An afternoon of 4K delight with Sony.

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When Sony invited Audio-T along to Sony Music in Kensington to introduce us to the stunning new 4K VPLHW300ES 3D projector. I got the opportunity to attend.

So a quick walk to Manchester Piccadilly Train station and 2 hrs 9 mins later I’m at London Euston.

A couple of underground stations later and I’m at 99 Kensington High street outside Sony Music. Easy, who needs HS2.

The folks at Sony kicked off the proceedings with a demo of this year’s world cup, where Sony’s own dedicated native 4K broadcast cameras were used for filming, the footage is simply stunning and shown through the 300es it is genuinely jaw dropping. The last time I saw anything as good was through the 500es in our demo room in Manchester and apart from a clearly brighter image from the 500es the 300 holds its own in every other aspect of picture quality. Truly impressive.

Next up was a clip of concert footage from Muse. Once again, the 4K 300es deals with black level and detail with aplomb. Muse always seem to use at lot of purples and violets during their concerts and against dark backgrounds the Sony just picks out the detail with ease and the colours almost start to drip off the screen. I really, really want one.

Finally, and in my opinion most importantly we were shown a regular blu-ray disc to show off the upscaling capabilities of Sony’s digital reality creation (DRC).

Well, I have to admit I was blown away with DRC’s ability to resolve even more detail from blu-ray, while at the same time not having any adverse effect on the colours or sharpness.

So, in reality, this means that all of your old Blu-ray collection (and mine) will get a new lease of life just by scaling it through the 300es. Happy days!! I love this job and the VPL-VW300ES.

The Sony 300ES has the same case size as the 500ES.

For more information on new Sony VPL-VW300ES please follow the links below.

You can also contact the guys at Audio-T Manchester or pop in and pick up a dedicated brochure on the Sony 4K range of projectors.

Sony Website

See you at the store.

Munir

The New Ruark R1 Dab Radio is here.

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We now have in stock the third generation of the Ruark R1 desktop radio and very nice it is to.

This is the latest incarnation of the ever popular Dab radio, and with many upgrades and improvements it is a great gem of modern gadgetry presented in an elegant and stylish cabinet.

So what’s new ?

The first thing you will notice is the display which now uses an OLED screen. This gives much better detail and clarity, also the brightness can be adjusted to suit anyone’s preference.

The control panel has also been improved. Using a much nicer version of Ruarks unique rotodial, it now has fewer buttons and is easier to navigate through the options. By giving it a smaller and separate power button you no longer accidentally turn it off while adjusting the volume.

The biggest upgrade is the addition of Bluetooth connectivity. This enables us to connect our smartphones, tablets, laptops etc and play our own music. The R1 wil read and display the track information as you listen.

Turn the R1 around and on the back you will find a stereo headphone output, an analogue line in and a USB socket. The line in gives us the option to connect an external source and the USB can be used to charge your phone or tablet.

On the whole its a great little product, with Dab , Dab+ and FM its a fantastic radio and suitable for any home or office enviroment. Available in three colours, Black , White , or the classic wood finish Walnut.

For more information check out the Ruark website http://www.ruarkaudio.com/products/r1-overview.

Chord and Arcam Day - Saturday 11th October, now with extra P49 power!

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We are thrilled to announce that our Chord and Arcam open day, now just one day away, will feature not only the new Arcam A49 integrated amplifier, but also the C49 pre-amplifier and.....

not just one P49 power amplifier ..... but two of these range topping amplifiers set up in bridged mono mode!

This is going to be good, very good!  We can't wait to hear this powerhouse of a system.

We will have the new Arcam UDP411 universal disc player's digital output feeding Arcam's D33 DAC linked to C49 and on to the two P49s which will drive a pair of PMC Twenty 26 speakers.

This stunning system will be hooked up with Chord cables throughout, starting with mains, then ethernet, digital, analogue and, finally, speaker cables.  It will easily have the transparency and resolution to demonstrate all the potential upgrades from C-Stream to Sarum.

