Chord Electronics Hugo Review

If you have heard a DAC 64 then you will know why Chord Electronics want to celebrate the 20^th anniversary of what was a ground-breaking product. So to celebrate what they have done is release what is another ground-breaking product the Hugo. This diminutive box that fits into the palm of your hand packs more than a little punch. Don’t be fooled by its size as this it has a number of tricks up its sleeve. It can be used as a standalone DAC, a DAC/headphone amplifier, for use at home or on the move (as it has a built in rechargeable battery) and a DAC pre-amp, for use with a power amp and speakers or active monitors.

Chord are famous for their DAC technology and have managed to cram a lot of DAC into what is a small box. Chord say it is their most technically advanced 32bit DAC to date. It can decode sampling frequencies from 44.1kHz to 384kHz and that includes decoding of DXD files. So when it arrived in the shop we set out to test its capabilities. We first of all put it into our main shop system, which consists of Naim amplification and PMC IB2SE speakers. To put it simply we were blown away with the what it delivered. A big open sound with bags of separation and a massive amount of musical enjoyment. Everything we played sounded right and it was noted we found ourselves listening not to the Hugo but to the music.

So we agreed that the Hugo was a great DAC but that’s not all the Hugo is. It incorporates a high quality headphone amplifier that’s good enough to drive even the most awkward to drive headphone. It also has an in-built rechargeable battery that will last over 12 hours and is fully charged (by the supplied power supply) in 2 hours. Having a battery makes the Hugo portable and so Hi-Fi on the move is now a reality. Think on the train with a laptop or (get this) your phone. That was what we tried next and I was quite taken aback when the colour of the lights within the Hugo changed to indicate I was playing a high resolution file via usb from my android. I was also taken aback by the sound. I can't remember hearing my Sennheisser HD600 sound so good. Setting it up with my laptop was as simple as downloading the Hugo ASIO drivers. Using the computer with the Hugo was also a pleasure at all file resolutions not just high res. I must also mention another little trick as the Hugo will play wireless via Bluetooth using AptX technology for high quality results.

I also tried the Hugo in its third capacity DAC/pre amp. Again the little box didn’t falter. I think you would have to spend a lot more money on a separate pre-amp DAC to reach the same sort of performance levels. I'm going to say it, I want one. Whether you are after a standalone DAC, a DAC/headphone amp or a DAC/pre the Hugo is a must listen so if you want to have a go yourself come to see us in the shop.

On a side note, I tried using the Hugo as headphone amp/Dac for the purpose of producing music on a laptop. If you have ever tried mixing with headphones then you will know how difficult it is to get your levels right. A quick mix with the Hugo surprised on playback through a system as all the levels were just as intended. If you make music on the move and don't need to record then the Hugo is definitely worth a go.

Naim Audio springtime stock-rotation

Spring is here, although you'd hardly know it.

To help cheer you up, we are rotating a lot of our demo Naim Audio components and therefore there are a host of beautiful un-marked Naim products on our clearance page at great prices. All offering are of one unit. All models are the most recent Naim produce. We do intend continuing with each and every model to offer the same range for future demonstrations.

Here's a list with links to our online store pages:

Naim CDX2

Naim CD5si SOLD

Naim ND5XS

Naim Superuniti

Naim Uniti 2 SOLD

Naim NAC282

Naim NDS (inc Burndy) SOLD

Naim NAP100

Naim DAC-V1 SOLD

Naim DAC SOLD

Naim CD5XS SOLD

Naim UnitiLite SOLD

Naim XPS-2 SOLD

Naim Supercap DR SOLD

Headline 2 SOLD

The Chord Electronics HUGO has some new fans

There has been a lot of buzz about this amazing little box from Chord.

It is primarily designed as a very high quality portable DAC and headphone amplifier, but it is immensely versatile and could be used in a wide array of configurations. With a rechargeable battery on board and a multitude of inputs, it can take a digital signal from any source imaginable, and can handle high resolution signals up to 32-348 (through its HD USB input). As you will see from the pic below, Boswell has completely fallen in love with it, and we have to agree with him.

We have been getting some great results from this little beauty with all sorts of headphones, and have tried it as a standalone DAC with a variety of sources as well, nothing phases it and the music just flows.

