Neat Iota Alpha, It Appears Good Things Do Come In Small Packages

We had been waiting to get our hands on a pair of these since the Sound & Vision, The Bristol Show in February, we knew they were small but when they arrived....it was oh! That small!

Neat Iota Alpha Floorstanding Loudspeaker

We should have guessed really as we have stocked and sold the diminutive Iota, a great performer for anyone that has a small  space and hooked up with something like the Naim Unitilte makes for a great all in one system.

Once we had run this pair in for a week we hooked them up to a Naim Superuniti to see what they could do, and we weren't disappointed, these are a very musical speaker and despite their small size the addition of the downward firing bass driver below, they can certainly fill a decent size room, whether it's a string quartet or dub reggae that's your bag... these will get your toes a tapping.

Like its smaller brother this speaker uses a ribbon tweeter and bass/mid driver, these are positioned on the front of the speaker at the top and are angled upwards helping to project the sound up into  the room from such a low floor standing speaker.

As mentioned earlier this is now all underpinned by a downward facing bass driver and some large floor spikes to lift the driver to the required height for getting a tuneful and rhythmic bass output which once positioned correctly for the room is in no way woolly or boomy.

These really are a great speaker, writing this and listening to some great music on them using  a Naim CD5xs and Naitxs2 they are still growing on me even more, and for anyone who has a problem with big floorstanding speakers dominating their living room or for those who love music but would like something discreet these are the boys or gals!

Test drive a pair today.....come in and see us and prepare to be wowed.

Neat Acoustics Speakers are also stocked at the following branches of Audio T:
Brighton, Cheltenham, Oxford, Portsmouth, and Reading

ChordMusic Arrival Leads To Summer Fever At Audio T Southampton!

We are thrilled that our much anticipated ChordMusic demonstration cables have just arrived!

ChordMusic Cables

Just out of their luxurious packaging we have a 1m stereo RCA pair at £3800, a 1m RCA digital interconnect at £3500, a 1m 4DIN to 1XLR for Naim NAP250 at £3500  and a 3m pair of ChordMusic speaker cables retailing for £6600.

These aren't insignificant sums but once we'd heard how much ChordMusic raised the performance of high quality systems we just had to have it.

We will now get on with running in our demo ChordMusic cables.  It's a tough job but...

Watch this space for our thoughts once everything has settled in and for details of forthcoming events which will feature the stunning ChordMusic range.

In the meantime please feel free to phone us or call in to arrange a demo or home loan of ChordMusic, just give us a week or two to run them in.  It won't take us too long!  Whatever the weather this summer we will be happy to stay in and listen to the ChordMusic!

Alan and John

Hear PMC's New twenty5 Series At Our PMC Listening Event

To celebrate the arrival of the new twenty5 series from PMC we're having a day devoted to these wonderful new speakers.

There will be a variety of speakers on demonstration, a chance to chat to a representative of the company, and some drinks and nibbles available.

Why not come along on Saturday the 20th of August from 10am and enjoy some great sounds and feel free to bring some of your own music along! Plus there will be some exclusive offers to all attendees.

We'll look forward to seeing you.

Paul, Jason and Francis

The Importance Of Selecting The Right Cables For Your Hi-Fi

The cables you choose play a vital role within any Hi-Fi system. It can turn a tired old system into a rejuvenated energetic one and vice versa, if poorly chosen.

As with any investment, cost is always a key consideration and you could find yourself spending as much on a cable loom (Speaker cable, interconnects and power leads) as you do on some of your Hi-Fi components. However you may also find that after careful selection and testing, that you settle for something more cost effective because it just works. At the end of the day, if it makes your toes tap, your hair stand on end and makes you smile then it is the right choice. There are a wide selection of products available from our shops, suitable for all systems and all budgets. So if you're considering an upgrade or a new system just ask and we will be more than happy to help.

Recently while purchasing a new Hi-Fi for myself I tested a number of cables from different manufacturers and budgets. One suite of cables in particular really impressed me with its value for money: The QED Reference Range, consisting of XLR, RCA, Digital and Speaker Cables.

