From the 1st of February we will be changing our opening hours
The late night on Thursday will be no more, and we will be opening from 9.30am to 5.30pm Tuesday-Saturday
Of course everything else will remain the same and we will have new delights arriving to tempt you over the next few weeks including the new CDS27 from Arcam ... a streaming CD player which works beautifully with the A19 and A39
We look forward to seeing you
Paul, Francis, and Boswell
Coud this be one of the next upgrades you make to your system?
A recent chat with a customer got me to thinking about this. Whilst discussing possible upgrade paths to his system which was about ten years old it became apparent that he had not bought any new music in that time which amazed me. It's no wonder that during that time the system would be getting used less and less. But was it really a case of the hi-fi needing upgrading as the customer thought, or just that he was bored of the music he had been playing all that time?
Realising that a worthwhile upgrade was out of his reach financially I suggested that he just goes and buys a few new albums. After about half an hour of playing some of the albums I had bought over the last few months I sent him off down to Derricks Music!
Since then I have been asking a lot of customers what their last music purchase was and it really surprises me that so many people have not bought any new music in such a long time.
The easiest way to breathe new life into your system is to buy some new music! Here's a few of my recent favourites i've bought
People often ask me "where do you hear new music". I have been listening to Paul Jones on Radio 2 on a Monday night for many years and it's cost me a fortune! Also, Bob Harris Country on a Thursday night is another great programme that I listen to and with the on demand service on line you can listen to it whenever and wherever you want.
The other big thing in the past few years of course is the resurgence in Vinyl. Sales of turntables has gone through the roof and we are seeing literally dozens of old turntables being brought out of the lofts which is fantastic as I am a big vinyl fan. The amount of new LPs being released is crazy! There are so many old albums being re-issued and artists going back through their old releases that were never released on vinyl the choice is staggering.
I took this picture on my last visit to Derricks. A great example of whats available, from Frist Aid Kit (a relatively new band from Sweden) to old classics like Bob Marley Legend, Pink Floyd and Kraftwerk. Four albums that would be a great evenings listening!
So... if you think your system needs something new, often it can be something as simple as discovering some new music.
If you want to hear some new music then feel free to call in and ask us what we have heard that's new and i'd be glad to hear what new music you have found of course.
After all, it's all about the music!
The first new product from Rega for 2015 is their Apheta 2 moving coil cartridge.
Outwardly at first glance it looks identical to the original but close inspection reveals that every component including the beautifully machined aluminium body is new. This is now a one-piece design removing the separate part to which the magnet assembly is affixed. The purpose of this is to eliminate unwanted resonance between the 2 parts.
From their site:
Conventional MC cartridges utilize a steel suspension system (tie wire) which creates a high amplitude H.F. resonance (normally around 8-12kHz). Such resonance is unacceptable and is usually damped by a rudimentary piece of foam rubber.
However, the foam rubber deteriorates with age and cannot prevent the complete structure from vibrating and "ringing".
The specifics and adjustment of the tie wire and damping determine whether the cartridge is under damped (bright) or over damped (warm and bass heavy).
A happy medium is rarely achieved.
This encouraged Rega to pursue a new direction inspired by modern materials and the basic laws of magnetism. The Apheta 2 contains neither a tie wire nor a foam damper.
Moving coil aficionados will all recognise the long search for super clear, high frequency combined with firm, tight bass.
Apheta 2 retains the same non tie-wire design that made the original such a unique design. The removal of the tie-wire (which is highly resonant and requires the use of a rubber damper)
The magnet is now a super powerful neodymium type. The coils are meticulously hand wound on an iron cross 50% smaller than before. This results in a lower moving mass for even better tracking. The output is thus lowered from a rather beefy 500mv to a more useable 350mv, which will be easer to match with some phonostages.
The one part carried over is the stylus, which remains a Vital line-contact type, nude mounted.
Outward appearance may appear much the same but the sound is not. Brand new out of the box our rep’s new demo unit, upon first needle drop became our demo one.
