How to Choose a Turntable: What You Need to Know Before You Buy

Buying a turntable ought to be simple. You choose one you like, put a record on and enjoy the music.

Then you start looking properly…

Belt drive or direct drive? Manual or automatic? Moving magnet or moving coil? Do you need a phono stage? Does it come with a cartridge? And why can two turntables that appear to do exactly the same job have wildly different price tags?

Before long, something that should be one of the most enjoyable ways of listening to music can start feeling unnecessarily complicated.

It really doesn't need to be.

I've been buying and playing records for a large portion of my life, and one thing I've learned along the way is that choosing a turntable isn't about ticking the most boxes or having an expert-level of understanding for every technical term. It's about finding something that works with your system, suits the way you listen and, most importantly, makes you want to keep pulling records off the shelf.

So let's forget the jargon for a moment and start with the things that actually matter.

First rule of vinyl playback - get your fingers off the playing surface!!!

The quick answer: how do you choose the right turntable?

If you're short on time, start with these questions:

• What will the turntable be connected to?

• Does your amplifier already have a phono stage?

• Do you want manual or automatic operation?

• Is a cartridge included?

• Do you want something simple, or something you can upgrade over time?

• Where will the turntable sit?

• What records do you actually own?

• And perhaps most importantly, how much do you want to spend?

Answer those and you've already narrowed things down considerably. The rest is about finding the turntable that makes you want to keep putting records on and, ultimately, that's the bit that matters.

Start with your existing Hi-Fi system

One of the easiest mistakes to make is looking at a turntable as an isolated purchase. It isn't.

The vinyl replay chain looks something like this:

Record → Stylus and Cartridge → Tonearm → Turntable → Phono Stage → Amplifier → Speakers

Everything affects everything else, but that doesn't mean you need to spend exactly 23.7% of your Hi-Fi budget on a turntable because somebody on a forum said so. There are no magic percentages.

If vinyl is your main source and you've spent the last 30 years amassing several thousand records, it would be perfectly reasonable to put a sizeable chunk of your system budget into playing them properly. If you own 40 LPs but stream music every evening, you might make a different decision.

Personally, my record collection has been growing for longer than I'd care to admit, so vinyl is important to me. But that's my system. Your system should reflect the way you listen.

Do I need a phono stage?

This is probably one of the most common questions we get from people buying a turntable, and it's a sensible one because turntables are slightly awkward little things.

The signal coming from a cartridge is extremely small. Much smaller than the signal coming from a CD player, streamer or DAC. Before your amplifier can do much with it, that signal needs to be amplified and equalised by something called a phono stage.

You may already have one. If your amplifier has an input labelled Phono, there's a good chance it contains a phono stage. You'll just need to establish what type of cartridge it supports, usually Moving Magnet, Moving Coil or sometimes both.

Some turntables have a phono stage built in too, meaning they can connect directly to a normal AUX, Line or analogue input on an amplifier or powered speaker system.

A good real-world example is the difference between the Rega Planar 1 and Rega Planar 1 Plus. Both are designed to make getting into good-quality vinyl replay relatively straightforward, but the standard Planar 1 needs a suitable Moving Magnet phono stage somewhere in the system, whereas the Planar 1 Plus has one built in.

If your amplifier doesn't have a Phono input, that little word Plus suddenly becomes rather important.

And then there are separate phono stages.

Yes, that's another box… Welcome to Hi-Fi!

A separate phono stage gives you much more freedom to choose something that suits your cartridge and upgrade it independently later. So the broad rule is:

Built-in phono stage = simpler.
Separate phono stage = more flexibility.

Neither is automatically better. The important thing is knowing what you actually need before you get your shiny new turntable home and realise you've got nowhere to plug it in.

Belt drive or direct drive?

Ah yes. One of those age-old Hi-Fi debates.

With a belt-drive turntable, the motor turns the platter via a belt. With direct drive, the motor drives the platter directly. Simple enough.

For decades, direct-drive turntables became closely associated with DJ use, while belt drive became the default choice for many specialist Hi-Fi manufacturers. That doesn't mean belt drive is inherently better.

You can see both approaches in the turntables we stock at Audio T. Rega makes extensive use of belt drive, as does Pro-Ject with models such as the Debut EVO 2. At the other end of the argument, the Audio-Technica AT-LP120XUSB uses direct drive.

Belt drive or direct drive?

Modern direct-drive designs can provide superb speed stability, excellent torque and very high performance. Likewise, a well-engineered belt-drive turntable can isolate motor vibration extremely effectively and sound fantastic.

The important word in both examples is well-engineered.

I wouldn't choose a turntable simply because someone tells you belt drive is more "audiophile", nor would I choose direct drive solely because it gets up to speed half a second quicker. Look at the complete design: motor, bearing, platter, tonearm, cartridge, power supply, isolation and setup all matter.

Or better still, listen to the thing.

Manual or automatic?

This one is much easier because it's really about how you like to listen.

With a manual turntable, you generally switch it on, move the arm across the record and lower the stylus yourself. At the end, you lift it back up.

An automatic turntable can do some or all of that for you.

The Dual CS 329, for example, takes care of pretty much the whole process. Press Start and the tonearm moves into position and lowers itself onto the record, then returns at the end of the side and stops the motor.

Compare that with something like a Rega Planar 3, where you're very much part of the process.

Personally, I like the ritual of a manual turntable. Taking the record out of the sleeve, giving it a quick clean, lowering the stylus and hearing those first few seconds before the music starts is part of the appeal.

But I'm not going to tell somebody they're "doing vinyl wrong" because they'd rather press a button. They're not.

If automatic operation makes you more likely to play your records, buy an automatic turntable. If you love being involved in the process, go manual.

There isn't an exam at the end.

Don't overlook the cartridge

The cartridge is one of the smallest parts of the system and one of the most important. The stylus sits in the record groove and physically follows the information cut into it, with those tiny movements then converted into an electrical signal.

When you really think about what is happening, it's slightly ridiculous that it works at all. And yet here we are.

Many turntables come with a cartridge already fitted and aligned. For somebody buying their first proper turntable, this makes life much easier. As you move further up the ladder, you may find turntables supplied without a cartridge, allowing you to choose one that suits the tonearm and system.

The two main types you'll come across are Moving Magnet (MM) and Moving Coil (MC).

Very broadly, Moving Magnet cartridges are generally easier to live with, widely compatible and often have replaceable styli. Moving Coil cartridges can offer higher levels of performance, but they tend to need more careful matching and usually require a compatible phono stage.

We'll cover all of that properly in our dedicated Moving Magnet vs Moving Coil Cartridges guide.

For now, just make sure you know two things: does the turntable come with a cartridge, and can your phono stage work with it?

How important is turntable setup?

Very. Probably more important than many people realise.

I've spent enough time in recording studios to know that vibration has an annoying habit of turning up exactly where you don't want it. A turntable is trying to read incredibly small movements from a groove, while your loudspeakers are doing their very best to fill the room with vibration.

You can see the potential conflict.

Ideally, your turntable should sit on a solid, stable and level surface, away from the loudspeakers. Putting a turntable and speakers together on the same lightweight sideboard might look lovely on Instagram, but acoustically it isn't always the cleverest idea we've ever had.

And yes, we appreciate that not everybody has the luxury of a dedicated listening room with equipment racks, wall shelves and enough floor space to host a small orchestra. Real homes are real homes.

The point is simply to give the turntable the best chance you reasonably can. If you've got suspended floors, awkward furniture or very powerful speakers, isolation can become particularly important.

Sometimes a decent support or wall shelf can achieve more than spending the same amount of money upgrading another component.

How much setup do you want to do yourself?

This is worth thinking about before buying.

Some turntables are deliberately straightforward. You take them out of the box, make a small number of adjustments and you're listening to music fairly quickly.

Others allow you to adjust:

• tracking force

• anti-skate or bias

• cartridge alignment

• tonearm height

• platter or sub-platter

• external power supplies

• cartridges

• belts

• isolation

If you're reading that list and thinking, "Brilliant, I love tinkering", then an upgradeable deck may be exactly what you want.

If you're thinking, "I just want to listen to Rumours", that's fine too. You don't need to turn record playing into an engineering project.

One of the advantages of buying from a specialist is that we can deal with the setup for you. You still get the benefits without spending your Saturday afternoon staring suspiciously at a protractor.

Do you want to upgrade later?

Turntables can be wonderfully upgradeable things.

Depending on the design, you may eventually be able to improve the cartridge, stylus, belt, platter, sub-platter, tonearm, power supply, phono stage or isolation.

How far you can take things varies enormously. A Rega Planar 3, for example, gives you sensible future options around cartridges and power supplies, while something such as the Linn Majik LP12 takes the idea considerably further, with a modular design that can evolve piece by piece over many years.

That can be great fun, but there is a slight danger in Hi-Fi that we spend so much time thinking about what we're going to upgrade next that we forget to enjoy what we've already bought. I've certainly been guilty of it.

An upgrade path is useful. An obligation to keep upgrading isn't.

If you want something that can evolve with your system over the next ten or fifteen years, choose accordingly. If you want to buy a turntable and leave it alone, that's an equally valid approach.

What speeds do you need?

For most people, this is straightforward.

The majority of record collections are made up of 33⅓rpm LPs and 45rpm singles, and practically every conventional Hi-Fi turntable will play both.

The difference is often in how you change speed. Some turntables use an electronic switch, while others require you to move the drive belt manually from one pulley position to another.

Electronic speed change is undoubtedly more convenient. Manual speed change isn't exactly hardship. It takes a few seconds.

Where you do need to pay attention is if you own 78rpm records.

Not every turntable supports 78rpm, although there are models that do. The Audio-Technica AT-LP120XUSB mentioned earlier is one example, while Rega also makes the dedicated Planar 78 specifically for 78rpm records.

12” LP, 7” Single and a 10” Gramophone record

Older shellac records will generally require an appropriate stylus too, so if you've inherited a stack of old 78s from your grandparents, make sure you mention it before buying.

What about Bluetooth and USB?

Turntables have changed.

It's now quite common to find models with Bluetooth, USB outputs or built-in phono stages. Purists may need a cup of tea and a sit down at this point, but there's nothing inherently wrong with these features.

USB can be useful if you want to digitise records. Bluetooth can make vinyl much easier to incorporate into a modern wireless system. A built-in phono stage can simplify the whole setup.

The AT-LP120XUSB is a good example of how these worlds can meet: it's still a fully manual direct-drive turntable with a conventional cartridge and tonearm, but it also has a built-in switchable phono stage and USB output.

The question is whether you need any of those things.

If sound quality is your priority, I'd always start with the fundamentals: is it a good turntable, is the tonearm good, is the cartridge good, and is it well engineered?

Connectivity comes afterwards. There's not much point having seven different ways to connect a turntable if the basic record-playing bit isn't particularly good.

Should I buy a turntable with a built-in phono stage?

For plenty of people, yes. It can make getting into vinyl enormously straightforward.

Turntable into amplifier. Done.

It's particularly useful if you're using active speakers or an amplifier without its own phono input. But if you're building a more ambitious system or think you're likely to experiment with cartridges later, a separate phono stage gives you greater flexibility.

There's no need to get hung up on this. You can build a fantastic system either way.

It comes back to one of the main themes of this whole guide:

Buy for how you're actually going to use it.

Not for how somebody on the internet tells you a "proper" vinyl system should look.

Don't become obsessed with specifications

Specifications are useful. They can tell you about things like speed accuracy, wow and flutter, output level, tracking force and dimensions.

What they can't tell you is whether you'll actually enjoy listening to the turntable.

I studied this stuff. I still don't sit at home admiring a wow-and-flutter figure.

At some point you need to put a record on.

Two turntables costing roughly the same amount can sound quite different. One might feel more rhythmically engaging, while another might sound bigger and more spacious. You might prefer one immediately and somebody else might choose the other.

Neither of you is wrong. That's the joy, and occasional frustration, of Hi-Fi.

Take records you actually know to a demonstration

This might sound obvious, but it's worth saying.

If you're comparing turntables, take music you know. Not an immaculate £50 pressing of something you've never heard before simply because somebody told you it's "audiophile".

Take your records.

I've got records that are beautifully produced. I've also got records I adore that sound like they were recorded in a shed with three microphones and a prayer.

Both matter to me.

If you've listened to an album hundreds of times, you'll immediately hear when something changes. You'll notice the bass, the voice, whether the drummer suddenly sounds like they're actually sitting behind the kit rather than being politely suggested somewhere in the distance.

And you'll know whether you're enjoying it.

That is far more useful than trying to remember a list of Hi-Fi terminology while somebody stands next to you waiting for a verdict.

How much should you spend on a turntable?

The annoying answer is:

It depends.

I know. Helpful. But there's genuinely no universal figure.

Spend enough to achieve the performance you want without completely unbalancing the rest of your system.

If vinyl is your main source, then spending a significant proportion of your budget on record playback can make perfect sense. If vinyl is something you enjoy occasionally alongside streaming and CD, you may want to spread the budget differently.

And don't forget that the turntable itself may not be the whole bill. You could also need:

• a cartridge

• a phono stage

• interconnects

• equipment support

• record cleaning equipment

• replacement styli

There's little point spending every last penny on the turntable and then balancing it on an old IKEA unit next to the subwoofer because you forgot about everything else.

New to vinyl? Don't overthink it

If this is your first proper turntable, there is a temptation to research absolutely everything.

YouTube reviews. Forums. Specifications. Cartridge compliance calculators. Arguments between complete strangers about whether a particular belt sounds better after 37 hours of running in.

Eventually your brain melts.

Start simple. Ask yourself:

What equipment do I already have?
How much do I want to spend?
Do I want manual or automatic?
Do I need a phono stage?
Do I want to upgrade things later?
Where will the turntable sit?

Then listen. You can learn the rest as you go.

That's half the fun.

My advice: buy the turntable that makes you want to play records

After all the technical stuff, this is really where I land.

A turntable isn't there to impress somebody reading your equipment list. It's there to play music.

Some people want a beautifully simple deck they can keep for twenty years. Others enjoy upgrading cartridges, power supplies, phono stages and everything else they can get their hands on.

Some people have thousands of records. Others have just bought their first five. There is room for all of them.

For me, vinyl has always been about the connection with the music. Choosing an album, pulling the record from its sleeve, looking at the artwork, lowering the tonearm and dropping the stylus.

Then inevitably realising you've left your cup of tea on the other side of the room just as the music starts.

That's part of it.

The best turntable isn't automatically the most expensive. It isn't necessarily the one with the longest specification sheet. And it definitely isn't the one somebody on a forum tells you you're supposed to own.

It's the one that works properly with your system and makes you want to get another record off the shelf.

Before you buy…

• Does my amplifier have a phono stage?
  Check for a Phono input, and whether it supports MM, MC or both.

• Does the turntable include a cartridge?
  Some do, some don't. Make sure you know what's included in the price.

• Where is it going to sit?
  Stable, level and ideally away from your speakers.

• Do I want manual or automatic?
  There's no right answer. Pick the one you'll actually enjoy using.

• Can I hear it first?
  Preferably. Take a couple of records you know and see what grabs you.

Still not sure which turntable is right for you?

Come and talk to us. That's not a clever marketing line. Turntables are simply much easier to choose when you can see them, hear them and work out how they'll fit into the rest of your system.

You can browse our full range of turntables here, or better still, bring along a couple of records you know well and visit your local Audio T store.

We can help you choose the right turntable, cartridge and phono stage, make sure everything works with the equipment you already own and take care of the setup too.

You don't need to know all the terminology before you walk through the door. That's our job.

Yours is to bring your ears.

Thanks for reading.

Brad Tyler – Head of Marketing at Audio T

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 your local Audio T.

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…

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Turntables from varying brands can be found at all Audio T stores:

• SWINDON

• CHELTENHAM

• READING

• SOUTHAMPTON

• BRIGHTON

• PORTSMOUTH

• MANCHESTER

• CARDIFF

• SWANSEA

• BRISTOL

• ONLINE STORE

Moving Magnet vs Moving Coil Cartridges: What’s the Difference?

If you've spent any time looking at turntables or cartridges, you've probably come across two little abbreviations that seem to crop up everywhere: MM and MC.

Moving Magnet and Moving Coil.

At first glance, it can feel like another one of those Hi-Fi choices where you're somehow expected to know which camp you belong to before anyone lets you through the door.

Thankfully, it isn't.

Both are simply different ways of doing the same fundamental job: taking the incredibly small movements of a stylus as it follows a record groove and turning them into an electrical signal that eventually comes out of your speakers as music.

The differences are in how they do it, how much signal they produce, what equipment they need around them and, ultimately, whether one makes more sense in your system than the other.

And before we go any further, let's get one thing out of the way.

Moving Coil is not automatically better than Moving Magnet.

There. I've said it. Now we can get on with things.

The quick answer: MM or MC?

If you want the abbreviated version, Moving Magnet cartridges generally produce a higher output, are easier to match with phono stages and, in many cases, allow the stylus to be replaced or upgraded separately.

Moving Coil cartridges tend to produce a much lower output and require a compatible MC phono stage, but their lighter moving generator is one of the reasons they have become so closely associated with more ambitious vinyl systems.

There are, naturally, exceptions to pretty much all of that.

Because Hi-Fi wouldn't be Hi-Fi if somebody hadn't found a way of making a simple answer slightly more complicated.

If you're choosing your first cartridge, MM is often the easiest place to start. If you're building a more ambitious vinyl setup and have the turntable, tonearm and phono stage to support it, MC becomes very interesting indeed.

First, what does the cartridge actually do?

It's easy to overlook the cartridge because it's tiny, but there's quite a lot happening down there.

The stylus sits in the record groove and moves as it encounters the information cut into the vinyl. That movement travels through the cantilever and into the cartridge's generator, which converts the mechanical movement into an electrical signal.

A microscopic view of a stylus in the grooves of a record

When you actually stop and think about it, it's still fairly miraculous.

You're dragging a tiny diamond through a plastic groove containing microscopic variations and somehow Mr. Brightside comes out the other end.

Not bad.

The main difference between MM and MC is essentially which part of that generator moves.

How does a Moving Magnet cartridge work?

In a Moving Magnet cartridge, small magnets attached to the cantilever move in relation to fixed coils inside the cartridge body.

As the stylus traces the groove, those magnets move and generate an electrical signal in the coils.

One of the main advantages is output. MM cartridges generally produce a relatively healthy signal, which makes them compatible with the Moving Magnet phono inputs found in a huge number of amplifiers and standalone phono stages.

They're also available at a very broad range of prices and performance levels, which is where I think the phrase "entry-level cartridge" can become a little misleading.

Moving Magnet might be where many people start, but it certainly isn't where the technology stops.

Moving Magnet doesn't mean basic

You only have to look through the cartridges we stock at Audio T to see how varied MM designs can be.

The Audio-Technica VM95 Series is a particularly good example. The same basic cartridge platform can take you from a simple conical stylus through elliptical, nude elliptical, MicroLinear and Shibata options.

That's useful because you don't necessarily have to throw the entire cartridge away every time you want to improve things. In many cases you can simply change the stylus assembly and move further up the range.

Ortofon does something similar with its hugely popular 2M family. Something like the 2M Blue uses a Nude Elliptical stylus, while the 2M Black takes things considerably further with a Nude Shibata profile.

Both are still Moving Magnet cartridges.

Then you've got cartridges such as the Sumiko Amethyst, which uses a line-contact stylus and a more sophisticated generator.

So if anybody tells you MM is only for inexpensive turntables, things have moved on a bit.

How does a Moving Coil cartridge work?

A Moving Coil cartridge turns the principle around.

Instead of moving magnets in relation to fixed coils, tiny coils attached to the cantilever move within a magnetic field.

Those coils can be made extremely small and light, reducing the moving mass at the business end of the cartridge. In a suitably capable system, that can allow the stylus and cantilever assembly to respond exceptionally quickly and accurately to what's happening in the groove.

That's one of the reasons MC designs have become so closely associated with high-performance vinyl replay.

But there is a catch.

Those tiny coils don't generate very much electricity.

A conventional low-output Moving Coil cartridge may produce only a fraction of a millivolt, while a typical MM produces several millivolts.

Which brings us neatly to probably the most important practical difference between the two.

Your phono stage matters

A lot.

If you've already read our How to Choose a Turntable guide, you'll know that a turntable cartridge can't simply be connected to any old amplifier input.

It needs a phono stage, and with MM versus MC the type of phono stage becomes particularly important.

A Moving Magnet phono stage is designed around the relatively strong output of an MM cartridge. A low-output Moving Coil cartridge requires significantly more gain, and better MC phono stages may also allow you to adjust things such as loading to suit the cartridge more precisely.

So if you've spotted an MC cartridge, fallen in love with the idea of it and are hovering over the Buy button, check your phono stage first.

Buying the cartridge and then discovering your amplifier only has an MM input is a slightly irritating way to spend an afternoon.

