It's Christmas Time And We Have Hi-Fi Gifts To Suit All Budgets!

We've got all sorts of Hi-Fi goodies in store for the music lover in your life to give as a major present, stocking filler, or just to treat yourself for Christmas!

Here's Boswell with a small selection for your perusal.

There's the new fabulous B&W P9 Signature headphones, a new level of sophistication from this renowned company

We have of course all of the other B&W headphones for you to try.

Or how about the fabulous Chord Mojo portable headphone amplifier and DAC currently available with a FREE leather carry case. (Offer ends 05-01-2017).

How about helping your system to fulfill its potential with a cable upgrade? We have a wide range from Audioquest  and The Chord Company

Non Christmassy colours are available!

If you listen to your music on vinyl, there is also a wide variety of accessories for your turntable. From a little carbon fibre brush to keep your most prized needle sparklingly clean, through record cleaning brushes, new cartridges from Ortofon and Rega, and the wonderful Project VC-S record cleaning machine. We even have record players for under £200.

Of course we also have our full range of excellent electronics and speakers to choose from and don't forget our Big Red Sale Winter sale has started, so there are some fantastic savings to be made!

We'll take this opportunity to wish you all a peaceful and merry Christmas and look forward to seeing you over the holiday period.

Paul, Francis, Jason and, of course, Boswell the bear. 

Audio T Brentwood 

Tel: 01277 264730

It Will All Become Clear When You Hear The Focal Elear!

We recently had a Naim open day showing the new Naim Uniti range and they also bought along for the day the new Focal Headphones, the Utopia and the Elear.

We had a demonstration pair of the Elear Headphone to have a proper listen to and get a feel for what this £800 headphone can do.

First things first, these headphones are extremely comfortable and considering their size they just feel right. The cable fitted is long enough to let you kick back in your favourite chair and drift relaxingly away to your favourite tunes.

The proof of the pudding as they say is in the eating! These are a semi open design and as such have a very open and detailed presentation, with a good balance across the frequency range not over emphasising any particular part of the performance, they just boogie.

Having tried lots of different music I found them very much to my taste, two things I thought. Could I live with these.....yes I could and is there anything better I've heard....yes there is the Focal Utopia, but at £3,000 I'd have to keep my children sweeping chimneys for another 10 years.

Why not come along and have a listen at Audio T Brighton.

Focal Hi-Fi products are available from the following branches of Audio T:
Brentwood, Brighton, Bristol, Cheltenham, Online, Portsmouth, Southampton, Swansea, Swindon

Wishing all our customers a Merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year,

Julian, Paul and John

The Twelve Hi-Fi Gifts of Christmas!

We here at Audio T know how hard it can be to choose a gift for your music mad loved ones so this year we have you covered. Here are our top twelve suggestions to help you give the gift  and joy of music this Christmas.

On the first day of Christmas my true love gave to me…a Sonos Play:1!

This diminutive wireless speaker has a huge sound! Using the Sonos excellent free app, opens up a world of audio streaming from your own collection, Internet radio and streaming services such as Qobuz, Spotify and Tidal. Perfect for the person who loves streaming music from their phone or computer.

On the second day of Christmas my true love gave to me…a Chord Electronics Mojo!

This little headphone amp/DAC has made huge waves this year, winning numerous awards and accolades and for good reason! The Mojo is simply stunning, transforming your phone into a mini hi-fi! Also pictured is the very useful Mojo cable pack and durable carry case (both sold separately) Perfect for those who are listen to a lot of music on the go. At the moment you can buy a Mojo and get a FREE carry case (Offer ends 05-01-2017)

On the third day of Christmas my true love gave to me…a Denon D-M40 and Q Acoustics 3010 speakers!

This little system is fantastic as a entry into HI-Fi or as an additional system in another room in your house. Capable of playing CD, DAB radio and music via USB, this is a gorgeous combination of amplifier and speaker. Perfect for a first audio system.

On the fourth day of Christmas my true love gave to me…Sennheiser HD4.30i headphones!

This headphones are amazingly good value for money, strong defined bass and punchy mids combine for a lovely sound and the fact they are comfortable and foldable makes them great for wearing on the go. Perfect for anyone who listens to music when they are out and about.

On the fifth day of Christmas my true love gave to me…Sennheiser HD 599 headphones!

The HD 599’s are brilliant headphones for home use. They have a gorgeous open sound which never gets fatiguing and are easy to listen to for hours. Perfect for those who like to listen through headphones at home.

On the sixth day of Christmas my true love gave to me…Dynaudio Emit M10 Loudspeakers!

We have been very impressed with the Emit line by Dynaudio, they have a balanced sound yet are still exciting to listen to and the little M10’s are no exception. Perfect for someone who needs new speakers for a entry to mid level system.

On the seventh day of Christmas my true love gave to me…a Rega Planar 1 turntable!

Vinyl is all the rage at the moment but to take advantage of this you need a good turntable, which is where the Planar 1 comes in, offering superb looks, build and importantly sound quality….what more do you want? Perfect for someone who wants to get into vinyl.