This has to be one of the most refined cartridges I’ve ever heard. Gone is any trace of brightness or ‘sizzle’ that the original could be provoked into on some discs whilst not loosing any detail or high frequency information. In fact there is now so much more to listen to without any loss of musicality. Nowhere was this more apparent than voices. Sibilants are rendered totally natural, eerily so.
What also struck me was the almost total lack of surface noise. Indeed on the new reissue of Jethro Tull's Warchild I turned up my amp close to max during a very quiet passage and was amazed by the almost CD-like quietness. Also seemingly absent was any end of side distortion. All this should mean it's great for classical music lovers not just old rockers like me.
Bass is full, taught and powerful the like I’ve never heard from a Rega cartridge before. In fact, so taken was I with its performance I took it home to play on my set-up. By 2 am I had to force myself to go to bed!! Enough said.
It gets better. Rega now bundle the Apheta 2 with both the RP8 and RP10 and has lifted the respective performances to another level for just a mere £100 increase.
The Apheta 2 retails at £998, up from £920 and to me represents a real bargain in high-end moving coil cartridges, my home demo is testimony to that and I foresee many on non-Rega turntables. I suspect supply will be very short as I’m informed, due to finer manufacturing tolerances after major investment in high definition magnification equipment, maximum output will be 3 per day for the entire world supply.
On permanent demo on the ‘house system’ for any impromptu listen. Bring a record in and prepare to be amazed.
Simon
Apheta 1 left, Apheta 2 on the right.
We are very excited that our customers now have a nearby independent local record store to cater for all their musical needs!
Hundred Records in Romsey opened last November and offers a wide range of music on both CD and vinyl!
This is great news for the increasing number of customers who have bought turntables from us and are either re-engaging with the unbeatable sound of vinyl and wanting to add to their album collection or those new to LPs and starting from scratch .... as it were!
Take a look at the store website www.hundredrecords.com and pop along to Hundred Records, 47 The Hundred, Romsey, SO51 8GE.
Browsing through LPs and CDs is a far more pleasurable experience than buying on line and you are sure of a friendly welcome from Mark.
Following the success of our Fourteenth Classic Vinyl Evening, we are pleased to announce Classic Vinyl Night number Fifteen.
This will be on Tuesday 3rd March nd once again will be held at the Fusion Room restaurant, 80 Friargate, Preston, PR1 2ED, at 7pm 7.30 start.
Click the link to find where we will be http://www.fusionroom.co.uk/
The album we have chosen is Mezzanine by Massive Attack
The idea is simple... just turn up and listen to an album in it's entirety on vinyl with a short break to grab a drink half way in. If you are interested in joining us please email the store preston@audio-t.co.uk or call us on 01772 883958 to confirm your place
If you require any additional information, please feel free to contact us.
We look forward to seeing you
Ian, Gavin and Andy
Hugo a Go Go!.....everywhere and take your hi fi with you.
You may already be aware of the amazing little headphone DAC/pre-amp, The Chord Hugo.
Our Bristol store actually reviewed it in April last year. They absolutely loved it, and still do.
We also took it on as one of our high-end headphone amps and as one of our best selling headphones are the superb Sennheiser HD800's it seemed like the right choice.
This little DAC/headphone amp is simply astounding, it literally drives the Sennheiser HD800's into the ground, I mean we are talking about bags and bags of power with plenty to spare.
Hit the road DAC.
Diminutive, lighweight with high quality build, along with up to 12hrs of battery life makes the Hugo genuinely "hifi on the go"
Real RCA analogue outputs also make the Hugo an astounding preamp for connecting to conventional hifi.
Bluetooth APTx gives you the flexibility of wireless connection.
Digital co-axial and optical give the Hugo many different connection options.
The FPGA ??
The Hugo has a "field programmable gate array" which is an advanced circuit fully controlled by Chord without the limitations of third party DAC chips.
Two micro USB inputs allow for SD 44/48khz for direct connection to iPhones, Android and nearly all tablets.
The HD 44/384khz allows for asynchronous connection using Hugo's own highly accurate clock circuit. This input will support
384khz PCM/DXD and also DSD64 and DSD128 in DoP format. (very high quality audio formats)
In the natural world...
...all headphones (and Chromey) gravitate towards the Hugo.
