On Wednesday 24th October between 5pm and 8pm Naim will be joining us to feature
'The Future of Hi-Fi' and to also demonstrate the significant performance gains the new
'Discreet Regulator Upgrades' to the power supplies bring.
Please register your interest with us to ensure that you do not miss out
on this event.
http://www.audiot.co.uk/storefinder/brighton/
The Focal Spirit One headphones have been designed to have the optimal sound insulation keeping unwanted ambient noise out so the superb sound quality can be heard unhindered.
Being a circumaural closed back design and due to the innovative design of the headband and ear capsules the Spirit Ones offer virtually no leakage of sound.
Being very lightweight and utilising the softest of materials listening to music for hours is a real pleasure.
Now in store and available for demonstration
New in store are some great hi-fi separates from Rotel. We've always been impressed by the great sound quality and exceptional build quality that Rotel are renowned for at very reasonable prices. As well as the elegant slot loading RCD-12 CD player and slimline RA-10 and RA-12 amplifiers we also have the exciting new RT-12 on demonstration. This product is much more than a tuner, featuring not only DAB+ and FM but is also a network player capable of playing audio files stored on UPnP devices plus top quality Wolfson DACS and is able to operate as the wireless hub for Rotels iPhone and iPad app to control the complete system.
Why not give us a call on 02380 252827 or email southampton@audio-t.co.uk to book a demonstration?
Another World Wide Web 1st for Audio-T Reading
Yesterday saw the launch of The Chord Company Sarum Tuned Aray (spelling intentional) flagship range. This is a major revision of the entire range excluding the speaker cable.
I’ll cut to the chase right away and say that this in my view is an industry game changer; such is the profound improvement in the enjoyment of music it makes in all the systems we have thus far used it in. With that out of the way I’ll elaborate.
The current Sarum interconnects have been with us for a while now (previous called Solstice) and have received heaps of well-deserved praise throughout the press and online. Indeed so impressed was I with the XLR balanced version I bought a pair for my own Rega Isis/Osiris CD/amplifier combo. I collected these direct from their factory on a training day and Nigel, their chief designer gave me a sneak preview and demo and a promise of a loan in October of what is now called the Sarum Tuned Aray .
So, for the last week or so I’ve had the new version at home as promised and I have to say, even more so than the brief listen at Chord, I’m totally floored by what this has brought to my digital replay.
It has to be said, this is no minor tweak or tart-up but a major redesign of the make-up of the cable (see Nigel’s full explanation below). The result is the most musically engaging experience I have ever had from a CD source. I should say at this point I’ve only had the XLR version to listen too but can’t wait to experiment with the RCA pair and the Din-Din version specifically for all our Naim CD and Streamer customers of which Nigel claims even bigger gains!
It’s very difficult to put what I hear into words but one can’t help feeling that the inclusion of this cable is what one has always wished a cable to do, everything, yes everything. Gone is any trace of added ringing or harshness one often associates with the digital format but at the same time it doesn’t smooth out the treble in a masking fashion at all. Bright sounding CDs remain so but they don’t scream anymore they just sound the way they were meant too, the music engaging instead of making one feel uncomfortable. The same is true of those awful overly compressed recordings too. It doesn’t make them sound as if the compression wasn’t used but because one is so engaged in the music it matters less.
Bass, for the first time now has drive and a real sense of power that I’ve only previously experience with vinyl and on top of that there’s real texture to the bass and the leading edges are how they should be, taut but not overly so like so may attempts before.
Focus is a term many bandy about their products but here you really understand exactly what is meant by focus. EVERYTHING is rock solid in the soundstage and because of that, hitherto unidentified sounds, noises etc startle you in their sudden appearance. Returning to the old Sarum, great as it is, everything seams to have disintegrated somewhat, like an exploded diagram where you can see all the parts but not the actual object. You have to imagine what it really looks like. This is what the Tuned Aray does with its sonic picture, it creates the whole image in font of you in a way that just allows you to relax and enjoy the performance by the artists rather than the kit reproducing it. Like I said, I’m floored!!