On the eighth day of Christmas my true love gave to me…a Project Debut Carbon DC!

The Debut Carbon is a large step above entry level. It comes with a fantastic cartridge in the Ortofon 2m Red and combined with the carbon fibre arm makes for a highly enjoyable combination. Perfect for those who want to take their basic setup up a gear.

On the ninth day of Christmas my true love gave to me…a Project VC-S vinyl record cleaner!

One of the best upgrades you can do in a turntable setup is clean your vinyl, the result is staggering. The VSC makes short work of this otherwise mundane task, using its powerful vacuum to suck up any dirt and excess liquid from the surface of your favourite record or LP. Also pictured is Project’s Brush it and Clean it (both sold separately), essential tools for any turntable owner. Perfect for those who are serious about their vinyl.

On the tenth day of Christmas my true love gave to me…an Arcam rHead headphone amp!

A lot of the time we just suffer with poor quality through headphones for convenience sake, however a good headphone amplifier can change that completely. The R-head is one of the best on the market at the price and can transform your headphone listening experience. Perfect for the person who wants better quality sound from their headphones.

On the eleventh day of Christmas my true love gave to me…a phono stage!

We couldn’t decide on just one phono stage so we thought we’d recommend a few, pictured are the Project Phonobox MM, Project tube box DS, Nytech Audio CDP122 and the Rega Fono MM. These boxes all have the capability to transform your setup, just let us know your system and we can recommend the best match! Perfect for someone who wants to either start or improve their vinyl setup.

On the twelth day of Christmas my true love gave to me…a Naim Mu-so QB!

This mini system has taken the market by storm and with very good reason! The Mu-so QB allows you to play your music via, Wi-Fi, Tidal, Spotify, internet radio, Bluetooth, usb and many more with stunning audio quality. It makes a great additional to an existing Naim setup in the form of multi-room or serves as an introduction to high quality audio. Perfect for just about anyone who wants to add high quality music streaming to a room in their house.

We hope this list has been useful for you, and as always we are always here to help you in store to make further recommendations and provide demonstrations of anything in the store. Many of the items listed are included in our winter Big Red Sale so please get in contact for more information.

From Hefin, Nick and Gareth, at Audio T Cardiff we wish all of you and your families a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year

Bowers & Wilkins P9 Signature Headphones The Ultimate Stocking And Head Filler

The newest addition to the Bowers & Wilkins award winning P series headphone range, the P9 Signature, has just arrived in store.

The P9 Signature is the flagship model of the range costing £699 and is made using some very luxurious materials, including: saffiano leather, giving a distinctive cross hatch finish and forged foldable aluminium arms for greater durability.

The performance of the P9 has to be heard and is a big step up from the previous flagship model, the P7. The P9 is one of the most comfortable headsets we have tried and more than delivers on performance offering great sound quality.

One of the main changes made to the B&W P9's are the drivers, this all new design have been angled and when listening, gives a more natural presentation, focused in front of you, rather than to the side.

A de-coupled headband helps stop vibration, giving the P9 a very open soundstage, but not taking away any of the bass.

The P9 also come with a luxury protective case.

Pop in to try them out, we think you will be amazed.

Our Big Red Winter sale is now on, with some great offers and package savings to help make it a very Merry Christmas.

Ian, Gavin & Andy

Audio T Preston

Tel: 01772 883958

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

Auralic, Russell K & Cyrus: New Product Additions At Audio T Reading

We are delighted to announce the inclusion of a number of new products, two of which are wholly new suppliers to the Reading store.

Auralic

For us the timing could not be better than now to introduce Auralic to our range. In an age of ever decreasing CD player sales, we have been looking, as have many of our customers, for a streaming solution that is universal, i.e. matches any existing brand and at the same time is affordable. Auralic are just such a brand. Indeed maybe the only one at present?

Auralic Aries Mini

Auralic Aries Mini

From as little as just £449, the Aries Mini is a serious quality, tiny (about the size of an Apple TV) full HD streamer (up to DSD even over WiFi) and client in one. With analogue outputs included and the ability to fit an SSD drive internally, it can be a complete solution and simultaneously serve other rooms.

Auralic Aries

For the audiophile the Auralic Aries (£1495) is their high-end solution for streaming, just add your own DAC to the required level.

Auralic Altair Streamer

For those looking for an entire digital streaming compact separates system we have the Altair streamer/pre-amp and Merak 200w Monoblock amps. Just add speakers. £5747.

Auralic Merak 200W Monoblock amp

Key to the Auralic experience is their fantastic IOS app, Lightning DS. By far the most powerful and intuitive music app we've used to date. Giving you full access to your local music library as well as direct to your Tidal or Qobuz accounts.

Innuos

To complement the Auralic and any other streamers we have chosen Innuos. Innuos make a range of Server/CD rippers starting from as little as £699.

Innuos Zen Mini 2TB

Simply slide in a CD and the unit rips, downloads metadata and artwork and builds your library. Full editing access is by an excellent cross-platform browser support page.

