus. Shortly after Christmas that year I took home the Cyrus i7 XR and CDi XR and wrote a blog about them which you can read here. It’s safe to say that they certainly left an impression on me.

When we think about Cyrus as a company and how far they go back in the world of Hi-Fi, right back to 1984, they are a true heritage brand. Always striving to perfect the sound in our Hi-Fi systems, as well as delivering great value for money. Moving forward to late last year I had the opportunity to listen to the new Cyrus Classic AMP, and let’s just say, in my very humble opinion, Cyrus has definitely unleashed a game changing amplifier here. They’ve taken some of the tried and tested technology from the XR range and brought it to the newly revamped classic integrated amplifier. The Classic is a great example of an AB amplifier, packed with great simple features with more than enough power to drive the thirstiest speakers out there with 91 watts into 6 Ohms. This amplifier has tricks up its sleeve, such as DB level adjustment so you can match the input levels.

pink floyd - “division bell” lp playing on the REGa planar 6

This amplifier has a vastly improved lower noise floor, especially when using analogue inputs such as the turntable I'm using today. Other great features on the digital side of things are helped along by Cyrus’s 1st generation Q-XR DAC. Listening to this amplifier is an absolute joy, with a new level of detail in music I haven't heard before; drawing me even further in to the soundstage with the amplifier reproducing a warm yet clean and precise sound. This amplifier gives exactly what I've been looking for when I sit down and listen to a band and close my eyes. I can hear near perfect placement of musicians on the stage, perfect separation and timing, what we all hope for out of a Hi-Fi system. For instance, listening to Pink Floyd’s album “Division Bell” the track I used off the album was “Marooned”. The Delay effect David Gilmour uses on this track is a Tc Electronic 2290 rackmount delay. The detail from that effect is more noticeable on this Cyrus Classic amp and the decay from each note really lasts from Gilmour’s Fender Stratocaster. I know I must sound like a massive nerd listening out for such things in music, but this is one of the things about music I am so passionate about, discovering new things in songs I thought I knew inside out.

The Winner

You may have guessed it, the winner for me is the Cyrus Classic AMP as this amp seems to have everything I need from an integrated amp, simple yet with all the right features and I am now a proud owner of a Cyrus!

the cyrus classic amp is our winner

Even though I chose the Cyrus Classic AMP, the other two amplifiers brought fantastic things to the mix. For instance, the Audiolab 9000A is absolutely packed with great and useful features, not to mention it has one of the best looking front panels in the world of Hi-Fi. The Rega Elicit MK5 for me is still very much a great analogue monster of an amplifier. In short between all three have something for everyone in the £2000 amplifier range. It goes to show between all three brands they have certainly got bang for their buck!

I guess the big question for you all out there is, which amplifier would you choose? Let me know or why not pop in and see us and give them a listen and tell me which one would be the winner for you. Thank you for taking the time to read my blog.

Matt, Nick and Kerrin - Audio T Cardiff

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…

“Music is the Key to Everything” - How Music Makes A Difference In Our Lives

/ Audio T Cardiff/

In this months article, Matt from Audio T Cardiff takes a look at how we connect to music and how choosing the right Hi-Fi system can further ignite our passion for music and also expand our music collection…

Jimi hendrix Lp cover

Music in Evolution

If we really think about it, music has always been a driving force for us as a race. Regardless of our personal tastes, there is something for everyone. Casting our minds back roughly 40,000 years ago to early human civilisation, rudimentary handmade percussion instruments were being played around the fire, creating different rhythms, dancing and singing. People making their own musical entertainment, this was the start of it all.

Fast Forward around 38,200 years to the genius of Ludwig Van Beethoven with his era defining ‘5th Symphony’, jump again another 160-odd years to the late 1960s with yet another musical genius, Jimi Hendrix, which everybody will know for ‘Voodoo Child (Slight Return)’.

Moving forward again to the 1970s, we have the likes of Black Sabbath and their early track ‘Black Sabbath’ that believe it or not used to scare some members of the audience due to the rather ominous guitar tone of Mr Tony Iommi and Ozzy’s lyrical content (which never stopped me listening). Some would say this is where heavy metal started. Moving onto the 1980s, and one of my personal favourites, Van Halen. Mr Edward Van Halen turned music on its head yet again and changed how we think about playing the guitar and the evolution of heavy metal as we know it with tracks like ‘Jump’ and ‘Panama’.

Now, admittedly the aforementioned artists are particular favourites of my own musical tastes. It is important to remember that throughout these periods, there were countless artists pioneering different genres. Take for example Hip-Hop and acts like Public Enemy, who rose to fame with tracks like ‘Don’t believe the Hype’. And of course we can’t forget the Beastie Boys who believe it or not actually started as a punk band but became more well known for their Hip-Hop side with their breakthrough album ‘Licensed To ill’ and of course the track everybody knows, ‘Fight For Your Right’.

It’s safe to say that music is so deeply embedded in the human experience that we often take it for granted.

“Music is the key to everything”

Anyway, enough of me talking your ears off about music history as you all know there’s a hell of a lot more out there than the small number of artists I’ve just talked about. But what do all of these famous bands and acts have in common? They are all innovators in their different styles of music, and have all in some way influenced our lives and left their mark regardless of what music we’re into. Whether you’re into Classical, Hip-Hop or you’re an old rocker like me, we go out and buy their albums, go to their gigs and festivals and we are drawn into their music that has made a connection with us.

As my Dad used to say to me when I was very young, “Music is the key to everything”. It’s stuck with me my whole life, I even say this to my own kids to this day… I feel I was very lucky growing up. My Dad was a sound engineer working for Harlech Television (HTV) , which is now known as ITV Wales. At the time I spent a lot of time hanging out in the studios after school (probably much to his annoyance). The guys there would always play albums to keep me entertained. Even then I found music to be a beautiful distraction.

