The New Listening Experience OR Next Level Entertainment? Harbeth NLE-1

/ Audio T Bristol/
image: Harbeth NLE-1 with Naim 222

Whatever it stands for, the new Harbeth NLE-1 speakers are really something to behold. A lovely set of modern finishes are available in a myriad of colours. This departure/development feels like the audio equivalent of the new Morgan Supersport – just not available in pink... yet. A modern twist on a Harbeth P3.

Active?

The bonus of a speaker manufacturer going active is that they can tune the drivers and the overall character of the speaker – optimised for their vision (or hearing), defining exactly how they want their speakers to sound.

The midrange and tweeter drivers are individually controlled by the internal digital signal processor (DSP) and powered by a pair of 50W ultra-low distortion, high damping factor Class-D amplifiers. This level of amplification and DSP control allows them to get the most out of the newly developed RADIAL cone and tweeter driver designs.

image: Harbeth NLE-1 with magnetic grill off and on

harbeth nle-1 with grill off and grill on

Some argue that active speakers have an inherent advantage over passive designs. In an active setup, the signal from the preamp (or source) goes to the speaker's crossover first, where frequencies are separated and then sent to the amplifier and on to the relevant driver. So the amplification, tailored only to the specific driver, occurs after the crossover. In theory, this means better driver control.

Active versus Passive

In terms of convenience, pairing the amplification with the speaker makes setup a lot easier – less fuss about choosing the right amplifier, and overall, the system footprint is smaller. Pricing-wise, it's also more cost-effective to go active.

The downside is that there’s less scope to tailor the character of the sound – unless you have a preamp with tone-shaping tools. Thankfully, Harbeth has given us a ‘personality switch’ on the rear of the speakers.

image: Harbeth NLE-1 personality mode switch

  • Default Mode (A): This mode gives the speaker a similar tonal balance to other small, closed-box speakers such as the P3ESR. Harbeth considers this mode to be optimised for normal listening with the speakers positioned away from walls.

  • Extended Bass Mode (B): With the switch in the middle, deeper bass output is generated, and the speaker sounds larger than it really is - useful in larger spaces. Again, this is intended for away-from-wall positioning.

  • Near-Wall/Desktop Mode (C): In this position, the speaker response is slightly reduced in the lower midrange and bass regions to compensate for the boost given to these frequencies when the speakers are placed close to walls.

As with placement, the best switch position will depend on your room, musical tastes, and preferences – and Harbeth (and we) advise you to experiment to find what sounds best to you.

Harbeth NLE-1 Rear of speaker

Harbeth NLE-1 rear - personality mode switch, xlr or rca connection and volume trim control

Also, rather handily, each speaker has its own volume control knob on the rear panel. In domestic situations, this can be used to adjust speaker balance and centre the stereo image in your listening space. Harbeth recommends starting with both controls at maximum. If vocals or other centrally placed elements lean left, simply turn down the left speaker slightly until the balance is right.

The Evaluation

Via XLR with the Bluesound Node Icon – at under £1,000 – this is a blend of technology, performance and user-friendliness that’s best in class at this price. The Icon (reviewed by our colleagues in Manchester) is probably the simplest and most cost-effective source/pre that works beautifully with the Harbeth NLEs. Great fullness of character.

But we thought we’d up the ante. This is probably the best way to test just how good an active speaker is – give it a better source, an impeccable pre, and see how it flies.

Active Flexibility

We've found that a well-designed active speaker punches harder, resolves more detail, and exquisitely conveys the character of a high-quality preamp and source. A no-fuss and unequivocal auditory delight, showcasing just how good a front end can be.

I remember reviewing a setup of Acoustic Energy AE1 Actives a few years ago, moving from a Bluesound Node, through a Linn Selekt with Katalyst DAC, and ending with a Chord DAVE. Each upgrade brought better sound. Can the Harbeths pull off the same trick?

Source is King?

With that in mind, we ran a few experiments. Starting with the Bluesound Node Icon, we then paired the Harbeth NLEs with the phenomenal AURALiC Vega S1. And finally, we tested them with the audio nirvana that is the Naim NSC 222.

image: Harbeth NLE-1 with Naim 222

harbeth nle-1 with naim 222

This was a clear case of Good, Better, Best. Our ever-evolving Audio T Bristol Qobuz playlist was the starting point – favourite tracks, varied recording quality, all genres covered. As with all standmount speakers, the NLE-1s don’t go particularly low at 75Hz. Yes, a venture into Queen Mary by Francine Thirteen or anything by James Blake won’t quite shake the earth – but that’s what subwoofers are for.

As with all Harbeths, their beauty lies in the sweet midrange, detail and emotion. The Bluesound Icon did its best. With the Naim 222 the Harbeths shone, conveying all the texture and fast transients that Naim is famous for. The “Goldilocks” match was the AURALiC Vega S1. With DAC controls featuring tone mapping and filter options, the Harbeth NLE-1 conveyed even these subtle changes with real finesse – a very engaging listen.

In Summary

The Harbeth NLE-1 – or Nellies, as we now affectionately call them – are no elephant in the room. We haven’t packed our bags and said goodbye to the Hi-Fi Circus. The only elephant is the size of the soundstage these speakers can throw out!

Looking at pricing, the new Harbeth passive P3ESR XD-2 retails at £2,635*. The Harbeth NLE-1 is £2,995* – or just £364 more for the active version. Paired with the Bluesound Node Icon, you’d still have to spend over £1,200* on top of the passive P3 price to get a system that performs as well as the NLE-1.

Book an audition and experience these speakers firsthand. Whether you're after exceptional clarity, dynamic range or an immersive soundstage, a personal listening session will let you hear exactly what they can do in a real-world setting. Visit us in-store to discover how they perform with your favourite music.

Thank you for reading,

Justin, George and Max - Audio T Bristol

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…

*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

Harbeth can be found at the following Audio T stores

Bluesound can be found at the following Audio T stores

AURALiC can be found at the following Audio T stores

Acoustic Energy Squares² the Performance - Again!

/ Audio T Bristol /
image: Acoustic Energy Ae320-2

The law of diminishing returns doesn’t seem to apply to Acoustic Energy. Each series improvement—100, 300, 500, or Corinium—represents a significant step up in performance, build quality, and finish, while maintaining the distinctive Acoustic Energy sound signature that invites an enjoyable listening experience, whatever the budget.

The original 300 Series, launched in 2017, was an excellent solution. The standout performer at the competitive £2,000 price point, the AE320, was a three-way design with a relatively small footprint yet great control. The new AE320² builds on this, enhancing performance without inflating the price.

It “stands on the shoulders of the Corinium project,” both visually and in terms of sound performance. Acoustic Energy states that the new 300² Series is “a completely new acoustic and aesthetic design from the ground up,” sharing no components with the outgoing model.

Specifications

image: Acoustic Energy Ae320-2 Mid Range driver

The most obvious change is the new mid-woofer—a blend of paper and coconut husk. The AE320² comprises a 120mm midrange driver, two 140mm bass drivers, and a 29mm tweeter. The new material delivers a smooth, natural, and refined response, embodying warmth and clarity while retaining the punch and pace of the previous aluminium cone. Partnered with a newly developed soft-dome tweeter derived from the Corinium project, it offers open, delicate, and natural high frequencies, tonally matching the mid-woofer to enable seamless integration across the audible range.

The crossover frequencies are set at 240Hz and 2,800Hz, with a frequency response from 33Hz to 29kHz. These are true three-way speakers with an easy-to-drive 6-ohm rating and 92dB sensitivity—making them more sensitive than the outgoing 300 Series. Amplifier matching should be straightforward. Acoustic Energy appears to have found a material with properties very similar to the carbon fibre used in the 500 range—light, fast-response drivers that enhance presence, speed, and transparency.

image: Acoustic Energy Ae320-2 Tweeter driver

A first at this price point, the new 300² Series features constrained-layer RSC™ (Resonance Suppression Composite) cabinets, pioneered in the Reference Series nearly 15 years ago. This advanced construction is claimed to "significantly reduce cabinet radiation, allowing the drive units to perform at their best without enclosure interference, ensuring pure, uncoloured, and natural sound." There is significant internal bracing, with the rear housing a circular, traditional port for the midrange and tweeter section of the cabinet, and a slot-shaped port positioned between the two bass drivers. This arrangement is typically used when the midrange and tweeter drivers are isolated from the bass drivers to prevent colouration, resulting in better clarity. The new outriggers provide plenty of adjustability and a very sturdy setup.

The Proof is in the Pudding

We set these up in our large demo room (L = 8m, W = 6m, H = 3.3m) with the Naim NSC 222 and NAP 250. Every room is different, but positioning was very easy. Good imaging, depth, and transparency were best achieved with the speakers positioned around 50cm from the back wall and set about 1.5m wider than an equilateral triangle setup, with the slightest toe-in. There seems to be quite a wide dispersion—linear in both height and width—helped by the new WDT waveguide. Midrange presence and bass speed are where these speakers excel. The higher frequencies are clear and rounded, with no real sense of brashness, harshness, or brittleness.

Moving away from Naim source and amplification, we tried them with the Rega Aethos and the Auralic Vega S1 streaming DAC with its dedicated power supply. This setup seemed to extract even more from the speakers, delivering better resolution and a very clear presentation of the fine adjustments available in the Auralic DAC. I have no idea why this may be—it's one of the quirks of Hi-Fi systems. Component synergies are often experienced in ways that technical specifications alone don’t always predict.

With the new 300² Series—including the standmount AE300², the small floorstander AE309², the large three-way AE320², and the on-wall AE307²—this range would make a phenomenal home cinema system.

It was a real pleasure to listen to these speakers, and a big thank you to Acoustic Energy for the loan of these pre-production models straight after their debut at the Bristol Hi-Fi Show…

Bristol Hi-Fi Show 2025 - Brad from Audio T sat down with James, Acoustic Energy's Creative Director and the mind behind the design of these speakers, to discuss the new range.

Book an audition and experience these speakers firsthand. Whether you're looking for exceptional clarity, dynamic range, or an immersive soundstage, a personal listening session will let you hear exactly what they can do in a real-world setting. Visit us in-store to discover how they perform with your favourite music.

Thank you for reading,

Justin, George and Max - Audio T Bristol

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…

Acoustic Energy can be found at the following Audio T stores

*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

Answering Customer Question at Audio T Bristol (Part 2)

/ Audio T Bristol/
NEW RANGE OF REGA CARTRIDGES; ND3,ND5,ND7

New Range of REGA CARTRIDGES: (LEFT TO rIGHT) nD3, ND5, ND7

“I have a Rega Planar 3 50th Anniversary Deck with Exact Cartridge and Rega Fono MM. What is the best upgrade for this?”

The Rega Planar 3 50th Anniversary deck is a bit of a Goldilocks in the Rega range. Rega realised this, and due to its success, has released a similarly spec’d edition: the Rega Planar 3 RS. Like the new RS, the Anniversary edition came with an upgraded reference belt and a motor matched to the Rega Neo PSU Mk2 separate power supply. The Neo PSU Mk2 delivers a quiet, clean, and utterly stable feed to the Planar 3 motor, enhancing the deck’s overall performance. The Rega Fono MM is a worthy upgrade from an in-amplifier phono stage, especially if you’re not planning to upgrade the deck or cartridge to MC for some time.

REGA PLANAR 3 WITH EXACT CARTRIDGE

REGA PLANAR 3 STANDARD EDITION WITH EXACT CARTRIDGE

The 50th Anniversary deck offered a perfect balance of quality build, arm, cartridge, power supply, and phono stage. However, you could consider trading this deck in for the Rega Planar 6, which features a Tancast 8 foam plinth, an aluminium sub-platter, and a 6mm thicker dual-layer glass platter. The Planar 6 is a tighter, lighter deck, optimised for the Ania and Ania Pro Moving Coil cartridges from Rega.

To Nd or Not to Nd.