You will not want to miss this!

See you on Saturday 11th October, anytime between 11am and 6pm.

 

 

 

The Chord Company come to Swindon...

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We at Audio T Swindon are pleased to announce that on Saturday 1st November we will be holding a Chord event. This is no vicious RUMOUR!.... It's going to be EPIC!! 

On Saturday the 1st of November we will be holding a Chord event where we will be graced with company of Matt from Chord who is on hand to demonstrate what is achievable with a well sellected cable upgrade.

On demonstration will be a range of RCA, XLR and DIN cables as well as streaming, digital and speaker cables.

The systems we have chosen to run for this event are NAIM & Cyrus both of which will consist of amplification, streamer & cd player.  

The event will run from 11am to 6pm

If you would wish to know more then please feel free to give us a call on: 01793 53822

 

Did you know that You can now follow Audio T Swindon on Twitter - @AudioTSwindon

Dolby Atmos - Ultimate Surround Sound?

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Dolby Atmos is the very latest surround sound technology being put into home cinema amplifiers, trying to give a more 3D surround sound effect than the normal 5 or 7.1 surround formats. To show it off, we have a 5.1.4 system set up in our demo room which we will try to keep running for anyone to drop in and experience.

This is basically a 5.1 system (as used with Dolby Digital and DTS) with an additional 4 speakers. That may sound like a lot of speakers, but we are showing two possible options of adding the extra speakers.

 One option is to use in ceiling speakers as shown in the picture below:

Or you can use additional speakers pointing upwards as shown below:

You will also need a Dolby Atmos enabled home cinema amp like this Pioneer SC-LX58 £1399

So come in, have a listen, and see how impressive the latest generation of surround sound is.

Audio T Southampton is creating the right ATMOS-phere!

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Today marks an important day here at Audio T Southampton where a few weeks work have paid off with the release of Dolby Atmos.

 

In the previous couple of weeks, having been up to visit Dolby at their UK headquarters in Soho Square, I came back thinking how I could integrate Dolby Atmos into our demonstration room.

 

I then set about installing 4 new in ceiling speakers into our floating ceiling and wiring them back to our system ready for Atmos to arrive.

 

The new LX Range of Pioneer home cinema amps are all Atmos capable but required the release of the software to get them up and running. Today was the big day!

 

I set about un-boxing the top of the Range SC-LX88 like a kid at Christmas. Having a look round the back I was pleased to see a full array of speaker terminals ready for my new ceiling speakers.

 

Plugging it in, I then set about updating the software to enable it to deliver its full potential with Atmos. Updatable via USB or over the net this was completed within just a few minutes, far less than the estimated 26 minutes.

 

Following through the Pioneer MCACC set up, I got all the speakers connected up in the right configuration for a 5.4.2 set up. This refers to the number of traditional speakers you have for your surround sound system plus the additional height channels connected for Atmos.


Hooking up one of the matching Pioneer Blu-ray players, I popped in our new Dolby Atmos demo disc and fired it up. Setting the amp to its new surround mode. I was very pleased wto see Atmos flag up immediately after loading the demo disc.

 

Giving a few of the new Atmos trailers a spin, I was very impressed with the results, lots of height and dynamics and a real feeling of being wrapped in a very solid 360 degree soundstage which raised the home cinema experience to a whole new level.


I then tried a more traditional Dolby True HD format letting the Atmos processor add in the extra height channels and the image was as brilliant as I expected. I can't wait for Atmos capable blu-ray movies to be launched so we can really put the system through it paces.

 

For now, feel free to pop in with a couple of your favourite discs and experience the new Dolby Atmos in our demonstration room and prepare to have your senses tingled with the latest in home cinema formats whilst you relax with a good cup of tea.


Clearaudio and Isotek event. The aftermath

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Wow! I can now say that I have heard one of the best turntables that money can buy. To quote a certain politician, I was almost "purring" whilst listening to Lynyrd Skynyrd's Freebird at obscenely loud volumes.