Is there a catch? The only one I can think of: the price. At £1800 one could hardly call the original Sarum cheap (for XLR, £300 less for RCA) but this has only risen by a mere £100 for the Tuned Aray version, which is commendable. It would have been all too easy for Chord to have dressed the cable up with some über-fancy plugs and jacket/packaging and charged an outrageous sum for the improvement, bravo to Chord for not doing so.
Without a doubt, my product of the year and some. Naturally we’ll have the Sarum Tuned Aray on demo as soon as we can lay our hand on them.
As Apple said on the launch of the original iPhone:
THIS CHANGES EVERYTHING.
Simon
From Nigel Finn:
Tuned Aray, the principles and the performance.
What is it? It’s a very different conductor configuration. We were experimenting with ways of reducing reflections in digital cables and the first prototypes with reconfigured conductors were really impressive.
Things got really interesting though when we started to experiment with a tuning process that we could apply to the conductors. The results were extraordinary, and we began to understand just how important it was to get this tuning process right. Once we had successfully applied the process to our Sarum Digital interconnect, the results were so astonishing we began to experiment with the Sarum analogue cables as well.
What does it do? In truth the improvements are huge and in a musical sense really quite profound. So much so that the work we’d done with the Sarum Tuned Aray conductors forced us to rethink, redesign or revise almost every other interconnect type in our range. So the Sarum Tuned Aray has directly influenced almost every analogue and digital interconnect we produce.
What does it sound like? It sounds right, and right in a way that we perhaps had not thought possible from a digital source. There are all the things that you might listen for: space, definition, detail and dynamics, but there’s more, instruments sound about as real as we’ve ever heard.
That’s not just a Telecaster, it’s the bridge pickup, bratty, fierce and stinging, and that’s a Gibson with a Bigsby Vibrato, and the sound that makes is just so rich and harmonic. Check out “Down by the River” on Neil Young’s Everyone Knows This Is Nowhere for a perfect example of this.
It’s not just guitars though, there’s the same sense of realness to everything, and that realness leads to an extraordinary insight into whatever music is being played. Micro dynamics are so clear and because of this rhythms are beautifully stated, if the drummer is driving the song then you going to hear that.
Perhaps most importantly there’s a sense of connectedness with the music, you can sit down to listen to something and the time will disappear. This really is about getting caught up in the music.
What does it work with? Every piece of equipment we’ve tried. RCA, DIN and XLR cables all work in the same way. Sarum Tuned Aray has forced us to re-evaluate the performance potential of every piece of equipment we’ve tried it with. Think you’ve heard your System? Well you probably haven’t.
I hate the way modern recordings sound so compressed. So do we, and one of the really positive things we’ve noticed with Tuned Aray cables is that brightness and compression is nowhere near as intrusive. It’s still there but the focus is so on the music, that it becomes far easier to ignore both brightness and excessive compression.
On Thursday the 18th of October we will be joined by The Chord Company for an exclusive digital event here at Audio T Brentwood
They will show you how the addition of one of Chord's dedicated digital cables can provide substantial improvements to your streaming device, CD transport, or computer
There will be a FULL range of Chord digital coaxial and USB cables on demo, Including NEW product exclusives.
There will also be a PRIZE DRAW and special offers available on the day only.
This will take place between the hours of 12pm - 8pm
We look forward to seeing you there!
We now have the fabulous Focal Spirit One headphones in stock and available to demonstrate.
This Monday we invited a group of our customers to meet up with us as guests of Naim for the day at their factory in Salisbury. We were warmly welcomed, as always at Naim, by our host for the day, southern area manager Jason Gould. After an introduction to Naim by MD Paul Stephenson in the impressively equipped demonstration room (more of that later) we were treated to a comprehensive factory tour by Jason. All aspects of manufacturing Naims wide range of hi-fi components was shown to us, from the meticulous construction of Powerline mains leads to the impressive r&d department with Jason and other Naim employees providing an informative and fascinating explanation of what makes Naim different.
