DALI Rubicon 8C Active... The Future Of Loudspeaker Systems Is Here

/ Audio T Cheltenham/

Here in at Audio T Cheltenham, we can proudly boast that we have the only pair of the brand new DALI Rubicon 8C wireless active loudspeakers currently on demonstration anywhere in the country!

DALI, which stands for Danish Audiophile Loudspeaker Industries, is a Danish (surprise surprise) manufacturer of high-end loudspeakers. The company was founded in 1983 by Peter Lyngdorf and has become one the best and most respected loudspeaker manufacturers in the world.

So what does the C stand for?

Simply put, the C suffix means that these loudspeakers are active… Not sure why they don’t use “A” for “Active” or “P” for “Powered”… Maybe I’m just being picky?!

So what does active mean? Well, the power amplification that powers the drive units is built in to the cabinets themselves. This gives huge scope for improvement over standard passive systems because each drive unit is directly driven and is fed only the correct frequencies that it needs. None of that pesky crossover stuff to get in the way of a good signal!

DALI Rubicon 8C Gloss Black

The build quality and the standard of finish is simply stunning. Our pair are high gloss black but they are also available in high gloss white and drop dead gorgeous walnut (my description, not theirs). Part of the magic comes from the revolutionary Hybrid Tweeter Module which combines a dome tweeter with a ribbon tweeter for an amazing reproduction of high frequencies, with wide dispersion at ultra-high frequencies keeping things crisp and airy. The dome tweeter is able to reach down well into the midrange frequencies, making the handover from the woofer to the tweeter sound more natural and totally seamless. Along with the wide-banded bass/midrange, this ensures the all-important midrange area is balanced, coherent and detailed…..genius eh?

The magical combination of two tweeters

The 6½” wood fibre SMC-based woofer delivers the midrange and bass frequencies fed by one of the two 250-Watt amplifiers. The combination of the low loss design, the wood fibre membrane and the SMC pole piece enables this woofer to work with minimal distortion of the amplifier signal. This, together with the extremely musical Class-D amplifier, delivers audio with excellent dynamic detail, great bass control and a wonderful open soundstage. The use of SMC (Soft Magnetic Compound) has many advantages, but the overarching result is a significant reduction of distortion from losses in the magnet motor. SMC’s unique ability to deliver a high magnetic conductivity and a very low electrical conductivity, gives all the desired qualities of a really good speaker magnet, without the traditional disadvantages.

Close up of the wood fibre reinforcement

The real star of this show is the imaginatively titled DALI Sound Hub. This is where the game really does change. In reality your Hi-Fi system can consist of just this! The sound hub is the starting point when setting up the Rubicon C speakers. The hub is the base for the distribution of the wireless audio signal. This is where initiating the pairing process begins. The DALI Sound Hub houses all the potential connections. With a focus on zero loss, and easy setup. The wireless connection only requires power to be fully working, which means easy change of setup and no messy installation of cables. The wireless connection between the speakers and the hub will even work without any Wifi signal active, due to the direct connection between the units.

The DALI Sound Hub

The sound hub also has built-in controls for Power On/Off, Volume control, Source select, Mute and Speaker pairing, and also visual indications for Volume, Source and Speaker placement. The sound hub remote control is connected via Bluetooth, ensuring optimal performance stability, visual feedback, and ease of operation from a distance. Bluetooth also enables the user to place the sound hub anywhere within a maximum of 10 metres, but preferably in the same room as the speakers.

A connection for everything!

Our hub has the BluOS Streaming module built-in and it can also house a second module to allow full 5.1 surround sound as well. The BluOS expansion module for the sound hub allows multi-room streaming to compatible devices.

For those of you not in the know, BluOS is an advanced multi-room audio technology from Bluesound that lets you stream music from all your favourite streaming services, radio stations, and digital sources to any BluOS enabled stereo system or speaker, using the BluOS app. We just love BluOS…the app is great and it is so intuitive to use… So much so, that many manufacturers are incorporating BluOS in to their own products.

Wonder what this button does!

We have been listening to the Rubicon 8C loudspeakers with lots of music streamed from Tidal and have nothing but praise for their big open airy sound-staging abilities. They are never harsh or bright sounding as so many of today’s newer designs can sound. These are speakers that you can listen to all day long and never tire of. The bass is deep and juicy but always perfectly controlled. The whole soundstage they produce is big and open, extending massively outside the boxes. simply the best wireless loudspeaker system we have heard to date. I have just been streaming the brand new Mildlife live album “Live From South Channel Island.” The speakers set up as DALI recommend which is facing straight out with no toe in at all, So it would seem that DALI could actually stand for Don’t Angle Loudspeakers Inwards!

Mildlife ….get them in your life!

Basically what we have here is a shoe-in for album of the year. Melbourne based Mildlife have released this their first live album this week on the Heavenly record label. The performance was part of a livestream from last March, recorded on location in Port Phillip Bay, an island located off the coast of Sorrento in the south of Victoria. Sounds incredible and the vibes are so strong. Unable to play shows due to the pandemic, Mildlife travelled by boat to a long abandoned 19th century island fort to perform for fairy penguins and abalone poachers. The result is Live from South Channel Island, a 70 minute motion picture and live album where the band masterfully recreate the magic of their live shows, framed by the gorgeous Port Phillip Bay. The album is a beautiful mix of jazz, krautrock and demon grooves and the band has become a word of mouth sensation. Look it up and bask in their jazzy krautrock beauty.

Conclusion

Anyway…. It’s safe to say that here at Audio T Cheltenham, we love these Danish beauties and we’re pretty confident that you will too, especially if you’re ok for space and want a big room filling sound these could be just the thing you need! Demonstrations can be arranged in store and are thoroughly recommended.

Thanks for reading.

Andy, Jon and Farid - Audio T Cheltenham Store.

If you have any questions about any of the equipment featured in this article, or any other Hi-Fi or home cinema enquiries, be sure to Contact Us.

If you’ve enjoyed this, why not go ahead and read some more of our other blogs, and be sure to follow us on our social media channels below…

Dali can be found at the following Audio-T stores

The Demo Process - Listen with your Heart, not just your Ears.

/ Audio T Portsmouth/

Let me set the scene… You’re looking for a stereo setup, it’s the first time you’re thinking about investing in a home audio system, you’ve recently gotten into records again for the first time since the 80s and you’re worried that you are out of touch from the current Hi-Fi technology.

This is where we step in to help

Be it your first soiree into the wonderful world of Hi-Fi, or your latest investment towards a better sounding stereo system - we are here to offer some guidance and ideas for you. In fact, I would much rather take the time to sit you in our demo room having a listen to some recommended products than you take a chance on a product you haven’t heard before. Plus it means we can spend the time discussing your needs and finding the right system for you. Heck we both might even learn a thing or two.

We all know how daunting it can be talking to someone about technology, especially if it’s something you’re not too familiar with. I’m sure we’re all familiar with the famous “Not the 9 O’Clock” sketch…

Rest assured, your experience at Audio T would be nothing like this! We’re here to help. So, for the purpose of this article, I wanted to walk you through some ideas of what to listen to and what to listen out for in a demo to help you find that missing link in your music consumption.

A demo room should be a home away from home…

It’s a safe bet to make that you are buying into Hi-Fi because you love music. After all, these are products you use at home, to listen to the artists you love in comfort and relaxation, or maybe to have a lil’ dance around the living room?

So why would you treat a demo any differently? Well, we’re not expecting to see you do the Funky Gibbon in store, but It’s important to have a think about what music you would listen to.

What would you crank up on your car stereo? What is the first thing you’d listen to when you get home from a long day at work? These are as good a starting place as any to determine what music to listen to demonstrate your potentially new purchase. If the product you are listening to doesn’t perform well with the music you love then what’s the point of convincing yourself otherwise?

In fact the first question I will ask in demo is what would you like to listen to, many say that they are not sure as they have an eclectic taste in music. My next question would be, “Ok, what would you like to listen to first?”. The demonstration process is a marathon, not a sprint. There is little to no point in listening to music you don’t like. So don’t be afraid to ask for the unconventional. Some Dolly Parton, ABBA or ZZ Top, a little Lucy Rose or The Streets won’t hurt anyone, maybe a little bit of Ariana Grande or Nickleback as dessert? And don’t be afraid to listen to the same track more than once.

Your music taste is personal and so should be your demo.

(WE HAVE MORE CDS hidden away)

Variety is the spice of life…

Not to contradict the previous section, but consider some variety in music you’re going to listen to. If you want to fully test what a product is capable of it’s always best to test with some variety. For example starting with some lush acoustic with some melodic vocals (such as Gabrielle Aplin, José González, Jack Johnson or Taylor Swift) will give a clear indication of the overall tonality of a setup, how the sound captures you and will show off detail in the simple vocal. But moving onto music with more layers, with a thick bass and loud drums (Such as Franc Moody, AC-DC, Sigrid, Haim, Oasis - think big sounding songs) will offer a closer insight to how “confused” a system can get, or how well it handles the detail between large instrumental layers. Movie scores from the likes of Hans Zimmer (Dark Knight Trilogy, Gladiator, Inception, the list goes on and on) are a great test of how a Hi-Fi system can deal with intricate compositions.

Going about a demo like this really helps you pick out the details offered by each product, be it comparing different speakers, turntables or amplifiers, or even just a listen to see how the system of your dreams handles a massive sounding chorus, as after all you want to enjoy the music.

You don’t have to rush yourself…

If you step into an Audio T store or into the demo room, there’s no obligation to make a choice. Sometimes when choosing between two products the right choice for you will become clearer as you walk away. Maybe one of the songs you listened to in the demo stuck with you more when played through a certain set of speakers, or maybe you realise how in love with the turntable with the red finish over the white finish you are.

Plus it is worth noting here that, like any part of your body, your ears do get tired. This is something to consider when choosing a setup, as often if the system has too much emphasis on the high frequencies it won’t be suitable for longer listening as your ears will get fatigued. Much like how your eyes start hurting if you spend too much time looking at a computer screen. 