Back to the question: Is there a case to upgrade to the new Nd5 or Nd7 cartridges? Rega’s all-new Nd range of cartridges is a world first. Developed over 10 years, these cartridges promise “next level” performance from moving magnet technology. Each model uses an ultra-high-powered Neodymium magnet, enabling a unique design that delivers more power than a standard bar magnet. These cartridges feature a glass-filled PPS body, providing improved rigidity and vibration control.

Nd Cartridge Overview:

  • Nd3: Replacing the multi-award-winning Elys 2, the Nd3 features a high-quality elliptical profile manmade polycrystalline diamond bonded to a round titanium shank. It’s a factory-fitted option for the Planar 2 or 3.

  • Nd5: This cartridge has an aluminium cantilever with a precision “perfect elliptical nude diamond” stylus. This profile offers exceptional tracking accuracy and extracts greater detail from vinyl.

  • Nd7: Featuring a “fine line” nude diamond profile, the Nd7 is designed for ultimate detail retrieval. The same profile is used in Rega’s high-end MC models, Apheta 3 and Aphelion 2. The Nd7 performs best when paired with the Planar 6 or Planar 8.

For this setup, upgrading from the Exact to the Nd5 is the better option.

Phono Stage

REGA FONO MM PHONO STAGE

REGA FONO MM PHONO STAGE

Could further performance gains be achieved by upgrading the Fono MM phono stage to the Aria? Considering a future move to a Planar 6 or higher with an MC cartridge, the Aria is worth exploring.

I called Rega up on this, to find out if the MM is the same topology in the Aria as the Fono MM - turns out NOT AT ALL. When designing the Aria, Rega leveraged the improved power supply and layout space to create a newly designed MM stage, discreetly housed and insulated. Unlike the Fono MM, the Aria benefits from a cleaner power supply and enhanced circuit design.

The Aria is an “all-analogue amplifier” with no digital control circuitry. Its aluminium case shields internal circuits from stray RFI signals, and its design avoids “superfluous gadgets” that could degrade sound quality. The MM input uses low-noise bipolar transistors configured as a compound pair. Separate power supplies for each channel and further sub-power supplies for low-noise circuits ensure top-tier performance.

Setup & Listening

image: Selection of albums used to evaluate upgrades: form artists;Stereophonics, Amy Winehouse, Portisthead, Applewood Road, Vashti Bunyan, Leif. Bonny Light Horseman, Beck, When Jah Shall Come -Various

Selection of albums used to evaluate upgrades: from artists;Stereophonics, Amy Winehouse, Portishead, Applewood Road, Vashti Bunyan, Leif. Bonny Light Horseman, Beck, When Jah Shall Come -Various

To evaluate the upgrades, I tested with the following vinyl: Stereophonics, Amy Winehouse, Portishead, Applewood Road, Vashti Bunyan, Leif, Bonny Light Horseman, Beck, and the compilation When Jah Shall Come. Familiar music helps assess improvements in transparency, soundstage, instrument placement, and emotional presentation.

Starting with the Rega Planar 3 Exact with Neo PSU and Fono MM, I swapped the cartridge for the Nd3. Despite expectations of a step down, the Nd3 outperformed the Exact—a surprising result given its £175 price compared to the Exact’s £275. Rega’s claims of groundbreaking performance are justified. The Nd5 further enhanced performance, but the Nd7 offered minimal improvement, likely limited by the arm and sub-platter. This confirms that the Nd7 minimum deck is the Planar 6.

With the Nd5 fitted, I moved on to the phono stage. The leap in performance from Fono MM to Aria was similar to the improvement from Exact to Nd5.

Conclusions

The original Rega Planar 3 Exact Anniversary cost £899 with Rega Fono MM (£220) £1,119

Nd5 upgrade £295
Rega Aria £1,100
Less:- Rega Fono MM Trade in £150
Spend £1,245*

I know it’s an upgrade that costs more than the deck and on paper looks a little foolish, But, hear me out. The Planar 3 50th Anniversary, was a one off and is a thing of beauty. Heart ruling head - it’s worth every penny. Spend another £530, and future proof yourself with the Rega Planar 6, Aria and trade in the rega Planar 3 anniversary, the spend would be:
Rega Planar 6 (ND7) £1,575
Rega Aria £1,100
Less: Rega Planar 3 50th Anniversary + Rega Fono MM £900
Spend £1,775*

This was quite an expedition through the new cartridges from Rega and evaluating performance gain with upgrades to power supply and phono stage, and as always, the proof is in the pudding - book an audition and hear for yourself how the Rega Planar 3 performance can be improved.

Thank you for reading,

Justin, George and Max - Audio T Bristol

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…

*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

Rega can be found at the following Audio T stores

Answering Customer Question at Audio T Bristol (Part 1)

/ Audio T Bristol/

Welcome to a new series of customer questions. Over the past three months, we’ve gathered customer questions that are nuanced and require fairly in-depth explanations. We hope this will be helpful as you consider your next, or first, Hi-Fi setup…

“Hi, I’m looking to build a Hi-Fi setup that includes an Amplifier (£800-£1500), Streamer (£800 - £1500), Turntable (£500 - £800) and Speakers (£1,000 - £2,000). I have listened to the PMC Prodigy 5 speakers at the Bristol show, these were the standout for me in this price range but I was also impressed by the Rega speakers and Focal. The Rega Planar turntable 3 or 6 has caught my eye, for amp and streamer I would take your recommendation, but I like the look of Arcam, Audiolab and Naim. Any advice would be appreciated and it would be good to arrange a demo session.”

This question reflects a very common enquiry, outlining source requirements and budget. However, the crucial information missing here is the room’s size, shape, and dimensions. Additionally, knowing the setup and furnishings is useful, as it allows us to estimate the room’s acoustic reflectivity and boundary wall areas, which impact speaker selection, positioning, and overall performance. Without this information, it’s difficult to know where to start.

A word or two on Room sizes

Roughly speaking, small to medium rooms are around 10m² to 20m². These are suited to small to medium standmount speakers, and occasionally small floorstanders. Listening in these rooms is often referred to as nearfield, so there is less need for powerful amplification.

Medium to large rooms are around 20m² to 36m². These are suited to medium to large standmounts and medium floorstanders, while anything above 36m² is considered very large. This may seem like a fairly large room, but many living spaces are now open-plan, with living rooms extending into dining areas and kitchens – this should be considered as a single room when selecting speakers.

Where to spend and achieve a balanced system?

The question above provides an overall budget of £3,100 to £5,800, with a focus on speakers, followed by amplifier and streamer, and lastly turntable. This approach is somewhat contentious (the old adage of 'garbage in, garbage out'). We prefer to prioritise sources first, then the amplifier as the heart of the system, and finally speakers.

If a well-designed speaker works well in a particular room, it will nearly always perform better when matched with higher-quality sources and amplification, revealing more detail, nuance, and control. The PMC Prodigy 5, priced at £1,995* as reviewed by our Audio T Swindon branch (read here), truly comes to life when driven by a Rega Aethos. At £3,000*, this is budget-stretching, but worth it. While these speakers could be powered by a less powerful amp, it would result in an unbalanced system. By this, we mean a system that fails to extract the full level of detail the source is capable of, as the amp wouldn’t have enough power to drive the speakers with sufficient control.

Cables and Interconnects are components not an afterthought

image: Chord Cables and Interconnects

Cables require careful consideration – whether connecting speakers or hi-fi components, the cable used will influence the way the system sounds. A higher-quality speaker cable can transform everything you hear, affecting dynamics, detail, tonality or timbre, and perhaps most critically, musical coherence and timing. This effect is also noticeable with power cables and dedicated audio mains blocks. Technically, better-quality cables improve signal-to-noise ratios and/or reduce noise – your decision is whether that change enhances the sound and is more suited to your preferences.


Comparing Amplifiers

At around the £1,000 mark, the contenders include the Arcam Radia A15, Audiolab 7000A, and Rega Elex Mk4. The most 'super' connected is the 7000A, offering four digital inputs, Bluetooth, USB, and HDMI, along with a unique feature – a power amp output, which is useful if you want to connect to an AV receiver. On paper, the Arcam is the most powerful at 80W.

Listening revealed the Audiolab and Arcam to offer smoother presentations, with a detail-rich, grippy midband and textured bass alongside impressive dynamics. Simply put, the Rega does more, and the all-important emotional intent of the music is so engaging, no matter what genre you throw at it. It’s no surprise that it’s rated by some reviewers – and by us – as one of the finest amplifiers under £2,000. The trade-off is that it lacks the interconnectivity of the Arcam or Audiolab, and doesn’t boast the plush exterior design and finish. The Rega is the more no-nonsense, classic A/B amplifier with a utilitarian design.

The fact that the Rega Elex lacks connectivity isn’t a significant issue, as those duties are handled by the streamer.

Streamer

The Bluesound Node 3 Wireless Network Music Player has long been a favourite for music lovers seeking high-quality streaming and easy integration into their system. Known for its robust features, the Node 3 offers seamless streaming from a variety of sources, including high-resolution audio formats, and even integrates effortlessly with other Bluesound devices to create a multi-room setup. Whether you’re using it to stream from your favourite services or your own digital library, the Node 3 provides an outstanding listening experience with crisp, clear sound and reliable connectivity.

However, the Node 3 is now end of line, making this the perfect time to grab one at a special price of just £395*, down from its original retail price of £549. With limited stock available, it's a great opportunity to secure a high-performance streamer at a discounted rate before it’s no longer available.

The Node 3 has recently been replaced by the new Bluesound Node Performance Music Streamer, which offers even more advanced features and enhanced performance for just £499. With improved hardware and software, the Node Performance provides an even better listening experience, supporting the latest streaming technologies, including superior DAC performance and expanded connectivity options. While the Node 3 remains an excellent choice for many, the Node Performance takes things to the next level for those who want the very best in wireless streaming.

Turntable

After many years in development, Rega has recently announced the new Nd range of cartridges, replacing the Elys 2 and the Exact with the Nd3 and Nd5. Using neodymium magnets, these moving magnet (MM) cartridges set a new benchmark for what is possible from an MM cart. We look forward to reviewing these new models from Rega – but there is no doubt, the initial listenings are truly groundbreaking. The Rega Planar 3 with the Nd3 is a clear winner here.

Systems in Summary

  1. Complete Separates

Other amplifier considerations -

  1. Combined amp & Streamer

Either system is firmly in the high-fidelity category and will provide years of musical enjoyment. The complete separates offer the flexibility to upgrade components over the years to come. With the Naim, we are entering premium Hi-Fi, with the fit and finish to match – the epitome of elegance and performance in a single device, along with impressive connectivity. And to hear the difference, as our customer notes, ‘…arrange a demo session.’

Thank you for reading,

Justin, George and Max - Audio T Bristol

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…

*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

A SUBstantial evening of sound discovery with Audio T Bristol and REL Acoustics

/ Audio T Bristol/

On Thursday 14th November (19:00 - 21:00), Audio T Bristol will be hosting the first of our Winter Series of events beginning with the question - What can subwoofers do for the Hi-Fi Experience? Led by Rob Hunt from REL, this promises to be a SUBstantial journey into the wonderful world of bass.

Full details of the event follow at the end of this blog, but first let’s discuss Subwoofers…

The Marmite Analogy - once more…

Across the pond, it is a matter of course to add subwoofers to a Hi-Fi system and a no brainer if you are passing through audio from a TV to enjoy cinema at home.

Here in the UK, there are still members of the Hi-Fi community that frown deeply at the thought of subwoofers. It borders on heresy, largely due to experiences of booming boxes from other brands, questionable early subwoofer marketing days and a misconception that subs are for the youth in lowered cars with UV lights and phat exhausts.

REL Acoustics’ Approach to Subwoofers

REL Acoustics began in 1990, driven by one man’s dissatisfaction with the performance of subwoofers available at the time. That search for better, that pursuit of perfect bass reproduction remains the driving force behind REL.