Some phono stages support both MM and MC. Others are dedicated to one type, so system matching matters just as much here as it does with the turntable itself.

And then there are high-output Moving Coils…

Remember when I said Hi-Fi likes making things complicated?

Some Moving Coil cartridges are designed with a higher output so they can be used with the sort of phono amplification normally associated with Moving Magnet cartridges.

The Dynavector 10X5 MkII is a great example. Its high-output version produces considerably more signal than a conventional low-output MC and is specifically designed to work into an appropriate MM-type phono input.

Hana takes a similar approach with the S Series MKII. The SL MKII is a conventional low-output MC intended for suitable Moving Coil amplification, while the SH MKII is a high-output version designed to work with an appropriate Moving Magnet phono stage.

Same basic cartridge family. Different electrical requirements.

This is why I wouldn't buy any cartridge based purely on the letters printed on the box.

Does MM mean the stylus can always be replaced?

No. It's another one of those generalisations that is mostly useful until it suddenly isn't.

On many Moving Magnet cartridges, the stylus assembly can be removed and replaced without changing the whole cartridge. That's useful because styli wear out, but it also gives manufacturers such as Audio-Technica and Ortofon the opportunity to build very sensible upgrade paths.

Audio-Technica offer one of the easiest upgrades with their At-VM95 series

If you've got an AT-VM95 body, for example, you can move through several different stylus profiles without replacing the generator itself. Likewise, an owner of an Ortofon 2M Bronze can move to a 2M Black stylus without necessarily replacing the complete cartridge.

But not every MM cartridge works that way.

Rega's current Nd range is a useful example. The Rega Nd5 and Nd7 are Moving Magnet designs, but their styli aren't intended to be swapped by the user. Instead they have to be returned to Rega to be rebuilt.

So don't choose MM solely because somebody has told you, "You can always replace the stylus." Usually isn't the same as always.

Moving Magnet or Moving Coil isn't the whole story

This is probably one of the most important points in the whole article.

MM or MC tells you how the cartridge generates its electrical signal. It doesn't tell you everything about the stylus that's actually touching the record.

You'll also encounter stylus descriptions such as conical, elliptical, nude elliptical, Fine Line, MicroLinear, Shibata and other line-contact profiles.

These shapes affect how the stylus contacts and traces the groove, and increasingly sophisticated profiles can retrieve very fine information when they're properly aligned.

That's why an advanced Moving Magnet cartridge such as the Ortofon 2M Black or Rega Nd7 shouldn't be dismissed simply because it isn't Moving Coil.

Equally, an MC cartridge isn't automatically brilliant simply because somebody has fitted tiny coils to it.

You have to look at the complete design: generator, stylus, cantilever, cartridge body, tonearm, phono stage and setup.

There's that whole-system thing again. Hi-Fi does love ruining a beautifully simple answer.

So does Moving Coil sound better?

Sometimes. (Helpful, I know).

A good Moving Coil cartridge in a properly matched system can be wonderful. There's a reason manufacturers put so much effort into reducing moving mass and refining these incredibly small generators.

But simply fitting an MC cartridge doesn't unlock a secret layer of information that's been hiding on every record waiting for you to spend more money.

A well-chosen MM cartridge on the right turntable, feeding a good MM phono stage, can make considerably more sense than buying an expensive MC and then compromising everything around it.

This is something that gets forgotten whenever Hi-Fi gets reduced to hierarchies. More expensive must be better. Moving Coil must beat Moving Magnet. Bigger number wins. It really isn't that simple.

I've heard systems where changing the cartridge has transformed the whole presentation, but I've also heard expensive cartridges fitted to turntables where you can't help thinking the money would have been rather better spent somewhere else.

Balance matters.

Don't forget the tonearm

Cartridge matching goes beyond checking whether your phono stage says MM or MC on the back. The cartridge also needs to work mechanically with the tonearm.

Cartridge weight, compliance, tracking force and the effective mass of the arm can all come into play.

I'm deliberately not going to turn this into a cartridge compliance mathematics lesson. You've got records to listen to and I've got a word count to think about.

The important thing is simply to understand that not every cartridge is automatically an ideal match for every tonearm.

The physical dimensions can matter too. Ortofon, for example, offers its lower-profile 2MR versions for turntables and tonearms where the height of the standard 2M body isn't ideal.

So if you're replacing a cartridge on an existing turntable, it pays to check before assuming anything with two screws in the top will work perfectly.

Cartridge setup isn't the place for "that looks about right”

A cartridge is trying to trace incredibly tiny variations in a record groove, so positioning it several millimetres out and thinking, "Yeah, that'll probably do" isn't really the ideal approach.

Correct setup can involve cartridge alignment, tracking force, anti-skate or bias, tonearm height, azimuth and, with some MC systems, phono-stage gain and loading.

Some cartridges and tonearms make installation beautifully simple. Others make you wonder whether a third hand might have been a useful evolutionary development.

But it matters.

A cartridge that's badly aligned or incorrectly adjusted isn't just unlikely to sound its best. Poor setup can also affect tracking and increase wear.

If you're not comfortable fitting one yourself, there is absolutely no shame in getting somebody else to do it.

I've spent enough of my life fiddling around with turntables to know there are occasions when "I'll let someone with the right tools do that" is an entirely sensible decision.

When would I choose Moving Magnet?

For me, MM makes a great deal of sense if you're buying your first proper cartridge, your amplifier already has a good MM input, you value simplicity, or you'd like an easy stylus upgrade path.

But none of those things mean it has to be a stepping stone to something else.

A cartridge such as the Ortofon 2M Black, Rega Nd7 or Sumiko Amethyst can sit perfectly happily in a serious vinyl system.

You don't eventually have to "graduate" from Moving Magnet. There is no ceremony. No certificate arrives in the post. If you've got an MM cartridge you love, enjoy it.

When would I choose Moving Coil?

MC becomes particularly appealing when the turntable and tonearm are capable enough to justify the investment, you've got appropriate phono amplification, and you're looking to push more performance from an already well-balanced vinyl system.

It doesn't necessarily mean jumping straight into a low-output design either. Products such as the Dynavector 10X5 MkII, Hana SH MKII and Sumiko Songbird High demonstrate that high-output Moving Coils can give you another route, particularly if you've already invested in a good MM phono stage.

Ultimately, though, the deciding factor should still be the same.

Listen.

If you prefer one cartridge to another and it works properly in your system, the badge on the front matters considerably less.

Don't upgrade the cartridge just because you can

Cartridges are tempting upgrades because changing one can produce a very noticeable difference, but before spending the money it's worth looking at the rest of the system.

Is your existing cartridge actually worn? Could you upgrade the stylus instead? Would the turntable itself benefit from attention first? Would a better phono stage make more sense?

And is the turntable sitting on something resembling a trampoline?

There's rarely only one route.

If you're still at the stage of choosing the deck itself, start with our How to Choose a Turntable guide before disappearing too far down the cartridge rabbit hole.

Before you buy…

• Is my phono stage MM or MC compatible? A conventional low-output MC needs much more gain than a typical MM cartridge.

• Will the cartridge suit my tonearm? Electrical compatibility is only half of the equation.

• Can the stylus be replaced or upgraded? Many MM cartridges allow it, but not all do.

• Does it need professional setup? A great cartridge badly installed is still a badly installed cartridge.

• Have I actually listened to one? Specifications can narrow the choice. Your ears should finish the job.

So, Moving Magnet or Moving Coil?

If you've made it this far hoping I'd finally declare a winner, I'm afraid I'm going to disappoint you.

There isn't one.

Moving Magnet offers enormous choice, straightforward compatibility and potentially superb performance across a huge range of systems.

Moving Coil can take things considerably further in the right setup, but it usually asks more of the turntable, tonearm, phono stage and installation around it.

The best choice is the one that makes sense as part of your system.

Not the one with the more impressive initials.

You can browse our full range of turntable cartridges here, but if you're thinking about replacing or upgrading yours, I'd strongly recommend speaking to your local Audio T store first.

Tell us what turntable and tonearm you're using, what phono stage or amplifier you've got and what you're hoping to improve. We can help narrow down the options, make sure everything is properly matched and take care of fitting and setup where required.

Because whether it's MM or MC, there's really only one thing the cartridge ultimately needs to achieve.

Make you want to turn the record over and play side two.

And as a little side note, if you buy a cartridge from your local Audio T store, we'll fit and set it up on your turntable free of charge. So if the thought of alignment protractors, tracking force and tiny screws fills you with dread, you can happily leave that bit to us.

Thanks for reading.

Brad Tyler – Head of Marketing at Audio T

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 your local Audio T.

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…

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Cartridges and Styli from varying brands can be found at all Audio T stores:

• SWINDON

• CHELTENHAM

• READING

• SOUTHAMPTON

• BRIGHTON

• PORTSMOUTH

• MANCHESTER

• CARDIFF

• SWANSEA

• BRISTOL

• ONLINE STORE

Does your Hi-Fi sound better at night?

Have you ever sat down in the evening, put on one of your favourite albums and thought, “That sounds particularly good tonight”?

Nothing has changed. The amplifier is the same, the speakers haven’t moved and it might be an album you’ve listened to hundreds of times. Yet everything seems a little clearer, the bass sounds better and you’re noticing things in the recording that you don’t remember hearing before.

So, does your Hi-Fi actually sound better at night? Possibly, but there are a few fairly simple reasons why it might seem that way.

Everything Around Your Hi-Fi Is Quieter

During the day, most homes are much noisier than we realise. The heating may be running (although recently it’s more likely to be a fan or AC if you’re lucky enough), the fridge is humming, traffic is passing outside and somebody has probably got a television on in another room. Add in the washing machine, phones going off and people generally getting on with their day, and there is quite a lot competing with your music.

None of these sounds may be particularly loud, but together they create a constant level of background noise. This can cover up some of the quieter details in a recording without you even noticing.

Later in the evening, most of that starts to die down. There is less traffic, fewer appliances running and, if you’re lucky, everybody else has gone to bed. Your system probably isn’t producing any more detail than it did during the day. It is just easier to hear what was already there.

Small things such as a singer taking a breath, the ring of a cymbal or fingers moving along guitar strings become easier to pick out when they aren’t competing with a washing machine attempting to escape from the kitchen.

You’re Probably Listening More Carefully

The other big difference is you.

During the day, music is often something we have playing while doing something else. We might be cooking, answering emails, looking at our phones, doing housework or thinking about the long list of jobs we haven’t got around to yet.

At night, we are far more likely to sit down and properly listen. Once the phone is out of reach and there is nothing else demanding our attention, it becomes much easier to follow the music.

That can make an album you know well sound surprisingly fresh. You might suddenly notice an instrument tucked away in the background or hear more of the space around a singer’s voice. It isn’t necessarily something your system has suddenly found. It may simply be something your brain ignored the last time you listened.

Being more relaxed helps too. Music is usually more enjoyable when you aren’t trying to do six other things at the same time.

What About the Mains Electricity?

This is where things get a little more interesting, because the quality of the mains supply can affect the performance of electrical equipment, including Hi-Fi.

Our homes are full of devices that can introduce electrical noise into the mains, from household appliances and lighting controls to phone chargers, computers and inexpensive power supplies. Some of that noise can find its way into an audio system, potentially affecting things such as clarity, dynamics and the amount of background noise you hear.

The mains supply can also change throughout the day. When homes, offices and businesses are busy, there are far more electrical devices operating and feeding noise back into the supply. Later at night, when many of them have been switched off, the mains may be quieter. This could be one reason why some systems seem to sound cleaner or more open during an evening listening session.

Hi-Fi equipment contains its own power supply and filtering, but that doesn’t mean it is completely unaffected by the quality of the electricity feeding it. This is why specialist mains conditioners and filters from companies such as IsoTek and Chord Company exist. They are designed to reduce unwanted electrical noise and provide connected equipment with a cleaner supply.

How much difference this makes will depend on your home, the equipment you use and the condition of the local mains. It may not be the only reason your system sounds better at night, but it certainly shouldn’t be dismissed. A quieter room, fewer distractions and potentially cleaner mains power could all be playing their part.

Your Room Feels Different at Night

The room itself doesn’t really change when the sun goes down, but it can feel very different.

Sitting in a quieter room with the lights turned down removes a lot of the things that normally distract us. Without so much going on around you, it can be easier to focus on where instruments are placed and how wide or deep the soundstage feels.

The singer may appear to sit more clearly between the speakers, individual instruments become easier to follow and the sound of the room where the music was recorded can be more noticeable. Again, the system may have been doing all of this earlier. You just weren’t in the best situation to hear it.

You may also listen at a lower volume at night, particularly if the rest of the house is asleep. That can change how we hear bass, midrange and treble, so comparing daytime and nighttime listening isn’t always straightforward. If you want to give it a fair go, try to use the same music, seating position and volume setting.

Give It a Try

Choose an album you know really well and listen to it during the day. Rather than leaving it on in the background, sit in your normal listening position and give it your full attention.

Try the same album again later that evening using the same volume setting. Turn off the television, put your phone to one side and lower the lights. You may be surprised by how different it feels, even though nothing in the system has changed.

You could then try making the room as quiet as possible during the day and listening again. If it suddenly sounds just as good, the mains electricity may have been innocent all along.

So, Does Hi-Fi Really Sound Better at Night?

Your amplifier probably doesn’t gain special powers after dark. More often than not, the biggest difference is the quieter room, fewer distractions and the fact that you are actually sitting down and listening properly.

Sometimes we spend so much time thinking about changing amplifiers, speakers, cables and sources that we forget to make time to enjoy the system we already have. A quiet room, a favourite album and an hour without looking at your phone can be a surprisingly effective upgrade.

Of course, if you would like to hear what a new system or component could bring to your music, you can book a demonstration with your local Audio T store. Bring along a few albums you know well and we’ll give you plenty of time to listen and compare.

Sadly, our doors close at 5.30pm, so don’t expect us to dim the lights, fetch the slippers and get cosy with you after dark. You’ll have to recreate that part at home.

Thanks for reading,

Luke - Audio T Portsmouth

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…

How Do I Get This Band I Love Out of My Phone and Into My Room? A First Step into Hi-Fi

The Dilemma

It is daunting. It really is. Your folks have got a big TV and a soundbar (great!) and Netflix sounds all right, but music through it is flat and a bit soulless. Even Grandma and Grandad have a soundbar, ostensibly so they can hear what the experts are saying on Antiques Roadshow. You recall Gramps saying with a grin, “It’s these Sunday-night costume dramas. The actors can barely manage a mumble, so we bought a soundbar like your dad.”

Sigh. Not one of those, then.

What’s a young person to do?

Your Bluetooth headphones sound pretty good, but that’s in the privacy of your own skull, which is fine. You suspect the crumblies are quite happy about that too, but it can hardly be described as a visceral experience. Man/Woman/Chainsaw absolutely did not sound like this at Rough Trade last week!

we’re nothing if not literal here.

Take Action!

Step one is crossing the threshold of that hi-fi shop you walk past occasionally. You know the one: three blokes lurking among shelves of electronics and displays of big wooden speakers with scary price tags. You’re positive you’ve got an uncle or cousin somewhere who is into all this stuff.

Step two is a deep breath and your opening gambit: “Hi. I really like music and I’ve already got Bluetooth headphones, but I want to play music out loud in my room.”

The Proposition

Step three is absorbing the inevitable dad joke, “You’re in the right place!” Then you let the grinning salesperson ask a few gentle questions: What do you listen to? Where will the system go? How loud can you realistically play it? Do you want the TV connected too? And, importantly, what sort of budget would be comfortable?

That leads us to a sensible place to start: streamed music and a smart speaker such as the WiiM Sound Lite.

Wiim Soundlite

You recognise the idea from online reviews, but you’ve never experienced one IRL. It’s a pleasant surprise how nice it sounds, and the app is dead easy to use. You can link two together and that’s called stereo. All you know is that it sounds miles better.

The music seems to come from the space between the speakers. The guitar is on the right, the bass player is on the left and the singer is slap bang in the middle. The drums stretch across the lot. That’s pretty cool. They both need power, though. Hmmm…

the wiim soundsmart smart speaker notice the porthole touchscreen. not just a display, one can access music with it too.

The salesperson points out that WiiM makes a larger smart speaker too, and it does sound a bit better. But ‘Sales’ has noticed you noticing that two speakers are much more satisfying than one, so their instinct is to lead you towards a neat little silver box wired to a slightly larger pair of speakers, all sitting on their own shelf.

the wiim amp streamer/amplifier now we’re cooking

This is a WiiM Amp streaming amplifier connected to a pair of Acoustic Energy AE100² speakers. The Amp uses the same control app as before and the whole rig looks like a miniature version of the system at the far end of the shop. The prices aren’t anywhere near as salty, though. In fact, they’re fine: just a few quid more than the pair of smart speakers would cost.

A couple of taps on the app and this time the music springs out of the speakers and fills the room. The bass guitar now has distinct notes of its own. It has weight, too, and you can feel it in your chest a bit. The singer sounds as though she is right in front of you, while the drum strikes are sharp and fast enough to shake the air. This is more like it!

our favourite inexpensive speakers, the Acoustic energy AE100² - brilliant value

The same little box can play music from Spotify, TIDAL or Qobuz, and there are sockets on the back for a TV and other sources. YouTube, TikTok, The Last of Us and GTA can all get in on the act too. It isn’t a system that only does one job, and it doesn’t require half the room to house it.

“This is where it starts to get interesting,” says ‘Sales’. “It’s a proper little hi-fi and brilliant value for money, but with a little extra effort, we can make it fly. Have a listen to this…”

Sales grabs a couple of compact metal frames with rubber at the corners and pops one under each speaker. “These are IsoAcoustics isolation stands. They help isolate the speakers from the desktop or shelf they’re sitting on. You’ll see the same idea beneath studio monitors used by musicians and producers.”

isoacoustic aperta desktop stands. if you have your speakers on a desk or shelf, you must try these. they are absolutely transformative to the performance.

Sales presses play.

Whoa! How on earth did that happen? Everything sounds meatier but crisper too. The voices are fresh and clean, as is the bass. The lead and rhythm guitars are easier to separate, and so are the ride cymbal, crash and hi-hat. Neat.

they have a tilt function too. so very useful

The WiiM Amp is then swapped for the rather more handsome WiiM Amp Ultra, with its touchscreen display, reassuring weight and very solid-looking sockets on the back. Another tap on the app and the music pours out again, this time sounding effortless and richer, but with more urgency and drama than before. How is it doing that?

The music appears to occupy three dimensions now, which is both curious and impressive, all through the same speakers. In fact, it sounds great. That’s… intriguing.

the wiim amp ultra. with a touchscreen and a healthier amplifier than the standard wiim amp.. when powering modest loudspeakers, it’s a class act; rich and solid.

It’s still perfectly compact and will take up very little real estate back in your room. This is perhaps the biggest surprise of all: hi-fi doesn’t have to mean a wall of boxes, enormous speakers and a degree in electrical engineering. It can be small, straightforward and built around the music service you already use every day.

“We can go further, of course. Much further, in fact, but I don’t want to overload you with information and scare you off.”

Scared? Not any more, you’re not!

The Solution

This is the bit people often misunderstand. You do not need to know the difference between watts, ohms and optical inputs before walking into a hi-fi shop. You only need three things: some music you love, a rough idea of what you would like to spend and an idea of where the system needs to live. The rest can be worked out by listening.

A first hi-fi system does not have to be your final hi-fi system either. A compact streaming amplifier and a pair of speakers make a proper starting point, but they also give you room to experiment later. You might change the speakers, add isolation stands, improve the amplifier or simply leave the whole thing alone and enjoy it. There is no compulsory upgrade conveyor belt.

Specifications can tell you what a product does, but they cannot tell you whether it will make the band you love sound more like the band you heard playing live last week. For that, you need to hear it for yourself, preferably using your own phone, your own music and your own ears.

Cross any Audio T threshold and ask us to play something for you. It really is our pleasure.

Thank you for taking the time to read my scribblings. I hope you enjoyed them.

Ade - Audio T Swansea

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…

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WiiM can be found at the following Audio T stores

• SWINDON

• CHELTENHAM

• READING

• SOUTHAMPTON

• ONLINE STORE

• BRIGHTON

• PORTSMOUTH

• MANCHESTER

• CARDIFF

• SWANSEA

• BRISTOL

Acoustic Energy can be found at the following Audio T stores

• SWINDON

• CHELTENHAM

• READING

• ONLINE STORE

• PORTSMOUTH

• CARDIFF

• SWANSEA

• BRISTOL

• SOUTHAMPTON

• MANCHESTER

• BRIGHTON

IsoAcoustics can be found at the following Audio T stores

• SWINDON

• CHELTENHAM

• READING

• SOUTHAMPTON

• ONLINE STORE

• BRIGHTON

• PORTSMOUTH

• MANCHESTER

• CARDIFF

• SWANSEA

• BRISTOL

Music for Goosebumps: Delerium’s Spheres and the Art of Deep-Space Hi-Fi

Inspired by a recent blog from the gents in our Reading branch, featuring a few of the team’s favourite demonstration pieces of music, here goes with the first of an occasional series in which I will attempt to enthuse about a few of my favourite musical things that your hi-fi system will definitely thank you for playing! This may sound a tad self-indulgent (and indeed it is), but bear with me. You might even enjoy the ride!

front cover artwork

Monolith

The first object of audio desire is “Spheres” by Delerium. The brainchild of Front Line Assembly guys Bill Leeb and Rhys Fulber, this album is very firmly electronic (fans of classical music only can stop reading now, but the next article in this series will have something very special for you, so see you then).

