New to Cheltenham - Nova Fidelity X40

/

New to the Cheltenham Branch is the Nova Fidelity X40.

 

The X40 is a high resolution music server, ripper and network streamer. Utilizing a world class DSD Sabre ES9018K2M reference DAC. The X40 supports a full range of high resolution audio formats including DSD64, DSD128, DXD, PCM up to 32 Bit/384kHz nad HD WAV/FLAC (24 Bit/192kHz).

Other Features Include:

Built in Phono stage; Play and Record directly to the X40 via the built in phono stage (Sample rate up to 192 kHz when Recording).

High Quality Balanced and Unbalanced outputs.

High Resolution Digital Inputs (24Bit/192kHz)

Stream and import music over the network - Import music from PC/NAS/I-Tunes over your wired or wireless network.

Stream music to systems such as Sonos.

Up to 4TB of storage available. (Our demonstration model has a 2Tb hard drive that is capable of storing up to 5000 CDs)

Exchangeable Hard Drives.

Internet Radio and FM Tuner built in.

Can be Controlled via Smart Phone or Tablet (Via free UPNP App)

Can be connected to the NET via wired (Ethernet Connection) or wireless via the optional USB dongle.

User Interface can be displayed on the front panel full colour screen or can be viewed on a conventional TV via the HDMI output.

Exceptional build quality.

Create and maintain playlists.

That's the technical bit which is all very impressive but what really made us take notice of the X40 was how simple it is to setup and use. 

CD playback is as simple as selecting the album from the graphic user interface. Simply select the album artwork and select play.

CD ripping is the easiest and most intuitive we have come across. Simply load the CD into the X40, select CD Ripping, Select the Ripping Format (We use WAV), Select where to get the art work from (We use Google) and press OK. It really is a simple as that.

Obviously the most important aspect of the X40 has to be the sound quality. It is exceptional for a product of this specification and cost. We have ours running through a Naim NAC202 Pre Amplifier, Naim NAP200 Power Amplifier and a pair of Neat Acoustics SX1 Loudspaekers. It really is on par with high quality audiophile CD players.

One of the biggest benefits we have found is using the X40 as a NAS for our Sonos system. You just tell the Sonos to see the X40 as an external storage device and all the music Ripped to the X40 is available on the Sonos sytem. 

When it comes to Playing and Ripping CDs either directly to a hi-fi system or as a storage device to stream to a wireless music system it really is an excellent sulution.

Available in store for demonstration. We are really that impressed we would strongly urge you come in and have a listen.

 Jon & Farid

 

There's a glow in the Dem Room coming from the Unison Research

/

We've just been loaned the Unison Research Sinfonia valve integrated amplifier for a few days

Of course we couldn't wait to get this beauty out of the box and running

In the dem room with the  Michell Gyro SE, Orotofon Quintet Bronze, Project Phono Box RS and powering Focal Electra 1028Be speakers it sounds just glorious!

The Sinfonia is a dual mono, single ended output amplifier running at 25W output and provided the speakers are relatively efficient you're not going to want for volume or power

 

Just a few more pics to impress and of course Boswell had to get in on the act, plus the transformers are nice and warm!!

 

 

Just  a pity I can't get a good picture of that beguiling glow!!

NAIM HiCap DR On Demonstration in Cardiff Audio T

/

COMPACT BUT COMMANDING!

Naim HiCap DR power supply is now on demonstration in the Cardiff store.

Come and here the difference this upgrade makes to the Supernait 2.

 

 

The latest HiCap DR now features the DR circuitry, Discreet Regulator Configuration.

The HiCap was updated in 2012 after a two year project to develop a new discrete regulator for Naim power supplies. Improvements have been made to the wire routing, mechanical decoupling and the internal layout. These changes amalgamate to make the music more involving and without a doubt more enjoyable.

Offering two 24v power outputs and delivering Naim’s best ever standards in a compact, low-noise power supply, this is needs to be heard.

After many hours now of listening to the HiCap on the Supernait 2 we can safely say that this is a must if you are looking to make major improvements to delivery and musicality in your Naim system.

Its not just the Supernait2 that will benefit from this upgrade. When added to the NAIT XS, NAC 152XS, NAC 202, NAC 282, StageLine, SuperLine, HeadLine or NAT05 XS you should expect a big step in your HiFi performance. We guarantee this upgrade will get your foot tapping.