The choice is yours, and we are here to help guide you to the best of our ability- which nicely fits into the next point…

Leave no (Rolling) stone unturned!

We are here to help YOU, so when it comes to a demo leave no stone unturned, if you are unsure or have any questions feel free to ask. We pride ourselves on offering a great experience in our demonstrations as, like you, we are here because we have a passion in music. Some of us are long time music fans, musicians or even just massive technology nerds, so we often are excited to answer technical questions that you may be curious about as well as any recommendations we may have. It is likely we will ask questions about what you listen to and what space you are going to set up a stereo (or home cinema) in, this helps us explore what your needs are, and what problems you may need to overcome in order to get a sound system that is right for you and your home. Equally, if you want to try a component that we haven’t recommended or you can’t see in the store, don’t hesitate to ask.

Although we can’t keep every speaker we sell in shop, we do keep a fair few that we find to be the crème de la crème. If you want to listen to anything in particular, let us know and we will see about getting it in.

We also offer home demonstrations (where possible), where once you have narrowed things down in store we would visit you with a few products to test in your own listening environment.

To Conclude…

To sum this all up, the demo time is for you to use as you want, an opportunity to let your ears lead the way as you delve into the wonderful world of Hifi.

Thank you for reading - Jake, Nick, Luke Audio T Portsmouth

 

If you have any questions about any of the equipment featured in this article, or any other Hi-Fi or home cinema enquiries, be sure to Contact Us.

If you’ve enjoyed this, why not go ahead and read some more of our other blogs, and be sure to follow us on our social media channels below…

Find your nearest Audio T store Here.

Your whole CD Collection in one box - A Closer Look At The Innuos Zen Mini Mk3

/ Audio T Enfield/

Hi-Fi enthusiasts will often have a vast collection of physical music of differing formats, whether it be on CDs, vinyl records or even cassette tapes. Fanatics are well-known to have hundreds or some cases even thousands of these sitting on their shelves. A collection that expansive may be slightly tricky to manage when there are so many tangible items that require maintenance. Ensuring they are dusted, well-organised and there is enough space for a growing collection. With the increasing popularity of vinyl, people are more likely to dedicate the time and effort to a collection, but what about CDs? They’re not the most attractive format to keep on display… Taking this into consideration, wouldn’t it be ideal to have access to your whole CD collection in one place, all while keeping the original sound quality? This is where the Innuos Zen Mini Mk3 comes in…

First, a bit of backstory…

Founded in 2009 in the UK, Innuos had the vision of never needing to sacrifice sound quality for the convenience of having all your music in one digital space, while simultaneously being easy enough for a streaming novice to use. A combination of three core principles is believed to be the only way to achieve this vision, they are:

  • Perfect Synergy Between Hardware and Software.

  • Customer-Driven Research and Development.

  • Open Platform - Integration with the most Multi-room products in the market.

You can read more about these principals here.

The Innuos Zen Mini Mk3 is essentially a music streamer/server which can also be used as a hard drive to rip your CDs onto. The Zen Mini will read Red Book standard CDs as well as CD-R & CD-RW, and store on the drive as FLAC (zero compression) or WAV, either will not compromise the sound quality on playback. There are three different hard drive memory sizes available - 1TB, 2TB and 4TB.

So how does it work?

To get started, an ethernet cable is required for the Zen Mini as it doesn’t connect to the Internet via wireless network. Plug this in along with the power cable and the Zen Mini will come to life. Then you’ll need to download the Innuos Sense app onto your smartphone or tablet and it will automatically search for Innuos products. Once connected to the Zen Mini, you’ll be able to stream music, create playlists and rip your favourite albums. Storing your music is very easy! Simply insert your CD into the disc drive and you will see the app automatically uploading your music.

What’s in the box?

A quick start guide will be the first thing you see when you open the box. It sits on top of the polystyrene, face up ready to guide you through the set-up. A power cable comes in a small rectangular box, which is stored neatly on the side, underneath the first layer of protective polystyrene.

Innuos also include a carry bag as part of their merchandise, which is great if you are travelling and want to take the Zen Mini with you!

An optional, external power supply can be bought to compliment the Zen Mini; the Innuos Linear Power Supply. The Innuos Optional PSU offers a separate linear power supply upgrade to improve upon the sound quality delivered by the Zen Mini, with better vibration and resonance isolation. You’ll find the same accessories in this box as well. Plus, you can buy the Zen Mini and Linear PSU together as a bundle and save a bit of money too! (Contact Us for more information).

To conclude…

So, why not have all your music in one place? Sure, having a physical collection is great, but with the previously mentioned drawbacks of storing it, maintenance and finding what you’re looking for can be time consuming, so keeping it on one hard drive will cut out the middle man! The quantity of music shouldn’t matter as the Zen Minis have plenty of memory space, and as mentioned above, your sound quality won’t be compromised either.

Contact Us to book a FREE demonstration!

Thanks for reading!

Elena, John & Jason – Audio T Enfield

If you have any questions about any of the equipment featured in this article, or any other Hi-Fi or home cinema enquiries, be sure to Contact Us.

If you’ve enjoyed this, why not go ahead and read some more of our other blogs, and be sure to follow us on our social media channels below…

A Tale Of Two CD Players - Cyrus CDi-XR Vs Leema Elements CD Player

/ Audio T Cardiff/

I am currently on a personal Hi-Fi journey, building my own ideal system from scratch. Turntable, amplifier and speakers are now sorted and my eyes and ears now turn to the CD element (pardon the pun you’ll see what I mean in a bit). There are a couple of schools of thought with this side of Hi-Fi, some believe CD is dead and go fully down the streaming route…

bluesound node streamer

innuos zen mini

There are some great products out there like the Bluesound Node and the Innuos range of ripper, hard drive streaming units, which are really accessible and easy to use, teamed with a great choice of high quality streaming services at your fingertips. Myself, I still love the CD format, plus there’s nothing like getting that CD from your local record shop and having the physical item In your hands. This is of course a large part of the thought process when buying music on vinyl as well, not just the sound quality but the tactile experience too. I have a massive CD collection and I feel it’s such a shame to let them sit there gathering dust and also the fact a lot of what I have is still not available on vinyl. I have a love for vinyl, but I be-grudge getting rid of my CD’s.

So, this leads me to looking for a CD player that works with my system and sounds right to me. I’m a fan of good detail and warmth of tone, hence the amplifier I own, the Rega Elex-R.

The Rega Elex-R is a class AB amplifier and very much has that warm tone I desire. As we know there are a couple of ways to go about adding a CD player to an existing system. One way is going for a CD transport with an outboard DAC (Digital to analogue converter) such as the amazing Chord Electronics Qutest which I’m a big fan of. The other school of thought is the integrated route where the CD player has an internal DAC. A large number of CD players out there have an excellent on-board DAC and if you're anything like me struggling for space, this is a perfect way to go.

The question is, “Which integrated CD player to go for?” as there are so many great ones to choose from. I have personally narrowed down my choice to….. (Drum roll please) the Cyrus CDi XR CD player and the Leema Acoustics Elements CD player.

Elements CD & CDi XR side by side

So down to the details of these two titans…

First up, the Leema Acoustics Elements CD player. Leema continues their innovative design with this small but classy looking CD player. With its TEAC dedicated transport it reduces levels of jitter and also has the Leema inbuilt Quattro Infinity 24 bit DAC. The CD player itself is super quiet so good news it doesn’t sound like a tractor on loading up and playing. Outputs on the back panel include balanced XLR, RCA for unbalanced and COAX or optical for digital output. This CD player also includes the Leema lips socket for seamless connection to other units in the Leema Elements range of products. Oh, and I forgot to mention, it’s made right here in Wales!

Leema elements cd back panel

Now onto the second CD player in this shoot-out the Cyrus CDi XR integrated CD player. The XR range is considered to be the crown jewel of Cyrus CD player range and I think they are right. Cyrus XR CD players are amazingly quiet, sporting an almost silent servo loading mechanism which also helps with how this CD player reads the vital information. The principle is to read as much information as possible from the disc, giving you better reproduction when listening to your music. Also, onboard it has the legendary QXR 32 bit 2nd gen Cyrus DAC, giving incredible precision and detail to render the finest output possible. Internally Cyrus has upgraded components along with intelligently designed circuits using ‘counter-current’ methodologies to reduce noise. On the back panel we have RCA for analogue and COAX or Optical connections for digital.

cyrus cdi xr back panel

My home system consists of the following:

Who will be the champion?

So, what music did I use:

  • 1st Metallica: Album: Master of puppets: 1986

    • Track: Orion

  • 2nd Rival Sons: Album: feral roots: 2019

    • Track: Too bad

  • 3rd David Bowie: Album: Scary monsters: 1980

    • Track: Ashes to ashes

Up first, the Leema Elements CD player. This CD player has a real analogue vibe to it. It plays all three test tracks really well producing good detail and real engagement especially on the Rival Sons track, Too Bad. The Leema Quattro DAC converts digital to analogue incredibly well.

Leema elements cd front panel

Up second is the Cyrus CDi XR. Repeating the same tracks gave me a very different listening experience. I found the Cyrus drew more detail from the disc especially from the instrumental track Orion found on Metallica’s Master Of Puppets album. I could hear a lot more of what was going on. For instance I could hear more of the melody from Cliff Burton’s bass, in fact the bass was more controlled on every track. This CD player really lives up to its name being the flagship of their range. The QXR DAC stands testament to what the guys at Cyrus can do. In short, this CD player gave me a really exciting and engaging listening experience.

cyrus audio cdi XR in phantom black finish

In summary

Both CD players are fantastic at their price points, the Leema at £1495* and the Cyrus CDi XR at £2195*. Both brought great things to the table but also very different at the same time. The two CD players have excellent build quality and both have superb DACs on board. For my ear the Cyrus does have the leading edge due to the overall clarity but the Leema does have a warmer analogue sound to it. In conclusion I will more than likely go for the Cyrus. Everybody’s listening experience is different. What is important is that the music engages you and makes you want to play more. For me the Cyrus does this a little better than the Leema and I found myself digging through my collection and revisiting music I may not have listened to for a little while.

