February 09, 2022

Linn and Dynaudio Takeover at Audio T Manchester - 25th & 26th February 2022

February 09, 2022/ Audio T Manchester/ Manchester

As you’ve all probably heard by now, sadly, The Bristol Show isn’t happening this year. Being the second year in a row it’s been cancelled due to the global pandemic, withdrawal symptoms are kicking in for us at Audio T. So to fix it we have let select brands take over our stores for what would’ve been the weekend of the show.

To see what’s happening at our shops over the Store Weekend Event Click Here.

Here at Audio T Manchester we are going to let Linn and Dynaudio take over for the 25th and 26th of February.

We will have products from Linn's Majik, Akurate, Selekt and Klimax ranges, covering both vinyl and streaming sources. These will make up at least three separate systems throughout the store and will be powering Dynaudio speakers.

From Dynaudio we will be using speakers from the Emit range right up to the Confidence, with something from all the ranges in between.

If you are planning on attending, please see our contact details below to book a slot for a demo or if you just plan to come along to have a browse.

If you would to like to visit the Show Weekend Take Event at our Manchester store, you can contact us via email and phone.

Email - manchester@audio-t.co.uk

Phone - 0161 8398869

We look forward to seeing in store!

Munir, Dave, James, Mike and Haden - Audio T Manchester

If you’ve enjoyed this, why not go ahead and read some more of our other blogs, and be sure to follow us on Facebook or Instagram to keep an eye on what’s happening in store.

Linn can be found at the following Audio T stores

Dynaudio can be found at the following Audio T stores

February 08, 2022

A recap on the "Cyrus Experience Tour" at Audio T Enfield

February 08, 2022/ Audio T Enfield/ Enfield

First and foremost, we would like to say a big thank you to our lovely customers who came to the event – we hope you had a great a day as we did! Secondly, we would like to also say thank you to Jason Saxon, our Field Sales & Training Representative from Cyrus, for taking the time to come down to London and host the event for us and some of our other branches. It’s been a great experience for all of us learning about the new Cyrus XR series, (especially for myself still being somewhat of a newbie), which really is a work of art in itself.

What is the '“Cyrus Experience Tour”?

The ‘Experience Tour’ is a chance for Cyrus to share with you some of their passion and enthusiasm for music; to share some of their knowledge and decades of experience to help you make better and more informed decisions about Hi-Fi.

The programme has been developed to help enthusiasts of all backgrounds to learn more about good reproduction and the difference it can make to your enjoyment of music.

On to our Event…

For us in store, the event started the day before we opened to the public. It was my first time meeting Jason; he arrived in the afternoon and after exchanging pleasantries, we unloaded the equipment and he began setting up. During this time, I sparked some general chit chat about Cyrus. Whenever I meet someone from a manufacturer I like to ask about their product USPs (Unique Selling Points), which helps me learn about each product and the manufacturer’s individual merits.

Whilst talking about the individual products we were setting-up, Jason kept referring back to the history of Cyrus, where & how they started off, how they came to be as popular as they are now and what makes their products unique.

Our demonstration room set-up for the Cyrus XR series

For those of you that aren’t aware, Cyrus started off under another name, Mission Electronics in the early 80s and was founded by Farad Azima, with the assistance of his brother Henry Azima as the developer, and Stan Curtis. They released their first products under the name Cyrus in 1984 - amplifiers Cyrus One and Cyrus Two. And the rest is history! As many of you will know, Cyrus has become one of the most well-known Hi-Fi manufacturer in the UK ever since. One of Cyrus’ most popular features and selling points is it’s signature compact design, be it an amplifier, CD player or streamer. It’s smaller size allows these products to fit into a modest space and look aesthetically pleasing wherever it’s placed, without compromising on sound quality. It’s ease of use never falls short either! The products are only available in black, however they come in different finishes – brushed black and phantom black, which provides variety in textures rather than colours, and let’s face it, sometimes black has the upper hand in creating that little bit more elegant and sophisticated look. The XR series however, are sold exclusively in phantom black, which is the smoother texture of the two.

Jason brought along two Mono X300 Signature Power Amps and a Stereo 200; in-store we already had the i7-XR, i9-XR, Cdt-XR, Cdi-XR and the Pre-XR out as demonstration units. We created a nice little set-up using the Cyrus Hark III shelf-rack, as well as having an appealing layout across other units in the demo room. After listening to a few different configurations, I had come to the conclusion that the XR series is nothing less than a revolution in audio quality. It represents the best-in-class application of new DAC technologies, Power supply Design, Circuit topology, User Interface and it is built solely in the UK using components of the highest specification. In layman’s terms, it sounds bloomin’ brilliant! Providing some of the cleanest and most detailed audio quality I’ve heard in awhile, it’s compact size has no relevance in its ability to fill a room with musical magic. The details are crisp without being harsh, giving audiophiles the joy in being able to hear every detail without taking away the bigger picture of the song as a whole.

From left: the *CDt-XR*, the *Stereo 200* and the *CDi-XR*

From top: The *Pre-XR*, *CDi-XR* and two *Mono X300 Signature Amps* on the *Hark III shelf rack*

Let the public in…

As with most of our in-store events, we felt the day would work best if we were to assign customers their own time slot, ensuring they had one-to-one time with Jason and be able to ask questions, along with a demo of the XR series. The customers were really pleased with the fact they had the opportunity to delve in at this depth and get to know the products. The first customers of the day were a couple looking to upgrade their existing Cyrus 8 equipment, which was great as they already had an in depth knowledge of the brand, plus they had an idea of what they were looking for which always makes the demonstration process much more easy going. The gentleman in particular really became engrossed in the listening experience. He showed us this by leaning forward attentively, catching every detail of the music. The customers left with big smiles on their faces, which we can only assume meant they left very happy!

The next customer was also looking to upgrade some existing Cyrus equipment. I sat in for this particular demonstration and Jason gave a great talk-through of the new products. He provided lots of detailed information for the customer and was very engaging. In turn, the customer asked lots of questions which Jason answered thoroughly but simply enough that you don’t need a degree in engineering to understand. As we listened along to the music, our customer was keen on listening to both the i7 & i9 in comparison to one another, ensuring he was making the best decision relative to his system at home. He too was very happy and had great chat, leaving with a smile on his face. To be honest, this was a similar vibe for everyone that attended the days event.

Overall, we had a very successful day! The customers that came in were friendly, attentive and passionate, enabling Jason to provide the best demonstrations possible. They were enthusiastic to learn about the XR series and were all really keen on getting the best equipment for their systems. Additionally, having great conversations and banter with the customers really makes it all worthwhile, if they’re happy then we’re even happier!

Missed the Cyrus Experience Tour? Want to see for yourself and take a listen? Give us a call or drop us an email to book a free demonstration!

Thanks for reading.

Elena, Jason & John - Audio T Enfield

Keep up to date with everything that’s happening at Audio T by following us on Facebook, Instagram & Twitter.

Cyrus can be found at the following Audio T stores

February 03, 2022

Audiolab Omnia - A Multi-Talented Performer

February 03, 2022/ Audio T Swindon/ Swindon

With our upcoming Audiolab/DALI event here at Audio T Swindon on the 25th & 26th of February 2022 we would like to introduce our latest arrival - The new Audiolab Omnia ALL-IN-ONE music system.

We have seen and listened to quite a few space saving and nice sounding stand-alone systems and we couldn’t wait to get our hands on this promising box of tricks from Audiolab.

What’s in the box?

The Audiolab Omnia, available in black or silver, is a CD player, integrated ampliﬁer, wireless streaming player, DAC, headphone ampliﬁer, and pre-amp – in one single unit!.

The 4.3inch full colour screen looks great and everything displayed on it looks crystal clear. The CD player is a tray loading design and we think it’s great addition to have on board as many people still have a collection of CDs at home.

Audiolab have included a lot of connectivity options. Three analogue inputs, plus a MM phono stage for a turntable, a USB-HDD input for a flash drive or portable hard drive, one USB-B input for a pc or music server (like the ones from Innuos), two optical and two coaxial inputs plus both digital output options for those of you who want to use your own DAC. The three aerials are for Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connection - We can’t ask for more.

Music Streaming with DTS Play-Fi - Let’s set it up

DTS Play-Fi opens the door to a number of music streaming services like Spotify, Amazon Music, Qobuz and Tidal to name the most popular. Access to internet radio and even the option to play music stored on a network attached storage drive (aka NAS) is fantastic. Let’s set it up; the easiest option is to run an ethernet/network cable from your broadband router into the ethernet port on the back of the Omnia - done. For ease of use the Omnia can be set up wirelessly if the router is not close enough to the unit. We download the DTS Play-Fi app (available for Android, Apple iOS, Kindle Fire and Window PC), rename the Unit into Family Room and we are ready to take a look at the choice of streaming services and options.

Audiolab Omnia Music System and DALI Oberon 5 Loudspeakers

With a powerful 50w per channel into 8Ohm we connected a pair of DALI Oberon 5 and start streaming music in CD quality and higher from Qobuz, we listen to internet radio and play music from YouTube via Bluetooth, and the Ominia brings our demonstration room to life. Good news for those with a Roon account, Omnia is Roon ready - perfect.

Digital and Analogue VU meters? Why not !

We think someone at Audiolab, who has worked a long time in the Hi-Fi industry, must have thought - “Hey, why don’t we add a little bit of Hi-Fi nostalgia to the Omnia by adding digital and analogue VU meters?” We have to say that it looks very nice with the room light dimmed and there are four display modes to choose from (digital & analogue VU meter, source display mode or off).

What do we think about the Audiolab Omnia ?

Audiolab haven’t promised too much. The Omnia sounds excellent, it looks modern and it is easy to use. Believe it or not, there is so much more and if you are curious to find out more about the Audiolab Omnia then please don’t hesitate to get in touch with us.

We hope that you have enjoyed this blog. All mentioned products are available to listen to at Audio T Swindon and if you are interested in an Audiolab product that isn’t mentioned in this blog, please give us a call on 01793 538222 or send us an email to swindon@audio-t.co.uk.

Thanks for reading - Stefan & Andy - Audio T Swindon

If you’ve enjoyed this, why not go ahead and read some more of our other blogs, and be sure to follow us on Facebook to keep an eye on what’s happening in store.

Audiolab products are available from the following Audio T stores -

February 01, 2022

Spinning Platters of Lacquers that Matter - Michell Gyro SE Turntable

February 01, 2022/ Audio T Bristol/ Bristol

Vinyl, records, phonograph plates of pleasure are riding a wave of revival that show no signs of slowing down - and with good reason. Let's not dwell on the format wars of quality and purity, but instead, acknowledge the ritual.

Deciding on the mood, thumbing the vinyl collection, pulling out that favourite album of the moment, carefully removing the sleeve. A glance or a detailed read of the sleeve notes with the emotional nostalgic memory of when/where it was bought or where it was first heard. A close inspection of the record condition, squinting at the track listings (that seem to get ever smaller). Then firing up the turntable, the gentle caress of a record brush and finally, the needle drops and listening begins. The Michell Gyro SE takes the vinyl ritual to histrionic proportions - spinning bling of beautiful industrial design.

History

Michell Engineering was first founded by the late John Michell, who had been a prominent figure in the audio world for over 50 years. He was also well known for making scale models during the 1960s and it was during this time that he met Stanley Kubrick and built the spaceship ‘Discovery’ for the film 2001 – Space Odyssey, later to become the inspiration for the revered GyroDec.

