Two Cracking New Hi-Fi Products From Pro-Ject! The T1 Turntable And Stream Box S2

No one can accuse Pro-Ject of resting on their laurels when it comes to bringing out new products. We have just had two of the latest arrive with us in store: the Stream Box S2 miniature Hi-Res streamer and the T1 Phono SB turntable and they are both great performers and offer great value for money.

The little Stream Box S2 is an incredibly affordable and flexible way to dip your toe into music streaming.

This tiny box really is a marvel. it will handle 24/192 streams, has its own dedicated Android and IOS app and full Tidal integration.

Round the back of the Stream Box S2 you’ll find fixed and variable analogue outputs, an optical output, line in, plus Ethernet and WiFi network connection.

It really does sound incredibly good for the money seemingly equally at home with the funk of Janelle Monae and classic rock from Pink Floyd. The dedicated app works a treat and is intuitive to use.

There is the ability to use in a multi-room configuration or even to stereo pair two together with active speakers. All in all the Stream Box S2 is a fantastic product.

Next up we have the first in the T-Line series of Pro-Ject turntables: the T1

This extremely handsome turntable is available in three variants, standard, Bluetooth with phono stage built in, and built in phono stage with a speed switch.

The one pictured here is the T1 Phono SB (speed box) and this is the walnut finish. Other finishes for the T1 are white and black.

The T1 has a beautiful frosted glass platter.

The well built tonearm is fitted with an old favourite, the Ortofon OM5e cartridge.

Add to that the options of speed control or Bluetooth capability and it’s a range which will suit most people….oh and it sounds great too! Very clean and controlled with good resolution on all types of music.

It also looks great on our Hi-Fi Racks wall bracket in walnut.

We think Pro-Ject have come with a couple of winners here, why not come in and have a listen yourself.

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

Take Note! Gold Note PH-10 Phono Stage

Introducing the Gold Note PH-10, a phono stage that we love and we are sure you will too. The PH-10 phono stage makes good first impressions with its slick Italian design and attractive front display. Not only does it look great, more importantly it sounds great. We listened to a “Herbie Hancock” track which had a trumpet piece and it had never sounded so in the room. Gold Note have out done themselves - the Ferrari of phono stages!

It boasts a range of unique features such as the EQ curvature adjustment, as well as load and gain adjustments, allowing you to pair it up with your own cartridge (Moving magnet or moving coil) which in turn will ensure you are getting the best out of your turntable. Did we also mention that it’s the first phono stage with two inputs and 6 EQ curves in one box?

The Gold Note PH-10 doesn't stop there, it’s also upgradeable by adding on its own unique power supply called the Gold Note PSU-10, this allows the phono stage to breathe, adding noticeably more depth, a higher degree of musical realism and much more established dynamics. As it is not essential to run the PH-10 its a nice upgrade to consider for the future. Gold Note proudly, and rightly so, boast that they design, craft and assemble every single part of the unit, which clearly reflects in the final product, sonically and visually.

To conclude, the Gold Note PH-10 and power supply are a fantastic pair of units that can enhance the performance of a wide range of turntables. We can’t stop listening to them currently with our Linn LP12 Akurate

But don’t take our word for it, why not pop in store and we’d be delighted to show you!

Gold Note Hi-Fi products are available from the following branches of Audio T: Bristol, Cardiff.

What's DAC All About? Chord Electronics Qutest DAC

With the rise of digital devices as source components, the DAC or (Digital to Analogue Converter) has moved from being a rather niche audiophile item to being an important component of a good sounding Hi-Fi system.

The original outboard converters such as the Arcam Black Box and Musical Fidelity Digilog were not particularly versatile devices, but then they didn't really need to be. Back then (in the late Eighties), the input to such devices was mainly provided by CD transports (or CD players) with the occasional requirement to decode the output from a DAT (Digital Audio Tape) recorder so the sampling rates that they could handle were limited to 44.1/48 kHz, and if you were lucky you got a phase invert switch – and that was pretty much it.

As digital technology moved onward and upward, some manufacturers started putting digital conversion circuitry in their amplifiers (thus providing digital inputs alongside the analogue ones) but this approach is generally not optimal as it means it is not usually possible to upgrade your DAC electronics separately from the main amplifier – some amps have DAC boards that can be swapped out but the practice of putting digital circuitry alongside relatively high powered analogue components can be problematic. For the best and most consistent results, moving the digital circuits out to a separate unit is a good thing - even though it does mean that an additional interconnect is required (and digital interconnects can make an audible difference).

Chord Electronics Qutest

So now in 2019 we have a plethora of DAC units available at various prices from a few pounds to a few tens of thousands of pounds and one of the companies which have forged a fantastic reputation in this area is Chord Electronics. This British company (based in Kent) has been gradually getting more and more recognition for its innovative devices, and one of the most lauded products in their fine catalogue is the Hugo 2 portable headphone amplifier which has quickly become a standard recommendation for headphone addicts. It also sounds superb in a static implementation, but as the feature set is largely focussed on portable use, it isn't the perfect unit for use at home. Enter the Chord Qutest.

Qutest - Rear View showing inputs and outputs

I will refrain from regurgitating the raw specs here; suffice to say that the digital conversion goodness of the Hugo 2 is fully recreated here but some of the features more applicable to portable use such as battery power and adjustable cross-feed processing are removed. This means that the unit has all the essential features and nothing unnecessary.

Qutest - Top View

Physically the Qutest is an unassuming black box (in a rather nice machined aluminium) with a couple of gaily coloured plastic balls inset (the colours change with function but you'll soon get to learn the sequence). Power is provided by a 5v USB power supply and the main feature of note is a switchable filter which you can use to adjust the sound and is entirely dependent upon your own personal taste – there's no right or wrong. One other very useful facility is the ability to set the line output level to 1, 2 or 3 Volts which is a major boon for system matching. Multiple switchable inputs are provided (on optical, BNC or USB connections) and finally the Qutest is compatible with the Chord Electronics M Scaler which can utilise the dual BNC connection to allow sampling rates of up to 768 kHz at 32 bit depth if upsampling is your thing.