Russell K

In a crowded market place full of great speakers (well here anyway) there seems little room for more. That would be true if they didn't offer something new and fresh, a different perspective perhaps or a different set of priorities. 

Russell K Red 100

In Russell K's designs we have just that; a fresh outlook. Russell's top priority was to convey the artist's message more than anything else but not at the expense of tonal colourations and other distortions; a tall order. His solution was not to follow, but to lead by thinking afresh the design parameters. His designs have to internal wadding whatsoever, thin cabinets walls and a thick baffle. The result; speakers that cut straight to the performance with no perceivable time smearing and are capable of serious musical engagement. They have an incredible bass response belying their size and can be driven by affordable amplifiers. We rather like them!

Russell K Red 100

Three models are available; The original RK Red 100 and the smaller Red 50, both standmounts and available in gloss black (premium) or a variety of wood veneers. The Red 150 floorstanders, small but full range.

Russell K Red 100 + Stand

Cyrus

Welcome back, Cyrus One!

Cyrus One Amplifier

After what must be over 25 years, Cyrus again have a model One. Naturally, apart from its dimensions and overall design it's all new and technologically up-to-date.

A little powerhouse of an amp capable of driving any speaker likely to be used at the price point, it's immediate and fun with a great sense of drive, a truly worthy successor.

Cyrus One rear panel

Features include; Bluetooth connectivity and a decent phono stage, so should appeal to all the family's needs. £699

Auralic streaming Hi-Fi products are available from the following branches of Audio T:
Bristol, Cheltenham, Southampton 

Innuos rippers and music streamers are also available from: 
Brentwood, Bristol, Cardiff, Cheltenham, Enfield, Manchester, Online, Oxford, Portsmouth, 
Southampton, Swansea, Swindon

Russell K Loudspeakers are also available at: Enfield, Portsmouth

Cyrus Hi-Fi products are also available from: 
Brentwood, Cardiff, Enfield, Manchester, Portsmouth, Reading, Southampton, Swindon

Audio-Technica ATH-A990Z Headphones Now On Demonstration At Audio T Enfield

We have just taken delivery of the Audio-Technica ATH-A990Z ART Monitor on ear Headphones.

Visually the ATH-A990Z are excellent, the lightweight green aluminium housing looks and feels like quality craftsmanship.

The ATH-A990Z's feature a "3D wing support" which Audio-Technica claim that provides a great fit and long-wearing comfort. I couldn't of put it better myself, they are certainly one of the most comfortable sets of headphones I have tried.

Here you can see the premium, soft ear pads for a comfortable fit.

The ATH-A990Z feature a 3.0m cloth-wrapped tangle-free cable. Also the 6.3" jack screws onto the 3.5mm jack, which I thought was a nice touch.

Every 53mm driver is hand-assembled in Japan for highly reliable performance. The yoke magnetic component contributes to the high-resolution audio reproduction with its superior transient response. OFC bobbin-wound voice coils enable efficient signal transfer. The top-mounted PCB contributes to smoother airflow for precise diaphragm movement.

The one thing that surprised me the most about the ATH-A990Z is how open and airy they sound considering they are a closed-back design. Audio-Technica have created what they call a Double Air Damping System (D.A.D.S.) structure which they claim provides deep bass reproduction. In my opinion it does more than this, by giving a more "open-backed" performance, rather than a "bloated" or "closed" sound.

For me the Audio-Technica ATH-A990Z does nothing wrong. The comfort is amazing and the sound defines its closed-back design. For £199 I've not found any better.

Many thanks for reading. Why not come along and have a listen!

Simon Harknett @ Audio T Enfield Tel: 0208 367 3132

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

Compact Neat Iota Alpha Floor Standing Speakers Need To Be Heard To Be Believed

We take a closer look at the Neat Iota Alpha compact floor standing speakers. Aesthetically, we think these are a great looking pair of speakers, which are available in four finishes: American walnut, black oak, natural oak and satin white.

They sport three drive units consisting of a ribbon tweeter a mid-range and a downward firing bass driver. The tweeter and mid-range driver are angled upwards, which give them the ability to produce a wonderfully wide soundstage and a surprising room filling capacity for a speaker that stands only 48cm high. Yes that's right 48cm, 480mm just under 19''. No matter how you measure it, that's small! Whatever you do, don't dismiss them based on their diminutive size, because the Neat Iota Alpha is a discrete speaker that still produces a big sound!

They are an ideal match with the new Naim Uniti Atom Cyrus ONE  the Rega Apollo, Brio-R,Elex-R  combination and many others.

If space is limited and discretion is paramount but you don't want to compromise on sound quality, then the Neat Iota Alpha's priced at £1,385 offer a very neat (pardon the pun) solution. They must be heard to be believed!

Give Nick, Joe and James a call at Audio T Portsmouth on 02392 663604 to book your personal demonstration and prepare to be amazed.