Over the years, with renewed emphasis on reliability, high powered, fast reacting subwoofer drivers and REL’s production and technical abilities have turned them into world leaders in Subwoofer performance - the benchmark of benchmarks. Check out the blog section of REL’s website - a treasure trove of in depth answers to every subwoofer question and solution out there can be found here.

The Common Subwoofer Misconception

  • I’m not a bass freak

  • Flow and timing are ruined

  • Lower octave bass is not needed, if you’ve got good speakers

  • That boomy, uncontrolled, sloppy and slow sound will ruin my system setup

  • Takes up too much room

The RELevance of Subwoofers

  • Most people buy a sub to add some bass to their Home Cinema and/or gaming experience. We would go a step further and say you cannot fully experience Home Cinema and gaming without a Sub, such is the use of sub frequencies in film and gaming production effects, music and ambient environment - there is so much of the audio immersive experience missing.

  • Expanded soundstage

  • Enhanced mid range

  • Better Imaging

  • Vocal presence improved; A sub increases intelligibility of dialogue.

  • Richness, transparency & focus

  • Bang for buck it can be one of the best performance improvements you can make to a system.

  • Clearly produces the lower frequency instruments with better impact, punch and dynamism.

  • It can overcome the deleterious effects of bad rooms. We all have rooms to live in, not perfect conditions for acoustic reproduction.

The 3 Commandments according to RELigion

1: The Sub should never boom or call attention to itself. The goal is to get the sub locked in. Natural integration with that seamless handover between speaker and sub is essential. You should never be able to audibly detect where a Sub is in a room, it fills in where the speakers need support in the lower frequencies that the speaker cannot reproduce. Interestingly this does not take away the character of the speakers’ presentation at all.

2: Woolly bass is largely a product of bad cabinet design. The build quality and finish of the REL is impressive. A subwoofer running is having to deal with 40 -50 psi (2.7-3.5 Bar) of cabinet pressure as the pistonic action of the huge driver moves to produce the frequencies. That requires a very well braced, damped and reinforced cabinet and REL succeeds hugely on this over the competition.

3: Speed is key. REL’s circuitry and filters allow for the sub frequencies to be transmitted at speed. Most subwoofers will fulfil a criteria of producing 20-20Hz region with output peak of around 100dB (very loud). But, most of them will not possess the speed and suppleness of a REL. The High Level connection (more on this later) allows for a response rate of 8ms for the T series falling to 4ms and less in the Reference & S series. Where most subwoofers seemingly bow out of the conversation by 10ms, the S/510, for example, has the capacity to open up fast loudspeakers, many of them costing upwards of $20,000, and improve the very things they’re best known for - Image precision, rhythm, nuance, harmonic structure, and air…all improve vastly when the sub matches speaker speed.

High Level Connection

What High Level connection means, is that you are taking the same signal from the amplifier output terminals that feed the main speakers directly to the Subwoofer. The High level allows REL to take the high voltage signal from the amplifier, step it down through a resistor ladder matrix. It seems easy, it’s not and is the hard fought knowledge of many years of development and key to REL’s signature transparency and speed. The character of your speakers is determined by all the components from the source and the eventual signal path to the speakers is where all the character comes from and this is where REL sits and this is better than a low level connector. To the amplifier, it does not “see” that connection as it runs at over 100,000 Ohms and represents effectively no load to the amp.

Audio T Presents…

Get ready for an immersive journey into the world of high-fidelity sound as Audio T Bristol kick off our Winter Series of events with something truly special. Join us for an evening dedicated to answering one of the most debated questions in the audiophile community: What can subwoofers really do for the Hi-Fi experience?

When? Thursday 14th November (19:00 - 21:00)

Where? BAWA, 589 Southmead Rd, Filton, Bristol BS34 7RG

How much? Tickets are FREE, Demand is high, so BOOK NOW, Refreshments provided

This is an event you can experience the RELs for yourself. It you can’t make it book a demonstration or enjoy a weekend home loan (deposit required) to see how subs can transform our Hi-FI Music and Cinema Experience

See you there!

Justin, George & Max - Audio T Bristol

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…

Introducing the all-new Rega Nd3 Cartridge - A work of art at Audio T Bristol

/ Audio T Bristol/

The Bristol Museum has recently been exhibiting John Constable's iconic landscape, “The Hay Wain”, on loan from The National Gallery. So, I went along to see it and was truly blown away on so many levels…

Firstly, the sheer size of the painting, at an impressive 1.3m x 2m. The detail, the powerful light and shadow play. The etching of fine edges of colour creating line and form and textures, and those clouds… Oh that sky!

Up until that moment, all the images I've seen of “The Hay Wain” were digital or in print and the writings & art review TV shows gushing about it's importance didn't prepare me for the real thing.

This got me thinking… “Do I need an art degree and be an accomplished oil painter to appreciate and be moved by the Constable’s famous works?” No. And in many ways, the same goes for Hi-Fi.

What’s that famous quote from Fred. R Bernard? “One look is worth a thousand words”. Well, let me flip this and make something more relevant to our little world of Hi-Fi...

"Hearing something a thousand times isn't the same as listening"

Justin - Audio T Bristol (2024)

I would go even further on this point and say that it is not enough to just listen - you have to experience, emotionally feel and sometimes be open enough to be overwhelmed and amazed. It is a journey. Your appreciation for music and how and what moves you evolves, as does what you strive to attain from your Hi-Fi evolves…

Introducing the Rega Nd3

Now, whilst we’re discussing artwork… Let’s talk about the all new Nd3 moving magnet cartridge from Hi-Fi industry titans, Rega. They claim it is a culmination of 10 years of development, but how does it stack up?

The new Rega Nd3 truly delivers a new performance level in Moving Magnet technology. The stylus profile is a high quality elliptical diamond, which is bonded to a round titanium shank. The design uses a brand new generator geometry with perfect symmetry to achieve accurate channel balance.

The Nd3 also has an optimised pole gap for superior linearity and cross talk characteristics, this provides a far wider soundstage than the previous models. This new cartridge is created with miniaturised parallel coils which are wound in house utilising 38-micron wire with just 1275 turns. Each Nd3 is meticulously hand-made by Rega’s highly skilled technicians.

With the Nd5 and Nd7 making up the range that replaces the Elys2 and Exact cartridges that debuted over 20 years ago! The Nd3 can be seen as the first step up from the entry level stock Rega Carbon, (essentially a Audio Technica ATN3600L). and occupies the spot where the Rega Bias (circa 1987) used to be, but is so much more.

Testing and listening

Naturally, this review required a little tinkering and setting up cartridges. Comparing the Rega Planar 2 performance with either the Nd3 or Carbon is easy enough. Without a doubt, the Nd3 blows it out of the water, as you would expect. But, how will the Nd3 stack up against the outgoing Elys2 or Exact?

System:

Records:

  • 9 Airs by Leif

  • Mezzaine by Massive Attack

  • When Jah Shall Come by Various Artists on Pressure Records

  • Night Train by Ocar Peterson Trio.

Method

First using only the MM Phono Stage on the Rega Elicit Mk5, I compared the Nd3 to the Carbon, Elys2 and Exact. Then switched to the MM input on the Rega Aria Phono Stage to compare Exact and Nd3. Then plumbed in the Linn LP12 Selekt with Krystal Cartridge on the MC side of the Rega Aria.

Three cartridges later I can report that the Nd3 is a masterpiece. Dynamics, pace and space are a plenty, with width and depth enormously improved - as Rega attested. Even when compared with the Exact, the Nd3 outperforms on all aspects. Better detail, more resolution, less surface noise, wider soundstage, better instrument placement. Thankfully, the Rega sound is still there with drive and gusto.

Moving to the external Rega Aria phono stage was a large leap in performance, pushing the noise level lower, with a cleaner, sharper sound and more dynamics. This is the shape of things to come from Rega’s Moving Magnet cartridges, so the Nd5 and Nd7 are going to be a real challenge to all.

Pricing wise, in a world of ever increasing prices, Rega have held the Nd3 at £175* the same price as the outgoing Elys2. While the Nd5 at £295* is the same as the outgoing Exact and the Nd7 at £450* occupying a £100 cheaper price point than Rega’s entry level Ania Moving Coil at £550.

Turning to referencing the Rega Planar 2 with Nd3 performance against a turntable at 20 times the price in the shape of the Linn LP12 Selekt with MC Krystal cart is a little extreme, especially with all the other components kept the same - highly unrealistic. But, benchmarking like this is the only way to hear the old adage of “Source is first”. Of course the Linn was in another league - the separation on Night Train by Oscar Peterson Trio, was mesmerising. Just like seeing an original painting, those shades, shadows and feeling of light are incredibly clear. The conveying of emotion in Liz Fraser’s vocals on Teardrop is spell binding. The importance of using this deck as a reference is that the Rega Planar 2 did not feel or sound poor, shoddy or broken in comparison. It is a lesser deck, but not for the money, with no lack in drive and sheer musical enjoyment.

We constantly read from reviewers about “Impactful” Bass, “musical” presentation or “dynamic” tone - But that does very little to describe the experience. Like saying a car is fast or a design is minimalist - these terms are journalistic filler that do not help the reader to make a decision. And how do stars and marks out of 10 help anyone?

Your decision, as the Hi-Fi consumer needs to be informed, communicated and understood as - the sound YOU prefer and best conveys the “flavour“ of musical intent that you enjoy - not what a reviewer, Hi-Fi mag or even a Hi-Fi shop tells you is a good sound. And, with that, book an audition with us for the new Nd3 for yourself.

Thank you for reading,

Justin, James & Max - Audio T Bristol

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…

*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

Introducing the Advance Paris Playstream A5

/ Audio T Bristol/
image:Detail of Advance Paris A5

Vive la France! - The phrase has its roots in Bastille Day, a French national holiday commemorating the storming of the Bastille and the beginning of the French Revolution. Is this the beginning of a French Hi-Fi Revolution?

Chez Advance Paris, nous créons des expériences audio qui transcendent l’ordinaire, un mélange harmonieux de technologie et d’art. That’s the great thing about the French language, even the marketing spiel sounds like a work of Joubert or Jean-Paul Sartre. And for those of you that aren’t bilingual, that is “At Advance Paris, we create audio experiences that transcend the ordinary, a harmonious blend of technology and art.”

Comment vous appelez-vous? L'Advance Paris Playstream A5, monsieur

(What is your name? The Advance Paris Playstream A5, Sir.)

Hi-Fi Manufacturers call them "streaming amplifiers” or “all in one systems". Audio T has a menu area called Hi-Fi Systems & Radios. In any case, Advance Paris calls it the Playstream, a Connected Integrated amp - “The nerve centre of your system”.

The build quality is exceptionally good. With a good weight and feel to the control dial and buttons, solid clunks of switches and the haptic touch of the input select ribbon at the bottom a real treat. Blue VU meters will divide opinion, like UV under lights or a Max Power aftermarket body kit. For some, this will be welcome relief from the sometimes bland black box world of minimalist function.

Caractéristiques

(Features)

The Playstream range consists of 3 models - A1, A5 and A7 all equipped with network compatibility to stream your music from a phone, tablet or computer using the digital connections or the onboard advance stream module that uses the Advance Paris app. The A5 is the middle of the three with 2 x 80W in 8ohms, 4 digital inputs - COAX and 3 optical inputs, USBA, Bluetooth, A phono stage with both MM and MC, DAB/FM tuner, 5 analogue inputs, Rec Out, Pre Out to use a separate power amp and Amp In, to use a separate preamp and use the A5 as a power amp. Unusually, there are also 2 dedicated RCA sub outs. The A7 adds another set of speaker outputs, HDMI ARC input and ups the wattage to 115W.