We know the incredibly high standards of manufacturing and quality control that Naim apply to everything they build, having visited Naim before, but to our customers who were seeing it all for the first time it was a real eye opener. The attention to detail, from pair matching of transistors, listening to every single product before it leaves the factory (no batch testing here). to the amazing SNAIC shaker, which has to be seen to be believed, all highlight why Naim products are outstanding in both performance and build quality. It was very clear that no corners are cut here. This level of care and attention doesn't come cheap but it does result in products which last and deliver lifetime satisfaction. Even the oldest amplifiers, which are now well over thirty years ago, are still routinely serviced by Naim and come out as good as new.
After lunch in Naims relaxed canteen we returned to the demonstration room. The speakers set up were the imposing active Ovator S600s 
powered by a trio of mighty NAP500 power amps.....
These were located at the business end of an array of Fraims housing an awe inspiring system fronted by the wonderful NDX network player...
... feeding a flagship NAC552 preamplifier...
The effortless delivery of this statement system was stunning. The sense of scale and instantaneous response to demanding musical transients was made easy by the three powerhouse NAP500s driving the S600s in active mode with a SNAXO crossover. We didn't think it could get much better than this but in order to demonstrate the benefit of the new DR (discrete regulator) power supplies Jason fed the SNAXO with a Supercap DR which immediately removed a veil we didn't know was there! The final crowning glory was achieved by Jason connecting a 555PS DR to the NDX...
... The system again responded by delivering even more clarity, authority and solidity of sound. The difference was more than a subtle tweak. It was a dramatic improvement on an already stunning high end hi-fi system.
It was a great day at Naim. We were all made to feel very welcome, for which we extend our thanks to Paul Stephenson and all the staff, who were more than generous with their time, and a special thanks to Jason for being such an informative and friendly host. If anyone would like to be included on a future visit to Naim, either existing Naim owners or potential Naim buyers please phone Alan or John on 02380 252827 or email southampton@audio-t.co.uk to register your interest.
If you are still not convinced that it would be good use of your scarce free time I'll leave you with the words of thanks sent to Jason at Naim by one of our customers who attended the factory visit this week.
Jason,
A quick email to say thank you for hosting the tour around Naim on Monday this week - it was
convivial and insightful, an excellent day overall reenforcing my belief in Naim as a route to
listening to music; not just a product! That said, no other manufacturer can beat the imagery and
sense of ownership a tower of Naim products stacked in a Fraim evokes!
One aspect that struck me whilst at Naim was the positive and friendly atmosphere that everyone who
works at Naim conveyed.
A truly British approach to innovation and quality which I'm proud to be a customer of, the
principles of which I hope Naim will continue with into the future.
Thank you again.
Kind regards, Glyn
The first pocket sized music system good enough for audiophle purists.
Ideal for travelling the Foxl streams via Bluetooth technology from laptops, I-Pods and MP3 players.
Comes complete with an Audioquest green interconnect to get the best posible results when the Foxl is connected directly to a music source.
Now in stock and available for demonstration in store
Our very first Naim event in our new dem room proved to be very successful.
We didn't think a dem room could sound so good, especially in hearing the differences between the new DR power supplies.
Naim Audio's new NDS digital streamer was on show and the general consensus amongst our guests who attended was " we want one! ".
Watch this space for further news on future events.
Now Audio-T Reading is an even nicer place to shop...and work.
Everything seems to sound better too. Only kidding!
Hope you enjoy the new look as much as we do.
Make a note in your diary now!
On November 10th in partnership with The Chord Company we are holding a special Digital Audio Event.
You will get the chance to see all their digital related cables and some NEW product exclusives!
Free prize draw on the day too so don't miss it.
We are pleased to announce we are holding a Vinyl Roadshow event with Rega and record specialists Diverse Vinyl.
The event takes place in store on Thursday 6th December.
Come along and hear how good vinyl can sound on a selction of the finest turntables around.
