Vinyl Roadshow Coming To Reading Audio T June 29th 10-4pm

I'm delighted to announce that the next "stop" of the Audio T Vinyl Roadshow is here in Reading.

Our good friends from Diverse Vinyl will be here with a huge selection of the best and latest LP re-issues for you to browse through and buy, don't tell my wife!!

The day will also be in conjunction with Rega Research who are celebrating their 40th anniversary this year and we'll have all their latest goodies including RP1,RP3,RP6 & RP8 turntables, the new Elicit-R integrated amplifier and Aria phonostage as well as the full Reference CD, Phonostage, Amplifier and Speakers!

Why not bring a well known record with you or one that you have bought on the day and hear what we can do for you?

The event takes place on Saturday June 29th between 10am and 4pm.

Test Sonos At Home

Get your SONOS test pack from us today.

Just buy a Sonos Play 3 and we will give you a FREE bridge for a wireless set up. You will also get 60 days FREE subscription to Napster and a 60 day money back guarantee, so you've nothing to lose. If you are not completely satisfied, just return the items back to us for a full refund.

Call in to the Cardiff store today and pick up your kit. Don't miss out on this wonderful opportunity to experience the wonders of Sonos in you own home with access to all the music you could ever hope for.

Promotion ends 30th June.

Arcam rBlink Bluetooth DAC Sounds Blinkin Good!

We have been mightily impressed with how good Arcam's baby rBlink Bluetooth wireless DAC sounds!

We have our diminutive box set wired into our Heed Obelisk Si Integrated & X2Power Supply connected to a pair of Spendor SA1 Loudspeakers. We use our iPad mini and iPod Touch to stream the music to the rBlink.

The DAC has excellent detail retrieval and doesn't sound too digital or harsh. It has a warmth to the presentation offering a sound akin to a good analogue turntable. It's impressive and offers a true Hi-Fi audiophile sound with the added convenience of allowing you to be able to control your music from the comfort of your armchair using any device that has Bluetooth.

It's simple to set up too! Just turn on Bluetooth on your phone / tablet and with one press of a button on the R-Blink you are connected.

It's even converted our very own Farid Beheshti who like Jon Finch is a died in the wool analogue Hi-Fi purist. It's that good it has converted Farid to the digital world and he has just bought the rBlink and a shiny new iPad mini!

Drop by have a cuppa with us and be converted!

Introducing Libratone, Funky Sizzling Danish Portable Wireless Loudspeakers.......

We like the sound of these very quirky but extremely fine sounding wireless loudspeakers.

Sizes, shapes to fit in with your home furnishings. Works with airplay... and allows you to stream your tunes to the Zipp or any other Libratone speaker from your computer, mobile phone or tablet.

To quote a famous Danish beer commercial, probably the finest wireless loudspeakers in the world........

Libratone Product Family from Libratone on Vimeo.

£50 Chord C-Power Surprise

Upgraded mains cables have always seemed like a bit of Hi-Fi voodoo, and when they look like a standard mains cable given free with all products, one can not help but be sceptical. When we were first shown the thin, black, Chord C Power with it's molded plugs we thought it was a joke. However, after a fair amount of encouragement and explanation about the product we gave it a try, and had to admit that Chord have produced yet another excellent product.

The C-Power is manufactuered in the UK by a company that specialises in military grade cables which is why it is no frills. We tried it with a Rega Apollo CD Player, Arcam A19 amp, and KEF LS50 speakers and the difference with the C-Power just plugged into the CD Player was immediate, and very positive, giving the system a more open, detailed and cleaner sounding presentation.

There are not many worth while system upgrades you can do for £50, but if you have a little spare cash and want to make an improvement to your system give the C-Power a listen.

Say Hello To My Little Friend..........

The New B&W P3 in Blue.

The Bowers & Wilkins P3 headphones are now available in Blue,Black and White

We have had the White P3's in stock for a while now and have been mightily impressed by the sound quality from these small over ear headphones.

Just like the B&W 685 speakers these little headphones are ready to party. Kudos to B&W for getting so much bass and masses of midrange from a small drive unit.

B&W P3 Blue

Come along and have an audition at Audio T Manchester.

Thanks

T: 01618398869 E:manchester@audio-t.co.uk

We've Cracked Open The New KEF Eggs! The E305's Now On Demonstration

   Take a closer look at the KEF E305's at Audio-T Enfield. 