QED Reference 40 RCA Interconnects

QED is an award winning British company with over 40 years of experience. They make a vast array of cables for all manner of budgets. Over the last 3 months I have had QED Reference 40 RCA £100 + XLR £150 Interconnects and XT40 Speaker Cable £10p/m in my system and quite frankly they are brilliant. I have given a short review below:

QED Reference 40 XLR Speaker cables

The QED Reference 40 XLR

XLR 40 is designed primarily for low capacitance as this has been identified by QED as a major factor in leading to a high fidelity experience. Steps have been taken to eliminate minute timing errors in the cable by the use of a special floating zinc ferrite jacket alongside use of QED's 'Tri-Conductor' technology (reducing signal to ground capacitance to vanishingly low levels).

The Build quality is excellent and so in the Sound. I found them to have great timing and tight bass. The cables delivered excellent detail with everything from Choral music to heavy Dubstep. The connectors on both the XLR and RCA cables are easy to fit, and the locking collars on the RCAs offer a firm connection. I have a vary varied taste in music and no matter what I played on my system it just sounded right. After testing I would be happy to say it is one of the best Interconnects on market under £200.

The QED Reference XT40 Speaker Cable

QED All Plugged in nice & neat

Acclaimed by What HI-FI? Magazine; this 'Five Star' award winning pure copper loudspeaker cable boasts QED's X-TubeTM technology and has a 4mm2 cross sectional area. Resulting  in a cable that delivers a flat frequency response within the audio band.

As soon as I had plugged these cables in I just thought they were a bargain. Easy to strip and prepare, flexible and have quite a small profile. In my system they delivered great depth and scale, and in combination with the Interconnects they were superb. They have a smooth delivery with an expressive & open midrange. Whatever I played, be-it Simon and Garfunkel, Rimsky-Korsakov or Chase & Status, they just delivered. I compared them against similarly priced competition and just found myself wanting to go back to the QED cables.  

I would be foolish to say they are perfect for my system as there are better cables out there but none that I have found at this price point.  This series of cables would be perfect for the first upgrade to an existing system or as a purchase with almost any Mid-Level system. The Speaker Cables would also be brilliant for use within an AV / Home cinema system. 

I will be testing more cable suites at higher end price points in the months to come and will report back on my findings, but at the moment I am happy..

I would strongly recommend that if you are in the market for an upgrade or just want to see what your system is capable of, do like I have done, borrow and listen to cables at home on your system, in your own time.  

QED cables are available from the following branches of Audio T: 
Brentwood, Brighton, Cardiff, Cheltenham, Enfield, Manchester, Online, Oxford, Portsmouth, Preston, Reading, Southampton, Swansea, Swindon

Russell K Speakers Now Available At Audio T Enfield

"With a combined Hi-Fi industry experience of more than 50 years the Russell K team introduces loudspeaker systems designed to sound like the real thing at affordable prices"

Russell K RED 50

Russell K does many things differently, unlike most speaker designs Russell K chooses to use no internal dampening and thin cabinet walls with internal bracing shelves instead of a more commonly used thick MDF body with lots of internal dampening. The crossover circuit is particularly interesting, in that it uses only a single coil on the mid/bass driver and a single capacitor in line with the tweeter. All of which creates a sonic performance like no other.

Russell K RED 50

The range starts with the RED 50 bookshelf speakers pictured above, which uses a 5" bass/mid driver & 25mm soft dome tweeter. The sound is unique, without coloration & transparent which allows the speaker to truly disappear. A must on anyone's audition list, for £1,000 high quality small bookshelf speakers.

Russell K RED 100

The RED 100 standmount speaker pictured above follows, which uses a bigger 6.5" bass/mid driver but shares the same 25mm tweeter, it also features a forward firing bass port which helps with speaker placement close to rear walls & helps to produce an even tighter bass response. The RED 100 builds on what the RED 50 already achieves, a bigger more effortless presentation is unlocked with the RED 100.

To complete the range the RED 150 floorstanding speakers have been painstakingly created & designed to achieve even greater depth in bass frequencies whilst retaining the speed & agility of a smaller one. 