In addition to the visit from Diverse Vinyl, who will have a selection of records for sale, Rega will showcase their latest products, including the new brand new RP8 Turntable with Apheta MC Cartridge. A set up of the Rega Reference system which includes the IOS Phono Stage, OSIRIS integrated amplifier, ISIS CD Player and RS10 loudspeakers will also be on demonstration.
We will also be offering a half price service on all turntables along with 10% off any spares and parts that may be needed.
There's no need to book, just turn up on the day.
We look forward to seeing you.
PMC have announced the following promotion with their stunning Twenty series speakers on the run up to the end of the year.
Class leading sound quality and elegant cabinets will place the Twenty range at the top of any music lovers shopping list but now with the added incentive of the remarkable Audioquest Dragonfly USB DAC included free of charge makes now the ideal time to upgrade your speaker.
This diminutive device has a far bigger impact than its size suggests, making computer based audio an option for even the most dedicated audiophile.
To hear a pair of PMC Twenty series speakers for yourself just give Phil or Andy a call on 01793 538222 or email us on swindon@audio-t.co.uk to book a demo.
Personally I didn't think PMC could improve very much from the i series (db1i, gb1i etc) but with this new Twenty series they have blown my mind! Partner the Twenty21's with a £500+ amplifier and the results are wonderful. As we know bigger is better so with the Twenty22's you get a lot more bottom end which suits some but not all! But also seem more detailed. Obviously the room will be a factor in this! Pairing any of these wonders with the new Naim Uniti 2 and the outcome is lovely! Similarly throwing on one of our many Cyrus or Audiolab systems will also not leave you unentertertained!
Moving up in the range we have the Twenty23 and Twenty24. We now shift from the standmount to floorstander's. The design of the speakers is one that you can't ignore. The slope sets them off and they are a real head turner! Bit like marmite you love it or hate it but personally I think they look beautiful!
The Twenty23's are the baby of the floorstander range but are not to be sniffed at. Many customers have compared this range to the daddy of the PMC range 'Fact' and I can see where they are coming from. They have a lot of the characteristics of the 'Fact' just not the price tag to match! The Twenty 23's have the same size driver and tweeter of the Twenty 21 (5.5") but in a larger 'box' so have much more bottom end!
The Twenty24's have the same drivers as the Twenty 22's (6.5") but again in a bigger case so improved bass.
These are speakers not to be ignored, will certainly put a smile on your face! Have insance character a fantastic soundstage and a beautiful top end.
As well as sounding lovely in stereo they have also released a matching centre channel for those who want to incorporate wonderful stereo with outstanding stereo! And I must admit having listened to it this week, the results are very impressive!
Book a demonstration today!
Recently we have seen many streaming units come out that simply plug into your existing hifi. There are fantastic as you have music on demand and enough radio to last you a life time!
Units like the Sonos Connect can simply plug into your existing 15 year old technics stack system, all you need is an internet connection and a bridge if neccessary!
Although these units will stream every title from your music library with ease the outcome isn't always the best! I have been playing with DAC's (digital to analogue converters) for sometime now but some of these aren't to everyone's budget. Although Arcam have released a little beauty of a unit that can improve the output of your Sonos or other similarly priced streaming unit.
Its called the rLink. Has 1 optical connection, 1 digital coax connection and a power supply input one end and on the other a set of phono outputs.
Simply take the digital output out of the Sonos (either optical or coax) then a set of phonos from the other end into your amplifier and your away! The result is noticeable making everything open up and more detailed. I have tested this on a range of amplifiers from the Marantz PM6004 to the Rega Brio-r to the Audiolab 8200A and every time it didn't dissapoint. Obviously when you get to a certain stage the onboard DAC will sound better than the rLink but for just £149 its a little beauty that packs a punch!