Why not pop into our store and listen for yourself and check out these stunning CD players out and tell us what you think. You may not agree with me.

We are currently offering the Cyrus XR series spring trade-in promotion on all Cyrus XR products. You can save up to 20% on the Cyrus XR range of amplifiers and CD players. This offer is running from the 4th April to the 6th June. You can check out our website for details.

Contact us anytime about any of the products seen here or if you would like a demo contact us on 02920 228565 or email us at cardiff@audio-t.co.uk

Thank you for reading

Matt, Nick & Kerrin - Audio T Cardiff

 

If you have any questions about any of the equipment featured in this article, or any other Hi-Fi or home cinema enquiries, be sure to Contact Us.

If you’ve enjoyed this, why not go ahead and read some more of our other blogs, and be sure to follow us on our social media channels below…

Cyrus can be found at the following Audio T stores -

Leema Acoustics are available in our

*All prices, credit terms and interest rates quoted are correct at the time of going to press but may be subject to change. E&OE

RECORD STORE DAY CELEBRATION HERE AT AUDIO T IN BRIGHTON SATURDAY 23RD APRIL 2022

/ Audio T Brighton/

Here at Audio T in Brighton this Saturday 23rd April 2022, we invite you to enjoy a head to head between flagship turntables from two of our top British manufacturers, Linn and Naim.

We will be celebrating vinyl record playback with a selection of favourites from the playlist archives of previous RECORD STORE DAYS.

Clash of the titans...

There is some serious firepower on display here. The Linn LP12 Klimax with Urika power supply and Ekstatik cartridge versus the Naim Solstice with its tailor made phono stage and power supply plus an Equinox cartridge.

Both of these are the “top of the range” models from the respective brands and are close to the ultimate in playback performance from the vinyl medium.

Bring your own…

As a quick reminder, the UK record store day is on Saturday 23rd April.

To book, ring us on 01273 609 431 or email brighton@audio-t.co.uk and remember to bring a few records of your own you’d like to listen to.

Looking forward to seeing you.

Contact us if you have any questions or wish to demo any of the products mentioned.

Thanks for reading - Ade, John and Paul - Audio T Brighton

If you have any questions about any of the equipment featured in this article, or any other Hi-Fi or home cinema enquiries, be sure to Contact Us.

If you’ve enjoyed this, why not go ahead and read some more of our other blogs, and be sure to follow us on our social media channels below…

Entertaining and musical at a lower price - BRAND NEW Arcam AVR5 AV Receiver

/ Audio T Swindon/

NEW PRODUCT

〰️

NEW PRODUCT 〰️

In this month’s article we would like to introduce Arcam’s new audio/visual entertainment hub, the entry level AVR5. AV products made by Cambridge based Arcam are renowned for their build quality and ability to bring music and movies to life, and this is exactly why we at Audio T Swindon love them and they reinforce why we are so passionate about this industry.

Arcam AVR5

The AVR5, out of the box is a seven channel receiver, meaning individual amplifiers to drive seven speakers. Although there are only seven channels of amplification, the top configuration can be an impressive eleven speakers plus subwoofer 7.1.4 set-up (four ATMOS speakers, in-ceiling or upfiring), with the help of an external power amplifier for the second pair of ATMOS speakers. And yes, there can be more than one subwoofer but that’s another tale that we talked about in one of our previous blogs - see here REL 3D

What’s under the bonnet?

Quite a lot to be honest. The AVR5 is very well built and we couldn’t resist to take a look inside.

Can I connect it ? Yes you can!

Arcam AVR5 rear panel

What can be connected? Pretty much everything in the audio/visual world. Games consoles, set-top boxes, blu-ray players and video streamers can be connected via HDMI, digital coax or optical cables. CD players and turntables (via a separate phono box) can be connected to an analogue phono input..

More features are:
• Dolby Atmos & DTS:X 7.1.4 decoding
• 4K (UHD) HDMI2.0b with HDCP2.2
• 7 HDMI inputs, 2 HDMI outputs, eARC compatible
• Ready to use with Dirac Live® room correction*
• ESS 9026 PRO audiophile DAC
• 7 Channels of Class AB power amplification
• Wifi / Ethernet, RS232 and IR control
• Chromecast/UPnP capability for streaming audio
• Bluetooth aptX® HD
• Free MusicLife iOS and Android UPnP and control app
• Supports MQA
• Roon Ready

It’s worth mentioning that the free MusicLife app makes streaming easy from services like Qobuz, Tidal, Deezer, Amazon Music and internet radio.

Sound Check - Music and Movies

Many av receivers sound fantastic in movie mode but they lack the punch and precision of a two channel amplifier when listening to music. Multichannel surround sound versus two channel music - How does the sound differ?

Movie sound can wizz around the room for around two hours, and that’s exactly why watching movies can be so much fun. For music, we aim for a soundstage between the two front speakers and we start setting up home cinema systems with the focus on these two channels before we add the surround channels.

For the best results we select the Direct Mode before we start listening to music. The AVR5 sounds very good right of the box and Jack Johnson’s album “In Between Dreams” and Beck’s “Morning Phase” never disappoint and are a delight to listen to. What a great start.

Now it’s movie time and for first impressions we put on Godzilla (which one? - Take a look at the photo above). This movie and in particular the sound draws us in every time we put it on.

At the end of Chapter 3 / beginning of chapter 4, Bryan Cranston is being questioned and knowing what’s coming to mankind if people don’t listen to him, he tries to warn the scientists. The monster, held in a secure complex, makes loud thumping noises (sounds great with a good subwoofer) while feeding on several nuclear reactors and eventually manages to break free and escapes - At the end of that scene a person breathes through a gas mask and the breathing fades away through the rear speakers.

Wow, we feel exhausted because it sounded like we were there.

The AVR5’s sound and build quality is great and it serves both movies and music really well.

For more information please feel free to book a demonstration and call us on 01793 538222 or send 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 are available from the following Audio T stores

Dispelling the myth around affordable speakers with the DALI Oberon - King of the Fair(l)y Priced Speakers.

/ Audio T Enfield/

As many of you will know by now, I thoroughly enjoy experimenting with a variety of Hi-Fi gear to gauge what equipment will produce the most detail from my favourite music. From CD players and turntables, to amplifiers and speakers, it’s an ongoing investigation that, let’s face it, may never end as most brands are almost constantly releasing new and upgraded models. Working at Audio T has really opened my eyes to expansive world of Hi-Fi and the amount of brands and models available.

Hopefully, this article will dispel the myth that you have to break the bank in order to own a great set of Hi-Fi speakers as we’ll be exploring the subject by looking at a beautiful pair of floor standing speakers that perform well beyond their price point – the DALI Oberon 5.

A COLOUR FOR EVERY INTERIOR

The DALI Oberon 5 come in a range of finishes – Light Oak, White, Dark Walnut, and Black Ash. Mountain Grey grilles are supplied with the lighter finishes and Shadow Black grilles with the darker; Marshmallow White is also available at an extra cost. Standing at 83cm high, 16cm wide and 28cm deep, their striking beauty frequently catches the attention of customers when they enter the store, giving us many great opportunities to tell the customers how well they perform. Most of the time they intrigue customers enough to sit down and have a listen in our demonstration room, and are often pleasantly surprised by how beautiful these speakers sound and perform considering their fairly reasonable price mark. In fact, most customers can’t believe their luck when they discover these incredible floorstanders.

We currently have a Light Oak pair on display in store, and they are regularly used as a “go-to” for demonstrating moderately priced CD players, turntables, etc. The Oberon 5 produce crisp detail that isn’t harsh or overwhelming to the ears, making them a good all-rounder for any source.

The Dali Oberon 5s in Light Oak

One of the first things I noticed about the Oberon 5 was how light they felt when setting them up. There is often a misconception that heavy speakers make for a better sound, but this isn’t always the case… Developments in materials and manufacturing over the decades has meant that speaker cabinets can be less weighty and their drivers often have lighter neodymium magnets which allows the cone to move faster through their higher magnetic properties, giving the speaker a more detailed sound. It wasn’t until I really took the time to listen to them critically that I appreciated that although they may feel light in weight, they are full-bodied in sound.

It was at this point I realised that I hadn’t even thought of their monetary value. So when I confirmed the price, I couldn’t believe what I was seeing given the experience I just had from them. “Surely they must be more expensive, they sound excellent!”. Some might think that because of their modest price-point that they are of lesser quality, but in fact, the award winning Oberon series are DALI’s intermediate range, sitting above the entry level Spektors. After I learned all of this, the DALI Oberon 5 became something I often recommended and demonstrated to customers who came in to store with a certain price bracket in mind.

“These superb floorstanders are right up there with the best”
— What Hi-Fi? Magazine

TIME TO LISTEN

So for today’s listening session, I hooked the speakers up with the Rega Planar 3, AT-VM95ML cartridge and the Arcam SA20 amplifier. I popped on the Michael Jackson 1987 record “Bad” and away it spun. The beauty of vinyl is the way it re-produces the precision and detail of original recordings, which is complimented by the Oberon 5s. For me, there’s nothing like the needle hitting the record and that moment of analogue silence just before the music kicks in.

I didn’t need to listen for long to be truly moved by what I was hearing. The bass was tight, the drums were crisp and you could hear the sound of guitar strings being plucked as well as the notes they were producing. Aside from the detail, the music had so much presence and soul. Being an avid audiophile, when listening to music I want it to sound as close to the recording session as possible, and these speakers did just that. The ambience created by the DALI Oberon 5 is unparalleled for its price-point, not to mention the fact that they are very easy on the eye!

CONCLUSION

It’s safe to say from the tone of this article that I’ve been a fan from the beginning, but it’s important to summarise that all the key features of these speakers truly dispel the myth around affordable speakers, and you can get great quality at an affordable price.

