Riffs and Revolutions: A Very Different Kind of Vinyl Listening Event!

/ Audi T Cardiff/

As many of you know, Matt from Audio T Cardiff is a keen musician. Recently he hosted a vinyl event in Pontypridd, one of our home counties, alongside the fantastic team at A Strings guitar shop and with sponsorship from Rega. The event took place on Saturday, 28th September. If you were lucky enough to attend, you’ll know what a fantastic day it was—but if you missed out, here’s an account of what went down."

Over the years, our branches have traditionally hosted in-store events that have been highly successful, giving us the chance to showcase and demonstrate our featured brands at their best. These events have always been a real pleasure. But how do we reach a wider, more diverse, and perhaps younger audience, you may ask?

Personally, I wholeheartedly believe that music fans and musicians alike deserve access to a great-sounding hi-fi. Am I right? Of course, I am! Everyone should have a hi-fi that truly engages them—making you smile, even shed a tear, but most importantly, gets your feet tapping. Some of us even know that special piece of music that inspires us to pick up a guitar and master that riff or solo. (Thank you, Eddie Van Halen.)

As many of you know, I’ve previously organised Audio T Cardiff vinyl events outside the store at MEC Coffee, which were fantastic. This time, though, I thought it was time for something a little different.

Time for a little time travel! No, it doesn't involve a DeLorean.

When I talk about time travel, I’m really talking about this event. As most of you know, before my days with Audio T, I worked at a local guitar shop in Cardiff for 17 years. Being a guitarist, I started thinking about organising an event that combines my three biggest passions: music, hi-fi, and, of course, guitars. Musicians are often overlooked when it comes to hi-fi, which got me wondering—how can we bridge the gap between musicians and audiophiles?

Reflecting on my childhood, I feel lucky to have experienced music in such quality, thanks to my dad’s studio days. Everyone deserves access to great hi-fi, and I wanted to show that you don’t need to spend over £10,000 to enjoy a high-quality system, especially for vinyl playback—my favourite way to listen. How could I best demonstrate this? That’s when it hit me—I should reach out to my favourite guitar shop, A Strings.

In the hi-fi world, everyone knows everyone, and I’ve known the guys at A Strings, Andrew and Adam, for years as both friends and a customer (keeping my guitar addiction alive). I asked if they’d like to co-host an event with us in their store, and they were thrilled to say yes. We set the date, and both the A Strings team and I couldn’t have been more excited!

How about a little history about A Strings?

A Strings was founded in Cardiff back in 2006 by Andrew Morgan, originally specialising in guitar strings and accessories. Stocking over 1,000 varieties of strings—ranging from the popular to the obscure—they quickly built a loyal customer base, with many of their original customers still returning to this day. Over time, they expanded to stock a range of leading guitar brands, including Fender, Gretsch, and Gibson.

Fast-forward to the present, and A Strings is now located at 66 Broadway, Treforest, Pontypridd, where they’ve been for the past 15 years. In fact, they celebrated their 15th anniversary at this location on the day of the event.

An interesting fact about A Strings: they have supplied strings and gear to legendary musicians such as Brian May of Queen, Eric Clapton, the Manic Street Preachers, Motörhead, Killing Joke, and Mark Knopfler, to name just a few.

Reaching out to the turntable kings – Rega, that is.

With a good idea of the system I wanted to bring to the event—mainly Rega equipment—I reached out to our fantastic Rega representative, Rob Noble, about promoting the event on their website as well as ours and A Strings’. I also enquired about the possibility of a turntable giveaway, and Rega went above and beyond by generously donating a Rega Planar 1 Eco deck for the event’s prize draw.

Rega Planar 2 with nd3 cartridge

Rega’s God of amplification.

With everything in full swing—the advertising sorted and nearly everything ready to rock—I received an email from Rega’s amplification guru, Mr Terry Bateman, which was a real honour. Terry and I discussed how unique this event was compared to typical hi-fi events and how it bridges the gap between audiophiles and musicians. We also talked about amp design, especially the renowned Rega Brio, which Terry designed and voiced much like a guitar amplifier. It’s known for that rich analogue class AB warmth, reminiscent of solid-state guitar amps.

Terry shared his experiences before joining Rega, when he worked as an amp repairman for guitar amplification, focusing on brands like Fender, Marshall, and Vox. Like me, Terry has roots in the guitar industry and has even worked with notable musicians, including Robin Trower (if you haven’t heard Bridge of Sighs, give it a listen), The Hamsters, and many others. After our chat about amps, music, and classic rock, Terry said he would come along to the event. It’s a true privilege to have someone of his stature attending—as I said at the start, an amp legend!