Since the early 1980's, when the Michell Gyrodec first burst on the scene, it still remains one of the most desirable, iconic turntable designs of all time. The Gyro SE is a variation of the GyroDec design. Doing away with the full size acrylic plinth and hinged lid of the Gyrodec and replacing them with a single acrylic spider to support the turntable. This was done to reduce the overall size of the GyroDec and create a smaller more compact turntable.

Design Features of the Michell Gyro SE

The low contact area feet of solid aluminium are shaped so the area in contact with the supporting surface is very small, this is done to minimise the transfer of vibrations from the supporting furniture into the turntable.

The spring suspension system The three towers are fixed to the acrylic base to hold the suspension springs in place and provide height adjustment for the sub chassis.

The weighted pendulum style sub chassis hangs on these three suspension springs, this provides a rigid dense platform to mount the main bearing, platter and tonearm assembly, ensuring there is no movement between them, while also acting as a ‘resonance / vibration sink’ drawing away unwanted vibrations from the sensitive elements of the turntable. Thus, unlike the Linn LP12 where the suspension system springs are in compression , the Gyro’s springs are in tension.

The inverted oil circulating main bearing. Contrary to traditional designs, the main bearing has the point of rotation at the top of the assembly, not at the bottom. This orientation allows for full lubrication of the inside of the entire bearing while the platter is turning. This is achieved by way of a modified Archimedean screw that is machined into the inside bore of the bearing. The oil is drawn from a reservoir at the base of the main bearing up to the thrust ball at the top, fully lubricating as it goes, it then returns to the reservoir via a waste hole drilled into the bearing spindle. Lubricating the precision parts of the main bearing in this way means that any potential for noise or vibration created by the rotation of the platter is avoided.

The Michell Gyro SE in our bristol shop demo room

The impedance-matched platter with solid brass weights: The platter material was chosen for its vibration dampening characteristics and because sonically it is a very similar material to vinyl, so it has a very neutral sound characteristic. The brass weights are added to give the platter extra mass and subsequently more momentum when spinning. This greatly improves speed stability and helps keep wow and flutter to a minimum.

The free standing motor unit: The motor unit used to drive the turntable is completely separate to the turntable, meaning it doesn’t touch the turntable in anyway. The only connection between the motor and the turntable is the drive belt that drives the platter. This greatly reduces any noise or vibration created when the motor is running getting through to the sensitive parts of the turntable.

The TechnoArm 2 is a custom one piece arm tube with 22 drilled holes on the underside to reduce mass. The tonearm is assembled using ultra-low friction polymer bearings. The wiring loom is 99.9999% pure silver litz wire from the cartridge tags to the phono plugs with no internal wiring joints.

Cartridge Matching

Here at Audio T Bristol, we have experimented with various cartridges on the Michell Gyrodec SE. What is apparent is the manual VTA adjuster allows greater flexibility in cartridge selection. The Rega MC cartridges are an excellent fit, the Hana SH Shibata High output MC is just fantastic and close run with the Dynavector 20x2. We pushed the boat out for this setup - mounting the Dynavector XX2. According to Dynavector, the DV XX-2 MKII retains the benefit of the flux damper, but features the Alnico-5 magnet and the similar rigid construction to the Te Kaitora Rua. Alnico magnets exhibit high magnetic flux density combining with a low coercivity, therefore magnetic resistance is lower than other magnetic types such as rare earth and ferrite, providing the exceptional stability of the XX-2 MKII output voltage. There is also the additional advantage of low magnetic and electrical resistance contributing to a discernible improvement in sound quality.

The XX-2MKII also exhibits deep powerful bass, treble is both clear and lively possessing none of the hardness found in many moving coil designs, and this compliments the punch of the Gyro SE Turntable, rhythm and excitement.

Setup

Source: Michell Gyro SE
Phono Stages: Rega Aura, Rega Aria MkIII
Amplifiers: Rega Osiris, Naim NAP 300 DR
Preamplifiers: Naim NAC 252
All-in-One: Naim Uniti Nova

Listening

Christmas came and went, but left behind a lovely selection of fresh records to spin, among them Bonny Light Horseman, self titled album, which sees Fruit Bats singer Eric D. Johnson join veteran multi-instrumentalist Josh Kaufman and singer-songwriter Anaïs Mitchell to revisit ancient folk songs presented beautifully. The Gyro SE shines with this multi- layered acoustic tapestry and live recording feel. The sense of space and timing is excellent. Equally, vinyl recordings by Stereophonics, You gotta go there to come back, Amy Winehouse, Back to Black and Portishead, Dummy are all played with such gusto, elegance and fun that the Gyro SE just leaves you wanting to listen more. There is a molasses thickness to the bass and lower mids giving great punch and weight to the sound stage. It never shows up a bad recording or struggles with different genres, but seems to get to the heart and the drama of everything that is spun.

Comparatively, the Michell Gyro SE with the Dynavector XX2 II MC Cartridge comes in around £4,500. This puts the deck between the Rega Planar 10 with Apheta or Linn’s entry level Linn Majik. Either of these decks are a great vinyl experience. Effortless, textured, great imaging and depth of sound stage. Each have their unique characteristics, design philosophies and ,as a result, quite different presentations that are well worth an audition side by side to establish your preference.

Thanks for reading.

Justin, Max & James - Audio T Bristol

Be sure to keep up to date with what’s going on in store by following on Instagram & Facebook

You can have a listen to the music we use in all our demonstrations and test systems in our listening rooms with the constantly evolving Audio T Bristol Qobuz Playlist - Here.

Michell Engineering can be found at the following Audio T stores

February 01, 2022

So CD is dead? Nobody told Rega! - The Valve Isis

February 01, 2022/ Audio T Reading/ Reading

The Isis CD/DAC is part of Rega’s flagship Reference range (which comprises of the iconic Planar 10 record player, Aura MC phono stage and the Osiris integrated amplifier). It is the pinnacle of what Rega can achieve from CD replay. As well as operating as a CD player, the DAC can be separately accessed. The level of engineering is stunning and build quality is such that it comes with a lifetime guarantee against manufacturing defects. It comes in two flavours – the Solid State Isis and the intriguing Valve version. For this article, we’ll be concentrating on the latter. The specs for the solid-state version can be found here.

So what is the Isis CD Player/DAC?

The mighty Valve Isis. The four output valve pots are on the top right

The Valve Isis is the outcome of 10 years of research by legendary head electronics engineer, Terry Bateman, addressing the concept of a CD player using valves in the output amplification stage. Valves have been widely used in musical instrument amplification and recording equipment from the 1930s to the present day, therefore it made great sense to develop a valve-based CD player to match that of the signal chain found in such applications. Musicians such as guitarists prefer valve amplification for its tonal qualities. The Valve Isis shares the same digital and USB sections as found in the solid-state version; however, the analogue stage is valve based with passive filtering. This stage uses two military grade triple mica 5814A (ECC82/12AU7) triodes being driven by the revolutionary Wolfson WM8741 ultra high-performance digital to analogue converter.

Listening and Validation

First, a little background to this article…

Very recently we had the good fortune to have the Valve Isis in residence. We had a customer who wanted to hear the solid-state Isis and, thanks to Rob Noble, Rega Sales Co-Coordinator, we were able to pair it with the Valve Isis for a comparative demo. Long story short, the customer expressed a personal preference for the valve model in the demo and put in an order straight away.

The demo remained in my mind for some time as, somewhat counter intuitively, the Valve Isis seemed to me to be more dynamic, detailed and “real” compared to its solid state sibling, which was also astoundingly good, but in a different way. Was it down to the music we played during the demo which was mainly classical? Was I just imagining it all?

Before we returned the unit back to Rega I decided to validate my memories (or otherwise) and put the Valve Isis into a system that would show its true colours and see how well it coped with a range of music genres. I chose the accomplished Rega Aethos amplifier paired with the highly capable Spendor D7.2 speakers. We used the following CD’s for evaluation:

*Telemann’s Tafelmusik – Musica Antiqua Koln (Reinhard Goebel)*

I chose Miles Davis’ - “Kind of Blue” because it is a well-known and much-loved standard, and I wanted to know what the Valve Isis would bring to the party? Well, I might as well have invited the musicians into the room! It sounded so real, and I was hearing phrasing and interplay between the musicians that had not been immediately obvious via other CD players. The instruments had shape, definition, as well as tone.

So, what about original instruments late Baroque Telemann? For some, this can sound somewhat “astringent” on CD. Not here! The shape, dynamics and reality remained intact, producing a delightful and mesmerising performance.

Lets go to the opposite end of the music spectrum with The Orb. What I heard was a big spacious sound. Lots of detail, excellent tone and a bass depth that on occasions made me jump!

It appears that the Valve Isis delivers, whatever the musical genre. But one more validation to go. We put the system front of shop and left it playing, to see if we could gauge customer reaction. The feedback we got was that people were entranced by the delivery of the Valve Isis, a prevailing disbelief that they were listening to CD and general wonder at the quality of the music.

Our set-up of Spendor D7.2’s, Rega Aethos Amp and centre stage the Valve Isis, under the watchful eye of Mr Hendrix

Conclusion

Yes, the Valve Isis is high-end but if you get the chance, you owe it to yourself to hear it, to understand that CD is still a viable format, and that through the Valve Isis it produces a mesmerising experience. It will capture your complete attention.

No matter what, the Valve Isis shone through, sounding dynamic, with large and detailed imaging qualities stretching way outside the box. It seems to offer considerable tonal depth, with access to the body, shape and timbre of the music, making it seem hyper-real and “in the room”. Isn’t that what we are all seeking from our music systems?

Many thanks for reading.

Rob & Gareth - Audio T Reading

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Rega can be found at the following Audio T stores -

January 29, 2022

HI-FI HEAVEN - MCINTOSH LUXURY C8 PRE, MC830 POWER AMPS & MCD85 CD PLAYER

January 29, 2022/ Swindon

We are very excited to show you our new arrivals from McIntosh Laboratory, Inc, who we started our Hi-Fi journey with in the summer of 2021 and we have enjoyed listening to quite a few of their products since then.

The three new arrivals are the C8 2-Channel Vacuum Tube Preamplifier, the MC830 1-Channel (Mono block) Solid State Amplifier and the MCD85 2-Channel SACD/CD Player.

C8 Vacuum Tube Preamplifier - The Control Centre

The very stylish and compact C8 pre amplifier stands out with the iconic McIntosh green glow of the four 12AX7a valves, sitting inside their gorgeous looking cages.

McIntosh C8 Vacuum Tube Pre Amplifier - Polished to a mirror finish

To connect your equipment there are two sets of phono sockets, one set of balanced XLR plus an MM and MC phono stage if you wish to connect a turntable. McIntosh's optional DA2 Digital Audio Module is available as an upgrade and this ads digital inputs like optical, coax, 1 USB-B and HDMI (ARC).

On the front panel you find a headphone socket and McIntosh's built in High Drive Headphone Amplifier makes sure that you can enjoy your music at every time of the day.

Tone controls like bass, treble and balance are available from the front panel buttons or via the remote control. For the purest experience you can choose tone control bypass.

MC830 Solid State Mono Block - The Power House

The MC830 is a 1-channel amplifier , also known as mono block or mono amplifier, is a true power house that matches the open chassis design of the C8 pre amplifier. The output is a hefty 300W into 8Ohm and it will get warm but the two massive heatsinks will deal with it, so don’t worry.

Balanced and unbalanced inputs and gold-plated solid cinch speaker binding posts

For more piece of mind - Power Guard and Sentry Monitor

The patented Power Guard® technology monitors the amplifier's output signal to protect the speakers against being over driven; if necessary, it makes real time micro adjustments to the input signal to prevent clipping that could damage your speakers.