Impressed by what you’ve read? Or need a little more convincing? Either way, Contact Us to book a FREE demonstration!

Thanks for reading!

Elena, John & Jason – Audio T Enfield

Be sure to follow us on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook to keep up with the latest news and offers!

DALI can be found at the following Audio T stores:

We take a CD and travel to Saturn... The Rega Saturn MK3 CD Player/DAC that is!

/ Audio T Manchester/

Our Journey begins.

Rega have quite a history in making well regarded CD players, the Planet CD player from 1997, then the Jupiter 2000 from the year, well, 2000. The Saturn R CD player came along in April 2004 and was equally well received. Since then we have had the Apollo half width case Cd player and the beautifully constructed Isis Cd player from Rega’s Reference range.

It’s a brand new ship.

Just like the rings of Saturn, good things usually come around again, only this time wearing a different suit. Enter the new Rega Saturn MK3, all new but not quite. Let me explain.

Rega have been changing their casework recently, the new Aria, the power supplies for the P10 and P8 and the very cute Rega Fono MM and MC, all look better for it. The casework is very slick.

The Saturn MK3 however, is the first of the full size cases to adorn the new architecture, the new casework and button layout is probably a clue as to what the new range of amps coming from Rega will look like.

Lets take it to the bridge.

You may have noticed the very cool looking CD mech that Rega use for all their CD players. The disc is housed in a fixed position that clicks into spring loaded mechanism. Not having any plastic cogs and gears for a drawer that opens and closes just reduces the possibility of things going wrong inside the CD player. The cover for the CD is reminiscent of the Starship Enterprise, which when closed just glides beautifully into place using a quiet damping method.

The communications hub and engine room.

The Saturn MK3 has plenty of connectivity options around the back, up to and including 24bit-192kHz audio.

There are two optical and two Coaxial inputs, a fully asynchronous USB as well. So that’s five digital inputs for items situated close by such as a TV or network streamer or even a digital tuner and more.

Interestingly the USB input on the back has three LED’s surrounding it to indicate status, so after you have downloaded the correct drivers you can get on with listening to your lush 24/192 files from your computer.

The lights, which indicate, comms, power and data at least let you know if you’re doing it right when they all light up, if somethings wrong one of the lights (or all of them) won’t come on. A great little touch from Rega to help you get connected easily and to confirm that the correct type of data is getting through.

Two Wolfson WM8742 digital-to-analogue converter chips are at the centre of this machine, these take care of dishing out the digital signals to two outputs and of course also do the job of converting to analogue as well. And at this they truly excel.

Communicator check one two one two.

To the sound quality, well, firstly it’s important to remember that this Saturn MK3 is the same on the inside as the Saturn R MK2 from May 2013. Only the case work has changed. However, Rega have refined the build process and introduced stricter production tests and checks, to improve reliability even further. As a result our opinion of the Saturn hasn’t really changed. We have always liked the sound signature from Rega’s Saturn MK2, which is to say that it’s an open sounding CD player with lots of forward sounding pop.

It grabs your attention and keeps you focused on the music, in fact, on our last demonstration our customer was quick to point out these very same traits, and of course he purchased the unit.

Live long and prosper?

It’s also only fair to say that in this time of dwindling CD player sales the bulk of our focus is on the streaming side of things when it comes to digital music, the Saturn MK3 CD Player/DAC and other CD players tend to fade into the background until a customer comes along and asks for a demo. That’s when our interest is usually peaked and when we realise what an impressive bunch of nuts and bolts the Saturn actually is - Which often starts the debate about whether CD is actually dead. Interestingly, according to data from RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America), CD sales have rose for the first time in 17 years. Yep, you heard that right, CD sales have gone up! How long will this trend last? Well, does it matter? Not really, as most of our dedicated customers have significant sized libraries of CDs to peruse from anyway, it’s just matter of dusting off the collection and letting the Saturn MK3 works it’s magic.

The new Rega Saturn MK3 CD Player/DAC is on demonstration at our Manchester store.

Come along and take some of your CD’s for a spin.

Dave, Munir, Mike , James and Haden will be on hand to help.

Thanks for reading.

Munir - 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.

Rega can be found at the following Audio T stores

A closer look at the award winning Bowers & Wilkins 607 S2 Anniversary Edition

/ Audio T Oxford/

Offering power and scale that belies its compact form, the 607 S2 Anniversary Edition features the Continuum™ cone and updated crossovers to ensure exceptional resolution and musicality. Ideal for stereo Hi-Fi or Home Cinema surround sound use. These beautifully built, compact, standmount loudspeakers, represent the starting point of Bowers and Wilkins ownership.

Ideal for smaller spaces, the 607 S2 Anniversary Edition uncovers incredible insight and dynamism in your music. Using the same game-changing technologies as its siblings, 607 S2 Anniversary Edition is perfect for enjoying your music or providing surround sound as part of a home theatre system.

Available in three finishes; black, white and oak, they’re sure to look the part in any home!

So what do we think?

One of the biggest changes between the current version and its predecessor was introduced by B&W a year or so ago, and came in the form of moving away from a Kevlar to Continuum mid/ bass drivers. “But what does this actually mean?”, Well, S2 Anniversary as a whole are less coloured and more lively. Personally, here at Audio T Oxford, we are big fans of these newer ranges, be they 600, 700 and 800 series.

Listening through a Rega Elex R amplifier and using a Naim NDX as a source, we started out by playing Rob Wasserman’s “Ballad of the Runaway Horse”.
This is an excellent track for assessing Hi-Fi: The double bass was taught and controlled, whilst Jennifer Warne’s voice, was clear and powerful, lacking the edginess that some metal dome speakers can exhibit. Having said that, if a customer’s room was more on the ‘lively’ side, I would possibly be tempted to recommend a slightly warmer sounding speaker. However, for more typical rooms, especially if on the more compact side of average, these speakers would be ideal. But as we all know, no two listening spaces are the same, so we cater the best systems for your room based on our expert knowledge. So don’t hesitate to Contact Us if you have any queries.

After going through some of our usual evaluation tracks, we relaxed, chose some our favourite tunes, put the kettle on, and just had fun, because if these speakers are anything, then that anything is fun!

Voices and instruments are delivered with purity and precision. Something that is no doubt aided by the Continuum cone, as found in Bowers & Wilkins flagship 800 Series. Once reserved only for their most revered models, Continuum brings you a cleaner and more accurate performance over the previously mentioned Kevlar material.

At the moment, these represent even better value for money, because at Audio T, we are currently selling the Bowers & Wilkins 607 S2 Anniversary Edition for £399, with a saving of £100!*

If you would like to hear these great sounding speakers, then please do not hesitate to get in touch.

Thanks for reading.

Jon and Andrew - 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.

Bowers & Wilkins can be found at the following Audio T stores:

BRISTOL

CARDIFF

CHELTENHAM

ENFIELD

MANCHESTER

OXFORD

PORTSMOUTH

BRIGHTON

SOUTHAMPTON

SWANSEA

SWINDON

*All prices, credit terms and interest rates quoted are correct at the time of going to press but may be subject to change. E&OE

JOIN AUDIO T SWANSEA FOR RECORD STORE DAY 2022

/

RECORD STORE DAY 2022 is fast approaching, and hopefully we will be back to the pre-covid days of doing something special once again down at Derricks Music.

THE INCREDIBLE WALL PAINTING AT DERRICKS - TAKE A LOOK NEXT TIME YOU ARE OUTSIDE

As many of you know from previous Record Store Days we always try and make it a special event with a very nice system playing for you to listen to as well as having some goodies and a prize give away. Sadly, the last couple of years have put the dampers on the event and not allowed us to have our normal fun, chatting about music, playing some of your RSD purchases and talking all things vinyl.

So this year, we hope we will be back to actually seeing smiling faces beaming after spending silly amounts on gorgeous new pressings!

WILL THERE BE A COMPETITION THIS YEAR I HEAR YOU ASK?

We will of course be keeping the tradition going of giving you the chance to win a Rega Turntable in our free prize draw on the day.

This year to celebrate the 15th Year of Record Store Day - Rega have announced their RSD22 limited edition turntable. These will retail for £299.00 and be only be available to participating stores, so make sure you see us at Derricks on the day to get your entry in to be in with a chance of being a lucky winner. Images of the RSD22 turntable have just been released and it looks a cracker!

50 turntables will also have a secret voucher inside to win one of 50 artist signed books.

If you are like me you have already read the list of releases for RSD22 about ten times and amended your shopping list over and over again, it happens every year but we never learn! What starts off as just a few soon turns in to too many - but that’s half the fun of it I think. Over the years i’ve been chatting to people about the records they have bought while we are doing the competition entries or just general hi-fi chat and have ended up buying more records on their recommendations.

To have a look at the list for RSD 2022 - click here.

If you have read any of our previous blogs or posts from yesteryear at Derricks, you will know that some serious collectors will start queuing at midnight to be sure to get their first choices, so…. you have been warned - get there early if there is something you really really want.

To reward everyone for getting in line so early - Audio T will have some goodies to give away as well. We will let you know what they are closer to the day (but yes - there will be some of our famous record bags for those first in line).

Below you’ll see just a few of our lucky prize winners over the years…

Keep an eye on our social media pages over the coming weeks as we post more about what we will be doing for you at our favourite event of the year.

Thanks for reading.

Nic, Chris and Ade - Audio T Swansea

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

Rega can be found at the following Audio-T stores

Introducing the Hisense 100L5FTUK 100" Laser TV

/ Audio T Cardiff/

Thinking of home cinema but don’t want the hassle of having a projector fitted into your ceiling? Fear not, Hisense and Audio T have you covered.

With many of us staying at home these days due to a global pandemic, the cost of petrol, or even the cost of going abroad we look to our own home entertainment, whether it’s your sound system or in this case your viewing pleasure.