Écoute à la musique

(Listen to music)

Setting up was a breeze, with the Advance Paris app providing straightforward basic settings. Delving into the menus, there are settings for tone controls, Bass, Treble and Balance, Loudness Gain and a Bypass option to turn this amp section off. Round the back of the amp is a High Bias switch. In the “on” setting it allows for more of the Class A amplification as opposed to discrete. The setting gives the amp a very slightly warming character, but also seems to push detail and transparency levels a lot more. The drawback is the amp does run a little warmer and consumes a little more juice.

I settled on a very un-Hi-Fi world/audiophile controversial setting of Loudness ON, Bass +02, Treble +02 in High Bias ON mode, Bypass OFF. For speakers we used the Dynaudio Evoke 10 and Acoustic Energy AE500. Both were driven extremely well.

The turntable test was done with the Rega Planar 2 fitted with the new ND3 cartridge. Playing Oscar Peterson Trio’s Night Train; The trio consisting of Peterson at the piano, Ray Brown on the bass and Ed Thigpen on the drums was a real treat. Properly engaging with great transients and groove.

The Audio T Bristol Qobuz playlist got a bit of a hammering trying to decide what to listen to and what would push the A5 to an uncomfortable genre. No such luck - the A5 kept on being engaging and putting a little smile on your face.

Comparaison

(Comparison - That one was pretty obvious!)

What was really need was an unfair test - a tag team to take down this young upstart - to see what we had been missing. In the red corner was the Naim Uniti Atom and the Rega Elex MK4 with a Wiim Pro Plus, COAX to the Elex digital input. This was the surprise - not only did the A5 not crumble in the corner, tapping out, but put up such a fight that I was left a little speechless. I did a blind test with a colleague - moving between the Naim, Rega and A5 - and he preferred the A5. The look of horror on my colleague’s face as the vanguards of Hi-Fi crumbled was devastating (just sorry, I don’t have a picture).

Finale

(I’m not even going to bother on this one…)

“Advance Paris est plus qu’une marque, nous sommes les gardiens des rêves musicaux” - “Advance Paris is more than a brand, we are the guardians of musical dreams”.

Whether you are an experienced audiophile or just starting out on a sonic adventure, Advance Paris offers a load of features and performance for the price. And, as always, the proof is in the pudding - book a demonstration and hear for yourself.

Merci de lire ce que nous écrivons

(Thank you for reading what we write)

Justin - Audio T Bristol

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…

Harbeth P3ESR XD and the Nelson Bass Extender Stands

/ Audio T Bristol/
Image: Harbeth Nelson Bass Extender stand - detail of Base

A mishearing of “Harbeth Nelson” conjured up fond childhood memories of 4 O'Clock on Saturday afternoons in the 1980s - Dickie Davis introduces ITV World of Sport Wrestling. Big Daddy takes on Giant Haystacks. Invariably, the first piece of theatrical grappling is the full or Harbeth Half Nelson. The victim of the hold red faced, eyes bulging - tapping out in pain or near suffocation. But how do the Harbeth Nelson grapple with the lower octaves?

The Nelson reference is more prosaic than my overactive imagination, a reference to Nelson’s Column at London’s Trafalgar Square and there are certainly Corinthian design cues.

For years, Harbeth have designed arguably one of the the best iterations of the BBC Mini Monitor - currently the P3ESR-XD. Derived from the original LS3/5A BBC R&D specification request, note the credit on this whitepaper - non other than H.D. Harwood, the founder of Harbeth. The internet is awash with great stories of how this speaker legend came about. I’ve collected below some links that track the venerable history and the modern day offshoots.

Suggested Reading

A word on Frequencies

The common misconception is that a sub works on sub-hearing frequencies, i.e. below our hearing range of 20Hz - 20KHz and is a modern phenomenon of electronic music. However, this is not the case. If we look at the frequencies of orchestral instruments - some pipe organs reach as low as 16Hz, a grand piano’s lowest note is 27.5Hz. At the other end the piccolo chirps away at a maximum of 5KHz - still a long way off human hearing limit of 20KHz.

The Harbeth PSESR-XD speakers have a quoted frequency range of 75-20KHz - 75Hz is around an octave and a half above the lowest note on a piano - though room resonances and harmonics will allow for an impression of reproduction of lower notes.

The BBC spec sheet, was about the clear reproduction of the human voice for studio monitoring in a variety of conditions - production studio to outside broadcast back of a van. It was about uniformity of reproduction.

Filling in the Gaps

The Nelson Bass Extender incorporates a Harbeth 5-inch drive unit and 50 watts of digital amplifier power, speaker frequency extension from 35Hz to 75Hz resulting in exceptional bass control, great integration (notice how that upper frequency exactly matches the lowest frequency of the P3) and power output.

Essentially, removing the stress of stand selection, improving bass extension without the additional space and cabling of sub woofers.

Setup

Harbeth Nelson Bass Extender Stand - Connections detail

One of our favourite combinations with the Harbeth P3, is the Naim Uniti Nova. The transparency, clarity and breath of presentation is really an enjoyable listen. Curiously, although the speaker does not reach particularly low frequencies, the way they roll off is so gentle that it only feels somewhat lacking in bass heavy electronic music.

What takes your breath away, is the mid range and upper frequencies. So perfectly balanced that there is no fatigue when listening and it really magically draws you in to the performance. Upping the ante to the Supernait 3 with NDX 2 then to the Naim 222 and Naim 250 still provides even more performance. The limiting factor is their diminutive size - a room dimension of 5m x 4m with standard 2.5m ceiling is probably their limit.

Placing the Harbeth on the Nelson Bass Extender stands raised the height by about 10cm compared to them being placed on a conventional 600mm stand. I thought this would upset presentation as my ear was now level with between the tweeter and mid range driver, not on axis with the tweeter, but really it did not matter.

More problematic was positioning. The advice from Harbeth is to start with the Nelsons at mid level bass on both stands and adjust from there. But getting the sweet spot was tricky. Push the speakers too far back and bass bloom flowered like a Hydrangea. Adjust the Nelsons volume to compensate and it felt like the bass fell away too quickly. The sweet spot was around 40cm from side or back wall and the Nelson volume on a 1/4, and a little more on the right channel, where there was more free space, in order to balance the presentation. This lays bare the Nelson issue - It negates a key advantage of a separate subwoofer–being able to place it optimally in a different location from the main speakers in order to reduce placement issues and blooms/nulls at the listener position.

Qobuz Audio T Bristol, Selected from Playlist:

Here is a selection of tracks we use for evaluating bass performance. The full playlist is available on Qobuz Here.

  • Sailing to Philadelphia - Mark Knopfler

  • Limit to your Love - James Blake

  • Veto, Tremours - SOHN

  • Man in the Long Black Coat (Album Version) - Bob Dylan

  • Never Come Back (Koreless Remix) - Caribou

  • Paper Tiger (Album Version) - Beck

  • Playing God - Polyphia

  • Chameleon - Trentemøller

  • THE EIGHTH NIGHT PART 1 - Mike Dean

  • Veto, Tremours - SOHN

Conclusion

Let’s be clear - this is a bass extender not a sub. We are talking about extending the range of the Harbeth P3 in an integral way that does not necessarily mean sub frequency theatrical slams, but lower octaves enhancement.

The clearest benefits are that bass extension works absolutely beautifully. One of the most curious advantages is in the way the whole soundstage benefits - clearer imaging, greater expanse of sound and depth in the whole frequency range and a book shelf clarity, speed and transparency with the reach of a floorstander.

Aesthetically, the footprint is unchanged and thus the visual marmite of separate subs is a household argument that will not be an issue.

If you are a Harbeth P3 or BBC LS3/5A model incarnation owner - this is well worth an audition.

Thank you for reading,

Justin - Audio T Bristol

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…

Harbeth can be found at the following Audio T stores

NEW in at Audio T Bristol - Dynaudio speaker Range Overview

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At Audio T we are constantly looking at and auditioning components to best serve our customers. Sometimes that means revisiting old friends with new ears and that is exactly what we have done - A big Bristolian hello to Dynaudio.

For over 45 years Dynaudio have been building and producing some very fine speakers for the home, professional and in automative entertainment worlds. Late last year we had the great privilege of auditioning the Confidence 30 and Confidence 20 and were completely won over by their presentation. So much so, we decided to listen deeper to their current ranges of speakers.

In our Bristol store, we currently have the Special Forty, Confidence 20 and Confidence 30 , plus the full Emit & Evoke ranges for audition.

Dynaudio Emit Range

For those dipping their toes into the world of Hi-Fi sound, the Emit is a great choice. It might be the most compact in the family, but Emit’s performance belies its size.

Emit 10 is the ideal choice if you have limited space. It’s capable of surprising bass performance, but it won’t overwhelm the room even when cranked to neighbour-bothering volumes – and it has the added advantage of not requiring a lot of space behind it, so you can put it close to a wall.

If you’re going all-in on a home cinema set-up, then Emit 10 also performs perfectly both as a front or rear channel for your 5.1 surround-sound system.

The Emit range consists of the Emit 10, Emit 20, Emit 30, Emit 50 as well as Emit 25C dedicated centre speaker. All have the same 28mm Cerotar fabric soft-dome tweeter with DSR (Dynaudio Secret Recipe) coating and strontium carbonate Ferrite+ ceramic magnet. With Hexis and resonance-defeating back-chamber. And 18mm MDF cabinets, in three custom laminate finishes; Black, White or Walnut with Black magnetic grilles included

If space is really tight and you’re forced to place your Emit 10 right up against the wall, in a corner or even on a shelf, then be sure to use the included foam plugs. They can be used to block the rear port for more controlled bass.

Your choice is dependent on room size and how much heft you need from your music. The Emit 10 sit happily in a 10m² room, Emit 20 in 15m², Emit 30 in 20m², Emit 50 30m². Although the 30s in a 15m2 certainly are powerfully entertaining.

How do they Compare?

Around the Emit 10 (£630) are the Acoustic Energy AE300 (£649) - which is a great speaker, the Dynaudio has more punch and texture and is a lot more forward. Think of it as a Bowers & Wilkins 607 S3 (£600), in forward 3D imaging, but with a mid range of an ATC and the smooth textured top end of a Sonus Faber.

The Emit 20 at (£825) is compelling when set against our favourite benchmark - ATC SCM 7 (£995), the Emit’s have a similar mid range performance , with a less dry and more forgiving forward presentation with plenty of bass extension.

The two floorstanders Emit 30 & 50 still manage the feat of being a small floorstander with a huge soundstage. The outrigger feet provide plenty of stability, adjustment and positioning - something that it’s competitors should take note of. - Acoustic Energy AE309 (£1,149)

The Evoke Range

With Evoke, Dynaudio landed right in the Goldilocks zone. After months of intense R&D it became a five-strong family of speakers. All that experience meant the team could combine cutting-edge technology directly from the Contour and Confidence ranges. Optimised at the Dynaudio Jupiter measuring lab with higher build quality and finishing.

The Cerotar tweeter with the Hexis diaphragm is a descendant of the Esotar3 found in the Confidence range. The Esotec+ woofers use MSP (Magnesium Silicate Polymer) in their diaphragms – just like all Dynaudio speakers have done since they started in 1977.

Overall, the presentation is full, engaging, with great clarity with deep textured bass. In store for immediate audition, we have the Evoke 10, Evoke 20 & Evoke 30.

Again, the comparative options of the ATC SCM11, SCM19, Acoustic Energy AE509, are mirrored with what we observed in the Emit range.

The Special Dynaudio Special Forty

Not content to rest on their laurels after 40 years of constant innovation, Dynaudio developed the Special Forty: “we wanted to revisit those innovations and see what we’d do differently this time.”

The Special Forty is classic Dynaudio: all the craftsmanship, attention to detail and total love of authentic sound you’ve come to expect. It’s the connoisseur’s choice – a simple pair of passive hi-fi speakers with beautiful Black Vine or Ebony wave textured finish. This has become a firm shop favourite of ours.