The first time I heard Pink Floyd’s “Dark Side of the Moon” was in those studios. The track “Time”, with the clock chimes, still makes me jump to this day. I also first heard Van Halen “Jump” as a result of hanging around the studios. Both bands and their albums are firmly implanted in my memory. It’s safe to say that my Dad was my biggest influence on my musical tastes. I feel he was definitely right when he said “Music is the key to everything”. I couldn’t imagine a day without music in my life, a day without music would be a very dark and sad one for me.

Music-Evoked Autobiographical Memories

rega planar 8 spinning a covert lp

All of us will no doubt have a song or an album that brings back a memory. That magic when you first hear a guitar riff or drum beat, that person sing for the first time, the emotional connection we have with music. This sensory phenomenon is known as Music-Evoked Autobiographical Memories (MEAMs). It can also be induced by Rhythmic entrainment, a process whereby an emotion is evoked by a piece of music because of a powerful, external rhythm in the music. For instance, Van Halen will always put a smile on my face, although the songs weren't always written about happy subjects, such as “Ain’t talkin bout Love”. Perhaps it’s the association that Van Halen influenced me to learn to play the guitar. Who knows?

To me Eddie Van Halen was and still is the coolest, although he’s sadly no longer with us his musical influence stays true till this day. Even going to my first gigs seeing my favourite bands, especially later on with my wife, have had a great influence on my musical taste.

When I talk of an emotional connection and how it affects us, as we know music can make us happy, putting a smile on our faces, make us dance or even bring a tear to our eye.

Music has the power to help and in some cases heal. There are many forms of music therapy. Many people think it is joining in and playing instruments as a group, but listening can have the same positive effects. This is no more apparent than when patients with crippling Alzheimer’s or dementia listen to a piece of music that reconnects them with favourite memories., making them lucid and talkative. Studies show that music has great benefits on our mental health. It never ceases to amaze me (I know this will sound cheesy), the power of music and what it can do.

It’s all for the love of it…

Over my years, especially in the music side of retail, I feel I’ve been lucky enough to see connections customers have with music first hand, with customers from my days in the pro audio industry handing someone their first guitar, hitting that first chord and watching their reaction, the look of excitement as the sound of the guitar comes to life, whether it being an electric guitar through an amplifier or playing acoustically, it’s that magic.

Years on, I proudly work for Audio T and I count myself very lucky to watch similar reactions, this time with customers listening to their favourite pieces of music on a high-fidelity sound system. Watch feet tap and heads nod, watching facial expressions change when they become engaged with that album or piece of music. There’s nothing like talking to like-minded people about such a great subject that I'm passionate about, as we’re all passionate about music.

Rega planar 10 rega aria with rega elicit mk4… And they call this a job?

recent vinly & coffee evening at mec coffee shop crwys road

As we know, the last decade has seen a massive resurgence in vinyl, with more independent record shops hitting the high streets, not just the veterans such as Spillers records and The Record Exchange, both situated here in Cardiff.

In fact, we’ve been running our own vinyl evening at our local coffee shop, Mec Coffee.

Sound Reproduction

Many of you will already own fantastic hi-fi systems, capable of reproducing music to the highest quality. But for those that don’t they might find themselves asking “Where do I start building a Hi-Fi system?”

One of our favourite entry setups consists of a Rega Planar 1 turntable, Rega iO amplifier and a pair of Dali Spektor 2 speakers, and maybe even a pair of Atacama Nexus speaker stands. This is a great example of how you don't have to break the bank to get a great sounding Hi-Fi system. There are many other choices in turntables, Rega has a fantastic range from the Planar 1 right up to the legendary Naiad.

But let’s not forget there is a great range of CD players and transports out there such as one of our favourite brands Cyrus Audio. With their new Classic Range and their flagship XR Range and fantastic QXR Dac. Their very existence proves CDs are very much alive and well.

But if you didn't want to go down the physical format route and perhaps look into streaming music, a great option would be the Bluesound Node streamer which you can plug straight into the Rega iO amplifier.

Streaming

Streaming music can certainly help with exploring new music, with services like Spotify, Tidal and Qobuz there’s a whole feast of music at your fingertips. For instance, I use it for exploring new bands and to decide whether I’m going to buy an album on vinyl.

new naim nsc222 streaming pre-amplifier

There are countless streamers available on the market, such as the previously mentioned Bluesound Node. There are other great streaming products out there like Naim’s Uniti range and Cyrus have also got a new range of steamers coming very soon.

As I know myself, choosing a Hi-Fi system is very much like choosing a musical instrument, both are very personal to the listener and as I always say “there are no wrong answers”. Whether you like more of a bright and lively sound or a warmer tone, there is something for everybody. It doesn’t matter if you’re using vinyl, CD or streaming; the amplification, the speakers even down to the speaker cable, each part of a Hi-Fi system is very personal. Much like the feelings and memories we have when we listen to certain songs.

So why not give us a call or pop in and see us to share your music experiences and let us take that journey through Hi-Fi with you.

Thank you for reading

Matt, Nick and Kerrin - Audio T Cardiff

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

Bluesound can be found at the following Audio T stores

DALI can be found at the following Audio T stores

Cyrus can be found at the following Audio T stores

Music from the heart of the valleys… A tale of a happy customer.

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In this months article, Matt from Audio T Cardiff talks to one of their favourite local customers, Mr Allan Williams, about his passion for music and all things Hi-Fi, and his journey from Audio Excellence to Audio T and building the perfect system.

allan and matt

I first met Allan not long after I started at Audio T, almost two years ago (how time flies). I was out on an installation with our manager Nick to install a rather stunning pair of Spendor D7.2 speakers at Allan’s house in Merthyr Tydfil. It was here that I first got to know Allan and his fantastically eclectic taste in music, which not only aligned with my own, but we also shared a common pursuit of finding the perfect sound.