Take a look at the other wonderful R range on arcam's website. There only small but don't be put off by that! Come in for a dem today!
http://www.arcam.co.uk/products,rseries.htm
The Chord Company designs, manufactures and sells award-winning cables for hi-fi, home cinema, HDTV, 3DTV, gaming, custom install, in-car audio and pro audio. Since 1985, The Chord Co has been producing high quality cables, allowing you to get the best from any level of equipment and the maximum enjoyment from your music, TV, film and games. Chord cables are assembled to the highest standards at our facility near Stonehenge, Wiltshire, England.
We have teamed up with Chord to bring you an exclusive digital audio event where you can compare the different cables and hear for yourself the improvement a simple upgrade can do to your system whether it be stereo or multi-channel home cinema.
This event takes place at our shop in Cardiff on November 2nd from 2-7pm.
We are very pleased to have the two standmount Twenty 21 and 22, and the two floorstanding Twenty 23 and 24 PMC Twenty Series loudspeakers on demonstration, alongside the well established Fact 8 floorstanders.
PMC have gained a very strong reputation for their domestic Hi-Fi range of loudspeakers in recent years, and deservedly so. The newer offerings from PMC are very capable, and elegant.
We are preparing to arrange our first vinyl evening, it will be held on Tuesday 23rd October from 7pm at the Fusion room restaurant on Friargate in Preston.
This will hopefully be the first of many & the idea is simple... just turn up and listen to an album in it's entirety with a short break to grab a drink half way in. If you are interested in joining us please email the store preston@audio-t.co.uk or call us on 01772 883958.
As this is the first time we have organised this type of event it will be a starting point for us and as we continue to do more they can become bigger and better with manufacturers becoming involved. The first album chosen by us is
Lou Reed
Transformer
189 gram pressing
If you require any additional information, please feel free to contact us.
On Thursday the 22nd of November, Audio T Swindon will be joined by Cyrus and PMC for a one night only music evening.
Cyrus will be showing off their streaming products whilst using a stack of Cyrus Mono X 300s supplying the power to a pair of BIG PMC speakers.
PMC will also be lending us a pair of the awesome IB2 loudspeakers.
This music event will run from 12pm through to 7pm.
So if you have any questions for Cyrus or would just simply like to hear the sort of system 
that most people could only dream about then please come along.
Please register your interest in branch in order not to miss out on this event.
See you there!
We are really looking forward to receiving these astonishing British products. Whilst all the model range wil be available to us, we shall be carrying in stock permantly the Elements series and the Tucana integrated amp.
The elements series is the latest in the line of Leema high performance audio equipment, squeezing class leading audiophile performance into beautiful hand built half size chassis'.
The Integrated Amp is 56 Watts into 8 Ohms and more than 100 into 4 Ohms. Available with an optional inbuilt 24 bit 192 kHz DAC with SPDIF and asynchronous USB inputs. Like all Leema amplifiers, tricky speaker loads are not a worry.
http://www.leema-acoustics.com/shop/elements-series/integrated-amplifier
The CD uses a dedicated TEAC audio transport producing extremely low levels of jitter, whilst the DAC posesses extremely very low levels noise, distortion and crosstalk. Dual analogue outputs are available for both balanced and unbalanced applications.
http://www.leema-acoustics.com/shop/component/cd-players/cd-player
The DAC is 24 bit 192 kHz, with the USB being asynchronous reducing jitter to virtually zero. Inclusion of an analogue volume control enables it to be used as a very high quality pre amplifier.
http://www.leema-acoustics.com/shop/elements-series/dac
The Phono is switcheable for use with both moving coil and moving magnet cartridges, posessing astonishing performance for the price.
http://www.leema-acoustics.com/shop/elements-series/elements-phono
The Tucana II shares DNA with the reference series Altair IV. Performance, drive and clarity are absolutely amazing for a sub for thousand pound amplifier.This is the perfect partner to our bigger Dynaudio speakers.
http://www.leema-acoustics.com/shop/component/amplifiers/tucana
At Audio T we're always excited to share with you our thoughts and musings on the latest and greatest Hi-Fi and home audio! Our blog features news and reviews from individual stores and occasional blogs from HQ; select your nearest store from the list below to find out what they've been up to.
