Diamond News! B&W 800 Series Arrives At Audio T Southampton!

We are thrilled to announce that we have been appointed stockists of B&W’s legendary 800 series speakers! It is a great honour to be one of the elite retailers entrusted with this flagship range, which are quite rightly lauded as amongst the finest speakers in the world.

800 D3 is the latest incarnation of these no compromise speakers, taking everything B&W learned from previous generations, and further refining to achieve even higher levels of transparency and musical performance. Nothing is left to chance. B&W’s fifty years of design development and engineering has resulted in a truly outstanding range of speakers, each capable of bringing music to life like no other.

In store, we already have the Prestige version of 805 D3, finished in simply stunning Santos Rosewood.

We also have the magnificent 804 D3 available for demo immediately.

They will soon be joined by 803 D3 and 802 D3. We can’t wait, having been bowled over by the remarkable effortless musicality of their smaller siblings in our dem room!

Watch this space for further updates. In the meantime, do call us to book a demo. You won’t be disappointed!

Alan, John and Wayne

Bowers & Wilkins 800 Series loudspeakers are available from the following branches of Audio T: Bristol, Southampton

Bowers & Wilkins other speaker ranges are available from the following branches: Brentwood, Brighton, Bristol, Cardiff, Cheltenham, Enfield, Manchester, Oxford, Portsmouth, Preston, Southampton, Swansea, Swindon

More New Loudspeakers from Cirencester's Finest! Acoustic Energy AE509

This blog is really a follow on and update from the last we posted from in the Cheltenham branch. That last blog was based upon the new Acoustic Energy AE 500 stand mount loudspeakers and now we have the even newer AE509 floorstanding speakers.

Again using the new carbon fibre drive units designed to improve upon transient speed and clarity and to reduce distortion. They also have the same type of cabinet construction using Acoustic Energy’s new 18mm Resonance Suppression Composite (RSC) which is evolved from the famous Reference Series and is designed to reduce cabinet acoustic radiation which otherwise can cause cabinet colourations. Essentially it is a very clever method of building one cabinet around another one with a layer of damping in between. This makes the cabinet more inert so when you are listening to them the cabinets just disappear and you are left with the stereo image of the performance just hanging in the air in front of you.

Of course the main area of improvement over the already rather nifty sound produced by the little AE500 is in the bottom end. The bass on the AE500 goes down to a pretty decent (for the size of the box) 45hz whereas the AE509 digs out a much more respectable 32hz. After trying out a wide variety of music types I thought I would really put them through their paces by playing the fairly new album by a band called Lump. Lump is a wonderful collaboration between Laura Marling (vocals, flute and words) and mike Lindsay (Guitars, bass, rhythms, juno, pocket piano, lamba, drones, and textures) from a band called Tunng.

This album has truly seismic levels of bass at times and playing the track Late To The Flight produced beautifully articulated deep bass that was also clean and tight. The word that crossed my mind was “grunt”! Something that not many speakers at this price are remotely capable of. The really clever thing is that this bass does not colour or confuse the mid-range at all which remains clean and open at all times with some great stereo imaging to boot.

Next on my playlist was The Total Experience Live In Liverpool by Steve Hackett from which I played the track The Musical Box. This is an old Genesis song that gets somewhat of a re-working. Another piece of music that at times has spectacular levels of bass that the AE509’s just sail through.

Another thing I really like about these speakers is the gorgeous metal bases with proper chunky spikes. Most speakers these days treat the spikes as just a cheap add on and they don’t give you a great method of making sure your speaker does not wobble around whereas the Acoustic Energy base and spikes looks amazing, really works, and makes set up easy as well.

If you are interested in getting a listen to these amazing new speakers give us a call in the Cheltenham store and speak to Jon, Farid or Andy. Tea and/or coffee will be laid on …. there may even be some biscuits left!

Acoustic Energy Hi-Fi products are available at the following branches of Audio T: Brentwood. Bristol. Cheltenham. Online. Portsmouth. Preston. Reading. Swindon.

Neat Acoustics Add Something Ekstra To Their Range Of Loudspeakers.

The Neat Ekstra is an elegant 2.5 way floor standing loudspeaker incorporating an integral subwoofer and is supported on three feet.

It is available in American walnut, black oak and satin white with an option for either silver or black feet, also included are magnetic cloth grilles for the upper box section.

Neat Ekstra in Satin White

The design of the Neat Ekstra, uses a configuration first employed in the Ultimatum XL6 and is made up of two sealed boxes. 

The upper box houses the ribbon tweeter and bass mid driver which is attached to a sub-baffle which in turn is mounted, via a decoupling polyethylene membrane for the reduction of unwanted vibrations, to the main cabinet making this section work as a two way infinite baffle.