Now, these days I feel we are both at the end goal, or at least at systems that meet our current needs. But as any Hi-Fi enthusiast will tell you, there’s always room for change and you can always improve your sound. Sometimes it feels endless but once you have got to that end goal the work is done, as we say “sit back and enjoy the music.”

The Journey Begins

Before we talk about where we are with Allan’s system, let’s go back to where it all started…

Allan’s original copy of Dr.hook - sylvia’s mother LP

Growing up, Allan always had a passion for music. In-fact, he was telling me he got his passion for music from his Mum, who was very much a music fan. He explained his fond memories of growing up, and listening to tunes which gave him a good ear, knowing what sounds right.

One of Allan’s most treasured records is Dr Hook and the Medicine Show album “Sylvia’s Mother”, which is in fantastic condition for its age. Some of his other musical influences at the time were bands like Fairport Convention, Jethro Tull, Bruce Springsteen, The Eagles, The Allman Brothers Band and of course The Rolling Stones. There are also classical composers such as Tchaikovsky, but this is just the tip when it comes to Allan’s music taste. There’s so much more in his collection between vinyl and CD format, not to mention the other music he listens to on streaming services such as Qobuz.

Allan’s Hi-Fi history.

The first system Allan ever bought back in the day was from Comet. The system consisted of a Trio turntable, Pioneer amplifier and a pair of Wharfedale speakers. For the time, I’d say that’s not a bad system.

Fast forward to 1982: Allan was reading Hi-Fi Answers magazine and noticed there was a new Hi-Fi shop on Kings Road in Canton Cardiff called Audio Excellence, owned and operated by our operations director, Mr Tony Revelle.

The Kings Road Audio Excellence shop quickly outgrew its premises and between 1982 and 1983, Tony felt there wasn't quite enough room in the old Canton shop for all the fantastic equipment he wanted to stock. That’s when he found our current home know now at 134 to 136 Crwys Road, Cardiff in the summer of 1983 and where we have been happily ever since.

an original nytech CTA 252 tabletop amplifier

After reading about Audio Excellence in Hi-Fi Answers magazine, Allan thought he’d pop into the store and see what it was all about, which is where he met Tony for the first time and bought his first Hi-Fi from Audio Excellence. His first purchase was a bit of a classic setup in our eyes, a Linn LP12 Sondek fitted with an Ittok arm and a Linn Asak moving coil cartridge. The amplification was a Nytech CTA 252 with built-in tuner (Allan has revisited Nytech once again which I will tell you all about shortly). His speakers were a pair of Mission stand mount speakers which Tony came out and installed along with the rest of the system. He also setup the LP12 to perfection!

Not long after having this system installed, Allan decided to go for a much bigger amplification and speaker setup which I would consider at the time to be the Rolls Royce of all Hi-Fi. He decided to go pre-power which consisted of a Naim NAC preamp and a Krell power amplifier, driving a pair of Shahinian Arc floor standing speakers. Much later on when CD players first came into action, Allan even owned a Meridian CD player. All this would have been the perfect system at the time. I would have certainly loved to have listened to that, I bet it would have sounded massive and tone full.

Present Day

In 2019, Allan revisited us at Audio T and went for a fantastic system again, not too dissimilar to mine in some ways. Like me, he went for a Rega Planar 6 turntable originally fitted with a Rega Ania moving coil cartridge, but it was not long before he changed the cartridge (man after my own heart on this one) for a Dynavector 10X5, the same you’ll find on my P6. We both agree how awesome they sound. Anyway, I digress, back to the set up… Allan opted for a Naim Nait 5Si integrated amplifier and a pair of Spendor A4 floor standing speakers, a great little setup indeed.

rega p10 and benz micro ebony l

Moving forward Allan wanted to experiment further with his system. He was happy with his setup but he thought “How can I make this sound even better?”. In July 2021 Allan decided to part exchange his previous system and started on the journey to building his “ultimate system”, and this is where I joined his story.

The system as follows at the time:

As I mentioned before, Allan owned one of the original Nytech integrated amplifiers and had fond memories of its sound, so much so that he wanted to revisit the brand. Nytech does offer a blend of vintage and modern Hi-Fi sound which I think suited Allan’s set up perfectly.

On the digital side of things, Allan had an introduction to a great Welsh brand and his first dabble at streaming music. The digital part of the system was a Leema Acoustics Elements Streamer which works well and sounds phenomenal.

Last but not least the speakers, the Spendor A4 loudspeakers were swapped out for the Spendor D7.2 in one of my favourite finishes, walnut!

Of course, the system would not be complete without some cables and furniture to get the best performance. At the time he opted for Chord Company, with a mix of Shawline and Epic. As for furniture, he decided on the lovely Hi-Fi Racks Podium Slimline rack finished in Walnut to match the colour of the Spendor D7.2

“The times they are a changin”

As Bob Dylan once sang, “the times they are a changin” or in this case you guessed it was time for the system to change and evolve yet again…

Planar 10 - isoacoustics dleios - benz micro wood cartridge

Sticking with the Rega planar 10 and Benz Micro combination as the main source, we added a IsoAcoustics Delos isolation plinth which tightened things up sonically and presented even more transparency in the music.

At this point, Allan also upgraded his phono stage from the Trichord to a Rega Aura MC phono stage. He also took the opportunity to upgrade the main preamplifier and decided to go with another favourite of ours, the Leema Acoustics Pyxis.

Of course, we can’t have a preamplifier without talking about power, and in this case a pair of monoblock power amplifiers. A pair of Cyrus MONO X300 signature power amplifiers to drive Allan’s speakers.