100L5FTUK 100" Laser TV still image

Like a lot of you out there, I am a big film buff. Before COVID hit, one of my favourite things to do was going to the cinema, it always felt like a event. Sitting in a darkened room, popcorn in hand, seeing a movie for the first time on the silver screen… I know, sounds romantic doesn’t it? But with the turn of recent events, some of that romance has been lost.

As I say there’s nothing like the big screen, so how do we replicate that experience in our own homes?

For many people, they very quickly get put off by the expense and in some cases, the inconvenience of having a projector mounted to your ceiling and a massive retractable screen put in, not to mention having a surround sound system of amplifier and speakers etc. Fear not, those awesome people at Hisense have come up with the perfect solution. The 100 L5FT UK-A12, also known as the 100” laser TV. I know what you’re thinking, “ A 100 inch laser tv?!” Don’t worry, it’s a 100 inch screen with a short throw projector.

There is currently is a promotion until the end of March 2022 which can include the amazing people at Hisense delivering and professionally fitting all in the price of the projector and screen. Contact us for more details!

Hisense 100L5FTUK 100" Laser TV

The great thing about the 100 L5FT UK-A12 is that there is no need to have a projector hanging from your ceiling as this amazing piece of kit is a short throw and will sit quite neatly in front of the screen. Dare I say it, but I think it looks really cool too! This system could easily replace your TV as it has some rather good speaker built-in as well as TV tuners and all the current smart functions we’ve come to expect from our living room TVs. And for you concerned parents out there like myself, I'd normally be worrying about my kids going near the bright lights of the laser but this projector has a great safety feature where the laser cuts out when you get too close to it.

If you did want that full surround sound cinema experience, we at Audio T can certainly help. We have a wide range of systems to suit your needs.

On to the technical part…

Ambient Light Reflecting Screen

Let’s start with its state of the art laser engine, which is how the projector achieves its incredibly sharp focus, aided by its X-Fusion laser light. All of these components help when viewing even with ambient light in the room. In short, you don’t need a pitch black room to watch a film. This is also helped by the dedicated light reflecting screen. It has stunningly realistic 4K Ultra HD, giving you that pin-sharp clarity. It is also blue light certified, helping with less blue light that can put excessive strain on your eyes. As I mentioned before it has a great safety feature with its laser if you get too close to it the laser will turn off.

Hisense 100L5FTUK 100" Laser TV DOLBY ATMOS SPEAKER

Laser TV Smart functions on remote

As I’ve mentioned previously, the projector has a built in speaker system that gives you a surprisingly good immersive sound experience. This projector works really well as a smart TV with its Hisense inbuilt VIDDA U interface so you have access to all of your favourite apps such as YouTube and Netflix etc. If you’d like to read more on the specs of this truly amazing projector package, check out our website or give us a call at any of our stores. As we always say, music and film is our passion.

Levelling tool for fine adjustment

The set-up…

In this instance, we set-up the projector ourselves and believe it or not it was really easy to do this. Hisense has a guide which will take you through the set-up of the projector step by step using an alignment tool on your smartphone. (So, if you needed to move the projector it’s easy to do so).

The bracketry for the 100 inch screen is really straightforward to mount and there is lots of room for movement and adjustment, so if you need to hit a stud in the wall or have a small area that can take the fixings this is not a head scratcher. Even down to levelling the screen, once it is up it is so easy with the threaded adjustment as shown in the pic. Once levelled off correctly these metal loops will scoop up behind the screen and be available if any minor adjustment is needed in the future.

On the audio side we have a 4.1 surround sound set up with a Marantz NR 1711 slimline AV receiver and Panasonic DP-UB9000EB1 4K Blu-ray player. Speaker wise we have Acoustic energy AE 520 floor standing speakers on the front and on the rear we have Acoustic energy AE 500 stand mount speakers and of course not forgetting the subwoofer, we have the amazing REL Ht-1205 running as well. So, we have the perfect viewing and listening package here. Why not pop in and take a seat and experience it for yourselves.

Laser projector setup Hisense 100L5FTUK 100" Laser TV Marantz Panasonic & Acoustic Energy

So, what do we know about Hisense?

Originally the Qingdao No.2 radio factory established in 1969, moving forward making television for China’s national defence office, through to making televisions for the general public. In the 70s they went on to manufacturing televisions of well known companies such as Hitachi NEC Sanyo and Toshiba. In 1992 the company was bought out by Zhou Houjian, the Hisense group emerged moving many years on in 2013 Hisense made the first type of transparent 3D televisions as well as making fantastic televisions in their range. Now turning their attention to short throw projectors, we have this fantastic projector package.

In summary

The Hisense 100 L5FT UK-12 is the perfect movie package or even if you want to watch the game or put on your favourite concert, as we say there’s nothing like live music especially when you can experience it in the comfort of your own room kick back relax and enjoy. If you’d like more information on this fantastic projector package, call us on 02920 228565 or email us at cardiff@audio-t.co.uk or why not pop in for a demo of this amazing projector package.

Thanks for reading.

Matt, Nick & Kerrin - Audio T Cardiff

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

Hisense can be found at the following Audio-T stores

Is CD still alive? You bet it is! The Arcam CDS50

/ Audio T Cheltenham/

It is a fact that for the first time in 17 years, compact disc sales are on the rise. The Recording Industry Association of America (or RIAA for short) number crunchers have confirmed that compact disc sales rose from 31.6 million in 2020 to 46.6 million in 2021 that’s a rise of a humongous 47 percent. Revenue was also up by just over 100 million dollars. So the trend is clear and CD now seems to be following in the footsteps of the ever increasing yearly sales of vinyl records. I think this may be partly down to prices of CD’s being lower than equivalent new vinyl albums but also because you just cannot beat the thrill of owning physical tactile media with all the extra artwork and information that goes with it. Something that streaming and/or downloading cannot replicate despite being so convenient.

The CDS50 Arcam’s most advanced cd, digital audio and network streaming player yet.

It is also dead easy to pick up really nice CD’s by great bands and artists dead cheap from second hand/charity shops and car boot sales. eBay is awash with really great albums on CD for just a couple of squids (free postage too on a lot of them) so fill your boots I say!

With that in mind we move on to what has become our favourite reasonably priced spinner of those shiny silver discs that we call compact. The Arcam CDS50. This little marvel will play both CD and SACD. It also has a fab built in steamer as a bonus too but as we are primarily celebrating the resurrection of CD I will just say that the built-in steamer is great and concentrate on the silver disc side of this player.

The anticipation!

The (Fairly) Technical Bit…

In a sense, digital audio doesn’t exist. You’d have to be a particularly dull superhero to possess ears that can decode the millions of 1’s and 0’s that make up your CD collection or iTunes library. Whatever the source – be it a laptop, CD player, smartphone, USB stick – the result is just a vibration in your speakers. In other words, it all winds up analogue in the end.

Arguably, when playing from a digital format, the most vital component is the DAC, or Digital to Analogue Converter. I’ll spare you the bulk of the science, but this is what translates that otherwise lifeless binary code into audible sound energy. Bit-depth, meanwhile, is a key measure of audio quality.

So, if you’re listening to a 24-bit WAV copy of your favourite album through a DAC that only converts to 16-bit, there’s a good chunk of detail going to waste right there. That’s why Arcam have included 32-bit DACs – the most commonly used bit-depth in digital recording – so you’re guaranteed the full aural picture of whatever the artist intended.

One of Prog Rock’s Finest Loaded Up And Ready To Play

The first thing I decided to play was Voyage 34 by Porcupine Tree. This has a deep propulsive rolling bassline overlaid with trippy swirling psychedelia that is immersive and dynamic. Leading edges of notes and voices start cleanly and crisply. There is a wonderful sense of space around all the music which seems to hang ethereally in the air around the loudspeakers. Top end is never bright as can be the issue with many CD players even today. That 32 bit DAC really is a lovely thing!

Marbles the Second Best Album by Marillion.

The next test for the CDS50 came in the form of Marbles, the 2004 album by the world’s un-coolest band, Marillion. A great album and a great recording too. My go to demo track on here is Angelina. All deep flowing basslines and keyboard washes with a great combination of both male and female vocals. The CDS50 was producing a wonderful wide soundstage with depth and height that really did make the speakers totally disappear. I love it when that happens!

Coming Up For A Bit Of Air

Soundtrack To The Virgin Suicides

I was having so much fun with this little listening session that I really didn’t feel the urge to stop so I pulled out a copy of The Virgin Suicides by Air. Now a lot of people think that Moon Safari is a great album and it is, but it pales into insignificance when compared to the prog rock glory of this masterpiece. This whole album is full of demo quality tunes with happy titles such as Cemetary Party, Dark Messages, Ghost Song, Dead Bodies and the truly stunning final track, Suicide Underground. The Arcam lays everything bare making it so easy to fall into a huge soundstage and hear everything all at the same time. It doesn’t even matter what the amp and speaker combination is it just works as a great source component with whatever you put it with. This player was doing things for its price point that it really shouldn’t be able to.

Nice Back Lit Remote Control Too!

And Now The Good News!

If you too would love to cash in on the resurgent CD market and upgrade the sound of your tired old CD Player. Here in the Cheltenham branch we are selling an ex display one of the very same aforementioned Arcam CDS50’s. It is totally mint with box and everything and even still has the protective film on the display. Hurry as there is only one!!! - VIEW ONLINE

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.

Arcam can be found at the following Audio T stores

The Audiolab Omnia – Can You Really Have the Best of Both Worlds?

/ Audio T Enfield /

I was born into this world in 1995, making me a “Millennial”, a term that generally refers to the generation of people born between the early 1980s and 1990s. I, like so many of my generation, have grown up in an era not only between analogue and digital mediums, but also physical and streamed. You could say, we “bridge the gap”, between formats.

I’ve owned a cassette walkman, CD players, an MP3 player and iPods in various incarnations… Over the course of my life, most forms of entertainment have gone from physical to digitally streamed. It didn’t happen overnight of course. Bit by bit the analogue faded for many and the streaming took over, and before I (or any of us knew it), we were immersed in new age technology in many aspects of our lives, particularly in music.