We currently have both the RED 50 & 100's on demonstration, so book your demo today of these unique and great sounding speakers.

Many thanks

Simon, John, Claire & Mahmood.

Audio T
159A Chase Side
Enfield
EN2 0PW
Tel: 0208 367 313

Russell K Loudspeakers are also available at Audio T Portsmouth

Rega Planar 2 Returns

The Rega Planar 2 returns to Rega's turntable lineup and it's looking and sounding good.

Rega planar 2 turntable

The Planar 2 is made up of a light weight acrylic laminated plinth which is available in gloss black or gloss white finishes, which features a hidden power switch underneath. The plinth is then supported by newly designed rubber feet to isolate and help prevent unwanted vibrations traveling through the turntable.

rega planar 2 feet

The motor, hub bearing assembly and platter are all new designs. A low noise 24v motor, a 11mm self securing brass bearing assembly and a 10mm float glass platter ensure a very smooth operation.

rega planar 2 glass platter

The tonearm used is the new Rega RB220 pre fitted with the Rega Carbon MM Cartridge. An aluminium tube is used which incorporates new zero play ball bearings and an automatic bias feature, making it not only sound fantastic but easy to setup too.

Rega planar 2 carbon cartridge

The Planar 2 sounds excellent, is easy to setup & even easier to live with. What had surprised me most is the jump in performance versus the RP1, despite both turntables using the same Rega Carbon cartridge.

Book your demo today!

Many Thanks

Simon, John, Claire & Mahmood.

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

Rega Hi-Fi products are available from also from: 
Brentwood, Brighton, Bristol, Cardiff, Cheltenham, Enfield, Manchester, Oxford, Portsmouth, 
Preston, Reading, Southampton, Swansea, Swindon

Dynaudio Emit M10s at Bristol

So, Dynaudio, from the land of fine bacon and cheese come this fine speaker brand.

We are impressed with the Dynaudio range in general (including Emit and Xeo ranges) here at Audio T in Bristol.

So, what can be said about these speakers?

dynaudio emit m10 standmount loudspeaker

The Emit M10 is the spiritual replacement for the much loved Audience 42 albeit with many generations of newer technology inside.

They have a classic design - elegant as Dynaudio state - leaving frills aside; they have a beautiful solid finish to them with a good substantial weight when lifting them.

They’re available in two colours: Satin Black Lacquer and Satin White Lacquer.

Dynaudio emit m10 standmount loudspeaker (rear)

So, to the technical specifications…

Sensitivity: 86 dB into 6 ohms. These is reasonable when partnered with a good amplifier in the same range like the Rega Brio-R for example.

2.8cm diameter soft dome tweeter (high-range) driver for precise highs whilst not sounding in any way edgy.

14cm diameter MSP (Magnesium Silicate Polymer) squawker/woofer (mid-range/low range) driver for a solid, transparent mid-range and a fast and a tight low range performance.

What does it sound like?

I use Our Shadows by Deatoni Parks for low-range and accuracy, Barney Rubble by The Twang for high-end and control, River by Joni Mitchell for soundstage, King Kunta by Kendrick Lamar for low range and detail, Not Above That by Dawn Richard for low range and musicality, So what by Miles Davis for resonance and a breathing sound and the Third Movement From The New World by Dvorak (Decca) for top end control.

With all the above, it performs well…

The throbby low-range on Our Shadows was full-bodied for a stand-mount speaker without sounding flabby, equally, when the breaks come in, it presents them with pace keeping everything in check.

With the wrong setup the high-end can sound piercing and hard on Barney Rubble and From the New World, not so with the Emit M10s, on both, the high-end was well controlled by the soft dome tweeter which made the tracks enjoyable whilst maintaining realism, even when reaching a crescendo during From the New World.

There are two bass lines on King Kunta which only a well-defined system that is able to dissect sound can pick out, these speakers do a great job.

Not above that starts with a low-range ‘bomb’ with a slow build-up, this buildup loses its tension if the sound isn’t involving, not so with these speakers, it has you sitting forward until it reaches the top.