Neat Ekstra Upper Box inc Ribbon tweeter and Bass Mid driver

The lower box is ported half way down its length and terminates internally with the first of the two bass drivers facing to the floor, the second driver is immediately below in its own section. These two drivers work as a sealed iso-baric arrangement acting as an internal subwoofer system. The low-q port in the mid section is also specially tuned to enable close to the wall placement of the loudspeaker in most rooms.

Rear view showing Low-Q port and single wire speaker terminal

We hooked the Neat Ekstra’s up to a Naim NDX2 network player and a Naim Supernait2 amplifier for testing purposes after a week of running in.

These are a very undemanding loudspeaker, an easy listen, whatever we played through them they rewarded us with a detailed musical presentation, never edgy, but with a sweet insightful top end and rhythmic tuneful bass, a very well balanced speaker in our view.

One of the Ekstras’s downward facing bass drivers

The Neat Ekstra offers a lot of loudspeaker for the money, the elegant lines and attention to detail in tuning make them ideal for most locations.

Ready for action, just turn up the volume

This may be the speaker you’ve been waiting to hear, so come along and talk to Julian, Paul and John at Audio T Brighton and we'‘ll set them up for you.

Neat Acoustic Loudspeakers are available from the following branches of Audio T: Brighton, Cheltenham, Portsmouth, Preston, Reading

New Dynaudio Evoke Loudspeakers at Audio T Oxford

Dynaudio have now launched the Evoke series: This brand new, five speaker range, takes advantage of technology from their ultra-high-end Confidence models.

The sound has been optimized at Dynaudio’s, state of the art Jupiter lab. You really need to listen to them, to hear how good they sound!

Dynaudio Evoke 20. Blonde Wood

The Cerotar tweeter is a totally new design, heavily based upon that of the money-no-object Confidence series. The Esotec+ woofers, feature improved magnets and surrounds, that improve both frequency response and low range dynamics.

Dynaudio Jupiter array

Every single part of the speaker design has been addressed: Solid build, finish and quality, all go part and parcel, with these exceptional loudspeakers.

These new model Dynaudio Evoke speakers, in comparison to their (already fine) predecessors, have a deeper and tighter bass, with a more communicative and open treble.

Dynaudio Evoke 30. Walnut Wood

We have the Evoke 20 standmount and Evoke 30 floorstander available for demonstration. If you would like to hear these great sounding loudspeakers, then please call in or contact us at Audio T Oxford.

New Dynaudio Evoke Range Is Available At Audio T Brighton

The innovative and very attractive new Evoke loudspeaker range from Dynaudio sound great and are making friends here at Audio T Brighton. Their modest and stylish proportions offer a big room filling sound and these desirable and very capable speakers could grace any home.

Dynaudio Evoke 30

There are two stand mount models, the compact Evoke 10 for smaller spaces and larger Evoke 20 for any room, which are complemented by the compact floor standing Evoke 30 and larger floor standing Evoke 50 which are both suited to medium to large rooms, along with a centre channel speaker, the Evoke 25C for home cinema systems.

Dynaudio have developed new drive units for this range and the result is refinement, substance and life in the music.

Dynaudio Evoke 10

We currently have the Evoke 10 in walnut and the Evoke 30 in blonde wood on demonstration, the Evoke 20 and Evoke 50 are now here as well.

Available in high gloss black or white, and walnut or blonde wood.

Do come and have a listen at Audio T Brighton with Julian, Paul and John.

Ring 01273 609431 or email brighton@audio-t.co.uk

Dynaudio loudspeakers are available from the following Audio T *stores:

Brighton, Bristol, Cheltenham, Manchester, Online, Oxford, Portsmouth, Preston, Reading, Southampton, Swansea, Swindon

*Please call ahead to check availability.

Dali Oberon Loudspeakers Now Available At Audio T Swindon

We have taken delivery of the first two speakers of Dali’s Oberon loudspeaker range. Dali, Danish Audiophile Loudspeaker Industries, are a company with more than 35 years of experience and we can’t wait to have a listen to them!

The Oberon range comprises of two pairs of standmount speakers, two pairs of floorstanding speakers, a pair of on-wall models and a centre speaker. The speakers we would like to show you are the Oberon 5 floorstanding speakers and the Oberon Vokal centre speaker.

The Dali Oberon Series is available in four finishes : Black Ash, White, Dark Walnut and Light Oak. The new grills are either Mountain Grey supplied with the light finishes or Shadow Black supplied with the dark finishes. Marshmallow White is available is an extra cost.