Neat Acoustic Loudspeakers are available at the following branches of Audio T: Brighton, Cheltenham, Oxford, Portsmouth, Reading

Chord Electronics Mojo Portable Headphone Amplifier And DAC

I have only been at the company a short time and I was very excited to be given the opportunity to write a blog, so I decided to pick one of my current favourites, the Chord Electronics Mojo, an award winning portable headphone amplifier and DAC (digital to analogue converter). While it may look small it’s certainly not light weight, it feels very solid in your hand and gives you the impression that it is built to last.

Fits comfortably in the palm of your hand - hand not included ;-)

The device has a very simple layout and is operated with the use of only 3 buttons these are power on and 2 volume controls (+ and -). By using a series of button press combinations you are able to easily adjust the input / output settings of the DAC. For example holding down the volume control buttons when the device is being powered up will set it to the LINE out function.

How do I use it?
The Mojo can be used with a variety of different digital sources. It can be used with a PC or Mac an iPad or Android tablet or phone. It can also turn its hand to being used in a system as a standalone DAC.

What does it sound like?
To listen to the Chord Electronics Mojo I used two different sets of headphones: the impressive Audioquest Nighthawks as well as my trusty Sennheiser HD 25-1 so I would be able to see how it would sound using two different brands of headphones.

USB, optical and coaxial inputs

The sound ‘quality’ was immediately noticeable, clarity and dynamics stood out, with the DAC doing wonders and the amplifier giving grip and drive to the headphones. I used a variety of music genres so I could get an honest opinion across the musical spectrum. On the Audioquest Nighthawks I got the impression that there was smooth clear balance to the sound and they quite obviously benefited being plugged into such an accomplished DAC come headphone amp. My trusty HD25’s have never sounded so good and I honestly didn’t think they could sound that good!

This product is in my opinion the leader in its class and will not disappoint when it comes to a great audio experience, really bringing out the sound stage enhancing the listening experience, in the grand scale of things the Chord Electronics Mojo really packs its punch for the buck.

For the techno minded and audiophile readers the technical specs are as follows:
Mojo has 3 digital inputs 1 x TOS-Link optical capable of playing 44.1KHz to 192KHz PCM and DSD64 in DoP format. 1 x 3.5mm COAX SPDIF capable of playing 44.1KHz to 384Khz PCM (768KHz special operation) and DSD64, DSD128 in DoP format. 1 x micro USB capable of 44KHz to 768KHz PCM and DSD64, DSD128 and DSD256 in DoP format

Blogger and Audio T Bristol Store staff member  - James Cannon

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

Audio T Oxford 50th Anniversary & Naim Statement Event

To celebrate our 50th Birthday, we would like to invite you to an open day on Saturday 26th November for some food, fizz and fun.

We will be showcasing Naim’s flagship Statement system. The pinnacle of Naim’s engineering knowledge and artistry. The series comprises the NAC S1 preamplifier and NAP S1 mono power amplifiers.

To partner such an amazing system we will be demonstrating the outstanding Dynaudio Evidence Platinum speakers. This stunning combination is quite possibly one of the greatest Hi-Fi systems available today, with a price ticket to match at a cool quarter of a million pounds!

If Carlsberg did Hi-Fi systems this would be it.

The event starts at noon on Saturday 26th and finishes at 5pm. We will be playing a wide selection of Hi-Res and Streamed Music and will be more than happy to take requests.

Come and celebrate with us.

We look forward seeing you.

Jon, Dom and Paddy

For more information please email us at oxford@audio-t.co.uk or call us on 01865 765961.

Unison Research Simply Italy. An Italian Job That Won't Blow Your Bloody Doors Off!

Audio T Manchester now have the wonderful Unison Research Simply Italy to add to our stock profile. This little beauty picks up the mantle from the equally wonderful Simply Two amplifier.

Sharing many of the characteristics and sonic attributes of the Simply Two, the Simply Italy is a more compact design with a shoe box size footprint, a single ended ultralinear class A design with 12 watts of power and utilizing LE34 valves in the output stage and ECC82 in its pre-amplifier and driver stages. Perfectly suited for small to medium size living rooms.

Unison Research have been around for more than 20 years. The Simply Italy is made at the Unison Research factory in Italy. 

The beautiful wooden panel not only looks good but helps to dampen any chassis resonances.

Nice and simple! An Input selector with a tape loop and the volume dial.

A small toggle switch takes care of the negative feedback and allows adjustments of 1.8db or 5db. You can switch between settings while listening, we prefered the 5db setting but the choice is yours. So you can tailor the sound to your musical tastes.

Chromey thinks he's back in his old pod racing days, that's not a gear lever matey. Bless him...

What Hi-Fi? reviewed the Simply Italy and loved it. Read the review here.

Canada Hifi also reviewed the Simply Italy here.

How many valves do you see?

The Russian made pentode EL34 valves and the ECC82 twin triodes with Chromey the clone trooper, all round super nice guy.

Behind bars for living a life of chrome.....ba dum tish.