Released in 1994, “Spheres” first came my way when I was sent it totally free of charge on the proviso that I would write a review of it for a weird electronic music fanzine thing that I was implicated in at the time. I always used to receive these things with some degree of trepidation. What if it was crap and I hated it? What if it turned out to be one of those godawful demo albums, the likes of which had sent me to sleep at many a hi-fi show?

CD in jewel case

Transmitter

My concern proved to be misplaced. “Spheres” is totally wonderful and I think was cruelly overlooked at the time, when the trendy electronic albums seemed to be “Violator” by Depeche Mode, “Adventures Beyond the Ultraworld” by The Orb, “Blue Lines” by Massive Attack, “Baby” by Yello or “Selected Ambient Works 85–92” by Aphex Twin, all of which are great and, to a certain degree, will provide your hi-fi system with some wonderful sounds.

track listing on rear

Wavelength

At the time of its release, “Spheres” was (and still is) both retro and futuristic. Trippy and frighteningly unearthly samples of HAL 9000 from Stanley Kubrick’s “2001: A Space Odyssey” provide the vocal on the first track, “Monolith”.

None of the original album’s six tracks clocks in at less than six and a half minutes, with “Transmitter” and “Wavelength” both coming in at a smidge over thirteen minutes, while the star of the whole album, “Colony”, runs for a modest twelve minutes!

Booklet Artwork: false-colour ultraviolet image of eary stage cell division

Colony

The whole album is an aural assault course to put your loudspeakers through their paces, but in particular I tend to go to “Colony”. This track will test both the bass extension and definition, and your system’s ability to throw out that elusive double whammy of a wide and deep three-dimensional stereo image.

After the spooked-out ambience at the beginning of the track, a definite homage to that Berlin School, Tangerine Dream-style sequencer riffing begins to evolve, but it is taken to a much higher level. When the choral vocal sample (borrowed from Vangelis’ “Hispanola”) is dropped into the mix, the track achieves warp speed and hurls the listener into outer/inner space. The effect should be that, when you close your eyes, you no longer have the faintest clue as to where your speakers have disappeared to!

Booklet Artwork: false-colour satellite rendering of a hurricane

Dark Matter

There is more than a vague nod to Brian Eno here as well, especially in the more ambient passages. The industrial heritage of Front Line Assembly adds that extra layer of dark spookiness that makes this album truly unique… indeed, Delerium themselves never bettered it, with their later efforts becoming a tad more song-orientated.

Booklet Artwork: microscopic cross-section of biological tissue stain

I don’t think that many albums anywhere have the disorientating effect that “Spheres” creates. Your hi-fi system should make it sound at once powerful and majestic, but simultaneously detailed and controlled, as it unravels the dark, twisted waves of euphoria unleashed here.

Booklet Artwork: false -colour contour map of comet nucleus

Cloud Barrier

It would appear that “Spheres” is still easy to buy on CD or double white vinyl (nice), and is easy to stream too. Anyone out there in blogland with an interest in electronic music who also happens to have a great hi-fi system should give it a try.

Try a little Delerium and bask in some creative musical madness. The artwork on the multi-panel CD insert is great too, adding a certain extra aura to this cosmic/industrial/sci-fi power trip. Turn the volume up (if you dare) and see those drive units move!

Essential Blog Writing Supplies: i couldn’t have done it without…

Re-entry

So there you have it: just over an hour of electronic deep-space exploration without once having to leave the armchair, unless “Colony” has already shaken you out of it. If your system can keep the whole thing vast, ominous and properly under control, it is probably doing something right.

If it turns this interstellar epic into a grey fog stranded between the loudspeakers, perhaps a visit to your local Audio T is in order. Bring the album and an open mind. We’ll supply the hi-fi, the volume control and, if required, a safe route back to Earth.

Many thanks for reading.

Andy - Audio T Cheltenham

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

Rolling a Double Six: Rega Planar 6 RS vs My Planar 6

This month, Audio T Cardiff’s resident Hi-Fi enthusiast and music obsessive heads back into very familiar territory: turntables. Matt is comparing two Rega Planar 6 models, which on the face of it sounds a little like comparing a six with... another six. But there is method behind the madness.

Matt’s own Planar 6 has been at the heart of his system for around five years and has undergone a few carefully chosen tweaks along the way. Now, Rega’s Planar 6 RS has arrived, taking the familiar formula and adding some rather tempting technology from higher up the range. So what happens when Matt puts the new RS up against the turntable he probably knows better than any other? Coffee on, records ready. Let’s find out.

REga planar 6 rs with neo ttpsu

Back to Where It All Started

This month’s blog takes me back in time somewhat on my Hi-Fi journey. All of you wonderful readers out there who have followed my various sonic adventures will know that my own system has grown quite a bit over the last five years, but it had to start somewhere.

One of my first serious purchases was a Rega Planar 6 without a cartridge, after much debate between it and the legendary Planar 3. Fast forward around five years and I’m still using that very same Planar 6, although these days it is fitted with a Dynavector 10X5 high-output moving-coil cartridge, which I added a few years ago.

Then, earlier this year at the Bristol Hi-Fi Show, Rega previewed the new Planar 6 RS. I had the chance to hear it first-hand and have a proper look at what had changed. The RS borrows some very interesting ideas from its bigger brother, the Planar 8, including the RB880 tonearm and twin-belt drive system, while adding Rega’s flagship Nd9 moving-magnet cartridge as one of the factory-fitted options.

Needless to say, it got my attention.

Months later, I’ve finally managed to get my hands on one properly. I initially set it up and listened to it in the shop, but then I had one of those thoughts that usually results in another piece of Hi-Fi coming home with me: why not go one better and listen to it in my own system?

That gave me the perfect excuse to put it alongside my own Planar 6. Before anybody throws a spirit level at me, though, I should point something out. This isn’t a laboratory-controlled A/B test. My Planar 6 has a Dynavector moving-coil cartridge and a couple of other small tweaks, while the RS I’m listening to uses Rega’s Nd9 moving magnet. I’m comparing the two complete turntables as I would actually use them, rather than trying to isolate one individual component.

And, to be honest, that makes it rather more interesting.

Planar 6 vs Planar 6 RS: What Are We Comparing?

Before getting into the listening, it’s worth laying out exactly what separates my own Planar 6 from the new Planar 6 RS.

My Planar 6

• Tonearm: RB330 with stainless-steel balance weight

• Cartridge: Dynavector 10X5 high-output moving-coil cartridge

• Drive system: Single Reference EBLT drive belt

• Platter: Dual-layer float-glass platter

• Plinth: Tancast 8 foam-core plinth with HPL laminate

• Power supply: Custom-matched Neo PSU

• Bracing: Double-brace technology

• Additional tweaks: Origin Live Cartridge Enabler and Rega 2mm arm spacer

Rega Planar 6 RS

• Tonearm: RB880 with custom stainless-steel balance weight

• Cartridge: Rega Nd9 moving-magnet cartridge

• Drive system: CNC twin-drive pulley with two Reference EBLT belts

• Platter: 16mm dual-layer Opti-white float-glass platter

• Plinth: Tancast 8 foam-core plinth with HPL and aluminium metal skin

• Power supply: Custom-matched Neo Mk2 PSU

• Bracing: Double-brace technology

• Additional tweaks: Factory standard

On paper, then, the family resemblance is obvious, but there are some fairly serious changes underneath. Most notably, the RS gets the RB880 tonearm normally found on the Planar 8, along with its twin-belt drive arrangement and that rather lovely metallic treatment to the plinth.

From RP6 to Planar 6 RS

Before I dive into the listening session, it’s worth taking a little trip through the history of the Planar 6 because this particular Rega has been evolving for quite some time.

The RP6 first appeared back in September 2011, replacing the P5 and sitting above the RP3 in Rega’s range. It brought with it the RB303 tonearm, double-brace technology, a 16mm dual-layer float-glass platter and the external TT-PSU for electronic speed control. At the time, it represented a serious step forward and laid much of the groundwork for what followed.

Then, in August 2017, the RP6 made way for the Planar 6 we know today. Rega changed the plinth construction dramatically, introducing its ultra-lightweight Tancast 8 polyurethane foam core, while the RB303 gave way to the more refined RB330 tonearm. The TT-PSU was also replaced by the Neo power supply.

That basic Planar 6 philosophy has proved remarkably durable. Rega has continued refining things such as the power supply, drive belt and cartridge options over the years rather than changing things simply for the sake of it.

Which brings us neatly to the Planar 6 RS.

Rather than reinventing the Planar 6, Rega has effectively hot-rodded it. The RB880 tonearm comes down from the Planar 8, the motor drives the sub-platter through a CNC-machined twin pulley and two Reference EBLT belts, and the familiar Tancast 8 plinth gains its rather smart aluminium metal skin.

Some might call that evolution. I call it giving the Planar 6 its sleeves rolled up.

The Records on the Table

Before getting into the big shootout itself, I needed some suitable music. For this session I chose Comin’ Home (Live) by The Magpie Salute from The Magpie Salute (2017), Waitin’ for the Bus by ZZ Top from Tres Hombres (1973), The Spell by Mammoth WVH from The End (2025), and finally Big Empty by Stone Temple Pilots from Purple (1994).

Spread of LPs used to assess

Four very different recordings, but all tracks I know well enough to pick apart what a system is doing. More importantly, they’re all tracks I actually enjoy listening to, which is surely the point of all this.

Coffee on, amplifier warmed up and ready to rock. Literally.

Starting with My Planar 6

Before unleashing the RS, the obvious place to start was with my own slightly modified Planar 6. This is the turntable I’ve lived with for years, so it gives me a very familiar baseline.

When I say modified, I haven’t gone completely mad with it. The biggest difference is the Dynavector 10X5 high-output moving-coil cartridge. Between the cartridge and headshell I’ve also fitted an Origin Live Cartridge Enabler, and to correct the VTA I use a Rega 2mm stainless-steel arm spacer. Beyond that, we’re still very much dealing with a Planar 6.

The dynavector 10x5 on My standard spec planar 6

I can hear some of you already: “Matt, just get on with it and tell us what the thing sounds like!”

Fair enough.

Starting with The Magpie Salute’s Comin’ Home, this is a pretty busy recording. The band had ten members, so during a live performance there is an awful lot happening at once. That makes it a brilliant test of whether a turntable can keep everything organised rather than turning the whole performance into musical soup.

My Planar 6 handles it beautifully. The guitars have their own space and character, the vocals sit firmly in the centre and there is enough separation between everything going on to make the recording feel wonderfully immersive. It has that quality I’ve always loved about this turntable, where rather than sitting there analysing the equipment, I find myself reaching for the volume control instead.

And that, really, is why I still own it.

Enter the Planar 6 RS

Now for the moment I’d been waiting for. Time to take my Planar 6 out and replace it with the rather fantastic-looking Planar 6 RS.

Oh boy, does it look good.

Setting it up, you can immediately see where some of the extra engineering has gone. The metallic finish gives it a more substantial visual presence than the standard Planar 6, while the twin pulley and pair of drive belts make the whole arrangement look rather purposeful beneath the platter.

planar 6 rs setup in My system

Then there is the RB880. Although there is an obvious family resemblance to the RB330, this is a much more sophisticated tonearm and one I already know rather well from the time I took a Planar 8 home for another one of my listening adventures.

Sitting on the end of it is Rega’s Nd9, the company’s flagship moving-magnet cartridge. It uses a fine-line nude diamond stylus mounted to a boron cantilever and, while I will confess now that I’m normally very much a moving-coil man, the Nd9 is a seriously accomplished cartridge.

Rega also offers the Planar 6 RS with its Ania moving-coil cartridge, which is a particularly interesting option for somebody with tastes more like mine. More on that shortly.

For now, though, it was time to drop the needle.

Going back to Comin’ Home, the first thing I noticed was a stronger sense of timing and overall composure. The whole RS and Nd9 combination seemed to organise this complicated live recording with impressive confidence. Vocals were firmly centred, individual instruments occupied clearly defined positions and there was a lovely sense of space around the backing vocals.

planar 6 rs with nd9 cartridge

The presentation was slightly more laid-back than my Dynavector-equipped Planar 6, which I suspect is as much about the different cartridge as the turntable itself, but there was certainly no shortage of information coming through. In fact, the more I listened, the more small details started making themselves known.

Next up was ZZ Top and Waitin’ for the Bus.

There was immediate authority to Billy Gibbons’ Les Paul, the legendary Pearly Gates, with plenty of texture coming through from that unmistakable guitar sound. Dusty Hill’s bass sat beautifully within the soundstage and gave the track plenty of presence without everything becoming too thick or heavy.

Then onto Mammoth WVH and The Spell. I actually got to see Wolfgang and the band perform at Cardiff Castle a couple of months ago and, for me, they put in the performance of the night. Funny how hearing one record can instantly take you back to a particular gig, room or moment in time, but then that is half the reason we all get so obsessed with music in the first place.

Back to the record before I disappear completely down that particular rabbit hole.

Wolfgang’s opening guitar riff arrives with real weight and power through the RS. There is plenty of attack to it, but the turntable keeps a grip on everything when the vocals arrive, placing them cleanly in the centre rather than allowing that enormous guitar sound to overwhelm the rest of the mix.

Finally, I moved onto Stone Temple Pilots and Big Empty, which turned out to be one of the highlights of the whole session.

Scott Weiland’s vocal was beautifully focused, with enough information coming through to give a real impression of how closely he was working the microphone. He was always an incredibly expressive performer. I saw him with Velvet Revolver many years ago and he had a little bit of Bowie about him on stage.

Yes, there I go again. One record and suddenly I’m somewhere else entirely.

Dean DeLeo’s huge opening guitar sound carried beautifully through the track, but what impressed me most was how composed the RS remained as everything built around it. There was detail, scale and space, but also that sense of musical timing that kept dragging me back into the song rather than the equipment.

And ultimately, that is exactly what I want a turntable to do.

My sanctuary. My home setup with planar 6 rs

The Verdict: Six, RS... or Eight?

So, after all of that, where did I end up?

There is no question that the Planar 6 RS is a seriously impressive turntable. The RB880 tonearm, twin-drive arrangement and upgraded plinth take the familiar Planar 6 platform somewhere noticeably more ambitious. It feels less like a completely different model and more like Rega has looked at everything that already works on the Planar 6 and asked, “What happens if we turn this up another notch?”

Then there is the Nd9. It is an excellent moving-magnet cartridge and undoubtedly a major part of the package’s performance. There is plenty of detail, excellent control and a very natural sense of balance to it.

But there is a “but”.

I’m still a moving-coil guy.

That isn’t a criticism of the Nd9, simply a matter of personal taste, and Rega has rather conveniently covered that base by offering the RS with an Ania moving-coil cartridge as well. If I were buying a Planar 6 RS for myself, that would absolutely be the version I would want to spend some serious time with.

So, is the Planar 6 RS worth choosing over the standard Planar 6? For me, yes. If I were buying fresh at this level today, the RS would be very difficult to ignore. You are getting some genuinely meaningful engineering upgrades from higher up Rega’s range while retaining the conventional Planar shape, full dustcover and everyday usability that make the Planar 6 so easy to live with.

Would I sell my own Planar 6 and replace it with one?

That is a slightly different question.

My Planar 6 and I have been through a lot together. I know exactly what it does, I love the Dynavector combination and, if I am finally going to make the jump to another turntable, I think you already know where this is going.

My eyes are still on an 8.

Thank you, as always, for taking the time to read my latest ramblings.

Matt Aaron - 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…

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Rega can be found at the following Audio T stores

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It’s as Easy as A-T-C: A Closer Look at Britain’s Studio-Bred Loudspeakers

From compact standmount speakers to imposing floorstanders, ATC’s SCM range promises the same studio-inspired accuracy at very different scales. This month, we’re taking a closer look at three models from this celebrated British manufacturer, a long-standing favourite among music lovers searching for accuracy, transparency and impressive levels of detail.

ATC has spent more than five decades refining its loudspeaker designs, with its products used in professional recording studios as well as home hi-fi systems. With roots in studio monitor design dating back to 1974, the company has adapted that engineering expertise to create loudspeakers designed to deliver accuracy, control and detail in the listening room.

So, is ATC for you? Let’s find out

For this blog, we spent time listening to three models from ATC’s passive SCM range: the compact SCM7 standmounts, the considerably larger SCM19 standmounts, and the highly regarded SCM40 floorstanders.

To keep the comparison as consistent as possible, all three speakers were initially partnered with a Rega Aethos integrated amplifier and a Bluesound Node streamer.

The three models share the same underlying ATC design philosophy, but each brings its own character, strengths and requirements.

To provide a broader perspective, I also enlisted two willing volunteers, my good friends Patrick and Jack, who are both relatively new to the hi-fi hobby. A second (or third) pair of ears, without years of preconceived expectations about what a particular brand or speaker should sound like, offered an interesting counterpoint to my own impressions and hopefully helped create a more balanced assessment.

Let’s get into it

For our main comparison track, we chose Born in Winter from Gojira’s album L’Enfant Sauvage.

It was selected for its combination of intricate musicianship and dramatic shifts in intensity. The song moves between relatively sparse passages and moments of dense, high-speed guitar and drum work, making it an excellent test of a loudspeaker’s ability to maintain clarity and instrument separation when things get busy.

Not your average hi-fi demo

Deep vocals are layered alongside emotionally charged screamed passages, challenging the speakers to recreate very different vocal textures without sacrificing detail.

In short, there’s quite a lot going on.

ATC SCM7

The SCM7 represents the starting point of ATC’s passive loudspeaker range.

Rather than simply trying to produce the biggest possible sound from a small enclosure, ATC’s approach with the SCM7 is focused on accuracy and control. Its sealed cabinet and carefully engineered drivers are designed to minimise unwanted colouration and deliver a fast, precise and naturally balanced presentation.

Of course, there are physical limits to what such a compact speaker can do at the bottom end, and that became particularly noticeable with our choice of music.

Small Speaker, Serious Detail

Immediately, two things stood out to me. The drums sounded extremely crisp and clean, but the song as a whole felt slightly hollow.

The reduced bass weight meant there was very little sense of muddiness, with individual instruments remaining impressively clear. The trade-off was that some of the impact and texture lower down the frequency range simply wasn’t there.

What surprised me most was the amount of texture I could hear in the guitar picking. Changes in the force of individual notes became much easier to pick out, including details I hadn’t really noticed before.

Patrick described the SCM7 as:

“Great at differentiating between the different instruments.”

However, he felt the vocals were slightly lacking because the deeper voice didn’t have quite the depth or texture he expected. He also felt some of the weight behind the distorted guitars was missing.

Jack came to a similar conclusion:

“Something’s missing.”

His immediate solution?

Probably a subwoofer.

A Change of Music Changes the Picture

We didn’t want to judge the SCM7 solely on one particularly demanding metal track, so we changed direction and listened to Blacked Out by Alfa Mist and Yussef Dayes.

Interestingly, many of the issues we had noticed with Gojira weren’t nearly as apparent.

The drums remained highly detailed, but the lack of deep bass became much less distracting. Patrick observed that the less dramatic shifts in intensity created an easy-listening sound, while the detailed rim taps of the drums came across as particularly elegant.

It was a useful reminder that a speaker’s suitability can depend heavily on the music you enjoy and what you want from your system.

ATC SCM19

Moving from the SCM7 to the SCM19, the underlying philosophy remains much the same.

The difference is that the larger cabinet and bass driver give the SCM19 considerably greater weight, scale and dynamic impact without abandoning the clarity and control that impressed us with the smaller model.

Although still not a low-end-focused speaker, there is enough energy to give clarity and body around the 60hz mark, with additional headroom allowing the speaker to remain composed as volume increases.

The Difference Was Immediate

For me, the jump from SCM7 to the SCM19 was night and day. The music suddenly became much more engaging. The extra body transformed the track, while the overall presentation felt much larger and more convincing.

Unexpectedly, one of the biggest improvements came from the vocals. They sounded more real and raw, with far more of the emotion of the performance coming through.

Lower notes were also much better defined. The kick drum could now thump its way through the chaotic wall of guitars without becoming lost in the mix.

Jack mostly agreed.

He felt that the more prominent bass gave the guitar greater involvement within the song and described the overall presentation as more sophisticated.

As a guitarist himself, he made one particularly interesting observation. Listening through the SCM19s, he became far more aware of the different layers used to create the guitar tone and felt he could almost begin identifying the individual effects involved.