Our speakers have arrived in Light Oak and we have to admit that they look really nice .

Dali Oberon 5 Floorstanders and Oberon Vokal Centre Loudspeaker with Grills

Dali Oberon 5 and Oberon Vokal without Grills

The Oberon 5’s are 83cm high, 16cm wide and 28cm deep. Like all Dali speakers, the Oberon 5’s fire straight ahead (not angled in towards the listening position) due to the soft dome tweeter’s wide dispersion. The two bass/mid woofers wood-fibre cones take over the mid-range and bass frequencies.

Here are a few photos of the Oberon 5. Stunning wood finish

Dali Oberon 5

Dali Oberon 5

Dali Oberon 5

The Oberon Vokal centre speaker is an ideal partner for the surround sound system and blends in nicely with it’s soft dome tweeter and two wood fibre cone woofers.

Dali Oberon Vokal without grill

Dali Oberon Vokal with grill

The Dali Oberon 5 and Oberon Vokal offer a very nice balanced front soundstage when used together in a surround sound system, just add Oberon1, Oberon3 or even Oberon On-Wall as your surround channels.

We listen to all sorts of music and the Oberon 5’s sound fast, detailed, sharp without being bright. A great allrounder.

Please come in for a listen . Coffee and tea will be provided.

Stefan & Andy

Dali loudspeakers are available from the following branches of Audio T :

Brentwood, Cardiff , Online , Swindon

Bowers & Wilkins 800 Series Now Available At Audio T Bristol

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Audio T Brentwood, Audio T Bristol

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

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

Neat Motive SE2 - Thinking Inside The Box!

For a while now the speaker that we sell the most of has been the Neat Motive SX2. They are that great combination of being easy to drive, small in stature but sound big!

Recently we have discovered that there is an improved version (only made to special order) called the Neat Motive SE2 which boasts a new version of the classic EMIT planar magnetic tweeter that is ordinarily only found in the rather more expensive prestige Ultimatum models. Here the tweeter is very cleverly compliantly mounted within its own discrete cavity and boasts a new and enhanced crossover. And here’s the good news …….. all of this comes for only an extra £100! Bargain or what!! Sorry for all the exclamation marks but in this instance they are entirely justified!!!

Since we discovered these little gems it is now not often that we sell the SX2. Every time we demo the SE2 people always prefer its sweeter and more engaging presentation of the music.

These speakers are also not too fussy about position either. They do like a little room behind them and a bit of a toe in which will open up the soundstage, but if you are pushed for space and need to get them close to a rear wall or if you are listening off axis they will still do a great job. They also come in a variety of room friendly finishes too.

The Neat Motive SE2 really come to life when partnered with the amazing little Rega combination of Apollo CD player and Brio amplifier. This combination as system punches well above its weight. That all important thing of “system synergy” really comes into its own here producing a sound that is both finely detailed and musically engaging without ever sounding bright or harsh.

Playing a CD copy of the wonderful Prog Rock classic that is the first Riverside album “Out of Myself” the first track which is called The Same River has mid-range detail in bucket loads and proper deep bass that will drag you in and keep you hooked while the band builds up a true epic of the genre and until the very last note fades! This band should be huge. They are masters of creating Prog Rock epics building on the sounds of Porcupine Tree, Dream Theatre and Pink Floyd, this is a great disc for sorting out the men from the boys when it comes to loudspeaker reproduction. Like the soft petals of a flower unfurling to reveal a Venus Flytrap inside with the sting of a Scorpion (ooer!). And if you like this one there are lots more to discover as well!

So to conclude this little bloggy thing, we think that the Neat Motive SE2’s are one of those magical loudspeaker designs that you should really put on your shortlist what ever your budget is! You will not be disappointed!! Yikes …..more of those exclamation mark things again!! Oh Well.

Neat Acoustics loudspeakers are available from the following branches of Audio T:
Brighton, Cheltenham, Portsmouth, Preston, Reading

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

Seeing How They Are Made: The Bowers and Wilkins 800 Series Loudspeakers

We recently had the opportunity to visit the Worthing based production facility for Bowers and Wilkins 800 series speakers to see first hand how their flagship range are made.

We were greeted at the door by the iconic Nautilus loudspeaker, this one resplendent in its Union Flag livery.

Our guide to the process and factory was Peter, who has been working for Bowers and Wilkins for more than 25 years. He took us around the complete production facility explaining processes and technologies along the way in a very informative, and entertaining, way.

One example of this was the machine used for forming the cabinet for 800 series. This is created from multiple layers of wood and glue which are formed at high pressure and temperature by folding down across a folder like this:

The tour was like the audiophile version of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory with a huge array of machines and people finishing, sanding, painting etc etc.