So What is a great old recording and the Dynaudio speakers just breathe as you’re listening to them.

Overall, we’re very impressed with the Dynaudio range (which also includes larger floor-mounts as well as wireless speakers).

We’d love to demonstrate these speakers to you so get in touch or come in and have a listen to these great standmount loudspeakers.

Dynaudio loudspeakers are available from Audio T:
Brighton, Bristol, Oxford, Portsmouth, Reading, Southampton, Swindon

New PMC Twenty5.23 Loudspeakers Arrive at Audio T Swindon

We have always liked PMC speakers and so we were really excited when these new Twenty5 23 arrived. This is just one of 5 new speakers in the range. So what is the difference compared to the previous Twenty23? Quite a few things...

PMC twenty5 23

The first thing that you notice are the newly designed plinth bars including spikes. When you look up to the drive units you notice the shiny surround of the bass/mid driver and a new tweeter. 

Turn the speaker around and you see a new even shinier back plate (or I would call it a mirror, good for checking your looks when connecting your speakers!) with newly designed 4mm speaker binding posts.

So far so good but what do they sound like? In a few words - Superb, excellent, outstanding! We noticed a controlled greater deeper bass with a nice smooth top end. Due to the advanced transmission line (ATL) concept with the new Laminair vent technology, these PMC Twenty5 23 rock but not only with rock music. They are a very nice listen.

There is a choice of 4 real-wood veneer finishes in oak (our pair), walnut, amarone and high-gloss diamond black. The retail price is £2970 for all finishes.

Please come in for a listen and and don't forget to bring your favorite music with you. CD's, records or some great tunes on a usb stick . We are sure you will enjoy the time here as much as we do.

See you soon

Stefan and Andy

PMC Hi-Fi loudspeakers are available from:
Brentwood, Brighton, Bristol, Cardiff, Cheltenham, Enfield, Manchester, Portsmouth, Southampton, Swansea, Swindon

Clearaudio Turntable Event 2nd & 3rd September Audio T Portsmouth

We are delighted that Clearaudio are joining us on Friday 2nd (2pm - 7pm) & Saturday 3rd (10am - 5pm) September for an exciting event to showcase Clearaudio turntables.

Clearaudio will be bringing their amazing Master Innovation turntable (from £16,100) with special Parallel tracking Tonearm. Other than hearing one of the coolest turntables available, here are 3 additional reasons to attend:

1. FREE goodie bag for all customers coming to the event

2. Get your favorite record cleaned for free on the awesome Clearaudio record cleaning machine (1 record per customer).

3. FREE prize draw for one of two Professional Record Care Kits worth £120 each.

Clearaudio Concept

On demonstration throughout this two day event will be the following turntables from this premier German manufacturer:

Concept (from £995) - pictured above

Performance DC (from £2495)

Clearaudio Performance DC

Master Innovation (from £16,100) with Parallel tracking Tonearm

Clearaudio Master Innovation

Everyone is welcome to this fun event, so give in to curiosity and pop down for a listen.

Audio T Southampton Summertime Store & Hi-Fi News!

We may have been quiet on our store blog for a while but we have certainly been busy!

We have just finished a makeover of our store.  It's now looking clean and bright with freshly painted walls and new carpet throughout. 

Here's part of the shop front with walls resplendent in crisp Atlantic Surf, white with a hint of blue, replacing tired old magnolia! The new carpet tones in with both the new shop colour and the dem room.

The dem room walls are painted in soft grey, befitting the lower light conditions required for home cinema.

To go with our new shiny shop we have a lot of new products to show you.

Here's a taster!

Sony VPL-VW320ES 4K Projector

Our new Sony VPL-VW320ES 4K projector is producing spectacular images to complement the great sound in our Dolby Atmos dem room. 

Dynaudio Contour S 3.4LE

With the demo room in music mode we have been wowed by the awesome sound of these stunning Dynaudio Contour S 3.4LE speakers, in beautiful high gloss Bubinga finish.  Running from a Naim NAC N-272 streamer/pre-amp into our brand new NAP300DR power amplifier, with mains conditioning courtesy of an Isotek Sigmas this system is truly spectacular.  IsoTek's Titan and Mosaic Genesis mains regenerator are currently on hand for those who want to push audio performance to even greater heights!