New demo discs, thanks to Hundred Records

/

A big thank you to Mark, owner of Romsey's new independent record store, Hundred Records, for generously supplying us with some great, and much needed, new demo vinyl and CDs!

The new albums include a couple on both formats for anyone who would like to compare the vinyl and CD versions.  

We supplied and installed a Rega RP1 and Rega Fono Mini A2D in Mark's record store this week so he can demonstrate the great sound of vinyl to his customers as well as keeping himself entertained!

The red mat is an option to personalise Rega turntables, also available in blue, yellow and purple.  RP1 comes in Cool Grey or Titanium as well as the pristine white of the one now residing in Hundred Records.

Mark's store has a great selection of music on vinyl and CD and music books so do pop along and have a browse or contact Mark if you want to order anything obscure.  Take a look first though as Hundred Records is well-stocked with a diverse range of all genres of music.  It's a much more pleasurable experience than buying music on line!

Don't hesitate to contact us if you want to hear how a new Rega turntable can enhance your musical enjoyment.

Things have moved on a bit since the days of the 78 rpm record below but we are still here to supply, service and upgrade turntables.

Mainsprings and steel needles are no longer required but we can supply and fit drive belts, motor and power supply upgrades as well as styli and cartridges!

Watch this space for news about Record Store Day on April 18th.  Rega are the official audio sponsors and Hundred Records and Audio T will be very much involved...

 

 

 

A Hi-Fi Widow's Search For The True 'Audiofilly'

/

The day the new iPhone6 went on sale, a photo depicting the scene outside Apple’s Covent Garden store made the rounds on social media. Its caption: “There is literally not a single woman in this iPhone6 queue”. I remember thinking at the time, that’s nothing compared to the wall-to-wall ‘Y-fronts’ you get at a Bristol Show. I’d say it’s an eye-opener for any female who’s never had a close encounter of the nerd kind before.

But as the next show approaches, I do wonder why it is so male-dominated. You do see women there if you stare hard enough in a Where’s Wally? kind of way, although it’s often a wife or girlfriend wearing a far-away expression which comes from hours spent traipsing around hi-fi shops with their blokes.

It’s not that we girls don’t love music. A quick Google search suggests we buy CDs, attend concerts and listen to music in roughly equal measures. And considering women are supposed to have a better hearing range than men, you’d think we’d be the ones scrabbling, Dawn of the Dead style, through the doors of the Bristol Marriott on Sound and Vision weekend.

Hi-fi has featured strongly throughout my life, from the years I flat-shared with a fellow student who blew almost his entire grant on a top range system, to the two decades I’ve been married to an audiophile. Yet when my husband goes all geek on me about his latest Audio T purchase, my general response (after wondering whether we need to take out a second mortgage to pay for it), is still: “Er. It doesn’t sound all that different from your old one.”


 

‘Holy grail’
While it would be easy to put it down to the differences in the sexes, I don’t count myself as a typical girly-girl. I have a degree in chemistry, I know my way around a bass guitar rig pretty well and shoes and handbags leave me cold.

But I feel sure there are true ‘audiofillies’ out there, women whose knees go weak at the roundness of a sub-woofer and who can reel off its specs as efficiently as any male enthusiast. And in my quest to find one, I meet Serena Lesley. Serena has spent serious money building the sound she wants.

“Open, but forgiving,” she says. “Relaxed and not too much detail, or else it’s too spiky and brittle.” It’s like hearing a fine wine being described.Serena doesn’t have a technical or musical background. Her understanding has been racked up by trial and error, reading and learning from reviews, acquiring a knowledge which has taught her how to make tweaks for the best sound using blobs of blu tack or halved squash balls under the hardware.

“You understand from experience the importance of everything that your music needs to go through before it hits your ears,” she says, “and your 'holy grail' is a completely transparent-sounding interconnect, though you know that they're like unicorns, so you end up with one which colours the sound in a way which compliments your room, your stands and your separates and which allows you to feel more, rather than less, connected to the music.” Her explanations sound fascinating, well-informed and rather poetic and I’m beginning to understand why she devotes so much energy to her hi-fi.

“It’s a quality of life thing,” Serena tells me. “It inspires emotion, evokes memory, changes your mood. You can’t get this kind of emotional response from the clock radio in your bedroom.” And there’s another peculiarity. We women are meant, by nature, to be emotional creatures, so why aren’t we spending more time, money and effort building systems of our own?