Confidence 20

Dynaudio's flagship level range begins with a standmount Confidence 20 that ploughs the depths of 42Hz with a sweet top end. The dedicated stand allows for an air gap for a downward firing reflex port, long enough to reach those frequencies. The solid cabinet design curved shape and intricate wave guides on the front baffle create an awesome looking speaker and a masterful sound performance.

The Confidence 30 is a three-way floorstander with DDC technology on board. It uses two 18cm woofers with neodymium magnets, one 15cm midrange (also with a neodymium magnet) and one Esotar3 tweeter with the DDC Lens.

Working with a capable system, such as the Naim 300 series, they are the definition of flagship. They are break-takingly immediate, great grip, rich sounding, huge soundstage and a very deep and controlled bass with a scintillating, yet not harsh, top end. More than capable of filling our 6.2 x 7m x 3m audition room - one of the best we have ever heard.

There is a great 6 part podcast on the building of these speakers over on Dynaudio’s website- Building Confidence.

Driving

All Dynaudios we’ve tested here are relatively easy to drive. Indeed the Emit 10 and 20s are happy being driven by a Wiim Amp. Rega amplification provides really strong presence. Naim products, Uniti series and classic separates stand out as the perfect companion to Dynaudio, with the Naim clarity, punch and timing really standing out, but with an edge that is textural without being too overpowering.

Whatever your flavour, room size or equipment level - Dynaudio has a speaker in a range that is worth considering - book an audition.

Thank you for reading

Justin - Audio T Bristol

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…

The Wiim Amp - Easy to dismiss on a Whim, but Will Wiim Win?

/ Audio T Bristol/

Ask a bartender - serve a cheap whisky in a shot glass and it’s gone in an instant - in a heavy glass tumbler most customers coo about how earthy, peaty and marvellous it tastes. Suddenly, they turn connoisseur and ask about it’s single malt, sherry cask origins from the wild island 200 miles north of the Outer Hebrides…

Wiim’s Impact

The Wiim Amp has garnered many praises from reviewers. Darko Audio’s video review clocked 1.5 million views and with good reason. The Wiim is beautifully packaged and designed, if rather too similar to a fruity tech company, and an app that is a breeze to use with smooth setup straight from the box. That is the concern here, this feels too good to be true - A Hi-Fi product with modern design leans, small footprint, light weight and sounds great, All for an exceptionally reasonable £319.

But is this just a cheap whisky in a fancy glass?

Wiim Who?

Getting to the bottom of this young upstart in Hi-Fi felt like some sort of deep internet mining. The holding company is Linkplay Technologies, formed in 2014 - a consortium of Google, Broadcom, Inter Video and Harman with another 6 tech partners and a group of mostly Chinese Investors. Access to deep pockets will be needed, given the technology toes this new kid on the block is stepping on (to date a number of patent infringement charges filed, all won so far) It is almost comical that they chose an ambigram name like it’s closest rival.

Specifications

Having experienced the Wiim mini and Wiim Pro, the Wiim Amp follows the trend with an incredibly easy setup. From the moment you attach speakers to it and turn it on you are greeted with an audible welcome and instruction to download the Wiim App and follow the on screen steps. Out of the box it has Bluetooth 5.1, Spotify connect, Tidal Connect, Apple Airplay 2, Google Chromecast, Squeezelite, Roon Ready (awaiting certification - nearly there at the time of writing and should be in the next update), Alexa Cast & DNLA. Internet Connectivity is via 802.11 b/g/n/ac 2.4G/5GHz Dual-band or 10/100 Mbps LAN. Audio inputs are via HDMI Arc, Optical & Line In. The Amp is a Class D putting out 60W in 8Ω, 120W into 4Ω, plus there is a dedicated sub woofer output.

The remote control is a Bluetooth device, so no need for line of sight. It also has a microphone at the top of the remote to allow for voice control via Alexa, Siri or Google voice control.

You can output to speakers, a pair of Bluetooth headphones or a speaker or to an Airplay device. Need multi-room? No problem, grouping and setup is a breeze. You can even take a line input from a turntable and have it play to the other devices.

Put simply, there is no other product on the market at this price that does all of this. And looking at the product roadmap, there is more to come.

Setup & Listening Notes

As mentioned previously, from the moment you open the box, clear instructions, connect this to your speakers and switch on, there is an audible direction. The package has a QR code that you can scan and download the Wiim app. The app actually guides you through the setup with very clear instructions. It’s fast, checks and upgrades itself with a very realistic time and off you go. The exhaustive list of streaming services available is impressive. The manual is possibly one of the best written available, comprehensive and clear with no marketing fluff - refreshing.

The audio settings allow for EQ options. Choose from 24 preset settings, fine-tune with a 10-band graphic EQ, or dive deep with a 4-band parametric EQ. Plus, enjoy the freedom to set independent EQ profiles for each input source, be it HDMI, Optical, Line, BT, or Network. Craft your perfect audio landscape, room by room, source by source. There is also the Sub Out level and crossover frequency to tune in the sub to your speakers.

Initially, we demonstrated the Wiim Amp with a pair of Acoustic Energy AE100². That’s a complete and comprehensive Hi-Fi system for a shade over £550. Switching to Dynaudio Emit 10 and then the Emit 20, each setup progressively improving the speakers resulted in a marked improvement. With the Emit 20, there was great detail, but a noticeable sweet spot, after which things became a little strained.

Listening Notes:

  • Lots of body with great control in the highs, mids and bass.

  • Large, involving stereo imaging with great depth and latitude.

  • Engaging listening across most genres. Classical and Jazz did come across a little thin in our listening session.

In Summary

How does it compare with separates?

The closest comparative would be the entry level Rega IO (£420) with a Wiim Pro (£149). That’s close to twice the price of the Wiim Amp and yes, in my humble opinion it does sound better, but twice as good? The Bluesound Poweredge is possible, but this is at £599.

This could be a case of a company with deep pockets looking to disrupt the cosy world of Hi-Fi pricing for market share. Only time will tell if the young company will mature gracefully over the years to come.

If you looking for a streaming amp for a smallish room, a starter system, or perhaps even a second system. At this price there is only one choice. But, as ever, don’t take our word for it - book a demonstration and audition it for yourself.

Thanks for reading

Justin - Audio T Bristol

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…

The New Acoustic Energy Cor(inium) Blimeys!

/ Audio T Bristol/

Acoustic Energy have been busy. First seen at the Munich Hi-Fi Show in October 2023, the Corinium floorstanding speakers, which have been a three year project spearheaded by Acoustic Energy Managing Director Matt Spandl, have arrived in store with much anticipation on our part…

The Balancing Act of Price, Performance & Aesthetics

The brief for the project was simple and ambitious - to create the most dynamic, live sounding and musically involving loudspeaker Acoustic Energy have ever created.” This represents Acoustic Energy’s first speaker that lands them in the mid to high-end Hi-Fi experience. Many brands take aesthetics way beyond price/performance and into the realms of luxury interior design and fine furniture - with designer brand appeal a central part of their products. There is a convergence point that Acoustic Energy are very aware of - price/performance with a conservative competent nod to aesthetics, and the achievement here is very much on brand.

Corinium Design

Standing at 1100mm high, they sit between the AE509 and the taller AE520 and are slightly wider and deeper. The Corinium use the same 500 series Resonance Suppression Composite (RSC) cabinets, but these have a lovely curve to them, reminiscent of the 2009 Acoustic Energy Radiance series, and further acoustic suppression by having a minimum cabinet wall thickness of 22mm rising to 50mm on the top and bottom plates, The front baffle is in two parts - a 25mm MDF and mounted to a 6mm single piece aluminium to create a flat inert surface. Where floorstanders gain in lower octaves sound reproduction over stand mount speakers, they can lose in transparency, speed, mid-range and high frequency detail. To overcome this the tweeter and mid range drivers are housed internally in a separate cabinet to the two bass woofers.

Tweeter

Acoustic Energy searched for a new lighter stiffer material than the carbon fibre used in the 500 series and researched the possibilities of TORAY TETORON™ - a Japanese manufactured polyester with similar properties to silk, but with greater stiffness. The 28mm tweeter, mounted to the aluminium front baffle, has lower colouration, greater speed and detail in transients than the 500 series. Interestingly, the crossover point is very low at 3400Hz. Most tweeters cross from mid range driver to tweeter around 1800Hz to 2600Hz. 3400Hz is similar to the SH25-76S in the ATCs and Esotar in the Dynaudios .

Mid range

Carbon fibre is the choice for the midrange, as in the 500 series, but these are the next generation. This driver handles five of the eight octaves in musical reproduction and is crucial to the overall mid-range tonal character of a speaker. Visually comparing the AE500 series to the Corinium, this driver has a steeper cone angle and is sunk in the cabinet more with a steeper wave guide.

Bass

With a crossover of 260Hz, these all new 140mm drivers, two in each speaker, are used to deal with “…Most of the important bass weight and speed“. Housed in a separate area to the mid and tweeter arrangement, their sole purpose is to support that mid-range and come alive when needed.

Cabinet and Finishes

This new Acoustic Energy Corinium comes with a premium flagship colour of Aston Martin Racing Green as well as standard Black, White and a gentle Tectona Teak finish.

Acoustic Energy are rightly proud of their new addition, and they have a dedicated sister website about the Corinium development here, which is well worth a read, and they are featured in this quarter’s Audio T Music at Home+ Magazine.

Setup and Listening

Cirencester, being just up the road from Bristol, allowed for a visit from Paul Burnip and Wayne Davis from Acoustic Energy to hand deliver our new Coriniums. We had already setup the new Naim 300 series (Naim NAP 350, NAC 332 pre with NPX 300 power supply, NSS 333 streamer) system ready to go.

Firing up Qobuz on the Naim app I went straight to the 141 track Audio-T Bristol playlist - https://open.qobuz.com/playlist/2438053

The Coriniums excel at timing across all frequencies. The 4 degree speaker rake really helps lift the sound stage with an ethereal quality and are not as rakish in the flesh. The detail and transparency are exquisite.

Compared with the AE520s, these are a more forward presentation with a little more top end. Although, that top end never becomes harsh and brittle. The mid range is quite sweet and very much like a Harbeth or Sonus Faber Olympica Nova. Limit to your Love, James Blake bass notes extend and are very textural with the finger clicks sharp and easily placed to the left of the airy vocals.

Female vocals and sibilance are well handled, Both Sides Now - Joni Mitchell really very insightful. Acoustic guitar of Canadee-I-O - Penguin Eggs, Nic Jones -Poor Boy, Bryter Layter -Nick Drake and Over The Hill - John Martyn have attack, snap and sparkle without being too tinny. Classical and Jazz pieces are where these speakers really show what they are capable of, with the reproduction far exceeding other Acoustic Energy speakers and putting it in the realms of higher end speakers.

Qobuz Audio T Bristol, Selected from Playlist:

  • Veto, Tremours - SOHN

  • Sailing to Philadelphia - Mark Knopfler

  • Limit to your Love - James Blake

  • Hey Now, If You Wait - London Grammar

  • Both Sides - Joni Mitchell

  • Witchita Lineman - Glen Campbell

  • Poor Boy, Bryter Layter - Nick Drake

  • 5:15, Quadrophenia - The Who

  • Canadee-I-O, Penguin Eggs - Nic Jones

  • Kora - GoGo Penguin

  • Natten - Bremer/McCoy

  • Passing Ships - Andrew Hill

  • Beethoven’s Piano Sonata No.14 in C-Sharp Minor Op.27 - Murray Perahia

  • Over The Hill - John Martyn

Conclusion

In High End Audio there is the law of diminishing returns - the point at which to secure truly better Hi-Fi performance a lot more needs to be spent for the final percentages of absolute performance gain. And this is completely understandable as the research time, manufacturing materials, component selection and engineering become more expensive, more time consuming with longer development and build times.

What Acoustic Energy have created here is a speaker that balances on the knife edge of price/performance and aesthetics. Acoustic Energy could have followed the pattern of many other manufacturers of tweaking or releasing a 500 MkII or a 700 series signature range and such like.

