Pro-Ject Jukebox All In One Vinyl Replay System with Bluetooth Music Streaming

If you are interested in vinyl but do not have the space for a big system, have a look at a fresh release from Pro-Ject. This isn't just a turntable but comes complete with an amplifier built in so all you need to do is add a pair of speakers and some of your favourite records.

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The Pro-Ject Jukebox doesn't stop there though, this clever device also has a Bluetooth receiver built in so that you can stream music to it from a mobile device that gives you access to a streaming service music or a network storage device if you use one.

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The amplifier in this turntable system solution is rated at 50 watts per channel and comes with a remote control allowing you to control not only the volume and switching between inputs but also the bass, treble, loudness and even mute features with ease. There is an illuminated display on the turntable also for those times that you might not be able to find the remote quickly.

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It also has an analogue RCA input so you can connect other devices such as a CD player if you so choose.

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The arm is already set up and balanced ready for use with the Ortofon OM5E cartridge that is supplied and fitted as standard.

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This Pro-ject Juke Box record player system is available in 3 different finishes, Black, White and Red all of which are high gloss finishes.

Come and have a listen and bring a few of your favourite records.

Pro-ject Hi-Fi products are available from the following branches of Audio T: 
BrentwoodBristolCardiffCheltenhamEnfieldManchesterOnlineOxfordPortsmouthPrestonReadingSwanseaSwindon

Audio T Cardiff Visit the Bowers & Wilkins Factory in Worthing, Sussex

Hefin, Nick and Gareth were lucky enough to be invited to visit the Bowers and Wilkins factory in Worthing this month and it was an incredible experience!

We were able to see how the stunning 800 series diamond loudspeakers are produced as well as having demonstrations. During our visit, we were able to take some photos on the way round and thought we would share them with you.

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We were greeted in the entrance by this magnificent one of a kind Nautilus and just had to take a picture!

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The 800 D3 Diamond family proudly on display.

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The cabinets of the 800 series consist of 22 layers of ply, which are glued and then put under intense pressure using the machinery above to bind them together.

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The sections of ply are then bent into shape using the machines above and below, again by applying huge amounts of pressure. There is one of these machines for each shape that needs to be made through the whole range.

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Pictured above are 804 cabinets being clamped together. They are left like this for some time to ensure the solidity of the overall cabinet.

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With the bottom section taken off this 804 cabinet you can see some of the internal bracing, or matrix which gives the speaker a huge amount of stability, reducing vibration. You can also see a large section of metal, this is very heavy and helps give the speakers a low centre of gravity, again improving stability.

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This robot is cutting out grooves on the inside of a cabinet for the matrix and drivers to fit into. This way allows for absolute precision on every speaker. You can see the results in the image below. This 800 series has B&W's best Matrix system yet, thicker plywood replaces the MDF that has been used in the past with metal reinforcing the most critical areas for the ultimate in rigidity.

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Here another robot is spray painting a production line of cabinets, which results in the cleanest and most even paint job possible. Despite this a lot of the finishing work on the cabinets is still done by human hands. Fun fact! Some may recognise this robot as the same used in Marvel's Ironman films, it is actually the same model!

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Here you can see the crossover from  a pair of 800's. In the research and development of the series every single component was rigorously tested by ear to make sure it is the very best available as the crossover has a huge bearing on the character of a speaker.

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It's not just robots who work on the finish of the speakers!

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These images show the speakers ready to have the Continuum cones installed. B&W thought that their previous Aramid Fibre drivers couldn't be beaten for years but their passion for continuous improvement proved themselves wrong! This new composite material which avoids abrupt transitions that can impair performance make these the best cones they have ever produced.

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These images show the final assembly area where the drivers are installed into the cabinets and then packaged for shipping.

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One of the most astounding facts we learned during the tour was that a staggering eight hundred and sixty eight changes have been made from the last generation of the 800 series. B&W's drive to constantly strive to create the best loudspeakers they can, was something that really came through during our trip.

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We finished the day with some demonstrations by B&W staff on various speakers, focusing mostly on the 800 series. We had an absolutely fantastic day and would like to give our sincere thanks to B&W for the opportunity.

The main learning point had to be seeing the true value of these sensational speakers. The amount of work and dedication, raw materials and technology that go into these is staggering and of course most importantly they deliver an exceptional performance. We are lucky enough to have the entire Bowers & Wilkins 800 D3 diamond series in our shop in Cardiff to demonstrate and can happily pass on what we learnt at B&W to anyone who want to know more information

We also have a B&W 800 D3 Diamond series event on the 14th of March at the Norwegian Church in Cardiff bay, where experts from B&W will be demonstrating the 805, 803 and 800 D3 loudspeakers partnered with Chord electronics amplifiers. As anyone who has been to one of our events will know they are both informative and enjoyable. Tickets are free but there are limited spaces and the tickets are running out fast! You can reserve your place here. 

The Bowers & Wilkins 800 D3 Diamond series are only available for demonstration at Audio T Cardiff.

Even in The Qutest Moment - Chord Electronics Qutest DAC

The Chord Electronics Qutest is the latest in an exceptional run of class leading DAC’s that are fast becoming the industry standard that all other DACs are measured against.

This is where it starts.

This is where it starts.

The Chord Electronics Qutest, having evolved from its predecessor the 2Qute itself having not long won the 2017 What Hi-Fi? best DAC £500 - £1000, is already turning heads having being a star of  The Big US Technology Consumer Show CES 2018.

The Qutest is designed as a stand alone DAC to be used in home audio and desktop hi-fi systems and once again has that unmistakable John Franks design about it.

Stunning finish and build quality as ever from Chord Electronics

Stunning finish and build quality as ever from Chord Electronics

It’s fair to say Chord Electronics stand out from the competition in looks alone. Precision milled from a solid aluminium billet the Qutest is no different, whilst it retains the circular porthole where you can peep into the workings of the circuit board and confirm through a range of colours the sample rate you are using, the actual functionality of the DAC has been improved enormously by the addition of colour changing fascia control spheres as used in the latest award winning incarnation of the Hugo 2 . These allow input and filter changing at the push of a button. No more tiny pin head buttons that my fingers always seemed to struggle with.

Lights showing filter, input and sample rate at a glance.

Lights showing filter, input and sample rate at a glance.

On the rear inputs include:

1 X Galvinically isolated USB-B input 32-bit/768kHz and DSD512 capable.

1 X Optical TOSlink 24-bit/192kHz capable

2 X BNC coaxial input 24-bit/348kHz capable

Outputs are:
1 X Pair of stereo RCA sockets that can be set to output at switchable voltages of  1,2 and 3V RMS to match other sources plugged into your system.