It is important to read the instructions just to see how completely flexible this little DAC is! Once you get used to the system of indicator lights it really is quite intitive to use.

We've also had a lot of fun using it as a DAC on the end of our cocktail X10 media system. Put these two together and you get a source which completely belies its price!!

Come in and have a listen, or give us a call on 01277 264730

Paul, Francis (and Boswell!)

QED Reference and Signature Interconnects

If you are looking to make improvements to your HiFi then pop in to Cardiff Audio T to hear the new QED Reference and QED Signature interconnct cables. Also available for home loan so that you can spend a couple of days enjoying the cables in your system.

The QED Reference cable gives excellent performance at its price point. Consisting of silver plated oxygen free copper conductors and asymmetrical twisted pair geometry teamed with the gold plated QED Analoc RCA plugs and QED lifetime guarantee.

At Audio T Cardiff our sales team believe this cable is a winner, whether you have a £200 source component or an £800 source component the Reference cable will bring out the best in your electronics!

At its price point this cable has everything you expect and more. Timing is excellent and rhythm is accurate. We hope you will be blown away by its forward, large scale presentation for only *£99.95*

*price correct for 1m cable 17/04/2014*

 The Signature, similar in make up to the Reference, takes things a step further. Inside its jacket this cable features independent dual layer screening. This protects the signal against interference from high voltages and currents.

Instead of the Reference gold plated RCA plugs the Signature boasts rhodium plated RCA plugs and is cryogenically treated. Cryogenically treated, I hear you ask? This process modifies the electrical characteristics of the dielectric material in the cable. This can be heard as better bass with a wider dynamic range and a more 3 dimensional sound stage. 

Priced at *£199.95* this cable gives a more refined sound as you would expect over the Reference cable.

*price correct for 1m cable 17/04/2014*

Harman Kardon HK3770 Stereo Network Receiver - Exclusive to Audio T

We are pleased to announce that Harmon Kardon are joining the Audio T fold in the form of a terrific stereo receiver complete with USB/Optical Digital/Co-axial Digital and analogue inputs; including a MM Turntable stage and priced keenly at £429. Here it is emerging from its box.

If the large number of audio connections were not enough it also has an ethernet connection to access Intenet radio using the Vtuner interface as well as streaming from your Computers or NAS drives on your home network. To complete the remarkable level of connectivity it also has Bluetooth capability allowing almost any sound to be streamed from your mobile devices as well.

Here are front and rear views - It definitely looks better from the front!

Whilst the HK-3770 is supplied with a standard remote control it is also possible to download the Harman Remote app to your Android or Apple device for complete control over your network - see below

The receiver is equipped with Bluetooth connectivity meaning it can stream wirelessly from your similarly equipped mobile device. As you can see below on the left once the two devices are paired ( a simple task) you can stream fom your spotify app for example.

Using a third party DLNA/UPNP control app I was easily able to select my music stored on a Network drive and play it back - As shown in the picture below right.

The receiver has plenty of power sounding effortless at fairly high playback volumes and has a full low frequency extension with a warmth to vocals often missing on components at this price level. Overall it is a great listen and you quickly become engrossed in the music and forget the equipment altogether which in my view is what it is all about!

Harman have a great product in the HK 3770 marrying a simple 2 channel receiver with the latest in connectivity - A rare combination currently.

You can read the AV Forums Review here

Bowers & Wilkins P7 headphones... reviews from the web.

You may already be familar with the Bowers & Wilkins P7s, however, we just wanted to remind you of what the "world wide web" has to say about them.

So what follows is a selection of links to various publications and magazines who have reveiwed the B&W P7s.

Of course our obligatory product photos with Chromey are a must...so sit back and enjoy. 

Click here to read some reviews from our very own customers.

Engadget.com love them.

The New York Times love them.

Forbes magazine thinks the P7s are fantastic headphones.

Pocket Lint gave them 5 Stars!!

Super comfortable ear cups...

Wired thought they had excellent sound.

Don't forget, we have the B&W P7s ready to demonstrate at our Manchester store, so come along for a listen and see if they live up to the hype.

See you at the store.