What equipment did I bring to the event, I hear you ask?

Starting with the sources:

On the amplification front:

On the speaker front:

Cabling: Black Rhodium Intro speaker cables and interconnects.

Hi-Fi rack and stands:

On the vinyl cleaning side of things:

And now the fun really begins.

With the system set up and ready to go in what I can only call ‘guitar heaven,’ we were all set to rock. I spoke with many people about their records, collections, and equipment, and we even did several A-B tests, playing records before and after they’d been cleaned. One rare gem was Andrew’s original pressing of Queen II, and we played March of the Black Queen. Hearing the difference post-cleaning was incredible—the improvement was, as they say, night and day.

We also put the Rega system through its paces; to say it sounded fantastic doesn’t quite do it justice. The system truly demonstrated that you can build a great hi-fi setup without breaking the bank. The event itself had an amazing atmosphere, with rock tracks from every genre filling the space. Chatting with new faces about hi-fi, music, and guitars (my three favourite subjects), spending the afternoon with Andrew and the fantastic team at A Strings, meeting their customers, and having Terry from Rega there made for an absolute joy—a perfect afternoon of rock & roll and hi-fi.

And we have a winner!

A week had passed since the fantastic event at A Strings, and it was time to announce the lucky winner of a Rega turntable! I headed back to A Strings to reveal the winner on Fear’s Friday update. Yes, I did this live, and it went well—it was an honour to be part of their regular Friday video. So, who’s the winner? Drum roll, please... congratulations to Kris Morris!

Kris came by our store to collect his brilliant new Rega Planar 1 Eco deck. While he was here, I took him through a few amplification and speaker options to help him get set up and ready to enjoy his new system.

Are there more events like this on the way, you ask?

The short answer is a big, resounding yes! The event had such a fantastic vibe that it’s definitely worth doing again. In fact, I’ve spoken with Andrew and the team, and they’re keen to host another event with us at Audio T in the near future—so watch this space!

Thank you

A huge thank you once again to Andrew, Adam, and the team at A Strings for co-hosting the event with us, and to Terry and his lovely wife for attending—it was a real honour to have them there. Most importantly, a big thank you to everyone who came to the event; it was a genuine pleasure to meet you all, and I hope to see you again soon!

Thank you all for taking the time to read my blog.

Matt - Audio T Cardiff

Matt and the A String Team

The “Best” Hi-Fi Systems of 2024 for £2,500 - Audio T Swindon Top Picks

/ Audio T Swindon/
The “Best” Hi-Fi Systems of 2024 for £2,500 - Audio T Swindon Top Picks

In the previous blog Modern Hi-Fi 101 - A beginners’ guide exploring the Basics of Hi-Fi Setups in 2024 we discussed some of the key concepts and considerations to be had when building a modern Hi-Fi system. Here, we are taking this further and giving you The Best Hi-Fi Systems of 2024…

…  okay ‘The Best’ will never truly be objectively correct, nevertheless we will be sharing a few of our favourite picks, giving examples of some worthy listening combinations of current equipment out there, all within the £2500 budget (at time of writing)

Read More

“Spin The Black Circle” - The Vinyl Revolution

/ Audio T Cardiff/

Matt from Audio T Cardiff takes a deeper dive into his passion for vinyl records and why there has been such a resurgence in the format and its effects on both the turntables and Hi-Fi industries in general.

With yet another great Bristol Hi-Fi show done and dusted, it’s a great time to reflect on the year’s activities as well as our own setups and systems. And I must say, Wow! What a show it was. With it being my second year working at the show I had a better idea of what to expect, and was mentally prepared for the sheer scale, and it was great to see and meet many of you there again. Some of us took the opportunity to grow our record collections with the numerous vendors at the show, others used the show as the perfect excuse to plan upgrades, and some younger attendees even taking the leap and buying their first ever turntables, with numerous customers starting their journey with the award winning Rega Planar 1. I know I came home from the Bristol Hi-Fi show with another three records and a continued desire for the Rega Naia, which is on many people’s wish lists.

All of this talk of turntables has no doubt got us buying yet more vinyl. Oh the addiction continues!

When we talk about the resurgence in vinyl collecting, I see this as a great thing, encouraging younger generations to get immersed in music and not just listening to it streamed (which is still a great way to listen to music and discover new bands) but to enjoy an album from start to finish. It is incredibly enjoyable.