Qutest in Full Colour

So that's the boring stuff – how does it sound? If I were to sum up the sound of this little box in one word, that word would be 'precision'. It is masterful at placing musical events in context with everything else which makes it superb rhythmically – if you love music which relies heavily on subtle interplays of timing and rubato then this box will delight you. It's no slouch tonally either – the beauty and emotion of Miles' playing on 'My Funny Valentine' is there in full effect – and the tightness and rhythmic acuity of the DAC means you can fully appreciate the mind-boggling brilliance of Ron Carter and Tony Williams in the rhythm section too. The acoustic of Philharmonic Hall is very nicely rendered making for a really engaging experience.

Qutest - connected to power

In short, whether you need an upgrade for an ageing transport unit, or a state of the art switching device for multiple digital sources which will play all your Hi Res files (including DSD), consider the Chord Electronics Qutest. It can even be set up as a Roon Labs endpoint – but that's a subject for a future blog.

Come along and have a listen and we’ll take you step by step how to set it up and integrate it within your own Hi-Fi system,

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

Crimpin Ain't Easy! Say Hello To Crimp Chromey To Crimp Yo' Chord Co Cable With ChordOhmic Speaker Plugs

Yep that’s right, crimping truly isn’t easy, in fact it takes 15 Kilonewtons of pressure. That’s nigh on impossible with a hand tool. So we are proud to introduce the new electronic ChordOhmic Hex Gun tool.

Ohhhhhhh Yessss.

Oh wait, Chromey!! where are you going??

And i'm gonna tell you something, this crimpin' that I got in my blood, it came from a family tree. My granddaddy was a crimp. My great-great-great-granddaddy was a crimp. I'm talking 'bout crimpin' since been crimpin' since been crimpin'!

The ChordOhmic plugs.

Here at Audio T Manchester we are now able to offer the new ChordOhmic Hex Gun method of terminating your cables. Using the recently introduced Ohmic speaker plugs we can now terminate the plugs using the high pressure crimp tool. Chord Co have worked on a 10 year project which now optimises the ChordOhmic plugs and silver plated copper to give a far superior long term connection over previous soldered connectors.

As a Chord Company dealer we have always offered factory spec terminations on our Chord cable ranges. Using a very expensive soldering iron and high quality solder, it's a service we have been proud to offer our customers for years. But now, having suffered inferior crimping methods in the past, the new machine from Chord is an absolute god send, (no more dislocated shoulders trying to use a hand powered tool).

Nice drain pipes Chromey.

Another great plus of offering crimp termination in store, it now lets us bypass the production line at Chord and terminate the cables in store to factory-quality terminations. Using the very smart trousers (seen modelled by Chromey above) to neatly finish the cable up to the ChordOmic plug or spade.

Chord have visited the store to train us how to use the Hex gun ( yes!! a HEX gun). And we are now fully trained in the ways of crimping.

Worryingly!! it's actually quite satisfying crunching down on a plug with 15 Kilonewtons of pressure!!

One of the advantages of the Hex Gun is the ability to take it out on custom installs such as home cinema or multi-room and terminate the cable to factory standards after the cable has been plastered away into a wall or ceiling. Very convenient indeed.

OK, so if you want your cables crimping up and upgrading to the new ChordOhmic plugs with a fresh pair of trousers, come along to the store and ask Munir, Dave, Mike, Haden and James about the Hex Gun!!.

Chord Company speaker cables and interconnects are available from the following branches of Audio T: Brentwood, Brighton, Bristol, Cardiff, Cheltenham, Enfield, Manchester, Online, Oxford, Portsmouth, Preston, Reading, Southampton, Swansea, Swindon

Diamond News! B&W 800 Series Arrives At Audio T Southampton!

We are thrilled to announce that we have been appointed stockists of B&W’s legendary 800 series speakers! It is a great honour to be one of the elite retailers entrusted with this flagship range, which are quite rightly lauded as amongst the finest speakers in the world.

800 D3 is the latest incarnation of these no compromise speakers, taking everything B&W learned from previous generations, and further refining to achieve even higher levels of transparency and musical performance. Nothing is left to chance. B&W’s fifty years of design development and engineering has resulted in a truly outstanding range of speakers, each capable of bringing music to life like no other.

In store, we already have the Prestige version of 805 D3, finished in simply stunning Santos Rosewood.

We also have the magnificent 804 D3 available for demo immediately.

They will soon be joined by 803 D3 and 802 D3. We can’t wait, having been bowled over by the remarkable effortless musicality of their smaller siblings in our dem room!

Watch this space for further updates. In the meantime, do call us to book a demo. You won’t be disappointed!

Alan, John and Wayne

Bowers & Wilkins 800 Series loudspeakers are available from the following branches of Audio T: Bristol, Southampton

Bowers & Wilkins other speaker ranges are available from the following branches: Brentwood, Brighton, Bristol, Cardiff, Cheltenham, Enfield, Manchester, Oxford, Portsmouth, Preston, Southampton, Swansea, Swindon

The Primare I35 Prisma Streaming Amplifier - Not Too little, Not Too Much.

Primare being a Scandinavian company, have certainly incorporated the phrase “Logam” when designing the I35 Prisma. Logam means everything in perfect balance; not too little, not too much. This slick but powerful network integrated amplifier is a unit has been designed to deliver quality audio for everyone in the home.

Boasting a power of 150W into 8ohms, with the addition of a range of unbalanced and balanced inputs and outputs, the Primare I35 Prisma will provide clean cut instant amplification across the whole audio bandwidth. Contained inside the unit is a DM35 Digital to Analogue converter (DAC) that will enable 768khz/32 bit & DSD 256 conversion, so it can play the highest resolution music files you have.