We saw the famous Bowers and Wilkins Matrix being inserted into one of the 800 series floorstanders.

The Matrix is assembled separately

With the cabinet prised apart by metal jaws the matrix is positioned and glued into place. When the jaws are released the natural spring of the cabinet form will add compression to the matrix

Peter was full of interesting information most of which highlighted the amount of time and care which goes into making these speakers. They are not just built, they are truly hand crafted!

From paint which is applied in up to 13 layers with a four day drying time for each layer, to creating, forming, and metalising the Continuum cones for the drivers everything is done with so much care and attention to detail. The people who work at this production facility are justifiably proud of the products they create!

The factory also produces the iconic Nautilus speakers and the Custom Theatre range which includes beasts like this:

it’s big!!

Also some funky special edition colours.

All in all we were incredibly impressed with the dedication of the people on site and the pride and care which was taken over every aspect of the production of these phenomenal 800 D3 speakers.

Part of the production floor

Alien anyone?

The finished article

We came away with a new found admiration and respect for the Bowers and Wilkins 800 D3 series

We already knew they sounded stunning, now we have a better understanding of why due to the care and attention to detail that goes into creating them,

Last but not least these two poor cabinets were marked “no partner” maybe they need a dating app? I’m thinking Timbr possibly!

The Bowers & Wilkins 800 Series are available for demonstration at the following branches of Audio T:

Brentwood, Bristol

Bowers & Wilkins 700 Series At Audio T Bristol

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

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

Most of the 700 series

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

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

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

706 and 707

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

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

Bowers and Wilkins 705

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

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

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

A New R Series From KEF At Audio T Brentwood

We’ve just recently received our new R Series speakers from KEF and we’re loving what they do. KEF have revamped the R series with new components and a radical grille aesthetic and it really works.

The previous range was a hit but KEF have once again filtered down technology from their acclaimed Reference series to produce a winning combination of finish and performance.

Pictured below is the new R7 in walnut finish and is absolutely beautiful.

With its colour matched drivers and beautiful wood veneer the R7 really is a handsome beast.

There are actually 7 speakers in the R series but for the moment we are going to concentrate on the R7 seen above, the R5 and the R3.

They all use the familiar KEF UniQ drivers to give point source accuracy, an approach which has been continually refined over the years this, coupled with new cabinet technologies like Shadow Flare to reduce edge diffraction and flexible port technology, makes for a winning combination in the sound quality stakes.

The R5 is a slightly smaller floorstander seen here in the piano black finish.

Here you can see the ingenious terminal arrangement for the R5 with KEF’s integral link knobs for bi-amping or bi-wiring.

The R3 is another true three way design but this time in a stand mount configuration

Probably the best colour to show off the rather radical grilles which are perforated microfibre and feel like suede!

So how do they sound?

Well the good news is that across these three models there is definitely a family continuity.

Run with our new Primare I35 and CD35 this is a range which exhibits a beautifully even performance across the frequency range with lovely spaciousness o the sound and great imaging.

Steven Wilson’s album, To the Bone came across with great authority but also delicacy where needed and the highly intelligent (if somewhat racy) pop of Janelle Monae’s new album Dirty Computer really had a lot of drive and flow.

With a size available to match most rooms and systems we think this R series is going to be a huge success for KEF.

Why not come and have a listen! Thanks for reading. Paul, Jason and Francis - Audio T Brentwood

KEF Loudspeakers are available from the following branches of Audio T: Brentwood, Bristol, Cardiff, Enfield, Manchester, Online, Portsmouth, Preston, Southampton, Swansea, Swindon

Cute KEF LSX Wireless Speakers

After the success of the wireless LS50, KEF have released a smaller, less expensive model called the LSX, and at £1000 they are a very attainable price.

KEF LSX Red

Available in a range of funky colours including Red (pictured above) Green, Blue, White and Black.

KEF LSX Rear

They have most of the functionality of the LS50 wireless but have the advantage over the LS50 of not needing the ethernet cable joining the two speakers, making them wireless other than the mains cables.

You have the option of directly connecting other devices via an optical or analogue cable, and you can also add an active subwoofer for extra bass if you wish. The wireless options include Bluetooth, Tidal and Spotify streaming and playing from a UPNP hard drive.

KEF LSX input sockets

You use the same combo of apps as the LS50 wireless. The KEF Control app is for setting the speakers up and changing inputs, and the Stream app for playing UPNP, Tidal or Spotify.

KEF Control App

KEF Stream App

The LSX sound surprisingly full, especially considering their compact size. Why not come in and have a listen and judge for yourself.