Another level of protection is Sentry Monitor™, the fuse-less short-circuit protection circuit that will disengage the MC830's output stage before current exceeds safe operating levels, and then will reset automatically when operating conditions return to normal.

MCD85 2-Channel SACD/CD Player and Digital Hub

The MCD85 is multi-talented. Not only does it play CDs and SACDs, it also offers 5 digital inputs. Two optical, two coaxial and one USB-B input allow music playback higher than CD quality via a pc or digital music servers like the ones from Innuos.

Balanced and unbalanced outputs are standard

Sound Quality

Incredible is how we would describe it in one word, but that wouldn’t be enough to point out how good it sounds. We connected the system to our pair of Sonus Faber Lumina 3 and started with ‘No Love Dying’ from Gregory Porter’s album ‘Liquid Spirit’ and it is the warmth and richness we feel, while the image of Gregory’s big voice is placed right in the middle between the speakers.

We change from Gregory Porter to Muse. The track ‘Uprising’ from the album ‘The Resistance’ is different, louder and a good test to hear how it deals with busier tracks. The instruments are well separated from the vocals and that doesn’t change when we turn up the volume. Everything sounds well organized and makes you want to listen to more music.

We play a SACD and we choose two tracks, ‘LINE ‘EM UP’, sung by James Taylor and ‘GRATITUDE’ by Earth, Wind and Fire. We are blown away and we think that you will be too.

This system sounds fantastic and we feel privileged that this McIntosh equipment is here in our store for our customers to listen to.

We hope that you have enjoyed this blog. All mentioned products are available to listen to at Audio T Swindon and if you are interested in an McIntosh product that isn’t mentioned in this blog, please give us a call on 01793 538222 or send us an email to swindon@audio-t.co.uk.

Thanks for reading - Stefan & Andy - Audio T Swindon

If you’ve enjoyed this, why not go ahead and read some more of our other blogs, and be sure to follow us on Facebook to keep an eye on what’s happening in store.

McIntosh products can be found at Audio T Swindon with more stores set to take on the brand.

January 29, 2022

Extra Energy .... Big Difference - The All New AE100² from Acoustic Energy

January 29, 2022/ Audio T Cheltenham/ Cheltenham

The very new, very beautiful Acoustic Energy AE100² is a radical re-working of what was already one of our favourite little entry-level bookshelf loudspeaker. When the folks at Acoustic Energy told us their plans, we didn’t quite believe them. But guess what? They’ve only gone and done it!

Acoustic Energy AE100²

The AE100² has been designed with a view to achieving high sound pressure levels from a small enclosure. This is obtained principally through the use of a 130mm paper mid-bass drive unit built around an ultra-high force, long throw motor system. Bass performance is augmented by a slot shaped duct allowing for a considerable cross-sectional area while negating the issues of air turbulence, chuffing and distortion.

A 25mm soft dome tweeter featuring Acoustic Energy’s Wide Dispersion Technology completes the driver compliment and is housed within a 15mm HDF cabinet. Taking design cues from the award-winning 500 Series and finished in a choice of satin white, satin black or walnut vinyl veneer finishes. The AE100² looks great and performs really well placed on speaker stands or bookshelves.

The rear also sports a set of nice chunky, gold plated 4mm banana sockets that will accept a plug a spade or even (god forbid) a bare wire speaker cable. As we know, the plugs are normally the better way to connect them as you tend to get more of a metal to metal surface area contact than any other method, but why not contact us if you want to discuss this more.

**Nice chunky holes to stick plugs ‘n’ things in!**

Let’s get to listening

On to the fun bit then! To put them to the test I played a selection of tracks from the brand new and totally excellent album that goes under the intriguing title of ‘As Long As The Light’ from Michael Rother and Vittoria Maccabruni. Now any of you familiar with your Krautrock will recognise this man who is among the most influential artists in rock, experimental, and electronic music. He has a long and illustrious history with a long list of great bands and artists including Kraftwerk, Neu, Harmonia and Brian Eno.

The interplay between Rother’s electronics, psychedelic guitar melodies and harmonies and Maccabruni’s gloomy skittering loops, soundscapes and breathy ethereal vocals over these eight tracks is mind boggling to behold. Indeed there are times when you can hear elements of all those legendary bands that Rother has been a part of. The pair make interesting, challenging, and occasionally beautiful music together. If you are a fan of electronica of the gorgeous variety then this is for you. As Long As The Light is nailed on to be one of the albums of the year. It also happens to be a very lovely recording too. Out now to Stream and buy on CD but for vinyl copies, we have to wait until Record Store Day 2022! Oh well, whatever, never mind.

The little AE100² portrayed the soundstage as being big, open and detailed, to an extent not normally associated with a loudspeaker of this size and at this price! The sense of space around all the instruments and voices was such that if you close your eyes the speakers will simply disappear and the music is left hanging in the air in front of you…..I even got goosebumps!

To wrap things up…

So, all in all a great looking and fine sounding little design, small but perfectly formed. Who said you have to spend lots of money to get a big sound from small boxes?

But why take my word for it? Contact your local store to arrange a demonstration today.

Thanks for reading.

Andy, Jon and Farid - Audio T Cheltenham Store.

If you’ve enjoyed this, why not go ahead and read some more of our other blogs, and be sure to follow us on Facebook to keep an eye on what’s happening in store

Acoustic Energy can be found at the following Audio T stores

January 27, 2022

'Is that a special track?' - Why we choose the music that we do

January 27, 2022/ Audio T Swansea/ Swansea

A question we’re often asked at Audio T Swansea is if the music we play when we demonstrate equipment is "special". The undisguised notion being; "Are you using some trick, extra-high fidelity recording to show off your gear that I can't access?" The answer is both yes and no. Yes – these are recordings with high production values, and no – it's all commercially available music you can buy or rent via streaming services a la Tidal/Amazon Music/etc.

We have our favourites of course, old reliables that sound decent on just about anything – that killer Seasick Steve LP, or Melody Gardot if I'm showing off a turntable. Royal Blood's eponymous first album, is a recording that has oodles of weight and power; it sounds better and better the more we move up the ranges of any quality turntable manufacturer.

Melody Gardot - My One and Only Thrill - Next to the Linn LP12 Turntable

If it's an amplifier demonstration I'm conducting, Royal Blood will serve us well again, as will AC/DC's 'Thunderstruck', although a cut of some complex jazz piano in full flight will shine a spotlight, if rock isn't your thing. The massed vocals of a choir will give you a large dose of the chills, if I'm doing my job properly.

Foy Vance - “Signs of Life”, spinning on the iconic Linn LP12 turntable

If it's digital electronics under review, expect something warm and organic from me. A female singer/songwriter playing an acoustic instrument will illustrate how this particular CD player isn't clinical and cold at all (honest 'gov). Expect some electronica like Goldfrapp or Yello too; crisp, rapid, multi-layered, textured soundscapes with lots of space between samples, does lend itself to making digital electronics sound impressive, after all.

For the most part, smaller speakers generally sound faster and more accurate than their floorstanding brethren, so expect me to play smaller scale works on them. Breathy vocals from Diana Krall, cheeky, clever folk from Kate Rusby and the soaring soprano of Kate Bush should elicit gasps of delight. The pipe organ from Birmingham Symphony Hall during Wagner's Ring Cycle or the improbable bass guitar of Bootsy Collins, will illustrate exactly why you should buy these particular floorstanders Madam, with maybe a side order of subwoofer, if you'll indulge me for a moment whilst I power it up...

Acoustic Energy and REL - Two favourites at Audio T Swansea

I must stress that customers are always encouraged to bring their own music with them. Something they know, enjoy and are expecting to be thrilled by, but also an album that has always left them feeling a bit short-changed. When I can make 'that' CD sound good....

One of the joys of this job is experiencing new music and revisiting forgotten glories. This was amply demonstrated last Friday afternoon, when the gent who was evaluating a new streamer/amp/speakers/large subwoofer system for his very large kitchen/diner/family room, asked me to play Lorde "Royals", a favourite of his. Fans of this store will recall we played this track a lot when it first appeared in '06, but over the years other tracks have sidled into our orbit. How did that work out for me? Amazingly well. Shattering bass that can only be described as like standing in a warm river of moving air, the room pressurising and decompressing with each change of note. It’s a wonder our ears didn’t pop (Thank you REL S/510).

What my customer immediately exclaimed won't be repeated here (this is a family show after all), but he did ask "Does it all come in gloss black? (Yes it does) and "Do you take Mastercard?" (Yes we do) "Can you install it for me?" (It will be my pleasure Sir.)

My colleagues have their own favourite recordings, but you'll have to ask them about that...

Thanks for reading.

Adrian - Audio T Swansea

Be sure to keep an eye on what’s happening in the Swansea store by following us on instagram and Facebook.

Linn can be found at the following Audio T stores

Acoustic Energy can be found at the following Audio T stores

REL can be found at the following Audio T stores

January 20, 2022

Bass Culture - REL’s formidable S/510 S Series Subwoofer

January 20, 2022/ Audio T Oxford / Oxford

Many a Home Cinema fan will remember adding a first subwoofer to their burgeoning system to discover that even a first-step, wallet-friendly subwoofer, surprises it's new owner; bringing so much of the presence, attack, and drama, that the full range of surrounds, couldn't quite achieve on their own. A subwoofer is key to experiencing the depth and the impact, inherent in any good movie soundtrack and essential if you're watching the next all-conquering blockbuster. While we all naturally assume the primary role of a sub’ is as a home cinema essential, what never ceases to surprise are the benefits that the right subwoofer can bring in transforming a two channel system, and when we say the right sub', we don't just mean a REL, but a REL equipped with the Hi-Level connection.

Originally designed by Richard E Lord (hence REL) for two channel application, in order to improve the frequency response, which even the largest floor-standing speakers couldn’t quite manage. The use of a subwoofer equipped with a Hi-Level connection delivers benefits for both music and movies, delving deeper into the bass frequencies that the main speakers cannot resolve, but just as importantly drawing out fine detail, buried in the mix and smoothing the upper frequencies too. The right REL sub really does bring tangible benefits.

If you are an avid reader of our Blogs, the subject of REL subwoofers are a familiar topic. If you would like a clearer understanding of the concept of REL's Hi-Level, then my colleague Stefan's (Audio T Swindon) T-Series blog is valuable additional reading - Read it Here

Whilst Stefan's previous Blog post was focused on the T-Series range, our focus is on a range above and specifically the Rel S/510. This was used to fantastic effect when Rob Hunt, REL's Managing Director, paid us a visit for a superb event just before Christmas. We focused on the benefits to be brought to a two channel system. We demonstrated the S/510 in conjunction with the Carbon Special, ostensibly to illustrate the benefits that pressurising a room with two subwoofers can have, but also because Rob brought it with him and it is a true beast of sub'!

For the event we generously partnered the S/510 with the Naim's ND 555 (with just the one 555 PS)! An evergreen favourite, the Naim Supernait 3 and a recent addition to Oxford profile, Spendor's superb Classic 2/3. This is very much in the mould of the BBC monitors of old, but with recently developed and improved drive-unit materials, coupled with a traditionally thin-walled cabinet. These carefully developed improvements have proved to make a classic, that is in every sense, even more accomplished. There is pace and delicacy in equal measure, holographic soundstage and fine detail is clearly presented, without ever sounding bright. The 2/3’s quoted frequency range is 35hz to 25khz. Yet even with such comprehensive specifications, the benefits of adding the S/510 are obvious.