That’s a pretty good demonstration of the extra detail the SCM19 were uncovering.

Jack also felt the instruments were more evenly balanced than with the SCM7, with the vocals becoming part of the performance rather than sounding as though they were sitting on top of it.

Interestingly, Patrick came away with a slightly different opinion.

Although he agreed that the SCM19 handled the distortion of the guitars significantly better, they actually made him appreciate the SCM7 even more, particularly when considering the smaller speaker’s lower price point.

Already, we weren’t all agreeing.

And that’s half the fun.

ATC SCM40

The SCM40 takes ATC’s renowned three-way approach and brings it into a larger floorstanding design.

Importantly, it introduces ATC’s famous 75mm soft-dome midrange driver, dedicated to handling the crucial middle frequencies where so much of the character of vocals and instruments lives.

With each driver working across a more specialised part of the frequency range, the SCM40 promises greater scale, bass extension and refinement.

When Bigger Isn’t Automatically Better

This is where things became particularly interesting.

To my surprise, when we first connected the SCM40 to the Aethos, I actually felt we lost some of the clarity that had impressed me with the SCM19, despite the obvious increase in scale and bass presence.

The SCM40 is a more substantial loudspeaker and clearly responds to high-quality partnering amplification. In our room, with our system and at the levels we were listening, I felt the Aethos combination didn’t show the SCM40 at their absolute best.

Rather than simply accepting that as the final verdict, we decided to split this part of the test in two.

First, we would listen with the Rega Aethos for the sake of a consistent comparison.

Then we would move to Rega’s considerably more ambitious Mercury preamplifier and Solis power amplifier to see just how much further the SCM40 could go.

SCM40 with Rega Aethos

Through the Aethos, the presentation felt slightly muddier to me, particularly when trying to follow textures such as individual guitar strings being picked.

There was certainly more scale and bass, but I actually found myself preferring the SCM19 at this stage. The kick drum on the SCM40 almost seemed smaller in relation to the sheer size of everything else happening in the track, making the presentation feel a little less balanced to my ears.

Jack had a different take.

He felt the overall character was similar to the SCM19 but with increased bass undertones. Not necessarily extra punch, but more of the underlying rumble that helped hold the track together. As he put it:

“The bass sounded less like lingering residue and felt more intentional.”

Patrick disagreed with both of us to some extent. For him, the transition from SCM19 to SCM40 represented an even bigger jump:

“More character, more body. The highs of the guitar were very enjoyable compared with the previous speakers.”

Like Jack, he also felt that the track came together more convincingly and that there was much less need to consider adding a subwoofer.

And there you have it.

Three people. Same system. Same track. Different conclusions.

That’s the wonderfully subjective nature of hi-fi.

Giving the SCM40 Room to Breathe

To find out what the SCM40 could really do, we moved over to Rega’s Mercury and Solis pre/power combination.

Rega Aethos vs Rega Mercury and Solis

For me, another major jump in performance was immediately apparent.

The system had considerably more authority and weight, while the treble detail returned cleaner than anything we had heard previously.

The slightly muddier character I had noticed with the Aethos disappeared. The Mercury and Solis combination gave the SCM40s a much greater sense of control, while the whole presentation became cleaner, more confident and more expansive.

Now the SCM40 really had room to breathe.

The soundstage opened up, instruments were easier to follow and the system had the ability to move from quieter passages into the heavier sections of the track with far greater conviction.

Patrick heard:

“More dynamics and power.”

Jack was similarly impressed:

“The drums feel more defined, standing out enough but not overpowering the rest of the track, allowing every instrument to sound good.”

Interestingly, Patrick still preferred the SCM19 overall.

He felt they presented some of the lower-frequency detail in a way he enjoyed more, despite acknowledging that the SCM40 combination was extremely impressive.

Once again, price and size hadn’t automatically determined the favourite.

So, Which ATC Is Right for You?

After spending time with all three models, one thing became very clear: ATC’s design philosophy remains remarkably consistent, but the listening experience changes considerably as you move through the SCM range.

The SCM7 impressed us with its clarity and ability to uncover small details, although its compact dimensions inevitably limit the weight and scale it can bring to particularly demanding music.

The SCM19 added the body, scale and vocal presence that made our Gojira track considerably more engaging. For me, it represented a wonderfully well-rounded balance between detail, scale and practicality.

The SCM40 was perhaps the most interesting of the three.

With the Aethos, its additional scale and bass extension were obvious, but I didn’t immediately feel it offered the same sense of clarity I had enjoyed from the SCM19. Partnered with Rega’s Mercury and Solis pre/power combination, however, the SCM40 really came alive, delivering significantly greater authority, dynamics, space and scale.

Ultimately, there wasn’t a single winner.

The SCM7 remains an incredibly detailed compact speaker. The SCM19 strikes an impressive balance between detail, scale and practicality, while the SCM40 offers another level of performance for those prepared to partner it with amplification capable of showing what it can really do.

And Patrick still preferred the SCM19.

At the end of the day, only your own ears can tell you which one is right for you. But it’s always nice to bring your friends along for the ride.

Thanks for reading.

Louis, Jake and James – Audio T Brighton

If you have any questions about the equipment featured in this article, or any other hi-fi or home cinema enquiries, be sure to contact your local Audio T.

If you enjoyed this article, why not take a look at some of our other Audio T blogs and follow us on our social media channels below…

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ATC Loudspeakers can be found at the following Audio T stores

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Why Wired Headphones Are Back: A Hi-Fi Buyer’s Guide for the Retro Tech Revival

It is quite humbling to have the technology of your youth suddenly branded as “retro tech”.

Nothing makes you feel your age quite like watching someone on social media excitedly discover an iPod as though they have just unearthed Tutankhamun’s tomb.

Look! It has buttons! And you have to put the music on it yourself!

Yes. I know. I was there.

But apparently wired headphones, iPods, early digital cameras and other technological relics of the 2000s are having something of a revival.

A recent BBC News article looked at exactly this phenomenon. Social media is increasingly full of younger people rediscovering digital cameras, wired headphones and dedicated MP3 players. In the UK, eBay says sales of iPods and Walkman portable audio players increased by nearly 50% during 2025, while searches for the iPod Mini rose by 48% over the following year.

Suddenly, the tangled cable at the bottom of the drawer is fashionable again…

Why Is Old Technology Suddenly Cool Again?

There is obviously an element of fashion involved.

The slightly fuzzy flash photography of an old digital camera has a distinctive look. An iPod Classic has a satisfyingly chunky click wheel. Wired earphones hanging from your ears apparently now convey considerably more street credibility than they did when half of us were spending ten minutes every morning trying to untie them.

But there seems to be something a little more interesting happening too.

The BBC spoke to people who liked older technology precisely because it does less. An iPod plays music. A digital camera takes photographs. Neither immediately invites you to check WhatsApp, answer an email, watch a Reel, buy something you don't need and then spend 40 minutes wondering why you picked your phone up in the first place.

Professor Andrew Przybylski from the University of Oxford suggested that part of the attraction comes from wanting greater control over our experiences. Choosing an album and putting it onto an iPod is a conscious act rather than something being endlessly selected and pushed towards us by an algorithm.

Which brings us rather neatly to Hi-Fi.

Because while the wider technology industry spent the past decade trying to remove every cable, button and physical interaction it possibly could, proper wired headphones never actually went anywhere.

Perhaps we weren't behind the times after all. Perhaps we were just extremely early for 2026.

Wired Headphones: Retro Fashion or Actually a Good Idea?

Wireless headphones can be brilliant.

I use them. They're convenient, noise cancelling can be invaluable on trains and planes, and Bluetooth headphones have become genuinely impressive, but wired headphones still have some very obvious advantages.

There is no battery to charge. No Bluetooth connection to establish. No software update. No wondering why your left earbud has mysteriously decided it no longer wishes to participate.

More importantly for Hi-Fi, a passive wired headphone allows the manufacturer to concentrate almost entirely on the things that actually produce the sound: the drivers, earcups, damping, materials and acoustics.

You then choose what drives them.

That might be the headphone socket on an old iPod, a laptop, a Hi-Fi amplifier or a dedicated DAC and headphone amplifier. Or perhaps you’ve fully immersed yourself in a full retro vibe and are playing your old cassettes on the WE-001 Portable Player from We Ar Rewind.

Improve the source and amplification later and a good pair of wired headphones can improve with it.

So, if you have been tempted by the so-called “retro tech” revival and fancy rediscovering the simple joy of plugging something in, here are a few places to start…

Sennheiser HD400S: Keep It Simple

If the whole attraction of retro tech is simplicity, the Sennheiser HD400S understands the assignment.

They are closed-back, foldable, wired headphones with a 3.5mm connection and an 18-ohm impedance, meaning they are not particularly demanding to drive. At £64.99*, they are also a very accessible introduction to conventional wired headphone listening.

There is no app.

There is no battery percentage.

There is a cable.

Plug cable into thing. Music comes out.. Revolutionary stuff!

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Sennheiser HD560S: Your First Taste of Proper Open-Back Hi-Fi

If you are mainly listening at home, an open-back headphone is where things start getting particularly interesting.

The Sennheiser HD560S is designed to produce a more open, spacious presentation, allowing sound to pass through the rear of the earcups rather than enclosing the driver completely.

That means very little isolation, so everybody else in the room may get to enjoy your music too. Whether they asked to or not.

But in a quiet space, open-back headphones can deliver a wonderfully natural sense of scale and space. At £179.99*, the HD560S is a great entry point into serious home headphone listening and comes with connections suitable for both 3.5mm and larger 6.3mm headphone outputs.

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Meze 99 Classics V2: Retro Meets Modern

Few headphones fit this particular article better than the Meze 99 Classics V2.

Walnut wooden earcups, a proper cable and absolutely no attempt to disguise themselves as another piece of disposable consumer electronics. They feel like something you might actually want to own for years.

The latest V2 version costs £319* and has a low 16-ohm impedance, making it relatively easy to drive. Better still, Meze includes a compact USB-C DAC/headphone amplifier in the box, allowing you to connect them to modern phones and tablets that have decided the humble headphone socket is beneath them.

It is essentially the perfect meeting point between old-school wired listening and the slightly inconvenient reality of owning a phone manufactured after about 2018.

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Focal Azurys: Wired Headphones for the Real World

Open-back headphones are wonderful until somebody else enters the room. Or you enter an office. Or a train. Or, frankly, anywhere involving other human beings.

Focal Azurys with included case

The Focal Azurys takes the more practical closed-back approach. Currently £349*, it is a completely passive wired headphone with no Bluetooth, battery or active noise cancellation. Its 26-ohm impedance also means it can work with a broad range of portable sources and headphone outputs.

Focal manufactures the 40mm aluminium/magnesium drivers in France, and the closed earcups provide useful passive isolation while reducing the amount of your music escaping into the outside world.

In other words, you can enjoy your music without forcing everybody within a six-metre radius to develop an appreciation for Steely Dan.

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Sennheiser HD600: The Hi-Fi Classic

Then we get to something properly serious.

The Sennheiser HD600 is the sort of headphone that demonstrates why wired Hi-Fi never needed reviving in the first place.

It has remained a firm favourite among music lovers because it concentrates on straightforward things: an open-back construction, carefully matched drivers, a detachable cable and an honest, natural presentation.

The HD600 costs £399.99* and has a considerably higher 300-ohm impedance, so this is where source and amplification become more important. Plug them into something mediocre and they will work. Partner them with a good headphone amplifier and they begin to show why serious headphone systems are a thing.

This is where buying wired headphones starts becoming very recognisably Hi-Fi.

You buy the headphones today, improve the DAC or amplifier later, and hear what the headphones were capable of all along.

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Meze 109 PRO: Things Are Getting Serious

The Meze 109 PRO takes that idea further.

At £769*, these are open-back headphones built from materials including walnut, zinc, manganese steel and velour, with a 50mm dynamic driver developed specifically for the model.

Despite the price and performance level, the 40-ohm impedance means they remain relatively easy to drive from a range of portable and home equipment.

They are also a good example of what spending more on headphones can buy you before you've even pressed play: better materials, greater comfort, more sophisticated driver engineering and a product that has been designed to be maintained and enjoyed rather than replaced when its battery eventually gives up.

Very retro indeed.

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Sennheiser HD800S: Now We've Gone Full Hi-Fi

And then there is the Sennheiser HD800S.

Currently £1,199*, these sit firmly in high-end headphone territory and are designed to extract considerably more from a serious source and headphone amplifier. Their open-back construction is famous for producing an unusually spacious presentation, while Sennheiser developed the current S version to offer a smoother, more balanced sound than the original HD800.

Nobody is buying a pair of these because wired headphones happen to be fashionable on TikTok this month.

But that is rather the point.

The same fundamental idea scales from a £65 pair of headphones all the way into genuinely high-end Hi-Fi.

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Open-Back or Closed-Back?

If you are new to proper wired headphones, this is probably the first decision to make.

Closed-back headphones keep the rear of the driver enclosed. They generally provide better isolation and leak less sound, making them more suitable for travelling, offices, shared rooms and family life.

Open-back headphones allow air and sound to pass through the earcup. They provide very little isolation but can create a more spacious and natural presentation, which is why they are so popular for serious listening at home.

Neither is inherently better.

If you are sitting alone with a cup of tea and an album, open-back can be glorious.

If you are sitting beside somebody watching The Great British Bake Off, perhaps show some mercy and buy closed-back.

But My Phone Doesn't Have a Headphone Socket...

Yes. We have successfully reached the point where the technology industry has made wired headphones fashionable again while simultaneously removing the hole you plug them into.

Excellent work, everyone.

Fortunately, a simple USB-C DAC or headphone adaptor can add a conventional 3.5mm connection to most compatible modern devices. Some headphones, including the Meze 99 Classics V2, now even include one in the box.

Meze 99 Classics V2 and the included USB-C DAC

For easier-to-drive headphones, something compact may be all you need.

Move towards more demanding models such as the HD600 and a dedicated DAC/headphone amplifier becomes much more worthwhile.

And that is where the retro tech trend potentially becomes particularly interesting for Hi-Fi.

Someone may begin with an old iPod and a pair of wired headphones because it looks cool. Then they discover that different headphones sound different. Then they try a proper DAC. Then a headphone amplifier. Before they know it, they're arguing about power supplies on an internet forum at 1:30 in the morning.

Welcome. We've been expecting you.

Maybe Hi-Fi Was Retro Tech All Along

There is something rather reassuring about younger listeners rediscovering technology that asks them to be slightly more involved.

Choosing an album. Owning some music. Plugging in a cable. Listening without six notifications appearing halfway through the first track.

Hi-Fi has always been built around that idea.

We have embraced streaming, wireless audio and all the genuinely useful advances modern technology has given us, but sometimes removing every last bit of friction also removes some of the ritual that makes listening to music enjoyable.

So if wired headphones are officially cool again, excellent.

Come in. Try some.

Just please give me another few years before you start describing CDs, MiniDiscs and the PlayStation 2 as “vintage”.

I'm not emotionally ready.

Thanks for reading.

Brad Tyler – Head of Marketing at Audio T

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 your local Audio T.

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…

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All products mentioned here can be found in all Audio T stores:

• SWINDON

• CHELTENHAM

• READING

• SOUTHAMPTON

• BRIGHTON

• PORTSMOUTH

• MANCHESTER

• CARDIFF

• SWANSEA

• BRISTOL

• ONLINE STORE

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*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

Chord Electronics Quartet: A New Era in Audio Upscaling

Many of us will be familiar with upscaling in relation to our TV pictures. But fewer will have heard audio upscaling in action, let alone the astonishing talents of the new Chord Electronics Quartet.

It is probably no exaggeration to say that it is products like the Quartet from Chord Electronics that help redefine the art of the possible in hi-fi.

This £25,000 box of electronic wizardry can, for example, take a standard CD 16-bit/44.1 kHz signal or a high-res 24-bit file and upscale it to a maximum of 768 kHz.

But then so can Chord’s own M Scaler, and for considerably less money. So what does the Quartet bring to the upscaling party that its less costly stablemate doesn’t? The answer is: a heck of a lot, actually.

Suffice to say at this point in the blog that the Quartet, which is housed in the familiar, beautifully machined aluminium Choral casework, offers a step change in terms of the processing power and talents it brings to the upscaling table.

The technical bit

When we play a CD or stream a piece of music, that digitised material has been created by taking snapshots or samples at regular intervals of the original analogue waveform. These snapshots are assembled to create a digital copy of the music.

While modern digital audio is very accurate, no digitisation process captures every point of the original analogue waveform. So a 16-bit/44.1 kHz CD, or even a 24-bit high-resolution stream with a higher sample rate of 96 kHz or even 192 kHz, will have tiny gaps in the music which, in turn, impact on the fidelity of the music we hear.

Chord electronics quartet with power supply

The more information missing in a music file, the less detail we hear. Less information also means, among other things, less dynamic range, a more two-dimensional soundstage, a less authentic tonality and looser timing.

An upscaler works by intelligently reconstructing the information between those sample points. The more accurately this reconstruction is performed, the more faithful the resulting waveform is to the original analogue signal.

Serious processing power

The Quartet, which is supplied with a dedicated off-board power supply, has taken this process of sampling to new heights and uses huge processing power to perform the reconstruction to an extremely high level of accuracy.

At its heart are five Xilinx FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array) chips. By way of comparison, Chord’s excellent DAVE DAC has one FPGA chip. Each FPGA is programmed to Chord’s exacting specifications and optimised for the tasks they are required to perform.

The enormous processing power allows the Quartet to run the Blackbird WTA (Watts Transient Aligned) filter, designed by Chord’s design guru Rob Watts.

In the simplest terms, this filter enables the Quartet to achieve a remarkable four million samples or ‘taps’ of an incoming signal, allowing it to build a very accurate picture of the music. It allows for more data points, less guesswork and fewer errors when reconstructing the waveform. Chord Electronics’ own highly regarded M Scaler manages a ‘mere’ 1 million taps.

By way of analogy, imagine trying to recreate a great work of art from a handful of blurry black and white photographs. It would be difficult, if not impossible, to do justice to the original work. But given hundreds of very high-definition photos of the same artwork, it becomes far more likely that any copy will more closely resemble the original.

The Quartet then applies all that processing power to those millions of taps, or sample points, to reconstruct a highly accurate, high-res waveform. The aim is to fill in those tiny gaps in the digital file and thereby deliver music with superb timing, transients, resolution and tonality.

Upscaling analogue sources

Not only that, but, for the first time in a Chord upscaler, the Quartet incorporates an integrated Pulse Array analogue-to-digital converter (ADC).

This allows analogue sources, including high-end turntables, to benefit from the same advanced upscaling technology, extending the Quartet's capabilities beyond purely digital playback.

Connectivity

Includes USB, optical, BNC and dual-BNC outputs supporting resolutions up to 768 kHz, making the Quartet an ideal partner for Chord Electronics DACs – particularly the flagship DAVE DAC.

Impressive, but how does it sound?

According to Chord Electronics' design philosophy, improved transient timing is one of the most important aspects of realistic digital reproduction.

Listening to the Quartet in the Southampton demo room

Timing helps music sound coherent and, well, musical. The importance of timing is often overlooked when we talk about hi-fi simply because detail, soundstage and dynamics tend to grab our attention more when listening. But without accurate timing, all those wonderful details and all that dynamic sweep can be compromised and, in worst-case scenarios, can even begin to sound messy.

The Quartet’s ability to greatly reduce timing errors and accurately reconstruct the analogue waveform means it can more faithfully recreate all the good stuff we expect from top-notch hi-fi, such as the detail in the leading edge of notes, the space within the music, the natural decay of instruments and so on. All of that creates a more lifelike and immersive musical experience.

From our experience, Chord’s design philosophy translated beautifully into real-world listening in our demo session – and then some!

Putting the Quartet to the test

We played a number of tracks at 16-bit/44.1 kHz and higher resolutions using an Innuos Stream3 as a streaming transport straight into a DAVE DAC and into ATC SCM 50 ASL actives. All sounded hugely impressive, as you might expect from a streamer and DAC combination alone costing around £20,000, to say nothing of the excellent ATCs at over £16,000 a pair.

In fact, given the excellence of the Stream3 and DAVE DAC, we were all, with the exception of our Chord Electronics rep, wondering how much more the Quartet upscaler could realistically add.

We were prepared for a careful and critical listening session in which we would have to listen attentively to hear some subtle improvements in detail, etc.

However, on switching the Quartet from pass-through mode, which meant it did nothing to the signal, to ‘on’, the impact was immediate, obvious and unequivocal.

An immediate difference

Within the first few bars, it was obvious that detail and separation between instruments and vocals had improved dramatically. The music became clearer, more coherent and simply more present. This, we reckoned, was in significant part due to the improved transient timing.

The leading edge of instruments gained definition and texture, which gave greater dimensionality within the music. It allowed a more musical interplay between separate instruments and voices within a track. Everything was simply better sorted.