Munir

Tel: 0161 839 8869

email: manchester@audio-t.co.uk
web: www.audio-t.co.uk
We are open Monday to Saturday 9:30 - 17:30
and Sunday 11:30 - 16:30

Roxy Music said that Love is the Drug, but we say Music is….

Give life back to music, is the first track from Daft Punk's latest album, Random Access Memories and this title sums up in a nutshell what good Hi-Fi can do to your music collection.

This is even more obvious when you listen to the studio master of the recording on a music streaming service such as Qobuz. or a direct high resolution download (HRD) from Linn Records, Bowers & Wilkins Society of Sound or Naim Label.

What does Hi-Fi or High Fidelity really mean these days? Well we believe it has always been to faithfully reproduce the likeness of the original sound, whether it be music, speech or noises using electronic home audio equipment, namely a combination of: amplifiers (digital or valve) sources: CD Players, Streamers, Record Players; Digital to Analogue Converters (DAC's) and loudspeakers: passive or *active (*amplifier built in) stand mount monitors or floorstanding.

While Hi-Fi alone won't usually improve the quality of a substandard recording - garbage in garbage out! - however, when good quality recordings are played using Hi-Fi equipment, it brings the listener closer to the music and more faithfully presents the music as the artist and producer intended it to sound when it was recorded, mixed and mastered.

On The Stage Stock Photo By George Stojkovic
Regardless of the format, CD, vinyl, tape, digital file, we know that hearing more of the music is a thrilling experience. Being able to hear vocals more clearly, individual instruments being played (separation) and the sound they make (timbre) revealing greater insight and depth into a recording can add hugely to the enjoyment and will often induce goosebumps! Listening to music is known to release serotonin, the brain's feel good drug, and as music lovers this is our drug of choice!

You see, at Audio T we are all first and foremost music enthusiasts. Two-channel stereo Hi-Fi is just a means of getting the most enjoyment from our hobby. Audiophiles, music lovers or music junkies, whatever the moniker, we get our highs from music!

Psychedelic Guitar Stock Photo By dan
If you are a music lover old or new, why not bring some of your music along - we're always interested in listening and learning about new artists and hearing their music replayed on some great sounding quality Hi-Fi. This is what we do and love. Locate your nearest store here.

We can guarantee that you will always remember the first time you hear your favourite music played on quality Hi-Fi, simply because it sounds better and it reveals more of the music! 

As Andrew Everard the Audio Editor for Gramophone says: "In the end it's all about the music", and we wholeheartedly agree with that!

Quick Quiz - Can you name the artists from these track and album?

1. Listen to the Music 
2. Pop Music
3. Thank you for the Music
4. Hyper Music
5. Lost in Music 
6. Play that Funky Music White Boy
7. Music for the Masses 

Linn Vinyl Adikt day, Saturday 26th April at Audio T Brighton

Join us as we celebrate the Vinyl LP on Saturday 26th April at a Audio T Brighton

Discover the history behind the longest surviving music format while listening to great tracks on an iconic

Linn Sondek LP12 turntable.

You'll experience the glory of vinyl music at its finest and learn about the craftsmanship involved in engineering the world’s best deck.

Easter News!

You won't find many Easter Eggs here but we have lots of new and exciting treasures to tell you about!

The first products may be small, as you can see by the mug for scale, but you won't have to hunt far to find them!

We were so amazed by the performance of the Musical Fidelity V90 series that we just had to have them.  

From the top we have V90 Blu, Blu tooth receiver, V90 Amp, V90 DAC, V90 HPA, headphone amp and V90 LPS MM/MC phono stage.

It might look like a scaled down separates system but the sound is dynamic and the amplifier packs a far bigger punch than the diminutive casework suggests.

With prices ranging from £149 to £249 there is a product, maybe a complete system, to suit everyone.

Keeping with the compact and bijou theme we have also taken in Chord Electronics' remarkable Hugo. This is a portable DAC and headphone amp without compromise.  Chord Electronics have had an unrivalled track record in digital to analogue conversion since the DAC 64 was launched two decades ago.  

The beautifully finished alloy casework houses Chord's FPGA (field programmable gate array) circuitry to decode digital signals, DSD timing and for volume control amongst its functions.