Power is via a Micro USB power supply that is permanently plugged in as unlike the Hugo 2 and Mojo portables has no battery on board. 

Whereas the other mains powered Hugo TT and Dave double up as digital pre and headphone amplifiers the Qutest has concentrated on the one job of decoding your digital sources be they from a streamer, CD transport or indeed being used to improve your television’s audio performance. 

Using technology from the latest Award winning Hugo 2 DAC and losing the headphone output and recharging capability has allowed substantial cost saving giving a performance and build quality unmatched in this price area,  indeed if this is a permanently placed DAC in your system why pay for extras that are not required.  

The Ins And Outs of a Qutest.

The Ins And Outs of a Qutest.

So what are they putting in the water in Kent that makes Chord Electronics DACs continually win award after award? Well, it has to be something to do with the Rob Watts FPGA (field programmable gate array) custom chip set.

Unlike almost all the competition who buy off the shelf OEM Chips then apply in house technology to make them work in their DACs Chord use their own custom coded chips that somehow sound different to any other in the market place.

Whether you think Chord DACs are better than the competition is probably personal taste but they do sound different. The best way I think I can describe them is to me they don’t sound digital, forget how much treble or how much bass they may or may not have or whether they are forward or analytical all words when describing other DACs.

This DAC gives the impression of having an insight into the music without the digital hash that is often present with other DACs. We can use words like detail, clarity, coherence, dynamic range, timing as many customers and reviewers alike have when eulogising about Chord DACs but there is more to it than that.

We used our tried and tested dem track Duke’s Place from the Louis Armstrong & Duke Ellington album The Great Summit a recommendation incidentally.

This track is testing in that Louis sings close to the mic and can exaggerate sibilance in a forward sounding system and the Double bass can appear overblown in an over exuberant bass heavy system, not with the Qutest though, even when playing with the filters which whilst can subtly change the tonal balance was never caught out.

I also tried it connected directly to the digital output of a Naim Uniti Core over many hours and no matter the type of music from the Latin Rock rhythm of Los Lobos, Colossal Head to the Chilled Out beats of Bent The Everstanding Blink and through Tori Amos Night Of the Hunters showing all the subtleties her vast vocal range, it just sounded right and not once drew attention to itself.

Packed in the Qutest of boxes 

Packed in the Qutest of boxes 

Chord Electronics products are available from the following stores

BrentwoodBrightonBristolCardiffEnfieldManchesterOnlineOxfordPrestonReadingSouthamptonSwanseaSwindon

Visit Julian, Paul and John at Audio T Brighton store and hear it for yourself. 

Ahhhh....Oh...Woah! The Qutest Thing.

The new Chord Electronics Qutest DAC, marketed by Chord Electronics as a HUGO2 minus the headphone amp and battery, the dinky Qutest also manages to shed £600 from it's price tag. This has proven very popular indeed with us Audio T staffers.

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Such an animal was suggested when the original HUGO was released, so I'm claiming full credit here! This means we can now enthuse about the Chord Electronics HUGO2 headphone amplifier and DAC performance to those customers who think that £1800 is too hefty a price tag and had no intention to take a DAC out into the wild - so why should they pay for stuff they'll never use anyway?

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I'm happy to report that you don't have to. The Chord Electronics Qutest DAC is terrific.

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Used in between an Arcam rPlay streamer and an Arcam A39 integrated amplifier, with Dynaudio Special 40 speakers, the presentation is wildly improved. AC/DC's Malcolm Young's repetitive rhythm guitar riff on "Thunderstruck" is way more thrilling (I want to turn it up!), deadmau5's synth bass on the track "SeeYah" is faster, tighter and forms a 3D solid roller of sound across the stage. Any digital hardness entirely gone. Initially the presentation appears quieter, then one realises that it's the absence of amplified noise. Norah Jones' voice on "Cold, Cold, Heart" is soft, dusky and alluring. It's no longer a voice in space, it's etched in place and sounds as if it's issuing from a human face (if that isn't too weird). Jones' piano playing is shown to be remarkably gentle; you can feel her just touching the keys rather than striking them. Glorious.  The spacial information in the Scream Team Remix of Massive Attack's "Teardrop", rather than being out to the sides and above the speakers a bit, now envelopes you in sound. Music behind you from just the two speakers? Oh yes. I've only encountered that before in some very serious kit indeed.

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On demonstration right now at Audio T Swansea.

Chord Electronics Hi-Fi products are available from the following branches of Audio T:
BrentwoodBrightonBristolCardiffEnfieldManchesterOnlineOxfordPrestonReadingSouthamptonSwanseaSwindon

And Now for Something Special... Dynaudio Special 40 Stand Mount Loudspeaker

40 years have passed since Dynaudio set up shop in their HQ in Skanberg. 2017 marked their 40th anniversary and they have only gone and progressed to one of the finest manufacturers of music reproduction in the world.  Progression through technology, manufacturing techniques, research and development has allowed Dynaudio to take the mantle of the best selling speakers of 2017. Here in our Manchester branch anyway.

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Instead of reeling of some recycled tech specs from the website, it would be better to give a true, honest opinion of the 40th anniversary Special Forty's, they are impeccable. 6 months on, nothing has changed, they are still regarded one of the most formidable stand mount bookshelves to be considered if you are in the market for a pair. 

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Fast, agile, dynamic and driven are some of the adjectives that come to mind, with the added bonus of such a distinct premium finish leaving other competitors in the dust.

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The Special Forty's have a Trapezium shaped cabinet, primarily for strength and to reduce standing waves. Layered MDF then cross cut to give a layered look to the cabinet.

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The new Esotar Forty tweeter has been refined and remastered featuring improvements with DSR, new tweaked air flow within the tweeter, 3000 HZ roll to have ample rollover between the tweeter and the woofer leaves a lovely sweeping roll off between the mids and highs. A new refined dampening material has been used, DSR coating applied to the tweeter to give their tweeters the signature sound. Dynaudio have redesigned the cavity behind the tweeter, by having a refined port for the tweeter has reduced unwanted pressure build up behind the tweeter.

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Here at Manchester and Cardiff we have come to the conclusion that Dynaudio have done something “special”. Created an amazing sounding speaker, using hand crafted techniques, with an exquisite look and finish, all at a very respectable price point. Even somebody not into “Hi-Fi” cannot fault what Dynaudio have achieved, and just to enforce that opinion, (such are the hardships of a hi-fi salesman) all the staff at Audio T Manchester always look forward to the next demo in our dem room just so that we sit in with the customers and enjoy the Dynaudio "very" Special Forty. 

Feel free to watch the short promotional video below on the Special Forty's shot right here in our Manchester branch. 

Hopefully we will see you enthusiasts in store soon, where you can hear these incredible standmounts.

Bye for now from Dave, Munir, Mike, Simon and Haden.