KEF LSX next to a 12” record

Thanks for reading. These and KEF loudspeakers are available for demonstration at Audio T Portsmouth and the following branches of Audio T: Brentwood, Bristol, Cardiff, Enfield, Manchester, Online, Portsmouth, Preston, Southampton, Swansea, Swindon

Michell My Belle! Customer Upgrades His Gyro Turntable With Michell Techno Tonearm

Christmas arrives a little early for one of our customers as he has treated himself to a new tone arm on his Michell Gyro turntable. He had an ageing Rega RB300 previously installed on the turntable that was starting to become troublesome. With our advice the customer chose the obvious choice, the Michell Techno A tonearm in black to match the existing finish of the turntable.

Michell Gyro with new Techno A arm fitted

At the same time we have also removed the old acrylic plinth and lid giving the deck a much slicker look and feel. This was achieved by adding the Michell Gyro Spyder kit as shown below. The old deck is dismantled and the feet are removed from the plinth and threaded on to the new Spyder.

Michell Gyro Spyder kit

Techno A arm unboxing

New arm mounting plate

The old arm mounting plate needs to be replaced as it is the single mounting point plate. The new mounting plate is seen fitted in place above. The new three point mount all ready for the new tone arm.

Tonearm mount from top

Techno A arm fitted

Next we need to fit the cartridge to the tonearm. Our customer decided to go for the Rega Ania MC cartridge as shown below.

Rega ANIA MC cartridge during fitting

Rega ANIA MC cartridge

Now we need to adjust the height of the tonearm to make sure the vertical tracking angle is correct for the cartridge installed. This is achieved by the clever Michell thread at the mounting of the arm. In this case no adjustment was needed so the three mounting screws can tightened to fix the tonearm in place.

Tonearm height adjustment

Michell Techno A arm Scallop counter weights

Two different weight scallops are supplied depending on the weight of your cartridge. In this case the larger of the two has been used.

Scallop counter weight in place

Checking tracking force

Above we are checking the tracking weight using Project Measure IT stylus balance gage.

Ready for the first play

Cue up ready……”drop the needle on the record”

Michell HR power supply + Nytech CDP122

Above is the is older Michell HR power supply (this has now been replaced with a more modern looking box and case work) alongside the Nytech CDP122, our weapon of choice at the moment when it comes to supplying moving magnet or moving coil setups.

Final pic of the completed setup

Thanks to Steve for his permission to blog about his latest audio upgrade. In the pic above we have the front of his home cinema setup. The classic Pioneer plasma, Arcam AVR550, REL S3, Oppo UDP-203 & the now discontinued Bowers & Wilkins 683S2 teamed with the HTM61S2 center speaker. He finishes off his surround system with two B&W M1 speakers on the rear and B&W CCM665 in the ceiling for Dolby Atmos, creating a very impressive 5.1.2 system. Michell Techno A arm and Rega ANIA MC cartridge is available from all branches of Audio T.

Michell Engineering turntables are available from the following branches of Audio T:
Brentwood, Cardiff, Manchester, Southampton, Swansea

Thanks for reading: Hefin, Nick (blogger) and Kerrin Audio T Cardiff.

The All New KEF R7 Speakers Available At Audio T Preston

The original KEF R Series was a very highly regarded speaker range and was popular with both Hi-Fi and Home Cinema enthusiasts alike. For over 5 years each model in the range earned itself many awards and 5 star reviews.

Back in September KEF relaunched and proudly presented the new R Series speaker range promising that they would be even better.

We've been taking a closer look at the KEF R7 floorstanding speakers to see what has changed.

Behind the scenes at KEF... At the heart of KEF's culture lies innovation & creativity. Forever challenging the norm in every element of our work, the all-new R Series advert was no exception...

Well as it turns out they've changed quite a lot. The new KEF R Series has been completely re-engineered from the ground up, with 1,043 changes undertaken during the design process, all done to further improve upon the performance, build and finish of original R Series speaker range.

The R7 is the mid-sized floor standing member of the new R Series. Featuring two 165mm (6.5 in.) hybrid aluminium bass drivers and a Uni-Q combining a 125mm (5 in.) mid-range driver and 25mm (1 in.) aluminium dome tweeter, R7 outperforms all expectations. Equally at home with music and film, R7 proves to be just as flexible as the rest of the R Series range. Placing the tweeter in the acoustic centre of the midrange cone brings the acoustic ideal of a single point source closer to realisation. The new R Series benefits from a new 12th generation of the legendary Uni-Q driver array.

The new R Series also utilises a new internal bracing system called Constrained Layer Damping originally developed for the LS50.

http://www.kef.com/rseries The new KEF R Series has been completely re-engineered from the ground up. Decades of experience and our unbridled passion for music come together in the new R Series.