What does Prisma mean you ask? Prisma is the high connectivity solution that will allow you to stream/play your music from any number of devices within the home. It will provide you with full multi-room compatability whether you wanted to choose stored music or a number of high quality streaming services such as Spotify, Tidal & Qobuz etc. The Prisma I35 features Chromecast connectivity, which means that different people can find their favourite track at a party, and play easily and reliably.

Primare Prisma I35 Streaming Amplifier Rear Inputs and Outputs

Primare have thought about a wide range of users when designing this modular range of amplifiers/network streamers. You can choose to have either an all analogue standard integrated I35 amplifier with no streaming. Or if you’d like music streaming, then simply go for the I35 with Prisma built in. Alternatively, you can go for the I35 DAC, that will give you DM35 DAC on board. The DM35 digital to analogue conversion and Prisma modules can be added at a later date and give you options to upgrade and further enhance the sound quality.

Prisma I35 front fascia.

The Primare Prisma I35 Integrate Streaming amplifier offers a musical performance with depth, dynamics and a sound stage filled with life as well offering Scandinavian design chic, warmth and sophistication. We’d highly recommend an audition and we think this should be on the short list of anyone considering a one box hi-fi system. Call in or give us a call at Audio T Bristol, to arrange your personal demonstration.

Primare Hi-Fi products are available from the following branches of Audio T: Brentwood, Bristol, Cheltenham, Manchester

New Naim Supernait 3 & Nait XS3 Arriving Soon.

We are very much looking forward to receiving our demonstration models of the new Naim Supernait 3 and Nait XS3 integrated amplifiers that are due at the end of July.

The illustrious heritage behind the Nait integrated amplifier range can pretty much guarantee the best possible sound and class leading performance, and is likely to be a worthwhile upgrade on the previous ‘2’ series amps, which themselves were exceptional within their sector!

A high quality phono stage is now included to connect a turntable, allowing the use of both Moving Magnet and high output Moving Coil cartridges.

Significant development of the power amplifier sections result in a more muscular sound.

Indeed, each component within the amplifiers has been scientifically examined as Naim’s R&D team look to capitalise on the opportunity to further enhance the Naim signature sound.

The Supernait 3 & Nait XS3 can be upgraded with external power supplies, power amplifiers and even cabling upgrades to get the best from all sources, if you so wish, and who wouldn’t?

Match these new amplifiers with suitable source components and speakers for what we expect to be a truly satisfying result.

Visit us at Audio T Brighton or ring 01273 609431 or email brighton@audio-t.co.uk to explore Naim equipment.

Naim Hi-Fi is available at the following branches of Audio T: Brentwood, Brighton, Bristol, Cardiff, Cheltenham, Enfield, Manchester, Oxford, Portsmouth, Preston, Reading, Southampton, Swansea, Swindon

Style and Substance. The Ruark R5 Music System

The Ruark R5 System is absolutely gorgeous! There you go, we’ve said it and we mean gorgeous in its styling, its versatility, and its sound.

Wrapped in rich real walnut or in soft contemporary grey with contrasting grilles this system looks amazing.

But the beauty of the R5 is not just skin deep. This is one seriously well equipped system. The R5 has:

Bluetooth with aptX HD

Internet streaming services including internet radio, access to the most popular music services, and Spotify Connect

A DAB, DAB+ and FM radio section

CD

A phono stage built in for moving magnet cartridges

Optical digital in

Analogue in

Analogue out (subwoofers anyone?)

USB in with charge

and a Headphone output too

There’s the now familiar circular control on the R5 which makes navigating the menus and functions very easy and intuitive. This is also mirrored in the remote control which has identical form and function.

The really surprising thing about the R5 however is its sound. It sounds like serious Hi-Fi. OK it’s not going to beat a big pair of floorstanders on the end of an expensive separates system, but what it does do is play music and communicate on a far bigger scale than it should.

You can certainly tell the difference between Billy Eilish and Lorde, or Ariana and Mariah. The R5 handles midrange subtleties wonderfully. Put on some bigger scale rock or orchestral and you get the impact immediately.

There’s even a proprietary app from Ruark to control it and to integrate it with other Ruark products into a complete home multi-room system.

We simply can’t think of any other one box solution that sounds anywhere near as good as the Ruark R5.

Pop into Audio T Brentwood and we’ll be more than happy to show you why we think it is so good!

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

More New Loudspeakers from Cirencester's Finest! Acoustic Energy AE509

This blog is really a follow on and update from the last we posted from in the Cheltenham branch. That last blog was based upon the new Acoustic Energy AE 500 stand mount loudspeakers and now we have the even newer AE509 floorstanding speakers.

Again using the new carbon fibre drive units designed to improve upon transient speed and clarity and to reduce distortion. They also have the same type of cabinet construction using Acoustic Energy’s new 18mm Resonance Suppression Composite (RSC) which is evolved from the famous Reference Series and is designed to reduce cabinet acoustic radiation which otherwise can cause cabinet colourations. Essentially it is a very clever method of building one cabinet around another one with a layer of damping in between. This makes the cabinet more inert so when you are listening to them the cabinets just disappear and you are left with the stereo image of the performance just hanging in the air in front of you.

Of course the main area of improvement over the already rather nifty sound produced by the little AE500 is in the bottom end. The bass on the AE500 goes down to a pretty decent (for the size of the box) 45hz whereas the AE509 digs out a much more respectable 32hz. After trying out a wide variety of music types I thought I would really put them through their paces by playing the fairly new album by a band called Lump. Lump is a wonderful collaboration between Laura Marling (vocals, flute and words) and mike Lindsay (Guitars, bass, rhythms, juno, pocket piano, lamba, drones, and textures) from a band called Tunng.