Now onto speakers. Allan loved the Spendor D7.2s but curiosity got the better of him and he wanted to try a pair of Spendor D9.2. To look at his room you’d think they would be overkill but believe you me they sound perfect, especially since we added IsoAcoustics Gaia feet.

isoacoustic gaia ii isolation feet

The Digital Source Components

Over time, Allan felt he was missing something when listening to his CD collection, so in 2022 he decided to upgrade from the Leema Elements CD player. We talked about what he felt he was missing with the presentation from the CD player and we came to the conclusion that the Audio Note 3.1 X ll CD player with its valve rectifier circuit would be the perfect balance of analogue and digital. Whoever thought a CD player could sound so warm and natural?

As mentioned previously, Allan had the Leema Acoustics Elements Streamer and he enquired how could he improve on the streaming side of things, so we arranged for him have a home demonstration of the Naim NDX2 streamer. He found this gave a huge uplift in quality when streaming from Qobuz and not only that, we also added one of Naim’s outboard power supplies, specifically the Naim 555ps DR. People ask “Do power supplies really make a difference?” I’d say in this case, it’s one of the biggest changes in sound I have ever heard on a streamer, everything sounded clearer with a lot more detail and control.

Naim ndx2 and Naim 555psdr

Ricable sticker

The most recent modification we made to Allan’s system was changing out the speaker cable. Some say that cables don’t make much of a difference… The simple fact is, they do. I suggested going with a brand we have recently taken on, a fantastic cable company from Italy, Ricable. I personally own some of their Magnus speaker cables myself and I can happily say it does make the right sort of difference. Allan went for the Invictus speaker cable and wow, it transformed the sound of Allan’s system from great to awesome! This really is the cherry on top! More clarity and separation in the musical instruments and even bass sounded more controlled. The couple of tracks we played while I was there were:

  • Bruce Springsteen - The Ghost of Tom Joad

  • Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band - Against the Wind

The tracks used were “Betty Lou’s gettin out tonight” and “Fire Lake”. The piano on Fire Lake sounded full with control and detail. In short, yes this cable made one hell of a difference.

System Synergy

You’re maybe thinking there’s quite a mixture of different brands going on here, but when I think of system synergy I feel we have achieved near perfection. I don’t think I’ve ever heard a Hi-Fi system sounding better than this. It has the perfect combination of all the right things -

  • Low noise floor - The turntable is virtually silent as Allan says it almost CD quality.

  • Clarity and detail - This system definitely has it this and can be heard with every genre of music from classical to folk country and rock. Believe it when I say this Allan listens to all of it.

  • All about that bass - As we know, bass can be a bit of a problem and can be unruly at times, going back to the size of the Spendor D9, the amplification in this instance keeps them perfectly under control such a great combination of Cyrus and Leema who would have thought the two would work so perfectly together.

Lastly, and some would argue the most important, timing. This system has superb timing, you can hear perfect separation between the instruments, especially when there’s a lot going on in a piece of music, such as Bob Seger’s “Betty Lou’s Coming out tonight”. From the guitars, to the vocals, drums and keys I could hear the space between them all, allowing your mind to place the sound stage with ease.

We have certainly had a lot of fun building this system with Allan, but more importantly Allan’s not just a good customer but also a good friend. I always look forward to going up to see him and help him with his system and talk about music and other subjects such as Lord of the Rings, another favourite of Allan’s. Will there be more changes to Allan’s system? Maybe, but until then I’d say this system is perfect.

Thank you Allan for giving us the opportunity to guide you once again on your hi-fi journey.

Thank you for reading

Matt, Nick and Kerrin - Audio T Cardiff

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…

It's Showtime! A first time at the Bristol Hi-Fi Show…

/ Audio T Cardiff/

This year saw the triumphant return of our Bristol Hi-Fi Show. Matt, our newest member of our Cardiff store was able to make his first attendance, working the whole weekend. This months article takes a look at his experience of the show through fresh eyes…

Now the dust has settled after the Bristol Hi-Fi Show I thought it was time to talk about my experience of my first time at this iconic event and how much I enjoyed it.

Over my years in retail, especially working in the music industry in the past, I have always classed myself as being a bit of a music show veteran working as a buyer at shows such as the Namm Show in Los Angeles and the Dallas International Guitar Show in Texas but as far as Hi-Fi shows go I’m a total newbie.

Now that I proudly work as a sales consultant for, in my humble opinion, one of the best Hi-Fi shops in the country, being part of the Audio T family and what a great family it is. When I was offered the chance to work at the Bristol Hi-Fi Show I jumped at the chance, as I said to my colleagues, “time to get my show feet back on and ready to rock!”

Before I talk more about my experience at the show and go on about all the fantastic gear I saw and listened to, let’s talk about a little history behind the show…

Believe it or not, the Bristol Hi-Fi Show turned 36 this year with the first one being held back in 1987, started by one of our directors, Tony Revelle. With his passion for all things Hi-Fi, Tony’s vision was to bring brands old and new together under one roof to showcase their new forthcoming equipment to give customers a chance to see and listen to all of this fantastic equipment before it hit the shops. I Feel we’re lucky to have a great show like this, especially since this is the first one in three years, as we know COVID put everything on hold, as we say we’re back and better than ever.

My Show Experience

If you visited the show, you may have met me first thing in the morning on all three days, scanning tickets and welcoming all. I was the chap in the blue suit jacket. If you didn’t meet me on the door you may have met me in sales room 211. I have to say, it was great to see and meet you all on the door and seeing such an awesome turnout for the show. As well as meeting new and some old customers coming up from Wales to see us, as well as people from all over the country as well. Being at the show gave me a great chance to get to know staff from our other branches, as there’s nothing like being in a room full of like-minded people passionate about music and talking about each other’s systems; whether it’s vinyl, CD or streaming we’re all part of the Audio T family and I feel lucky to be part of it.

Myself and the audio t team (i’m the one in the back with glasses on)

The show gave me a good opportunity to catch up with representatives from countless companies exhibiting at the show, to talk about new and exciting equipment to follow throughout the year. People that know me well know I'm a bit of a gear head, so the Bristol Show is the perfect place for me to see and hear Hi-Fi equipment we don't often get to see every day in the Cardiff shop. The show allows us to get an idea of what we would like to carry in the shop and most importantly, for you the customer, to see and hear exciting products.