We unboxed the R7's and immediately put them to work on a Naim Uniti Nova, we then left them playing all day and overnight to help them run in a little. By the time we could sit down for a listen they had been playing for over 48 hours and boy was it worth the wait. The audio separation and imaging they produce is superb and has plenty depth and space. We found the R7's to be both gentle and subtle when required but also commanding and authoritative when the music demands it. So if you are listening to the sweet voice of Agnes Obel or getting a bit heavier with the likes of Muse or The Prodigy, the R7's will hold your attention for many hours.

Also in the new R Series range and available for a demonstration we have R3 and the R5. Or if you are thinking of putting together a stonking home cinema system we have the R2C Centre channel and the R8A Dolby Atmos speakers.

Book your demonstration with us today on 01772 883958, you wont be disappointed.

KEF Loudspeakers are available at the following branches of Audio T:
Brentwood, Bristol, Cardiff, Enfield, Manchester, Online, Portsmouth, Preston, Southampton, Swansea, Swindon

QUAD Artera Solus and ATC Loudspeakers New H-Fi At Audio T Portsmouth

We have recently taken on the New Quad Solus from the Artrera range and ATC loudspeakers. We were hugely impressed by the Solus when first we heard it, and likewise with the ATCs.

When both products arrived on the same the same day we thought why not run them in together. One of the first speakers we received from ATC where the SCM11 and we thought they would be a good match for the Quad Solus. We think we were right.

The Solus features a CD player, Bluetooth, accessible DAC including 3 digital coax, 2 optical inputs and an Asynchronous USB. There are 2 analogue RCA inputs as well. You are also spoiled for choice when it comes down to outputs. There are 2 analogue pre-outputs, RCA's and Balanced allowing you to add the Artera Stereo power amp should you wish. Finlay there is also an optical out should you need. A very well spaced product for a one box solution offering some serious upgrade options.

ATC SCM 11

Moving to the other end of the system, the ATC SCM11. A beautifully designed infinite baffle (closed box) two way speaker, offering 4 finish options. Black ash, Cherry (featured) Satin black and white.  Made in Britain I might add.  We mounted them on the Custom Design FS104 signature stands, as everything seems to work well on them, connected them with Chord Rumour speaker cable, popped in ''Long Road Out of Eden'' by the Eagles and pressed play. Straight out of the box the SCM11s sounded pretty good if not a little restrained as one might expect. We left them to it for a couple of hours and unboxed the rest of the ATC speakers that had arrived. Such as the SCM7 SCM19 and the SCM40.

We sat down for a listen and even after a relatively short running in period they had already opened up and where starting to sound more engaging. As good as they sounded, we knew there was more to come, and to form an opinion then and there would be unfair so we left them running for the rest of the day and over night. Towards the end of the following day we sat down again and put them through their paces. By this time the Solus had plenty of time to sound at its best, and overall performance was vastly improved from the previous day, by that I mean almost a totally different sound. The bass extension was great, dynamic, tight and fun. To let the bottom end show off a little, we played Newton Faulkners version of Massive Attacks “Tear Drop”. Newton’s slightly gravelly vocal characteristic really came through, but the really fun bit happens right at the end. There is a huge bass tone that can sound either flat or overblown on a lot of systems. Not this one. A good test for clarity and separation for vocals is Blood Money by Tom Waits ''Misery is the river of the world'' specifically. With Waits distinctive vocal style, it is not always easy to understand what he is growling on about. Having said that even when every word is crystal clear one can still be left none the wiser. The lyrics were well defined and easy to make out. The overall sound from the system is well detailed without being analytical, well defined in the bottom but most importantly really good fun to listen to. As cliche' as it sounds the Solus SCM11 combo really brought the music to life, it gives spaciousness and real presence allowing you to fully immerse in whatever you are listening to.

We had a quick play with the DAC side of things using the Sonos Connect. We used a Chord Company Clearway Digital coax interconnect  and Clearway Analogue so we could switch between them. We simply repeated what we had previously listened to through Spotify. The difference was quite clear. The Solus dac made a really good account of itself improving the Spotify source no end.

To conclude, the Quad Artera Solus is versatile, solid great build quality and is fun and engaging to listen to. A grate value product that punches above its price point. We can't wait to spend more time with the SCM11 and rest of the ATC range.  The SCM11 aloud the Solus to really stretch its wings, they are responsive, engaging, fun with great tonal balance. We can't find a bad word to say about them and are really looking forward with more electronics in the future.

Come and hear for yourself.

We look forward to seeing you at Audio T Portsmouth.