The S-510 was launched almost two years ago and has been a favourite of ours at Audio T Oxford since it arrived with us. A big step forward over the previous iteration, the S/510 is powered by a 500 watt amplifier, driving a 10" active driver, which in turn is partnered with a 12" passive radiator. The brief, Rob explained, was simple; a stronger bass output between 20 - 35hz. There is no question, that this design goal has been met and that the Rel S/510 delivers!

I have included a screen-capture above of Rob's carefully selected playlist, covered are a wide range of genres; from perennial favourites, Simon and Garfunkel's “The Sound of Silence”, to a gravel-toned cover of the same. Some beat heavy and some more esoteric electronica were also added to the mix, forging through to some beautifully composed and recorded piano music. Even Brit Pop stalwart Noel Gallagher made an appearance with some rock tinged throaty singing.

With every track the S/510 delivered the bass extension that you would expect, coupled with greater separation, clean and clear treble and a richer mid-range. Adding the S/510 confers a genuine refinement to the sound that your speakers can deliver. Nils Frahm's piano appeared to have been struck with a greater force and intensity and the decay was much more natural. The harmonies on the “Sound of Silence” were more distinct, seemingly sweeter, with the vocal pushed further forward into the mix, allowing you to listen with greater focus on the voices. The complexities within a track’s composition where more clearly exposed and, as you would expect, the bass was sumptuous.

It never ceases to amaze how much of an improvement a REL can make and with the enormous benefits that Hi-Level brings, a REL S, or T Series subwoofer is a fantastic way to improve your whole system.

We have the outstanding S/510 available for demonstration (along with the T series range) at the Oxford store and we would be very pleased to show you what adding a REL with Hi-Level can do for your Hi-Fi or Home Cinema.

Thank you for reading.

Andrew and Jon - Audio T Oxford.

Be sure to keep up with all that is going on at Audio T Oxford by following us on Facebook and Instagram.

REL can be found at the following Audio T stores

January 18, 2022

Don't let looks fool you – Taking a deeper look at Jern Speakers

January 18, 2022/ Audio T Portsmouth/ Portsmouth

So, Jern speakers. At first glance, I thought I was looking at a pair of outdated computer speakers. You know the sort. The ones that came out in the early 00’s in your average chain of appliance stores and were completely style over substance. The ones that some of us would purchase only for a couple of years later to think ‘’What on earth was I thinking?’’… Then I remembered, “This is Audio T. We don’t stock that sort of thing” and decided to look a little deeper.

I recently had a customer who was looking to acquire a new set of speakers with a budget around £2000. The brief seemed simple enough. Since he had to get rid of his old floor standing Mission speakers, he wanted something discrete, in the likes of a bookshelf speaker. But suddenly the requirements took a more specific shift. The customer was moving his equipment to a much smaller listening space and needed something that he could place right next to walls. This takes what started out as a very wide selection, down to a handful…

We arranged an appointment for a demonstration, and in the meantime, I would try to find a selection of speakers that would meet his requirements. So, I started my search and came up with the usual offering from the likes of Dali, Bowers & Wilkins, PMC etc. I also decided to give the Jern Model 12WS a go. A speaker, at the time, I had not really given much thought to. In fact, it is worth pointing out that I’d never actually listened to the Jern speakers. So, I wasn’t sure of what the outcome would be. Not to mention, I was slightly hesitant since their size and shape was unconvincing to me.

As I said in my opening statement, I wasn’t overly impressed with their aesthetics. Well, my back wasn’t all to impressed when I tried to lift one to place it in our demo room. Despite their small size, they weigh well over 12kg as they are made out of cast iron. Well, I wish I knew that beforehand!

The setup was extremely straightforward. As best to replicate the customer’s setup, we used a Naim Uniti Star as our main amplifier/streamer combo to power the speakers.

I welcomed the customer in to the shop and ushered him to the all-important listening seat so that we could start our demonstration. Before I could talk through the selection of products on offer, the customer, with a disgruntled look on his face, pointed to the Jern Model 12WS and asked, ‘’What are those?’’.

I explained that these unusually shaped offerings were a relatively new arrival from Denmark, and unlike the majority of speakers available in the Hi-Fi industry, were made from cast iron. I was very forthcoming and clarified I hadn’t listened them to myself and was curious to have a listen and see what they could do and how they would perform.

I handed over the shop’s iPad, preloaded with Tidal via the Naim app, and advised the customer to go crazy and play whatever he may wanted. First up were the Jern 12WS…

The first track he played was Pink Floyd’s “Comfortably Numb”. A rather fitting song title as that’s exactly how I felt while listening to the opening vocal lines from Roger Waters. But the moment I heard ‘’Hello, is there anybody in there’’, I felt as if I was listening to this song for the very first time. Parts of instrumentation that I’d never heard before became apparent. The detail was shocking...the clarity and the soundstage was so immersive that I had to double check if I connected the right speakers or if a subwoofer was accidentally connected to our system. No, nothing was there other than the Uniti Star and the Jern. The room was filled with colour created by the string ensemble and several other instruments I never noticed before. I remember the customer lowered the volume quite a bit to say something and it was then when I realised the most incredible asset of the Jern. Their ability to ‘’sing’’ and perform at low volumes was out of this world. You could hear every single detail coming out of the speakers at such low volume, so close to the wall. I was indeed comfortably numb.

We streamed several other tracks in the likes of Deep Purple, Led Zeppelin and Dire Straits. A music genre I’m well accustomed to, yet on every single track I would discover bits unheard before on any other bookshelf speakers I’ve used in the past. It was extraordinary. A sound so full and balanced that could make me stay in our demo room for hours without wearing out my ears.

On every track’s ending we would exchange a look and I was able to see how impressed he was. I couldn’t blame him as it was mutual. Words can’t describe the Jern speakers’ ability to perform. Goosebumps after goosebumps and track after track, we’ve filled the room with at least 10-12 rock and acoustic tracks. If you could close your eyes on Johnny Cash’s cover ‘’Hurt’’, you’d be under the impression he was there in the room with his acoustic guitar.

The customer was so impressed with the Danish loudspeakers that we almost forgot to try out the rest of the speakers. Once we had gone through and tried the same selection on the other speakers, the verdict was made. Nothing could match the tonality of the Jern for the customer or myself, the musicians and bands we were listening to and their unconventional positioning close to the wall.

And with that, a brand-new pair of white Jern Model 12WS found a new home, accompanied by a set of stands and the Jern mounting rings which make all the difference as you can angle the speakers in a variety of ways due to their rounded bottoms. This opens up the possibilities of moving the sweet spot depending on the room and the listener.

So yes, I appreciate that looks can be deceiving, especially in our Hi-Fi community. However, if you are reading this blog and you’re after some high end, bookshelf speakers, give them a go. Ever since I heard them perform, they’ve had a sudden ‘’glow up’’ in my eyes and aesthetics. I love the way they look now, for they look different, sound different and hit different!

Should you be interested in the Jern origins as well as more technical information, please take a look at this more in depth blog here.

Thanks for reading

Agamemnon - Audio T Online Store

JERN Loudspeakers can be found at the following Audio T stores

January 18, 2022

Spending time with Cyrus XR over the Christmas period

January 18, 2022/ Audio T Cardiff/ Cardiff

As a member of the Audio T family, we are often encouraged to take equipment home to get some real world, hands-on experience. I saw this as my chance to get up close and personal with the Cyrus XR range. So, over the Christmas period I was lucky enough to be able to take home, what I consider to be my ideal Hi-Fi setup from the many systems we stock here at Audio T Cardiff.

The Setup

The system consisted of -

Rega planar 6 turntable with Ania pro cartridge

Trichord Dino phono stage

Cyrus CDI XR cd player

Cyrus i7 integrated amplifier

PMC Twenty5 21 stand mount speakers

Chord cable shawline rca interconnects

Chord cable shawline X speaker cable with Ohmic banana plugs

All this makes for one amazing system, and in my eyes, a perfect setup. But, after listening to them in the shop and demonstrating them to customers, my main focus was on Cyrus. It’s nice to be able to put my ears to use and listen in the comfort of my own home. As we know, every room sounds different.

It’s probably worth noting that most of the photos you see here are in our demo room at our Cardiff shop, just in case you thought I had a weird living room…

Cyrus Audio

So, casting our minds back in to the history of Cyrus, the brand was founded in the early 80s in Cambridgeshire. Originally formed as part of the Mission Speaker Company, then called Mission Cyrus, their debut amplifiers took the industry by storm. Parting ways with Mission Speakers in 2005, Cyrus came back on to the scene as the Cyrus Audio we know today. Fast forward nearly two decades, and they’re still innovating, releasing new products whilst retaining their classic, sleek look, and always featuring their great sound which Cyrus are known for. Now, with the latest in Cyrus technology, here we have the XR range.

i7-XR rear panel including Chord co. Shawline Analogue

Cyrus i7-XR Amplifier

So, first onto the amplifier. The Cyrus i7-XR. I thought I’d start with this unit even though it has a more powerful sibling, the Cyrus i9-XR. So let’s get into it!

Pre and power amplification all in one box. Power aside, the i7-XR responds from DC to beyond 100KHZ ensuring ruler flat frequency response, keeping those unwanted phase shifts out of earshot. It also has a very generous, over-specified, power supply delivering 52w. On the preamp side the i7-XR has a true analogue preamp at its soul, featuring a high performance gain stage that makes this preamplifier extremely transparent. Connectivity wise, you have plenty of analogue and digital connections on the back to choose from, as well as a built in moving magnet phono stage. Also, not forgetting the amazing award winning QXR DAC on board, which has seven digital alignment options to suit the listeners taste.

Cyrus CDi-XR

Now onto the CD player. The CDi-XR is designed as Cyrus’ reference CD player, forged from evolution of its predecessors and years of research. Cyrus has developed their own servos for this new model, which are designed to read as much information on the disc first time around without re-reading the disc. This type of technology results in a better conversion of digital information for a pristine audio experience.

With all the precision engineering and research that has gone into building this amazing CD player, I would say the CDi-XR is almost perfect in every way. From the way they’ve shielded the components inside the chassis, right down to how they contain the noise in the circuitry. Much like the 7i-XR, the CDi-XR again features Cyrus’ award winning QXR DAC on board.

Cyrus CDi XR rear panel including Chord co. Shawline Digital

The listening…

Now to the important bit… How does this fantastic equipment sound?

Starting with vinyl running through the Rega Planar 6, via the Trichord Dino phono stage, into the i7-XR and then on to the fantastic PMC Twenty5 21.

Rega Planar 6 with ANIA PRO cartridge & Trichord Dino phonostage

First up, Bruce Springsteen’s live album from the 1979 concert, “No nukes” The track “Badlands” sounded big and warm with a lot of detail, especially when the amp warmed up to its potential, giving you that feel of a true live performance.

Second album to spin on the Rega Planar 6 was Black Label Society’s, “Doom Crew inc”. Special attention was paid to a favourite track of mine, “End of days” which I found to be tight with a lot of punch, which is a tone we’ve come to expect from American guitar God, Zakk Wylde, who a lot of you would know as Ozzy Osbourne’s guitarist over the years.

Finally, an undisputed classic… Pink Floyd’s “Dark side of the moon”. “Breathe”, sounded mesmerising, really big and warm but with a lot of clarity. Everything right down to the iconic “Uni-Vibe” guitar FX pedal that Dave Gilmour used in his rig when this album was recorded in 1973.

From Analogue to Digital…

Now onto the awesome CDi-XR. I was eager to find out how it sounded connected via the coax and using the onboard XR DAC of the Cyrus i7-XR amplifier.