The 301 satellites contain KEF's Uni-Q driver array which houses the tweeter in the middle of the mid/bass driver (which helps give a wider voice to the speaker). (we recommend QED silver micro speaker cable to use with these)

The E301c centre speaker is simply the same E301 satellite just on it's side which helps create a seamless soundstage from front to back & side to side. (All speakers wall mountable)

  The E-2 Subwoofer uses a 8" bass driver, although small to some equiped with a 250W amplifier gives it the ability to energise our demo room with smooth controlled bass. We found to get the best out of this sub it pays to use a good quality subwoofer cable like The Chord Crimson VEE3 for a tighter response & more controlled bass notes. (less boom / more bass)

Listen in comfort & isolation from noisy shop floor environments in one of our purpose built demonstration rooms. Find out just how good the new KEF E305's really are.

We would describe the satellites as"Open, wide and detailed sounding"

And the E2 subwoofer to give a "coupled-to-room" bass response, creating "seamless & smooth" sounding bass.

Book a demo today!

Audio-T Enfield

Tel: 0208 367 3132

Email: enfield@audio-t.co.uk

JVC, Sony, Epson Projector Event Not Long To Go!

Only 4 weeks to go until our projector event!

I'm already getting some positive response's from customer's and passer's by who will be attending the event and are like me extremely excited about it!

Whether you have a projector or not and are just curious at what the differences are between a £750 projector or a £13,000 projector then this is where you will find out all the information you need.

Even better if you are looking to update your old 720p unit to a full HD 1080p or even Sony's 4K model then this is the place to do it! There will be deals and offers over the course of the 3 day event both on projectors and everything else you need for the rest of your system such as amplifiers, speakers, cabling, screens and much more!

If you have any questions on the event or need any help with directions and parking then contact us on 01277-264730 or brentwood@audio-t.co.uk

Also don't forget we have cake!

Stop press! TXP65VT50 now sold but still time to grab a TV bargain!

The ex-demonstration TXP65VT50 has now found a new home but we still have two amazing opportunities left to grab yourself a superb Panasonic TV at an unbelievable saving!  We only have one of each of these stunning screens left and they are both priced to make room for new models at the insane price £999.00!  

Above is Panasonic's flagship 42" LED TV TXL42WT50B with active 3D and wi-fi.  

This screen was a top of the range model and priced at £1649.00.  One chance only to save a stonking £650!  

And below...

Panasonic TXP50GT50B 50" Full HD 3D plasma TV.  We've always been fans of the natural picture quality, unbeatable contrast and black levels of plasma screens.  This is one of the best and a snip at £999.00  - a huge £400 saving on the original price of £1399.00!

The icing on the cake for both of these TVs is the free 5 year warranty included even at these crazy prices!

P.S. The blue line appearing to split the screen in two is merely reflection from the camera flash, so nothing to worry about!

What's DAC All About?

At Audio T we are amazed at how much a decent digital to analogue converter (DAC) can make to the resulting sound quality of music and film.

The DAC is a clever micro chip that converts analogue signals such as speech or in this case a music recording or a film soundtrack into a digital signal that can be amplified and then sent to your loudspeakers.

Your CD player, in car players, iPod, and some extent newer digital amplifiers often have DAC's built in however these vary greatly and are often of low quality. 

An audiophile grade dedicated and purpose built DAC can make a huge difference to the resulting sonic output and overall sound quality! 

At Audio T we have a wide range of DAC's that suit different applications and are designed to enhance your listening pleasure. 

Why not come in and hear the difference it can make to your Hi-Fi or Home Cinema system.
 
Here are some of the Hi-Fi brands we have available in store for for you to listen to: Rega DAC, Audioquest Dragonfly DAC, Naim DAC's Arcam DAC's, Audiolab DAC's, Chord DAC's

We would always suggest you contact your local store and check availability before travelling. 

If you're interested in the technicalities then you can read more on Wikipedia 

*Image reproduced courtesy of Texas Instruments.

Long Live The Independent Hi-Fi Retailer!

Mr Alan Gillies has won Letter of the Month in the June edition of Hi-Fi choice for bringing into sharp focus the value of the independent Hi-Fi retailer.

We thank him wholeheartedly for recounting his experience when he visited Ian, Gavin and Andy at our Preston store and taking the time to write to Hi-Fi Choice and bring this issue to the fore!

We would also like to give mention to Lee Dunkley the Editor for giving this topic some much deserved coverage.

You can read Mr Gillies letter and what he has to say here

The Vinyl Revival?

Well, we've been seeing sales of turntables increase in our stores for some time, but according to this report in the Guardian sales of vinyl records and turntables are on the rise.

If you've not heard how good vinyl sounds we suggest visiting one of our stores and asking for a listen, and we know that you'll be amazed at the sound.

We have a range of great sounding turntnables to suit your budget.

