September 16, 2020

The Brand New Denon AVC-X 4700H - See What the latest AV Amplifier has to offer!

September 16, 2020/ Oxford

Here is the new Denon AVC-X 4700H, which offers a 9.2 200w per channel setup and gives you access to Dolby Atmos, DTS:X, IMAX Enhanced audio and 8K/60Hz 4K/120Hz visuals. HDMI 2.1 is also supported on one input. With a total of 7 hdmi inputs it is more than capable of supporting a larger setup of blu-ray players, games consoles and TV boxes. Dynamic HDR, HDR10+ and eArc mean you will get the excellent picture quality you want in order to enjoy the films you watch and the games you play.

Accessibility from a phone or tablet is easy and vast, with the inbuilt HEOS allowing you to stream high quality audio from services like Tidal or Amazon Prime Music. Airplay2 is a welcome feature for any Apple user, plus the 4700H is Roon tested and is compatible with Bluetooth. For the analogue music lovers the Denon has a phono input, a tuner input and 5 other assignable analogue inputs. Audyssey, helpful if you have a room with a less than ideal arrangement, works well and can help improve the sound quality when used correctly. The 4700H is also voice assistant compatible with Alexa, Google Assistant and Siri, so no matter which one you use the Denon will have you covered.

The design of the front panel is sleek and minimalistic, with just the input selection, volume, power button and screen visible. There are some quick select options, including USB and a headphone jack, hidden behind a front panel for easy navigation, for those times when you can’t seem to find the remote. The unit itself is solid and feels well built, but is a little lighter compared to other AV amplifiers, making installation and any future rearrangement a bit easier on the lower back.

Denon has a long history in Hi-fi dating back over a century, they pride themselves on the quality of their work, this shows in how their products improve year after year. They are usually among the first to implement new technology, as shown by the addition of 8k to their newest range of AV amplifiers, and having it work seamlessly straight out of the box.

The setup step by step guide is very helpful and straight forward and walks you through every aspect, even including how to strip the speaker cable. This makes it accessible to newcomers starting their very first home cinema. Speaker configuration, distances and levels are quick and easy to set, so you can be sure you get the best sound from all your speakers. Pretty much everything is customisable, from how bright the front display is, the names of each of the inputs, to the EQ of the speakers.

Listening to Tidal through the Heos app was not only simple but it also sounded really good. Without the need to drive a centre or surround speakers the 4700H becomes a very powerful stereo amp, capable of driving even some less than forgiving speakers. With a pair of Dynaudio Evoke 30’s attached, the price difference being a concern, I was expecting a sound that was lacking in cohesion and range, but I was delighted to hear that Solange’s ‘Don’t Touch My Hair’ had clear, melodic vocals and an impactful but controlled bass. The phono input is adequate, but add on an external phono-stage matched to your turntable and it will finish the package off beautifully. In terms of surround sound with movies, we set up a Monitor Audio Silver and Rel 5.1.4 system,and it sounded marvellous. Voices were clear, soundtracks weren’t overpowering and with the atmos speakers turned up slightly the overhead effects during action sequences were exciting and added so much to the overall experience. Finish it off with a good sub, or two, and you can have an excellent home cinema experience without breaking the bank or compromising on quality.

The Denon AVC-X 4700h and the other’s in the range are available at all Audio-T branches. If you would like a demo of this or any other of our selected products make sure to drop us an email or give a ring to book your appointment.

Jon and Luke - Audio-T Oxford

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October 25, 2019

The Deconstruction (No pun intended) Of Queen's 'Somebody To Love' Used By A Customer Choosing His New HiFi.

October 25, 2019/ Oxford

The other day, we had a customer, who happened to be a both a huge Queen fan and an ardent drummer. During conversation, he admitted that when listening to music, he always tuned into and appreciated the drums. if the drums weren’t doing it for him, then the system didn’t either!

I’m a big fan of radio or TV programmes that ‘dissect’ classic (normally) rock tracks and I love to hear how they were created and assembled. It occurred to me, that it might be a useful exercise to listen to how exactly Roger Taylor plays the drums. It is, however the only time that I have listened to one such piece as part of a customer demonstration

Christian James Hand is a Californian DJ who does just that. He runs a whole series of radio programmes that analyse classic rock tracks and one of these looked at the composition of ‘Somebody to Love’ (Freddie’s favourite Queen song). We listened, in isolation, to Roger’s hard hitting, repetitive bass drum beats, ending with that great crescendo and used this as a reference point for when listening to the track as a whole.

We started off with a mid-price Japanese separates system but this just wasn’t cutting the mustard. After a couple of changes, we decided to up the budget and focus on a system that really majors on timing: Settling on the new Naim Nait XS3 amplifier with the Naim ND5 XS2 Network Streamer as a source, accompanied by Dynaudio Evoke 30 speakers.

Wow! suddenly the separation of each instrument became clear, but with all of them (along with Freddie’s amazing voice), both gelling and timing perfectly. For the customer, it was a revelation, and one that he could not do without. The system is now ordered and waiting to be installed in his home.

Whether you are a musician or not, you may well find Christian Hand’s programmes interesting. Please click on the link to hear how the song that we used, sounds, when it is stripped down to its very bare essence.

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

Dynaudio loudspeakers are available at the following branches of Audio T: Brighton, Bristol, Cheltenham, Manchester, Online, Oxford, Portsmouth, Preston, Reading, Southampton, Swansea, Swindon

May 21, 2019

New Dynaudio Evoke Loudspeakers at Audio T Oxford

May 21, 2019/ Oxford

Dynaudio have now launched the Evoke series: This brand new, five speaker range, takes advantage of technology from their ultra-high-end Confidence models.

The sound has been optimized at Dynaudio’s, state of the art Jupiter lab. You really need to listen to them, to hear how good they sound!

The Cerotar tweeter is a totally new design, heavily based upon that of the money-no-object Confidence series. The Esotec+ woofers, feature improved magnets and surrounds, that improve both frequency response and low range dynamics.

Every single part of the speaker design has been addressed: Solid build, finish and quality, all go part and parcel, with these exceptional loudspeakers.

These new model Dynaudio Evoke speakers, in comparison to their (already fine) predecessors, have a deeper and tighter bass, with a more communicative and open treble.

We have the Evoke 20 standmount and Evoke 30 floorstander available for demonstration. If you would like to hear these great sounding loudspeakers, then please call in or contact us at Audio T Oxford.

May 13, 2019

New Dynaudio Evoke Range Is Available At Audio T Brighton

May 13, 2019/ Brighton

The innovative and very attractive new Evoke loudspeaker range from Dynaudio sound great and are making friends here at Audio T Brighton. Their modest and stylish proportions offer a big room filling sound and these desirable and very capable speakers could grace any home.

There are two stand mount models, the compact Evoke 10 for smaller spaces and larger Evoke 20 for any room, which are complemented by the compact floor standing Evoke 30 and larger floor standing Evoke 50 which are both suited to medium to large rooms, along with a centre channel speaker, the Evoke 25C for home cinema systems.

Dynaudio have developed new drive units for this range and the result is refinement, substance and life in the music.