Our Hugo is ready to demonstrate at our Manchester store.
Bring along your own headphones or try it with one of ours.
Just ask for Dave, Kevin, Munir or Mike at the store.
See you soon.
Naim introduce up market Super Lumina cables
Having used the Super Lumina 5 Din to 5 Din interconnect since early in December at home, and had the chance to listen to the Super Lumina speaker leads I can attest to a major improvement to any previous cables I have heard !
And they look rather beautiful too.
Available in various configuration of interconnects, Naim pre - power amp leads, and loudspeaker cables.
If you have a really good system, and are interested in gaining better results, give us a call to arrange a demonstration.
Or simply treat yourself !
Due for introduction early February.
And don't forget the Naim Powerline mains leads as these also contribute a worthwhile improvement.
Julian
You can read more about Super Lumina cables on the Naim Forum here
NB Our customers who have upgraded with the Super Lumina interconnects and loudspeaker cables have all been delighted with the results !
Comments such as
'These are brilliant, best upgrade for ages'
'Best value for money upgrade to my system'
'Fantastic'
etc etc.......
We have just finished setting up the Focal Dimension soundbar,and have to say we are more than impressed with its performance,even without a subwoofer.
We have opted to wall mount the speaker using the supplied bracket and it looks great
The Dimension can be operated from the front facia with a touch screen which is activated with a wave of your hand,or with an optional bluetooth aptx can be operated with a smart phone or tablet.
With HDMI/Optical & analogue connection its compatable with an array of products
pop in for a listen
Upgrade any system and make it Bluetooth for less than £90
For less than £90 the Arcam Mini Blink allows you to stream wirelessly to any system be it vintage or contemporary.
If you have a bluetooth capable device and want to be able to hold your entire album collection in your hand, or stream from your music service such as Quobuz or Spotify for example, then this is the up grade to make.
Using the latest apt X CODEC the Mini Blink connects to your device in seconds and offers superb sound quality.
Although the Mini Blink comes with all the cables you require to get started an improvement can certainly be heard by upgrading the interconnects. We have found the Audioquest Evergreen 3.5mm to 2-RCA is a good pairing.
We are happy to demonstrate the mighty Mini Blink in store.
B&W's new CM series 2 range gains another rather special speaker. Much like the CM10's, the CM6 S2's share technologies used in B&W's 800 diamond series to elevate their performance to new levels.
The CM6 S2's use a 6.5in woven Aramid Fibre mid/bass driver to deliver extremely accurate & natural sounding mid range. Not only do the CM S2 range sound clean they look it too, with not a single screw or bolt in sight.
The decoupled double dome & on top tweeter design is the finishing touch in creating an effortlessly spacious & natural image.
Rediscover your music as the CM6 S2's dig deeper & reveal more of the subtleties hidden within your favourite songs today.
Give us a call or email to arrange a demonstration
Best wishes
Simon
Audio T
159A Chase Side
Enfield
EN2 0PW
Tel: 0208 367 3132
Email: enfield@audio-t.co.uk
Firstly we would like to wish all our customers, past and present, a Happy New Year.
2014 was a great year for us and our suppliers with a host of fabulous new
products, many achieving awards.
Highlights include:
Two new products from Rega, the Elex-R amplifier and of course their new flagship turntable, the RP10.
Naim Audio introduced their first ever all-in-one music player, the mu-so, by far the best sounding product of its type and already a big success.
They have also now added Spotify Connect on all their network players and Uniti products which also now feature Bluetooth connectivity.
Chord Electronics Hugo has been a true ‘game changer’, a remarkable product which has been applauded the world over. Now available in black.
Chord Hugo, now also available in silver.
Neat Accoustics loudspeakers, especially the Motive range, has proven to be one of our best sellers last year, a perfect complement to our amplifier range.
The Well Tempered Versalex turntable. A truly awesome product thanks to its fresh design and engineering.
Well Tempered Versalex
So, what can one expect from us in 2015?
Well, firstly we are delighted to announce the introduction to our loudspeaker portfolio of Shahinian Loudspeakers from the USA. These highly exclusive speakers offer a somewhat different perspective from the norm that we know many will enjoy.