Nick Joe and James

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

Shine Bright Like A Diamond: The Bowers And Wilkins 800 Series Now At Audio T Brentwood

We are delighted to report that we have the new 800 D3 series from Bowers & Wilkins running in at the moment and we are all very excited!

These most prestigious of speakers are something we have been lusting after for some time. Now we have the chance to demonstrate them to you. These stunning speakers have go to be heard to be believed!

This is the array while we’re running them in, from left to right 802, 803, 804, and 805 Prestige Edition.

So much has been written about the 800 series that there is no real need to regurgitate facts, figures and specs, lets just say they are the pinnacle of B&W’s research and expertise. From the diamond tweeters through the continuum cones to the beautiful fit and finish these speakers ooze quality and most important of all is that they sound spectacular!

The largest floorstander we have is the 802 although there is the 800 above that in the range.

Then the 803

The 804

And finally the 805. Ours are in the Prestige finish which is a beautiful high gloss Santos rosewood and comes with a price premium over the standard finishes.

Needless to say we’ve been trying them out with all sorts of partnering equipment and music. So far they have worked well with everything we have tried and with all genres. Stay tuned for a more detailed report on this next time and for news of an 800 inspired event coming sometime before Christmas.

For now I’m just going to leave you with more pictures of these beauties and get back to listening to them!

And the obligatory Boswell picture…….he most definitely approves.

Come and have a listen! Paul, Jason & Francis - Audio T Brentwood

Bowers & Wilkins 800 loudspeakers are available for demonstration at our Cardiff & Brentwood branches.

All other Bowers & Wilkins loudspeakers can be heard at the following branches of Audio T: Brentwood, Brighton, Bristol, Cardiff, Enfield, Manchester, Oxford, Portsmouth, Preston, Southampton, Swansea, Swindon

Powerhouse PMC Reference And Marantz Home Cinema System

Music and Movies are two passions of ours. Having one system that does both justice is something we strive for when specifying systems for our clients, who also share the same passion.

With this in mind, our large cinema room has been upgraded with the pre-power from Marantz and reference PMC Twenty5 26 speakers.

The Marantz 8805 AV processor is fully compliant with all the latest sound formats as well as being ready for 4K Ultra High definition sources.

The sound quality of the 8805 is improved vastly by the use of 32 bit DACS on all channels which means more enjoyment for you. Most processors use 24 bit DACS which do not sound as good.

The 7 channel power amp driving our PMC speakers is the beautiful Marantz MM8077 which supplies 7 x 150w of power to the PMC speakers.

High current, high bandwidth discrete power transistors can handle short term musical bursts with aplomb, even into difficult low impedance speaker loads. The PMC speakers always perform better when provided good juice.

The combination of the PMC Twenty5 26 Left and Right speakers with the matching PMC Twenty5 Centre really make movies and music shine.

For Surround channels at the rear, we have opted for PMC Twenty5 22 speakers which gell very well with the 3 power house speakers up front.

For Subwoofer duties, the REL S5 SHO fills the room with a deep and powerful low end which enriches the sound for stereo two channel and multi-channel enjoyment.

Bring along some of your favourite music and films and come and have a listen!

Thanks for reading. John, Keith & Mahmood - Audio T Enfield.

Denon & Marantz Hi-Fi is available at the following branches of Audio T
Brentwood, Brighton, Bristol, Cardiff, Cheltenham, Enfield, Manchester, Online, Oxford, Portsmouth, Preston, Southampton, Swansea, Swindon

PMC loudspeakers are available at the following branches of Audio T:
Brighton, Bristol, Cardiff, Enfield, Manchester, Portsmouth, Southampton, Swansea, Swindon

REL sub bass systems are available at the following branches of Audio T:
Brentwood, Brighton, Bristol, Cheltenham, Enfield, Manchester, Oxford, Portsmouth, Reading, Southampton, Swansea, Swindon

Acoustic Energy AE300 Series. Great Sound. Great Look. Great Price!

Over the past week we have been playing with some new speakers from Acoustic Energy. The AE300 stand mount and the AE309 floor standing loudspeakers. They are available in three high standard finishes a Black or White Gloss finish and a Satin real wood Walnut veneer. There is also a centre speaker available, the AE307 for home cinema use.

The new 300 series offers some big upgrades from the entry level 100 series in both performance and aesthetics. The new mid bass drive units have been designed together to achieve a seamless tonal balance and the aluminium dome tweeter features wide dispersion technology which provides a greater sweet spot in your room making placement within a room easier.