Our Simply Italy valve amplifier is on demonstration at our Manchester store.  You may spot it sitting there proudly as part of our window display. So come along to the store and take a peek or even a listen if you so choose.

Keep an eye out for Dave, Munir, Mike, Simon and Haden who will be more than willing to help.

Unison Research Hi-Fi products are available from the following branches of Audio T:
Cheltenham, Oxford, Portsmouth, Reading, Manchester

Cyrus And Chord Co Listening Event At Audio T Enfield

Join us on Thursday 24th Nov 12:00 - 6:00 and come and listen to some of great music, played on Cyrus electronics, connected together with Chord cables, including the new Cyrus One integrated amplifier and next evolution of Chord Co cables.

In our smaller listening room we take a closer look & listen to the new Cyrus ONE amp partnered with a Rega RP6 turntable & B&W CM6 S2 speakers. All accompanied by Chord Cables.

In our bigger listening room we will be running a Cyrus Pre / Power set up. The CDI CD player, PSX-R 2 power supply, Stream XA streamer , Rega RP10 turntable, Pre DAC pre amp, Stereo 200 power amp, PMC Twenty5 23 speakers. This set up will have the new C-line, Clearway, Shawline, Epic & Signature cables ranges demonstrated on it.

A friendly and informal opportunity to play your music through some amazing yet affordable hi-fi gear, with special offers available for attendees on the day. Bring some of your favourite tunes and your ears. We will bring the hardware, comfy seats and refreshments.

We look forward to seeing you.

Simon, John, Claire & Mahmood.

Audio T Enfield

Cyrus Hi-Fi products are available from the following branches of Audio T: 
Brentwood, Cardiff, Enfield, Manchester, Portsmouth, Reading, Southampton, 

Chord Co cables are available from: 
Brentwood, Brighton, Bristol, Cardiff, Cheltenham, Enfield, Manchester, Online, Oxford, 
Portsmouth, Preston, Reading, Southampton, Swansea, Swindon

Project Essential MkIII Turntable A Stunning Record Player For Christmas

Those lovely people at Pro-ject have given us an early Christmas present with their new Essential MKIII turntable

This is a major step up in "performance for the money" over its predecessor the MkII. It has a new acrylic platter which would have been unheard of at this price point a few years ago...it's only £239! A quality main bearing and a "proper" tonearm with good bearings and adjustability.

The cartridge is a step up on the old model as well, the Essential MkIII now has an Ortofon OM10 which has a better stylus than the OM5e on the previous model.

Also the Essential MkIII comes with a new high gloss finish in three colours: Black, White and Red. The usual sturdy acrylic lid is included to keep your turntable dust free. The external pulley allows quick speed change without having to remove the platter.

All in all we think the Project Essential MkIII is going to be a big hit so why not come in and have a listen.

Paul, Francis, Jason, and of course Boswell.

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

Rega Brio Launch Event at Audio T Brighton This Saturday 19th

We're proud to be previewing the new Rega Brio integrated amplifier this weekend.
Come along for a look and listen to the fabulous new Rega Brio.

New Rega Brio Integrated amplifier

Brand new case design.
The Brio has a completely new case to house its improved circuits and parts. It now sits in a fully aluminium two-part case which boosts the Brio’s heatsinking capabilities and improves on Rega’s already solid build quality and reliability. The sleek and minimal look was designed to bring elegance to Rega’s classic style but still harks back to the swooped features hidden away in Rega’s past amplifiers.

Re-designed circuit.
Key improvements have been made to the circuits. The PCB layout has been fully upgraded to handle higher specifications for all critical parts.

A second raw power supply has been added to provide further isolation between output stage and the driver stage/line and phono amplifiers.This improves the isolation between high and low level signal stages of the amplifier. Higher specification MUSES operational amplifiers have been used in the line and phono amplifier.

Headphone Socket.
For convenience, the Brio has the capability to drive standard hi-fi headphones from the internal amplifier. Adding a headphone socket was only possible by finding a way to reduce its impact on the main signal path so it doesn’t disrupt the overall sound quality. We have paid special attention to the switch that deactivates the main speakers. This is achieved by the same relay used in Rega’s other amplifier models.

Power.
50Watts RMS both channels driven into the rated load of 8Ω
73Watts RMS both channels driven into the rated load of 4Ω

Throughout the design process the Brio has been meticulously improved in every aspect, from the quality of materials to the manufacturing process, to make this new Brio a step ahead in Rega’s engineering and design for amplifiers.

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 

Introducing The Innuos Zen Mini Mk2 CD Ripper, Streamer and Music Server

As everyone knows the way we listen to music has been revolutionised over the last decade. A whole new generation of streamers, digital to analogue converters and music servers means that we can now listen to our digital music from CD rips, music streaming services, or Hi-Res downloads in very high quality.

One such device that has become very popular recently is the CD ripper and music server; a way of both storing, archiving and playing your music collection wirelessly or hardwired in your home. Amongst the very best of these devices are the Innuos Zen series.