£50,000 bought us the Master Innovation deck, equiped with the stunning TT1 tangential tonearm, housing the best cartridge in the world(?) the solid gold Goldfinger Statement.

Equally impressive was the demonstration of just how effective Isotek cables and mains conditioning are. We were taken in stages up through their range and it was so obvious as to why you should audition these products. They will make any system sound better.

If you didn't attend you really did miss something special!

Sennheiser's HD700's now stand amongst our most favoured over ear headphones

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The HD700's are one of the lightest, most comfortable & transparent sounding headphones we've had the pleasure of listening to in a long time. 

The HD700's are a circumaural headphone design, that weighs just 270g. Couple that with ultra comfortable and luxurious velour micro-fibre ear pads; this means that you really can forget you're wearing them.

The HD700's uses a open-back design that achieves a "transparent" sound. Highly efficient 40mm drivers are used with an optimised ventilated magnet system that minimises air turbulence, an internal stainless-steel mesh suspension damper is also used to achieve a very low THD, even the silicone-treatment to the headband plays a part in making it less resonant and ultimately sound better. 

The HD700's comes with a generous 3m detachable silver-plated oxygen-free copper cable for improved ease of use & better conductivity.  

 The HD700's are a perfect combination of carefully selected materials and cutting-edge industrial design. These headphones excel in all areas and are an absolute delight to listen to. We urge you to come in store and listen for yourself.

 

What better time to buy... Now on offer for £470! RRP£599

 

Best Wishes

Simon, John & Jason.

 

Audio-T
159A Chase Side
Enfield
EN2 0PW
Tel: 0208 367 3132

Quad returns to Brentwood with the Vena amplifier

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Quad have come up with something VERY special in the Vena digital amp!

On the surface it looks very much like one of their classic series pre amplifiers, but it is somthing quite different for the venerable British company.

 

The small (midi width) stylish case contains a stereo amplifier rated at 45W into 8 ohms, plus a DAC with optical, co-ax and USB inputs, there is also APTX bluetooth on board alongside traditional line level inputs.

 

We have been playing with this little amp since it arrived, and we are delighted with the sound quality produced, great stereo separqtion and placement and plenty of oomph too.

So far it's been powering speakers from the diminutive Q Acoustics 2010i right up to the Focal Electra 1028 without any hint of strain.

The version pictured here is the standard Lancaster Grey which retails for only £600

£100 more gets you the amp clad in gloss black, gloss white, or a beautiful real wood veneer.

Come and have a listen to this little beauty as soon as you can.

 

Diverse Vinyl & Pro-Ject come to Swindon this December...

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Here's a date for your diary!... On the 6th December Diverse Vinyls pop up record store & Pro-Ject Audio come to Audio T Swindon with vinyl records & Signature turntables in tow...

As some of you may be aware Diverse Vinyl are in the middle of a vinyl roadshow as they stop off at various branches of Audio T this autumn. 

On the 6th of December it's our turn!.. Diverse Vinyl will be bringing a vast selection of bestselling and new release vinyl including 180g Audiophile pressings for you to thumb through and purchase on the day.

Now, If Diverse Vinyl coming to Swindon wasn't a good enough reason to stop by, we will also have the company of Pro-Ject who will be showing off a couple of their rather shiny turntables including the rather impressive Signature turntable for you to listen to your new Lp purchases on if you so wish. 

                           

We look forward to seeing you all then! 

Audio T: 01793 538222

Don't forget, You can now follow us on Twitter - @AudioTSwindon

 

Chord and Arcam Day - Saturday 11th October featuring Sarum and A49 and UDP411

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We will be holding an open day on Saturday 11th October between 11am and 6pm.

Matt from Chord will be here with a comprehensive range of Chord Company interconnects and speaker cables available for demonstration.

The benefits of high quality ethernet cables will be demonstrated, from £40 C-Stream all the way up to £1875 Sarum.  We will be using Arcam's new UDP411 Universal disc player and streamer through their flagship A49 integrated amplifier into PMC's magnificent Twenty 26 speakers.  