PMC Twenty5 21i rear panel including Chord co. Shawline X speaker cable and Ohmic plugs

Albums and tracks I listened to that stuck out for me included the following:

First up we have “The Devil put Dinosaurs Here” by 90s grunge band, Alice in chains. The track, “Low Ceiling”, had an amazing amount of detail and presence, most certainly aided by the way it had been beautifully recorded. I found a great trick up the sleeve of the i7-XR. A selection of different filters that can be used, depending on how the album was recorded and mastered, to bring out the best of the tonal attributes.

Second album by Massive Attack, “Protection”, features the track “Karmacoma”, which was recorded in the late 90s. For anybody who knows the track, the bass is a key feature that some might say is a little overbearing. The performance through the CDi-XR had an overall clarity and balance that made the track truly enjoyable to listen to. Playing with the filters really came in handy in bringing out the best of Massive Attack’s iconic sound.

Finally on to “Beyond the veil”, a track from the album “Cautionary Tale” by Dylan Leblanc, which sounded absolutely perfect straight from the moment of hitting play. A really well recorded track that I thought brought out the best in the CD player, with really good production and plenty of detail.

On a side note: Dylan Leblanc is an amazing newcomer to the country scene hailing from Shreveport, Louisiana. With four albums under his belt and another one on the way, He’s definitely worth checking out.

In Summary…

As I said at the start of the blog, I feel that Cyrus XR series truly shows off the decades of research and design that brings this range to life, and more importantly to our ears. My listening experience went from strength to strength not just the clarity, warmth and presence from the Cyrus system, the ease of use and how everything complemented in the signal chain.

But why take my word for it? Why not have a listen for yourself.

Thanks for reading.

Matt, Nick & Kerrin - Audio T Cardiff

If you are curious about how the new Cyrus XR range we have teamed up with Cyrus Audio to bring you the Cyrus Experience Tour on Saturday 22nd January 2022 at Audio T Cardiff.

Keep up to date with everything going on at Audio T Cardiff by following us on Facebook and Instagram

Cyrus can be found at the following Audio T stores

Rega can be found at the following Audio T stores

January 17, 2022

FROM GREAT PAIRINGS TO A MARRIAGE MADE IN HEAVEN - NAIM UNITI NOVA & DYNAUDIO CONTOUR 20i

January 17, 2022/ Audio T brighton/ Brighton

So here we are, we finally made it to 2022. No doubt with many a New Year’s resolution to try and uphold, the New Year heralds a time of new beginnings and fresh starts. Sadly, it is an unfortunate statistic that January is often a prevalent month for breakups and divorce. This doesn’t have to be limited to relationships between humans…

Perhaps you’ve fallen out of love with your existing Hi-Fi? Time has taken its toll. You’ve grown apart. Circumstances have changed. It’s not them, it’s you… Whatever the reasoning, perhaps it’s time to clear out the old gear and upgrade. What we have for you this month could have the potential to buck the trend and end up as true “soul mates”.

Here at Audio T, we like to think of our Hi-Fi and service as a lifelong love. We certainly don’t condone marriage/divorce as often as Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor and you certainly shouldn’t be swapping your Hi-Fi out that often, you’ll barely have time to hear how good it is, to paraphrase a quote from the great Ivor Tiefenbrun, founder of Linn and the brainchild of the great Linn LP12 turntable.

All will be revealed as I launch into this months blog about the latest “Hollywood couple” of Hi-Fi. The Naim Uniti Nova streaming amplifier/DAC and Dynaudio Contour 20i stereo standmount speakers.

I have written several blogs on specific brands and models as well as my Facebook Vlog series “Great Pairings”, so I thought adding a little glamour might be a nice way to start 2022.

Fidelity takes on a new meaning . . . .

First up is the Naim Uniti Nova, a member of the Naim Uniti range comprising of the Atom, Atom HE, Star and Nova plus the Naim Core, which can act as server/storage and finally, the Naim Muso Qb2 and Muso 2, which are all-in-ones that are proving to be very popular at the moment.

The Naim Uniti Nova came out in 2017 and has many advancements in streaming technologies over the previous models, the Unitiqute and Superuniti range, with a ground-up development programme that has many years of future-proofness (not sure that’s a word, but if not, I just invented it!) built in, to such an extent, one can safely say that it is still at the head of the pack in 2022.

As with all of Naim products, there is upgradability built-in. A power amp can be added, such as the Naim NAP250DR and the Naim Powerline, about which I’ve blogged before here.

Contours that your Geography teacher never taught you about . . . .

Going back to my student years, I was a big fan of Blackadder. In Series 3, one of my favourite quotes, was from an episode with the Prime Minister of the time, William Pitt, declaring, “Tougher sentences for Geography teachers.” I don’t remember being taught in school about contours of the type I’m writing about in this blog, so I wholeheartedly agree.

Joking aside, not wishing to put off any potential Audio T customers who teach Humanities, the smooth lines of these Dynaudio Contour 20i allow Hi-Fi listeners to reach new levels of audio fidelity and enjoyment.

Listening taken to new heights . . . .

The sheer transparency, imagery and musicality of the Dynaudio Contour 20i take your breath away, to the same degree as a mountaineer might experience when the aforementioned contour lines on a map narrow as they approach the summit of the world’s second highest mountain in the Himalayas, Mount K2.

Imagery and lifelike spatial cues the Dynaudio Contour 20i conjure up on the live recordings of Neil Young, Bob Dylan and David Bowie albums leave you gasping for air. There really is a reach out and touch quality to the sound of this system and it does amplify the fact, pun intended, that the Naim Uniti Nova is a quality source and great match for the Dynaudio Contour 20i’s.

Even though the Dynaudio Contour 20i’s had effectively arrived from the mountaintops and were cold, straight out of the box, the sound enveloped you in a richly detailed and warm, yet dynamic sound. Heaven knows what they will sound like with a few hundred hours on the clock, roughly how long it will take for my jaw to remove itself from the floor of the listening room here at Audio T in Brighton. Sadly, Bill Livingstone, our man from Dynaudio, had to take them back home to run in, although I did volunteer our facilities to do the same, if he wished.

Back down to earth . . . .

Listening to this combination of quality components has emphasised, to me at least, the importance of symbiosis. A marriage made in heaven really does require more than one component and it certainly helps if they have the looks of Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie thrown in. The Naim Uniti Nova and Dynaudio Contour 20i’s not only have that, they certainly win on the fidelity front!

All of this also begs the question, just how good would the Dynaudio Confidence 20 sound on the end of the setup? Not wishing to encourage the divorce of the components mentioned in this blog, I guess you’d have to climb Mount Everest to find that one out!

Thanks for reading - Ade - Audio T Brighton

Keep up to date with everything that’s happening at Audio T Brighton by following us on Facebook and Instagram

Naim can be found at the following Audio T stores -

Dynaudio can be found at the following Audio T stores

December 21, 2021

A LEGEND IS REBORN… NEAT PETITE

December 21, 2021/ Audio T Cheltenham/ Cheltenham

To celebrate the 30th anniversary of the original Neat Petite, the very first loudspeaker released by the Teesdale based manufacturer, Neat Acoustics have released a brand new version of this legendary bookshelf design.

Front view of Neat Petite 30th Anniversary Edition. No grilles are supplied with them as this will adversely AFFECT sound quality!

The Neat Petite always had a reputation of being one of the best loudspeakers of its kind. This new version is a complete redesign of this classic little gem. Whilst broadly retaining the outer dimensions of the original model, the Petite 30 is otherwise a ground-up redesign with a new 15cm bass-mid driver with a mineral loaded polypropylene cone and Neat’s stunning Air Motion Transformer tweeter.

In common with all Neat speakers, all the crossover components have been chosen with care, and each pair will have been hand-assembled by just one person from start to finish.

The new Petite 30 has been designed to bring all the virtues of the previous incarnations, with additional refinement and even greater musical coherence.

Connections on the rear are nice chunky bi-wire or bi-amp gold plated 4mm banana or spade terminals. also on the rear are not one, but two bass ports. The larger of the two ports has a foam bung inserted whilst the smaller port is left open. This is the optimal way to use them (as recommended by Neat themselves) and gets the signature sound close to the original model. It is of course possible to experiment by removing said bung which will not give more bass but will increase the presence of the bass! I tried both and preferred the former arrangement with the one bung in.

Nice chunky gold plated terminals can accept banana plugs, spades or bare cables. Can also be bi-wired or bi-amped!

The larger of the two ports with supplied foam bung inserted as recommended.

Now of course the most exciting bit about a new pair of loudspeakers is how they sound and the new Petite 30s do not disappoint. Even straight out of the box and with no running in period to help them out, they sound amazingly agile and musically cohesive with an uncanny ability to image way outside of the boxes. The Air Motion Transformer tweeter is a real treat for the ears never once sounding shrill or sharp. Top end detail was delivered sweetly and emotively up there with the very best that I have heard.

The one thing that consistently springs to mind when listening to these new Neats is that of a Rogers LS35A with knobs on. Great imaging, not only left to right but also up and down and front to back. A really wonderful trick for a speaker to have up its sleeve. I played a variety of my favourite albums from the past year (perhaps more of which in my next blog) and just fell in love with these petite gems!

I have now played with these on a variety of systems at a wide range of prices and they consistently sound amazing. Possibly the only downside to them is the fact that there will only ever be a strictly limited edition of one hundred pairs! Available in gloss black or gloss white, each one sporting a plate on the rear with the signature of the designer Bob Surgeoner on it, just so you don’t forget who to thank for those gorgeous little boxes that give you all that top quality musical enjoyment!

Signature plate on the rear of each speaker….just so you don’t forget who to thank for all the fun!

Oh… I almost forgot to say, you also get a goodie bag! A book detailing the history of the Neat Petite since the very beginning, which I thought was a lovely touch. You’ll also get a USB stick containing examples of Bob’s own musical adventures, which date back to 1967 when he started playing. Rumour has it there will even be some Prog Rock on there!

So….book your demo quick or they will be gone and you will miss out!!

Thanks for reading.

Andy, Jon and Farid - Audio T Cheltenham Store.

If you’ve enjoyed this, why not go ahead and read some more of our other blogs, and be sure to follow us on Facebook to keep an eye on what’s happening in store

The Neat Petite 30’s are currently only available for demonstration at our Cheltenham store call them on 01242 583960 for a chat.

Neat Acoustics can be found at the following Audio-T stores

December 20, 2021

Analogue Vs Digital? Why not have both? - Linn Majik LP12 and Majik 140 DSM System

December 20, 2021/ Audio T / Reading

So I think we all know that vinyl has had a pretty successful resurgence, but there are also those out there who are firmly set in their streaming ways. Well, who said the two are mutually exclusive? Why not combine the two?

Join me now as I take a look at the superb combination of the Linn Majik 140 amp/streamer and the Majik LP12 record deck. Could this be a marriage made in heaven? Let’s take a peak…

Linn Majik 140 DSM Streaming Amplifier

Like a proverbial Swiss Army knife, the Linn Majik 140 DSM Streamer Amplifier is a one-stop box of tricks. From here you can stream all your online music, plug in your turntable, listen to Internet radio or even connect your TV to make it the center of your home entertainment system. Whatever you're listening to, Majik DSM gives you access to it all in one place, and all with a premium sound quality.

As previously mentioned, you can stream and connect from a wide variety of sources, wired or wirelessly, via WiFi, Apple’s Airplay 2, Bluetooth and so forth.

Linn’s dedicated app allows you to stream hi-res services such TIDAL, Qobuz, Amazon Music as well as the standard Spotify, Apple Music or even your own music collection stored on an external hard drive via USB. You’ll also find several HDMI inputs to plug in your TV, Sky, Virgin or BT topset box, Apple TV, games consoles etc.