Dynaudio Hi-Fi products are available from the following branches of Audio T:
BrightonBristolManchesterOnlineOxfordPortsmouthReadingSouthamptonSwindon

Hear The Benefits Of Mains Conditioning With IsoTek At Audio T Cheltenham

Visit us at Audio T Cheltenham on Friday the 6th April  (4.00pm - 7:30pm) and Saturday 7th (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.

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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 , PremierElite and Optimum mains cables

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

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 Initium 1.5m mains leads with a value of each £75. 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 will be available for attendees on the day.

We look forward to seeing you in Audio T Cheltenham!

Click here to reserve your place.

Jon, Farid and Andy.

Marantz Premium Hi-Fi System lives up to its name

The Marantz Premium System comprising the PM8006 amp, ND8006 CD/Streamer, and TT15SI Turntable has been setting our dem room alight.

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Starting with the PM8006 amp, although it has the same visual styling as Marantz' less expensive offerings it shows a major step up in build quality with battleship construction and outrageous speaker terminals! 

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The PM8006 has all the Marantz trademark tech and features designed to get the best sound quality possible from the design, including HDAM amp modules, a very high quality volume control, and a newly designed phono stage.

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The second unit in the system is the ND8006 CD player and Streamer.

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The ND8006 is a complete digital music hub offering a CD player, access to a multitude of streaming services, multiple DAC inputs, Apple Airplay and Bluetooth! Add to that a high quality headphone amp with its own volume control and you have a complete system hub.

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The ND8006 also has a high res DAC (Digital to Analogue Converter) and so can cope with all file formats.

Last but not least is the superb TT15SI turntable

This beauty has a large acrylic chassis with special isolating feet, a separate motor, and a very high quality tonearm and mm (moving magnet)cartridge fitted. It is gorgeous to look at and listen to!

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This is a serious system from Marantz. We've been listening with the very capable KEF R500 speakers and whether it's the electronica of Goldfrapp's Silver Eye, the complex production and rhythms of Steven Wilson's To the Bone, or the delicacy of Jane Siberry's voice on The Walking, the system remains unphased and in control at all times. Each component is very very good in its own right (and they are all available individually) but put the PM8006, ND8006 and TT15 together and you have a stonkingly good music system.

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We know you'll be impressed when you come along for a listen at Audio T Brentwood.

Marantz Hi-Fi products are available at the following branches of Audio T: 
BrentwoodBrightonBristolCardiffCheltenhamEnfieldManchesterOnlineOxford
PortsmouthPrestonReadingSouthamptonSwanseaSwindon

Bluesound Offers a Simple and Effective High Quality Multi-room Music Streaming System

In this months Blog we are focussing on Bluesound multi-room music streaming products and will show you how easy they are to set up and tell you why it is so good.

Bluesound is an award winning wireless, multi-room system that supports Hi-Res audio replay and has been designed to fill your home with high quality sound. It has a sophisticated but easy to use operating system (BluOS) which we will talk more about later.

Music streaming services like Tidal, Qobuz, Spotify, Deezer, Amazon Music, Internet Radio and many more are supported and the system supports up to 64 players to fill your rooms with high quality sound.

In addition you can play music from your NAS drive (network attached storage) USB drive or via Bluetooth from your phones, tablets and PC's.

The Bluesound system connects via your home's Wifi network (your broadband router) or hard-wired via ethernet cable to the same router. You can control it with the BluOS Controller App for iOS, Android, Kindle (phones or tablets) and there are desktop apps available for Windows (PC) and OS X (Mac). Supported file formats are MP3, AAC, WMA, OGG, WMA-L, ALAC and OPUS as well as Hi-Res formats FLAC, MQA (Master Quality Authenticated), WAV and AIFF from 16Bit (CD Quality) to 24Bit (Hi-Res Audio).

Let's take a closer look at the products.

Bluesound Vault 2 - Storage and the possible heart of your music streaming system
The Vault comes shipped with 2TB hard drive and allows you to rip your CD collection to the streaming formats FLAC (lossless smaller file with no degradation in quality) or WAV (original copy - large file which takes up more space on a hard drive). It is very user friendly and requires no computer for the initial set-up. Like every NAS (Network Attached Storage), just plug it into your router via ethernet cable, get the app for your control device and you can start setting up the Vault 2. The Bluesound Vault can be used as storage/server and as a player. You can use the analogue or digital outputs on the back and connect the Vault 2 directly to your music system and away you go. 

All Bluesound players or speakers can access the music stored on the Vault 2 .

Vault 2

Vault 2

Vault 2

Vault 2

 Wireless Bluesound Speakers: Pulse Flex, Pulse Mini and Pulse 2

The Pulse Flex can be used as a single speaker or you can buy two and set them up as a wireless speaker pair. Attach a rechargeable Battery Pack and you can take wherever you go.

The Pulse Mini and Pulse 2 are bigger and more powerful. Great if you want more bass and a bigger sound. There are sound controls for bass and treble adjustment if you need them. All 3 speakers support Bluetooth, have an analogue and optical input -  plus a headphone socket.

Pulse Flex

Pulse Flex

Pulse Flex

Pulse Flex

Pulse Mini

Pulse Mini

Pulse Mini

Pulse Mini

Pulse 2

Pulse 2

Pulse 2 on the left and Pulse Mini on the right (available in black or white)

Pulse 2 on the left and Pulse Mini on the right (available in black or white)

Bluesound Music Players: Node 2 and Powernode 2

Node 2 The Node 2 connects to your existing stereo or home cinema system via analogue connection (with fixed output option) or digital coaxial outputs. It is compact and sounds fantastic. I have (Stefan) got one myself and I all I can say is - It sounds stunning, really stunning.

Powernode 2 -  The Powernode 2 does everything the Node 2 can do, plus it can drive a pair of stereo loudspeakers. This is great and gives you various options for use in-ceiling, outdoors or to use as streamer and amplifier connected to an existing set of speakers. With 60W per channel you can choose from a wide range of speakers for your home or office set-up.

Powernode 2 on the left and the Node 2 on the right

Powernode 2 on the left and the Node 2 on the right

Powernode 2 on the left and Node 2 on the right

Powernode 2 on the left and Node 2 on the right

Pulse Soundbar and Pulse Subwoofer
Both work wirelessly and that is also how they connect to each other. You can play all the music that I mentioned above through the Pulse soundbar with or without the Pulse subwoofer. Our suggestion is to use a subwoofer and you can even use one from a different brand, such as a REL.

Now add two Pulse Flex speakers as wireless surround sound speakers and you have a 5.1 home cinema system - very flexible!