This album has truly seismic levels of bass at times and playing the track Late To The Flight produced beautifully articulated deep bass that was also clean and tight. The word that crossed my mind was “grunt”! Something that not many speakers at this price are remotely capable of. The really clever thing is that this bass does not colour or confuse the mid-range at all which remains clean and open at all times with some great stereo imaging to boot.

Next on my playlist was The Total Experience Live In Liverpool by Steve Hackett from which I played the track The Musical Box. This is an old Genesis song that gets somewhat of a re-working. Another piece of music that at times has spectacular levels of bass that the AE509’s just sail through.

Another thing I really like about these speakers is the gorgeous metal bases with proper chunky spikes. Most speakers these days treat the spikes as just a cheap add on and they don’t give you a great method of making sure your speaker does not wobble around whereas the Acoustic Energy base and spikes looks amazing, really works, and makes set up easy as well.

If you are interested in getting a listen to these amazing new speakers give us a call in the Cheltenham store and speak to Jon, Farid or Andy. Tea and/or coffee will be laid on …. there may even be some biscuits left!

Acoustic Energy Hi-Fi products are available at the following branches of Audio T: Brentwood. Bristol. Cheltenham. Online. Portsmouth. Preston. Reading. Swindon.

Linn Selekt DSM. The Ultimate One Box Hi-Fi Solution?

More than 20 years ago, Linn produced, what was probably, the first high end all in one system’. The Linn Classik Music. Priced just short of £1000, it was a tremendous sales success.

Over the following years, Arcam and then Naim took over this mantel, however, Linn are now back, with a product aimed at the very edge of what is capable from a one box system. The Linn Selekt DSM.

Priced from £4000 for a source only version, increasing to £6750 for the top specification Katalyst DAC enabled, stereo integrated model, it represents a serious investment. The sound and build quality, however, more than justify the price.

Gorgeous in appearance and solid in build, the Linn Selekt DSM possesses a cut glass multi-functional dial (that glows when approached). It can also be App or remote controlled, whatever your preference may be.

A look to the rear and you will notice the modular input/output construction. This is a product that is designed to be future proof and easily upgradable (both DAC upgrades and multi-channel surround amplifier units are available at present). This is a very well thought out design.

As well as being a top end streamer, it is supplied with a plethora of inputs (including very high quality MM and MC phono stages). Spotify, Tidal and Qobuz are embedded and it is also Roon enabled.

Linn offer a very effective room correction facility called ‘Space Optimisation’. Unlike other systems, which use a microphone to measure the room, with Linn, you enter the room dimensions and construction. The end results are that, with the loudspeakers in their optimal positions, they will sound their absolute best. Alternatively, the loudspeakers can be moved to a sub optimal position and still sound amazing!

Partnering up the Linn Selekt DSM with a good pair of loudspeakers (we tried the new Dynaudio Evoke 30 speakers). The sound quality is amazing, tremendously detailed, clear and punchy. If you are a lover of classical or jazz music in particular, then this machine will absolutely excel!

If you would like a demonstration, please don’t hesitate to get in touch at Audio T Oxford.

Linn Hi-Fi products are available from the following branches of Audio T: Brighton, Bristol, Manchester, Oxford, Preston, Swindon

We're The Terminators! Chord Company Cables And Ohmic Speaker Plugs

We’ve bought a fancy new crushing machine from the Chord Company so we can terminate Chord cables with the new Ohmic plugs in exactly the same way as they do it at the Chord factory.

In the past Chord banana plugs were always soldered on with silver solder, but they recently brought out the Ohmic plugs that need to be crimped onto the cable, so I thought I’d do a blog going through the process of putting the plugs on.

First we assemble the tools.

Chord Cable Termination Gear

The first stage is to strip back a section of the outer cable including the all important screen to reveal the the inner cables. It’s possible to use a knife and some fine wire cutters but our special tool is does a neater job and is much quicker. You just clamp it on and spin it around a few times.

Cable stripping tool number 1

Inner cables revealed.

Next slide on the special Trousers!

Shiny cable trousers!

After the trousers have been fitted, the dielectric needs to stripped back to reveal the bare cable. Again we use a cable stripping tool, being very careful not to take off any strands of cable otherwise the plug can fall off.

Now comes the fun part, crimping the plug on with our fancy machine.

Pop the cover on the plug, and bingo!

Chord cables with Ohmic plugs

All Chord Co loudspeaker cables up to Epic XL can now be terminated in the shop costing £92 a pair, plus the cable of your choice sold by the meter. We will happily change the plugs on your existing Chord cables as well, so don’t sell yourself short(s) with pants connections, take advantage of the great strides in cable technology! Groans….(Ed).

Chord Co cables and interconnects are available from all branches of Audio T.

Honey, I've Shrunk The Radiogram - Ruark R5 Music Streaming System

Ruark have scaled down their flagship model the R7 to create a tabletop version. They have listened to customer feedback and have learnt that many love the design and features of the Ruark R7 and have scaled down their flagship model in all but sound to create the R5.

The Ruark R5 is multi-room ready and if desired can be wirelessly linked with the Ruark MRx, R2 Mk3 and R7 Mk3 to provide beautiful sound all around your home. Perfect on its own or with a TV as a complete home entertainment solution, The R5 embodies their rich heritage with awareness of changing technology in a system that is timeless and built to last.

The wonderful walnut wood and lovely lush sound of the Ruark R5 is something to be experienced. The canvas front and minimalistic look give it a fantastic modern look that catches the eye and is backed up with a very solid sound.

Whether you want to wirelessly stream or want to connect a turntable or TV, the R5 has it covered. For direct streaming, R5’s aptX HD Bluetooth receiver provides above CD quality from compatible devices and with a broadband connection you’ll have access to Internet radio stations worldwide and an infinite library of music through services such as Spotify, Amazon Music, Deezer and Tidal. Moreover, with both analogue and digital inputs it’s also easy to connect and enjoy other devices. In particular the Ruark R5 makes a great sound system to boost the sound quality of your TV.