‘Marketed differently’

"Serena has spent serious money building the sound she wants."Serena admits she’s never met another female audiophile quite like herself, but she believes there are many more women who appreciate good hi-fi than is evident.

“Perhaps if the perception of hi-fi as a hobby becomes less gender-specific, less driven by the technicalities and is marketed slightly differently, then society will stop assuming that it is generally not a 'female' interest,” she says. “And the women who love listening to high-quality music reproduction in their homes will become more visible, driving further female interest in this area.

“After all, the driving force of hi-fi as a passion is to get closer to the art which is music. Badly-reproduced art cannot inspire emotion, cannot draw you in, cannot fill you with wonder, cannot fully communicate what the artist means to convey. Good hi-fi brings you that experience as fully as is possible. And there's absolutely nothing gender-specific about that.”

Experts have been telling us for years that we’re wired up differently. There’s plenty of documentation and debate about the fundamental differences between the genders, some of it informative, some quite laughable (Anyone remember John Gray’s Men are From Mars, Women are from Venus?)

I can’t deny that my husband disappears into his listening cave from time to time just to sit and enjoy his music, while I’m more likely to treat my tranny as audial wallpaper while multi-tasking at several other things.

Perhaps ‘WAGS’ like me are a lost cause, but I think there are many other women out there who merely need to be ‘shown a starting point from which to grow an interest’, as Serena puts it.

And let’s face it, from the retailer’s point of view, we are a huge untapped market, so maybe marketeers need to take a deeper look into our psyche, find out how to hook us, press our buttons without getting too tech-ey about the buttons themselves. Maybe then, we’ll see many more women enthusing about the finer points of a high-end amp or speaker and eventually, a greater gender balance at future Bristol Shows.


Guest Author Journalist & Blogger: Clare Banks 

Marantz NA6005 Network Player

/

If you have Marantz 6005 or 6004 series products this is the Network Player to match. It also does internet radio, Airplay, Bluetooth and Spotify so it ticks almost all the computer/internet music boxes.

So it is any good? In a word yes. It's feels reassuringly weighty and well put together like the PM6005 and CD6005 and comes with a decent remote. The sound compliments the other Marantz units perfectly and the Ipad app to control it is nicely designed and easy to use. It's handy to be able to operate the unit from the front panel as well.

 Basically it's a really nice Network Audio Player for £499.

Arcam sure can!.. With the NEW CDS27

/

Arcams NEW CDS27 is all things to all men... and women!

Arcam have been on a bit of a roll over the last 12 months with the launch of their awsome A49 stereo amplifier then followed up by the release of the A39 stereo amplifer. Now is the turn of the CDS27, a SACD player with a built in music streamer.

This is not just a Cd player with a streamer thrown in the box as an after thought, Oh no! the streamer is a good streamer in it's own right thanks to the audio playback being taken care of by TI/Burr Brown PCM1794 digital to analogue converters (DAC)!

We've had this little beauty in our shop for a couple of weeks now connected to an Arcam A39 and I have to say that the results are much greater than the £800 price tag would suggest!

 

I've found the wireless connection very reliable and a piece of cake to setup and I was playing music off our NAS drive within a matter of minutes.

The Arcam CDS27 really is one of those products where I think the manufacturer got everything just right from the sound quality to the price. Bare in mind that this is a SACD player as well as an UPNP music streamer, potentially making this one box wonder the only source you'll ever need!

So if your Cd player is getting a little long in the tooth and you've yet to dip your toe into the would of streaming maybe the Arcam CDS27 is the replacement player for you!?!

Please give us call to arrange your demo or maybe even arrange a home loan on TEL: 01793 538222  

 

The Times they are a Changin'

/

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

Your next upgrade?

/

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!

 

 

 

Announcing the all new Rega Apheta 2 Moving Coil Cartridge

/

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.

New local independent Record Store! Hundred Records

/

 

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.

 

 

Classic Vinyl Night number Fifteen 3rd March

/

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 

      

Chord Electronics Hugo - Portable DAC & Headphone Amplifier

/

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.

New Naim Super Lumina cable range announced at last.......

/

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

 

Focal Dimension Soundbar...Sale Still On

/

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

 

Bluetooth your system with an Arcam Mini Blink Wireless DAC

/

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.

Bowers & Wilkins CM6 S2's arrive at Audio T Enfield

/

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