Instead, they tore up the rule book, hunkered down, got to work and crafted a luxury High End sound performance with great design and a sound that punches well above the £6,000 asking price - a considerable step up from the 500 series and a very serious proposition up against any speaker in High End Hi-Fi.

Justin, Max & James - Audio T Bristol

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…

Maximum Minimalism - ATC SCM 50 Active Towers with the Linn Selekt DSM Organik

/ Audio T Bristol/

This Hi-Fi setup takes the minimal approach for maximum performance. Highly accomplished ATC SCM50 ASLT paired with the Swiss army knife Linn Selekt DSM installed with the upgraded ultimate Organik DAC.

Sunday afternoon, disappearing into an indulgent binge watch of Grand Design episodes certainly is a feast for the senses. There is a general theme. The home-builders state a budget of £X that Kevin McCloud adds 100% £X based on £2,500 per square metre all-in building cost. After marriage collapse, bad health, ancient ruins/sewage pipes/spring well unexpectedly uncovered, the final cost is £X squared, but rising from earth - an ECO concrete, larch clad, glass, steel contemporary monolith of geometric perfection of a naturally beautiful space that somehow compliments it’s surroundings.

The ATC SCM50 ASLT

Arriving from ATC in two large flight cases, I imagined myself as a roadie setting up for a Pink Floyd Wembley concert. Along with a handful of other manufacturers, ATC are pro studio monitors company first - with their home Hi-Fi selection evolving from this deep history. Unlike some speaker manufacturers, ATC make the drivers themselves. The SCM50 comprise of the High frequency tweeter 25mm ATC SH25-76S, The SH25-76S tweeter is the product of over 40 years' experience building one of the world's finest acoustic transducers - a dual suspension tweeter that minimises distortion. Mid 75mm ATC Soft Dome and the low frequency 243mm Driver.

This Super Linear bass driver overcomes one of the longest standing obstacles in speaker design - that is the detrimental effects of magnetic hysteresis. The magnetic characteristic of the steel used in the magnet assembly of a loudspeaker is inherently non-linear due to magnetic hysteresis. This results in a distortion of the input signal in the loudspeaker causing audible colouration.

ATC’s solution to this lies in their super linear magnet development to add rings of the SLMM to the magnet assembly pole and front plate, adjacent to and concentric with the loudspeaker voice coil. The effect of the rings is to reduce 3rd harmonic distortion by between 10-15dB between 100Hz and 3KHz. The addition of the SLMM produces a significant improvement in sound quality, reducing the level of distortion so dramatically as to reveal another layer of information to the listener.

The resultant improvement in the quality of the reproduction of human voice and piano testifies to its success. And certainly, anyone familiar with the ATC sound know that this is exactly where they excel - mid range revealing, characterful clarity. You can read more about this technology here.

Positioning was really easy to set up. The ATC are handed and depending on your listening requirements and room, positioning with bass port on the inside or outside gives really good flexibility.

Amplification

This loudspeaker design includes the equivalent three MOSFET power amplifiers totalling 350W per channel. The 200W direct coupled amplification in the bass promises excellent low-end power; the mid headroom matches it with a 150W feed, while the high frequencies get 50W, In the Audio T Bristol dem room, measuring 7m long x 5.6m wide with 3.25m high ceilings, the ATC SCM50 ASLT never felt under powered and indeed had a lot of presence.

Source

The Linn Selekt DSM has three levels of DAC performance level; Standard, Kataylst or Organik. The entry level DAC is still capable of 24/192, The Katalyst uses it own stabilised power supplies and voltage reference point. This mean that any "crosstalk" from other audio channels and circuitry are isolated and give a cleaner/purer music.

We fitted our Selekt DSM with the Organik - Linn’s own in house DAC. Most manufacturers take off-the-shelf chips, compliance check, programme and tweak to get the best out of them. Linn’s route is via FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array) - deep programmable logic far more efficient in terms of processing time as well as offering very tight timing when compared with optimised code running on 3rd party chips. Organik uses an 8-layer circuit board, facilitating optimal delivery of power and clocks to the DAC. Power for the conversion stage is generated by a discrete regulator, and delivered using multiple internal power planes.

The Organik occupies the stratospheric rarefied air of top performing streamers. The strength is clarity and engaging with an emotional depth of performance, that is so difficult in the digital realm. With Organik DAC in line out mode and direct XLR outputs straight to the ATCs it was unquestionable, this is one of the most synergistic systems we have encountered.

We experimented with adding ATC’s own pre amp, the CA-2 Mkii, and that improved things again. We suspect that ATCs SCA2 or Chord Electronics Ultima Pre 3 would be an even better match.

Also, we upgraded the standard power and XLR cables to Chord Shawline, which significantly improved stereo image, noise floor and detail.

In summary

For me the most successful Grand Design is when the contemporary minimalism is contrasted with a the personal touch and sometimes bold statement interior. Think chintz - translating themes from nature and exotic locations onto wallcoverings, fabrics and bed linen in bold colours. No shying away from rich textures and opulent accessories.

This is what we have here with this system - minimal boxes with maximum punch. Breathtaking clarity, dynamic range and a truely High End Hi-Fi system that could out perform a passive equivalently priced system and would require a lot more power amp budget. Indeed we tried this, as we had the SCM50 passive crossover units - think Naim 350 mono blocks (at £12,000) to exceed the performance of the SCM50ASLT.

Justin, Max & James - Audio T Bristol

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…

ATC Loudspeakers can be found at the following Audio T stores

The Three Musthears - All for one and All-In-One for all!

/ Audio T Bristol/

Join us for a swashbuckling adventure with heroic bravado and flamboyance as we review the Athos, Porthos and Aramis of All-In-Ones. But who will be crowned the most chivalrous - defending gallantry the fair virtues of Hi-Fi. (Dumas will be turning in his grave at this punning,)

When space is at a premium or aesthetically you want great sound with minimal fuss, then either you place speakers in your ceilings or walls or you take a look at the All-In-One offerings. These combine source amplification and speakers into one unit. Visually, they are statements, like a fine piece of artisan furniture.

We have the Sonus Faber Omnia, the new Ruark R410, the Naim Mu-So 2 and, the D'Artagnan of the bunch, Bowers & Wilkins Zeppelin.

Sonus faber Omnia

First century BC, poet Virgil of Rome coins the phrase , “Omnia vincit amor”, which translates to “Love conquers all”. You can imagine the designers at Sonus Faber pouring over the lines of this beauty. Underneath, seven interior speakers, 490 watts of power with HDMI input, analogue, turntable and Ethernet. This is essentially a fully loaded wireless speaker - Roon Ready, Spotify connect and Apple Airplay. What this manages to pull off is the sleek Italian flare with more than a hint of Sonus Faber sound signature.

Naim Mu-so 2nd Generation

This one almost needs no introduction as it has been the go-to Hi-Fi All-In-One solution for many years. Marc Phillips over at PTA (Part-Time Audiophile) recounts how the Mu-So changed the way he listens to music by introducing him to the world of infinite radio stations and streaming. Now in its second generation, the Naim Mu-So 2 is a slick, modern looking affair with its transparent base, white gentle hue of uplit Naim logo and geometric twisted wave fascia. The exquisite feel of the volume control has the feel of no expense spared. Also there is the now well established Naim App.

Ruark R410

With a look and feel of a 1960s stereogram with fluted walnut finish, Ruark have boldly taken the “part of the furniture” cue to another level. In 2021 they even partnered with Linley, the quintessentially British furniture craftsmen for a limited edition R5. Designed to be seen, engineered to be heard is the mantra here. This is certainly the first impression. The sound inviting and controls feel well made.

Bowers & Wilkins Zeppelin

When does a All-in-one become a wireless speaker? When there are no inputs other than bluetooth or Wi-Fi and that is the case here, but this is the Porsche of wireless speakers with a thumping sound.

Casting our mind back to 2007 when iPod docks ruled the digital music scene and Spotify was a twinkle in Daniel Ek’s eye, B&W (famed for pushing the boundaries of speaker technology), burst onto the scene with the Zeppelin - still iconic now and updated to be the ultimate wireless speaker

Aesthetically, it's beautiful. The shape may take some getting used to, but the combination of stainless steel diffusely lit plinth and matt black makes the design look like a piece of modern art on display at the Tate.

In comparison

Let’s compare features:

In summary

For slamming foot tapping fun, the B&W Zepplin is a stonking performer. More style and more connectivity the Omnia really is sleak and understated. The Naim’s app, multi-room capability, synchronicity with full Naim systems and really wide stereo image - perfect for a modern kitchen diner. The Ruark feels it would be at home in the living room, perhaps under a TV. Connectivity is a little up on the competition and looks modern retro.

The All-In-One class has really come a long way in recent years and the current cream of the crop have something for everyone to fit with our modern lives. Whatever your flavour of Hi-Fi, Audio T is here to help!

Thanks for reading.

Justin, Max & James - Audio T Bristol

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…

What is Future-Fi™? Exploring the Options at Audio T Bristol

/ Audio T Bristol/

Back in 2016 the Venerable Bede of Hi-Fi reviewers, John Darko, coined the term “Future-Fi™”… 7 years on, where are we now? And what are the options? Traditionalists and hardcore audiophiles, look away now... This blog may not be for you!

Broadly speaking, traditional Hi-Fi consists of a source → amplifier → loudspeakers. The source may include a Turntable, CD Player and/or Streamer; The amplifier may be split into a preamp and a power amp – sometimes with associated power supply units for those modules and not forgetting the tagliatelle of cabling and interconnects. Every unit has its own unique job to do and this uncompromising approach, by its modular nature will deliver the highest audio quality and is robust. Any future improvements in DACS, preamp options or a better source can be easily plumbed into this Hi-Fi arrangement with the associated benefits easily appreciated.

However, unless you have a large space, dedicated listening room or have a penchant for a living space to resemble a recording studio, this approach may be visually intrusive. Also, there is the all important PAFF (Partner And Family Factor) - we are not all fans of black monolith obelisks, rack fulls of equipment and prefer our tagliatelle squid inked with mussels, calamari crackling and mozzarella purée, not laid out on the living room floor.

“Beam me up Scotty” - Marching onwards, let’s breakdown Future-Fi™ into back end integrations; Super Integrated amps, JAS and All-in-ones and front end integrations; active and streaming speakers…

The Super Integrated Amp

An integrated amp will have the pre and power stages in one box and usually includes a headphone output, phono stage and a pre out, which enables the connection of a power amp to upgrade the performance, bypassing the power stage of the integrated - just using the pre of the integrated.

Now, the Super Integrated has a DAC. This is normally in the form of a optical and/or COAX input. This allows you to connect a TV, streamer or CD directly to the amp. Invariably the DAC in the integrated is tuned to the amplifier, thus you get a sound profile of the integrated for all your sources and ONE volume control. Examples of this include the Rega Elicit, Rega Elex & Leak Stereo 130 to name but a few.

The JAS Hi-Fi

This is a new term that we’ve coined at Audio T Bristol - JAS (Just Add Speakers). Surprisingly, this can be as simple as a Bluetooth input like the new Rotel A11 tribute. This is the late Ken Ishiwata’s final design for an affordable great sounding amp. Many of our customers have started there Hi-Fi journey with this Rotel and a pair of Acoustic Energy AE100², and stream via a phone or ipad directly to the amp and then add a better source at a later date.

The likes of the Audiolab 9000A and the Roksan Attessa Streaming Amp both have four digital inputs and Bluetooth Receivers with the Attessa adding streaming by way of the BluOS streaming from Bluesound. The Marantz Model 40n utilises the Denon & Marantz streaming platform, HEOS. The JAS sector arguably tops out with products such as the Naim Uniti series Atom, Star and Nova and then the truly amazing Linn Selekt DSM with its myriad of modular design features, as reviewed earlier this year.

All-in-One

Sometimes our living spaces and our listening objectives do not allow for two channel speaker setups. For example a kitchen area, dining room or art studio/craft space where ambient listening that takes up very little space is needed.