The sheer resolution of this product has to be heard to be appreciated.  Musicality is not compromised and Hugo sounds warm and engaging and is far from sterile and uninvolving.

The compact case houses a full set of sockets including two USB sockets, one capable of 32 bit/384kHz, the other for tablets and phones at 16 bit/48kHz plus Bluetooth.  Rechargeable batteries make Hugo fully portable whilst the audiophile performance enables it to slot into the very best hi-fi systems.

£1400.00 is a very fair price for this level of performance and flexibility.  Have a listen and we're sure you will be impressed.

Easier to spot in store is our new JVC DLA-X500 home cinema projector.  We've always been fans of JVC projectors and are delighted to give this awesome product pride of place in our dem room.  

The contrast level of the X500 is remarkable.  It achieves inky blacks with no loss of detail.  The whole colur spectrum is delivered with brightness, vibrancy and a naturalism that is very difficult to achieve at any price level, let alone at the £4995.00 price point of the JVC.  Just give us a call to book a demo and prepare to be wowed!

For those looking for a discreet and sensibly priced improvement for their TV sound,  we have just taken in the Wharfedale Vista 100 soundbar.

The compact (810mm wide) enclosure houses a 60W amp driving six neodymium drivers with two located on the side panels to create a spacious 3D effect.  This is aided by Sonic Emotion Absolute 3D technology, with modes for Music, Movie and Game.  There are optical and coaxial digital inputs plus analogue RCA and 3.5mm minijack inputs, and it has Bluetooth connectivity.

And the price for all this?  Just £149.95!  We thought it sounds great and so much better than the feeble sound which emanates from any slimline TV.  Why not treat yourself for Easter?

Last, but definitely not least,  we now have the long awaited new B&W 600 series in stock and on demonstration.  It was well worth the wait!

The performance of this new range of speakers is a major step forward.  The 684 S2 pictured above is a much more slim and elegant floorstander than it's predecessor and the clarity and openness of the decoupled double dome tweeter fitted to all 600 series models is a revelation for such an affordable range of speakers.  

With prices ranging from £349.95 to £1149.95 there is a model to suit all requirements, including centre speakers to assemble a home cinema package.  Finishes are contemporary black or white and an excellent B&W floor stand (STAV 24 S2) is available for the 685 S2 and 686 S2 for just £99.95 per pair.

That's all of our news for now.  We hope our range of new products includes something to interest you.

Hope to see you soon.

Happy Easter

Alan and John

P.S. Nearly forgot. Our kettle exploded, literally. It emitted flames and smoke!  We now have a new one so rest assured we can still make you a cuppa!

Bowers & Wilkins 600 series 2014 range now at Audio T Manchester.

The Bowers & Wilkins 600 Series.

The New 600 Series Tweeter with it's new Decoupled Double Dome tweeter (no double entendre intended).

The Double Dome comprises an extremely thin and light aluminium dome, as seen below.

The entire assembly is decoupled from the cabinet,reducing unwanted vibrations.

The result? A more natural, spacious sounding tweeter.

Pull yourself together Chromey!! and stop showing off. Goodness!!!  

We have the 600 series ready to demo at your convenience.

Kevin,Dave,Munir and Mike will be there to help.

Just call in to Audio T Manchester to arrange a demonstration.

Tel: 0161 839 8869

email: manchester@audio-t.co.uk
web: www.audio-t.co.uk
We are open Monday to Saturday 9:30 - 17:30
and Sunday 11:30 - 16:30

More Naim stock now on demonstration

We have been benefiting from Naim's ever increasing success with a corresponding increase in sales.

With this in mind we have expanded our range of demonstration equipment upwards and now include in stock:

NDX Audiopile Network Music Player. Surpassed only by the NDS. The NDX improves on the ND5 XS with the inclusion of a significantly better quality power supply.

NAC 282 PreAmplifier. A massive step up in performance over the NAC 202 sibling.

NAP 200 Power Amplifier. A great value Audiophile amplifier and a significant improvement over the NAP 155 XS.

NAP 250 Power-Ampilfier. This can truly be described as a classic amplifier. One of the greatest designs ever.

HiCap DR. Delivering stable, low noise power. The HiCap Dr is the most cost effective upgrade available for most pre amplifiers, headphone and phono stages.

