Ann Widdecombe And The Musical Fidelity V-90 DAC...

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Hopefully the title grabbed your attention and you think: "what on earth is he on about".... well let me explain...

We recently took delivery of the new Musical Fidelity V-90DAC,

As with any new toys that arrive we can't wait to get them out and give them a test. I thought that as the V-90 would be mainly used with moderate systems that I would test it using the Sonos Connect with an Arcam A19 amp and KEF LS50 speakers. 

I decided to use the Sonos as a source as this is the kind of thing that can really benefit from a helping hand in the digital to analogue conversion department, as well as the benefits of being able to plug other things into it like your TV, SKY box, Blu-ray player, PC or any other streamer like a Squeezebox. 

It's surprising how many people already have a DAC with a component nearby with a digital or USB output that is not plugged into the DAC! The TV I would say is the most common, it can make massive improvements to the sound of the TV by putting it through the hi-fi (as long as the layout lends itself to it of course - mine does!).

Hang on - I'm getting to Ann.........

So - got it all fired up...

Playing the Sonos through the system on it's own at first gave surprisingly good results from spotify and from our higher rate ripped music, I then swapped over to using the DAC (connected with QED standard optical cable)....and what a difference!!!!

Here is where Ms Widdecombe comes in.....

It's often very difficult to express in words how something sounds or how you felt when listening to music, what can I compare it to??...  then I suddenly thought ..... what starts this weekend??????

the Nation's favourite sequined celebrity humilation festival that is STRICTLY!!

ahhhhh - the penny drops ....

It is quite simply the same as listening to the judges comments after watching Louis Smith (and for those of you that say you have not seen the programme and don't know who he is - nobody believes you!) compared to good old Ann. They will say that Louis has wonderful timing with a flow that is smooth and elegant and they would love to see it again, whereas Ann managed to get through the performance but you wouldn't really want to watch it again - feet not in time with music and so on - you get the idea........ the Sonos on it's own sounds ponderous and a bit flat compared to the DAC which suddenly brings a whole different feel to the music.

The interesting thing is that you realise the information is actually there but the internals of the Sonos are just not up to the level of a decent external DAC, then of course you realise that the other components you have with digital outputs will also get the same improvement...... a bargain really!..

And that is how you connect a Privy Councillor to hi-fi!!

If you would like to read more about the bits and jitters etc. here's a link to the MF webpage: http://www.musicalfidelity.com/v90-dac/

Or why not call in for a listen yourself....

more bizzare connections coming soon.......

Cyrus Signature Series Has Arrived!

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We're big fans of the Cyrus range and as a result we've become a Signature Premium dealer which gives us 

access to all the products in the range.

However the biggest plus is the new Signature range which is the pinnacle of the design and engineering which has evolved from the acclaimed Anniversary system.

We have the DAC XP Digital Pre Amp which has six digital inputs and two analogue inputs for all you vinyl lovers out there and balanced outputs for the best connection to the Mono X 300's. There are also rca outputs if you want to use the pre amp with other Cyrus power amps.

With a great pre amp you can't get better than the Mono X 300's or Mono X 200's mono power amplifiers, which feature Zero Feedback technology, which gives very low distortion and lets the music sing. The detail retireval is astounding. If you haven't heard them it's worth booking a demo to have a listen. We have heard new detail from well known and well worn CD's!

Shortly to join the range is a CD Transport which will compliment the above items but there is also a brand new product which Cyrus is keeping under wraps - watch this space!

If you already have a Cyrus system or are wanting to upgrade to the Signature series, Cyrus offers an upgrade path which maintains the new technology available today and an easy upgrade path to the Signature series.

To listen to the Signature series please call or email Andy or Phil.

Tel 01793 538222

Email: swindon@audio-t.co.uk

Music Maniac Headphones

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It is rare for us to stray from the usual (but generally excellent) suspects of Sennheiser, Grado and B&W headphones but when we heard the new Denon AH-D130 closed back headphones we were so impressed we new we had to stock them.

Priced at just £179 these are astonishingly good value. The sound is truly engaging with a wonderous punchy bass. They bring a smile to your face!

For use both at home and with portable players (control of iPod/ iPad plus a microphone for i/Phone).

These may also be the most comfortable headphones you will ever wear.

Denon studied over 4000 pairs of ears (seriously)! before coming up with their pentagonal shaped ear pads and memory foam cushions.

Pop in and have a listen for yourself. They might make you smile as well.

PMC, Chord Electronics, and Chord Co. Cables Come Together

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Come and join us on the 26th of September for a feast of music delivered by some of the best equipment the UK has to offer.

We will be marrying together PMC loudspeakers, Chord Electronics, and Chord Co. cables for your delight and delectation.