Ruark Audio, a brand with a heritage founded in true hi-fi speakers, offer a range of all-in-one solutions from the compact R1 MK4 to the larger R5 and more models to come later in the year.

Naim also offer all-in-one solutions in the form of the Mu-So 2nd Generation and the more compact Mu-So QB 2nd Gen. Whilst these models are superb stand-alone products that feature Focal speaker drivers aligned for room filling detailed audio, they can also be integrated in to larger, multi-room Naim systems via the bespoke Naim app.

Another notable Hi-Fi manufacturer that is also known for a popular all-in-one product is Bowers & Wilkins. Now in its second generation, the Zeppelin has become an iconic item in the lifestyle and interior design world.

The Active Lifestyle

We’ve looked at the amp combining input source functionality, now let’s look from the business end. Speakers combining amplification is nothing new, but lately technologies have allowed speaker manufacturers to finely tune the speaker performance.

Theoretically, this is the perfect scenario - the speaker designer tunes the amplification and crossover to achieve maximum performance out of the speaker design. And certainly, in our opinion comparing active and passive versions, such as the ATC SCM40A or Acoustic Energy AE1 active, that is the case. Indeed, beautiful combinations of the AE1 active with a Bluesound Node as the source and preamp or the ATC SCM40As with a Naim NSC222 as the source and preamp are a marvel.

The Super Actives

Combining a streamer, DAC and source inputs into active speaker now gives a complete system that consists of just two stereo loudspeakers, doing away with need for any boxes of electronics. The new Dynaudio Focus range is the benchmark for this implementation. An absolute breeze to set up, an intriguing deep and detailed sound, a plethora of streaming services integration, Roon ready and Hi-Res streaming at your fingertips and we look forward to reviewing these very soon. The range consists of: Dynaudio Focus 10, Dynaudio Focus 30,Dynaudio Focus 50

In Summary

Low box count does not necessarily mean Lo-Fi. Future-Fi™ is here to stay and the options are becoming more compelling than ever with excellent Hi-Res streaming services cheaper than ever. Whatever your flavour of Hi-Fi, Audio T is here to help!

Thanks for reading.

Justin, Max & James - Audio T Bristol

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…

Audio T(akeover) with Audio Note at Bristol: Hi-Fi versus Real-Fi. Music's Finest Conductor and a Concert Cellist

/ Audio T Bristol/

What if you could listen to an accomplished passionate and energetic musician, with an original artistic vision, filled with warmth and depth simultaneously with a Hi-Fi system dedicated to the quest of re-creating that performance with maximum realism, emotion and intensity?

I refer to Robert Harley, editor in chief of the Absolute Sound magazine - “High-End audio is about passion – passion for music, and how well it is reproduced”. Here at Audio T Bristol we did just that with an unusual event...

The Contenders

Vincent Bélanger hails from a prominent family of musicians, many of whom have contributed greatly to develop the musical scene in Quebec, Canada. He attended Master Classes with Yo-Yo Ma (Lyon, 2001) and Catalonian master, Lluis Claret (Montpellier, 2001). With grants from the "Fondation des Jeunesses Musicales du Canada" in 2002, he went on to study with renowned French cellist, Yvan Chiffoleau and won First Prize in the Cello Master Class. He premiered as a competitor at the Young Artists Show, presented by CBC, Canada national network, in 2004. His album "Lâ", launched in Spring of 2011 (Fidelio label), won the "coup de coeur" of Radio-Classique, Quebec and Montreal before its official public release. It also received praise from the press and the public in Canada and overseas. It was ranked as best seller for several weeks on the USA's audiophile download website HDtracks.

The Audio Note system hails from Brighton from a prominent family of engineers, many of whom have contributed greatly to the High Fidelity world of tuned audio circuits.

Audio Note’s product range is built around a series of ideological and technological performance platforms from which they have developed a wide and comprehensive product range.

The platform levels are created to demonstrate that increases in price are consummate with suitable improvements in sound quality. Typically, this means using silver in key areas of signal path, uprated materials and tighter tolerances of components.

The Equipment

Audio Note TT3

The turntable is fitted with an Arm Two, IQ 3 cart and PSU 1 power supply, Our colleagues at Reading reviewed the Audio Note TT3 - read here and we have to concur - a stunning turntable. It’s hard believe that this is an MM setup given the amount of detail retrieved and the smoothness. Comparing to other turntables - the TT3 has the punch of a Rega Planar 10 and the airy-ness of a Linn LP12, but a musicality that is very difficult to describe. It feels revealing and complimentary to any musical genre almost regardless of quality of recording.

Digital Done right - CD 3.1 CD Player

The CD3.1x/II is the first model of integrated CD player in the Audio Note range to feature the highly regarded Analogue Devices AD1865 digital to analogue converter chip, the same device that they use in there more costly stand alone DACs. This 18bit device has consistently outperformed every competing chip they have tested regardless of specification or price.​

The transport is an in house modified Philips CD mechanism, designed purely to read true Red Book CD, which Audio Note believe is still the best possible Digital music format currently available.

The analogue output stage features two ECC88 dual triode valves and custom designed and manufactured Audio Note (UK) copper foil capacitors. Tantalum resistors are also used in critical areas, offering a quite remarkable level of performance.

Audio Note Meishu Phono Tonmeister Silver

We reviewed the level 2 Meishu Tonmeister back in 2021 (you can read it here). It’s hard to explain, but the Tonmeister leaves you with an emotion - no matter what you’re listening to. Music is reproduced to a different level of expression. This is the single malt equivalent of Hi-Fi. At Level 3, the amplifier is Class A single-ended directly heated no feedback triode, The Silver upgrades over the standard version specification with AN HiB C-core output and interstage transformers, AN silver (AN-V) and copper internal wiring, a combination of AN Standard and AN KAISEI Electrolytic Capacitors, 1W AN Ni-Chrome and 2W AN Tantalum Resistors in selected places. The most notable improvements over the standard Tonmeister is the depth of sound stage, timbre and transients - faster and tighter.

Speakers - AN-E SPE

Again, level 3 Speakers are the AN-E SPE Hemp in a Birch burl piano gloss finish. These speakers have a 1” tweeter & 8” high efficiency Hemp bass driver with Silver voice coils, 97.5 dB efficient, AN-SPe internal Silver cable, internal crossover, copper inductors.

The Session

Beginning with an introduction from Daniel Qvortrup, Director and son of founding Director Peter Qvortrup, Daniel explained the setup and the system. I was intrigued by the speaker placement, very different from many setups. The Audio Note AN-E benefit from being close to the corners of a room and near the walls. I expected the soundstage to be recessed and boomy, but not at all. The soundstage was quite forward and truly three-dimensional. I have never experienced a system capable of this and what is even stranger - move around the room a little and the soundstage stays locked between the speakers. This off-axis response is astonishing.

Vincent Bélanger then took over the reins, with an intriguing repertoire that had us captivated. It is a very special experience to be that close to a cello and see and feel the performance. Truly magical was a moment when Vincent played with an ensemble, the other instruments played by the Audio Note system. Listening to the difference between the real life instrument of the cello and the Audio Note system, which seemed to blend so perfectly, was a beguiling experience.

Consonance, the second album by Vincent Bélanger has his arrangement of Ravel’s Bolero, the centerpiece of the album and an “act of revenge for cellists and double bassists” as the original work neither has cello of double bass playing the melody. The album is a celebration of the expressive richness of the cello and is well worth seeking out.

All in all this event was an intriguing and highly enjoyable experience. Thank you Vincent, thank you Audio Note & a big thank you to all who attended and we look forward to welcoming you again - stay tuned for the next Audio T Events by subscribing to our newsletter.

Justin, Max & James - Audio T Bristol

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…

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

Linn Selekt DSM - The Swiss Army knife of HiFi

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Stream everything. Connect anything. Linn's network music players are flexible and future-proof. From high-res albums to movie soundtracks: it's all at your fingertips. Welcome to high-performance music streaming.

Linn

Founded by Ivor Tiefenbrun in 1973, Linn was born from one man’s belief that he could vastly improve the sound quality of his music system, using precision-engineering and determined experimentation. The central philosophy to this is the source first approach.

Picture this charismatic Scot turning up at HiFi dealers, LP12 for dem showing up the more established brands of the time - pulling more information off a vinyl record than was thought possible. Information lost at the source is lost forever. No matter how good the amplifiers or loudspeakers that follow, you can't get back what has already been lost, so it’s essential you put the best source possible at the front of your system.

The Linn DSM first appeared in 2011, 2 years before this they had declared that the CD was dead and controversially no longer made a CD player. Streaming services were in their infancy and the average broadband speed in the UK was 14Mbps - there was no Spotify! The current incarnation of Selekt was launched in 2018 as - The world’s most configurable digital music player, to critical acclaim.

The Linn Selekt DSM is probably the most versatile high end HiFi component with a single unit that can turn its hand to pretty much any setup you care to imagine, exemplifying the single vision for Linn over their 50 year history that - source is king.

The Swiss army knife of Hifi with precision & finish of Swiss watchmakers

The standard Selekt, as of late 2022, comes in 2 case options - the Classik and Edition hub. The Edition Hub is a superior-quality enclosure, featuring an all-machined construction for improved rigidity, interior isolation, and elevated aesthetic appeal – with sleek sight lines, concealed joins and a lovely wave form CNC’d into the vents. Also of note, it comes with left and right sub outs and a headphone jack on the side of the unit - this is not on the Selekt Classic.

the modular nature of the linn selekt: From left to right: dac module, line out or amplifier cartridge, chassis

Both versions have; internet connection via Wifi or wired, digital inputs via Bluetooth, HDMI ARC, USB, TOSLINK x2, COAX x2 (note that this can be configured as a digital line output), or Linn’s own Exact link. Moving to the analogue duties, we have 1 pair of RCA in, an MM and MC phonostage, That blank plate next to the analogue stages can be configured to hold a five input HDMI input when the surround module is configured.

Next we choose the DAC performance level; Standard, Katylst or Organik. The entry level DAC is still capable of 24/192, The Katalyst uses it own stabilised power supplies and voltage reference point. This mean that any "crosstalk" from other audio channels and circuitry are isolated and give a cleaner/purer music.

With Organik we enter a world where Linn has designed their own in house DAC. Most manufacturers take off-the-shelf chips, compliance check, programme and tweak to get the best out of them. The extreme would be to bake your own circuits in silicon, if you have some sand and a billion or so lying around. Linn have chosen the middle still expensive route of FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array) - deep programmable logic far more efficient in terms of processing time as well as offering very tight timing when compared with optimsed code running on 3rd party chips. Organik uses an 8-layer circuit board, facilitating optimal delivery of power and clocks to the DAC. Power for the conversion stage is generated by a discrete regulator, and delivered using multiple internal power planes.

Lastly, amplification. This is where things get mightily modular. I worked out there are 8 configurations across 2 case options with 2 case colours with 3 levels of DAC.. The 3 cartridge slots can be configured as a single line out or as complex as a HDMI card, surround module 5.2 50W Class D amplification per pair of speakers.

Setup

Linn’s documentation is extremely good, with community help over at LinnDocs, a thorough read is a must. As a line level source, it slots into any system and is configurable through Linn’s Manage systems/Kloud Konfig, which will allow you to set up from a webpage.

Another great setup tool is Linn’s Space Optimisation, which uses acoustic modelling to build up a complete picture of how your speakers, their placement, and the unique characteristics of your room interact to affect the sound you hear. It’s a free software upgrade to all existing owners.

In Summary - The King of Source

We have many hours of listening to the Linn Selekt with standard DAC, Katalyst, Organik stereo and Organik Dual mono DACs - each level a leap in performance.

The Organik occupies the stratospheric rarefied air of top performing streamers. The strength is clarity and engaging with emotional depth of performance that is so difficult in the digital realm.