Innuos have three models in the series, the Zen Mini Mk2, Zen Mk2 and Zenith Mk2, it’s the Zen Mini we are looking at today although all three have the same functions just with increases in sound quality as you go up the range.

The Zen Mini’s functionality is incredibly vast but we’ll keep things simple to start off with. Inserting a CD into this slick looking black box will result in it being automatically ripped to the internal hard drive (available in 1 or 2TB) in FLAC or WAV format. Track information and album work will be found by the system and then the CD will be ejected once the rip is complete and hey presto! You have the start of digital music collection. If your music that is already stored digitally, on a computer for example, it can also be transferred on to the hard drive via your network (more on that later).

You have plenty of options on how to play your music from there; the Zen Mini is compatible with a huge range of wireless, multi-room systems, Sonos being the prime example.  It is a UPnP server so any streamers attached to your network will also be able to pick up your music either wirelessly or via Ethernet.  Playback is also supported via the USB port which can be connected to a DAC (Digital to Analogue Converter). Finally for those streaming fans the Zen Mini includes, Qobuz (We're offering a FREE 1 Month Trial and a FREE Hi-Res download until the end of November 2016), Tidal, Spotify, Iplayer and internet radio.

By visiting the Innuos page from your web browser (www.my.innuos.com) you can access the Zen Mini’s library and there you have a huge array of options like editing the track names, order, art work etc. It's here that you can also manage your collection by moving music from other places on your network, such as your computer onto the Zen Mini.  There is also a large array of apps available for both Apple and Android that are capable of controlling the playback from the unit, meaning you don’t need to use a computer at all.

The Zen Mini has no fans at all so when we tested it in our demo room it made no noticeable noise at all. We tested it with multiple systems both through the network and through the USB into a DAC and we were very impressed with the reproduction of the digital files, it simply sounds fantastic.

With its huge range of functionality, high build quality, ease of use and fantastic sound quality the Innuos Zen series may just well be the future of music storage and playback. For further information or if you would like a demonstration please get in touch!

Hefin, Nick and Gareth - Audio T Cardiff

Innuos Hi-Fi rippers, streamers and servers are available from the following branches of Audio T:
Brentwood, Bristol, Cardiff, Cheltenham, Enfield, Manchester, Online, Oxford, Portsmouth, Southampton, Swansea, Swindon

A Weekend of Vinyl and Valves at Audio T Oxford

Henley Designs will be bringing a selection of gorgeous Unison Research valve, valve hybrid amplifiers, CD spinners, plus some of the more exotic Pro-ject turntables.

If you really like your music, you really should come along for a listen. If you have a favourite album that you would like to hear on the Day please bring it along with you.

Unison Research were founded in 1987 by a group of audiophile technicians, are a prestigious Italian manufacturer of valve-based premium high fidelity audio components. Specialising in the design and construction of amplifiers, CD players, headphone amps and phono stages that boast not only impeccable, effortlessly rich sound, but also an artistic visual design. 

Pro-Ject are widely recognized as one of the biggest and best turntable manufacturers in the world. Their mission is simply to produce the best sounding turntables and analogue components at the most competitive prices possible. We will have a number of turntables on display and demonstration over the weekend from their entry level decks through to their Signature Series.  

Refreshments and snacks will be served over two days and we will be more than happy to answer any questions you have. 

We will put the names of all attendees into a prize draw giving you the opportunity of winning a Project Spin Clean Record cleaning kit worth £75. The draw will be made at the end of the event day on Saturday. There will also be a number of discounts and special offers on the turntables and electronics on display.

We look forward to seeing you. Jon, Dom and Paddy.

Audio T 50th Birthday Party Featuring Chord & Dynaudio High End Hi-Fi Systems

On Friday 11th November we will be celebrating Audio T's 50th Birthday with a musical evening at the Swansea store.

For such a special occasion we only thought it fitting that we show off some very special equipment. Supporting us for the evening we have Chord Electronics, Dynaudio Loudspeakers and Chord Company cables.

Chord Electronics will be showing their new and most advanced DAC to date: the
"DAVE".

Chord Electronics Dave DAC

The amplification we will use will be the SPM1400MKII Mono amplifiers, which in Hi-Fi News magazine were quoted as "offering spectacular insight into music".

Chord Electronics SPM1400MKII Monoblock Power Amplifier

But perhaps the most exciting thing for the evening is the Dynaudio Loudspeakers. Dynaudio have gone to great effort to be able to bring along the famous Evidence Platinum speakers. When I say they have gone to great effort, after seeing them in the flesh you will realise what I mean. They are very big and twice as heavy!

At a cost of £50,000.00 a pair it will be something not to be missed.

Dynaudio Evidence Platinum Loudspeaker

This system will be playing on the shop floor, but we will also have some recently launched equipment from Chord Electronics playing in our recently refurbished upstairs demo room.

Along with the Chord Electronics Hugo TT, the brand new TToby power amplifier will be playing along with Dynaudio Contour series speakers. The Hugo/TToby combination offers unbelievable performance considering it's size.