With the built-in MM configurable phono stage, the Majik DSM also allows you to add a turntable, making it the hub and beating heart of all your home entertainment.

The back of the Majik 140 showing multiple inputs

As an all-in-one network music player, it has built in preamp and power amps. Like all Linn's network music players, it has a built-in feature called Space Optimisation which allows you to tailor the performance to your room's unique characteristics. Linn has already dialled-in a whole host of presets for some of the most popular high-quality speakers. You may want your local store to help you set this up to ensure you’re getting the most out of Space Optimisation.

If like us, you are planning on pairing the Majik DSM with a Majik LP12 turntable, you will need to configure the phono stage from the Linn app, which is easy enough to do. this clever system will digitise the signal through the analogue to digital converter, and then you will then be introduced to the world of high-performance vinyl replay.

Linn Majik LP12

So, let’s take a look at the LP12 itself.

The Majik LP12 is a fantastic turntable to leap in to the world of Linn and high performance vinyl playback. Using carefully selected Linn-engineered components to let you experience the iconic and timeless aesthetic of the LP12, with all the advantages of modern manufacturing and engineering under the lid. This is a high-quality way to rediscover your vinyl or hear what high performance vinyl playback can do for you. In itself it can be upgraded by your local store, but that is another story…

You can have a read of what goes in to the maintenance and upgrade of an LP12 over at Audio T Brighton’s blog Here.

But for now we will concentrate on the gateway turntable, the Majik LP12. It includes the latest sandwich-construction aluminium sub-chassis, patented single point Karousel bearing, and internal low noise power supply and Linn’s Krane tonearm and Adikt moving magnet cartridge complete the deck. All you need to do is to plug it into the built-in phono stage at the back of the Majik 140 DSM, or it works equally well if you introduce it to any high-performance phono stage as a bridge to your existing hi-fi or an alternative amp. It is a fantastic addition to any set up to bring that musical, dynamic and rich trademark Linn sound.

How does the combo sound?

Firstly, I set up the system with a pair of Spendor A2’s to provide a compact high-quality system. Streaming from Tidal and Qobuz it provided a rich, detailed, and dynamic soundscape. Listening to the Orb (Orbus Terrarum) all the atmospherics and deep dub bass came across in startlingly good fashion. So good that I thought it time to try a larger set of speakers for a bigger room scenario, so I wheeled in the Spendor A4’s to see how the Majik 140 would cope. The Majik DSM gripped and controlled these speakers providing a large, deep, and insightful soundstage. Of course, other speakers than Spendor are available to suit a variety of tastes.

Our vinyl and streaming choices - The Orb (Orbus Terrarum) and Eno/Wobble (Spinner)

Next up I plugged in the LP12 and configured the phono stage from the Linn app (easy from an iPhone or Android phone or tablet). I then listened to the excellent Brian Eno/Jah Wobble album “Spinner,” chosen for its exceptional sonics. Through the Linn Majik LP12 the result was wonderful. The iconic reputation of the LP12 is well deserved, and it sounds surprisingly modern, not at all soft and rounded but full of charm. It sounded big, confident, and enjoyable, slightly on the warm side of neutral with natural spatial placement, which gets to the emotional heart of the music and enhances the mood.

In conclusion

What a great way to have the best of both worlds from vinyl and streaming in a compact system! Just add the speakers of your choice to explore and refresh your musical heritage and memories in high quality sound, as well as discovering new treasures.

But why just take our word for it? Come and experience it for yourself in a well curated system built around your needs. Contact us to book a demonstration.

Thanks for reading.

Rob & Gareth – Audio T Reading

Be sure to keep an eye out on what’s happening at the Reading store by following us on Facebook.

Linn can be found at the following Audio T stores

December 17, 2021

SURROUND YOURSELF WITH SONOS - THE INEXPENSIVE SURROUND SOUND SOLUTION

December 17, 2021/ Audio T Enfield/ Enfield

I’ve been working at Audio T for just over two months now and I’m really getting to know all the different systems. One brand in particular that has captured my interest is Sonos.

Unsurprisingly, I had heard of Sonos years before starting my employment in the world of Hi-Fi and Home Cinema; admittedly my view of it was an overpriced Bluetooth sound system. I now know that was completely inaccurate. Firstly, with the exception of two speakers in the range (the Roam and the Move), Sonos works on a network basis, not Bluetooth. On our shop floor, we’ll often use a Sonos One SL to play background music or digital radio and have some of those “good vibe” tunes on for when you, the customers, come in. From this passing day-to-day interaction, I had a pretty good idea of how it sounds. That being said, I’m not really able to crank the volume to full blast due to it being on the shop floor, but I can still gauge how good the quality of that little speaker is, which has now heightened my curiosity with other Sonos products.

A few weeks into working here, a customer enquiry introduced me to the world of Dolby Atmos – something I was previously oblivious to being somewhat of a Home Cinema novice. For those who aren’t familiar with Dolby Atmos, essentially it’s a type of surround sound technology that aims to fully immerse you in whatever you are watching/listening to by directing the sound waves directly to where you’re sitting. It’s not like your usual surround sound – I describe it in my own terms as “5D Surround Sound”. Why mention this you say? Well, as I started to research more and more into Dolby Atmos, I discovered that many Sonos products now support the format, which enticed me even more. I’ve wanted a surround sound system of my own for as long as I can remember, so I dug deeper and learnt that the Sonos Arc and a couple of Sonos One or One SLs can create a great Home Cinema system in a limited space.

A huge benefit of working for Audio T is being able take products home to try for ourselves in our own space to really get to grips with them and make our own, unbiased opinions. So I took full advantage of this and brought home the Sonos Arc and One SL to try.

The Set-up

*The Sonos App (top row, second from left)*

Although not as straightforward as simply connecting the speakers to the network, the set-up was not too difficult. I had already downloaded the Sonos app to my phone to use in the shop, which otherwise would’ve been the first step of set-up. So, as these units were already in use in the shop, the first thing I had to do was to factory reset both products. This is far more simple than it sounds. Simply plug them in and hold down the “Join” button on the back until the LED flashes amber.

The reason for doing this is so that I can give it a fresh start and forget any previous network settings or user profiles. Don’t worry, you won’t have to do this with a fresh new one out of the box.

Next, I made sure my phone was connected to Wifi and opened the Sonos app, where it automatically searched for products. At this stage, once it had picked up on the products, I had to scan them in so to speak, so I held my phone over the now green light on the Sonos Arc and I was connected. I started off using only the Arc and I was majorly impressed - the room filled-out with the most brilliant spatial audio, allowing me to experience my favourite songs in a new way (I know what you’re thinking, yes I did listen to Spice by Spice Girls… shamelessly).

After a while of enjoying the Arc, I then turned my attention to creating surround sound within the room. To do this you simply open the the Sonos app, click “system”, then “add new product”, and repeat the same steps as I did with the Arc to connect the One SL. I then grouped them together and played the same songs so I could hear the difference.

You can actually add up to 32 speakers for one system - imagine that!

*Now that you’ve added both products to your system, you can now group the speakers. To do this, tap the “now playing” tab in your Sonos app.*

*Next, tap the icon on the right hand side of the volume control (looks like a triangle within a square).*

*It will bring up this mini menu, where you can now choose which speaker you want to stream from.*

*Simply select both speakers and now they are grouped for multi-speaker playback. You can choose up to 32 products for a single system.*

A great advantage of grouping the speakers together is that you can control each one’s volume separately. So, depending on where I sat in the room, I could tweak the volume on each speaker to create a more even surround sound experience.

Simply swipe down on your phone screen and the playback options will appear. Now that the Arc and the One SL are grouped, they appear as one playback speaker. Tap on the speaker icon that appears on the left hand side of “Arc+One SL”

*It will then show the speakers separately, allowing you to toggle the volume control of each individual speaker so that you can create the perfect surround sound for your room.*

The Listening

At this point, even though both products sounded amazing together and they did in fact create a surround sound, I came to the conclusion that I needed more than one One SL to fill out the room in the way I wanted, and these would most probably need to be mounted on the wall. Nonetheless, this minor issue did not take away from how impressed I was!

After about an hour of experimenting with the sound, and some questionable dancing, I turned my attention to using the Arc’s Dolby Atmos feature. Although Dolby Atmos is primarily used for Home Cinema, personally I would prefer to use it for music. As I mentioned in my previous blog, I’m someone who appreciates every detail of a song and wanted to be able to hear these nuances in a whole new way. Not to mention that some of my favourite albums of all time have recently been re-mastered in Dolby Atmos, so I was keen to listen and hear the differences which, according to my research, are very apparent.

To listen to the Dolby Atmos mastered albums, I had subscribed to Apple Music (which was a pain because I already have Spotify, but at this moment the platform doesn’t support Dolby Atmos). I did a quick Google search into how to connect the Sonos Arc to my TV - all I needed was the HDMI cable that came in the box, so I plugged it into the HDMI-Arc input on the back of my TV.

The sound from the TV sounded awesome as expected, but I couldn’t hear significant difference to make me think it was playing in Dolby Atmos. I checked the Sonos app, which told me in the “now playing” section that the Arc was playing in Stereo. After going into my TV’s settings, it told me that the TV itself does not support Dolby Atmos, which I was gutted about. So now I have to get a new TV! Maybe one for you all to watch out for.

Conclusion

Overall, the experience I had with these two products definitely made me realise that if I wanted a surround sound system with minimal wiring and easy set-up, then Sonos is the way to go.

The next day…

In perfect, impeccable timing, the very next day a young couple who had just bought their first home together came in looking for a surround sound system for their living room. Of course, I straight away recommended Sonos given my new found appreciation of the brand. I told them about my experience and they seemed impressed; they had previously researched Sonos and my input confirmed their findings. We booked them in for a demo and I showed them the products – I recommended the Arc and One SL combo to fill out their living area (this particular room is “L-shaped”, so their concern was to fill out the corner that the sound may not have reached so well). I showed them how to tweak the volume to get the perfect surround sound of their choice, all while they both led the way in telling me what they wanted. Essentially, my fresh experience enabled me to recommend these products whilst not overtaking the demo with my suggestions – they asked me questions, I showed them how to do it. It’s safe to say I think we have a sale on our hands!

But why take my word for it? Why not book a demonstration today at your local store.

Thanks for reading.

Elena, Jason & John - Audio T Enfield

Keep up to date with everything that’s happening at Audio T by following us on Facebook, Instagram & Twitter.

Sonos can be found at the following Audio T stores

December 17, 2021

From Italy Sonus Faber to Fine Sounds UK - Sonetto I Speakers

December 17, 2021/ Cardiff

A few months back we wrote a blog to introduce the new Sonus Faber ranges, distributed by Fine Sounds UK. This month we thought we would delve a little deeper into Sonus Faber, and take a closer look at the the Sonetto I bookshelf speakers.

The Sonus Faber Sonetto 1 is a very pretty loudspeaker with some some fantastic finishes available to compliment your home décor. Gloss Black, Wenge, Wood or Satin White as featured here are the available finishes. These slick cabinet colours are teamed with a hand-sewn leather top, a designed feature filtered down form the Olympica range.

All of the Sonetto range incorporates the Lute shaped cabinet that is not only pleasing to the eye but sonically important. This shape ensures that there are no parallel surfaces in the internal construction, offering perfect control over the internal resonances.

Bespoke Accessories

To complete the stylish look of the Sonetto I, Sonus Faber have created a bespoke pair of Sonetto Stands, manufactured from extruded aluminium to give it the rigidity needed for the performance expected from such a standmount loudspeaker. A nice touch to give piece of mind is the bolt on system for the top plate to the base of the speaker. The Soft velour on the base of the speaker and the top of the stand give a perfect seat for placement before bolting down. A nice extra is the cut out in the back of the stand upright for cable management.