We intend a more detailed blog post soon.
Shahinian Compass 2
Compass 2
Shahinian Arc 2
Arc 2
There are a few other significant announcement coming soon, we’ll keep you posted.
Simon
This great new product from Quad features a 45watt per channel amplifier and oodles of connectivity options. You get coaxial, optical, Bluetooth(aptX) and USB inputs which are dealt with by a high resolution 24 bit 192 khz dac. You also get the usual RCA analogue inputs plus a pre out (which you could use to feed your old quad power amp bringing it into the modern age). It sounds great and looks the part especially in the red vaneer, gloss black and gloss white finishes. These finishes retail at £699.95. It is also available in Lancaster grey for £100 less. It is a great buy whichever finish you choose.
Audio Technica ATH AD900x, 700x and 500x.
These are very reasonbly priced for the level of performance you get £315, £195, and £150 respectively.
These open backed audiophile headphone are delightful to listen to. They sit extremely comfortably on the head feeling like they are not there. Well worth auditioning if you are after a set of headphones at this price point.
We fell in love with the Cocktail Audio products last year for their versatility and quality, now the company has changed its name to Nova Fidelity and have produced two new models. The little X10 has been replaced by the X12 with improved connections on the back and a disc tray rather than a slot loader, with improved performance all round this is going to be a litle star.
But the model which has excited us the most is the new X40, a source component without amplifier which can be slotted in to any existing system. It has all the great features of the Nova Fidelity range with some new refinements, the graphic interface is improved, there are XLR connections on the rear along with a phono stage. This will allow you to record your vinyl straight to its hard drive. I can also be used as a pre-amp and connected directly to a power amp.
There is also FM radio on board which can also be recorded direct to the hard drive (different sizes of drive are available) and an HDMI connection so you can see its display on a TV
The best thing is it sounds great! We've been playing it into the little Audiolab M40 power amp and having fun with it.
So the year looks like its starting off with a bang, with this product and exciting developments from Naim with the addition of Bluetooth and Spotify to their Uniti products....and of course the wonderful Mu-So
We would like to take this opportunity to wish you all a Peaceful and Happy New Year and we'll see you in 2015 ..... after all our Sale is on!!
Paul Francis and Boswell Bear
Brand new and just in for 2015 we have a range of SONORO products. Starting with the DAB/FM radio boasting a functional design features especially for the bedroom, this compact music system will delight you with its superb sound and smart looks. Fall asleep or wake up to music from your favourite radio station, USB connection or even Bluetooth from your smartphone. Its dual alarm function with let you have that extra lie-in at the weekends. Available in a range of colours, it boasts a battery back-up, snooze function and remote control.
The next model in the range has the same functions as the above but adds a CD player. Again ideal for the bedroom with the up firing speaker providing 360 degree room filling sound.
Topping the range we have the Stereo Music System. With powerful sound from its two-way speaker system and high performance sub-woofer the Design Music System provides the perfect soundstage for any event. It boasts room filling sound from its CD player, DAB/FM radio or while streaming via Bluetooth. Perfect for any music lover and available in a range of colours to suite any decor.
All the above models are in stock at the Cardiff store, so pop in and have a listen.
HAPPY NEW YEAR.
Following hot on the heels of Arcam's flagship A49 Integrated Amplifier comes the more affordable A39.
The really cool thing about this Amplifier is the fact that it is Class G. What this means to the listener is that for the vast majority of the time the music that you hear will be pure Class A, with all the beautiful sweetness in the midband that this entails. When more power is needed the amplifier can then bring in up to 120W of class B power. This is done extremely cleverly, avoiding the normal cross over distortion exhibited by Class A/B amplifiers.
If you want to hear this for yourself, let us know.
The Cheltenham branch have just added Neat Acoustics loudspeakers to our extensive line of loudspeakers.
After extensive listening we now have the following models available for demonstration.
The Neat Iota delivers a performance that belies the incredibly small dimensions (h,w,d - 130 x 200x 165mm). Being designed to be used very close to the rear wall they are ideal for locations such as bookshelves, desk tops, etc.