PMC will have the Twenty series and the new (and rather wonderful) Fact 12

Chord Electronics will have the awesome SPM 1400 monoblocks, DSX1000 streamer and CPA5000 pre-amp. Along with examples of their Chordette range and more.

The Chord Co. will be linking all of this together with their usual flair and great cables including some of the new Tuned ARAY cables.

Come and join us for some music, some fun, and some great equipment, we will be offering a discount on purchases from the three manufacturers on the day. We start at 12.00 mid-day and go on to 7.30PM.

Give us a call 01277 264730

Paul and Danny

 

The Chord Company Signature Tuned ARAY Arrives!

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Step into the world of The Chord Company's Tuned ARAY cables.

 I have been a fan of The Chord Co. for a long time. However, before hearing The Chord Company's new Tuned ARAY cables I didn't know what I was missing!  

Whether it is an RCA pair, 5Pin DIN, digital coax, or USB cable they all contribute to a more realistic musical presentation. Perhaps, that should be they contribute less, letting the music really shine through, unrestricted and less coloured.


Tuned ARAY in an analogue RCA configuration starts at the Signature range and goes up to the Sarum range. Signature Tuned ARAY uses silver-plated high purity copper conductors for both the signal and return paths. All conductors are insulated with PTFE and feature a dual layer, high-frequency, silver-plated braided shield, which minimises signal loss through interference. The Signature Tuned ARAY RCA cable also features Chord's ultra low mass acrylic plugs.

Everything I've talked about so far has featured in Chord's high performance cables for some time now, however these features alone are not what makes Tuned ARAY so good...

The magic lies in the Tuned ARAY conductor configuration. Chord quotes “a revolutionary way of building audio interconnects. Tuned ARAY conductor technology produces outstanding levels of detail along with an extraordinary level of musical coherence.” I don't disagree, the change it has made to my system is amazing.

The most noticeable improvement is that the noise floor seems to have dropped, creating an inky black silence between every single instrument in the recording. This in turn has created one of the most realistically believable soundstages I have ever heard. Vocalists stand up to the microphone and start to sing, bass drums cut through me, strings on guitars have so much more texture.

The application of Tuned ARAY cables within a system sounds like nothing I've heard before. The only thing I can compare this type of performance jump to be like are mains conditioners or feeding your system with a battery. I can't think of many black boxes that give these types of improvements for the same price as Chord Signature Tuned ARAY cable, which is why Tuned ARAY has become one of the most important upgrades I have made to my system.

The difference that is Tuned ARAY, is the ability to listen to a piece of music vs. listening to your system trying to play a CD, WAV/FLAC File, or Vinyl. It's real, the musicians are playing in front of you!

My only request is that you forget what you think cables can do, and listen to a Chord Tuned ARAY cable for yourself.

 

Thanks for reading

Simon

 

Book a demo today, or listen to what Chord Tuned ARAY can do at our up coming [Event].

Audio T Enfield

Email: enfield@audio-t.co.uk

Tel: 0208 367 3132 

New Marantz Micro Hi-Fi System

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The M-CR610 is the latest all in one system from Marantz. Modern looks and a great sound make this Micro system a formidable opponent for any other compact Hi-Fi system.

Like its predecessor it offers CD playback DAB/FM radio, internet radio and networking. You can also plug an ipod into the USB socket on the front. In addition, this new model offers wireless internet connectivity and Spotify.

Marantz have an ipod/ipad app that allows you to control the unit. The app is obviously made for the ipod and works reasonably slickly, although a dedicated iPad app would be nice.

Bewitching PMC Fact 8 and Bryston System Revisited

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Every now and then we put together a combination of products in the store and are reminded of how the sum of the parts is even greater than the merits of the individual components.

We've been big fans of the PMC Fact 8 since we first heard them over three years ago.  The elegant and beautifully crafted cabinets enhance any domestic environment. Even the most die hard hifi-phobics are won over by the aesthetics of these beauties.

This is not just a case of 'nice cabinet, shame about the sound' though; far from it. The Fact 8 carves a solid three dimensional image out of the air with effortless ease.  The transparency of the sound has to be heard to be believed with the splendid cabinets effectively disappearing.  

The other essential ingredient to this spell-binding performance is our Bryston system. No surprise that it gels with the PMC speakers, as PMC distribute Bryston in the UK, and design their speakers using Bryston amplification, but the BCD-1 CD player, BP26 pre-amplifier and 4BSST power amplfier really make the Fact 8's sing!  

The Fact 8 is an efficient design utilising PMC's Advance Transmission Line which does not need huge power to generate real low end extension but driving them with the 2 x 300 watts of the 4BSST adds a whole extra dimension of control and ease to the sound making the combination totally magical!