Today, we’ll be exploring the concepts of physical and digitally streamed music using a lovely piece of equipment that’s designed to give you the best of both, but can we really have it all?

Nostalgia vs Modern Day

I’ve often met customers who are struggling with whether or not to upgrade and digitise their current analogue system. They frequently tell me, “I’ve got rid of my CDs” or “My other half/kids want to be able to quickly stream from their phones”, and proceed to ask for advice – questions such as, “What’s the best decision for my system and/or household?” or “Is there a way to keep my current system and just add streaming?” or “Is 100% digital the way forward?” There are things to consider…

Physical media comes in many formats – We are all too familiar with records, especially with the “Vinyl Revival” showing increased popularity and sales in vinyl records year on year since 2007. Even the humble cassette tape is starting to see a renaissance within younger consumers, no doubt in the wake of vinyl's enormous resurgence. CDs are yet to make their comeback, with digital streaming making up to 85% of music consumption, and vinyl records outselling those shiny discs for the first time in almost three decades. Lets not forget to mention MiniDisc, Reel-to-Reel or even the LearJet Stereo 8 Portable 8-Track Player!

As things have evolved, digital streaming has become the most predominant format, with over three quarters of the world favouring it over anything else. This change in trend has meant that the charts are now counted in most part by the number of times a song, artist or album has been streamed, counting this towards their “sales”, moving them up or down the charts in relation to these numbers. Meaning that most songs that have been number one over the last few years has most probably been streamed more times than physically bought.

Contrastingly, it is argued that physical formats mainly exist nowadays as a marketing tool to attract collectors. For example, when the Spice Girls (I know what you’re thinking, “Can we go one blog without mention of the Spice Girls!”, the answer is No!) released their 25th anniversary edition of their first album Spice, it was available on six individual releases of vinyl, five cassettes and a double CD. Hardcore collectors such as myself would’ve bought all the variants (each one a different colour representing each Spice Girl, and a generic one), meaning the collectors have exactly the same album on multiple formats. Of course I’ve bought them all, but they sit on my display shelf purely to look pretty as part of one extensive collection. I only really ever listen to the album through streaming platforms such as Spotify, as I’m sure many others do!

Now unless you’re using streaming services such as Tidal, Qobuz or Amazon Music HD, a small downfall with streaming is that many platforms compress the sound, meaning that the music somewhat loses the life it once had.

So what do we do? Do we scrap physical media altogether, considering how much of the world is now streamed? Or are both able to happily co-exist together? Let’s investigate…

The Audiolab Omnia

The Audiolab Omnia is an all-in-one pre-amp, amplifier, CD player and streamer system, where with just a click of a button, you can choose to stream or listen to your CDs; it even has a built-in phono input, allowing vinyl lovers to plug in their turntables too. So really and truly, all you need for this system are a pair of speakers and you’re good to go! The award-winning system comes in a black or silver finish, and it’s aluminium framework is typical of Audiolab’s modernised aesthetic for today’s living environments. Considering that the cost is sometimes a bit out of reach when buying all of these systems separately, the Omnia has a very effective price-point for it’s capabilities! So, without further ado, let’s plug it in and see how it sounds.

The setup is relatively easy. First, to get it running you’ll need to plug it in with the provided power supply (or perhaps one of the many aftermarket cables we stock Here). The Omnia comes with a remote control, making it that much easier to switch between sources at a distance. I plugged in some Acoustic Energy AE320s and I was ready to go. Although the Omnia has an ethernet connection, I opted for wireless connectivity.

Now that’s sorted, on to playback…

I ensured I was on the “Bluetooth” source and then simply connected through my phone’s settings. I began streaming my favourite songs from Spotify first, then afterwards I switched over to Tidal, a streaming platform that uses the MQA file type. In comparison, Tidal provided a clearer and more open sound quality due to the file types it uses. I could hear that the detail was cleaner amongst the broader ambience in the room. Don’t get me wrong, Spotify sounded brilliant, but Tidal’s uncompressed file types are unmatched. So, whichever one you use is completely a personal choice.

The Audiolab Omnia remote control

Next, I played the same tracks on CD. Once inserted, it’s a simple case of pressing the “source” button on the remote control, and it instantly flicked over to the CD source. I listened carefully to hear the differences, and admittedly, the songs I streamed through Tidal sounded almost identical to the CD, but the latter definitely seemed to have the upper hand. It was that little bit more crisp, open and detailed. So far, I’m majorly impressed!

After a while of listening, switching back and forth between Bluetooth and CD, I became curious about what vinyl would sound like. I plugged in a Rega Planar 3 exact, and again played the same tracks to hear any differences (like I said before, I have every format of this particular album, so I was well-prepared). I found that every detail was brought forward as the stylus moved between the grooves. This time, the differences were extremely obvious! The sound-stage opened up immensely, and I could hear every part of the song much more clearly. The ambience filled the room more, as if the album just gained some more life and soul.

So, to conclude…

To answer an earlier question, can physical and digital happily co-exist together? The answer is most definitely yes. Let’s break it down:

Firstly, if you use a streaming platform such as Tidal (or any platform that doesn’t compress sound for that matter), that is the closest thing you will get to physical format without having something tangible. Streaming doesn’t necessarily have to compromise on sound, so you can find almost identical quality of music digitally!

Having the Audiolab Omnia means you can very easily switch between each source you’d like to use at the touch of a button, so if you prefer to listen to CDs and others in your household prefer streaming, you won’t have to buy separate systems to please everyone, saving you money and space in your home, and everyone’s needs are met.

Speaking of the financial side, as mentioned before, buying a pre-amp, amplifier, CD player and streamer separately to create one big system can be a much bigger dent to the bank balance, whereas the Audiolab Omnia gives you all of that for a relatively sensible price around the £1600 mark.

On a more personal note and bringing this blog full circle, being a millennial and part of the “bridging the gap” generation, I love that the Omnia gives me the opportunity to use all of these formats. I have CDs that I still listen to that aren’t available on Spotify or other streaming platforms, and vice versa, so being able to use an all-in-one system that meets all of my musical needs is amazing!

So, taking into consideration that streaming can provide an almost identical sound quality as physical format, the way our world has become digital but hasn’t totally forgotten about the analogue side of things, the Audiolab Omnia’s ease of use and price point, can we have the best of both worlds? The answer is a resounding YES.

Not quite convinced? Come and have a free demonstration!

Thanks for reading!

Elena, John & Jason – Audio T Enfield

Be sure to follow us on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook to keep up with the latest news and offers!

The Audiolab Omnia and other Audiolab products are available at the following Audio T stores -

Looking back on the Naim & ATC Show Weekend Takeover at Audio T Brighton

/

As we firmly head into March, I thought it would be a good time to look back on our recent February Show Weekend Takeover days. Audio T Brighton was rockin’ for a lot of the time. With DJ Killick at the helm, heads were nodding, feet tappin’ and feedback levels were almost reached! Let’s just say that answering the phone was a bit more difficult than usual.

audio t in brighton showing off their naim and atc product range

It's all in the preparation. . .

I must admit, I may have gotten a little carried away with the adverts for the weekend, but I had a lot of fun with this. Who would have thought that my many years as a hobby photographer and playing with Photoshop would have come to so much use. What did you think of them? -

Don’t get shirty with me . . . .

One can’t talk about the weekend takeover without mentioning John’s, and to a lesser extent, my shirts. It was a silly idea that had a thread running through it (pun intended) of welcoming customers to our Show Weekend event. We certainly had some fun doing this, although Paul was a little nonplussed at his shirts being excluded. Oh well, someone had to take the photos and what a good job he did!

Busy, busy, busy . . . .

As mentioned before, Audio T Brighton was busy throughout both days, with some old and new faces venturing in to hear our top Naim 500 system comprising of a Naim Solstice turntable, ND555 streamer with 555PS power supply, NAC552 preamp with 552DRPS and NAP500DR power amp with 500DRPS. Speakers comprised of passive ATC SCM50’s and Naim Super Lumina speaker cable.

It almost goes without saying, but what a sound!

naim 500 system with atc scm50 passive speakers

System 2 . . . .

Onward to our second system in the other dem area at Audio T in Brighton.

A Naim NDX2 streamer used as a digital source into an ATC CDA2 preamp/CD player and some active ATC SCM40A speakers. A totally different sound, but interestingly preferred by some over the main system. I feel an active v passive discussion coming on!

Horses for courses!

It’s all about the music . . . .

naim solstice playing johnny guitar watson from the album -jazz dispensary “the dank d-funk blend vol.2'“

Audio T Brighton show music playlist courtesy of DJ killick - click to view full playlist

If you like any of the albums shown here you’ll like the rest of our playlist

We can’t end this blog without mentioning what these days are really all about and, if it didn’t exist, then none of this would matter . . . . MUSIC, MUSIC and more MUSIC.

On this note (another pun intended), I have to applaud our resident musical guru and DJ for the weekend, Mr John Killick, whose encyclopaedic musical knowledge would definitely include him on my “phone a friend” list for Who wants to be a millionaire.

Here at Audio T in Brighton, we would like to take the opportunity to thank Dave and Ben from ATC and Jason from Naim, for their valuable time attending our Show Weekend Takeover event. They were great company and provided invaluable knowledge and product support.

In recognition of JK’s efforts and the musical enjoyment brought to all of our lovely visitors over the weekend of Feb 25th and 26th, we have put together the playlist to bring a smile back on your faces and remind you of the weekend.

VIEW THE FULL PLAYLIST HERE

Contact us if you have any questions or wish to demo any of the products mentioned.

Thanks for reading - Ade, John and Paul - 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 -

ATC can be found at the following Audio T stores -

First look at DALI Active Oberon C Series - Wireless Music and Home Cinema

/ Audio T Swindon/

Today we take a look at the new Oberon C Series, one of DALI’s wireless active loudspeaker ranges. Whilst the active version of the speakers are physically the same size as the passive ones, the amplifiers are built in to the cabinets and the musIc is transmitted wirelessly, without loss of quality from a system HUB. This means that no speaker cables run across the floor and the speakers can be positioned almost anywhere in the room (within 10 metres of the HUB and ideally within the same room).