Yes, we could hear more detail, but this wasn’t a one-trick pony trying to win us over simply with microdetail fireworks. There was a naturalness and ease to the way the Quartet conveyed all that additional musical detail and nuance.

Tonality was greatly improved. The accuracy with which the Quartet captures the signal allows it to flesh out instruments and vocals, giving them back their microtonal nuances and even imperfections.

It was almost like we could hear the way in which the musician’s fingers manipulated the strings on their guitar, or the precise timbre of the stick on the skin of the snare drum, or the movements of the singer behind the mic. All very, very moreish.

Available in Both Silver and Black

Conclusion

The Quartet reinstates into music all the good stuff like the on-point transients, the subtle timbre of instruments, the microtonality in vocals, the space in music, the leading edge and decay of notes, the subtleties and even the imperfections.

It is something of a hi-fi cliché, but the Quartet really did lift a veil from the music, allowing us to hear much more of what was there in the original analogue recording. It made for a compelling listen.

Obviously, there is a huge amount of electronic processing going on to allow the Quartet to do what it does so well. But its presentation never sounded like artifice or electronic jiggery-pokery. The music sounded natural and honest and, dare we say it, very analogue.

One of the benefits of working in hi-fi retail is that we often get to listen to some superb bits of kit. The downside of listening to loads of fantastic hi-fi components, if there is one, is that it can take a lot to genuinely wow us.

But the Chord Electronics Quartet did just that, and pretty much from the second it was turned on. Hugely impressive.

OK, at £25,000, the Quartet is clearly a costly bit of kit. But it is a cutting-edge upscaler representing a step change in tap rate and processing power. And it also comes with the Pulse Array ADC for analogue upscaling.

However, if you ask us, the Quartet’s real value lies in what it can do for music. The likelihood is that you would have to go a long way and spend an awful lot more than £25,000 to get the same upgrade in sound as that delivered by the Quartet.

If your system justifies a component of this quality, then you are strongly advised to give the Quartet a listen. Consider it especially if you already own Chord Electronics products such as a DAVE DAC.

If you buy one, it will likely transform your already excellent system into something that can deliver an altogether more insightful and absorbing listening experience.

Thanks for reading.

Alan (formerly of Portsmouth’s Audio T branch) - Audio T Southampton

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…

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Chord Electronics can be found at the following Audio T stores

• BRISTOL

• CARDIFF

• MANCHESTER

• READING

• SOUTHAMPTON

• SWANSEA

Do Expensive Music Streamers Really Sound Better?

It is one of the most common questions in modern Hi-Fi. If two streamers are playing the same track from the same service, surely they should sound exactly the same?

After all, digital is just ones and zeroes. Job done. We can all go home.

Except, as ever with Hi-Fi, it is not quite that simple.

WiiM, Bluesound, Eversolo and Innuos are just Several brands of Streamer we stock at Audio T

The honest answer is that more expensive music streamers generally do sound better, particularly when connected to a system capable of revealing the difference. Better power supplies, lower electrical noise, more accurate clocking, improved digital processing and higher-quality analogue output stages can all help produce a cleaner, more natural and more involving performance.

That does not mean everyone needs a reference streamer to play a Spotify playlist. It does mean the streamer should be treated as a proper source component, rather than a glorified Wi-Fi adapter with ideas above its station.

The Source Starts Before the Streamer

Before comparing streamers, it is worth considering what you are actually asking them to play.

The streaming service is the first part of the chain. A beautifully engineered streamer cannot restore information that has already been removed, just as the world’s finest turntable cannot rescue a record badly mastered.

For listeners prioritising outright sound quality, Qobuz and Tidal remain among the strongest choices. Both offer lossless CD-quality streaming and Hi-Res music, while their Connect features allow compatible streamers to receive music directly from the service.

Amazon Music Unlimited can also sound extremely good and has an enormous catalogue, although its integration is not as universal across specialist Hi-Fi products. It is always worth checking that your chosen streamer supports it in the way you expect.

Spotify remains exceptionally strong for playlists, recommendations and ease of use. It is often the service that helps people discover the music they later buy on vinyl, CD or another platform. However, if ultimate sound quality is the main goal, Qobuz and Tidal would usually be our first ports of call.

Of course, the best streaming service is ultimately the one containing the music you actually want to hear. A technically perfect catalogue without your favourite albums is not tremendously useful. You will find that all of the aforementioned services offer free trial periods.

Are All Music Streamers Created Equal?

No. Not even slightly.

A music streamer is effectively a specialised computer, but the better models are designed to stop the less desirable behaviour of a computer from contaminating the audio signal.

Inside a streamer, manufacturers must manage network traffic, processing, digital timing, electrical noise, power regulation and, where fitted, digital-to-analogue conversion. Every stage presents an opportunity either to preserve the signal or give it a light kicking on the way through.

The biggest differences usually come down to:

• The quality of the power supply

• Clocking and digital timing

• Electrical isolation

• The quality of the digital outputs

• The DAC and analogue output stage

• Software and app development

Software matters more than some people realise. A streamer may sound heavenly, but if its app requires hand-to-hand combat every time you want to change album, it will soon become a very expensive ornament.

Even when two streamers are connected digitally to the same external DAC, differences may remain. Power noise, signal integrity and timing can still influence how the receiving DAC performs.

WiiM and Eversolo: The Newcomers Who Gatecrashed the Party

WiiM Ultra, Eversolo DMP-A6 Gen 2 and Eversolo DMP-A8

WiiM and Eversolo have arrived in the Hi-Fi industry with all the subtlety of someone bursting through the doors and asking why everything costs so much.

Products such as the WiiM Mini and WiiM Ultra have made proper music streaming accessible to a huge number of people.

WiiM Mini Brings Streaming to Existing Systems

The compact WiiM Mini offers a simple and affordable route into network audio, while the WiiM Ultra adds a touchscreen, improved conversion and enough connectivity to make some traditional Hi-Fi components look rather underprepared.

Eversolo has performed a similar trick further up the ladder. The Eversolo DMP-A6 Gen 2 combines streaming, digital-to-analogue conversion, pre-amplification and music-server capabilities with a large touchscreen and excellent connectivity.

Moving up to the Eversolo DMP-A8 brings a more advanced power supply, conversion stage and analogue pre-amplifier section.

Both brands have wowed the industry by offering an enormous amount for the money, and established manufacturers have undoubtedly taken notice.

However, they are understandably limited by their budgets. A manufacturer cannot include the same power supply, clocking, isolation, casework and premium output circuitry as a reference product while charging a fraction of the price. That is not a criticism. It is simply fact.

The achievement of WiiM and Eversolo is not that they make high-end streamers redundant. It is that they offer a remarkable slice of the experience for considerably less money.

Streaming Amplifiers or Separate Components?

A streaming amplifier combines the streamer, DAC, pre-amplifier and power amplifier inside one enclosure. Connect a pair of speakers, open the app and away you go.

Products such as the WiiM Amp Ultra make a compelling case for this approach, particularly in smaller rooms, where simplicity matters or where budget is non-negotiable.

The Linn Majik DSM demonstrates how far the all-in-one concept can be taken, combining high-quality streaming, amplification, extensive connectivity and Linn’s Space Optimisation technology.

The advantages are obvious. There are fewer boxes and cables, installation is easier and every section has been designed to work together. In many cases, an all-in-one system also represents better value than purchasing each component separately.

A well-designed streaming amplifier is not automatically a compromise. For many listeners, it may be the most sensible and best-sounding option.

Separate streamers and amplifiers offer different benefits. Each component can have its own enclosure and power supply, reducing interference between sections. You can choose the streamer, DAC and amplifier that best suit your speakers, then upgrade each part independently.

Separates generally provide a higher ultimate performance ceiling. The downside is more cost, more cables and the possibility of ending up with seventeen boxes after originally deciding to simplify things.

Stepping Up to Innuos, Naim and Linn

At the upper end of the Audio T streaming range, Innuos, Naim and Linn show what becomes possible when the digital source is treated with the same seriousness as a high-end turntable or CD player.

The new Innuos STREAM1 is particularly interesting because it is modular. It can be configured as a streaming transport, music server or complete player with an internal DAC.

Innuos STREAM1 With matching LPS1 linear power supply

Optional storage allows a locally held music library to sit alongside online streaming services, while the matching LPS1 linear power supply provides a clear upgrade route.

The Innuos STREAM3 takes the same flexible approach considerably further. Its more substantial power architecture, advanced clocking, heavily engineered chassis and modular output options are designed to produce a quieter and more accurately timed digital signal.

It can feed a high-quality external DAC or become a complete source with one of Innuos’ optional DAC modules. This makes it equally relevant to someone building a new reference system and someone who already owns a favourite DAC.

The STREAM1 and STREAM3 are excellent examples of why streamers do not all sound alike. Innuos has treated the network, processor, power supply, chassis, software and audio output as parts of one complete source, rather than adding streaming as a convenient extra feature.

NAIM NSS 333

Naim takes a similarly serious approach with the NSS 333. It combines their streaming platform with carefully engineered digital processing, conversion and discrete analogue output circuitry.

It can also be upgraded with an NPX 300 external power supply, because this is Naim and there is almost always another box waiting patiently in the wings.

At the summit sits the Linn Klimax DSM. This is not simply a streamer, but a reference digital source, DAC and pre-amplifier built around Linn’s Organik DAC, Utopik power supply and precision-machined enclosure.

Linn Klimax DSM

It can also improve connected digital and analogue sources while incorporating Linn’s Space Optimisation system.

These products cost considerably more because considerably more engineering has gone into controlling the conditions under which the music is received, processed, converted and passed to the amplifier.

So, Is Spending More Worth It?

Generally, yes.

The move from having no proper streamer to something like a WiiM Mini or WiiM Ultra can completely transform how often you use your Hi-Fi.

Moving to Eversolo can bring better build, broader functionality and a more accomplished performance. Stepping into Innuos, Naim or Linn territory will then uncover greater clarity, space, texture, timing and musical involvement that is worlds apart.

However, the improvement must be considered within the complete system.

Connecting a reference streamer to an entry-level amplifier and loudspeakers may produce an improvement, but it is unlikely to reveal everything the streamer can do. To use my go-to analogy when talking about these things - It would be rather like fitting Ferrari racing wheels to a go-kart. Technically impressive, but perhaps not the most balanced use of the budget.

As prices rise, improvements also become more expensive. The difference between a basic network adapter and a good budget streamer may be dramatic. The difference between two already excellent high-end sources can be subtler, although in a suitably revealing system it may still be musically significant.

The real question is therefore not simply:

“Does the expensive streamer sound better?”

It is:

“Does it sound sufficiently better in my system to justify the difference?”

That is why demonstrations matter. Use the same amplifier, speakers, streaming service and familiar music, then compare the streamers under controlled conditions.

A specification sheet can tell you how many bits are involved. Your ears must decide whether they are having more fun.

Thanks for reading.

Brad Tyler – Head of Marketing at Audio T

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 your local Audio T.

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…

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WiiM and Eversolo can be found at the following Audio T stores

• SWINDON

• CHELTENHAM

• READING

• SOUTHAMPTON

• ONLINE STORE

• BRIGHTON

• PORTSMOUTH

• MANCHESTER

• CARDIFF

• SWANSEA

• BRISTOL

Naim, Innuos can be found at the following Audio T stores

• SWINDON

• CHELTENHAM

• READING

• SOUTHAMPTON

• BRIGHTON

• PORTSMOUTH

• MANCHESTER

• CARDIFF

• SWANSEA

• BRISTOL

Linn can be found at the following Audio T stores

• SWINDON

• BRIGHTON

• MANCHESTER

• BRISTOL

• PORTSMOUTH

• CHELTENHAM

• CARDIFF

• SWANSEA

How IsoAcoustics Isolation Can Improve Your Hi-Fi System

Many Hi-Fi enthusiasts crave the latest streamer, CD player, amplifier or turntable. However, significant improvements can sometimes be made without changing a core component, often for considerably less money than the resulting performance boost might suggest.

Paying attention to the less glamorous parts of a Hi-Fi system can bring huge benefits. Upgrading speaker cables or interconnects, improving the mains supply, adding a subwoofer or supertweeter, and addressing mechanical vibration can all help your equipment perform at its best.

Of these potential upgrades, isolation is perhaps one of the most overlooked.

Why IsoAcoustics Could Be One of the Best Upgrades for Your Hi-Fi System

IsoAcoustics has made a significant impact within the Hi-Fi industry by developing innovative isolation products that allow speakers, turntables and electronics to perform closer to their full potential.

ZaZen isolation platform

Rather than changing the fundamental character of your system, effective isolation can reduce unwanted vibration and reveal more of what your equipment is already capable of producing.

Who Are IsoAcoustics?

IsoAcoustics is a Canadian company renowned for designing award-winning isolation products for home audio, professional studios and consumer electronics.

Its patented isolation technology is engineered to reduce unwanted vibrations while maintaining stability, helping audio equipment deliver greater clarity, precision and focus.

Unlike traditional spikes or basic rubber feet, IsoAcoustics products are carefully designed to manage mechanical energy and reduce resonance without compromising performance.

Why Does Hi-Fi Isolation Matter?

Every component in your Hi-Fi system either produces vibration or can be affected by it.

Loudspeakers generate mechanical energy that travels through floors, furniture and speaker stands. Turntables, amplifiers and other sensitive electronics can also be affected by vibrations coming from the room around them.

These unwanted vibrations may contribute to:

• Reduced bass definition

• Less precise stereo imaging

• A loss of fine musical detail

• Colouration through the midrange

• Smearing of transient sounds

Effective isolation helps minimise these effects, allowing your equipment to reproduce music with greater accuracy and control.

IsoAcoustics GAIA Speaker Isolation Feet

The GAIA and GAIA Neo ranges are among IsoAcoustics’ best-known products.

gaia III feet

Designed to replace the standard spikes or feet fitted to floorstanding loudspeakers, GAIA isolators reduce the transfer of vibration between the speaker and the floor.

Potential improvements include:

• Tighter and faster bass

• Improved stereo focus

• Greater soundstage depth

• Cleaner vocals

• Enhanced low-level detail

Available in several sizes, the GAIA range is suitable for everything from compact floorstanding speakers to much larger high-end models.

I remember the first time GAIA isolators were demonstrated to me. Two pairs of identical loudspeakers were used, with one pair fitted with GAIA feet and the other using its standard feet.

What struck me most was how much tighter and better controlled the bass sounded through the GAIA-equipped speakers. It was not a subtle difference. The improvement was immediately noticeable.

IsoAcoustics OREA Equipment Isolators

OREA isolators are designed for Hi-Fi electronics such as amplifiers, DACs, CD players, music streamers and phono stages.

orea isolation

By reducing the vibration reaching sensitive components, OREA isolators can help reveal subtle details that might otherwise be masked. Music can sound more open, dynamic and natural, particularly when listening to high-quality recordings.

Different OREA models are available to suit equipment of various weights, making it important to select the correct version for your component.

IsoAcoustics zaZen Isolation Platforms

The zaZen isolation platforms are designed for turntables, amplifiers and other sensitive electronics.

They combine a dense, stable platform with IsoAcoustics’ patented isolation technology, helping to control vibration without introducing unwanted resonance.

ZAZEN ISOLATION PLATFORM

This can make zaZen particularly effective beneath turntables, where external vibration and acoustic feedback can have a noticeable effect on vinyl playback.

IsoAcoustics Aperta Speaker Platforms

For standmount speakers and desktop systems, the Aperta range provides an effective way to decouple speakers from desks, cabinets, shelves or speaker stands.

aperta speaker platform

The platforms also offer adjustable tilt, helping you aim the speakers more accurately towards the listening position.

Reducing vibrations passing into the supporting surface can improve bass definition, clarity and stereo imaging, while also reducing the amount of sound transferred through furniture.

Do IsoAcoustics Products Really Make a Difference?

One reason IsoAcoustics products receive so much praise is that the improvements can often be heard immediately.

They are not designed to dramatically change the tonal balance of your system. Instead, they help reduce unwanted distortion and vibration that may be obscuring musical detail.

The best analogy I can think of is cleaning a window. The view itself has not changed, but removing the dirt allows you to see it more clearly.

The scale of the improvement will naturally depend on your room, flooring, speaker placement and existing equipment. However, in many systems, isolation can represent one of the best-value upgrades available.

Final Thoughts

The pursuit of better sound is not always about buying a larger amplifier or more expensive pair of speakers. Sometimes, it is about allowing your existing equipment to perform as its designers intended.

IsoAcoustics has earned an excellent reputation by developing products based on genuine engineering principles. With solutions available for loudspeakers, turntables and electronics, there is an isolation product suitable for almost every Hi-Fi system.

For anyone searching for an upgrade that can deliver clearly audible improvements, IsoAcoustics deserves a place near the top of the shortlist.

Better isolation can reveal cleaner detail, sharper imaging, tighter bass and a more immersive listening experience, helping you hear more of the music you already love.

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Experience IsoAcoustics at Audio T Swindon

We are holding a special IsoAcoustics demonstration event at Audio T Swindon on Thursday 3rd September.

A representative from IsoAcoustics will be joining us to run a series of demonstrations, allowing you to hear the effects of its isolation products for yourself.

Attendance is free, but places must be booked in advance. Reserve your ticket and come along to discover what effective isolation could bring to your own Hi-Fi system.

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Thanks for reading, and we look forward to welcoming you in-store soon.

Jon and Andy - Audio T Swindon

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…

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IsoAcoustics can be found at all Audio T stores:

• BRIGHTON

• BRISTOL

• CARDIFF

• CHELTENHAM

• MANCHESTER

• PORTSMOUTH

• READING

• SOUTHAMPTON

• SWANSEA

• SWINDON

• ONLINE STORE

9 of the Best Tracks for Testing Your Hi-Fi System

Everyone has that handful of tracks they know inside out. The ones they have heard hundreds of times across countless systems, where even the smallest change in presentation immediately stands out.

Whether we are installing a new system in a customer’s home, comparing components in one of our demonstration rooms or simply listening to the latest equipment arrivals, these tracks are never far away.

Some are chosen for their imaging, while others test bass control, dynamics, timing or vocal realism. A few simply tell us whether a system sounds right.

Here are nine tracks that regularly appear on our playlists at Audio T Reading.

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Billie Eilish – Your Power (Dan)

Billie Eilish has a catalogue full of beautifully recorded material, combining intimate vocals with a clever mix of acoustic instruments and modern electronic production. Your Power has become one of my go-to tracks when setting up a pair of speakers.

It opens with acoustic guitars panned widely across the soundstage, while Billie’s vocal sits firmly locked to the centre. It is an excellent test of stereo imaging and is often the first track I play when fine-tuning speaker positioning. The vocal should sound completely natural and detached from the speakers, with plenty of detail but without ever becoming harsh or fatiguing.

As the track develops, the production becomes busier and introduces a deep, controlled bassline. This quickly highlights how well the speakers are interacting with the room. If the bass becomes overpowering or boomy, it is often a sign that the speakers need moving slightly further away from the wall behind them. If a subwoofer is involved, its crossover or level may also benefit from a little adjustment.

Once that balance is right, the track sounds effortless from top to bottom.

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Maria Mena – I Was Made for Lovin’ You (Dan)

This is one of those tracks that tells me an enormous amount about a system within the first minute. The upright double bass is beautifully recorded, with every note revealing the warmth of the instrument’s wooden body, the definition of its strings and the natural resonance that follows each pluck.

Unlike tracks that simply test how deeply a system can play, this one is all about texture and realism. A good system allows you to follow every bass note effortlessly, while Maria Mena’s vocal remains firmly centred and completely separate from the accompanying instruments. The recording has an intimate quality that quickly exposes whether the lower frequencies sound natural or have become overly thick and congested.

It is not the most spectacular demonstration track, but it is one I return to time and time again because I know exactly how it should sound. Within a minute or two, I already have a good understanding of the overall character of the equipment. If something is not quite right with the speaker positioning or tonal balance, this track usually lets me know.

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Ludwig Göransson – Kitty Comes to Testify (Dolby Atmos Mix) (Dan)

The Dolby Atmos mix is available on TIDAL when played through a compatible AV processor or receiver, and it is one of the most impressive demonstrations of immersive audio I have encountered. Taken from the Oppenheimer soundtrack, it immediately reveals how well a surround system has been installed and calibrated.

The introduction sets the tone with a heavily reverberated piano that creates a huge sense of space before the orchestra gradually enters. The string sections extend not only across the front soundstage but also into the side channels, creating an enveloping presentation.

Rather than sounding like effects fired from individual speakers, the orchestra blends seamlessly through antiphonal exchanges, with musical phrases passing naturally between different sections. On a well-calibrated Atmos system, the room should disappear completely, leaving you surrounded by one cohesive performance rather than a collection of speakers.

That is often the difference between an average surround system and an exceptional one. You should not find yourself listening to individual speakers. Instead, everything should merge into one continuous soundfield, creating a convincing three-dimensional bubble around the listening position.