Please feel free to share this magic with us. Give us a call to book a listen and come along with your favourite CDs or LPs.  'When the spell is broken' by Richard Thompson seems appropriate, or maybe 'Witchcraft' by Frank Sinatra.... you choose.

 

Another Trip to the Darkside

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For those who came to our Classic Album Evening and even for those who didn't. In fact for any and all Pink Floyd fans out there.

Tune into BBC R2 or R6 on Monday at 8:00pm as Tom Robinson invites listeners to compile The Ultimate Pink Floyd Playlist. See the link for details.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b038zlll

Followed by Darkside , a play for radio by Sir Tom Stoppard incorporating The Dark Side of the Moon by Pink Floyd.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b038xr3n

It sounds like a good evening of listening.

Welsh International & Lions Rugby Star Visits Audio T

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It was an exciting day here at Audio T Cardiff when Lions hero Leigh Halfpenny picked up a brand new Project 6 Perspex turntable.

Leigh finds listening to his favourite vinyl records helps him get into game mode and with his superb try-scoring and kicking exploits, who are we to argue!

With its suspended magnetic sub-chassis, a carbon fibre tonearm fitted with an Ortofon Blue MM cartridge the turntable gives an impressive performance with good detail resolution, composed sound and stable presentation.

A 5 Star What Hi-Fi winner, this turntable never fails to thrill giving an authoritative sound underpinned by a low frequency performance that is weighty and powerful.

Aother happy Audio T customer as Leigh Halfpenny is handed his new Project 6 Perspex turntable.

Leigh takes up his new position in the "Audio T front row" with the thrilled Cardiff staff, giving the perfect opportunity of a snap for the 'family album'. 

Read more in our news section 

Sony 4K Has Arrived

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We have now taken delivery of the new Sony KD55X9005 4K Television.

As you can see from the photo below we have wall mounted it in a prime location in the store for you all to be amazed at the image this TV is capable of.

Currently we are using a hard drive to stream content to the set. 4K Blu-Ray discs are on the way.

This TV is also capable of upscaling any video content to a 4K image. So you will get the benefit if you are watching normal input such as digital terrestrial TV, SKY, DVD and Blu-Ray

Not only does this TV offer outstanding picture quality but with the use of magnetic fluid loudspeakers developed by NASA the sound quality achieved by this TV is truly incredible.

The links below will take you directly to Sonys promotional video and the dedicated web page for the Sony KD55X9005 so you can see the full specifications of this outstanding TV.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CYmiZRjkqHc

 http://www.sony.co.uk/hub/4k?cpint=homeB

Please feel free to come into the store so you can see the future of TV.

Sony KDL55W905 55'' LED TV, The best TV since the Kuro?

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Here at Reading Audio T we've always believed in having the very best TV available and I mean that in the singular.

We don't have the space for a whole lot of TVs, we never have had so we are keen to show our discerning customers the very best technology can offer and this season is no exception. 

The Sony KDL55W905 is the flagship of their range after the 4K TV, indeed it has the same if not better picture than that for 1080p content which of course if the highest native resolution available at present of course.

With a few minor tweaks to the settings this TV gives the best non-calibrated picture we've ever seen with the deepest blacks and accurate colours from an LCD yet, yes you get the fantastic '3D pop' like the best plasmas. By that I mean depth of field rather than full 3D with glasses which it also does superbly well AND has 4 pairs of lightweight comfortable active glasses included, bravo Sony!!

Available in 40'', 46'' & 55''

Still not convinced? Then check out AVForums rave review of the 40'' version

...and their short video review:

 

 

 

 

REL Habitat 1 and Neat Iotas Sub-Sat system

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With so many people put off by the size of some high quality loudspeakers it, the benefits of high quality sub sat systems are often overlooked.

It is however entirely possible to have your cake and eat it! The Rel Habitat and Neat Iota combination is a perfect solution that really should be auditioned, should you want the best of both worlds.

The Habitat 1 is the nearest thing to a revolution in sub woofer design that I have come across in my 25 years in this industry. Habitat 1 is a brilliant new concept that takes sub bass to new levels. Descrete, wall mountable and with a small wireless transmitter so no unsightly cables need be seen. A sophisticated crossover optimises sound for both music and movies. Perfect, deep bass that emanates almost invisibly from somewhere hidden within the room.

Two 6.5" divers and a 10" passive driver provide the bass necessary for this sub woofer to reach down to 25Hz.

The price is just £1299.

Click here to watch the video and read more about the Habitat

Neat Iotas deliver amazing performance from a tiny cabinet. they are intended to be used very close to walls or on desktops or bookshelves etc.