In my opinion there’s nothing like walking into a record shop and discovering that album, getting it home, opening up the gate fold, putting the record on and looking at the album artwork as we listen to the music. In my eyes, it’s the perfect way to listen to music and I feel that it’s a great thing that record companies are reissuing old albums, giving new younger generations the chance to listen to the classics as they should be, as well as listening to new artists of the day.

pearl jam vitalogy lp

You might be wondering about the title of this blog “Spin The Black Circle” which is a song by Pearl Jam on their ‘Vitalogy’ album. Eddie Vedder wrote this song about his love for vinyl. I highly recommend listening to this album.

Where The Magic of Vinyl Started

Let’s go back in time a little, not as far back as the gramophone but the age of popular music in the 50s. This was a time when our only access to new music was either listening to the radio or going to the local record store and listening to the new singles of the day. Music styles change over time and artists evolve but to me, the big changes started to really happen in the late 60s with the rise of the guitar heroes such as Clapton, Hendrix, Beck and Page, to name but a few.

As consumers, we bought their singles and then their albums as this was the way they were released at the time. Many of us still buy music this way, although sadly there’s very few listening cubicles in record shops these days, but in saying that, some of the small independent record shops out there will put a record on if you ask!

The Vinyl Time Machine

For me, records hold memories and emotions, new, old, good and bad. For instance, this takes me right back to when I was a lot younger, queuing outside Spillers Records in Cardiff when an album was released. I remember nagging my dad back in 1987 to take me to my local record shop to get Guns ‘n’ Roses ‘Appetite For Destruction’. Opening that gate fold and looking at the album artwork while listening to the record and thinking ‘this is a cornerstone in the sound of rock & metal’.

Moving on a little later, I remember queuing up for Metallica's ‘Black’ album in 1991… Yep I was once one of the long haired band T-shirt brigade. Not much has changed apart from getting older and my hair being a lot shorter now! It’s fair to say my listening habits haven't changed. The funny thing is, I will still wait in line for a record even now. It’s memories like these that tie us to the music that we enjoy.

All this talk of music brings up an important question. Why have Vinyl LP sales been increasing year on year for the last 16 years? The truth is, vinyl never went away, despite new technologies coming along such as CD players and then streaming. The turntable seems to be stronger than ever right now. Why? Is it a trend, a fad or a passing craze? The truth is that turntables and vinyl collecting has always been here and the wonderful, magical analogue way of listening to music has never completely ceased. When mainstream record labels opted for digital formats, independent labels, especially those specialising in Punk and Metal really leaned in to vinyl and pushed limited edition coloured variants to encourage sales.

The great thing is that as well as people rediscovering their love for their record collection; younger generations have discovered vinyl for the first time and started their journey into collecting. This discovery/re-discovery of the format has piqued a great interest in new turntables and good quality Hi-Fi to complement it. With customers looking beyond the basic turntables sold in the high street shops it’s no surprise really… Why play a £30 record on a £100 all-in-one player? We all know vinyl can sound so much better!

The Ultimate Vinyl Sound?

A big question asked in store is “can vinyl sound better?” The answer is a big resounding “YES” and the other question is, “Do I have to spend thousands to accomplish a great sounding turntable?” The answer is “No”, you don't have to spend thousands. A great example of a turntable to start with is the Rega Planar 1 Plus teamed with a Wiim streaming amplifier and a pair of Dali Spektor 1 speakers, a fantastic starter system. This system takes care of the vinyl as well as streaming, so you have the best of both worlds. The only thing is, there’s always a way to make things sound even better.

wiim streaming amplifier

One Giant Leap For Vinyl

The possibilities are endless with so many manufacturers out there, it can get very confusing. The great thing is that all of us at Audio T are here to help and guide you. Although my own system is very good I can still see ways of improving the performance, as we say “there’s always room for improvement”!

What do I look at first? We strongly believe source first. This brings the turntable back into the equation as this is the voice of the system. My advice will always be to listen to at least three options of turntable, for instance Rega Planar 2 to Rega Planar 3 or other brands such as Linn and Michell. The other part of your turntable to look at is the cartridge, from moving magnet to moving coil options we supply brands such as Audio Technica, Ortofon and Dynavector. As we know every cartridge has its own sound and is a very big part of the character of your turntable. The proof is in the listening and we can offer you the chance to hear what sounds right to you, as I always say there are no wrong answers.

Taking Care Of Business

One of the only annoying things about vinyl is noise, snap, crackle and pop and not in a good way. So how can we help with this annoyance? How do I look after my turntable? And just as important, how do I look after my vinyl? Fear not, there are multiple ways of looking after your new turntable and keeping your prized possessions such as your vinyl in good shape.