Towards the finale, the soundtrack introduces a series of exceptionally deep and powerful bass notes. This is an excellent test of a subwoofer’s ability to deliver low frequencies with both authority and control. A capable subwoofer should reproduce these notes effortlessly, without strain or boominess, while integrating seamlessly with the main speakers.

It is also a track I frequently use when positioning a subwoofer, as those sustained low frequencies quickly reveal room modes, dead spots and peaks. Simply moving the subwoofer, or even the listening position, while playing this section makes it much easier to identify the placement that provides the most even bass response across the room.

Once Kitty Comes to Testify finishes, I almost always follow it with Ground Zero from the same Dolby Atmos soundtrack. It continues many of the same themes, testing dynamic impact, low-frequency control and, most importantly, whether every speaker in the system is working together as one seamless whole.

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Tom Misch – Goldie (Rishi)

Tom Misch’s Full Circle marked his return to music after taking time away following burnout, and it is an album full of beautifully natural performances and exceptional recording quality. The vocals were recorded using a vintage Neumann U47 microphone, helping to give the album its rich, warm and intimate character.

On Goldie, the opening acoustic guitar tells us a great deal about a system. Does it sound like real wood and steel strings, with body and resonance, or does it simply sound like another guitar recording?

One of the first things we listen for is the subtle squeak of fingers moving across the fretboard. A revealing system showcases these details, but it should present them naturally as part of the performance rather than drawing unnecessary attention to them.

When Tom’s voice enters, it should appear firmly centred between the speakers, with the right sense of scale and presence. Too far forward and it can become fatiguing. Too recessed and some of the emotion is lost.

Above all else, this is a track that reminds us that great hi-fi is not only about hearing more detail. It is about preserving the sincerity and warmth of a beautifully understated performance.

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Thomas Fehlmann – Window (Rishi)

Sometimes, you do not need a complicated recording to expose the strengths and weaknesses of a system. Window is one of those tracks.

Thomas Fehlmann is renowned for his work in ambient and dub techno, and this piece places almost all of its focus on bass performance. Rather than simply asking how deeply a system can play, it challenges how accurately it can reproduce rapid changes in bass notes while maintaining control and rhythm.

Listen carefully as the bass synths arrive in quick succession. A capable system keeps each note distinct, allowing you to follow every transition with ease. If the amplifier or speakers struggle, those notes begin to blur together, turning what should be a dynamic and tuneful bassline into something much flatter and more one-dimensional.

When everything is working together, the track has tremendous pace and agility, with an expansive soundstage that gradually unfolds behind the driving low frequencies.

It is a brilliant demonstration that bass is not just about quantity. It is about timing, texture and control.

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Evgeny Grinko – Grass, Dew and Marmalade (Rishi)

Not every test track has to challenge a system technically. Sometimes, the best recordings simply ask one question: does it move you?

Evgeny Grinko’s Grass, Dew and Marmalade is built from remarkably simple ingredients. Delicate piano lines provide the foundation, while softly textured strings gradually build the emotion before opening into a sweeping orchestral climax.

Rather than analysing every detail, we simply sit back and listen. Can the piano float effortlessly between the speakers? Do the strings carry genuine emotion without becoming harsh? Most importantly, does the crescendo create that moment when the hairs on your arms stand up?

Recorded at Berlin’s renowned Funkhaus, the production is wonderfully spacious and natural, allowing a capable system to reveal subtle layers without ever sounding forced.

If a hi-fi system can draw you into the music and make you forget that you are listening analytically, it has done exactly what it was designed to do.

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Miles Davis – Circle (Gareth)

When Miles Davis appears in a hi-fi demonstration, it is usually Kind of Blue taking centre stage, and rightly so. My personal favourite, however, comes from a little later.

Miles Smiles, recorded in 1966 with Davis’ legendary Second Great Quintet, captures the group at the height of its powers.

Circle opens with Miles’ unmistakable Harmon-muted trumpet before Wayne Shorter and Herbie Hancock each take a turn in the spotlight. A well-balanced system allows every instrument to retain its own character, making it easy to follow the subtle musical conversations taking place between the players.

Rather than presenting the band as a single, blended mass, great hi-fi reveals the interaction, timing and chemistry that made this quintet so extraordinary.

If you enjoy this track, do not stop there. The entire album is an exceptional recording and a reminder that some of the finest jazz performances ever captured still have plenty to teach today’s hi-fi systems.

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Azu Tiwaline – Long Hypnosis (Gareth)

Azu Tiwaline is one of those artists who quietly creates something completely unique. Drawing inspiration from electronic music, dub and the traditional sounds of the Sahara, her music builds hypnotic rhythms that constantly evolve without ever feeling repetitive.

Long Hypnosis, from The Fifth Dream, is an excellent test of timing and rhythmic precision. Multiple percussive patterns weave together throughout the track, and a capable system keeps every layer organised and easy to follow.

If the timing begins to slip or detail is lost, those intricate rhythms can start to sound muddled and disconnected.

When a system gets it right, however, everything locks together effortlessly, creating an immersive and almost trance-like experience. It is a wonderful reminder that rhythm can be every bit as revealing as imaging or frequency response.

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Jean Sibelius – Symphony No. 6 (Gareth)

For orchestral music, it is difficult to look beyond Jean Sibelius’ seven symphonies, and Symphony No. 6 remains my personal favourite.

Completed in 1923, it combines a wonderfully understated orchestral palette with remarkable emotional intensity. Unlike many large-scale classical works, this symphony rarely becomes overwhelmingly loud. Instead, it relies on subtle dynamics, delicate textures and the natural colour of the orchestra to build its atmosphere.

My preferred recording is by the Lahti Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Osmo Vänskä, on the BIS label. A revealing hi-fi system allows each section of the orchestra to occupy its own space while preserving the coherence of the performance as a whole.

It is less about dramatic fireworks and more about allowing the music to breathe naturally.

After you have explored the other tracks in this list and fine-tuned your system, sit back, press play and let Sibelius remind you why we all fell in love with listening to music in the first place.

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What Tracks Do You Use to Test Your Hi-Fi?

Of course, this list is far from definitive. Every member of the Audio T team has their own collection of go-to tracks, and every music lover has those songs and recordings they know inside out.

Whether it is a piece of music that always gives you goosebumps, exposes a weakness in a system or simply sounds incredible on a well-set-up hi-fi, we would love to hear it.

Leave us a comment with the tracks you always reach for when testing your system. We are always open to discovering new music that could become our next favourite demonstration track.

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Thank you for reading.
Dan, Gareth & Rishi – Audio T Reading

If you have any questions about 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…

The Joy of Music with the Neat Acoustics Iota II at Audio T Cheltenham

If personal circumstances dictate that you need a really small but high-quality loudspeaker, look no further! The resident genius boffins at Neat Acoustics have once again moved the goalposts and produced a tiny loudspeaker that delivers a big sound, packed with character, swagger and groove. Read on to discover a little more about the stunning new Iota II.

A nice pair

Balance and Flow

Hand-built in the North of England and voiced by ear, these diminutive beauties have had no expense spared when it comes to their design and build quality.

A 100 mm polypropylene mid/bass driver combines with a 50 mm vertical planar magnetic tweeter, housed within a compact 2.6-litre, rear-ported cabinet that has been carefully tuned for balance and flow.

close up of that secret weapon planar magnetic tweeter

The drive units are fed by a carefully conceived, ear-tuned, three-element crossover network that employs low-loss air-core inductors and high-grade polypropylene capacitors. This crossover has been refined through careful auditioning, helping the Iota II capture not only precision and balance, but also the emotion that makes music feel alive.

The speakers are available in satin black and satin white finishes.

A Space Opera

One of the prog rock greats!

So, I hear you ask... what do they sound like?

I will simply say that listening to them play the prog-rock epic Into the Electric Castle by Ayreon was almost a religious experience.

Nimble and Hefty

The open, airy sweetness of the planar magnetic tweeter was the gateway into a clean, wide-open soundstage. Combined with that nimble yet hefty bass driver, it allowed me to listen deep into the mix with ease.

The vocal interplay, featuring Fish, Sharon den Adel, Anneke van Giersbergen and Damian Wilson, amongst others, was addictively engaging and transparent. I was especially struck by how easy it was to follow every word, without any annoying intrusion from overblown midrange or bass.

The first ten minutes or so of this album have been a permanent fixture on my list of demonstration tracks for years. Played through the Neats, this opening section sounded totally immense as time and space collided!

Beautiful artwork too

Clarity, Rhythm and Life

Every time I listen to these mini marvels, I am amazed by their ability to produce an almost holographic, three-dimensional stereo image filled with clarity, rhythm and life.

This is partly because there is very little front baffle surrounding the drive units, and very little cabinet around or behind them to resonate or introduce colouration of any kind.

Genius!

nice chunky binding posts and a bass port

An Ending of Sorts

Summing up, I have to say that the Neat Iota II are compelling and, above all, great fun to listen to.

Small enough to fit pretty much anywhere, the Iota II perform beautifully on shelves, sideboards or dedicated stands. They also make excellent little desktop monitors. Wherever they are placed, they fill the room with a sound that feels open, engaging and alive.

Compact, confident and unmistakably Neat, the Iota II bring the full spirit of music to almost any space.

They are especially well suited to the current crop of all-in-one streaming systems, from which a very high level of sound quality can be achieved, particularly where space may be at a premium.

Grilles are included too

Pop Along

If I have piqued your interest in the little Neat Iota II, please pop along to our Cheltenham store to see and hear them for yourself.

I bet you’ll like them!

And, just so you know, this month’s blog would not have been possible without...

Blog writing essentials

Many thanks for reading.

Andy - Audio T Cheltenham

And if any of the equipment mentioned here has sparked your interest, your local Audio T store will be more than happy to help you explore further.

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

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

• BRIGHTON

• CHELTENHAM

• MANCHESTER
  
  

Living with the Sennheiser HDB 630: A Real-World Review

The Sennheiser HDB 630 promises to combine serious hi-fi performance with the freedom and convenience of wireless, noise-cancelling headphones.

That sounds appealing on paper, but specifications only tell part of the story. The real test is whether a product fits naturally into everyday life.

For me, that test began in the kitchen.

Headphones That Disappear

The first time I put on the HDB 630 wasn’t for a critical listening session.

I was making dinner.

Hardly the glamorous beginning most reviews imagine, but probably one of the most realistic.

For the next hour, I wandered around the kitchen preparing food, stopping occasionally to stir a pan, clear the worktop or answer one of my children.

It wasn’t until I sat down to eat that I realised something: I had barely thought about the headphones.

That might sound like an odd compliment, but I genuinely think it is one of the highest you can pay a pair of wireless headphones.

They didn’t demand my attention. They didn’t need adjusting every few minutes, and they didn’t gradually become uncomfortable.

They simply disappeared.

When I took them off, I realised I had been listening to music for over an hour without once thinking about the thing producing it.

That is exactly what I want from a product like this. I don’t want to be constantly reminded that I am wearing headphones. I want to forget they are there.

When Listening Stops Feeling Like Reviewing

One thing that happens when you review hi-fi equipment is that you start listening differently.

You stop enjoying the music and start analysing it. You begin asking questions.

Is the bass deeper? Are the vocals clearer? Is the imaging wider?

Before long, you are concentrating so hard on the equipment that you have forgotten why you pressed play in the first place.

I didn’t want that to happen here, so I resisted the temptation to dissect every track and simply listened.

The playlist changed naturally throughout the evening. Otis Redding gave way to Metallica, followed by Mallory Knox, Benny Banks, Honestav and Machine Gun Kelly.

Each artist asks something different of a pair of headphones. Metal demands speed and control. Soul depends on emotion. Rap lives or dies by the clarity and presence of the vocal.

One characteristic remained consistent throughout: voices sounded natural, believable and firmly connected to the performance around them.

The music never felt as though it was fighting for attention. Instead, it supported the artist.

To me, that is exactly what good hi-fi should do. It shouldn’t impose the same personality on every recording. It should allow every artist to sound like themselves.

There is usually one moment that tells me whether I am truly enjoying a piece of hi-fi. It isn’t a specification or measurement. It is the point where I stop thinking about the equipment altogether.

For me, that happened when “Heart & Desire” by Mallory Knox came on.

Somewhere between checking the oven and clearing the worktop, I found myself standing still. Not because I was trying to listen critically, but because I had forgotten I was supposed to be reviewing anything at all.

I was simply enjoying the music.

That was the moment the HDB 630 stopped feeling like a product I was testing and started feeling like something I wanted to own.

They weren’t asking for my attention. They were earning it.

Comfort That Lasts

There comes a point with every new piece of equipment when the honeymoon period ends.

The excitement of opening the box has gone, you have stopped exploring the features and the novelty has worn off.

That is usually when the truth comes out.

Do you keep using it, or does it quietly find its way back into the box?

With the HDB 630, I kept reaching for them. Not because I felt I should, but because they fitted naturally into my day.

Sennheiser HDB 630 - Great for all environments

A few days later, I found myself in the front garden working on my latest motorbike project. Like most people who enjoy working on vehicles, I had planned to spend an hour or two making some progress.

As usual, one job became three and, before I knew it, the afternoon had disappeared.

The HDB 630 stayed on throughout.

I wasn’t sitting comfortably in an ideal listening position. I was moving around, reaching for tools, stopping to think, getting my hands dirty and occasionally standing back to admire a job that had taken considerably longer than expected.

In other words, I was simply getting on with life.

By the end of the afternoon, I had spent almost six hours wearing them.

We often become obsessed with sound quality, features and specifications, but if you don’t want to wear a pair of headphones for more than half an hour, none of those things really matter.

The HDB 630 never gave me a reason to take them off. Even after nearly six hours, they remained remarkably comfortable and had never become distracting.

Looking back, that is probably one of the biggest compliments I can give them.

The Music That Matters

I have never believed that a handful of carefully chosen demonstration tracks can tell you everything you need to know about a piece of equipment.

Those songs might reveal a product’s strengths, but they don’t necessarily tell you what living with it will be like.

The music I want to improve is the music I already know.

It is the music that has accompanied long drives, family holidays, difficult days and great memories. Those are the recordings that matter because I know how they should make me feel.

Across all the different genres I played, the HDB 630 remained impressively composed.

Vocals were the biggest highlight. Whether a performance was soft and emotional or loud and aggressive, voices retained a sense of naturalness that made them believable.

Metallica had the energy and control it needed without becoming harsh or fatiguing. Otis Redding’s voice retained its warmth and honesty, while rap vocals remained clear and confidently positioned within the mix.

The headphones never tried to make everything sound the same. Instead, they seemed content to let each artist tell their own story.

Films and Television

Music may have been my priority, but it certainly wasn’t the only thing I used the HDB 630 for.

Like many parents, once the children are asleep, the evening often ends with a film or a few episodes of a television series.

This was another area where the headphones quietly impressed me.

Dialogue was always clear and confidently placed at the front of the presentation without feeling detached from everything happening around it.

The background remained spacious and atmospheric, but it never distracted from the voices. That made longer viewing sessions incredibly easy.

Then came the action scenes.

Explosions carried real weight, reaching surprisingly deep without becoming bloated or overpowering. What impressed me most, however, wasn’t simply the amount of bass. It was the control.

The impact arrived exactly when it should and disappeared just as quickly, leaving space for everything else to breathe.

The HDB 630 could sound powerful when needed, but relaxed when they didn’t need to show off.

Noise Cancelling Without Complete Isolation

Before using the HDB 630, I expected the noise cancelling to be one of the headline features.

In practice, it became valuable for a slightly different reason.

I have two young children. Life at home isn’t silent, nor would I want it to be.

There are moments when I want to enjoy music while still knowing if somebody needs me. I don’t always want to feel completely cut off from everything happening around me.

The difference between the lighter noise-cancelling setting and full noise cancelling initially seemed quite subtle. After living with the headphones for a couple of weeks, however, I began to appreciate the balance.

The general noise of the house was softened enough for me to become immersed in whatever I was listening to, but I never felt completely disconnected.

I could still hear if one of the children called out or if I was needed. For my lifestyle, that worked far better than feeling completely isolated.

The HDB 630 didn’t remove me from my surroundings. They simply made those surroundings less intrusive.

App and Touch Controls

One area where Sennheiser deserves real credit is the companion app.

It is refreshingly straightforward. Nothing feels overcomplicated, and everything is where you would expect it to be.

Within a few minutes, I wasn’t thinking about the app. I was simply using it.

The touch controls follow the same philosophy. Changing the volume, skipping tracks and controlling playback quickly became second nature.

Good controls are the ones you stop thinking about, and that is exactly what happened here.

The only feature I had mixed feelings about was the automatic pause function.

By default, lifting or removing an earcup pauses whatever you are listening to. For films and television, I think this is an excellent idea. If someone speaks to you or you need to answer a quick question, you don’t miss an important piece of dialogue.

While exploring the app, I discovered that Sennheiser allows you to adjust the sensitivity of the wear detection. That is a welcome addition and shows that some thought has gone into accommodating different users.

What I couldn’t find was an option to change how the feature behaves depending on what I am listening to.

Personally, I would like music to continue playing if I briefly lift one earcup, while retaining the automatic pause function for films and television. That is simply how I tend to use headphones.

This is a personal preference rather than a criticism of the feature itself. For many people, its current behaviour will be exactly what they want. A little more control would simply make an already well-designed system even better.

USB-C Dongle

The supplied USB-C dongle was another pleasant surprise.

Connected to my phone and laptop, it worked brilliantly. The connection was quick, reliable and exactly what I had hoped for.

Naturally, I also wanted to see how it behaved with my PlayStation 5.

Unfortunately, this was the one area where my experience wasn’t as positive.

Audio was present, but something clearly wasn’t quite right. Certain elements of the soundtrack appeared to disappear, leaving the sound thin and almost robotic at times.

Considering how well the dongle worked with my other devices, this appeared to be a compatibility issue rather than a fault with the headphones themselves. Other systems and configurations may behave differently, but it is worth mentioning because it formed part of my experience.

That is what this review is about: the good and the not quite so good.

Sennheiser HDB 630 and included case

Final Thoughts

The Sennheiser HDB 630 became the headphones I reached for while cooking dinner, working on my motorbike and watching films after the children had gone to bed.

They found a place in my daily routine without ever demanding one.

No, they didn’t replace my hi-fi system. I never expected them to.

Nothing replaces the experience of sitting in front of a dedicated system and losing yourself in an album. But that was never the point.

The HDB 630 gave me more opportunities to enjoy music, and that is one of the highest compliments I can pay any piece of hi-fi.

There are things I would change. I would like more control over the automatic pause feature, and I would like to see better compatibility with the PlayStation 5.

Neither issue stopped me from reaching for the headphones again the following day, or the day after that.

That tells me everything I need to know.

Hi-fi has always been a personal journey. No review can tell you exactly what you will enjoy because nobody else listens in precisely the same way you do.

So, if you take one thing away from this article, let it be this: don’t borrow somebody else’s playlist and don’t chase somebody else’s opinion.

Take the music you already know. Choose the songs that mean something to you. Spend time with the Sennheiser HDB 630 and decide whether they earn a place in your life.

Because, in the end, the best review you will ever read is the one you write with your own ears.

If you would like to experience the Sennheiser HDB 630 for yourself, contact your nearest Audio T store to arrange a demonstration.

Thanks for reading,

Luke - Audio T Portsmouth

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…

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Sennheiser can be found at the following Audio T stores:

• SWINDON

• CHELTENHAM

• READING

• SOUTHAMPTON

• ONLINE STORE

• PORTSMOUTH

• MANCHESTER

• CARDIFF

• BRISTOL

• SWANSEA

Chromey and the Stylistics ask... When Should You Replace Your Turntable Stylus, Cartridge or Belt?

As we continue whiling away this long, hot summer, the outdoors seems like the only place to be. However, we know what’s coming... Rain! And probably lots of it.

Autumn and winter are only a few months away too, and that’s when the indoors suddenly seems like the only place to be.

We dust off our records and settle in for some musical therapy, only to realise that everything isn’t quite up to scratch. The puns are going to come thick and fast.

Enter Chromey and his crew of Stylistics at the Manchester store, ready to take care of any shortcomings with your turntable.

Read on for a few cures and fixes!

and now!!!! they dance!!!!

Belt Up, Lad

So... first things first: turntable belts!

Drive belts can stretch, harden and begin to slip over time as they lose their grip. This can adversely affect the timing and pitch of your music.

some belts can stretch a little too far!!!

They’re definitely worth replacing, particularly if your belt hasn’t been changed in several years, and even more so if you’re someone who plays multiple records day in, day out.

ET voila - The Rega Advanced EBLT Turntable Drive Belt

We can help you find the correct replacement for your turntable. Owners of compatible Rega decks, for example, might want to look at the Rega Advanced EBLT Turntable Drive Belt.