The Ruark R5 features an underside subwoofer which gives it a larger than life sound and a surprisingly wide soundstage to the point we have mistaken its sound for the massive floorstanders we have beside it!

The R5 also incorporates a high quality moving magnet (MM) phono stage so connecting a turntable now is an easy option. No more fiddling about with add on phono stages or inferior turntables, just plug one in and you will be listening to your favourite vinyl in minutes.

The remote control puck mirrors the top controls and provides unique and convenient control. Ruark also provides an alternative control method through the ‘Ruark Link’ phone app meaning you’ll never be far from your music.

Come on in and have a listen and you could be bringing high quality music to any room in your house.

The Ruark R5 is available at the following branches of Audio T: Brentwood, Brighton, Bristol, Cardiff, Cheltenham, Enfield, Manchester, Online, Oxford, Portsmouth, Preston, Southampton, Swansea

Private Home Cinema Anyone? Audio T Swansea Installs A New Home Cinema System

We recently completed the installation of a home cinema system in a modest-looking house in the centre of Swansea. A period property whose interior has been lovingly modernised, whilst keeping the original outer character intact. In petrol-head terms it's something of a sleeper. In media terms it's something of a Tardis.

Our brief was for a compact first floor cinema, near-invisible speakers and projection system, but retaining high impact sound and picture quality. Local carpenter Steve of Full Focus Building & Interior made an impressive start hiding the old fireplace and sound insulating the party wall. Hidden illumination and a trick starlight ceiling complete the effect!.

A dedicated mains power supply using screened cable was installed under our instruction, running from the consumer unit to the bespoke equipment cabinet (Thank you Steve!), complete with a ventilation system integrated into the doors. Screened power cable runs up to the projector too.

Our customer is a serious Sci-Fi fan and so we recommended Panasonic's range topping UB9000 Blu-Ray player for his movies, extensive(!) collection of box sets and 4K Netflix content, to be stored here. The projector is housed in the ventilated top-centre console. Visible are the spaces for the rear surround speakers built into decorative columns. Similar structures are present for the surround channels.

The heart of the system is Arcam's AVR550 Dolby Atmos home cinema amplifier. One of our favourites, the AVR550 is graced with the exceptional Dirac Live room correction system. We recommended Bowers & Wilkins in-wall and in-ceiling speakers and our client happily accepted our advice.

CWM Cinema 7 front left, centre and right, Four CWM663s reproducing surround and surround back channels, plus a pair of CCM664SRs in-ceiling speakers for Atmos effects.

Interestingly, the Arcam has 7 channels of amplification and so we required the use of a Project AmpBox S micro power amplifier to run the in-ceiling speakers. It performs admirably and required no special attention.

We used a REL T7i subwoofer to enable us to run the centre channel full-range via it's high-level input and a REL T9i to provide LFE and augment the front L&R speakers, so they can be run full-range too.

We've gone to The Pictures, so what about the picture? An Optoma UHD65 4K HDR DLP video projector squirts its image onto a 92" Grandview Cyber acoustically transparent (AT) fixed screen. It has an extruded aluminium frame and tensioned cloth fabric to keep it's images clean and sharp. Using an AT screen allows us to place the front speakers right on top of the action for supreme accuracy of dialogue and effects. By happy coincidence it also yields a crisp-looking room.

Providing a convenient and easy to operate home for the client's music collection is an Innuos Zen Mini 2TB server. Plug an ethernet cable into its bottom, power it up and feed it CDs

The wiring loom is almost worthy of it's own blog. High quality Audioquest HDMI, USB, ethernet and power cables plus two Niagara mains conditioners hold the electronics together. Our client also runs a SkyQ unit and an Xbox One console. (I've never seen an Audioquest Carbon HDMI used on a games console before!)

We deliberately specified shielded Chord Company loudspeaker cables (Clearway on the surrounds and Shawline X on the fronts) to ensure the cleanest possible audio.

I am reliably informed that a discrete refrigerator and a popcorn maker are being installed this weekend. It's pure coincidence that I'm due to complete calibration next week, when the system has had time to run in.

If you’re interested in learning more about a home cinema system for your home, then please call in for a chat and a no obligation quotation. You could bringing films to a whole new level for you and your family.

Arcam Hi-Fi is available at the following branches of Audio T: Brentwood, Cardiff, Cheltenham, Enfield, Oxford, Preston, Southampton, Swansea, Swindon

Innuos servers and rippers are available from the following branches of Audio T: Brentwood, Bristol, Cardiff, Cheltenham, Enfield, Manchester, Online, Portsmouth, Preston, Reading, Southampton, Swansea, Swindon

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

REL sub bass systems are available from the following branches of Audio T: Brentwood, Brighton, Bristol, Cheltenham, Enfield, Manchester, Oxford, Portsmouth, Preston, Southampton, Swansea, Swindon

Optoma Projectors are available from the following branches of Audio T: Swansea, Swindon

Chord Co cables are available from all branches of Audio T

AudioQuest cables are available from the following branches of Audio T: Brentwood, Brighton, Bristol, Cardiff, Cheltenham, Enfield, Online, Oxford, Portsmouth, Preston, Southampton, Swansea

Innuos Zen And The Art Of Digital Music Library Maintenance

For those of us who have digital music collections, the venerable compact disc is only part of the picture these days. Apart from legacy collections of music on such discs, we now have higher resolution PCM music files available along with even larger DSD files (the equivalent of SACD) all of which are now readily available and which add a whole new dimension to the enjoyment of music reproduction.

This means that a CD player alone is no longer enough to allow access to all these delights – we need a new kind of up-to-the-minute digital device that will deal with everything we can throw at it. Enter the Innuos Zen family.