Performance

Now let’s take a look at the sonic performance of the Sonetto I. Sonus Faber talk of the "voice" of its loudspeaker ranges and this voice is provided by the combination of cabinet construction, silk dome tweeter and natural fibre midwoofer and the front reflex port.

The silk dome tweeter is constructed with D.A.D (damped apex dome) technology and the mid-woofer with its natural fibre air dried diaphragm delivers high end performance at an affordable price. This technology has filtered down from their flagship Reference and Olympica ranges to achieve such high sonic presentation.

If asked, we would describe the Sonetto range as incredibly smooth without lacking punch or detail. The bass is defined, tight and tuneful and the treble is smooth, sweet and not fatiguing. The midrange offers detail in vocals that other loudspeakers at this price struggle to achieve. I think I could put my feet up and listen to these speakers all day and I wouldn’t get tired.

We have found the Sonetto I easy to place in most rooms. If space is tight it is surprising how well they perform close to the wall due to the shape of cabinet and the front mounted bass reflex port .

The System

For the purpose of this demonstration we used a system consisting of -

Leema Acoustics Elements amplifier - (Soon to be a permanent fixture at Audio T Cardiff, so watch this space for a future blog)
Bluesound Node 3 Wireless Network Music Streamer
Rega Planar 8 fitted with a Dynavector 20x cartridge
Trichord Dino Mk3 phono stage
All hooked up with Chord Company Epic X speaker cable and Shawline interconnects.

Demo tracks we've enjoyed on the Sonetto 1 include

Pearl Jam - Yield - Vinyl
Jessie Ware - Mirage (Don't Stop) - Tidal Streaming
Little Simz - Point and Kill - Qobuz Hi-Res Audio

Pearl Jam’s , Yield, is an album recorded in the 90s and when played on vinyl can be a little on the loose side in the bass, but the Sonetto I has no problem in controlling this and offers an immersive experience. Jessie Ware - Mirage offers a disco style with some pace. The vocal reproduction on these speakers is superb, along with the presence and timing of the modulated rhythm guitar. If you are looking to improve your stereo hi-fi or expand on your home cinema the Sonus Faber Sonetto I is a must to audition and are exceptional contenders in their price range.

Thanks for reading.

Nick, Kerrin & Matt - Audio T Cardiff

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Sonus faber can be found at the following Audio-T stores

December 17, 2021

A THREESOME YOU MAY NEVER HAVE CONSIDERED

December 17, 2021/ Brighton

So here we have it . . . a three move checkmate! “What do you mean? Is that even possible?” I hear you say! All will be explained forthwith.

In an attempt to be topical ,with the world chess championships just having taken place and frankly because I have an interest in playing the great game myself, I will attempt to use this chess metaphor in my Hi-Fi ramblings and not be too “en passant” in the process.

Having written several blogs on specific brands and models as well as my Facebook Vlog series “Great Pairings”, I thought that it might be wise to mix it up and take a look at even more components.

In no particular order, other than the “Source first” premise; Auralic Altair G2.1 into a Quad Artera stereo power amplifier followed by Proac Response DB1 speakers.

Our opening gambit - the Auralic Altair G2.1

Let’s start with the front end first. The Auralic Altair G2.1 is a fully featured source component, offering extreme flexibility for inputs as well as lots of inbuilt goodies as well.

Now if you are a chess player, you will know about openings, middle game and end game strategies. If you will excuse the metaphor, the Auralic Altair G2.1 demonstrates an abundance of opening options, with an excellent phono stage built-in, a wealth of of digital inputs and replay through an excellent built in DAC and a high quality preamp stage.

Some people would call the Auralic Altair G2.1 an “endgame” product, which is where the chess analogy falls a bit short really, given that there are no speakers involved at this stage, although one can certainly see audiophiles being happy enough with the sound quality to go no further up the audiophile tree than this, but more on sound quality later.

auralic altair g2.1 front panel - understated quality

Auralic altair g2.1 inputs/outputs - a plethora of choice

You can see the streamer input options above, with multiple inputs for network/hard drive playback, both balanced and unbalanced analogue line inputs, the usual digital coaxial and optical inputs and on the right, the preamp outputs to feed the power amp, which in this case was the Quad Artera stereo power amp…

Middle game authority - the Quad Artera stereo power amp

Continuing with my chess analogy, the middle game comes from the Quad Artera stereo power amplifier. The Quad 405 amplifier was world renowned and this is a modern update of that very same design, with an output of 140W per channel and the warm, mellifluous sound that continues the Quad heritage of high quality music reproduction.

I have spoken about the quality of the Quad Artera amp in combination with another Auralic product, the Altair G1, in an earlier Facebook vlog, which you can view Here.

Endgamers - The Proac Response DB1

For anyone else familiar with the glorious game of chess, these might be considered the knights in the range of Proac speakers. The Proac Response DB1 is a magnificent beast, here donning a beautiful walnut finish. These are a 2-way ported bookshelf design with an 8 ohm impedance and a recommended 20 - 100 Watts for driving amplification.

Here at Audio T in Brighton we are very fond of the Proac range of speakers, with everything from the foals in their range, the Proac Tablette 10 Signatures, to their stallion siblings, the D20R and DT8 floorstanders.

Checkmate . . . A Victorious sound

Worthy of the great chess players, Garry Kasparov or Magnus Carlsen, and providing a sound quality and synergy as rare as a three move checkmate, this threesome really jelled in our listening room.

So my initial listening was done with vinyl with a Linn LP12. Perhaps not the most usual means of playback for a system like this, especially with a digital streaming DAC/preamp like the Auralic Altair G2.1 that has so many inputs for modern music listening tastes. However, the phono input on the Altair G2.1 was a revelation, helped somewhat with a quality turntable like the Linn LP12 combination.

Gling-Glo with Bjork on vocals sounded magnificent. The level of detail and tonal quality on Kind of Blue by Miles Davis was mesmerising. In fact, the sound of this threesome of Auralic Altair G2.1, Quad Artera and Proac Response DB1’s, whilst listening to Stevie Ray Vaughan’s posthumous album, The Sky is Crying, was so captivating, I’d gone into a bit of a trance and failed to hear our front doorbell go a couple of times.

Moving onto the streamer section of the Altair G2.1 proved no less rewarding. My usual menu of the Oscar Peterson Trio album We Get Requests and Gerry Mulligan meets Ben Webster, provided a level of musical insight and clarity a cut above most of the competition and certainly worthy of the price increase between the Altair G1 and the Altair G2.1. Now bearing in mind the fact that the Altair G2.1 composes of a quality phono stage, headphone amp, separate streamer, DAC and preamp plus a reliable app to service its functionality, it seems a veritable bargain.

Post Game review

The three musketeers discussed; Auralic Altair G2.1, Quad Artera and Proac Response DB1’s should really include D’Artagnan as well, in the form of the Linn LP12, given its significant contribution to the sound via the Auralic’s phono input. This system proved to be a sonic “coup de gras”, providing great flexibility and fine synergy in its sonic prowess. This isn’t always a given in the hifi world and returning to my chess analogy, similar to many games of chess that I’ve played, where pieces just seem to get in the way of each other and the ensuing stalemate that arises, this is one of those rare occasions where this doesn’t happen, cutting through to the core of musical pleasure just like Magnus Carlsen would if he played chess against me.

A quick addendum to this will be that we’ve added the Proac Response DB1’s to our demo range of speakers, such was the enjoyment they provided during the course of our audition of this system.

Thanks for reading - Ade - Audio T Brighton

Keep up to date with everything that’s happening at Audio T Brighton by following us on Facebook and Instagram

Auralic can be found at the following Audio T stores -

Quad can be found at the following Audio T stores -

Proac can be found at the following Audio T stores -

BRIGHTON

Linn can be found at the following Audio T stores -

AUDIO T - THE UK's OLDEST INDEPENDENT SPECIALIST HI-FI RETAILER

December 15, 2021

The Fabled Faber's Fascinating Fine Sound - Olympica Nova I

December 15, 2021/ Audio T Bristol/ Bristol

Italian manufacturers have always been famous for their iconic designs. A visit to the Haynes International Motor Museum proves this. Exemplified by many, all time classics; the Bristol 401, Alfa Romeo 2000, Aston Martin DB6, Jenson Interceptor, Bentley Continental & far too many Ferraris to mention - all penned at Carrozzeria Touring Superleggera in Milan. But this Italian excellence isn’t unique to the automotive world…

Sonus Faber represent classic craftsmanship.

Here we have Italian flair - like a classic Riva Aquarama Motoscafi cruising the canals of Venice. Handmade works of art steeped in traditional virtues with modern technologies used to enhance creations. Their speaker ranges are referred to as collections, with the Olympica Nova coming in line after the Reference and Homage ranges. There is an essence of luxury boutique that exudes Italian quality, with the philosophy of Sonus Faber founder, Franco Serblin, clearly still bursting through. And beneath the veneer are solid foundations of exquisite sound.

These speakers have been brought to us by the UK distributor, Fine Sounds.

The cabinet's asymmetrical lute shape is an original design concept that allows versatile positioning of the speakers to tune the bass response in any room. Inspired by nature, the lines follow the flow of a circular spiral motion, achieving a more organic cabinet structure.

There are a number of Sonus Faber core technologies that permeate the ranges and are intrinsic to the vocalisation of their creations.

Sonus Faber’s very own D.A.D (damped apex dome) technology is a localised dampening of the tweeter. In a standard soft dome tweeter, apex anti-phase behaviour is responsible for the high frequency early roll-off. D.A.D tweeter technology allows better reproduction of high frequencies.

The “Stealth Reflex” system, is an innovative “para-aperiodic” interpretation of the tuned loudspeaker. It allows reduction of acoustic volume dimensions, providing greater extension in low frequencies response and reduction of distortions, it also eliminates spurious wind noises, typical of traditional reflex systems.

The most significant peculiarity of the Olympica Nova range regarding positioning in the environment, is that the side reflex channel is handed. This means there is a choice to position the speakers with the reflex channel outlet facing internally or externally, according to the acoustic conditions of the room used or personal taste.

Test System

Sources:
Linn Klimax DSM - Qobuz Streaming, Rega Planar 8, Audio Note CD2.1X/II CD Player

Amplifiers:
Rega Aethos, ATC SIA2 150, Rega Osiris, Naim NAP 250, NAC 282

All-In-One:
Naim Uniti Star

Accessories:
Rega Aria Mk III Phono stage, Chord Odyssey X - Speaker cable, Naim NACA5 - Speaker cable, Audioquest Cinnamon Ethernet, Audioquest Vodka RCA Interconnects, AudioQuest NRG-Z3 IEC Mains Cables

Setup & Listening

The Sonus Faber Olympica Nova I do seem to offer a wider stereo image and larger sound stage than expected. System wise - they were well handled by the Naim or Rega setups above. Personally, I found the Rega and Sonus Faber combination had a magical synergy. This could be because of their 4 Ohm rating better utilises the Rega power. However, the Naim amplification with Linn streaming brought forth a clarity and control that really is astounding.