Magnets That Move

We won’t dwell too much on the intricacies of different stylus profiles, but most easily replaceable styli are found on moving-magnet, or MM, cartridges.

just grab that stylus, pop it off and replace!! lemon squeezy.

This is where you can really hear a difference when replacing a worn-out stylus. Depending on your cartridge, replacements can range from affordable entry-level options to more sophisticated upgrades costing several hundred pounds.

Examples include the Ortofon Stylus 10 and the Rega Carbon Pro Upgrade Stylus.

Some replacement styli can be fitted at home, but don’t hesitate to bring your turntable into the store. We can supply and fit the correct stylus for you, as well as check that everything is properly set up.

Coiled Up

Now we can quickly discuss MCs, or moving-coil cartridges.

Those of you who own one probably already know that the stylus isn’t normally user-replaceable. Instead, the complete cartridge may need to be removed and replaced, exchanged or sent back to the manufacturer for rebuilding.

This is a much more hands-on job and will more than likely involve bringing your turntable into the store. We can examine the cartridge for you and offer a choice of suitable alternatives, whether you want a straightforward replacement or fancy taking the opportunity to upgrade.

We can also check the condition of the cartridge tags on the tonearm leads. These can sometimes become loose, potentially causing hum, intermittent channels or reduced performance.

They require a steady hand and a gentle approach, so it’s often best to leave them with us.

Clean as a Whistle

Finally, to keep everything tip-top and hunky-dory, don’t forget to clean your stylus.

A dry stylus brush, such as the Pro-Ject Clean-IT Carbon Fibre Stylus Brush, can gently remove dust and fluff from the stylus tip. Electronic and gel-type cleaners are also available, although you should always check the cartridge manufacturer’s advice before using any liquid or specialist cleaning product.

gently does it with the stylus cleaning brush chromey, steady as she goes.

Then there are record sleeves.

They may not seem like much, but replacing rough paper or cardboard inner sleeves can make a real difference. A good anti-static inner sleeve, such as the Goldring Exstatic Record Sleeves, can help protect your records from dust, static and unwanted scuffs.

Another thing to keep in mind is keeping your records clean and in tip-top shape. You don’t want unwanted marks, fluff or bits of dirt getting into those grooves and dulling the listening experience.

There are a few ways of tackling this. A simple anti-static record-cleaning brush, such as the Pro-Ject Brush-IT, is a good place to start and only takes a few seconds to use before playing a record.

The next step up could be a proper record-cleaning machine. Something such as the Pro-Ject VC-E2 Vinyl Record Cleaner can provide a much deeper clean, helping to remove dirt and contamination that an everyday brush might leave behind.

There ends this little segment on keeping your cartridges, styli and records fresh and clean.

You can take a look at more of the record-cleaning products available from Audio T, or pop into the Manchester store and let us help you find the right solution.

Be sure to check back with us for more news and the latest goings-on in the turntable world.

Thanks for reading.

Munir, Thomas and Dave - Audio T Manchester

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…

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The products mentioned in this blog can be found in all Audio T stores:

• SWINDON

• CHELTENHAM

• READING

• SOUTHAMPTON

• BRIGHTON

• PORTSMOUTH

• MANCHESTER

• CARDIFF

• SWANSEA

• BRISTOL

• ONLINE STORE

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A Hi-Fi System You Can Really Build

You may have spotted the miniature brick-built Hi-Fi systems sneaking into a few of the photos. No, we haven’t started recommending a plastic turntable as an upgrade for your Planar 3, although cartridge alignment would probably be much easier!

These tiny systems were created following a collaboration between Audio T Manchester and local company The Printed Brick. The range includes miniature turntables, speakers, record storage and plenty of colourful little vinyl records. They’re fun, slightly ridiculous and make a brilliant gift for music lovers, collectors or anyone whose full-sized Hi-Fi system has already taken over the house.

Read the full story and find out how to purchase your own miniature Hi-Fi set-up here.

Eversolo Streaming Products: Ever So Good?

There is always a sense of excitement when a new range of products arrives through the front door at Audio T Swindon. Boxes are opened, equipment is carefully installed and, naturally, the serious business of exploring all the features and listening to some music begins.

This week, several new Eversolo products arrived in the store, giving Andy and myself our first proper opportunity to explore what this increasingly popular manufacturer has to offer.

Streaming has become an important part of many modern Hi-Fi systems, but no two people seem to use it in quite the same way. Some listeners want a compact all-in-one solution that simply needs a pair of speakers, while others already own a high-quality DAC and want a dedicated digital transport. There are also plenty of people who enjoy streaming but are not yet ready to abandon their CD or vinyl collections.

Fortunately, the Eversolo range appears to have something for all of them.

Eversolo: A New Name with Serious Ambition

Although Eversolo is relatively new to the market, it has quickly become one of the most talked-about manufacturers of digital music streamers.

Its products combine extensive streaming features with modern design, premium casework and large touchscreen displays. More importantly, the range covers several different types of system, from compact streaming amplifiers to dedicated transports intended for use with a separate DAC.

We have only had these products in the store for a few days, so this is very much a first look rather than a full review. However, our initial impressions have certainly been positive.

Stunning Design Meets Practical Functionality

One of the first things you notice about an Eversolo product is the display. Large, high-resolution touchscreens feature throughout the range, giving you an attractive view of album artwork, playback information, system settings and your music library.

The screens look modern, respond quickly to touch and make navigating the products feel intuitive. The aluminium casework also looks and feels suitably premium, giving each model the appearance of a serious piece of Hi-Fi equipment rather than simply another piece of consumer technology.

Today’s music collections often live across several different platforms. Eversolo embraces this by supporting many of the world’s most popular streaming services, including Apple Music, which is still relatively uncommon outside Apple’s own ecosystem, and Presto Music, a particularly welcome option for classical and jazz listeners.

Music stored locally can also be accessed from USB devices, compatible internal SSD storage and network-attached storage drives. The Eversolo control app is comprehensive, while regular software updates should allow the platform to continue evolving.

Eversolo Play CD Edition

For years, we have been told that streaming services such as Spotify, TIDAL and Qobuz represent the future of music. However, plenty of music lovers still have large and much-treasured CD collections.

The Eversolo Play CD Edition brings both worlds together.

play cd

It combines a music streamer, DAC, amplifier and CD player in one compact unit. Simply connect a pair of suitable passive speakers and you have a complete music system capable of playing CDs, accessing streaming services and handling several additional sources.

The built-in CD drive can also be used for ripping discs, allowing you to begin creating a digital copy of your CD collection for more convenient access.

Despite the Play CD Edition’s compact dimensions, the front panel still accommodates a large 5.5-inch touchscreen. The display is clean, colourful and easy to read, whether you are selecting an album or adjusting the system settings.

Play CD. loading tray open.

Connectivity includes USB, Bluetooth, HDMI ARC and a moving-magnet phono input. That last inclusion means a turntable fitted with a suitable moving-magnet cartridge can be connected without needing a separate phono stage.

The built-in Class D amplifier delivers 60 watts per channel into 8 ohms, making the Play CD Edition an interesting all-in-one option for anyone who wants plenty of flexibility without filling the room with separate boxes.

Eversolo T10

The Eversolo T10 takes a very different approach.

This is a dedicated streaming transport designed for listeners who already own a high-quality external DAC. There is no internal digital-to-analogue conversion stage. Instead, the T10 concentrates on delivering the cleanest and most stable digital signal possible to the rest of the system.

T10

It incorporates a carefully designed power supply, advanced clocking technology and extensive electrical isolation. These measures are intended to reduce electrical noise and minimise jitter before the digital signal reaches the DAC.

Dominating the front panel is a huge 8.6-inch touchscreen, which provides plenty of space for browsing music and displaying album artwork.

I also discovered that there are several VU meter display options. Not one or two, but eleven of them! I have always been, and probably always will be, a sucker for a good VU meter.

The T10 provides an extensive selection of digital outputs, including USB Audio, optical, coaxial, AES/EBU and IIS. This should make it compatible with a wide range of external DACs and allow owners to select the most appropriate connection for their system.

External clock support is also included for integration with suitable high-precision master clock systems.

For listeners with large digital music collections, the T10 provides two internal SSD slots supporting up to 16TB of total storage. This provides considerable room for downloaded music, high-resolution files and ripped CDs.

Eversolo DMP-A6 Gen 2

The DMP-A6 Gen 2 is a great-value music streamer, DAC and digital preamplifier.

It features a high-quality linear power supply and two ESS ES9038Q2M DAC chips, with one handling each channel. Like several other products in the Eversolo range, it also provides an internal SSD slot, allowing music to be stored directly within the unit.

dmp a6 gen 2

Connectivity includes HDMI ARC, USB, optical and coaxial digital connections, Bluetooth, RCA outputs and balanced XLR outputs. It can therefore be connected to an integrated amplifier, power amplifier or pair of suitable active speakers.

The premium build quality continues here, while the six-inch touchscreen is clear, responsive and a pleasure to use.

Considering its combination of streaming support, internal storage options, DAC functionality and extensive connectivity, the DMP-A6 Gen 2 appears to offer an impressive amount for the money.

Eversolo DMP-A6 Master Edition Gen 2

The DMP-A6 Master Edition Gen 2 is the premium version of the standard DMP-A6 Gen 2. It is aimed at listeners who want to extract more performance from the same flexible platform without making the considerable jump to one of Eversolo’s flagship models.

Key upgrades over the standard DMP-A6 Gen 2 include an enhanced ultra-low-jitter clock system, a premium OPA1612 operational amplifier stage and an upgraded ultra-low-noise linear power supply.

dmp a6 master gen 2

The Master Edition also uses a fully balanced circuit architecture from the decoding stage through to the analogue outputs.

These changes are designed to lower distortion and the noise floor while improving timing, instrument separation, stereo imaging, dynamics and fine detail. We will need to spend more time listening before reaching any firm conclusions, but it will be particularly interesting to compare the two DMP-A6 models under controlled conditions.

Conclusion

Over the next few blogs, I intend to take a more detailed look at several of these Eversolo products. This will give us an opportunity to explore how they perform in different systems, how easy they are to use and, most importantly, how they sound.

Based on our first few days with the range, the initial signs are very encouraging. The products feel well made, the touchscreen interfaces are clear and responsive, and the Eversolo software provides access to an unusually broad selection of streaming services.

There also appears to be a clear sense of purpose behind each model. The Play CD Edition offers a compact and flexible complete system, the DMP-A6 models provide a feature-packed route into higher-quality streaming, and the T10 caters for more advanced systems built around a separate DAC.

Eversolo may still be a relatively young name in the Hi-Fi world, but it clearly has serious ambitions. If these first impressions are anything to go by, the future is looking very bright indeed.

We will report back once we have spent more time listening.

In the meantime, should any of these products have sparked your interest, please contact us at Audio T Swindon to discuss your system or arrange a demonstration.

Thanks for reading.

Jon and Andy - Audio T Swindon

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…

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Eversolo can be found at the following Audio T stores -

• BRIGHTON

• BRISTOL

• CARDIFF

• CHELTENHAM

• MANCHESTER

• PORTSMOUTH

• READING

• SOUTHAMPTON

• SWANSEA

• SWINDON

• ONLINE

Style, Substance and a Proper Hi-Fi Surprise: The Ruark R610 Music Console and Sabre-R Speakers

This isn’t the first time that I’ve penned, or perhaps tapped, a confession, and I’m sure it won’t be the last.

Like many of our contemporaries, we’re occasionally guilty of overlooking some of the lifestyle products occupying the rather attractive display area at the front of our store.

Our Ruark Audio stand takes up a fair amount of valuable real estate, but until recently, only two products were regularly called into action.

First, there’s the Ruark MR1 Mk3 active speaker system, usually connected to a Rega Planar 1 Plus turntable and demonstrated to customers with a very specific set of requirements:

“I’m on a strict budget, but I want something that sounds better than the suitcase player I’ve got at the moment.”

It does indeed.

Then there’s the solution to another common, slightly exasperated question:

“Have you got a nice-sounding radio that’s simple to use in my kitchen, bedroom, conservatory or shed?”

“Yes. This is the Ruark R1S.”

Both products are easy to reach, easy to demonstrate and sound great sitting on top of a set of venerable IKEA Kallax shelves, which probably isn’t too far removed from how they’ll eventually be used at home.

So far, so groovy.

However, there has been another product sitting nearby that we haven’t paid nearly enough attention to. It represents Ruark’s first venture back into what most people would recognise as a more conventional hi-fi system for quite some time.

Meet the Ruark R610 Music Console…

ooooo…pretty.

A Proper Hi-Fi System in One Box

Launched towards the end of 2024, the R610 can be partnered with almost any suitable pair of passive loudspeakers. However, Ruark naturally designed it to work alongside its matching Sabre-R speakers.

Together, the two products form a complete music system that is likely to provide everything most people could reasonably need.

At its heart, the R610 is a compact 75W-per-channel amplifier, but describing it as simply an amplifier is doing it a considerable disservice.

There are analogue RCA inputs, optical digital audio, HDMI ARC and eARC for connecting your television, plus internet radio, DAB, DAB+ and FM tuners. There’s also a moving magnet phono stage, allowing you to connect a turntable without needing another box cluttering up the furniture.

Streaming is covered through Apple AirPlay and Google Cast, with support for Spotify Connect, TIDAL Connect and Qobuz Connect. Deezer, BBC Sounds and Apple Music are also supported, alongside a host of other services.

In other words, it can handle your television, turntable, favourite radio stations and almost any streaming service you’re likely to use.

That’s quite a lot of capability squeezed into one very smart wooden box.

sufficient sockets for most lifestyle applications…

Familiar Ruark Design, Grown-Up Ambitions

The R610 looks unmistakably like a Ruark product.

The case is wrapped in a handsome wooden finish, with a five-inch colour display and a walnut slatted grille running across the front. It feels more like a carefully chosen piece of furniture than another anonymous black box demanding space in the living room.

On top of the unit sits Ruark’s familiar control system. Those already acquainted with the company’s products will recognise the ring of satisfyingly clicky black buttons surrounding a knurled multifunction dial.

The same design is repeated on the rechargeable remote control, which adds a welcome sense of occasion when opening the glossy, colour-printed carton.

It also brought an extra smile to those of us old enough to remember the original Ruark R3 (Now superseded by the R3S). That model came with a similarly round controller, which sat in a cradle on the top and doubled as the main control interface.

We also remember the exotic batteries it required, which eventually turned out to be available only from camera shops.

Oh, the fun we had.

Thankfully, the new remote is rechargeable, so nobody needs to embark upon an expedition to find obscure photographic batteries.

now that’s neat.

The Matching Sabre-R Speakers

The Sabre-R speakers have clearly been designed as proper partners for the R610 rather than as an afterthought.

Their finish complements the Music Console perfectly, right down to the walnut detailing and silver Ruark logo across the lower section of the front baffle. It’s all very neat and shows that someone has thought carefully about the visual language of the complete system.

They are medium-sized bookshelf speakers and give their best performance when placed on suitable stands. However, they can also work well on a sturdy shelf or piece of furniture, helped by the small isolating feet fitted underneath.

Ruark even supplies a few metres of decent, factory-terminated speaker cable in the box.

That is extremely unusual these days.

It means that customers choosing the R610 and Sabre-R combination have almost everything required to get the system playing immediately. No emergency return journey to the shop, no rummaging through drawers and no attempt to connect the speakers using something last seen attached to a midi system in 1997.

It’s another small but sensible example of joined-up thinking.

Ruark also makes a matching compact CD player called the R-CD100, which can be added for those of us who still enjoy physical digital media and would rather not consign our CD collections to the loft.

smart eh? they do come with grilles but we wouldn’t be able to see the drivers with them on…

The Important Bit: Does It Cut the Mustard?

This is all very well, but like everything else in the store, the Ruark doesn’t get house room simply for being pretty.

It still has to cut the mustard, or perhaps the moutarde.

I’m very happy to report that the R610 and Sabre-R combination absolutely does.

For the thick end of two grand, you would expect it to perform well, but there is more substance here than the elegant appearance might initially suggest.

The sound is fulsome, fruity and pleasingly full-bodied. Voices have plenty of weight, instruments sound substantial and there is a generous sense of scale that you might not expect from a system of this size.

It is not edgy, aggressive or desperate to impress you with every tiny detail during the opening thirty seconds of a demonstration. Instead, it delivers music in an easy, confident and thoroughly enjoyable way.

That doesn’t mean it sounds dull or sluggish. There is still plenty of life, rhythm and definition, but nothing is pushed forward unnaturally. The balance is smooth without becoming woolly, and the Sabre-R speakers produce a larger and more convincing stereo image than their dimensions might suggest.

Bass is satisfyingly weighty without becoming unruly, while vocals remain clear and comfortably placed between the speakers. It can fill the room when required, but it is equally enjoyable at lower volumes when you simply want some music playing in the background.

Most importantly, it is the kind of system you could listen to happily for hours without becoming tired.

I suspect that’s exactly what most owners will do.

More Than Just a Lifestyle System

The phrase “lifestyle system” can sometimes sound like a polite way of saying that something looks better than it sounds.

That isn’t the case here.

The R610 and Sabre-R combination would suit anyone who wants proper hi-fi performance but doesn’t necessarily want a large equipment rack, several separate boxes and a collection of remote controls scattered across the sofa.

It could easily become the main music system in a living room, apartment or smaller home. It would also make a superb second system for someone who already owns a more traditional setup elsewhere in the house.

You can connect a turntable, improve the sound from your television, stream music, listen to the radio and add the matching CD player if required. Crucially, all of this can be achieved without the room starting to resemble the control deck of a small submarine.

It is attractive enough to keep everyone in the household happy, straightforward enough to use every day and capable enough to satisfy someone who genuinely cares about sound quality.

That balance is much harder to achieve than Ruark makes it appear.

The Swansea Verdict

Perhaps the real confession is that we should have been demonstrating the R610 more often.

It would be easy to look at the smart wooden case, neat controls and matching speakers and assume that style has taken priority over performance. Spend some time listening, though, and it becomes clear that there is a proper hi-fi system underneath the polished exterior.

The R610 and Sabre-R speakers are beautifully made, thoughtfully designed and extremely easy to live with. More importantly, they produce a big, rich and thoroughly enjoyable sound that encourages you to stop investigating the equipment and start listening to the music.

Style and substance?

Yes, actually. Ruark has managed both.

The R610 and Sabre-R speakers are now on near-permanent demonstration at Audio T Swansea. Why not pop in, choose some music and give them a spin?

Just don’t make us confess that we’ve overlooked them again.

Thanks for reading.

Adrian – Audio T Swansea

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…

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Ruark Audio can be found at the following Audio T stores

• BRIGHTON

• BRISTOL

• CARDIFF

• CHELTENHAM

• MANCHESTER

• ONLINE STORE

• PORTSMOUTH

• SOUTHAMPTON

• SWANSEA

• SWINDON

Fly Me to the Moon: Integrated Amplifiers vs Hi-Fi Separates

Out of this world is how I would describe both of our recent in-store systems. They have been enjoyed not only by the staff, but also by our discerning clientele.

There are many factors to be taken into account when buying Hi-Fi. Space (room size, not outer space) and aesthetics are definitely key ones. For some people, the sound is the be-all and end-all. Any other aspect of the system is secondary. Having a monolithic edifice dominating your field of vision is part of the fun. For others, space optimisation is paramount. Unlike children, the system should be heard and not seen.

I’m currently thinking of upgrading my amp, and the inevitable question has reared its head: integrated vs. separates?

Here at Audio T Bristol, we have just changed over the main system in the store, which we do on a regular basis. The previous system was based around five pieces of equipment:

• Innuos Stream3 Streamer and Server

• Chord Electronics DAVE DAC and Headphone Amplifier

• Rega Mercury Reference Pre-Amplifier

• Rega Solis Stereo Power Amplifier

• ATC SCM100PSL Passive Speakers

Chord Electronics DAVE DAC and Headphone Amplifier

The recent NASA Artemis space mission, which took four astronauts to the dark side of the Moon and brought them back, had four stages:

• Launch Abort System

• Crew Module

• European Service Module

• Space Launch System

The current in-store system we are listening to consists of:

• Innuos Stream3 Streamer and Server

• Hegel D50 DAC

• Hegel H600 Integrated Amplifier

• ATC SCM100PSL Passive Speakers

The SpaceX Starship, which is hoped to be used in conjunction with the NASA project, is made up of two stages:

• Super Heavy Booster

• Starship Spacecraft

Both Artemis and SpaceX Starship should be taking astronauts into space in the near future, fuel leaks, explosions, etc. excepted.

It’s fair to say that most nascent Hi-Fi enthusiasts started with an integrated amplifier and moved along the upgrade route from there. In my case, I started with the NAD 3020, moved on to the Cyrus One and then the Audiolab 8000S integrated/pre/power amplifier.

A Hi-Fi System that sounds out of this world!