These British designed and Portugese manufactured units have been around for a while but they have recently been updated to Mark 3 spec, so the time is right for a reappraisal of these innocuous looking but supremely versatile boxes. The reason they are so versatile is because of the way the four main functions have been integrated.

1. RIPPER
All the versions have a built in CD drive which, although it cannot be used to play CDs, will allow ripping of an inserted disc to either .flac or .wav format files. This process can be carried out whilst you are using the device for playback as well, so you can start ripping your existing CD collection as a background task whilst still using any other functions as required.

2. STORAGE
These ripped files are then stored on an internal 3.5'' hard drive which is available in a range of capacities from 1Tb to 8Tb; the higher range models can be fitted with solid state drives up to 4Tb.

3. SERVER
Once the files are stored on the unit, and the unit is connected up to a network, the files can be served out to any network attached device that needs to access them.

4. PLAYER
Last but not least the unit can be connected to your system as any other source component would be, and this will allow you full playback access to the contents of the drive. In addition to this, any of the units will give you full internet radio functionality along with access to external streaming services such as Spotify, Tidal or Qobuz.

To access these functions, there are two methods used. Firstly, once the unit is connected to your network, accessing 'myinnuos.com' on any browser will take you to the setup and config pages. These have options to control disc ripping and file imports, view your existing library, set up backups etc. Most of these pages are 'set and forget', so once you have configured your unit as you like, you shouldn't need to revisit them very often. What you will need for day-to-day use is a method by which you can access your library to view and play, and this is accomplished with an application. There are excellent options available for iOS, Android and Windows platforms and any one of these will allow you to start interacting with your music collection, as well as giving you access to all the other built in features.

One of the things we often hear from customers as that they like the idea of an actual item such as a CD which they can pick up and handle, but what people often don't realise is that using one of these superb control applications will, to a degree, keep the tactile and visual part of browsing your collection alive. As long as you take a small amount of care over ensuring that the downloaded track data and artwork is accurate and free of errors, the apps will give you a very nice, customisible browsing experience which in many ways is superior – no more stiff neck reading the spines! With regard to storage space, a 2 Tb drive will enable you to store around 3500 albums in their entirety, and of course if this is insufficient then you can specify the internal drive up to 8 Tb at purchase time. This should be enough even for King Crimson completists.

The Zen range consists of four models. The Innuos Zen Mini (1-8Tb, pictured) is the base model; the Mini Mk 3 now includes stereo analogue outputs alongside the USB and S/PDIF outputs so you can get it up and running with full functionality straight out of the box – of course the addition of an outboard DAC will really make it sing (we recommend the Chord Electronics Qutest as an ideal partner). This version comes with a switch mode power supply as standard but Innuos also sell an upgraded linear power supply to improve its performance; if you buy a Mini with a upgraded power supply you will get a £50 discount on the combined price. The next model up in the range is the Innuos Zen Mk. 3 (1-8Tb standard or option of Solid State drives) which comes in a full width case with an integrated linear power supply. Bear in mind that neither this model, nor any models further up in the hierarchy have any analogue outputs; they all require the addition of an external DAC or amplifier with a USB digital input to make sounds. There are also dual isolated Ethernet ports (remember this is network connected but does not include Wi-Fi so requires an Ethernet connection) along with other mechanical improvements over the Mini. Next up is the Innuos Zenith (1-8Tb) which includes a trick PSU, Mundorf capacitors and a custom solid state drive and at the top of the tree is the mighty 2 box Zenith Statement (2-8Tb plus Solid State Drive option) which turns everything up to 11 for the best possible reproduction of your precious files.

The tried and tested server underpinnings of this unit mean that once it's properly configured and set up on your network, you no longer have to worry about file formats and such like. PCM up to 192 kHz? No problem. Native DSD files? No problem. Tidal masters with MQA encoding? No problem. All you have to do is connect it up to your network and your playback system, and the world is your oyster.

Why not come and have a listen to it in our newly refurbished demonstration rooms.

Innuos Music Servers and CD rippers are available from the following branches of Audio T: Brentwood, Bristol, Cardiff, Cheltenham, Enfield, Manchester, Online, Portsmouth, Preston, Reading, Southampton, Swansea, Swindon

UK Exclusive......Acoustic Energy Do It Again With Their New AE 500 Standmount Loudspeakers

Acoustic Energy have been very busy of late and the latest fruits of their labour come in the guise of the brand new 500 series loudspeakers. And here in Cheltenham we have a UK exclusive as we are the only store in the whole country to have these in stock and ready to listen to until September!

The ones I have the pleasure of blogging about here are the AE 500’s which are a compact stand mount featuring some rather clever newly developed carbon fibre drive units designed to offer unparalleled levels of performance, quality and value. Acoustic Energy say that their aim is to make the speaker sound smoother and more transparent. Shall we see if they have succeeded?

I connected the AE500’s up to a Rega Brio amplifier and Apollo CD player using a Rega Couple interconnect and Chord Company Odyssey speaker cable then sat down with a cup of tea and a pile of my usual favourite demo CD’s.

The first thing that struck me about these little marvels was how open and detailed they sounded and how they managed to image from way left and right of the speaker cabinets. This is something quite rare in a speaker at this price!

I played the title track of the album Starfire by Jaga Jazzist and about half way through it gets all complicated and very proggy and throughout the little AE500’s it sound fully controlled and powerful. No one part of the music was being coloured by any of the rest making it so easy to hear and follow everything all at the same time! This piece of music is always a good test and the AE500’s made it sound totally engaging.

Next into the Rega Apollo CD player was the totally gorgeous piece of musical loveliness that is Angelina by Marillion from the equally marvellous album Marbles. The AE500’s again opened the sound-stage up. I closed my eyes and the speakers totally disappeared leaving the music just hanging in the air in front of me. This piece has a very deep bass line throughout and a soaring guitar motif and is recorded in such a way that puts the music in a huge acoustic space. This comes over convincingly on the AE 500’s. This is one album you must own if you have even just a casual interest in rock music of the prog variety. A majestic masterpiece from a band at the peak of their powers! Just make sure you get the double CD version!