Interest in vinyl continues to grow and we have some new turntables in store to suit all budgets.  

TEAC TN-300

Teac's TN-300 is a well engineered and beautifully finished record player for £299.95.  Ours looks great in lacquered cherry, one of five superb finishes available.

Rega Planar 2 

Rega have impressed us with both the superb build quality and performance of the new   Planar 2 and Planar 3 models. Fantastic sound at affordable prices as always from Rega.

Michelle Gyro SE

We thought it was time to offer another great British turntable brand so now have a magnificent Michell Gyro SE. Currently fitted with a Dynavector 10X5 it's not just beautifully engineered but sounds superb.  It looks good on our new carpet too!

Moving from source to speakers, we are delighted we now have some of the new PMC Twenty5 range on demo.

PMC twenty5 21

The Twenty5 21 look splendid in oak.  The cabinets are even better quality than the Twenty 21, our previous favourite compact speaker, and improvements in all key areas have really raised the audio performance to great effect.

PMC twenty5 23

Twenty5 23 looks set to overtake Twenty 23 as our most popular floorstanding speaker, building on the strengths of the earlier model whilst maintaining the all important compact, domestically acceptable, cabinet.

PMC twenty5 24

The Twenty5 24 is a revelation, sounding markedly superior than it's predecessor.  Our demo pair look splendid in Amarone finish.  Twenty5 22 and 26 will be in store soon.  We can't wait!

So, we have lots of new products for you to see and listen to in our newly refreshed store.  We look forward to welcoming you into our comfortable demo room very soon.

Alan and John

P.S. Watch this space for exciting news of a very exclusive product range arriving imminently!

New Rega Planar 1 2 & 3 Set The Benchmark For Entry And Mid Priced Turntables

New revised Rega Planar turntables are setting the standard for other manufacturers to follow. The most recent addition is the all new Rega Planar 1 inc Rega Carbon cartridge £248, joining the Rega Planar 2 also with Rega Carbon cartridge £375, and the Rega Planar 3 inc Rega Elys cartridge £625 or excluding cartridge £550.

All three Planar models have been thoroughly reworked, and set new performance levels at their price points. Available in either a gloss black or gloss white plinth they look pretty fabulous too! The red mat is an optional extra.

Just come along to Audio T Brighton with a favourite record or two and have a listen. Make  comparisons between them, and understand just how crucial the record player is in the great scheme of enjoying your music played on vinyl. It is vital, as once the signal leaves the record player that is what you get. So make sure you audition thoroughly to ensure you get the performance and sound you're looking for.

Buy the best you can realistically afford and then sit back and really start enjoying your music. It could be a real ear opener as a better record player can often give you what seems to be an entirely new record collection when you revisit the music and albums you thought you knew well. There is a lot of music in those grooves!

Rega Hi-Fi products are available from the following branches of Audio T: 
Brentwood, Brighton, Bristol, Cardiff, Cheltenham, Enfield, Manchester, Oxford, Portsmouth, Preston, Reading, Southampton, Swansea, Swindon

Quad Artera Play CD Player & Pre-Amplifier and Stereo Power Amplifier Arrive

The Quad Artera Play is a compact up to date CD and pre-amplifier that is not just stylish to look at but packed with connections and features that will enable you to enjoy your music from many sources and in many formats.

View fullsize

Ian unboxing the Quad Artera System

So, what connections are we talking about?

When we take a look at the inputs, of course we have the 2 RCA analogue inputs but this being a new QUAD product it also comes complete with a very competent Digital to Analogue Converter (DAC) that has optical, coaxial and USB inputs. This means that you can connect a wide variety of components to great little box of tricks. The DAC will decode through the optical and coaxial inputs from 44.1KHz up to 192KHz and the USB input will decode not only from 44.1KHz all the way up to 384KHz but also comes fully loaded with the ability to deal with DSD files up to DSD 256. This makes this pre-amplifier a very versatile box indeed.