We were mightily impressed with the A49 when we first heard it recently so are very excited that James from Arcam is also hoping to bring along the not yet released C49 and P49 pre and power amp.  We just can't wait to hear the A49 again, and maybe C49/P49, with the UDP411 and PMC Twenty 26s!  

To top it all we are delighted that we are now Chord Sarum stockists with audio interconnects, power cables and speaker cables all available for demonstration either in store or at home.

Give your ears a treat!  We look forward to seeing you on October 11th.  

 

 


A Perfect Unity

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Naim Unitilite and Focal Jmlab 906

Focal JMLab have created something special with the 906. A large stand mount which is perfectly proportioned from a design perspective. Large enough to produce a decent amount of bass but not so big as to suffer from cabinet resonance issues. Front ported it can be positioned close to a wall it is perfect for small to medium sized rooms. It comes in 2 finishes, Walnut and gloss black.

 

 

 

 

Naims Unitilite gives you an excellent one box solution offering CD playback, streaming (whether that is internet radio or high resolution audio from a hard drive) and an optional DAB tuner. Lots of devices stream music these days and being able to stream music can liberating because of the convenience it offers though not all products stream like Naim products. This is down to the interface between you and the machine. Naim have really nailed it with their N-Stream App. It's very elegant, uncomplicated and a pleasure to use.

 

 

So two excellent products both worthy purchases on their own but put them together and what you get is a fantastic unity. A tight fast sound with a big sound stage is hard to achieve, most often you find you can have one or the other but this combo achieves just that. The speakers unlike most stand mounts are easy to drive and Naims amplifiers are renown for their excellent dynamics and make no mistake this is a proper Naim amp not an afterthought. Join them together and you get an effortless sound that doesn’t lose anything at lower volumes and will happily play loud without harshness or compression.

 

The icing on the cake is that until the end of October we have an offer on this combo. You can save over £500. We have them both here at the Bristol shop and invite you to come and hear for yourself.

Give us a call for a demonstration and dig out your favourite CD or put a file or two on a USB stick.

Astell and Kern AK100mk2 and AK120

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High end portable players at a bargain price.

  

We have new stock of the AK100 mk2 and the AK120 at half the price of the current versions. If you are looking at the latest version and feel they are price inhibitive then either of these could be your ticket to high quality playback on the move. Both offer incredible resolution from high quality Wolfson dacs and high quality headphone amps. They can both play back 24bit 192KHz files and offer large file storage facilities. These will not be with us forever so come and get yourself a bargain.

 

Linn Kandid Linn's Best Cartridge Yet?

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Every now and then something comes along that completely changes the previous set reference.

The Kandid is one of those moments.

 

For Years fans of the Troika have been waiting for something to come along and make them feel there is a real significant improvement over their much used and loved cartridge,indeed many are still using Troika's over a decade or more later,well the wait is over the cartridge you have been waiting for is here.

It's not that what followed...The Arkiv, Arkiv B & Akiva weren't great cartridges they were and out performed the Troika in many area's but they weren't the complete deal, this is ,with clarity depth detail and realism in abundance.

 

The best the shop system has ever sounded according to more than one regular. 

Now on dem so bring one of your favourite albums and hear for yourself. I have!

Introducing the Simple Roomplayer with Amp.

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"Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication"  Leonardo da Vinci

 


Well, we are in full aggreement with old Leo's now famous quote, especially in regards to the Simple Roomplayers.

Our Simple Roomplayer with Amp has been playing in it's own little space on the shop floor and much to the delight of our customers, it's not let us down yet.

Using Deezer's streaming service has opened up endless possibilities of mixing up musical genres, it gives us an opportunity to put the amps in the Roomplayer through it's paces.

From Jazz to Hip-Hop and Folk to Americana even movie soundtracks and classical music the room player has impressed us on how it just seems to control the speakers with ease.