Now a sizeable chunk of this magic comes from the carbon fibre drive units. Their very rigid but lightweight nature ensuring great mid-range definition and increased transient speed and clarity. Acoustic Energy have succeeded in their goal to make a smooth sounding loudspeaker, which is a great thing in this age where most companies make their speakers sound way too bright. This makes the AE500’s the type of loudspeaker that you can listen to for hours as they are not at all fatiguing.

The cabinet construction is rather special too using Acoustic Energy’s new 18mm Resonance Suppression Composite or RSC for short. This is basically a method of putting one cabinet inside another with a damping layer between them thus greatly reducing cabinet resonances which would otherwise colour the sound.

These speakers are a must listen if you are interested in a really high quality but still small solution to put on speaker stands (preferably) or bookshelves (at a pinch). If you have a yearning for owning a pair of those classic Acoustic Energy AE1 from the old days then look no further these little marvels will put a grin on your face a mile wide!

Finished in a choice of Piano Gloss Black, Piano Gloss White or American Walnut wood veneer finishes the AE 500’s will look great with any home decor. Come in to the Cheltenham store for a demo and a cup of tea or coffee …… we might even have biscuits! Let your ears be the judge, but we’re sure you will be very pleasantly surprised.

Acoustic Energy Hi-Fi products are available at the following branches of Audio T: Brentwood, Bristol, Cheltenham, Online, Portsmouth, Preston, Reading, Swindon.

Time To Selekt. Audio T Bristol Takes A Look At The New Linn Selekt DSM Network Streaming System

Linn have always be renowned for creating innovative and superb sounding 'source’ components. The newest addition is the Linn Selekt DSM, which is a dedicated all-in-one network streaming and upgradeble Hi-Fi system, that can improve and modernise an existing stereo system and offer multi-channel surround sound as well.

The built in space optimisation software feature allows the system to be configured for different types of loudspeaker, which ensures you always get the optimum sound quality for your speakers and listening space. It does this by having a wide range of speaker configurations to choose from, but It doesn't stop there…

Space optimisation has its own room builder, so you can replicate your listening environment within the easy to use Linn app. The app includes a wide range of variables and settings, such as the build of the room, wall types, windows, doors, height, depth and much more. Space optimisation has been designed to allow you to improve your entire system and get the sound tailored to your preference, no matter what speakers you have or where they are positioned in the room.

The Linn Selekt DSM is a modular and an upgradeable Hi-Fi system. It has the Linn family trait running through it – a design that can be completely and easily upgraded from the base model to the top spec amplifier with Katalyst DAC.

The base model includes a pre-amplifier, enabling you to connect all your sources, including turntable (MM / MC inputs). Like all Linn products there is always an upgrade option, whether that’s adding the Katalyst DAC to further enhance the sound quality or offering multi-channel surround sound or higher output amplifiers.

The sleek design is complete with customisable smart buttons to provide immediate access with just one touch. Accessing your favourite playlist has never been easier! Sources range from; the normal streaming services (24bit 192 Khz) from local hardrives or music , internet radio, podcasts, your turntable or Blu-Ray player. This is a fantatstic sounding all-in-one with great flexibility, brilliant design and providing an upgrade path to ensure long term enjoyment of your music collection.

But don’t take our word for it, give us a call or email us to arrange your personal demonstration - Audio T Bristol.

Linn Hi-Fi products are available at the following branches of Audio T: Brighton, Bristol, Manchester, Oxford, Preston, Swindon

Neat Acoustics Add Something Ekstra To Their Range Of Loudspeakers.

The Neat Ekstra is an elegant 2.5 way floor standing loudspeaker incorporating an integral subwoofer and is supported on three feet.

It is available in American walnut, black oak and satin white with an option for either silver or black feet, also included are magnetic cloth grilles for the upper box section.

Neat Ekstra in Satin White

The design of the Neat Ekstra, uses a configuration first employed in the Ultimatum XL6 and is made up of two sealed boxes. 

The upper box houses the ribbon tweeter and bass mid driver which is attached to a sub-baffle which in turn is mounted, via a decoupling polyethylene membrane for the reduction of unwanted vibrations, to the main cabinet making this section work as a two way infinite baffle.

Neat Ekstra Upper Box inc Ribbon tweeter and Bass Mid driver

The lower box is ported half way down its length and terminates internally with the first of the two bass drivers facing to the floor, the second driver is immediately below in its own section. These two drivers work as a sealed iso-baric arrangement acting as an internal subwoofer system. The low-q port in the mid section is also specially tuned to enable close to the wall placement of the loudspeaker in most rooms.

Rear view showing Low-Q port and single wire speaker terminal

We hooked the Neat Ekstra’s up to a Naim NDX2 network player and a Naim Supernait2 amplifier for testing purposes after a week of running in.

These are a very undemanding loudspeaker, an easy listen, whatever we played through them they rewarded us with a detailed musical presentation, never edgy, but with a sweet insightful top end and rhythmic tuneful bass, a very well balanced speaker in our view.

One of the Ekstras’s downward facing bass drivers

The Neat Ekstra offers a lot of loudspeaker for the money, the elegant lines and attention to detail in tuning make them ideal for most locations.

Ready for action, just turn up the volume

This may be the speaker you’ve been waiting to hear, so come along and talk to Julian, Paul and John at Audio T Brighton and we'‘ll set them up for you.

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

Audiolab 6000N Network Player Completes The 6000 Series

We are big fans of the Audiolab 6000 series components here at Audio T Brentwood. They offer amazing value and excellent sound quality for the money, but one thing that was missing in the range was an option for music streaming.

Enter the Audiolab 6000N Network Player.

The 6000N is a deceptively simple looking box with just a power button and some preset buttons on the front.