Audio T

Pretty in... Blue

This week we have received the Bowers And Wilkins P3's in Blue. We were already massivley surprised by their dynamics and detail for a small headphone and to be honest thought the black and white finishes were fine, now they have the blue finish its a real eye turner!

Packaged nicely in a coccoon type case with 2 cables. One with iPod/iPhone buttons and one without (sounds better) they are very handy to have and are brilliant for the commuter or someone who travels regurlarly.

Fresh Out Of The Box KEF's 305 5.1 Home Cinema Speaker Package

Just in and unboxed is the new KEF305 Sat/Sub 5.1 speaker system.

A fresh upgrade on the old 3005SE, this new system is beautifully designed and finished.

There is a much improved sound on the old, these derive from the award winning "R" series audiophile grade loudspeakers. With KEF employing their high end trickle down technology to more affordable loudspeakers in their range.

A simple well designed stand on the satellite speakers swivels round to become a wall bracket. A matching sub-woofer seamlessly blends in to complete the package.

If you're looking for a new speakers sytem or looking to upgrade, why not come on in and have a listen. You'll be amazed how this dimunutive system will bring your Blu-rays and DVD's to life! Also available in black.

Sneak Preview of New Rega Elicit-R & Aria

Two days ago we had a quick to listen to the new Rega Elicit-R 100w integrated amplifier and the Aria MM/MC phonostage. Initial impressions are extremely good.

The Elicit sounded really muscular yet refined and will probably drive just about any speaker it's ever likely to be partnered with.

The Aria clearly showed it had a lot in common with their Reference Ios so massive step up from the Phono MM. Most significantly though this is a MC phonostage configurable to suit any MC cartridge but with a dedicated setting to match Rega'a awesome Apheta MC cartridge. We listened to it with the RP8/Apheta turntable and was fabulous. Both the Aria and the Reference Ios really show what the Apheta is capable of.

I'll post a lot more when they arrive.

Simon

New Naim UnitiQute 2

 Now upgraded and no price change

UnitiQute 2 All-in-one Player

Connect with your music like never before
It's a cliche we know, but good things come in small packages. The UnitiQute 2 all-in-one audio player however isn't just good: it's a brilliant-sounding, uniquely versatile, seductively compact and, of course, irresistibly cute example of what contemporary music in the home is all about. Music downloads, high-resolution music files, internet radio, network music, UPnP servers, iPod/MP3 players - everything that the new era of music delivery can throw at it, UnitiQute 2 can play. Revitalised for 2013, UnitiQute 2 improves upon the performance of its predecessor with enhanced sound quality and Multiroom functionality. High-resolution 32bit/192kHz streaming capability and a DAB/DAB+ tuner now also come as standard.

Music for everyone
Just like NaimUniti 2, its multi-award-winning sibling, UnitiQute 2 is right at the forefront of modern music delivery technology, and its significance for music enthusiasts of all aspirations is far greater than the simple sum of its component parts. For the committed enthusiast with an existing Naim setup, UnitiQute 2 can not only deliver exceptional Naim music-making as a second system, but also play the role of gateway to all the new digital music delivery formats - from USB memory sticks, UPnP streaming to internet radio. For the more casual listener, UnitiQute 2 can take the place of both the old hi-fi system and the iPod dock, sound far better than either, and at the same time introduce new worlds of audio ripe for exploration.

Small box... Big on features
For starters, UnitiQute 2 includes a preamplifier with two analogue inputs, five 32bit/192kHz-capable digital inputs and all the traditional Naim musical clarity and transparency. Next, UnitiQute 2 includes a muscular power amplifier that provides all the rhythmic punch and definition you would expect from Naim. You want conventional radio? Well, UnitiQute 2 includes FM and DAB/DAB+ tuners that get the best possible performance from either format. UnitiQute 2 is happy also to play music from an iPod or MP3 player via its front panel-mounted USB socket. The USB audio connection is digital so iPod sound quality is optimised, and Apple authenticated too so compatibility is seamless. And the same USB socket can be used to play music files in almost any format at up to 32bit/192kHz resolution straight from a memory stick. And it doesn't end there. A network Ethernet socket and integrated Wi-Fi means that, along with everything else, UnitiQute 2 can easily tap into Internet radio or UPnP servers, a Naim HDX for example, to drop almost unlimited music choices right into your lap. Talk about cute.