We will be kicking things off at 6pm and most likely finish around 9pm. Refreshments will be available with a glass of something bubbly on arrival.

Please feel free to bring along a cd or album that you would like to hear a track or two from.

Also celebrating its 50th year is the CMA Country Music Awards, so i'll be playing some recordings from the 1966 CMA winners which could have been music that some of Audio T's very first customers may have played.

This will be a very rare opportunity to hear such a system so please come along and help us celebrate our Birthday.

IsoTek Performance Upgrades Event 17th & 18th November At Audio T Swindon

Visit us at Audio T Swindon on Friday the 17th  (12pm - 5:30pm) and Saturday 18th (10am - 5:30pm) and come and hear for yourself how the benefits of mains conditioning in conjunction with IsoTek can give you more enjoyment from your music.

The quality of the electricity we feed into our Hi-Fi and Home Cinema systems has a profound effect on how our music and films sound. As the electronic devices we use at home grow and the demand for electrical power increases, the quality of the electricity we feed our systems continues to degrade from RF interference and mains noise.

IsoTek is a leading brand of power management products for Hi-Fi and Home Cinema use. Its product range includes high-performance mains cables and connectors, plus a range of performance enhancing power conditioners focused on the specific requirements of individual systems. IsoTek have earned numerous accolades from specialist audio and AV publications worldwide. The product ranges comprise of the following solutions:

Mains Cables and Blocks:
The standard black mains leads supplied with your Audio and AV components are designed to do a basic job, no more. They lack the quality of materials and construction needed to protect the integrity of the electricity they feed your system, thereby degrading performance. The first rung on the IsoTek ladder is to replace these leads with EVO3 Premier power cables. We will have the following on demonstration:

The  Evo3 Initium , Premier, Elite and Optimum mains cables

The IsoTek Aquarius and Sigmas mains conditioners, plus the new Genesis One and Mosaic mains regeneration units.

Evo3 Initium Mains Cable

Mains Conditioners:
These are designed to remove noise contamination from both Differential noise that is created by the power supplies in all electronic devices and Common Mode noise in introduced by RFI and the wireless communications.

Regenerators:
These are state of the art hybrid power cleaning systems. They effectively take the mains and regenerate it having taken out all the noise.

Prize Draw
We will put the names of all attendees into a prize draw giving you the opportunity of winning 3 Isotek Evo3 Premier 1.5m with a value of each £115. The draw will be made at the end of the event day on Saturday.

This is a great opportunity to hear how much you can improve the sound quality of your system and an affordable and worthwhile Hi-Fi upgrade.

Refreshments and snacks will be served over two days and of course we will be more than happy to answer any questions you have. 

Exclusive offers available for attendees on the day.

We look forward to seeing you.

Stefan and Andy

Chord Music And Chord Electronics Launch Event At Audio T Southampton

We are delighted to say that we will be hosting a launch event for the very exclusive ChordMusic range of cables on the evening of Friday 18th and all day Saturday 19th November.

As if this isn't enough we will also take the opportunity to launch full range Chord Electronics, having recently taken delivery of the awesome DAVE DAC and mighty SPM1050 MkII power amplifier.

Along with showcasing this stunning reference system in our demonstration room, fully wired with the ultimate ChordMusic interconnects and speaker cables, we will also be one of the very first retailers to demonstrate the new Chord TToby power amp partnered with Hugo TT DAC/pre-amp.  A wide range of Chord Company cables will be available to hear on this system.

We hope you can join us for a terrific opportunity to hear some awe inspiring high end electronics and cables create a truly unforgettable listening experience.

Refreshments will be provided and representatives of The Chord Company and Chord Electronics will be here to answer any questions.  

Exclusive offers will be available only to those attending this unique event on the evening of Friday 18th or during Saturday 19th November.

See you soon!

Alan and John

Ophidian M Series Loudspeakers At Audio T Cheltenham

We now have the new Ophidian M series range of loudspeakers available for demonstration. The range comprises of the Minimo and Mojo mini monitors offering bass extension that truly belies their diminutive size. We also have the Mambo floor stander, again a very compact loudspeaker that will fill all but the largest rooms with a truly immersive sound.

Technology
A common practice in speaker design is to use the energy produced by the rear of the bass driver to boost the low frequency output of the loudspeaker by venting it out of the cabinet via a tuned port (Known as a reflex loudspeaker). This poses a significant problem as the velocity of the air in the port (Effectively a plastic tube) can limit the control of the bass driver cone movement. This can cause energy from the bass driver to be wasted and can make the port exhibit a problem known as chuffing (A sound caused by the airflow pushing through the port). Ophidian have overcome this with a technology known as AEROFLEX. This utilises much larger and longer port which massively reduces the air velocity. This has the benefit of allowing the the bass driver to work more efficiently and diminishing the possibility of chuffing from the port. An additional benefit is the internal structure of the port increases the stiffness of the cabinet. This allows the use of thinner side walls on the cabinet that require less damping reducing the amount of energy stored. This much improves the quality of the midrange. The crossovers in all Ophidian loudspeakers use audiophile grade capacitors, oxygen free copper cabling and metal oxide resistors. This ensures the signal is preserved from the amplifier to the drive units.