If I wanted to continue down the integrated route, there are plenty of higher-end integrated amplifier options. The Rega Elicit MK5 and the aforementioned Hegel H600 are all excellent integrated amplifiers. The obvious advantages of a one-box amplification system, space saving and eliminating the need for interconnects, make this an appealing path to go down. We’ve tried all of these amplifiers in a variety of systems, and the results are superb when paired with the right source and speakers.

The general consensus has always been that using separate pre-amps and power amps gives better sound quality, as they offer better sonic isolation, a lower noise floor and usually more power. As the pre-amp handles the low-voltage signals, keeping it in a separate case isolates it from the high-current power amp, eliminating interference and unwanted hum.

Given the quality of the mentioned high-end integrated amps, though, are these factors enough to outweigh the convenience of having everything in one box?

The main advantage for me personally of going down the separates route is the flexibility to upgrade gradually without a total reset. Many seasoned Hi-Fi buffs have older equipment that can be repurposed to great effect, with their Hi-Fi budget spent on improving one element at a time.

What’s more, adding a combination such as a pre-amp and DAC or pre-amp and streamer can be a very cost-effective way of improving a system and taking it to a higher level.

At the moment, I’m listening to a WiiM Ultra Music Streamer, DAC and Pre-Amplifier, using my old Audiolab 8000S amp solely as a power amp. The improvement in sound quality over using a streamer and integrated amp is marked. In my case, I’m thinking of upgrading the power amp first, with a view to upgrading the pre-amp at a later date, when the budget allows. Then maybe look at a better streamer. Or DAC. Or pre-amp/streamer, or…

The possibilities are endless. The space and convenience factors can still be taken into account, but advances in what can be squeezed into a smaller box mean that you don’t necessarily have to consider a power amp the size of the SpaceX, towering over the skyline of your listening room, if you want to take the modular approach.

The SpaceX Starship may have fewer stages than Artemis, but it stands at 120 metres in height.

Comparatively, the multiple Artemis stages clock in at a bijou 98 metres.

Both can get astronauts into space, possibly to The Dark Side of the Moon again, and make the ground shake on lift-off.

Just like top-quality Hi-Fi.

Paul - Audio T Bristol

If you have any questions about 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…

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Audio T Stores:

• BRIGHTON

• BRISTOL

• CARDIFF

• CHELTENHAM

• MANCHESTER

• PORTSMOUTH

• READING

• SOUTHAMPTON

• SWANSEA

• SWINDON

• ONLINE STORE
  
  

First Listen: The New Michi Prestige X430 and Q430 – A Proper Musical Experience

There is always a sense of anticipation when Rotel launches something new, but expectations rise considerably when the equipment carries the Michi badge…

Michi represents Rotel at its most ambitious, combining substantial engineering, premium construction and the sort of effortless performance expected from serious high-end Hi-Fi. However, impressive specifications and imposing casework are only part of the story. The most important question is whether the equipment encourages you to forget about the system and become absorbed in the music.

With that in mind, we were particularly keen to spend some time with the new Michi Prestige X430 Integrated Amplifier (£4,499*) and Prestige Q430 CD Player (£3,599*) when they arrived in our Southampton demonstration room.

Rather than treating this as a technical test or working through a collection of carefully selected demonstration tracks, we wanted to use the system as we would at home. That meant making a cup of coffee, choosing a few favourite albums and settling in for a proper afternoon of listening.

Choosing the Rest of the System

To hear what the new Michi pairing could really do, we partnered it with the ATC SCM40 floorstanding loudspeakers (£4,750).

The SCM40s are wonderfully revealing, but they do not exaggerate or artificially enhance what is being played through them. Give them a capable amplifier and a well-recorded album, and they provide a clear, balanced and honest picture of the entire system.

The speakers were connected using Chord Company EpicX speaker cable (£96 per metre), with Black Rhodium Minuet XLR interconnects (£300 for a one-metre pair*) linking the Michi components.

This created a revealing but thoroughly musical system, allowing us to hear the character of the new X430 and Q430 without losing sight of the reason we were there in the first place: to enjoy some music.

Crowded House – Woodface

We began with Woodface by Crowded House, an album filled with beautifully constructed songs, rich vocal harmonies and subtle instrumental details.

From the opening tracks, the Michi combination sounded composed, spacious and completely at ease. Neil Finn’s voice appeared naturally between the speakers, with a convincing sense of presence and none of the artificial sharpness that can sometimes make vocals feel detached from the rest of the recording.

The layered harmonies were particularly impressive. Each voice remained distinct, but the performance still sounded cohesive and emotionally engaging. The system allowed us to hear further into the recording without pulling it apart or making us analyse every individual element.

What stood out most was the depth of the soundstage. The ATC SCM40s seemed to disappear from the room, leaving the music spread naturally across a wide and open space.

It was an excellent start and immediately demonstrated that the Michi pairing was capable of combining detail with genuine warmth and musical flow.

Green Day – 21st Century Breakdown

After the polished harmonies of Crowded House, it was time to give the system something louder, denser and considerably more energetic.

Green Day’s 21st Century Breakdown is packed with heavily layered guitars, powerful drums and busy arrangements. On the wrong system, the album can quickly become congested, with the different parts competing for attention.

The X430 took the recording completely in its stride.

The drums had real weight and impact, while the bass remained tight, fast and controlled. Guitars had plenty of crunch, but the presentation never became harsh or tiring. Even during the busiest sections, Billie Joe Armstrong’s vocals remained clear and easy to follow.

The amplifier also gave the impression that it had plenty of power in reserve. There was no sense of strain, compression or the music becoming smaller as the volume increased. It simply maintained its composure and allowed the energy of the album to come through.

This was our first real indication of just how confidently the X430 could control the SCM40s. It delivered the scale and punch the music required, but without sacrificing refinement.

Guns N’ Roses – Appetite for Destruction

Every listening session benefits from a bit of classic rock, and Appetite for Destruction remains an excellent test of timing, dynamics and outright excitement.

The opening guitar on Welcome to the Jungle arrived with exactly the bite and attitude we wanted. Slash’s guitar sounded raw and energetic, while still retaining the texture and tonal character of the instrument.

Duff McKagan’s bass had impressive weight and definition, providing a powerful foundation without becoming overblown or dominating the rest of the mix. The drums were delivered with speed and impact, giving the album a strong sense of momentum.

The system also revealed smaller details within the recording that can easily become buried beneath the guitars. Background parts, vocal inflections and subtle changes in dynamics were all clearly presented, but they never distracted from the performance as a whole.

This balance between control and excitement became one of the defining characteristics of the Michi system. It could be powerful when the music demanded it, but it never sounded forced or overly aggressive.

Quiet passages retained their texture and atmosphere, while larger moments exploded into life without the system losing its composure.

R.E.M. – Automatic for the People

We finished with R.E.M.’s Automatic for the People, an album many music lovers know extremely well.

Its more spacious and reflective production offered a useful contrast to the previous two records, giving us an opportunity to listen more closely to the tonal balance, vocal presentation and sense of atmosphere created by the Michi electronics.

Michael Stipe’s voice was presented with genuine emotion and presence. It sounded natural and expressive, rather than being pushed forward to create an artificial impression of detail.

On tracks such as Drive and Everybody Hurts, the system produced an expansive and three-dimensional presentation. Instruments occupied their own convincing spaces within the soundstage, while the music retained the intimacy and emotional weight that make the album so enduring.

The Q430 CD player appeared to retrieve an impressive amount of information from the disc, but it did so without making the presentation clinical or overly polished. Fine details were easy to hear, yet the music remained smooth, coherent and involving.

There was an ease to the entire performance that made listening completely effortless. Nothing seemed exaggerated, sharpened or artificially highlighted. It simply sounded natural.

That is perhaps one of the greatest compliments you can give any Hi-Fi system.

More Than an Impressive Demonstration

What impressed us most was not one spectacular trick or a particular detail that grabbed our attention for five minutes.

ATC SCM40

Instead, it was how complete and well-balanced the system felt.

The Prestige X430 has considerable grip and authority, controlling the ATC SCM40s with confidence across every style of music we played. However, it also possesses the refinement and subtlety needed to handle quieter, more intimate recordings.

The Q430 proved to be an excellent partner. It extracted plenty of detail from familiar CDs while preserving the warmth, rhythm and natural flow of the music. For anyone with a substantial CD collection, it provides a compelling reminder of just how rewarding the format can sound through a properly designed player.

The ATC SCM40s once again demonstrated why they are such a respected loudspeaker. They revealed exactly what the Michi electronics were capable of, but never made the system feel cold or analytical.

The Chord Company EpicX speaker cable and Black Rhodium Minuet balanced interconnects completed the setup, helping the individual components work together as a cohesive system, rather than drawing attention to themselves.

Final Thoughts

After several hours of listening, the greatest compliment I can give the new Michi pairing is that we eventually stopped thinking about the equipment.

We were no longer skipping between tracks in search of impressive demonstration moments. Instead, we found ourselves listening to complete albums, discussing favourite songs and choosing what to play next.

That is always the sign of a genuinely enjoyable system.

The Prestige X430 delivers effortless power, control and scale, while the Q430 is every bit the premium CD player you would expect from Michi. Together, they produce a presentation that is detailed, dynamic and beautifully balanced, without sacrificing the musical enjoyment that keeps you reaching for one more album.

This is not a system that constantly demands your attention by exaggerating certain frequencies or forcing details to the front. It draws you in gradually, allowing you to relax and become absorbed in the recording.

For us, that is what a serious Hi-Fi system should do.

The new Michi Prestige X430 and Q430 are now available to audition at Audio T Southampton. Whether your collection is filled with classic rock, alternative music, acoustic recordings or anything in between, this new Michi combination deserves to be heard.

Bring along a few of your favourite albums, make yourself comfortable and discover what it can do with the music you already know and love.

As this is my final blog, I’d like to thank all the customers I’ve met during my time at Audio T Southampton, as well as everyone who has read and supported my articles.

I’m very grateful for all the conversations, music and memories along the way.

Thanks for reading,

Tiago - Audio T Southampton

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…

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Rotel can be found at the following Audio T stores

• SWINDON

• CHELTENHAM

• BRIGHTON

• MANCHESTER

• ONLINE STORE

• SWANSEA

ATC Loudspeakers can be found at the following Audio T stores

• BRIGHTON

• MANCHESTER

• BRISTOL

• SOUTHAMPTON

When Good Hi-Fi Goes Bad: Why Does My System Sound Harsh, Boomy, Thin or Dull?

You’ve carefully chosen your system, lovingly connected everything together and selected one of your favourite albums. The lights are dimmed. The drink of choice is poured. You settle into your chair, press play and prepare to be transported into musical nirvana… Only something isn’t quite right...

The cymbals sound like someone attacking a baking tray with a set of car keys. The bass has all the subtlety of a washing machine falling down a flight of stairs. The vocals have retreated behind the speakers, while the entire performance somehow manages to sound both tiring and thoroughly unexciting.

Your beloved Hi-Fi system is sounding harsh, boomy, thin, dull or perhaps an unwelcome combination of all four.

So, what has gone wrong?

The answer may be the equipment, but before you start replacing boxes, buying new cables or blaming the recording engineer, there are several things worth checking. In many cases, a disappointing system can be dramatically improved through careful positioning, better setup and a little patience.

Who Am I to Tell You Any of This?

Before we go any further, I should probably introduce myself.

I’m Brad Tyler, Head of Marketing here at Audio T, although my relationship with Hi-Fi goes considerably further than writing newsletters, administering our website and working on promotions.

I’ve collected vinyl for most of my life, played in bands throughout my teens and twenties, and have a degree in studio recording and live sound. I originally joined Audio T as a Sales Consultant in our Portsmouth store before eventually moving into marketing.

You may also have seen me presenting some of our YouTube coverage from the Bristol Hi-Fi Show.

In other words, I may now spend much of my working life sitting behind a computer, but I’m still an enthusiastic music listener who has spent far too many hours moving speakers backwards and forwards while wondering why the bass sounded better yesterday.

Before You Start Replacing Everything…

When a system doesn’t sound right, it is easy to assume that something needs upgrading. Perhaps the amplifier lacks power, the speakers are not good enough, or you need a better streamer, cartridge or some enormously expensive cable woven from the hair of a mythical Scandinavian goat.

Possibly.

However, even excellent equipment can sound disappointing when it is poorly positioned, badly matched or placed in an unsuitable room. The system, the room and your listening position all work together.

The good news is that some of the biggest improvements cost nothing. The bad news is that you may have to move some furniture.

Why Does My Hi-Fi Sound Harsh or Too Bright?

A harsh system can be incredibly tiring or fatiguing to listen to.

Vocals may become aggressive, cymbals can sound splashy and distorted, and electric guitars might have an unpleasant edge that makes you instinctively reach for the volume control.

Before long, you may find yourself avoiding certain albums altogether.

Take a Look Around the Room

Hard surfaces such as wooden floors, large windows, glass furniture and bare walls reflect sound. Too many reflections can make a system sound brighter, less focused and more aggressive.

You don’t need to turn your living room into a recording studio. Start with simple changes: add a rug, close the curtains, or use bookshelves, pictures and furniture to help break up reflected sound.

In short, the room should look like somebody lives there, rather than an empty Scandinavian furniture showroom.

Check the Speaker Angle

The angle of your speakers can make a significant difference to the amount of high-frequency energy reaching your ears.

Pointing the speakers towards your listening position is known as toe-in. It can improve focus and stereo imaging, but too much toe-in may also increase the prominence of the treble.

Try turning the speakers slightly outwards so that they point just past your shoulders rather than directly at your head.

Make small, equal adjustments to both speakers and listen again.

Changing the angle by only a few degrees can make the difference between a clear, detailed presentation and the musical equivalent of being shouted at by a cutlery drawer.

Are You Sitting Too Close?

Sitting very close to a large pair of speakers can make it harder for the output from the different drive units to combine properly before reaching your ears.

You may hear the tweeter, midrange and bass driver as separate sources rather than one cohesive loudspeaker.

Try moving your listening position slightly further back, where possible. Alternatively, moving the speakers a little closer together may help them integrate more effectively at a shorter listening distance.

Turn It Down… Just a Little

Playing music loud is great, but if the amplifier or speakers are being pushed too hard, the sound can become strained, compressed and harsh.

Try lowering the volume. If the unpleasant edge disappears, the system may be running out of comfortable headroom for the room and listening level.

That doesn’t necessarily mean you need more power, but it does suggest the amplifier, speakers and room may not be ideally matched.

Why Does My Hi-Fi Sound Boomy?

Boomy bass is one of the most common Hi-Fi complaints.

Instead of distinct notes, you hear a thick, swollen rumble. Bass guitars become difficult to follow, kick drums lose their impact and every recording appears to contain the same long, droning note.

A generous amount of bass can initially sound impressive. However, after several songs it becomes clear that you are not hearing more musical information - You are hearing the room joining in.

And unlike the musicians, the room has not rehearsed.

Move the Speakers Away From the Wall

Placing speakers close to a wall or corner will usually increase the bass, sometimes making it sound slow or boomy. Pulling them too far into the room, however, can leave the system sounding thin.

Move both speakers forwards or backwards a few centimetres at a time, keeping them symmetrical where possible. Use a track with a clear bass line, such as “The Guns of Brixton” by The Clash or Billie Eilish’s “Bad Guy”, and listen after each adjustment.

You are looking for bass that sounds full but controlled, with clear definition between notes.

Once you find the best position, measure it and write it down. Otherwise, the next time somebody moves a speaker while vacuuming, you may spend three weeks trying to rediscover the magic centimetre.

Your Chair Could Be the Problem

The listening position matters just as much as the speakers. Bass varies throughout a room, so sitting directly against the rear wall can make it sound overpowering or uneven.

Try moving your chair forward slightly. You can also play a bass-heavy track and walk around the room to hear how dramatically the low frequencies change from one position to another.

Why Does My Hi-Fi Sound Thin or Lacking in Bass?

A thin system can sound clean and detailed, but it lacks body, warmth and weight.

Vocals appear unnaturally small, drums have little impact and instruments lack the physical presence that helps make recorded music believable.

Before buying larger speakers or an enormous subwoofer capable of rearranging your internal organs, there are several things to check.

Check Your Speaker Connections

One of the first things to investigate is whether the speakers have been connected in phase - The positive amplifier terminal should connect to the positive terminal on the speaker, while the negative terminal should connect to the negative.

Be sure to switch everything off before checking the connections.

If one speaker is connected correctly and the other is reversed, the two speakers will move in opposite directions. Certain frequencies, particularly in the bass, can partially cancel one another at the listening position.

The result is often thin bass, a vague central image and a sound that seems strangely detached from the speakers.

Follow each cable carefully from the amplifier to the speaker. Never assume that the markings are correct if the cables have been re-terminated or assembled at home.

It is a simple mistake, and it happens far more often than you might think.

Revisit the Speaker Position

If the speakers have been pulled a long way into the room, try moving them slightly closer to the rear wall. This can restore some bass weight, although moving them too close may make the sound boomy.

Speaker positioning is a balancing act, so make small adjustments and listen after each one.

Are the Speakers Too Small for the Room?

Compact standmount speakers can produce astonishing bass, but there are limits to what a small cabinet and drive unit can achieve.

If you are trying to fill a large, open-plan room at substantial volume, they may struggle to deliver the scale and weight you want. That doesn’t make them bad speakers; they may simply be unsuitable for the room.

Equally, buying the largest floorstanders you can squeeze through the doorway could replace a thin sound with an uncontrollably boomy one.

This is where a proper demonstration, and ideally a home loan, becomes particularly valuable.

Why Does My Hi-Fi Sound Dull or Lifeless?

A dull system may not sound actively unpleasant, but it can make music feel flat, closed-in and uninvolving.

Check the Speaker Angle and Height

Too little toe-in can reduce focus and make the treble sound subdued. Turn both speakers slightly towards your listening position and listen for a clearer central image.

The tweeters should also sit reasonably close to ear level when you are seated. If standmount speakers are placed on low furniture, much of their high-frequency output may be directed towards your chest rather than your ears.

Suitable stands improve their height, stability and positioning. Where stands are impractical, angled isolation supports may help.

Could the Room Be Too Absorbent?

We often worry about rooms being too reflective, but thick carpets, heavy curtains, large fabric sofas and excessive acoustic treatment can remove too much high-frequency energy.

The aim is not to eliminate every reflection. We are trying to control the room, not punish it for existing.

Check the Source

If the dull sound only affects one input, the source may be responsible.

With a turntable, check the stylus and cartridge alignment. A dirty or worn stylus can reduce clarity and may eventually damage your records.

Recordings, masters and streaming versions can also vary considerably. If one album sounds lifeless but several others sound excellent, the recording may simply be the problem.

Your Free Hi-Fi MOT

Before spending any money, work through these basic checks:

• Make sure both speakers are connected correctly and in phase.

• Check that they are the same distance from your listening position.

• Move them slightly towards or away from the rear wall.

• Experiment with toe-in.

• Move your chair away from the rear wall.

• Check that the speakers are stable and the tweeters are close to ear height.

• Reduce the volume and listen for signs of strain.

• Try several familiar recordings and check each source separately.

Most importantly, change only one thing at a time.

If you reposition the speakers, alter the amplifier settings and change the cables simultaneously, you won’t know which adjustment made the difference.

You could improve the sound and then spend the rest of the weekend methodically undoing it.

What About Tone Controls and Room Correction?

Tone controls are sometimes treated as the forbidden fruit of Hi-Fi, but small adjustments can be useful with a difficult room or troublesome recording. Room-correction systems can also produce excellent results.

However, it is usually best to address speaker positioning, listening position and basic setup first, then use equalisation to deal with what remains.

You wouldn’t fix a wonky picture by rebuilding the wall around it. Straighten the picture first.

When Is It Time to Change the Equipment?

If the system still doesn’t sound right after all the moving, measuring and mild swearing, the equipment may not be ideally matched to the room or to each other.

There could also be a fault, such as a damaged drive unit, worn stylus or loose connection.

This is where experienced advice can prevent unnecessary expense. At Audio T, we can help identify whether the problem is caused by setup, positioning, equipment matching or an individual component. Our demonstration rooms and home-loan options also allow you to compare possible solutions properly.

Final Thoughts

If your Hi-Fi sounds harsh, boomy, thin or dull, there may be a simple reason — but finding it is not always straightforward.

Your local Audio T team can help you work out whether the problem is down to speaker positioning, room acoustics, system matching, setup or a component that is no longer performing as it should.

Bring us the details of your system, your room and what you are hearing, and we will offer honest, practical advice on the best next step. That may be a simple adjustment you can make at home, a demonstration in store or a carefully chosen upgrade that genuinely improves your system.

We can also arrange home loans and demonstrations where available, helping you judge any change in the place that matters most: your own listening room.

Contact your local Audio T store and let us help you get your system sounding as good as it should.

Thanks for reading.

Brad Tyler – Head of Marketing at Audio T

If you’ve enjoyed this article, take a look at more of our blogs and follow Audio T on our social media channels below…