Feel free to contact Jon, Dom or Paul for a demonstration.

Sleeker, better sounding B&W 600 S2 range arrive.

The popular award winning B&W 600 series loudspeakers have been replaced by the all-new 600 S2 range.

Sleeker in design and with a better finish, all model incorporate the new Decoupled Double Dome tweeter that graces the CM9. 

This makes them the most technically advanced 'affordable' loudspeaker range currently available and probably the best sound too.

All models available in either black or white finishes.

Back to the Future! Ruark R7 21st Century Radiogram has arrived!

The Ruark R7

Inspired by 60s contemporary design the Ruark R7 combines stunning looks with cutting edge audio technology.

Ruark have combined up to the minute technology into a fine furniture grade cabinet that has been carefully optimised to provide outstanding audio sound quality.

The feature list for this all in one unit is oustanding:

DAB, DAB+ and FM tuners

Dual aerial inputs to allow seperate DAB and FM tuners

Wireless Intenet Radio

Slot loading CD player

Full WiFi capability allows wireless networking and music streamimg

Bluetooth with Aptx (CD Quality Streaming)

2 x 5.5" Dual concentric drive units

1 x 8" Subwoofer

160 watts nominal power

Switchable analogue and digital auxillary inputs

USB Charge port for charging smartphones and tablet computers

Ultra black high contrast fluorescent display

'Radiolink' Rotodial remote control. With RF communication the remote does not have to be aimed at the unit.

The R7 is supplied with spindle legs for free standing positions or puck feet for mounting on an existing sideboard or AV cabinet. You can even mount your TV on top of the R7 and use it as one of the most sophisticated sound bars available.

On listening to the R7 we have found it to offer a full, rich detailed sound no matter what input is selected. Astonishingally it does not sound like an all in one box but gives the impression of of a true hifi system.

The R7 is on permanent demonstration and we would strongly recommend coming into the store for an audition.

B&W's new 600 Series now on demonstration!

We have just taken delivery of our demonstration set of the new B&W 600 Series! More info & pics to follow watch this space...

Bowers & Wilkins have refreshed their award winning 600 series. By injecting technologies found in the CM10's & PM1's the new 600 series are the new force to be reckoned with. That's not all thou, the new 600 series adds a number of its own technological advancements.

 Even the smallest of the new range the 686 S2 is improved with the use of a new decoupled double dome tweeter, Anti-Resonance Plugs on mid/bass drivers and now a forward firing Flowport.

The next speaker in the new range is the 685 S2's which uses the same technological advancements as the smaller 686 S2's, but equipped with a newly designed 6.5inch woven Aramid Fibre cone bass/midrange drivers which is housed in a larger cabinet to produce a bigger more effortless bass response.

The new 684 S2 is slimmer and more elegant than its predecessor, yet still a step up in performance, by using smaller voice coils on its two 5 inch bass/mid drivers. This means increased sensitivity therefore a more efficient speaker with a greater output.

The HTM62 S2 is the smaller of the two centre channels available which is designed to match all of the speakers in the new range but the 686 S2 & 684 S2 in particular as it uses the same 5inch bass drivers.

The largest & most impressive speaker in my opinion is the 683 S2. B&W quote “outstanding power, accuracy and musicality.” I certainly don't disagree. The 683 S2 is equipped with a double dome tweeter design (found in the CM10s), FST midrange drive units capable of producing some of the best vocal re-production we've heard and the use of dual layer aluminium bass drivers “for a richer , distortion-free bass response.”

 The HTM61 S2 is the perfect match for the 683 S2 as it uses the same 6.5in dual layer aluminium bass drivers, a very similar FST dedicated midrange driver and decoupled double dome tweeter.

Book a demo today!

Audio T Enfield

159A Chase Side

Enfield

EN2 0PW

Tel: 0208 367 3132

Email: enfield@audio-t.co.u T

A Very Important Date For Your Diary

Wednesday 14th May 2014,   Classic Vinyl Evening.

The Venue

The Norwegian Church, Cardiff Bay.

The Speakers

The KEF Blades.