So, what great gear did I get to see and hear and what can I recommend for you guys to check out.

Each day I took the opportunity to take a wander around the show and listen and take the odd picture or two for you guys to see.

First up, Rega…

The new rega naia turntable

NREW rega naia front

Rega are celebrating their 50th anniversary this year and Roy Gandy himself was at the show, sadly I didn't get to meet him but it’s amazing to know he was there. In fact, my colleague Brad did get a chance to interview him which you can watch below…

Anyway, I digress. Back to talking about Rega’s awesome new editions, starting with the all-new NAIA. For me just the look of this in the Rega room stole the show! Sadly I didn't get to hear it as it was the prototype. I got to check out the new bearing and part of the new arm mechanism let’s just say, think of a formula one racing car then think of a turntable and combine the technology such as carbon fibre. I can’t wait to hear this turntable and hear what it can do. Also, in the Rega room they have come up with white versions on the P6, P8 and P10, which look fantastic in the new colour option. My self being a very proud owner of a Rega planar 6 it was nice to see it in white.

White rega p8

Our old friends, Leema Acoustics…

the leema acoustics room

I say old friends because ever since I first listened to the Tucana ll Anniversary almost two years ago now, they had me hooked and I have used this amp in our shop as a reference point ever since. I knew these guys were at the show so I couldn't resist popping in to say hi and have a listen. Also to add, Leema are celebrating their 25th anniversary this year. Aside from the Tucana they had the Pyxis and the Hydra combo, together with the one I've been waiting for, which I had a bit of Wayne’s World moment with (Oh yes it will be mine), the all new Quantum range and especially Neutron and Graviton pre-amplifier and power amplifier combination, which I am very much looking forward to seeing in our store. If you haven't listened to Leema before I highly recommend checking them out.

On to Audio Note…

AUdio note room

You may remember I wrote a blog about Audio Note a little while back on the Cobra and the AN-K speaker and about my passion for all things valve. With Audio Note being at the show I thought now is a great chance to check out some more of their range and more importantly sit down and listen to their fantastic equipment they had on display such as the small but mighty P1 power amplifier and also gave me a great chance to look and an Audio Note turntable as I had never seen one up close before, I have to say it looks and sounds fantastic. Also, their new range of bookshelf speakers the AX range, I can’t wait to hear these as they look fantastic. Chatting with Micky Seaton from Audio Note about their equipment and arranging for me to take a tour around the factory… Could be another Audio Note blog in the wings, so watch this space.

audio note tt

More Gear

On my walk around the show, I did see many other things such as the fantastic new range from Audiolab the new 9000 and 7000 range. Also, the AURALiC, Cyrus and Spendor room made my ears prick including the Dynaudio demonstrations. Sadly I didn't have time to listen to everything but from what I did get a chance to hear, most sounded awesome!

Auralic cyrus and spendor room

One of the highlights of the show was getting to check out the Wireworld range of cables, where I had the unique chance to meet company president, David Salz, who talked through their range. I myself proudly own a Wireworld Matrix which sits in my system.

In conclusion

The Bristol show was a thoroughly amazing experience and there is so much to see. I would say you need a couple of days there to see everything, or maybe all three. What was pleasing to see was everybody enjoying themselves and the atmosphere at the show… (pardon the pun) was electric. In short, the show has something for everybody and yes, I have signed myself up to work the show next year, as I can’t wait to see you all again.

Thank you for reading

Matt, Nick and Kerrin - Audio T Cardiff

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…

Although the Bristol show is over for the year the excitement never stops. New gear and events are ahead - we have a vinyl evening on the 21st of April at our local coffee shop, Mec Coffee, which we’re very much looking forward to plus many more events to come throughout the year.

If you would like to know more about any upcoming events, or you feel inspired by what you have seen and heard at the Bristol show and you would like to have a listen in the comfort of one of our demo rooms, or even have a home demonstration, why not give us a call on 02920 228565 or Email us at cardiff@audio-t.co.uk , or pop in and see us. We look forward to hearing from you.

Valve Power & Vintage Inspired Speakers - A look at Audio Note

/ Audio T Cardiff/

Are valve amplifiers and vintage inspired speakers the ultimate combination? A study and review of Audio Notes Cobra integrated amplifier and Audio Note AN-K loudspeakers. Matt from our Cardiff shop takes a deeper look into the Audio Note brand and talks about his passion for all things valve.

audio note cobra vlaves in the dark

Being a guitarist, I have always loved the sound of a valve amplifier. They have a certain tonality and warmth to them. Different combinations of valves (or tubes) offer different tones which we can identify with different brands of amplifier as well as different tone circuits in each brand giving us that “Holy Grail” of tone that myself and other guitarists continually chase.

Over the years I have come to be able to distinguish the difference between classic guitar amplifiers. An example of this is the Marshall Bluesbreaker, which immediately makes me think of Eric Clapton and John Mayall as this was the amplifier used in the recording of the album, “Blues Breakers”. Another unmistakable classic is the Vox AC30. The band that comes straight to mind is The Beatles. Both John Lennon and George Harrison used the iconic AC30 on many occasions whilst recording.

Mullard factory - Hammersmith, London

Guitar amplifiers are not the only ones to incorporate valve technology. The world of Hi-Fi has had its fair share of valve amplifiers from the very beginning. Valve technology goes back further in time before the modern days of solid state and digital amplification were ever a thought. I'm talking war time Britain when our only entertainment was radio, and yes you guessed it they had valve power sections in some models, they even had a valve rectified section if you look back to the original His Master’s Voice (HMV) radios and other brands like Bush. Most of the radios from this time period were valve based. In fact, once upon a time, Britain had one of the biggest valve production factories in the world, the Mullard Vacuum tube factory based in Hammersmith, London. Even though Mullard stopped manufacturing in 1982, their valves are still highly sought after today, with many enthusiasts hunting them out to use in their recording equipment, guitar amplifiers and even Hi-Fi systems.