Pulse Soundbar

Pulse Soundbar

Pulse Soundbar under our 55" Panasonic OLED TV

Pulse Soundbar under our 55" Panasonic OLED TV

Pulse Subwoofer

Pulse Subwoofer

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Controlling Your Bluesound streaming music system
Open the BluOS app and bring in your speakers or components. This is very easy. You can see them in a list on the right hand side. Select one and play your music or group some of them and play your music in several rooms at the same time.

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On the left hand side you see your players inputs, music streaming subscriptions and access to the player settings.

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Supported Music Streaming Services

Supported Music Streaming Services

Music playing from Tidal

Music playing from Tidal

All Bluesound players and speakers are compatible with Roon if you want to take streaming music control and sound quality to the next level.

There is so much more we can show you about streaming music via Bluesound, however as always your ears and eyes need to be the judge, so please feel free to email us or call us on 01793 538222 or if you're live locally just come into the Audio T Swindon shop.

Stefan and Andy

Bluesound music streaming products are available from the following branches of Audio T:
ManchesterOnlinePortsmouthSwindon

Russell K Red 120 Loudspeakers

We have had the latest speakers from Russell K, the RED 120 for some months now and have proven such a hit that they have become our best selling model at any price at present.

Red 120 Walnut

Red 120 Walnut

So what makes them so successful? The answer is a combination of many things.

Firstly, in walnut in particular, they are visually striking but at the same time exceptionally compact. Indeed the pre-mounted plinth is smaller than that of a speaker stand for a bookshelf speaker, this and the fact they are absolutely not fussy about room placement and general set-up make they extremely room friendly.

Red 120 Walnut

Red 120 Walnut

Secondly, and most important really is their sound. What shocked us and floors all those that hear them is their sense of scale and amazing depth for such a small cabinet. These speakers throw a huge image in front of you with an uncanny sense of coherence top to bottom. Due to the compact nature of the enclosure and 6’’ drivers mean they are incredibly fast and time on point.

Red 120 Walnut

Red 120 Walnut

So what, one may ask is so new? Well, it’s a combination of both new and old design principles that are at work here. Although the cabinet measures just 20cm wide and 19 cm deep the sides are thin walled a la BBC monitor compared to the front baffle which means the ‘play’ along with music rather than damped. Indeed, there is also no damping material inside either but there’s not a trace of boxiness. The secret is the internal bracing which controls the resonances so they remain in time with the music rather than smear it, thus the cabinet is acting much like a musical instrument hence the large-scale presentation.

Red 120 Walnut

Red 120 Walnut

The other key design feature is the port tuning. Russell has not been tempted to implement the commonly used 40/80hz which is designed to excite the resonances of the average UK room with an 8’ ceiling. Instead the port is tuned to a low 24hz. Although there is little output at this frequency, the speakers in-room response is nothing short of remarkable and not a trace of that 80hz bloom.

Red 120 Walnut

Red 120 Walnut

But what sets this model apart for us is that they work exceptionally well within more modest systems but at the same time can deliver awesome results with better partnering equipment. Indeed they work wonders with a Naim Uniti Atom or even a Rega Elex-R.

Ultimately we feel there is nothing not to like about the RED 120 so we're not surprised by its immediate success.

Red 120 Walnut

Red 120 Walnut

Come on in and have a listen.

Russell K loudspeakers are available from the following branches of Audio T:
EnfieldPortsmouthReading

The Vinyl Countdown! Mike our Resident Punk from Audio T Manchester Delves into his Record Collection

In this months blog Mike Hennessey from Audio T Manchester gives the inside track on his vinyl collection. Be warned, some of the cover art may make you feel a bit queasy.

Rega Brio Rega RP8 Rega Ania

Rega Brio Rega RP8 Rega Ania

First Record I Ever Bought? NOFX - Pump Up the Valuum

Technics SL-1210GR

Technics SL-1210GR

It’s pretty fitting that the first record I ever bought was a NOFX album. As you will see, I’ve bought a lot more since then but back when no one wanted records, this would have been purchased in 2000, it was easy enough to pick up the coloured first pressings from NOFX.

Oldest Record I Own? Mary Poppins soundtrack. 

This one I inherited from my Grandad when he passed away. It came inside a Ferguson Stereogram, fortunately, not something I had to listen on. Unfortunately, at some point during a house move, I have managed to lose the bulk of the records I inherited, which was mainly Ella fitzgerald, Perry Como and The Seekers. Not exactly my taste in music but losing records is never a good thing, especially when they have sentimental value.
 
Most Interesting Record? Pizzatramp - Blowing Chunks.

This was released by TNS Records back at the end of 2016, the record was shipped in January 2017. Delivered in a hand painted and numbered pizza box, containing the album on green vinyl, a screen print of the album artwork and a slice of pizza. 

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I varnished the pizza to preserve it. Here it is 1 year on.

Most Collected Band? NOFX

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54 records, not including CDs or compilations.  36x7”, 2x10”, 16x12”. 12 Albums, 1 Bootleg, 2 splits, 8 EPs, 31 Singles including a 12 part set.

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Most Valuable Record?
This one is tricky really. Not being the kind of person to part with records, any value attributed to them is purely academic. Unless of course there is something I need to buy! I’ve used the Discogs and Popsike websites to try and value what I have. I’ve included a selection as values vary depending on where you look and what extras you still have with the record et cetera. This just gives an idea of the records that have the highest priced sale on the two websites mentioned above.

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Everything Everything - ARC Sold for £127 on DIscogs, £122 on Popsike
Me First and the Gimme Gimmes - Take a Break £147 DIscogs, £135 Popsike    
Mad Caddies - Just One More £295 Discogs, £151 Popsike
NOFX - HOFX £99 Discogs, £161 Popsike
NOFX - Liberal Animation £175 Discogs, £145 Popsike
NOFX - War on Errorism £101 Discogs, £135 Popsike
NOFX/Rancid Split £125 Discogs, £122 Popsike
The White Stripes - De Stijl £111 Discogs, £130 Popsike

Smallest Amount I’ve Paid? 29p. 

Wild Cherry - Self Titled/Band Aid - Do they know it’s Christmas? 12” single. 
Both were bought on the same day from a charity shop on Hillgate in Stockport and both cost the same amount. Wild Cherry had no sleeve and has been sadly lost, which reminds me, I must keep an eye out for another copy.

Any Unusual Sized Records? - Dropkick murphys live on a five.

I’ve only ever encountered one unusually sized record. At the time I bought it, I don’t think I realised it was unusual. This is just two live tracks on one small record.

The Last Record I bought - Sonic Boom Six - Cardiac Address / Stand Out Riot - Gentlemen Bandits

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Cardiac Address was a Pledge Music release from Sonic Boom Six, used to raise funds to get them to the Vans Warped Tour last year, it took a while but the 10” record finally arrived in January 2018.