The Ophidian M-Series Range

Minimo - The Minimo is a ultra compact 2-way micro monitor for use on stands, bookshelves or wall mounting. They feature  a 90mm Bass/Mid driver with a deep rubber surround, aluminium diagram and large powerful Neodymium magnet. In connection with the AEROFLEX technology this speaker produces a deep extended bass response that truly belies its size. Complementing the bass driver is a 27mm Sonolex coated fabric tweeter offering seamless integration with the bass driver.

Specifications:

1. Frequency Response  - 53Hz - 28kHz
2. Sensitivity                   - 85dB
3. Power Handling          - 30 to 60 Watt
4. Impedance                  - 4 Ohm
5. Dimensions                 178mm Height  / 122mm Width / 144mm Depth

Mojo - The Mojo is a two-way compact loudspeaker utilising two 90mm aluminium cone Bass/Mid drivers. Designed for stand or wall mounting these speakers offer a room filling sound with extended bass response you would not expect from a speaker of such diminutive dimensions. Again a 27mm Sonolex coated fabric dome tweeter is used. We have had these speakers on demonstration in the showroom next to a pair of speakers thirty times their size. Many customers have assumed that we have been playing the larger speakers due to the outstanding bass capabilities of the Ophidian Mojo's.

Specifications:

1. Frequency Response  - 46Hz to 2kHz
2. Sensitivity                   - 87.5 dB
3. Power Handling          - 50 to 100 Watt
4. Impedance                  - 4 Ohm
5. Dimensions                 - 253mm Height / 142mm Width / 199mm Depth

Mambo - The Mambo is a powerful three-way compact floor standing loudspeaker. It utilises Dual 90mm aluminium coned Mid/Bass Divers in their own sealed enclosure coupled with 4 dedicated 90mm aluminium coned  bass drivers utilising the AEROFLEX technology. Complementing the Mid/Bass divers is a 27mm Sonoflex coated fabric dome tweeter. For such a small floor standing loudspeaker the output from use is truly outstanding. The will play music at realistic volumes in medium to large rooms with no sense of being overdriven.

Specification:

1. Frequency Response  - 38Hz to 28kHz
2. Sensitivity                   - 87.5dB
3. Power Handling          - 50 to 150 Watts
4. Impedance                  - 4 Ohms
5. Dimensions                 - 791mm Height / 142mm Width / 171mm Depth (Excluding Plinth)

Listening
On listening to the range of Ophidian loudspeakers we have been truly impressed with the quality and extension of the bass response from speakers of such small dimensions. Couple this with a very open and uncoloured mid-range and a detailed and smooth high frequency response we would not hesitate to recommend these loudspeakers.

Finishes
The M Series range of loudspeakers are available in Satin White, Satin Black, Real wood Oak Veneer and real wood Walnut veneer.

Come and and have a listen! 

Music, Emotion And Hi-Fi. It's All About System Synergy & Set Up

Blogs are usually about a piece of Hi-Fi equipment and how it stands up against its peers or the previous version of it. This time I wanted to do a blog about a system and the way it makes me feel.

In our newly refurbished demonstration room at our Bristol store, we had just set up a system for a reviewer for one of the UK Hi-Fi magazines. The review was for the REL 212 sub bass system and to see how well it integrated with a pair of Kudos Titans. Looking at what had been put together and the reasoning behind the system, you soon realise that the magic doesn't just come from one bit of Hi-Fi equipment, it comes from all of the components working well together.

The kit that was used:

Chord cables throughout
Bryston 4B SST
Bryston BP26 plus MPS2
Naim NDX
Naim XPSDR
Kudos TITAN
x 2 REL 212SE stereo pair run via longbow

This is not an inexpensive Hi-Fi system but thats not what this is about. If you're a music lover you invest in Hi-Fi because you love music and the feeling and enjoyment you get when it immerses you in the artist's performance when it plays. To get to that point of musical nirvana, it takes both time effort and a level of skill to set up to ensure the system is as musical as possible.

The finished result after many hours of fine tuning, was a highly musical system that put a great big smile on my face and gave me chills when listening to it. So good that it made you want to keep playing one more track..... and the worries of world just drifted away. Probably one of the best sounding Hi-Fi systems I have ever listened to and in my time I have listened to quite a few.

Audio T established in 1966 has 14 stores from Preston down to Brighton. All of our friendly and helpful staff are music or film enthusiasts, most of who have been working in the industry for many years. Their collective knowledge and experience of a wide variety of different Hi-Fi systems is considerable and they do know what works well together and how to set it up correctly to make sure you get the most joy from your music and film collections. We all have different ears and tastes for how we like our music to be presented, so we will always listen and proffer friendly advice, but ultimately your own ears will be the judge..

Kevin Starkie, General Manager - Audio T