The 2.6L cabinet incorporates a 100mm bass driver and a 50mm vertical planar magnetic ribbon tweeter offering unbelievable bass performance and an exceptionally detailed top end. Due to the diminutive cabinet dimensions and the ribbon tweeter the sound stage is almost holographic.
Available in Satin White, Satin Black, Flame Red, Zinc Yellow and Ultramarine Blue
The SX3 is a small stand mount loudspeaker designed for smaller spaces or as a rear speaker in multi channel installations.
They incorporate a 25mm inverted anodised aluminium tweeter normally found in much more expensive high end loudspeakers.
In spite of its compact dimensions the MX3 surprises with its astonishing bass extension and beautifully open mid range. The Inverted dome tweeter produces incredible detailed for a speaker at this price.
At only 76cm tall this is one of the most compact floor standing loudspeakers available.
This is a two way design with the bass driver and inverted anodised aluminium tweeter operating in separate enclosure within the cabinet. The bass reflex port is fitted to the bottom of the cabinet and is vented through a sculptured MDF plinth. Even when the loudspeakers a located near a rear wall the bass is still controlled and extended.
For a floor stander of such small dimensions the SX2 offers astonishing bass, very open midrange and a smooth detailed top end.
The SX1 utilised a two and a half way configuration. The tweeter and bass mid driver operate within their own sealed enclosure. The sub bass is housed separately in a reflex tuned enclosure below and is vented via a sculptured MDF plinth.
Again the 25mm Inverted anodised aluminium tweeter is used offering exceptional detail. With the inclusion of the Sub Bass driver the SX1 manages to accurately produce genuine low end bass performance.
The Neat SX range of loudspeaker are available in Natural Oak, American Walnut, Black Oak and Satin White.
A demonstration is highly recommended.
.... but our revolving Robins and spinning Snowman each come round 17,518,248 times a year!
... or to put it another way, more recognisable to vinyl lovers, 33.33 rpm!
Our turntable themed Christmas window has certainly attracted attention from all age groups and reflects the popularity and unprecedented demand for record players which we have experienced this year.
We are grateful to Rega for managing to keep up with our ever increasing turntable orders during the very busy run up to Christmas. So far we have been able to satisfy all of our customer orders.
For those leaving their Christmas shopping to the last minute we still have stock of some Rega models and are hoping for a top up delivery before the Rega factory closes for the festive break.
Please call us or pop in very soon if you want to secure a record player for the vinyl lover in your life in time for Christmas. We've always got the kettle on and may even have some mince pies to tempt you!
And don't forget our special Christmas promotion below:
Don't worry if you can't get to us before we close on Christmas Eve.
We will be open again on Saturday 27th and the week commencing 29th apart from 1st January.
So why not break with tradition and give someone a New Year's present instead, even if that person is you.
You know you deserve it!
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all our customers,
from Alan and John
A big thank you to all that made our last vinyl evening the most attended to date,over 70 music lovers enjoyed Pink Floyd played through the new Kef Blade 2 speakers.
The system used was entirely British designed featuring KEF, Arcam, Rega and Chord Cables.
· Chord Epic Reference speaker cable and Chameleon VEE 3 interconnects (£1,500).
The album played was ‘The Endless River’ by Pink Floyd.
This was followed by the first side of ‘The Dark Side Of The Moon’ by Pink Floyd.
Other tracks that were played included:
Is There Anybody Out There?’ by Pink Floyd from the album ‘The Wall.
Hey Now’ & ‘Nightcall’ by London Grammar from the album ‘If You Wait
Lullaby’ by The Cure from the album Disintegration
Limit To Your Love’ by James Blake from the album James Blake
Walk On The Wild Side’ by Lou Reed from the album Transformer
Barcelona’ & ‘Listen To The Man’ by George Ezra
Six Blade Knife’ by Dire Straits from the album Dire Straits
Don’t Stop Me Now’ by Queen from the album Jazz & Greatest Hits
At Audio T we're always excited to share with you our thoughts and musings on the latest and greatest Hi-Fi and home audio! Our blog features news and reviews from individual stores and occasional blogs from HQ; select your nearest store from the list below to find out what they've been up to.