Gentleman Bandits is a re-release from TNS Records, although it is the album’s first time on vinyl. This wasn’t bought by me but as a present from my wife for Christmas.

I also have at least 3 records currently on order that were purchased after Cardiac Address but I don’t have them yet, so they can’t count. They are, The Bennies - Natural Born Chillers, Harker - No Discordance, Marmozets - Knowing What You Know Now. 
Let’s face it, I’ll probably buy more before I finish this blog. 

Most Out of Place? Young Love.

This is a compilation album of love songs. I bought it for a communal Valentine's dinner with friends at university. And that’s all I have to say about that.
 
Record I Should Own But Don't? Guns N’ Roses - Live Like A Suicide

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Guns N’ Roses are probably my second most collected band, so it’s a surprise to me that they haven’t appeared in this until now. These are seemingly always available but I’ve never had the funds and the opportunity at the same time. The worst part is, my brother who doesn’t own a turntable, does have a copy. Framed on his wall. Sacrilege! Although, he did bring it in to the shop for its one and only play in his possession.

Thanks for reading! Rock on...vinyl!

Epson TW7300 Home Cinema Projector Brings The Big Screen To Your Living Room!

We have just taken delivery of the new Epson TW7300 Home Cinema projector. This fantastic projector has everything you need to enjoy movies and TV shows on a grand scale in your home.

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Let's have a look at some of the features :

  • The Epson TW7300 will accept 4K UHD movies from a UHD player or 4K Streaming services such as Netflix as well as provide enjoyment from your Blu Ray collection
  • High Dynamic Range capability to bring out the best from UHD content
  • 12v Trigger to enable automatic drop down of electric screens
  • 3yr Warranty provided by Epson UK
  • Back lit remote control for use in Cinema rooms
  • 3D Playback from Blu Rays with optional glasses
  • Motorised Lens Shift, Zoom and Focus to aid quick set up in any room
  • Calibration controls for fine tuning of the picture in any given room
  • Lens Memory function for 2.35:1 ratio cinemascope screens if you have one
  • Available in White finish so you can even use this beauty in a living room environment
  • Quiet operation of the fan in Eco mode so you hear the soundtrack and not the Projector when watching your favorite movies and TV shows

We have hooked up the Epson 7300 to our resident Oppo UDP 203 Ultra High Definition blu ray player. At first viewing our jaw was on the floor with the image we saw on screen - so much so that we had to double check we had not ordered a more expensive model by mistake! The image got even better after we had calibrated the projector to our 8ft wide 16:9 ratio screen and cinema room.

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The Epson TW7300 projector comes in at a retail price of £2,200 and we feel that you will not get a better projector for the money. 

It has all the features of more expensive projectors such as motorised lens shift, zoom, focus and calibration controls. The high brightness of 2300 lumens helps provide an excellent image in either a living room or cinema room environment. To a certain extent you can enjoy this projector with ambient light however the best results will be displayed in darker environments.

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The Epson 7300 is not a 'native 4K' projector, however Ultra HD Blu Ray content still be enjoyed as the unit will use its' own 4K enhancement to provide an image to 3840 x 2160 resolution.

So why would you want to have a look at the Epson?
Well, if you love watching movies and TV shows from Blu-ray, Netflix, Amazon or are starting to dip your toes into Ultra High Definition movies then one of the best ways to do this is to have a projector, or if you have a Sky Q package, the Epson will help you enjoy the subscription service even more.

We have our projector set up on a 106'' diagonal screen. Bear in mind you will not get a 106'' TV screen for less than £15,000 - which is why we feel that the Epson 7300 along with an 8ft Screen is a bargain of epic proportions. 

We are seeing many clients who are now looking to enhance their viewing enjoyment and choosing projectors by utilising spare bedrooms and converting garages into cinema rooms. You can also use the Epson in a living room environment as mentioned previously.  

The Epson 7300 has absolutely fantastic colours and when calibrated, a Ultra HD Blu-ray will really bring out the best from this projector - see the screenshots below.

Come in and we'll show you what the Epson TW7300 is capable of in our Dolby Atmos 5.1.4 demonstration suite. 

John, Keith, Claire and Mahmood - Audio T Enfield

Yes - this is from a Projector...

Yes - this is from a Projector...

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'Yes CAPTAIN, projectors are a very good way of enjoying movies'...

'Yes CAPTAIN, projectors are a very good way of enjoying movies'...

Epson Projectors are available from the following branches of Audio T: CardiffEnfieldSouthamptonSwanseaSwindon

Project Continues the Vinyl Revival with the Juke Box E

Project have come up with a devilishly simple little all-in-one vinyl replay system. The Juke Box E is a fully featured Project turntable with all the technical know-how of that great company.

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On the surface it looks like a traditional offering typical of Project. The turntable is nicely finished in a high gloss black with a clear acrylic lid and the pulley outside the platter to make speed changing simple.

Dig a little deeper however and you'll realise that this is, in fact, a turntable system!

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In the Juke Box E we have a turntable with an integrated amplifier, so all you have to do is add some speakers to make music in any space and for relatively little outlay. The display shows source and volume, there is a remote control and a manual volume knob on the front of the unit.

Sources are line in and Bluetooth so a full mix of old and new technology!

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All that is needed to complete the system is a pair of speakers. We've had great results with the Zensor range from Dali pictured here, but the little amp is well capable of driving bigger speakers with aplomb.

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So all in all the Project Juke Box E is a stonking little hi-fi system, perfect for anyone with restricted space for components or on a limited budget and so much better than the many one box record players seen on the high street. Come and have a look and listen at Audio T Brentwood and we think you'll enjoy what you hear.

Pro-ject Hi-Fi products are available from the following branches of Audio T: 
BrentwoodBristolCardiffCheltenhamEnfieldManchesterOnlineOxfordPortsmouthPrestonReadingSwanseaSwindon

New Ruark R7Mk3 High Fidelity Radiogram Re-Defined

This lovely all in one system from Ruark has been three years in development and is well worth the wait! Ruark made their name by making really high quality loudspeakers with a reputation second to none. Their passion for great looks, great build quality and great sound all gels together in the latest version of the R7.

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We have always been big fans of the previous incarnations of Ruark's all in one music system and the new model does not disappoint.

It has built in CD player, streamer, DAB/DAB+/FM radio, Internet Radio, Bluetooth, Subwoofer, Phono input for vinyl, Headphone socket and sports two 140mm dual concentric drive units. All of this plus USB charge /  playback and plenty of analogue and digital inputs too! 

It is a great pleasure to be able to champion a UK design. The styling is gorgeous giving the new model a more sleek Scandinavian look compared to the older retro 60's and 70's look. Colours available are Walnut with black spindle legs or Soft Grey with pale pine legs. There is also a very clever TV mount available as an optional extra so it can be used as a sound bar! 