The Source

The Project Signature

Further details of this event will be posted on this blog and our website very soon. There will be a competition on the night to win a pair of KEF Q100 loudspeakers.

To obtain your FREE ticket for this event please email KEF at marketing@kef.com

B&W have done it again....

The NEW Bowers & Wilkins are more than just a new fancy cabinet redesign,.. They are a completely new speaker in their own right and worthy of your attention!

As some of you may already know, B&W lauched their NEW 600 S2 series at the recent Hi-Fi show in Bristol with great success.

shortly after the show, we in Swindon received our demo stock and set to work un boxing the small mountain of boxes and started to run them all in in our back demo room. First impressions were good and instantly showed off all B&Ws hard work but that's nothing as to how they sound now once they've had a few hours under their belt.

The NEW 600 S2 series still has that sound we all know and love ( and if I'm honest expect ) from such a world class speaker manufacture such as B&W, but with a bit of B&W magic, they have managed to squeeze an extra load of refinement out of the range. 

This new speaker range that starts at £349 for the 686 S2 should be making all other speakers at the equivalent price points tremble in their cabinets!

If you're in the market for a new pair of speakers or even if you have a pair of the old 600 series and would just like to hear how they sound, give us call to arrange a demo.

To arrange your demo, give us a call on: 01793 538222 or email us on: swindon@audio-t.co.uk

See you soon.

Calling All Vinyl Fans! - Join us at Derricks Music in Swansea for Record Store Day for Your Chance Win a Rega RP1 Turntable

Audio T join forces with Derricks Music Swasea for Record Store Day  - APRIL 19TH 2014

A full listing for the special releases can be seen on the Record Store Day website

If you want to order any f these special releases you will need to call in to Derricks Music in Oxford Street or give them a call: http://www.derricksmusic.co.uk/ I've already ordered mine!!!

To help celebrate the day, we will be at Derricks Music showing Turntables from one of the UKs most well known manufacturers -  Rega Research. We will of course have a full system running should you want to give your special purchase a spin on the day.

We will also have some of the component parts of the turntables so you can see what exactly goes into these machines. I wonder how many times I am going to say "phenolic" on the day????

...and the best bit:  FREE PRIZE DRAW!!!!

WE ARE GOING TO BE GIVING AWAY A REGA RP1 TURNTABLE TO ONE LUCKY CUSTOMER COLLECTING THEIR RECORDS ON RECORD STORE DAY!

To qualify all you will need to do is let us have your name and email address. 

We look forward to seeing lots of you there on the day.....

 

The Naim Unitiserve - A Ripping Good Yarn!

Over time we have all largely accepted that the most important part of the HiFi system is the source. If we fail to retrieve the musical information from the medium being played then it cannot be regained later in the Hi-Fi chain - The old Rubbish In - Rubbish Out saying applies here. This remains true across all sources including  Vinyl, Cd, Radio and of course the current crop of Streamers and dictates that we plough a significant proportion of our budget into the relevant player.

We are in the case of streamers however, overlooking the fact that if you are ripping your CD collection for the purposes of streaming then your lovely new shiny streamer is not really the source! In many cases you will be using a few hundred pounds worth of computer rammed with noisy power supplies etc etc to feed your streamer that may have cost thousands of pounds!

This is where the Naim Unitiserve below comes into play, fitted with a large 2Tb hard drive and engineered to simply get the most from your Compact Discs and more.

There are many people who say digital music is just ones and zeros and it will always sound the same! However after a weekend with the Unitiserve it is very apparent even on my £500 Marantz streamer that this is simply untrue. Having compared it to WAV format rips obtained using Exact Audio Copy and dbpoweramp programs for example the Naim was always better without exception, with the musical image better focussed with greater energy and for want of a better description more evenly "lit" with no one instrument or performer being highlighted or left in the shadows. My wife, a natural cynic by the way! prefered the Naim rip EVERY time without being able to see what was being played.

If you are a computer-phobe then it is good news as well! For the majority of the time it is simply a case of pop a CD in and wait for it to pop back out 5 or so minutes later. You can of course use the Desktop Client to rename discs, create regular backups and add other content to stream if you desire. There are some screen shots below showing just some of the myriad of options available. An iPad app is available to directly play from the Unitiserve's digital output or better still control one of the Naim streamers over your computer network.