Hooking up a pair of reasonably difficult to drive Monitor Audio GX50 bookshelf/standmount speakers and the Simple Roomplayer with Amp just plays music.  The ribbon tweeter on GX50's likes to be driven hard with lots of power and yet the seemingly modest 50 watts (4 ohm) on the roomplayer doesn't flinch, playing loud when needed and still presenting the music with detail and space.

Other "all in one" network streamers of the same ilk, albeit cheaper in price, tend to harden up when pushed and get a little shouty at higher volumes, not so with the Simple Roomplayer. 

This is probably because careful attention to design detail keeps all signal paths as short and as direct as possible. This guarantees the highest audio quality with no interference from any other circuitry. We like.

All your music at your fingertips.

Roomplayer apps for your computer, iPad, iPod or iPhone give you a unique view of all your music.

Control what music is playing on any Roomplayer in your home. Create playlists, add music to queues, browse music on streaming services, select radio stations and more.

There is also an Android app in the the works and should be with us shortly.


 Made from premium grade aluminium and tempered glass, the Roomplayer not only looks great, it provides fantastic screening and heatsink capabilities.

 

 

You can pop into our Manchester store and listen to the Simple Roomplayer right now.

Give any of us shout when you call in, we will be more than happy to help.  

Oh..that's Kevin,Mike, Dave or Munir.

In the meantime why not check out some glowing reviews by HiFi Choice and HiFi World here and here

And for some more info on the Roomplayers, just click here and here. 

 

 

 

 

New Product - Quad Vena

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We have now taken delivery of the new Quad Vena. The Vena is a neat one box package that provides 2 x 45 watt amplification to play back your music through a pair of loudspeakers or via the high quality inbuilt headphone amplifier.

The Vena offers analogue, digital and USB inputs. You can also stream any stored music from a blue tooth enabled device via the on board Aptx codec for CD quality music over wireless transmission.

The Unit is supplied with high quality credit card size remote control.

On initial listening we have found the Vena to offer a very clean open sound with no hint of aggressiveness. The high frequencies are very smooth and detailed and the bass is deep and tight. Wireless music via the Blue tooth receiver is exceptionally good for a product at this price. In fact the Quad Vena coupled with a Blue tooth device such as an Apple I-Pad or Android tablet and a suitable pair of high qulity loudspeakers makes a highly capable compact and easy to use music system that you can operate from the comfort of your seating position.

Specifications

 

  • 2 x 45 Watt 8 Ohms
  • 2 x RCA Analogue Inputs
  • 1 x RCA Pre Out Analogue Output
  • 1 x Coaxial Digital Input
  • 2 x Toslink Optical Inputs
  • 1 x PC USB Input
  • 1 x Apple Docking Input
  • Blue Tooth Via Aptx
  • Dimensions 313mm x 93.5mm x 302mm                    

Available now for demonstration.

KEF Reference 5 On Demo...One Week Only!

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In store now for one week only, we are proud to announce we have the latest incarnation of the of the revered KEF Reference range of speakers from our good friends at KEF UK. This generation of Reference speaker really has raised the bar when it comes to performance and imagery combined with elegance and cutting edge technology, this floor standing speaker is more than capable of bringing recordings new and old into your listening environment.

Just a teaser picture to whet your appetite.

So many aspects of this range of new KEF Reference speaker has changed and been improved since the last generation, from the shape of the cabinets and the layout of the drivers, all the way down to the binding posts which have been plated with platinum no less.

 

All these changes large and small come together to make an incredible listening experience. Want to see more? Why don't you dig out your favourite vinyl or CD and give us a call to arrange a listen before this opportunity passes you by.

 

Dynaudio Excite

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The new Dynaudio Excite range has arrived in Pompey. It has been a few years since we stocked any of Dynaudio's normal speakers but we were so impressed with the new Excite range that we just had to have them!

Currently we have the X34 floorstanders (pictured below) running in on our shop system priced at £1999.95

And the X14 stand mounted speakers at £899.95, fresh out of the box, not even run in yet.