If you wish to you can also multi-room the R7 Mk3 by using the smaller Ruark R2 Mk3 radios enabling you to stream your music to other parts of the house, even vinyl! It helps that Spotify Connect is built in to the R7 Mk3 so if you have a Spotify Premium account you can select the R7 as your playback device and then control music using the R7's Roto Dial remote control.

The electronics inside the R7 have been specially designed to eke out the best possible sound for the size and the price. The two front firing speakers give a lush, clean and detailed sound which is all underpinned by the integrated subwoofer which adds scale and weight to the bass performance which makes all types of music more involving and realistic. Proper HiFi sound!

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There are plenty of spare inputs available to cover all future eventualities and perhaps most important of all in these days of vinyl resurgence there is a phono input too!

The Ruark R7 Mk3 comes with the long spindle legs or little puck feet for mounting on an existing sideboard or AV cabinet. 

Available for demonstration in the Cheltenham store.

Ruark Audio Hi-Fi products are available from the following branches of Audio T:
BrentwoodBrightonBristolCardiffCheltenhamEnfieldManchesterOnlineOxford
PortsmouthPrestonSouthamptonSwansea

Dynaudio Celebrates their 40th Anniversary in Style!

Dynaudio had their 40th anniversary last year and they didn’t just celebrate by sitting around eating fastelavnsboller! (A Danish dessert so I’m told!) They carried on their tradition of releasing anniversary speakers with the Dynaudio Special 40.

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Dynaudio have a history of making brilliant compact speakers but never a company to just look backwards, they have continued to innovate with their latest offering, bringing inspiration from their higher end Confidence and Evidence series drivers the new Special 40’s are some seriously impressive stand mounts.

A truly great set of speakers needs to both sound good and look good and the special 40s certainly grab your attention. The cabinet is a stunning high gloss birch in either grey or red and could easily fit into either a traditional or more modern styled room.

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As is often said it’s what inside that counts! And there’s some very clever technology that has gone into the special 40s. The crossover incorporates Dynaudio’s unique Phase alignment and Impedance alignment technologies and is extremely accurate in ensuring the correct frequencies are going to the correct drivers, which themselves have extended frequency range and overlap to really give you that cohesive performance that is so important.

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Dynaudio uses the same proprietary MSP (Magnesium Silicate Polymer) material that is in many other speakers they produce as they say that it has the best combination of rigidity, stability and damping resulting in what they say is the best driver they have made yet, which is quite the claim! They also claim that unlike other materials MSP never changes, so the driver will last an exceptionally long time without sounding tired. Like all other MSP cones it is a one piece design giving it a very strong connection to the voice-coil, and plenty of stability when you decide to turn it up a bit. Behind the driver there have been many changes to the voice coil, suspension and magnet to improve performance.

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The new Esotar forty 28mm tweeter which has been made from scratch by Dynaudio is an intriguingly named DSR (Dynaudio secret recipe) precision-coated soft-dome. A lot of very clever engineering has gone behind it such as the new precision conduit which is shaped to allow more and better dampening it also reduces back pressure and its shape also significantly improves airflow.

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In our demonstration room we found that the Special 40’s sounded best about a foot and a half from the wall and slightly angled in, this of course is very much room dependent but as the speakers are rear ported they do like space behind them to stop any bass boominess.

The speakers are pretty easy to drive at 6ohms and we found out even amps like the Rega Brio is capable of driving them although more power than that certainly doesn’t go amiss as we found when we went up to the over 100 watt per channel Rega Elicit-R. They also worked to stunning effect on the end of the Nytech CP202 and CPA402 pre and power amplifiers which we use for many of our speaker tests. We didn’t find the Special 40’s suited one genre over another in particular although some highlights from our listening included Audioslaves ’Like a Stone’ where the powerful voice of Chris Cornell (R.I.P) sounded huge and authoritative and Tom Morrelo’s guitar solo had an incredible 3D depth to it, sounding layered from the front to the back of the room. The John  Butler trio track ‘Ocean’ showed off the incredible subtlety of the speakers which managed to show off the intricate acoustic guitar work perfectly, managing to convey warmth and detail at the same time. All through our testing we were very impressed by the low end these relatively small speakers can put out, which is both impactful and musically pleasing, they image well with even orchestral pieces allowing you to easily pick out individual instruments whilst still retaining the sense of grandness and scale.

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Overall the Dynaudio Special 40’s impress in both build and sound quality and will have you glued to your seat for a long time to come. They are available for demonstration in store right now so please get in touch to have a listen to these magnificent speakers.

Dynaudio Products are available in the following branches: Brentwood, Brighton, Bristol, Cardiff, Cheltenham, Enfield, Manchester, Oxford, Portsmouth, Preston, Reading, Southampton, Swansea, Swindon.

Rotel 15 Series RA-1592 & RCD-1572 with Bowers and Wilkins 703 S2

Last year in December we reviewed the Rotel 14 series and we were impressed by the build and sound quality. Now a year later we are happy to report that we could get our hands on the Rotel RA-1592 integrated amplifier and RCD-1572 cd player. Both are part of Rotels 15 Series.

Let's have look at the RA-1592 integrated amplifier.

Rotel RA-1592

Rotel RA-1592

Rorel RA-1592

Rorel RA-1592

The RA-1592 is an integrated amplifier with a dual-monoblock design that offers an output of 200 watts per channel and we can hear that controlled sound.

It is packed with many features and we like that. A moving magnet phono stage for a turntable; a headphone output, Bluetooth, optical (for a TV or set-top box) and coaxial inputs, a USB-B input to connect a PC or a Innuos music server, analog inputs including balanced XLR inputs (for use with the Rotel RCD-1572 if you like).

There is a set of subwoofer outputs and a RCA pre-output if you want to use the RA-1592 as a pre-amplifier. Two sets of speaker binding posts allow to connect 2 pairs of loudspeakers (for one set of speakers in the main listening room and perhaps another pair in the kitchen?).

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The Rotel RCD-1572 is the flagship CD player in Rotel's 15 Series. It can connect to the RA-1592 via RCA (unbalanced), XLR (balanced) outputs and there is a digital output. The digital output allows you to connect to an external DAC (Digital to Analogue converter) if you have one.

Rotel RCD-1572

Rotel RCD-1572

Rotel RCD-1572

Rotel RCD-1572

B&W 703 S2

B&W 703 S2

We partnered the Rotel combination with a pair of Bowers & Wilkins 703 S2, from the new Bowers & Wilkins 700 Series.