Whilst many Hi-Fi manufacturers moved to solid state technology during the 70s and 80s, some continued to champion the alluring glow of the valve. One such contemporary Hi-Fi brand utilising valves in their equipment is Audio Note, who have made some groundbreaking amplifiers, speakers, DACs, phono stages and CD players. The Audio note CD 3.1 uses a pair of ECC88 dual triode valves on the output stage, so valves are not just about amplification.

A Little History behind Audio Note…

Audio Note Founder, Peter Qvortup

Audio Note LISTENING lounge (brighton)

Peter Qvortup founded the company back in 1989. His love of music and relentless pursuit of perfect tone brought him to building and perfecting his first production all valve integrated amplifier in 1991, the OTO PP. As an amplifier the OTO has certainly stood the test of time as it is still in production today. You can read a more in depth look at the current OTO amplifier in our Bristol stores blog. Peter’s vision with turntables, CD players, amplification and loudspeakers is to listen to music as it should be heard, perfectly balanced with every nuance and detail we want to hear. Perfect synergy between the equipment, from the source to the speakers is the end goal.

Reading Store Manager, Gareth, in Peter’s home listening room.

Peter has an incredible collection of music and a very eclectic taste, ranging from Classical to Drum & Bass and everything in between so that he can put his equipment through its paces.

Also, one other little known fact, which I think is rather awesome, is that he has hand selected and stockpiled the valves he uses… His secret? Whilst many manufacturers were moving to solid state technology, Peter was travelling the world and purchasing valves, but not just from musical sources… Under lock and key in the Horsham factory, You’ll find a large selection of small brown boxes, stamped with “Property of the US Government”, all of which contain valves (Or tubes as our American brethren will say)!

Many years down the line from the birth of Audio Note, Peter has come up with yet another great all valve beauty; The Cobra…

Has the Cobra got any bite?

The audio note cobra - a classic sound for a modern age

This little giant of a valve amplifier puts out a hefty 28 watts per channel, thanks to a quad set of Electro Harmonix EL34 power valves operating in class A (for the guitarists out there we all know Electro Harmonix as a quality valve brand). 28 watts may not sound much but in the language of valve that is pretty powerful. In the preamp section it’s running 2 x 6AU6 and 2 x 5670 Electro Harmonix preamp tubes.

This amplifier is capable of running a wide range of speakers not just Audio Note (although it is highly recommend that their is an obvious synergy between a pair of Audio Note speakers will have with an Audio Note amp). We have also tried this amp out on one of my favourite loudspeakers the Spendor D7.2s, let’s just say this was a great match.

The Cobra is equipped with three analogue stereo inputs and it also boasts a rather good DAC, which has a Philips TDA1543 D/A chip. The DAC can connect to source components via optical input up to 24Bit native or digital coax. You can even connect your computer or tablet via USB!

audio note cobra rear panel inc. dac inputs

The Audio Note AN-K - New speakers with an old soul

Audio Note AN-K speaker Poplar burl

The AN-K is classed as a compact bookshelf designed speaker, but I would say a good mid sized stand mounted speaker, which are also a great speaker to look at. In the Cardiff store we currently have them on demonstration in Poplar Burl, these speakers certainly pack a punch in a good way. The design of these speakers is inspired by classic Snell closed cabinet design speakers. The AN-K is a relatively easy speaker to drive so this does make these speakers a great pairing with any lower powered valve amplifier. The cabinet construction feels very solid. The birch ply construction can be seen at the rear of the speaker next to the binding posts. They are available in several different veneers. These speakers are 6ohm, which is a very happy medium, with a sensitivity of 90 db. The specially designed simple cross over incorporates air-cored chokes and hand selected capacitors, going from polypropylene up to river foil depending on the model of speaker. They have a specially designed 3/4 inch soft dome tweeter, and the bass driver is a specially designed by Audio Note 8 inch paper cone with copper voice coils, very much a classic combination in speaker design.

audio note ank speaker rear panel terminals

Setup

Interconnects and speaker cables:

Artists tracks and albums used in the audition:

Vinyl

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers - Greatest Hits 1993 - “Mary Jane’s last dance”

Def Leppard - Hysteria 1987 - “Hysteria”

CD

Red Dragon Cartel - Patina 2018 - “Ghosts”

The Listening

Before I sit down and settle into this listening session as we know speaker placement is key especially with the AN-K’s most speakers need to be brought out from the wall to get the best out of them. In this case with the Audio Note speakers due to their classic closed cabinet design they need to be closer to the wall to work with the room bringing them closer to the wall controls the bass and the speakers become more alive then, everything comes together.

Now I have the speakers placed and the valve amp is nice and warm I can drop the needle and start the listening process.

Linn majik lp12 with nytech cdp122

Starting with the Tom Petty track Mary Jane’s Last Dance, from the start the combination of Linn and Audio Note had me engaged straight away. I can hear the Hammond organ used on this track clearer than I have ever heard it before and the bridge pickup tone on Tom Petty’s Gretsch sounds bright but tone full. I feel this is down to the nature of the EL34 power valves and the tonal character they have making guitars sound more real and alive to me.

Next up, Def Leppard - Hysteria. This track had me locked in from the start as it is incredibly well recorded and this particular pressing is rather good. Right from the start I was mesmerised by everything going on, from the chorus effect on the guitars, Rick Allen’s drums sound tight and not loose at all and Phil Collen’s guitar solo cuts through effortlessly. As I said before the valve amp making guitars sound more alive. I also feel the speakers are a perfect match for this amplifier, perfect system synergy going back to Peter’s vision of how music should sound. I’d say he has achieved perfection with the Cobra and AN-K combination.