The back of the Audiolab 6000N is a little more “busy”.

There are analogue and digital outputs, a network connection, although it will do wi-fi, and USB for software update and for synchronising with a Audiolab 6000A amplifier.

The Audiolab 6000N operates in conjunction with the PlayFi app from DTS and it does a great job. We had it up and running playing tracks from Tidal and from our shop music library in minutes and it sounds great! PlayFi gives the user access to many music streaming services, internet radio, and upNp. Spotify Connect is also included.

Whether from its digital or analogue outputs it sounds crisp, clean, and with lots of space and dimension to the sound. Florence and the Machine sounded full of energy, the frequency extremes of The Gate by Bjork were brilliantly handled.

This really does complete the 6000 series system alongside the Audiolab 6000A amplifier and 6000CDT CD player. We have found that the Audiolab series works particularly well with KEF Q series and Dali Oberon speakers and gives a lot of performance for the money!

Come and have have a demonstration at Audio T Brentwood, we know you will be impressed!

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

Linn Selekt DSM Streaming Hi-Fi System Has Arrived At Audio T Manchester.

Not since the original Linn Classik from the nineties has there been so much excitement about a high end one box Hi-Fi system. For those of you who insist on not having multiple boxes on a hi-fi shelf the appeal is even greater, especially if the need for high quality music is a must.

We introduce the Linn Selekt DSM.

Designed as a lifetime product and perfect partner to the Sondek LP12, the Linn Selekt DSM has a variety of modules and upgrades to allow you to increase the joy and performance of the system over time.

It has launched with four options.

Source (to cater for the addition of CD, Record Player, Music Server)

Source with Katalyst DAC

Amplified

Amplified with Katalyst DAC.

Linn have also recently added a surround sound module options that add HDMI switching and either line level outputs or power amplifiers for all 5 channels of a home cinema system.

Don't be surprised to see other options available in the future

The Linn Selekt DSM has all of the usual control options, phone/tablet app, desktop app, remote control, as well as full front panel control. So if you ever find yourself without your phone and unable to find the remote, which happens to me far too regularly, then you can still get your favourite music playing.

The front panel controls consist of two parts, a multi function dial and six, two position, switches.

The dial primarily works as a volume control but can be pressed in 5 positions too, which allows full access to the menus of the Selekt. This mean tast you can change settings, access all inputs and even choose tracks and playlists.

There are even some proximity sensors which mean the screen comes to life as your hand approaches the dial.

The six switches can be programmed through the Linn Kazoo app to be quick links to playlists, tracks, inputs. When pressed half way, the screen will show you what is assigned to the button, when fully pressed it takes you where you want to go. These six switch functions are mimicked by the 6 buttons around the dial on the remote control unit.

Having listened to the unit in our demo room, we can honestly say that we were impressed at how well the Linn Selekt DSM worked with different brands of speakers. Dynaudio to Bowers and Wilkins, Neat and Acoustic Energy all worked well with the Linn.

Our unit was space optimised, which is a software feature of the Linn Selekt. This function allows for the sound to be optiimised for the listening space it is operating in, which made a big difference to the overall sound quality in our demo room. However, on that note, the space optimisation is something we will need a little more time and space to talk about. So we'll save it for another blog.

All the superlatives are there, great soundstage, 3D depth to the sound, oodles and oodles of detail.

So, as we usually advise all our customers, the proof of the pudding is in the listening, so come on over and have a talk to Mike, Munir, Dave or Haden at our Manchester store.

LInn Hi-Fi is available from the following branches of Audio T: Brighton, Bristol, Manchester, Oxford, Preston, Swindon

Naim Mu-So 2nd Generation Wireless Speaker System

It’s almost 5 years since the first generation of the Naim Mu-So wireless streaming speaker system arrived in our stores. It impressed all that heard its might and simultaneous finesse, and set a new benchmark for build quality, sound quality and performance from an active (amplifier built in) streaming speaker system.

Now the bar has been raised again as we welcome the new, redesigned from the ground up, 2nd generation Naim Mu-So.

While only a few of the differences are immediately obvious such as the new grey finish and a sleeker look new grille, the Mu-So 2nd generation is packed with new features. Naim have maintained the room filling 450 watts from the original Mu-So but each of the individually amplified drivers have been improved as has the amplifier components of all 6 amplifiers that make up the Naim Mu-So.

Once we powered up the Mu-So we immediately saw that there are new features, 15 of them in all, that have ease of access within the iconic volume dial on an intuitive, touch sensitive control panel. The new Mu-So still has Tidal, Spotify connect and internet radio, it will still play your digital music collection from your home network via UPnP or USB and will still do multi-room with other Naim streamers on your network. You can even play your music over Bluetooth but the Mu-So 2nd generation now supports Roon music player and controller, Apple AirPlay 2 and Google Chromecast so it will integrate in to a smart home effortlessly.

You can set up favourites by using the Naim control application on any smart device on your home network and then access them by using the favourites button on the touch sensative control panel. The Mu-So also comes with a remote control for ease of use.

Internally the cabinet volume has been increased to allow an ever deeper richer bass without making the overall size noticeably bigger which helps to maintain its unimposing visual presence in the home.

Mu-So 2nd Generation Connectivity.

Physical connectivity on the 2nd generation Mu-So has been improved also by adding an HDMI socket that supports ARC (Audio Return Channel) so you can connect your TV to it which will greatly improve the sound. It also still has a 3.5mm analogue input and an optical digital input for connecting other components should you wish to do so.

You can also tailor the sound to suit your room by using room compensation within the settings in the Naim application to optimise it to your taste and for increased performance through the volume scale there is a loudness feature as well.

Also supplied is a IR remote with all the basic functions for you to control, great if your phone or tablet is not around.

Come along and have a listen. We look forward to playing it to you.

Ian, Gavin & Andy - Audio T Preston

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