Internal bracing inside the cabinet improves rigidity and reduces colouration of sound, and in the case of the AE309 (Gloss Finish and £1099 for walnut) they come mass filled which greatly improves stability and gives solidity allowing for a cleaner and more open performance. There is also a slot shaped port at the rear as found in the 100 series which allows for greater bass control and the ability to position them closer to a wall than most rear ported loudspeaker designs.

We thought we would use the same electronics for both speakers to keep a level playing field and we opted for the Rega Planar 3 with the Rega Elex-R integrated amp. Of course the AE300 at £599 for the Gloss finishes and £649 for the walnut are not strictly the right speakers within that system but we wanted to see just what they could do so we put them on the Custom Design FS104 stands mass filled and dug out a record. We kicked of with the second album from London Grammar, ‘‘Truth Is A Beautiful Thing’’ and played it all the way through side one. Impressed… they handled Hannahs powerful vocals and the some time ridiculous bass London Grammar like to employ. They sounded very present in the room without being forced and still allowing plenty of space around the vocal, giving loads of depth to the soundstage an offering a really enjoyable listen. I have a feeling that the AE300’s will work really well with anything within reason.

Next of course we moved up to the AE309. The extra drive unit and cabinet provided far greater bass extension and presence. In some cases when a stand mounted speaker sounds so good the first floor stander in a range can sound a little bloated, uncontrolled and can lose clarity. Not a bit of it. The AE309 just sounded bigger, as you might expect, all the improvements you would hope for when moving up in a range were apparent. We have since had them running in the foyer of the shop, a far bigger area, and they do not shy away.

In short they are hugely versatile and fun to listen to, We really cannot fault them at their price point and we look forward to playing with them in the future.

Remember, if you would like to borrow them for a home demonstration we can arrange that or simply get in touch with us and we will set them up in store for you.

We look forward to seeing you soon.

Nick Joe and James - Audio T Portsmouth

Acoustic Energy loudspeakers are available from the following branches of Audio T:

Brentwood, Bristol, Cheltenham, Online, Portsmouth, Preston, Reading, Swindon

Spendor A7 Floor Standing Speakers Are Dynamic Open And Exhilarating!

Hello blog readers!. We held back from doing this blog for a while because from fresh out of their boxes these Spendor A7 compact (by some comparisons) 2-way floor standing speakers sounded really rather good and so we began to wonder what they would be capable of when properly run in!

Well we have done that (that Dedmau5 CD is good for something!) and I can tell you that they are one amazing pair of loudspeakers. They have had plenty of hours playing time and the sound has really opened up. Bass especially is impressive being deep and articulate with an overall sound that is open and detailed with a lovely left to right imaging capability!

Spendor proudly boast that they are calibrated and matched to broadcast reference standards and use their brand new design EP77 Polymer cones! They are slim, compact and worked well in our demo room relatively close to the rear wall. This is due to the rather nifty use of what Spendor call a FlowPort which means that the loudspeaker has less effect on the room boundary placement!

We had them playing with the brand new and equally lovely Arcam CDS50 SACD Player and SA20 Amplifier coupled together with a Rega Couple phono to phono cable and the sound they make together is actually rather exciting.

I played a variety of different CD’s and SACD’s through the system among them an SACD copy of Dark Side of the Moon which sounded so open and agile that I had to listen to it all the way through and I was certain that I could hear things deep in the mix that I had never heard before and that’s always good!

Then craving more of that lovely natural sound and glorious sense of soundstaging I played As Falls Wichita So Falls Wichita Falls by Pat Metheny and Lyle Mays from the album of the same name. This album has that typical lush 1970’s ECM sound with a wide open soundstage that you can just fall into. Listening through the Spendor A7’s was a delight and a revelation delivering a level of detail, definition and information that I didn’t even know were there. I just love it when that happens. This track is twenty minutes and forty two seconds long and it was totally mesmerising with not a dull second. Never has the word gorgeous been so appropriate!

Anyway after all the fun stuff comes the fact bit……. They Spendor A7’s cost £2995 (grilles are extra though at £195 a pair). Don’t let this put you off because they sound a lot more musical than many a speaker I have heard at two and three times the price. They come in Black Ash, Dark walnut, Natural Oak or Satin White to special order at £300 extra.

Well as it says in the heading of this blog the Spendor A7’s are dynamic open and exhilarating and I will leave the last words to Spendor’s head man Phil Swift who says “they will add a whole new dimension to your listening pleasure!”

We encourage you to come and have a listen to these speakers at Audio T Cheltenham.

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

ATC Entry Series Loudspeaker Range At Audio T Bristol

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

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

Taken at our recent trip to the ATC factory

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

ATC SCM7

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

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

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

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

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

ATC SCM40 and SCM7s

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

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

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