Hifi+ writer Alan Sircom dropped a reference track in a review that runs counter to the ideals of Hi-Fi sound. His argument is best read Here, but in summary - using Electronic music to evaluate a systems performance is counter intuitive, since the synthesised instruments created have no real world equivalents and most reviews focus on 'real' world reproduction of real instruments. Trentemøller’s Chameleon on the album Last Resort, has a square wave bass that has transients impossible to create in the 'real' world. I have tried this track with a number of speakers, and whilst it is unrealistic to expect speakers to reach 20Hz (or even hear that frequency), what does materialise in ported speakers is a chuffing sound in the bass that blurs these transients - some more than others. One of two things happen with this track - the speakers give way to chuffing or the room gives up to rattling and annoying resonances. The bass speed of the Nova Olympica I is full, no port noise with complete room control. And whilst a standmount speaker, it can't reach Mariana Trench like bass - it degrades so gracefully as to not matter.

It's rare that we use a CD Player as a source for reviewing speakers, but a recent expedition to the shops meant that I had a new selection that I was eager to explore. Every Kingdom, the debut studio album from British singer songwriter, Ben Howard, features the track Old Pine. The sparse opening yielded a beautiful separation, solid deep sound stage. The transients of the acoustic guitar superbly handled. Ibrahim Ferrer, Buena Vista Social Club, Marieta- Ry Cooder's production feels alive with a real sense of the live recording space. The voice of Ferrer soaring with Hemingway’s Old Man and the Sea gravitas. Moving through Moby Play, Sir George Solti Mozart Symphony 40, Bert Jansch Black Swan - no matter what the genre - the Sonus Faber Olympica Nova I show their speed and versatility to open up the emotion of the music without any colouration, but a vocalisation that is unique, rare to find and extremely accessible - there is always a great feel of grip, smoothness, relaxed, yet with great detail.

In summary

Like the inescapable magnetic draw of Italian taste, flair, design and shear drooling excitement. This is a sumptuous loudspeaker - think Italian Truffles with a full bodied red - Fettuccine al tartufo served with a smoldering Brunello di Montalcino 2007.

Thanks for reading.

Justin, Max & James - Audio T Bristol

Be sure to keep up to date with what’s going on in store by following us Facebook and Instagram.

You can have a listen to the music we used in all our demonstrations, and test systems in our listening rooms with the constantly evolving Audio-T Bristol Qobuz Playlist - Here.

Sonus faber can be found at the following Audio-T stores

December 15, 2021

FROM PORTSMOUTH TO GLASGOW - A LINN FACTORY TOUR

December 15, 2021/ Portsmouth

When you think of Scottish musicians, you may conjure up such artists as Annie Lennox, Simple Minds or even Franz Ferdinand. But whether you intended to or not, it’s more than likely that your mind has already been invaded by those sulky twins, Craig and Charlie Reid, better known as The Proclaimers. The earworm has already been planted and your belting out lyrics from their best known number “I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles)”… Don’t worry. You’re not alone. Ironically though, 500 miles is roughly the distance from Portsmouth to Glasgow. The very same trip that we took whilst on a golden opportunity to visit Linn…

Once we arrived at the factory, it was straight to business, lunch orders. The most important part of any event. Once those lunch orders were placed, and the hungry stomachs were addressed, it was time to delve into the beating heart of Linn.

Linn was founded when Ivor Tiefenbrun went into his local audio shop to buy himself the best home music. When he got home however, he wasn’t satisfied with the quality. The music wasn’t toe tapping and the soul was lacking. So he boxed up his newly purchased equipment, took it back to the audio shop, and was told he needed bigger speakers. He got home with these bigger speakers, to find the sound was better, but not better enough. After a few rounds of this he had the best system that the shop could provide, and still wasn’t finding the music engaging enough - It still wasn’t moving his feet!

So, being an engineer by trade, Ivor decided to start experimenting with his equipment for the best sound. Rotating speakers, moving the amp and other equipment around the room. Finally he found the sound he was after by placing the turntable outside the listening space and in his hallway. He found that this meant he could isolate any external vibrations the speakers cause that would interfere with the turntable. This gave him the quality in the music source he was looking for.

This was against the thinking of the time. Surely with a system the speakers produce the sound, thus are the most important component? Ivor may have very well struck gold with this concept. The source is arguably the most important part of the signal chain. If something is bad going in, it will inevitably be bad coming out.

This started a thesis in his head, an idea to design his own turntable from what he had learned. The aim was to improve the turntable to be as perfect a source as possible.

Thus the creation of Linn Audio and their LP12 Turntable.

The Linn LP12

The LP12, now being a turntable with over 40 years of design behind it, allowing the model to be the near pinnacle of turntable engineering. Streamlined through the years to include only what it needs to sound the best to your ears, all stemming from that concept that inspired Ivor originally, “rubbish in, rubbish out”.

But wait, the turntable isn’t the true source? The record you place on the turntable is the true source? So to support his new turntable design, Linn Records breathed its first breath.

These roots still hold strong today. There is a sense of quality in even their simplest ideas which brings so much life to not only their products but the atmosphere they choose to create.

The Factory

me and agamemnon (From the online store) styling the latest linn fashion

The idea of bringing us up to Scotland was to open the curtain on their company, to show why they have been successful in the Hi-fi industry for so long. So once we don our fabulous Linn lab coats, it was time to explore.

The factory itself was originally designed in the 1980s by The Richard Rogers Partnership (of Millennium Dome fame) to stand as a state of the art modern facility. Since the 1980s it has gone through a range of additions to bring it into the modern day, but still with the original design at its heart, much like the company itself.

We were shown through the whole process of manufacturing their products, from the humble beginnings of machining sheet metal, the circuitry, the final assembly, to the export of the products. This detail walkthrough enabled us to see the energy that is poured into each step of the process to enable you to bring a little bit of Hi-fi history into your everyday enjoyment of music. Not only that, they rigorously test the products throughout with different aspects of quality control and measuring. Ultimately meaning the product you receive is one they know you will love, one they are proud to put their names on.

Linn Service reference units to compare any repairs to to ensure your product works as intented

When it comes to servicing their products, the data they collect during the manufacturing process gives them a unique insight in the unlikely event that a problem arises. So when it comes to supporting their products, Linn have your back.

And all in all that is the recurring theme around the Linn factory, a very welcoming magical place where the focus is on the people. This is the way all Hi-Fi brands ought to be, music and music systems are a very personal thing, so it made sense to me that at Linn I had the feeling of a chocolate factory or a village in the North Pole.

Talking about the mythical feeling feels suitable as with Linn comes a whole history, with both customers and those who work there. It was mentioned how tone arms made by certain employees at the factory have ascended to legend as they are said to have a superior sound to them, a love letter to the hand made nature of the products.

Furthermore we discussed the heritage that can come with a Linn turntable. The LP12 design has been adjusted and changed in a way that allows any LP12 to be updated to current specification, meaning there are some cases of turntables being passed down a generation or two while still being upgraded to the standard of the modern Klimax LP12.

So all in all, we got a lucky chance to have a look around the heart of Linn and talk to some of the people in charge who keep it beating for the love of music and the goal to pass that down and share it.

Thanks for reading

Jake, Nick and Luke at - Audio T Portsmouth

Linn can be found at the following Audio-T stores

December 10, 2021

ARCAM HI-FI - HIGH PERFORMANCE STREAMING AND AMPLIFICATION

December 10, 2021/ Swindon

Arcam, a renowned manufacturer of H-Fi and AV equipment, based in Cambridge, have mad a very successful career of creating Hi-Fi components for more than 40 years and home cinema electronics for more than 20 years. Here at Audio-T Swindon, we like them so much that we thought that it would be a good idea to show you a selection of the Arcam Hi-Fi we have in store.

Amps, CDs and Streamers… Oh My!

In store, you will find a whole host of Arcam goodies. On the top and middle shelf of our lovely Hi-Fi Racks Podium XL, we have three integrated amplifiers, the SA10, SA20 and the SA30. On the bottom shelf you see the network music streamer ST60 and the CDS50, a CD/Network streaming player.

SA10 Class A/B Amplifier

The tour starts with the SA10. This is Arcam’s most affordable of the three amplifiers. It offers a healthy 50w per channel, 5 analogue inputs including a built-in moving magnet phono stage for a turntable, and three digital inputs (to connect the TV or set-top box to the amplifier). The Pre-Out sockets on the back allow you to connect the SA10 to a power amplifier for any possible upgrade you may want in the future.

The SA10 can be integrated into a home cinema system via processor mode. This option is also available on the SA20 & SA30.

The USB socket is used for software updates and the network socket for IP control in multi-room/ custom installations.

SA20 Class G Amplifier - What does “G” mean?

The SA20 looks very similar to the SA10 but the amplifier offers a powerful 90w per channel rather than the 50w per channel of the SA10. It is a Class G hybrid power amp which operates in Class A up to 12 Watts then switches in an additional power supply that produces Class B for situations that require greater power. The difference between this and a classic Class A/B design is that there is a transition area where both power supplies are operating which is claimed to eliminate crossover distortion.

The SA20 with upgraded speaker terminals and built-in MM phono stage

SA30 Class G - A Full Streaming System

The SA30 is the flagship of the three amplifiers and this time Arcam have added a lot of extra features - First of all it is a full UPNP streaming system, supporting Google Cast and AirPlay2 and all you have to add is a pair of speakers. The Class G amplifier is powerful at 120w per channel and it will drive most speakers without any problem. It is Roon Ready and supports MQA (Master Quality Authenticated - available from Tidal Hi-Fi streaming service).

An ARC socket for the tv and a built-in phonostage for MM and MC cartridges

The TV can be connected via an optical cable or via an HDMI cable into the ARC socket (Audio Return Channel). The aerials for a wireless connection to the home network are supplied and you can connect it directly to the network router.

What music to stream? Stream music from a NAS drive, or a music streaming services like Tidal, Qobuz, Deezer, Napster, Hi-Res audio or internet radio. Spotify is not mentioned in the free Arcam control app, MusicLife, but it works. Simply open the Spotify app, play a song , select the Arcam SA30 - done. Enjoy your music.

What about turntables ? No problem, on board is a turntable phono stage that supports both cartridge types, moving magnet and moving coil.

Dirac Live Room Correction

The built-in Dirac Live room correction technology is there to help reduce unwanted resonant frequencies caused by the room. Download Dirac Live to your laptop (Windows or Mac), measure 13 positions around your room and the software calculates and corrects the colourations.

Two source components - ST60 Music Streamer & CDS50 CD Player/Network Streamer

The ST60 music streamer is the latest edition to the range of Arcam two channel products. This UPNP streamer plays music from services like Tidal (including MQA support ), Qobuz , Deezer, Napster , Spotify and internet radio. It supports Google ChromeCast and Airplay2 and it is Roon Ready.

On the back are four digital inputs (2 optical and 2 coaxial) and a USB socket if you wish to connect a USB hard drive to play all your ripped music files . The default for the output level is set to fixed when connected to a pre-amplifier or integrated amplifier but it can be changed to variable output if you decide to use the ST60 as a pre-amplifier, connected to a power amplifier.

The CDS50 is CD player and a network streamer in one box. and it can be set-up wirelessly or connected to your router via a network cable. The CD player plays CD’s and SACD’s (Super Audio CD), the network streamer streams music from Tidal, Qobuz, Napster, Deezer, CDs ripped to a NAS (Network hard drive) and even from a USB stick.

Arcam CDS50 cd player and network streamer in one box

We hope that you have enjoyed the tour. All mentioned products are available to listen to at Audio T Swindon and if you are interested in an Arcam product that isn’t mentioned in this blog, please give us a call on 01793 538222 or send us an email to swindon@audio-t.co.uk.

Thanks for reading - Stefan & Andy - Audio T Swindon

If you’ve enjoyed this, why not go ahead and read some more of our other blogs, and be sure to follow us on Facebook to keep an eye on what’s happening in store.

Arcam products can be found at the following Audio T Stores

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