THE QUAD ARTERA SYSTEM

This Artera play also comes with a very good quality cd player built in with a front loading no tray mechanism for a stylish clean look product.

It also has a variety of output connectivity for connecting to other media devices via digital optical and coaxial as well as RCA analogue output and balanced XLR for a solid performance as well as connection.

The Artera play comes with an easy to use remote control but also has limited touchscreen functionality on the display panel keeping the look clean and uncluttered. A quality Hi-Fi product for the modern age!

There is also a matching partner power amplifier being the QUAD Artera Stereo. This power amplifier is very straight forward. Input connectivity gives you the option of RCA analogue and balanced XLR. It has had Quad's patented current dumping technology applied to it, teamed together with a somewhat modest 140 watts per channel means that this is not an amp that you have to be picky when it comes to matching speakers to your amplifier. It will drive the majority of speakers on the market and all without breaking the bank.

All told, we find this new Artera system to be stylish and sleek, easy to use and most importantly offers great sound. A fantastic effort by a reputable manufacturer offering sleek looks, quality sound and great versatility.

Quad Hi-Fi products are available from the following branches of Audio T:
Brentwood, Brighton, Cardiff, Cheltenham, Enfield, Manchester, Oxford, Portsmouth, Preston, Reading, Southampton, Swindon

PMC twenty5 22 Standmount Loudspeakers Arrive At Audio T Manchester

Introducing the new PMC twenty5 22's in Oak.

For those of you familiar with the ever popular PMC twenty range, the visual similarities between the new twenty5 range should be instantly recognizable.

However, that's where those similarities end. The new twenty5 range has had major improvements. And in all the right places too.

We have taken some pictures below and added a little information on the new and current tech PMC have employed in new twenty5 range.

Yes Chromey!!  that's right, it's like a Formula 1 style diffuser baffle. Excellent.   

Laminair Aerodynamic vent for better air flow through the transmission line. Derived using formula one technology, the Laminair vents offer improved air flow through the advanced transmission line. This reduces resistance, increases efficiency and eliminates air noise.  

Really Sweet Tweet!

 A new improved tweeter gives better dispersion for a wider sound stage. New bass driver using G-weave technology, which helps to achieve increased low frequency, improved mid-range clarity and better linear response.

The wood finish, here in oak, now has an improved veneer. The floorstanders also get new feet and spikes for improved stability and ease of installation.

Oh!  and they are made right here in UK.

So, how do they sound? well for a starter they sound faster, deeper with cleaner bass with greater definition, dynamics and timing. There is sense of space in the reproduction of music and they have a greater ability to handle power. 

But that's our opinion, come along and try them for yourself, we have the 22's and 24's on demonstration at the store.

We hope to see you at the store.

Munir, Mike, Simon, Haden and Dave

PMC Loudspeakers are also available from the following branches of Audio T: Brentwood, Brighton, Bristol, Cardiff, Cheltenham, Enfield, Manchester, 
Portsmouth, Southampton, Swansea, Swindon

Come And Meet The Designer Of The Audiolab 8300A Amplifier

We have teamed up with Audiolab to give visitors an in depth listening experience, exploring their award-winning range of hi-fi amplifiers, DACs and CD players.

 
Audiolab Listening Session

Audio T Brentwood | August 5th 2pm – 8pm

Audiolab, one of Britain’s most revered audio brands, will be hosting a listening session at Audio-T Brentwood on August 5th, 2pm – 8pm. Hosted by Jan Ertner - designer of the 8300A and the UK sales team, the evening is your chance to discover Audiolab’s signature crisp, transparent sound, their innovative, performance-led design concepts and more importantly, how this can bring excitement and enjoyment to your music collection.

8300 Series Demo and Comparison

Audiolab introduced the full-width 8200 Series components in 2010, combining detailed sound with a user-friendly experience. The quality of these components, in tandem with the now-legendary M-DAC, earned Audiolab more awards in the UK press between 2010 and 2015 than any other brand of high-performance audio electronics.