Rotel RA-1592, RCD-1572, B&W 703 S2

Rotel RA-1592, RCD-1572, B&W 703 S2

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The new B&W 700 Series replaced the previous CM Series and it incorporates studio-grade technologies from the flagship 800 Diamond Series. The 703 S2 feature a new tweeter and a carbon dome tweeter. This new carbon dome tweeter delivers a cleaner and sweeter treble.

The dedicated midrange drive unit, the Continuum Cone, has been adopted from the 800 Diamond Series and is big step up from the Aramid Fibre drivers, used in the previous CM range. It is a de-coupled design that reduces cabinet colouration and improves midrange performance.

The two bass drivers are Aerofoil profil bass cones. They have a variable thickness and provide stiffness and rigidity for a deeper and more dynamic bass.

So much for the features, what does this system sound like?
We listened to Beck's Album Sea Change. It is a great sounding Album and the vocals and instruments are well presented in the room . It is stunning to hear this clarity and big sound stage. We then played James Taylor's Album "Before This World " and it is nice how much it draws us in. Just close your eyes,  sit back and enjoy.

The last Album we listened to was Yello's Album "Touch Yello". We put on "Till Tomorrow" or "Kiss in Blue " and we loved the controlled big bass we heard.

So what's not to like?
All in all we think this is a great sounding music system that makes us want to listen to more music. Please feel free to book a demonstration or just come in for a chat and a listen.

We are always happy to talk to you.

Thanks you very much for reading our blog and we hope to see you soon.

Stefan & Andy - Audio-T Swindon

Bowers & Wilkins Hi-Fi products are available from the following branches of Audio T:
BrentwoodBrightonBristolCardiffEnfieldManchesterOxfordPortsmouthPrestonReadingSouthamptonSwanseaSwindon

Rotel Hi-Fi products are available from these branches of Audio T:
BrightonBristolCardiffManchesterPrestonSwindon

The Joy Of Music! The Naim Uniti Atom Music Player Revisited

Now this blog is not so much a review but a revisit and a quick look at how we are doing so far with this brilliant little Uniti Atom from Naim.

Where do we start?

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Since taking delivery of our Naim Uniti Atom in late in July we have been nothing but totally blown away by what this little power house is capable of. 

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Built to the usual high standards of one of our favourite Hi-Fi manufacturers, Naim Audio, the Atom is just a beautifully made piece of Hi-Fi. Taking design cues from their flagship Statement amplifier, the Uniti range including the Uniti Star, Uniti Nova and Uniti Core all look absolutely gorgeous and the Atom looks even sweeter because of its diminutive size.

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Whats Up Doc?
40 watts per channel, “that's nothing” we hear you say, it's not enough, is it a valve amp!?
Calm down audiophiles, it's an integrated, and a good one at that. Atom out competes the competition with similar power, with drive, rhythm and timing. And to just emphasise that, we recently had a Naim event at Audio T Manchester and the Atom happily played
great music through a pair of £8000 Dynaudio Contour 60's. 

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The Naim Uniti Atom uses the Naim App to help you control your music. With options for streaming from Tidal, Spotify and even Google Chromecast. The ability to play almost all Hi-Res files stored on your own music server is the icing on the cake.

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Beam me up Scot.......ahem. Sorry to interrupt Chromey but that's from Star Trek. If it's the tractor beam you're after that'll be on the death star. Merry Christmas.

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As demonstrated by Chromey below, you can play direct from a USB too.

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Naim also use what we like to call "silent running" technology. Because all streamers use a mini or micro computer to control the app and Uniti, this naturally generates heat. And as we know things that get too hot don't quite run as smoothly as when kept cool or within operating temperature. Naim don't use fans in the Atom to dissipate the heat but heat sinks, and the heat sinks on the case work  just add to the overall look and style the unit. 

Brutalist architecture Chromey!!! No no... it's just the lovely naim case work..  

Brutalist architecture Chromey!!! No no... it's just the lovely naim case work..  

Come and hear this fantastic amplifier, streamer, music system sing. It really is musical, fun and a joy to listen to.

Naim Hi-Fi products are available from all branches of Audio T.

Naim Uniti Star Streaming System Offers Flexibility and Outstanding Performance

Just add a suitable pair of loudspeakers to the Naim Uniti Star for a comprehensive and rather beautiful modern music system, incorporating all the features below!

With control by the Naim iOS or Android app. your music will be at your fingertips.

With control by the Naim iOS or Android app. your music will be at your fingertips.

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Under the Skin of Uniti Star
This all-in-one player packs a heavy punch.  Uniti Star includes a CD player alongside streaming and amplification technology. The custom integrated CD drive also doubles as a ripper, making Uniti Star the most versatile all-in-one in the range. State of the Art digital technology comes together with the legendary Naim sound quality!

Suitable for use with a wide range of loudspeakers, but the Neat Iota Alpha is proving to be a popular choice with the Naim Uniti range.

As you would expect within the Uniti range there are clear performance differences between the models, and it really makes good sense to come along and hear for yourself what they are capable of. 

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Julian, Paul & John look forward to seeing you in store, for a listen to some of the amazing equipment we keep on demonstration.

Naim Uniti products are stocked at all branches of Audio T.

Turn Heads and Enjoy the Music With the New Bowers and Wilkins PX Wireless Headphones

Introducing the Bowers and Wilkins PX wireless headphones, the feature rich wireless headphone offering a taste of the award winning sound that Bowers & Wilkins have delivered for 50 years.

Look, no wires! 

Look, no wires! 

On first seeing and holding the PX's you can instantly tell this is a premium headphone. This feeling continues when you put them on your head as they are very comfortable. We think you could wear them continuously for the 22 hours the battery will last.

So how about this for minimum effort, you don't have to touch your phone/device or a button in order to stop them playing. Pull them away from your ear and they instantly stop playing, placing the headphones down will kick start a sleep mode to save your battery life, to continue with listening simply pick the headphones back up and put them on. These wireless headphones can also be used conventionally with the supplied cable although they will have to have charge to be able to use them like this.

Light comfortable and stylish

Light comfortable and stylish

They have a clever three mode noise cancelling operation. The three modes are flight, city and office. This changes the way the noise cancelling works to suit the environment you are in.

The PX's support HD 24bit/48khz with the latest Bluetooth aptX HD supported devices such as various smartphones and digital audio players for example: Sony, LG & Astell & Kern.

The B&W PX's captivate with their control over the music. They give each instrument great separation and the bass is never overblown which lets the music shine.

Incorporating driver technology from the Bowers & Wilkins P9's, these lightweight well built headphones will also fold flat and they come with a handy travel case to protect them. The B&W PX also come with a traditional headphone cable as well as a micro usb and the volume can be adjusted easily using the controls on the side of the right ear phone. The middle button will allow you to pause, play, skip and go back.