Last but not least, Red Dragon Cartel. If you don’t know these guys you may have heard of the guitarist in the band, Jake E Lee, formerly with Ozzy Osbourne. Many years ago, he wrote the guitar parts to such tracks as Bark At The Moon, in my opinion one of the best riffs in existence. Now, many years later Jake came out of retirement to form Red Dragon Cartel. Enough of the band history let’s talk about how this sounds…

In this instance I’m using the Audio Note CD 2.1 CD player using digital coax into the Cobra’s DAC. Right from the off the bass riff on this track hit me in a good way powerful yet well controlled. Drums tight and precise, then Jake’s opening riff kicks in and I can almost hear the pick strike as he plays behind the bridge on his late 60s Gibson ES 335 TD, this is a very unusual but a really cool effect. Then the rest of the track comes together getting ahead nodding and feet tapping which is what we all want from a listening experience to get lost in the music. In short the Cobra’s DAC works really well with the all valve nature of the Cobra amplifier, detailed and warm.

Conclusion

I feel that Audio Note have certainly brought a few surprises to my ears. Things I have not heard before in the music I have been listening to today. This whole listening session today has kept me firmly glued to my seat from hearing what the Cobra can do and the tonal characteristics of the valves right through to how efficient the AN-K speakers are bringing every detail to my ears. Considering this is the tip of the iceberg for Audio Note what a great place to start.

When we talk about system synergy and every component of a Hi-Fi system working well together. We all want the listen experience to be seamless and effortless, just plug in and play and enjoy the music and not analyse everything that’s going on just to sit back and enjoy an album in its entirety. Peter has got this experience down to a T again, just listen to the music.

Why not pop in and have a listen to this fantastic system for yourself and tell me what you think. Even explore more of Audio Note’s range we can organise demonstrations with any of their fantastic equipment. You can contact us to organise a demonstration on Tel 02920 228565 or Email us at cardiff@audio-t.co.uk we’d love to hear from you.

Thank you for reading

Matt, Nick and Kerrin - Audio T Cardiff

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…

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

Humming to the wrong tune! - How to get rid of unwanted noise.

/ Audio T Cardiff/

Are hum and noise in your system driving you crazy? Fear not, we have the solutions for you! Matt from Audio T Cardiff takes a deeper look into these problems and which products can help resolve the issues, from power distribution sockets to other ways of filtering noise and improving sound and hopefully losing some of that unwanted hum or high frequency noise.

Planar 6 Exact cartridge and logo close up

Moving steadily along my own exciting hi-fi journey, with various changes in my own personal system, I was plagued by that old problem which I am very familiar with, ground hum. My home listening space sadly isn't the most ideal of rooms but it works.

MM & MC cartridge

The room itself is a converted garage and as you can guess the internal wiring from the house to the garage was an afterthought and tagged onto the ring mains of the house. It’s not the cleanest power in this room and leaves it open to noise such as ground hum etc. With my main music source being a Rega Planar 6 turntable, I notice this hum issue more when playing vinyl. Due to the nature of turntables and open pickups they are susceptible to noise. A cartridge is made up of copper windings, a cantilever and magnet open to the elements, thus its gonna pick up some noise and some cartridges pick up more noise than others.

So, what do I do about this hum? A little noise is not bad and to be expected with a turntable whereas a lot of hum is not so good and can be quite distracting. What can I do short of rewiring my house? I started looking into good quality power distribution sockets and ways of filtering out that hum without sacrificing my sound quality. In this article I’ll be taking a look into options such as power cables and plug-ins including power conditioners that can help with noise and improve sound.

What works best?

There are many products out there that can help with noise issues and sound quality in general. We carry a number of options in our shops and I have been able to take bits home and listen for what works best for the problem I have been experiencing with my own system. The problem with electricity is it’s unpredictable, in the sense it can fluctuate thus causing the problems we have mentioned.

Chord Company Music power cable

At Audio T Cardiff, one of our favourite cable manufacturers is Chord Company. This year they have added more options to their power cable and power distribution ranges. Starting with the Clearway power cable , then climbing up the ranks to Shawline, then Epic right up to their flagship Music power cables which utilise Chord Companies Array technology. Quite recently we had the opportunity to try out some of these power cable options including Chord’s new PowerHAUS power distribution sockets, the S6 and M6 , which also contain the GroundArray technology inside.

The PowerHAUS

To say that they made a big difference would sell them short. During our own audition of this new range of power cable and power distribution options from Chord Co. we started at the bottom and worked our way up the range. The sound difference as we progressed was incredible to say the least. For instance, I put on a piece of music which I knew wasn't recorded particularly well and when we reached the PowerHAUS S6 it made everything sound better, not perfect but more pleasing to our ears than when we started the listening session. This change in the delivery of the power gave us more dynamic range even a bigger and better sound stage. The PowerHAUS also had a profound effect on the vinyl side of things, again a much bigger soundstage with more detail and, dare I say it, more fun.

Chord GroundARAY high-frequency noise reduction.

Next up we added in the Chord GroundARAY “plug-ins”, so here’s a little run down to get you up to speed. The Chord Company have spent many years researching what makes a hi-fi sound great and it’s not just about the source, the amplification or the speakers, in Chords way of thinking it’s everything in-between i.e., speaker cables and interconnects. Chords latest research has gone into power and filtering with Chord GroundARAY plug-ins and as we’ve already touched on the PowerHAUS range.

The GroundARAY range consists of the following connections USB A, RCA, DIN, XLR, BNC, RJ45 and HDMI. Their idea behind the plug-ins is to go into unused sockets from your router right up to your amplifier, whether its RCA, XLR, BNC or HDMI, they all can be plagued by our old unwanted friend high frequency noise that can happen anywhere in the chain. Looking at the construction of these they are rather well machined pieces of thick-walled aluminium and this alone helps with noise. Each GroundARAY is filled with Chord’s vibration damping material protecting ARAY circuit.