Easy access to your music
Bringing everything audio, digital and analogue together is one thing, but making it all work seamlessly together is something else entirely. UnitiQute 2 is controlled by a dedicated remote handset in combination with a large, clear display. The UnitiQute 2 user interface borrows the principles of intuition and accessibility, and much of the substance, from the already proven NaimUniti 2 interface. The interface is clear, intuitive, uncluttered and makes light work of access to the remarkable versatility and performance of UnitiQute 2. And the n-Stream app for iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch will enhance the experience still further and raise its brilliance yet another notch.

Multiroom & Party Mode
As well as being a high-end standalone streaming system, UnitiQute 2 opens up the possibility of multiroom hi-fi. Connected to other Naim streaming products over the home network, it can act as the ‘Master’ or ‘Client’ streaming product in a multiroom system which will get the party started and play music in Naim quality in every corner of your home. Click here for more information on Multiroom & Party Mode.

Make the most of your digitally stored music files...

NAIM have done it again,.. Introducing the NEW NAIM DAC-V1 & NAP 100.

The DAC-V1 ( @ £1250 ) is an asynchronous USB digital to analogue converter with multiple digital S/PDIF inputs, precision volume control and a high-quality headphone amplifier. It will produce stunning sound quality from your computer and transform it into a high-quality, high-resolution music hub.

Connect the DAC-V1 to your PC, Mac or Laptop via a standard A to B USB cable and the quality of your music will be defined not by the limitations of the computer hardware, but by the quality of the data itself. And with DAC-V1 that can be incredibly high, up to 24bit/384kHz resolution.

The NAP 100 ( @ £650 ) is a classic expression of traditional Naim power amplifier engineering. Offering 50 watts per channel at 8 Ohms, and 75 watts at 4 Ohms, the NAP 100 is a dual mono design based on the circuit topology found in our SuperUniti reference all-in-one player. While its dimensions are conveniently compact – just 20cm wide – its performance is seriously dynamic and expansive. Combine the NAP 100 with its partner the DAC-V1, and either a computer or UnitiServe for example, to create a thoroughly modern system, bursting with Naim rhythm and clarity.

If you wish to unleash your digitally stored musics potential then give us a call on tel: 01793 53822 or e-mail us at swindon@audio-t.co.uk to see what you've been missing out on!!

SONOS raise the bar!!

Introducing the NEW SONOS PLAYBAR.

The Sonos PLAYBAR features 9 speakers, 1 optical input to go from a TV or other device ( cable included ) and also 2x ethernet connections.

The 9 speakers make the Playbar an LCR unit with the option to add Play:3's or Play:5's as surrounds to make a 5.1 system. Which of course means adding the Sonos SUB!

You can use the PLAYBAR on a day to day basis with your TV/Sky/Virgin Box to add much more clarity and definition to the lifeless sound you get from most modern flat panel screens that look beautiful on our walls.

This system performs well with Dolby and DTS 5.1 movies via the optical connection from a blu-ray player. Performance is superb for a wireless solution.

The SONOS PLAYBAR at £599 makes a great building block to the start of a wireless 5.1 surround sound solution.

Call us today on tel: 01793 538222 or e-mail us at swindon@audio-t.co.uk to arrange your demonstration.

Q Acoustics Concept 20 Loudspeakers...

The Concept 20 is a new loudspeaker from Q Acoustics which delivers a level of sonic performance previously only available to audiophiles able to invest in
high-end models.

This exceptional performance has been achieved by using breakthrough technology and applying scientific methodology to overcome the fundamental problems of speaker design.

As well as class leading drive units and crossover, the beautifully lacquered. Concept 20 cabinet utilises Gelcore^TM construction, specifically developed for acoustic enclosures. In effect this is a ‘cabinet within a cabinet’; separated by a special, resonance cancelling compound. This enables the drive units to simply reproduce music, unencumbered by cabinet induced colouration.

The result is nothing short of sensational.

For the very best results the Concept 20 should be used on its unique dedicated speaker stand, which uses the same Gelcore^TM construction technique.

So if you're looking for a standmount speaker in the sub £500 category then the Q Acoustics Concept 20 well deserves a listen.

Call us today on tel: 01793 538222 or e-mail us at swindon@audio-t.co.uk to arrange your demo.

You Don't Need A Lot of Space For These Satellites...

Introducing the new KEF E 305 speaker system.

We have just taken delivery of the New KEF E 305 and we must say that KEF have thrown down the gauntlet with this speaker package.

Understated and finished to a high standard the E 305 package will look good in any room and is available in a black or white finish.

Even Chromy has taken a shine to the satin chrome finish on the stand.

We will have the KEF E 305s up and running by the weekend.

In the meantime you can read Audio-T Brentwoods review right here. /brentwood/

If you would like a demonstration, call us on 0161 8398869 or email:manchester@audio-t.co.uk