The new 8300 series brings a whole host of improvements on an already industry-leading product range – for instance the 8300CD adds higher resolution data processing capabilities up to 32-bit/384kHz via USB with DSD compatibility. 

For the 8300A changes are radical – a clean-sheet circuit design ensures that the new amplifier, unquestionably is the best Audiolab has ever made. With versatile operational pre-amp section and a unique dual-mono power amp structure, the new amplifier is brimming with technology. There’s nobody better to tell you about that than project leader and audio designer Jan Ertner, who will be on hand throughout the event.

“Anyone looking for a fully-featured integrated amplifier for less than £1000 simply has to put the Audiolab 8300A at the top of their list” – Hi-Fi World February 2016 (5-Globe and value award Review)

The best just got better: M-DAC+

Also on demo is the new, premium version of the UK’s favourite high performance, multipurpose DAC. The new M-DAC+ sports a cleaner, softer and more modern aesthetic (matching the 8300 series) with DSD compatibility and extended audio resolution. A new internal power supply also is a major contribution to its improved sonic performance.

Only just recently, the Audiolab M-DAC+ has been awarded a five-star review from industry-leading publication What Hi-Fi? Sound and Vision:

“Lavishly detailed, fastidiously organized and elegantly straight-edged in its sound, it absolutely demands an audition” – What Hi-Fi? Sound and Vision – June 2016

M-ONE new Integrated Amplifier

The new Audiolab M-ONE  is the ideal compact integrated amplifier for modern music lovers, fully equipped to make the most of all forms of audio delivered from every type of playback device.

After being showcased initially at Sound & Vision – The Bristol Show, the M-ONE will also make an appearance at the Audiolab listening session. Set for release in August, the M-ONE harnesses trickle-down DAC technology from its bigger brother, the M-DAC+ combined with class AB amplification with additional aptX Bluetooth support.

There will be exclusive offers available on the day.

We very much look forward to seeing you.

Audiolab M-DAC+

Audiolab Hi-Fi products are available from the following branches of Audio T: Brentwood, Bristol, Cardiff, Cheltenham, Enfield, Manchester, Oxford,Portsmouth, Preston, Reading, Southampton, Swindon

Project Celebrate Their 25th Anniversary With The New Classic Turntable

Pro-ject's much anticipated 'classic' turntable is here and it has quickly become one of our favorites at the Cardiff store.

Pro-ject Classic Turntable

On the year of their 25th anniversary project have unveiled the 'Classic'. Taking inspiration from some famous turntable designs of the past, the Classic is nothing short of gorgeous to look at. Sat on a stunning wooden plinth available in Eucalyptus, Rosenut or Walnut, the turntable reeks of class and sophistication. But don't let the retro looks fool you the classic employs some very modern and original technology and materials that mean it has plenty to offer sonically.

There's a lot to talk about with the turntable, starting with its two-plinth design. Usually with this kind of setup the two plinths would be kept suspended from each other with springs, however the Classic utilises Thermoplastic Elastomers (TPE) to isolate the sub-chassis instead. This material is less noisy than springs and provides excellent isolation between the motor and the tonearm, reducing interference. This is all topped off with a beautifully machined aluminum platter.

Speaking of the tonearm, it's a brand new design, the arm tube is made from aluminium, which improves damping and grounding , which is then wrapped in carbon fibre which keeps the arm light but solid. The bearing is also new having been sourced from Japan and has an extremely high tolerance. To top it off the fantastic Ortofon 2m silver cartridge is included in the price of the turntable.

Ortofon 2m silver moving magnet cartridge

We tested the classic in store through the Cyrus Phono Signature phono stage, Nytech CP202 and CPA402 Pre and power combination and then a pair of Spendor A6r loudspeakers. The result was astonishing. The Classic delivered a clear crisp presentation while having plenty of warmth, tight controlled bass combined with a beautifully defined mid range and lovely crisp high end, without being overbearing at all. This is a really musical turntable and an absolute treat to listen to.

We think Project have come up with a real winner here, the Classic is available for demonstration in store now! Please get in contact with us to book a session, it's well worth it!