Overall the Bowers & Wilkins PX wireless headphones have certainly ticked a lot of boxes for us: user functionality, build quality and audio quality, so come along and have a listen for yourself.

Bowers & Wilkins headphones and loudspeakers are available from the following branches of Audio T:  
Brentwood, Brighton, Bristol, Cardiff, Enfield, Manchester, Oxford, Portsmouth, Preston, Reading, Southampton, Swansea and Swindon. Bowers & Wilkins 800D3 series are only available from Audio T Cardiff.

The Stunning New Bowers and Wilkins 700 Series Loudspeakers

Any new speaker from B&W causes excitement and the new 700 series doesn't disappoint!

Shown here are the 702, 704, and 707

Shown here are the 702, 704, and 707

Although this range bears some visual similarity to the outgoing CM range they are in fact completely different speakers in almost every way. All the drive units are radically different to those in the CM range and utilise trickle down technology from the famous Diamond 800 range and also some tech unique to this range.

B&W 707 Standmount Speaker

B&W 707 Standmount Speaker

Taking the wonderful little 707 as an example the first thing you'll notice is the old yellow Aramid Fibre cones, so long a trademark of B&W speakers, has been replaced by a shiny new silvery cone made from their new proprietary material Continuum™. Not only is this a sonically superior material it also looks really smart in the new 700 cabinet work.

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Although you can't see it through the snazzy (and very protective) cover on this 702, the tweeter is also a completely new design using a carbon dome, which offers less break up in the higher frequencies than the previous aluminium tweeter. There have been other changes to the driver chassis and the new Aerofoil™ configuration of the bass cones.

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All of this results in a very handsome range of speakers.

But enough techy stuff, these speakers really do sing! A newly established favourite combination with some of the shops is to partner the little 707 with the wonderful new Naim Uniti Atom

Our dem room favourite at the moment is the B&W 702 with the Quad Artera Play and Artera power amplifier. This system produces huge dynamic range and frequency response, we've been throwing all sorts of music at it from Outrospective by Faithless to Bjork's Utopia with a little country blues from Chris Jones Roadhouses and Automobiles and the speakers have just sailed through with grace and occasionally scary levels of dynamics.

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So all in all a great success, A beautiful range of speakers with an exciting sound and a model to work in any room. There are six stereo pairs, two centre speakers and a sub. Come in, have a listen and sit back, relax and enjoy the music!

Boswell chilling to music on the 700 series

Boswell chilling to music on the 700 series

We also want to wish all of our customers and friends a very happy festive season.

Paul, Francis, Jason, and of course Boswell at Audio T Brentwood.

Bowers & Wilkins loudspeakers are also available from the following branches of Audio T:
Brentwood, Brighton, Bristol, Cardiff, Enfield, Manchester, Oxford, Portsmouth, Preston, Reading, Southampton, Swansea and Swindon. Bowers & Wilkins 800D3 series are only available from Audio T Cardiff.

We Get up Close and Personal With Bowers & Wilkins 805 D3, Stand Mount Loudspeaker

The Bowers and Wilkins 800 series has always been a leading light in high end speaker manufacture. In this month’s blog we thought we would whet your appetite for a high quality stand mount loudspeaker and take a closer look at entry point of their flagship 800 series, the B&W 805D3.

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Let’s get stuck into the nitty gritty of what makes these small but impressive stand mount speakers sing! As the world’s only diamond equipped stand mount loudspeaker the 805D3 is packed with cutting-edge technology. The 2 way vented box design delivers phenomenal performance. The diamond dome tweeter is encased in a solid aluminium body and just like the predecessors to the 805D3 it has that unmistakable look with the tweeter separated and situated on top of the cabinet. This separates it from the main cabinet allowing for a spacious and lifelike reproduction of the music.

Diamond dome tweeter

Diamond dome tweeter

The B&W 805D3 diamond dome tweeter is now complimented by the new Continuum cone bass midrange driver. Eight years down the line of research and we have a progression, or a “continuation” of the well known yellow woven Aramid Fibre drive unit found in the older 800 diamond series. The new Continuum cone delivers a pristine midrange and bass performance and the new technology has been designed to eliminate the break up behaviour that can really affect the response in this part of the frequency spectrum. We would like to elaborate more on the continuum technology but B&W are keeping their cards close to their chest on this one.

contimuum bass/midrange driver

contimuum bass/midrange driver

The revised cabinet for these small but impressive loudspeakers are described as a metal-reinforced Matrix. This structure provides incredible internal bracing ensuring that the sound we hear is produced by the drivers and not influenced by the cabinet. The cabinet construction consists of layers of wood ply with metal reinforcement. This construction teamed with the curve of the cabinet makes for an incredibly rigid platform for the bass mid-range driver to operate. The 805D3 cabinets are available in three finishes, gloss black, satin white and rosenut, which are featured in these pictures.

Rosenut cabinet

Rosenut cabinet

What do they sound like I hear you cry! Well, we have been getting to grips with the 805D3 since they arrived at Audio T Cardiff this summer. They definitely need a good amplifier to keep control of them. The combinations we most like is on the end of a Naim NAP300DR which offers plenty of grunt and a smooth but upfront presentation. However, the NAP250DR and NAP200DR have what it takes to keep them under control.  The midrange frequency performance is stunning and you can kick back and listen to these loudspeakers all day long.  At this level of speaker things can sometimes sound too clinical and the detailed presentation can lack musicality. The 805D3 does not have this problem. The mid range and treble performance is spatial, transparent and full of the accurate details we have come to expect from Bowers and Wilkins 800 diamond series.

bass reflex port

bass reflex port

Team the B&W 805D3 up with the FS-805 stand and you have the basis for a world leading stand mount loudspeaker. You have probably seen the recent release of the new Naim UNITI range, such as the ATOM, STAR and NOVA. Well, a demonstration of any of these streaming amplifiers is a must with the 805D3 before making your final decision on what to partner them with.

naim uniti star

naim uniti star

In their own words, "B&W have been dedicated to helping listeners get closer to the music they love for 51 years." All of the 800D3 series are designed and hand built in the Bowers & Wilkins factory in Worthing in the UK. Bowers & Wilkins have kindly invited us to their factory in January 2018 so we can bring you first hand information on the design and manufacture of the 800D3 series.

We will be showcasing the 800D3 range at an event in Cardiff in early 2018, so keep your ear to our blog for details of the date and location for this event.

Bowers & Wilkins loudspeakers are available at the following branches of Audio T: 
Brentwood, Brighton, Bristol, Cardiff, Enfield, Manchester, Oxford, Portsmouth, Preston, Reading, Southampton, Swansea and Swindon. Bowers & Wilkins 800D3 series are only available from Audio T Cardiff.