Let’s start with the tools of our trade.

  1. Record brush

  2. Stylus brush

The record brush: Static can be an LPs worst enemy and a good quality record brush can reduce static build up. We offer solutions such as one of our favourites the Audio Technica AT 6013A record brush which has two steps of carbon fibre bristles as well as a velvet pad which removes the dust particles from the record. While the LP is spinning on the turntable you gently hold the brush on the record and the dust will start to collect on the carbon fibre bristles, then proceed to pull the brush toward you off the edge of the LP. The carbon fibre bristles remain straight and can get deep into the vinyl groove. Also available is the Pro-Ject Brush-IT which does a job but our go to is the Audio Technica AT 6013A.

Vinyl & stylus cleaning tools

The next tool to have on hand is a stylus brush. The Pro-Ject Clean-IT is a fantastic little stylus brush for everyday use, again utilising very fine carbon fibre bristles for a safe and effective clean of the stylus tip. With the tone arm locked in the arm rest you offer the brush to the tip of the stylus and then gently clean the stylus by pulling the brush towards you. This brush gets rid of those little bits of fluff on the stylus and helps with the life of the LPs and the stylus itself. If the stylus is very dirty you may need to use a fluid or a gel to get rid of that ingrained dirt. The Audio Technica “Tacky Gel” AT617A is a simple yet effective way to clean the stylus tip, or for a deep clean the tool for the job is a stylus fluid. The Audio Technica AT607A stylus fluid should only be used when the stylus is particularly dirty and should be used sparingly.

Sill Not Sounding Right?

There are a few things you can check such as the tone arm set up. Tracking force, cartridge alignment and anti-skate set up. Wear on the stylus or even wear on the belt which can cause speed issues. If you don’t feel comfortable checking these things yourself fear not, we can help with this. I find there’s nothing more satisfying than getting a turntable playing and sounding like it should. Speaking of turntable setups, we can set up your new turntable for the first time when bought from us, also if you buy a cartridge from us we set up your tonearm and check the health of your turntable free of charge.

Cleaning Vinyl

There are multiple ways we can clean our vinyl collection and no it doesn't involve the dishwasher. On the odd occasion you might find a second hand bargain in a charity shop but the trouble with that is a lot of the time the vinyl isn't in the best shape giving you those unwanted crackles and pops and possibly extra stylus ware. There some great products on the market to clean your vinyl and get it sounding right.

The first method we recommend is record cleaning spray which works really well for manual cleaning. The cleaning method with the Tonar spray is really simple yet effective. A couple of light sprays on the vinyl then using the Tonar micro fibre cloth wipe around the record then wipe with a dry microfiber cloth.

The second manual way we recommend for cleaning your vinyl is a little more fun in the process the Project Spin clean Mk2 which comes with cleaning fluids and drying cloths. This cleaner is really simple but effective.

The third way we recommend cleaning your vinyl is even more in depth than the manual way of cleaning back to the Project brand once again with VC-E2 and VC-S3 cleaners both cleaners work their vacuum system to draw the cleaning fluid and dirt away from your vinyl into the machines inboard tank leaving your vinyl clean and ready to play.

degritter mkii

The fourth way we recommend is more intensive again and is now currently our favourite way to clean vinyl, the Degritter Mk2 ultrasonic vinyl cleaner. This vinyl cleaner goes even deeper again when it comes to how it gets into the groove of the record with its ultrasonic cleaning process. You can alter the cleaning time depending on how dirty your vinyl is. It also dries the vinyl for you and it’s relatively quiet. Although this is one of the most expensive vinyl cleaners that we sell, I feel it is definitely worth its price tag if you have a large vinyl collection.

All of these cleaning methods above don’t just clean the vinyl they can also help with static build up on the vinyl. The other thing we recommend to do after you have cleaned your vinyl is to use a new antistatic record sleeve, which again helps to keep your record in tip top shape.

Conclusion

Music is the thing that binds us all and brings us together because of the emotional bond we have with it. Listening to music still remains very personal, wether it’s vinyl, streaming or compact disc. Vinyl will always be the main listening format for me, that wonderful feeling I still get when I lower the tonearm and the stylus catches the groove, especially when it’s a new record I haven't heard before. If you would like to start your vinyl journey, or improve the system you have, why not pop in and see us and have a chat and a listen.

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.

Thanks for reading

Matt, Nick and Kerrin - Audio T Cardiff

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…

Turntable and Vinyl cleaning products can be found at all of our Audio T stores.

South of England

Midlands / East

North of England

Wales

Nationwide