The DALI Oberon C Series comprises of four active speakers : The Oberon 1 C book shelf, the Oberon 7 C floorstander, the On-Wall C wall mounted speakers and the Vokal C centre speaker. The quartet of speakers are available in white, black ash, light oak and walnut finishes.

Oberon 7 C, Oberon1 C and Oberon Vokal C

NO SPEAKER CABLE, MORE FLEXIBILITY - HOW DOES IT WORK ?

Choose a pair of Oberon 1 C, Oberon 7 C or Oberon On-Wall C as your front left & right loudspeakers. Position them in the room, then add one of the two sound hub options. The SOUND HUB COMPACT (for a stereo speaker setup) has one HDMI ARC input, two optical inputs, a set of phono inputs and Bluetooth. You can also add a subwoofer as well.

SOUND HUB COMPACT

The second HUB, the SOUND HUB (for a system with up to seven speakers) offers an upgrade path. On board are two digital optical inputs, one digital coax, two analogue inputs and Bluetooth. Pre-out sockets allow you to connect the Sound HUB to an external power amplifier with passive speakers, and a subwoofer can be connected as well.

UPGRADE OPTIONS

Two easy-to-install modules can be added. One is an HDMi ARC/eARC module for Dolby or DTS up to 7.1 surround sound.

The other one is a BluOS NPM-2i module. BluOS is an advanced multi-room audio technology that lets you stream music from all your favourite streaming services, radio stations, and digital sources to any BluOS enabled stereo system or speaker, using the BluOS app.

EASY TO SET UP

The speakers are added wirelessly via link-connect buttons on the back of the speakers and the HUB. Start the pairing and set each speaker to the correct position. On the back of each speaker is a diagram with 7 led’s and what looks like a little figure sitting on a chair facing a line (which is supposed to be the screen/tv) helps to assign the correct position of the speaker and you’re done. It is really that easy.

Good news for all people with existing subwoofers - The DALI WSR (Wireless Subwoofer Receiver) can be added to turn any subwoofer into a wireless subwoofer - Clever.

DALI WSR - Wireless Subwoofer Receiver

SOUND QUALITY

The Dali Oberon C system sounds fast, fresh and open and this is because of the short signal path between the DAC (digital-to-analogue converter), the built-in amplifiers (2x 50 Watts per speaker) and the speaker drive units. The way the speakers respond to even small adjustments in volume via the Sound HUB is fantastic.

Play music via Wifi or Bluetooth, you can access and share music from a computer, phone, tablet or network-attached storage drive (NAS) or listen to music from one of the many streaming services and internet radio apps built right into the BluOS NPM-2i module.

CAN A TURNTABLE BE CONNECTED ?

Yes, either via a phono amplifier that sits between the turntable and the SOUND HUB or plug it in straight away if the phono amplifier is built into the turntable.

HOME CINEMA SOUND

We have set up a 5.1 Oberon C home cinema system that comprises of a pair of Oberon 7 C ( front left & right channels ) , Vokal C centre speaker, a pair of Oberon 1 C ( rear surround channels ) and the WSR ( Wireless subwoofer receiver ) that connects to the subwoofer. The final steps are connecting a Blu-Ray player to our tv and running an HDMI cable from the screen’s ARC/eARC socket to the Sound HUB.

There are too many great movie scenes to choose from and to talk about but we can tell you this - It sounds very cinematic with all the punch, attack and finesse that we have heard from passive speaker packages before and thanks to speaker level adjustment it is very easy to fine tune the speakers to any room.

DALI wireless technology definitely offers more flexibility for those of us with wooden or tiled floors and more importantly, without compromises on sound quality.

We hope that you have enjoyed this blog. If you are interested in an DALI 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.

DALI products are available from the following Audio T stores -

PMC, Arcam & JVC Take-Over Weekend

/ Audio T Enfield/

Well, we have some new dates for your diary! Sadly, due to Covid (again), the Bristol Hi-Fi show has been cancelled. However, no need to fret! Over the weekend of 25th & 26th February, the Enfield store will be host to Hi-Fi and AV icons – PMC, JVC & Arcam! Tom Barron from PMC, James Buckle from Arcam/Harman and Larry Sadoo from JVC will kindly be joining us for the event, showcasing some of their top of the range equipment. As with our recent Cyrus Experience Tour, we will be booking one hour time-slots for our lovely customers to have a safe one-to-one experience. We have limited spaces available, so if you don’t want to miss the chance, give us a call or drop us an email to secure your spot!

PMC

The Professional Monitoring Company, better known as PMC, was founded in 1991 by Peter Thomas (previously of the BBC) and Adrian Loader (previously of FWO Bauch, an audio distributor). The products are widely used in domestic and professional settings, as well as other hi-fi applications. Notably, their very first speaker, the BB5A, has been used in recording studios by legendary artists such as Prince and Stevie Wonder, subsequently winning an Emmy Award in recognition of its “contribution to recording excellence”.

All of PMC's loudspeakers feature "Advanced Transmission Line" technology. This is a method of loading a drive unit in a cabinet such that undesirable frequencies radiating from the rear of the speaker driver are absorbed. Within the cabinet, the speaker is positioned at the end of a folded line lined with foam of varied absorbency. Low frequencies are permitted to flow through the line and emerge in phase from a vent on the cabinet's front or back face, therefore functioning as a second bass driver. The higher bass and midrange are not masked by harmonic distortion because the undesired bass frequencies are absorbed.

Arcam

A&R Cambridge, more commonly known as Arcam, was founded in 1976 by University of Cambridge science and engineering students Chris Evans and John Dawson. Through its American subsidiary Harman International Industries, it has been a part of the South Korean firm Samsung Electronics since July 2017. The earliest activities of its founders, were represented in the name 'Amplification & Recording, Cambridge,' which was later simplified to 'A&R Cambridge.' Its products include anything from integrated stereo amplifiers to high-performance AV processors, music players, and a variety of other small lifestyle items.

Learn more about their engineering and timeline of products here.

JVC

JVC (short for Japan Victor Company) is a Japanese brand owned by JVCKenwood corporation and previously by the Victor Company of Japan Limited. In 1927 the company was founded and is now best known for introducing Japan's first televisions, and (a treat for you 80s and 90s babies) developing the Video Home System (VHS) video recorder.

JVC are also known for co-developing the KS2 information processing technology, alongside Victor Entertainment (formerly known as Victor Studio of Victor Music Industries). The KS2 technology enhances sound quality of digital sound sources, and includes a variety of unique technologies, including waveform data analysis technology that varies from moment to moment in the data space. The technique was created through several rounds of testing and auditioning by Victor Studio engineers, who are professionals in music and sound production.

The Take-Over

Tom will be here on both the Friday 25th and Saturday 26th, ready to show off some great PMC products. Particularly within the Twenty5 range, we will have a variety of speakers set up ready for demonstration, including a pair Twenty5 26is, and no doubt that Tom will deliver some great talk-throughs considering his level of expertise within PMC!

James will be in attendance on Friday 25th February showcasing some of Arcam’s most well-known products. The AVR30 will be set up with Dirac live, including the multiple subs bass management module. As with Tom, James’ knowledge of Arcam will definitely ensure customers make informed decisions relative to their existing systems.

Larry is joining us on Friday 25th February and will be offering his expertise to deliver some great demonstrations and answer any questions you may have. Currently, we have the DLA-N5BE projector set up in our big demonstration room, ready for home-cinema enthusiasts to take a seat and enjoy what they see & hear.. We have a great selection of Blu-ray movies, so you can choose your favourite genre and see it brought to life on this amazing piece of equipment!

Don’t miss your chance to be here in person! There are 2 days to choose from so give us a call or drop us an email to book yourself in!

Thanks for reading!

Elena, John & Jason – Enfield branch

Be sure to follow us on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook to keep up with the latest news and offers!

PMC is available at the following stores:

BRIGHTON

BRISTOL

CARDIFF

ENFIELD

PORTSMOUTH

SOUTHAMPTON

SWINDON

Arcam is available at the following stores:

CHELTENHAM

ENFIELD

SOUTHAMPTON

SWINDON

ONLINE STORE

JVC is available at the following stores:

ENFIELD

PORTSMOUTH

SOUTHAMPTON

The Artisans meet the Legends of HiFi Sound - Sonus faber & McIntosh Weekend at Audio T Bristol

/

With the return of the Bristol HiFi Show postponed - Audio T Bristol welcomes Sonus Faber and McIntosh to the HiFi Show takeover over of our Audition Rooms.

Every year for the last 35 years the Bristol HiFi show, the largest and longest running HiFi & home cinema show in the UK, has welcomed over a million visitors and played host to the world's best HiFi manufacturers.

Music is the soundtrack to our lives and High Fidelity means better sound reproduction of your favourite music - transporting you emotionally and connecting you with the worlds finest songwriters, composers and musicians.

The FREE Event is on the 25th & 26th Feb at the Audio T Bristol Shop on Park Street. Joe Gormley & Matt Peddle, from Finesounds UK (distributor of Sonus faber & McIntosh) will be on hand to introduce this very special showcase we have for you and to answer your questions.

Here is a little history of Sonus faber and McIntosh and a breakdown of what will be in our rooms:

Sonus faber

From the Latin meaning "Artisan of Sound" Sonus faber was founded by the legendary Franco Serlin in 1983, headquarters in a small laboratory in Monteviale, on the hills of Vicenza.

Sonus faber has spent over 35 years refining old-world techniques and incorporating cutting-edge technology into their loudspeaker designs. Focusing on a core philosophy of creating an experience which is emotional, natural and free of listener's fatigue, Sonus faber loudspeakers have become known throughout the world for their physical and sonic beauty.

McIntosh

Founded in 1949, McIntosh is known for offering distinguished home audio systems that deliver the ultimate experience in music and film. McIntosh continues to define the ultimate home audio entertainment experience for discriminating listeners around the world. With a McIntosh home stereo system or home cinema , listeners have the ability to create their own luxury audio experience – and truly live their music.