Pro-ject Hi-Fi Products are available from the following branches of Audio T: 
Brentwood, Bristol, Cardiff, Cheltenham, Enfield, Manchester, Online, Oxford, Portsmouth, Preston, Reading, Swansea, Swindon

4K Ultra HD Home Cinema Event At Audio T Manchester

You may have heard about our upcoming 4K event and are excited as we are!

The event will take place in our Manchester branch and will feature native 4K picture with HDR from the superlative Sony VPL-HW320es underpinned with a full Dolby Atmos and DTS X demonstration powered by the Yamaha pre/power CX-A5100 and MX-A5000 behemoth.

The front end will be taken care of by the award winning KEF R series AV speaker package.

With 4K content from a hard drive and Blu-ray Ultra HD for our movie enthusiasts and high definition music played directly from our network drive for our music lovers, all tastes will be catered for.

Representatives from the industry will also be there to help with discussions about the set up on the day.

Members of staff will also be on hand to help with any questions you may have about the equipment on display.

Looking forward to seeing you there.

Dave, Munir, Mike and Simon

New Rega Planar 2 Turntable Arrives At Audio T Cheltenham

Rega have been at it again. Following the recent release of the Rega Planar 3 turntable they have now resurrected the classic Rega Planar 2.

The new Rega Planar 2

Over the last two years the new Planar 2 has been developed alongside the new Planar 3. 

Many new design features have been incorporated in the new Planar 2:

Tonearm: The brand new RB220 tonearm has been incorporated. Offering new ultra low friction bearings housed within a brand new stiffer light weight bearing housing. New automatic bias adjustment making the Planar 2 almost completely plug and play. (You just need to balance the tonearm and apply the tracking force).

The new RB220 Tonearm

Hub Bearing: A new 11mm self securing brass bearing is fitted offering extremely tight tolerances.

Plinth: Available in high gloss black or high gloss white the new acrylic laminated plinth offers greatly  improved stiffness and rigidity. The much improved appearance is enhanced by locating the switch on the underside of the plinth.

Platter: A new 10mm glass platter is fitted offering greater accuracy.

Feet: New re-designed anti vibration feet offering increased stability.

The new Planar 2 comes fitted with Rega's Carbon moving magnet cartridge. This is an ideal starter cartridge but the overall quality of the turntable really does deserve a higher quality pick up. We would recommend either the Rega Bias 2 (£79.00) or the Elys 2 (119.00)

Listening - On first setting the turntable up (This took about a minute) it was instantly apparent that the new Rega Planar 2 has set a new benchmark at this price point. Speed stability is excellent, giving great timing to the music. There are excellent levels of detail (Even with the basis Carbon Cartridge) and a very tight extended bass response. The soundstage and imaging are as good as it gets at this level. On fitting a superior cartridge things just got better proving the merits of the Planar 2.

Rega continue to lead the field in turntables at virtually every price point. The new Rega Planar 2 really has set a new standard at its level.

An audition is highly recommended.

Rega Hi-Fi products are available from the following branches of Audio T: Brentwood, Brighton, Bristol, Cardiff, Cheltenham, Enfield, Manchester, Oxford,Portsmouth, Preston, Reading, Southampton, Swansea, Swindon

Audio T Brighton Special Offers: Naim, Chord Co, Denon, Music Works, Quadraspire, Restek

From time to time we have some used items available, some of which are not on our clearance listing.

All covered by our 3 month warranty on second hand equipment.

restek concret cd Player £275

Roksan Caspian M series 1 CD £380

Naim NAC 72K pre amp £350

Naim Hicap Power Supply £350 - 

Denon DRM510 cassette £60

Naim NAP250 £650

Naim NAP135 pair £1750

Naim SBL’s passive black £750

Naim NACA A5 White 2 x 6 mtr inc Naim 4mm plugs £125

Music Works 6 way mega block £100

Music Works IEC mains lead £45 x2

Music Works IEC Plus mains lead £60

Chord Cobra 2RCA to 5Din £45

Chord Chameleon 2RCA to 5Din £70

Quadraspire Q4 6 shelf stand 140mm columns £300

Linn Trampolin Mk 1 £45