The cabinet is well damped allowing the 100mm polypropelene and 50mm ribbon tweeeter to do their thing.

5 colours are available to match almost any decor.

The price is £695 per pair.

Click here to visit the Neat website

If you would like to hear this combination for yourselves we would be most happy to demonstrate them.

Sony's VPL-HW50ES Projector Shining Bright in Bristol

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What can we say about Sony's HW50? Well quite a lot actually.

It's whisper quiet, setup is a breeze with vertical and horizontal shift, it has excellent brightness, probably the best in it's class for 3D.

2D is stunning, deep blacks with excellent shadow detail, massive amount of control with a deep menu system (if you want it). The superlatives keep coming.......and you can count brilliant colour reproduction, gobsmacking detail on images on close ups to boot! Best of all is that it comes at under £3000 (£2798).

It represents fantastic value for money, but don't take our word for it, give us a call and come and have a look for yourself.

 

Fancy Winning Your Money Back??......

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PMC are coming at you with another sensational promotion.

Purchase any Twenty series speaker between 1st August and 31st October then register it online within 14 days of purchase to be in with a chance of winning your money back!!

They will be announcing winners in September, October and November!!

There are no exclusions to what speaker you buy out of the Twenty Series whether you looking to upgrade your tired speakers to a new set of beasts or have had your eyes on these beauties for a while then this is the time to buy them!!

We have the full range here at Audio-T Brentwood as you can see below, and have facilities to demonstrate the complete range for you also. So bring some music along. Even your current speakers if you want to see what you're getting for your money.... or even free if you're really lucky!

You've got to be in it to win it!

 

What Hi-Fi? Visit & Tour of £1M Test Facilities

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Earlier this summer, we went to meet with the What Hi-FI? team to see their £1M state of the art test facilities, where they test and review the latest and greatest consumer Hi-Fi products.

 

What Hi-Fi? are extremely supportive and are the main media partner of the Audio T Sound & Vision Bristol Show, the UK's No1 Hi-FI show and the defacto place to be if you're a manufacturer or an enthusiast!

What H-Fi? give the Bristol show extensive coverage in the magazine and online in the run up to, during and after the event and are ever present at the show providing live demonstrations of cutting edge Hi-Fi technology as well as offering great prizes for the show competition. 

Jerry Lewin, Audio T's CFO and Hi-Fi industry veteran, film lover and serial gigger (tell us about the Stones at Glasto Jezza!) had never seen the test facilities before (*Ed. I already made the visit having been involved in a WHF reader test) so it was an opportunity to review the review facilities, so to speak and see where the plethora of equipment is put through its paces.  

There are six testing rooms, the main four being: Hi-Fi, Home Cinema/AV, TV and MP3, which is a small room for testing ermmmmmmm MP3 players, mini and all in one systems, headphones and phones etc. You can read more about the facilities here Though I have been reliably informed that this is due for a bit of makeover. 

Andy Clough Projecting himself in the Main AV Test Room

We will be running a competition in July and four lucky Audio T customers will win a trip to WHF to see the test facilities, and a three month FREE subscription to the electronic or print version of the magazine. 

Our visit was very informative and productive. The upshot of this is that we will be further raising our profile by making use of several What HiFi? services including the weekly e-mail service when we need to communicate major sales, special offers, promotions and events. We will also be joining the What Hi-Fi? Shop, so that anyone searching for products through What HiFI? will see the premium Hi-Fi products that are avialable in store and online. 

We look forward to our continued associatiion with What Hi-Fi? and continuing to bringing the best in Hi-Fi to Audio T customers old and new. 


Passing the test? Phil (Ed) and Andy talking HiFi

New Spendor A6R and D7

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Spendor A6R

The A6R is a major uprade on the original A6 loudspeakers. The new design incorporates a a new 18cm main driver that has been derived from the development of the new D7 loudspeakers. The X-over has been completely redesigned and has a gold x-over network and monoblock construction.

On listening we have found these speakers offer a massive sound stage, sweet detailed top end and excellent bass extension for a cabinet of modest proportions.

A Huge improvement on the old A6. A demonstration is highly recommended.

Spendor D7

The D7 is a completely new design from Spendor.

They incoporate the new LPZ tweeter, a polomer mid bass driver and a bonded Kevlar bass driver.

We have had these speakers in our main demonstration room for over a week now and have found the sound to be very open and detailed with an expansive sound stage. The top is amazingly sweet and intergrates seamlessly with the smooth midrange. The the bass extension is tight and fast and goes down seriously low for a speaker of this size.

The finish on our premium dark speakers is outstanding.

Being a Spendor end user already I am tempted to take these home. When I do I don't think they will be coming back.