 

 

To sum up you have the benefits of storing your CDs in the uncompressed (mathematically or otherwise) WAV format yet retaining Artist, Album and Track information not usually available with this format when streaming, ease of use especially if you dislike computers and quite possibly the best sounding rips I have heard. Nobody wants to have to re-rip their music when they upgrade their Hi-Fi systems so if your streamer is or is likely to be in the £500 or above category I would suggest a Naim Unitiserve is mandatory to get the best from your investment. You are better spending £2220 on the Unitiserve and £750 on a streamer than £3000 on a streamer to play from your computer in my view, plus upgrading the streamer eventually will not require your entire CD collection to be copied again.

I was contemplating upgrading my streamer shortly but now realise I must in fact upgrade my music collection first and purchase a Unitiserve!

Don't take my word for it though, why not contact one of our Branches Here and listen for yourself!

You can see more about the Unitiserve on our site Here and over at Naim Here

The Ceramic Revolution?? Oh yes, and it's called a Rega RP10.

The Rega RP10 in Audio T Manchester.

RB2000 tonearm.

The RB2000 uses the latest award winning Rega arm tube. Each one which is meticulously hand polished (keeping mass to an absolute minimum) and has been completely redesigned to redistribute mass and further reduce stresses and resonances. This advanced design tube increases the stiffness and rigidity of the overall assembly whilst reducing stress on the bearings even further.

The Apheta cartridge. Mounted on the RB2000.

Super flywheel effect ceramic platter

Yep..thats right, the words "super and fly" a la Curtis Mayfield are used to describe the RP10. Say no more!!!

The RP10 uses a custom ceramic flywheel effect platter. The platter is produced from ceramic oxide powder which is compressed, fired and diamond cut to ensure perfect accuracy and flatness across the surface. The new platter features a modified construction over the previous P9 version with improved coupling to the sub platter.

Skeletal plinth design with polyolefin foam core, which is created using nitrogen bubbles, all of which are the same size, just like a pint of Guiness.

Controversially Rega has always researched methods of producing light but stiff and rigid plinths. The technology is simple: unwanted noise at microscopic levels is developed by the turntable motor and main bearing. The plinth can also pick up airborne vibration from the music. From the beginning in the 1970’s Rega pioneered the use of a stressed skin structure for the plinth. This uses two layers of phenolic resin with a lightweight particle or fibre board sandwiched between the skins. This technique has been used in many applications where stiff, light structures are needed such as an aircraft wing or a Formula 1 chassis.

"Now thats whats you call polished to perfection" so sayeth the wise Chromey. 

The motor drives the CNC machined pulley, sub platter and hub-bearing assembly via the twin belt drive. Each motor is individually hand tuned to its own custom power supply in the factory to minimise vibration, motor noise and ensure optimum performance.

How does it sound ?

"At the moment I have only tried the RP10 with the Rega Apheta, which gives a huge soundstage and very fast sounding with no bass overhang . After a few records I felt I could listen to this combination all night! and thats what happened. Detail just poured out of the speakers. Would I sell my current turntable for this ?  possibly"

The Rega RP10 on display and demonstration at our Manchester store.

Please feel free to call in and ask Dave,Munir,Mike or Kevin for a demonstration.

Thanks.

Tel: 0161 839 8869

email: manchester@audio-t.co.uk
web: www.audio-t.co.uk
We are open Monday to Saturday 9:30 - 17:30
and Sunday 11:30 - 16:30

Customer Naim Factory Tour

Twenty six Audio T customers were lucky enough to visit Naim's premises last week.

The feedback has been exceptional and I think it safe to say that a good time was had by everyone.

The visit consisted of a tour of the factory, where the sheer care and attention to detail that Naim lavish on their product became apparent to all. This was followed by a trip into R&D (most rare) and a chat with the head of the team behind the Statement amplifier, Steve Sells.

After lunch, everybody had the opportunity to listen to the £12K NDS streamer and power supply through the 125K Statement amplifier ito a pair of £70K Focal Stella Utopias! What can I say but wow! Without doubt the best system I have ever heard. If I could afford it, I would buy it, in a heartbeat.