What’s in Store?

Large Dem Room

Sonus faber Amati Homage

McIntosh C53 Pre Amp

McIntosh MC462 Power Amp

Small Dem Room

Sonus faber Sonetto/Lumina

McIntosh MA252

Shop Floor

Shop Floor

Sonus faber Olympica Nova I & III

McIntosh MA1200

Did we mention? - IT’S FREE!

Come and experience great HiFi over a two day event - call or email the shop to book your slot. We look forward to seeing you.

“Music’s Finest Conductor” – Audio Note (UK) take over at Audio T Reading

/ Audio T Reading/

As we have all come to know over the years, February is an exciting time in the Hi-Fi event calendar, we have the Bristol show organised by Audio T where we get to see and more importantly, hear the best, brightest and newest gear from the classic brands we love as well as any new brands on the block. Last year the show made the difficult decision to cancel due to COVID-19 and sadly the same for this year, but fear not! Audio T have come up with the solution. Each of our branches will be hosting a mini show over two days of Friday 25th and Saturday 26th of February. 

Each of our stores have chosen some of our favourite brands which we carry in our inventory to showcase. You can see what all the other stores are up to Here.

The Reading offering

At Audio T Reading, we have chosen one of our premium brands – Audio Note (UK).

You may remember that an Audio T team visited the Audio Note factory way back in August 2021 (You can read the blog here). Well, some of the Audio Note team will now be visiting us here in Reading! You will have the opportunity to ask them first about the Audio Note engineering and design philosophy and a chance to hear the stunning music making that their bespoke systems are capable of. 

Specifically, the Audio Note team will be headed by Micky Seaton.

Micky will be demonstrating one of their high-end bespoke systems in our exclusive Audio Note demonstration room (maximum 2-3 people at any one time). The Audio Note demo room will be on an appointment only basis so please contact us at our Reading shop for your slot, either ring us on 0118 958 5463 or email us at reading@audio-t.co.uk to book your place! 

We will also have a more entry level, but still superb, Audio Note systems set up on our front of shop playing consistently, and not subject to appointment 

Both systems will remain in place for a further 14 days, in case you cannot make it on 25th or 26th February

We will be demonstrating

The AN Demo room kit:

A view of our Audio note demo room showing the TT3 and power supply, cd3.1 Mkii, and Meishu tonmeister & AN e ‘speakers

  •  TT3 turntable

  • CD player

  • Meishu Tonmeister or M3 preamplifier/Conquest mono blocks

  • AN-E speakers

  • Audio Note cables & interconnects

The Front of Shop kit:

The audio note Cobra integrated amplifier and Dac

  • CD Player

  • Cobra Integrated amplifier

  • AN-K speakers

  • Audio Note cables & interconnects

Audio Note background and philosophy

Audio Note’s tagline is “Music’s Finest Conductor”.

Founded in 1989 by Peter Qvortrup, Audio Note (UK)’s primary focus has always been on crafting equipment that faithfully reproduces the uniqueness of any recording, while retaining the music’s emotional engagement and impact, regardless of the quality, style, and era of the recording. This desire stems from Peter’s profound love of music and record collecting and has been informed by his deep knowledge of audio history, and keen interest in science and philosophy.

This is what Audio Note (UK) say about themselves and their philosophy:

“Pursuing this has lead Audio Note (UK) to become something of a maverick in the audio industry. Early on, we realised that the only way to truly achieve the best possible audio quality was to insist on making everything ourselves. This led to the development of a full range of products, from valve amplifiers to high efficiency speakers, turntables to DACS, MC Cartridges to CD players, all hand assembled using in house and custom-made components of our own design and specification

Through our own research and development, we have investigated and implemented many unorthodox design choices in our product range, from single ended, class A Zero-Feedback circuits, to removing the digital filtering and data in our CD players and DACS, to our wideband ‘speakers, that are designed to work in the room rather than against it. Preferring to trust our own ears and Peter’s “comparison by contrast” method for evaluating audio quality, rather than relying on conventional ‘Hi-Fi’ measuring criteria, every Audio Note (UK) product is carefully listened to and voiced and has been specifically engineered for sonic performance rather than technical specification. 

Through this painstaking and rigorous work and our commitment to honour the recorded musical heritage of mankind, Audio Note (UK) has created equipment that offers unparalleled, insightful, and more meaningful home listening experience, be it Classical, Jazz, Jamaican Dancehall, Japanese Noise Rock, or 78rpm transfers. We commend our philosophy to the future...”

Invitation 

Our Audio Note demo room

Come and be amazed by the Audio Note (UK) experience. You will be entranced by the quality, dynamics and reality of the music conveyed through these astounding systems. 

Thanks for reading

Rob & Gareth - Audio T Reading

Be sure to follow us on Facebook to stay up to date with what’s going on in store.

Audio Note can be found at the following Audio T stores:

Dynaudio, Marantz and Bluesound take over Audio T Oxford

/ Audio T Oxford/

Sadly, due to the Omicron variant, there will be no Bristol Hi-Fi show this year. Instead, Audio T will be running a series of branch based shows hosting some of our favourite brands.

Here at Audio T Oxford, we will have offerings from Marantz, Dynaudio and Bluesound. These will be shown in our demonstration room and on the shop floor; over both the 25th and 26th February.

What you can expect here in Oxford

Firstly, one lucky visitor will receive an amazing prize of a Bowers and Wilkins Zeppelin Wireless speaker, worth £699! So how you do you win? Simply come along and join us! We’ll also have a host of exclusive promotions and discounts on almost all products in store.

Demonstration room


Marantz flagship SACD player, and arguably the best one box CD player money can buy; the SA10.

Marantz Model 30 amplifier. This gorgeous integrated amplifier sits near the summit of what Marantz can offer.

Dynaudio Contour 30i speakers. Reassuringly expensive and absolutely fabulous sounding loudspeakers, that are of a manageable size for most UK rooms.

Shop floor

Marantz SACD 30 SACD player: Using trickle down technology from Marantz’s flagship SA10. This state of the art SACD player also allows for streaming connectivity.

Following on, from the luxurious Model 30; we will have the first public viewing of the Marantz Model 40n streaming amplifier. This brand new, just attach speakers amplifier has all the connectivity that you could possibly wish for, including multiple streaming sources, Bluetooth, AirPlay 2, ARC and a moving magnet phono stage.

Dynaudio Contour 20i speakers. Everything that you could possibly hope to expect from a premium loudspeaker, in a compact box.

Also on the shop floor, we will have the versatile range of streaming products from Bluesound:

Bluesound streaming products are easy to use, have a great App, but most importantly, sound fantastic!


Bluesound Node streamer.
Bluesound Powernode streaming amplifier.
Bluesound Vault 2i ripper/ streamer.
Dynaudio Emit 10 speakers

Be sure to Contact us to book your FREE appointment. We look forward to seeing you in store.

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.

MONITOR AUDIO & ROKSAN TAKEOVER AUDIO T ON BRISTOL SHOW WEEKEND

/ Audio T Swansea/

Sadly, with the Bristol Hi-Fi Show has had to be cancelled for the second year running. But the great news is that Audio T has invited a selection of the best manufacturers of Hi-Fi and Home Cinema to takeover our stores and showcase the latest and greatest from the industry. Here at Swansea we are very pleased to be welcoming Monitor Audio and Roksan to showcase their wonderful range of loudspeakers and electronics.

Friday 25th & Saturday 26th February we will be showcasing a wide range of products from both manufacturers. We are offering personal thirty minute auditions throughout the weekend where you will have either one of our demo rooms to yourself to listen to your own CDs or LPs (we will have network players as well). We’ll also have a whole host of promotions and exclusive discounts on countless products in store.

Jon Bennet - Business Development Manager of Monitor Audio will be on hand all weekend to answer any questions and give you a guided tour of their product line up.

So…… what are you going to be able to hear?

Let’s start with the reference system that will be playing in our newly refurbished ground floor demo room:

Starting with the stunning Roksan Xerxes 20 plus turntable and Caspian CD as our main source components, they will be going through the Caspian integrated amplifier as well as the Caspian Power amplifier. This will be an opportunity to hear the difference between a single and a bi-amped system.

The loudspeakers will be the incredible Monitor Audio Gold 300 floorstanders, which as many of you will already know are one of Nic’s favourite range of speakers. The Gold series have always had a reputation for their flawless construction and finish. You can see from some of the images of the Monitor Audio range that the fit and finish really is industry leading.

In the upstairs demo room we will be playing the Roksan Blak CD and amplifier with the Silver and Gold loudspeakers. We will have the Silver 100 7G stand mount and Silver 2007G floordstanders as well as the Gold 100 stand mount and Gold 200 floorstander. We are often asked what improvements you hear between the same model but in the next range up, so this will be another great opportunity to hear it for yourself with either models.

On the ground floor we will be playing the all new Attessa Turntable and Streaming amplifier. The Attessa Streaming amplifier features the BluOS streaming system making it completely controllable from your smartphone. The Turntable is an all in one plug and play package including tonearm, cartridge and built-in phono stage. The Attessa is a beautifully designed system with very simple controls making it very easy to use. Some design features, like the turntable and amplifer having exactly the same size footprint also make the products look very elegant along side each other, so getting away from the “pile of black boxes” for the more contemporary look.

How to book your appointment…

You can call the shop on 01792474608 or email us at swansea@audio-t.co.uk or call in to book your appointment.

30 minute slots available in either demo room from 10am through to 4pm each day. (We would ask for two people maximum in each demo room if you were thinking of coming with friends at the same time.)

We already have a few appointments booked so don’t delay and get in touch as soon as possible.

For details on what our other branches are showing click here.

We look forward to seeing you for this special event.

Thanks for reading.

Nic - Audio T Swansea

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

Monitor Audio can be found at the following Audio T stores -

Roksan can be found at the following Audio T stores -