The GroundARAY assessment

We began our assessment streaming from the Bluesound Node which was wired into the amplifier with Chord Company Shawline RCA cables and the speakers connected with Chord company Epic speaker cable. The Chord representative showed us a couple of combinations using the GroundARAY plugs going from the Ethernet switch right up to the XLR inputs on the Leema Acoustics Tucana amplifier. The difference was subtle at first but as the amplifier warmed up, we could really tell the difference.

The system we used -

The artists and tracks we used in this audition.

Streamed on Tidal

  • Bjork - Post 1995 - “Hyperballad”

  • Big Wreck - In loving memory 1997 - “Blown wide open”

Vinyl

  • Dire Straits - Communique 1979 - “Once Upon time in the west”

The Big Wreck track was the most suspect one of the bunch. I used this particular track as I knew it’s a bit too heavy on the bass in the mix, which meant this track loses definition. Believe it or not the Chord PowerHAUS seemed to help in calming down the bass and giving the track more definition.

Audioquest…

Audioquest niagara 3000 mains distribution block rear

thunder iec mains cable

We can’t mention power and conditioning without mentioning Audioquest, a great brand with a long history in the Hi-Fi industry. Audioquest have designed and built great audio cables such as the most recent edition, the Mythical Creatures range. They also offer options on the power distribution side of things too. From the G8 power outlet right up to the Niagara series , both product lines have had an impact in the industry. They also offer a superb range of power cables from the NRG series up to the Storm series. Again, like Chord they have spent many years of hard work and research looking into how they can improve that dreaded high frequency noise issue as well as RF noise i.e., radio frequency as well as ground hum. The offerings from Audioquest most definitely improve the sound quality of your equipment delivering power more efficiently with less noise or lowering the noise floor in your system.

The Wireworld Matrix

Wireworld are an American company owned by renowned cable designer David Salz. Their cable technology was founded with the unique mission of perfecting audio cables through objective listening tests. The idea is to make the perfect audio cable with such cables like the Platinum eclipse series from RCA connections right through to tone arm cables and speaker cables. They also make fantastic power distribution blocks such as the Matrix II shielded power cord extender, which is a no nonsense design and great value. This approach to power distribution is simple and effective.

The Audiolab DC block

Audiolab dc block

The Audiolab DC block is a fairly new addition to the Audiolab family of electronics and I think this piece of kit is a little wonder box. I feel it is unbeatable at its price bracket. In essence the DC block cleans up power by reducing unwanted DC distortion before it reaches the component in your Hi-Fi system. DC voltage from many house hold appliances can create unwanted noise on the AC mains supply. The DC block can cancel DC voltage found within the AC mains supply in your home. It achieves this by correcting the DC offset and rebalances the sine wave. The ideal power situation in the home would be to have a perfectly symmetrical sine wave alternating between positive and negative phases but this sadly is not the case. Power in the home fluctuates causing the noise issue we are describing. The main job of the DC block is to offset and rebalance the mains power giving you better all-round performance from your equipment.

direct current blocker

The Solution to my problem

Going back to the beginning with my system and the noise I experience at home as we have described above. I decided to take home a Wireworld Matrix 2 power distribution block and the Audiolab DC block to see if one or both of these fantastic pieces of equipment can help with my noisy system. I tried them both separately at first and found some improvement. The Dc block certainly dropped some of the hum and the Rega Elex-r amplifier sounded more alive in its performance. Then, I plugged everything into the Wireworld Matrix distribution block this by itself made a great difference to the noise floor and everything cleaned up really well. Next, you guessed it, I tried both the Dc block and the Wireworld together. what a difference hum almost gone but the main thing I noticed was the difference in sound power and clarity, and sound stage jumped to a whole new level in my little system. For now, I have just bought the Wireworld Matrix, but I will be buying the Audiolab DC block to go with it as I feel it’s a worthwhile purchase, not much outlay for great performance, I feel that’s a win in my book.

What else do I look at in my system if I have noise?

  • 1: The first things I would look at are connections between equipment such as RCA cables for instance between the phono stage and amplifier and make sure they’re fitted properly the same goes for things like optical cables making sure they’re connected properly.

  • 2: I would check the condition of the cables making sure there’s no breaks or corrosion on the plugs or on exposed wire and replace if necessary.

  • 3: Check speaker cables and make sure banana plugs are tight, if you are using bare wire make sure the terminals are tight and there are no stray wires that can cause a short.

  • 4: Check speaker terminals on the back of the amplifier and speakers are tight, for example if you have a pair of speakers with four terminals on the back with linking bars make sure they are locked down.

  • 5: If your turntable has a ground lead coming from the tone make sure it is connected to the ground point on the back of the amplifier.

  • 6: Make sure the fly leads are connected properly on the back of your cartridge, if they are loose they can short out or cause hum.

  • 7: Last thing to make sure your power leads are properly secured.

There are many other things that can cause unwanted noise, but these are some of the good basic checks you can do.

Other ways you can help with sound quality and noise in your system is to look at how your system is connected and consider changing speaker cable and interconnects. For instance, going from a basic pair of speaker cables to something like the Chord Company C screen X makes a world of difference to your sound. I also highly recommend trying some of these different pieces of equipment I have talked about in this blog in your own home as I have done, to find what works best for you in your system. Here at Audio T, we have a home loan scheme, so you can take equipment home and listen in the comfort of your own chair and see how much of an effect they have on your system and how everything sounds before and after.

Why not pop into our store for a chat or give us a call and we can certainly help and recommend many products that can help your system to sound its best. You can contact us on 02920 228565 or email us at Cardiff@audio-t.co.uk

Thank you for reading

Matt, Nick and Kerrin - Audio T Cardiff

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