What Linn has achieved is remarkable, uniquely sticking to a philosophy for 50 years that source is king and providing the HiFi world with a product that is modular, future proof and upgradable as Trigger’s broom, like the first LP12.

Conceivably you could take an entry level £4,900 Selekt Classic edition with line out and standard DAC and upgrade all the way to a performance close to the £35,500 Klimax, by way of the Edition mono line out Organik DAC variant.

Book an audition and sample a wee dram of Scotch, In the words of Linn’s Ivor “…Play it for the people and let them hear for themselves what it does, and let them decide if it's worth it to them. Let them decide whether we deliver the performance." - - John Atkinson interview with Ivor Tiefenbrun

Thanks for reading.

Justin, Max & James - Audio T Bristol

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…

Linn can be found at the following Audio T stores

An in-depth look at the New Naim Classic 200 Series

/ Audio T Bristol/

Naim, vanguards of Hi-Fi - the High Priests of High Fidelity, the P.R.A.Ts (Pace, Rhythm And Timing) with a prowess for clarity and the one of the final words in audio engineering excellence. How does the New Classic 200 Series shape up?

This year is a big year for the Salisbury outfit - celebrating 50 years of audio reproduction mastery and the 30 year anniversary for Naim Records. Those early adolescent years, under the charismatic Julian Vereker, were confident, unorthodox, quirky, with tongue-in-cheek advertising and a freshness of vision that captivated the Hi-Fi world. As Naim grew up, so did their reputation - making their mark on the world with the 2011 Statement Edition.

Gone is the Green - 200 SERIES: Welcome to a new era in sound

The new 200 Series line includes the NSC 222 preamplifier and streamer, the NAP 250 power amplifier, as well as the uncompromising NPX 300 power supply.

With obvious design cues from the Uniti range, this is the future of the Naim Classic series. The front panels are treated with solid 20mm-thick aluminium billets; heat sinks frame the side panels (careful these are a little sharp) and 5mm plates cover the top and bottom surfaces of the products. The aluminium is brushed, sandblasted and anodised to guarantee unalterable beauty throughout the product's life. Gone is the classic tuned ringing of casework, replaced by a solid inert thud.

The NSC 222

Naim have not had an integrated preamplifier and streamer in the line up for a number of years. The last one launched was in 2015 the NAC N 272 and this is a completely new ground up design.

The versatility of the NSC 222 cannot be underestimated. It fills a very important gap in Naim's range between All-In-One, to full separates system. It is as close as you can get to a full separates sound without the box count. The 222 has 2 USB Type A socket, 4 digital inputs comprising of 2 Optical TOSLINK (up to 24bit/96kHz), a coaxial RCA (up to 24bit/192kHz, DoP 64Fs) and a coaxial BNC (up to 24bit 192kHz, DoP 64Fs). On the analogue side there is a handy moving magnet phono stage and 8-pin DIN (compatible with 5-pin DIN cables) and a pair of RCA stereo Line level inputs (RCA/DIN): Impedance 47k, 2.2V typical, 7.5Vrms Max 8 pin DIN has +/-18V for compatible external phono stages such as Solstice NVC TT.

On the streaming side, all the usual suspects are handled - play all your favourite radio stations non-stop, as well as any music you choose from Spotify Connect, Apple Music, TIDAL, TIDAL Connect, Qobuz, AirPlay 2, Chromecast, UPnP™ servers, USB key, Roon Ready, and more. handling bit rates of up to 32bit/284kHz.

The headphone socket is not an add on. Full Naim technology for headphone listening is inherited from the Uniti Atom Headphone Edition.

The NPX 300

This optional separate power supply incorporates a new transformer, which works with six exclusive Naim power regulators (using DR technology - Discrete Regulator), providing a cleaner power to your system. Less “noise” means a better sound. It works perfectly with the 200 Series products, and is also compatible with the NDX2 or even the NAC-N 272 – you just need the specific cables.

The NAP 250

First appeared nearly 50 years ago and recent incarnations have featured trickle down from the Naim Statement. Today, it delivers more power than ever and offers more flexibility within a complete system. The cutting-edge engineering work involved in the NAP 250 results in unrivalled performance. It delivers 100 watts of A/B class power per channel, fully adjustable to set your music free in the most remarkable way.

The addition of symmetrical XLR connections (yes, you read that right) and a series of technologies derived from Naim's iconic Statement amplifier, including a eddy current separator available between the loudspeaker outputs. It also incorporates the Naim Audio DR (Discrete Regulator) technology found in the Statement.

A note on connectivity, after years of making a din about din - Naim seems to be being a little hushed now, which makes for a lot less of a headache when connecting up different bits of kit. The NSC 222 still has an 8-pin DIN (compatible with 5-pin DIN cables) - useful for older sources compatibility.

Setup and listening

Sources used:

Linn LP12; Majik Edition with Adikt Cart
Linn Selekt DSM - Standard DAC
Innuos Zen Mini
Audio Note TT Three - with IQ III cart

‌Speakers

Harbeth SHL5
Bowers & Wilkins 702 S3
Bowers & Wilkins 804 D4
ATC SCM 19
Sonus Faber Olympica Nova III‌
ATC Active 50ASLT

This has been a full on at least 8 hours a day for the last 4 weeks of constant playback on the shop floor. And yes we are floored. This is Naim. Do I need to elaborate (maybe for the word count) .

Straight out the box the system needed about a week to settle down - mid range seemed a little strained and grip and drive a little hard. Since then just on keeps getting better. Mid range is now beautiful, texture of treble and bass are absolutely superb. The power and grunt is there and will happily drive the Bowers & Wilkins 804.

Firing up GoGo Penguin’s “A Humdrum Star” album - the separation pace and precision is excellent. The Manchester based trio - aka “the Radiohead of British Jazz” , the most notable is the separation between the instruments - double bass and kick drum remain clearly distinguishable even when the going gets very busy. The match with the Bowers & Wilkins 702 S3 really gave a sense of attack and urgency without sounding forced and confused - plenty of vigour and life.

Moving to Classical and Murray Perahia, “Bach: Goldberg Variations”, BMV 988, released in 2000 on Sony Classical - the delicacy and virtuoso performance of Perahia is excellently handled. Certainly with the Harbeth’s that natural tone and fleshy emotions all bear fruit in an exquisite synergy. Perahia precision, linearity are all etched with an emotional clarity that is sublime.

I will make a note that the NSC 222 with the ATC SCM50 Active Towers is an extremely accomplished system and if you want to limit the box count, but still have huge grunt and input flexibility, then the 222 is the way to go. A dedicated preamp of around £2,000* is still not as good as the NSC 222, and yet it has the sources…

Turning to phono stage performance - The on-board phono stage is a delight, not just a convenience and sounded excellent with the Linn Majik. The more exotic Audio Note TT Three - with IQ III cart improved performance vastly and showed just how good the onboard phono stage is.

Compared to Older Naim

Looking at the pricing points the new Naim 200 series system with the power supply comes in at just over £17K. The legacy equivalent would be the Naim ND5 XS 2 - £2,500*, Naim 282 - £4,800, Naim Hi Cap - £1,699, Naim 250DR £4,499 - that system comes in at £13k.

But, then we have just switch the system over to the Naim NDX2 £6,000* Naim 252 £7,700, Naim SuperCap £5,300 , Naim NAP 300 with PSU 300 - £8,600 - that’s a £28,000 Naim system and we can attest that there is not a lot in it. I would argue that the new Naim 200 classic is closer to a 300 system than an old 250!

Naim have seriously excelled with the new 200 series. Certainly, putting the Naim NDX2 into the NSC222, reducing it’s duties to just pre amp, provided insightful - a firming of transients and clarity that, from the outset you would not know you were missing - such is the balance of the 222.

In Summary

If you have a NAC N-272 the upgrade to the NSC 222 is without question a huge step up in performance. Reducing your box count from ND5/282 to the 222 is another worthy upgrade. The tantalising nomenclature of the NPX 300 points to further products in the pipeline.

The green may have gone from Naim, but their competitors will be green with envy at such an accomplished system. Call us or book a dem to experience the all new Naim 200 series

Thanks for reading.

Justin, Max & James - Audio T Bristol

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…

*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

音 OTO, The Japanese for “Sound” - Introducing Audio Note's Modern Day Classic - The OTO Phono SE Signature Amplifier.

/ Audio T Bristol /

The common misconception with valve amplifiers is that they measure badly in signal to noise ratio, distort, lack drive, resulting in poor bass extension and poor treble detail. This could be applied to any amp regardless of technology used, but it isn't. How does the Audio Note OTO sound? Why might it be right for you?

Justus von Liebig, the founding father of organic chemistry, somewhere in the mid 19th century turned his attention to food - how to make bread lighter, the chemistry of coffee making and, most notably, found a method of applying heat-autolysis to a sticky tar black residue created when brewing beer to create a yeast extract - add some salt and veggie flavouring and you get something vaguely edible - Marmite - a British cuisine icon.

Researching for this article throws up forums bursting at the seams with raging audiophile culture wars arguing for and against valves for all the reasons mentioned above. I'm going to be contentious here and summarise this as a Marmite argument. Because until you’ve tried it - How do you know if you Love it or Hate it?

UK Brighton based manufacturer, Audio Note are viewed by many as the mavericks of Hi-Fi. Free thinkers, eccentric,bold and quirky. But, this allows them to do things very differently. Unlike most manufacturers Audio Note have huge control over their components and materials - home folded capacitors, resistors, even the quality of steel/iron used in the windings of their own transformers. No detail is overlooked to produce products for Music's Finest conductor. Indeed, the detail results in no less than 8 variations of this integrated amplifier.

The Single Ended Triode (SET) is an exotic species amongst the Asian carp of modern solid state transistor amps. The OTO's first incarnation was over 25 years ago, The countless improvements and iterations have lead to a design that is well honed. The OTO is available in a variety of Push-Pull (Level 1) and Single Ended (SE Level 2) versions. The OTO PP models have been specifically engineered for sonic performance rather than technical specification, and fulfil all Audio Note (UK) Level 1 criteria:. The OTO SE models fulfil all Audio Note (UK) Level 2 criteria: - Pure Class A Push-Pull Pentode operation, topping out with the OTO Phone SE Signature featuring in house Audio Note Copper foil capacitors,, 1 Watt Ni-Chrome resistors used in the most critical areas, Audio Note (UK) KAISEI NP and KAISEI standard electrolytic capacitors. SHiB copper / copper c-core output transformers,

The model we have is the OTO Phono SE. This is single ended with a valve complement of 1 x ECC82, 2 x ECC83, 1 x 6DJ8 (phono stage), 1 x ECC83 (Phono stage) and 4 x EL84 producing 10W. Speaker selection is crucial when dealing with low output valves amplifiers, but this is something of a fallacy. Some talk is of minimum 100dB/2,83Vrms to really get the best out of valves. But, this seems to be aimed at badly designed valve amps, since the OTO is happy driving an 89 db speaker with no issues.

Setup

We setup the OTO within its own family of Audio Note components and with a few different source and speaker options:

Full Audio Note System
Audio Note CD 2.1x CD Player
Audio Note TT3 with IQIII Stylus Turntable
Audio Note An-K Speakers
Audio Note Lexus interconnects
Audio Note Lexus speaker cables

Components tested with the OTO:
Chord Odyssey speaker cable
Rega Saturn Mk3 CD player
Rega Planar 8 Ania Turntable
Harbeth C7ES-3 XD speakers
Harbeth M30.2 XD speakers
B&W 704 S3

Listening

The OTO plays well with other components particularly with the Saturn and Planar 8 options from Rega. It also seems really well suited to Harbeth speakers. There is no denying though, the Audio Note AN-K speakers with the TT3 turntable and CD 2.1 CD Player complement the OTO a little better, though the difference is not night and day.

Hi-Fi is ultimately about tuned electrical circuits refined to create the best possible music reproduction. Anyone who likes music can immediately appreciate the value of High-quality sound reproduction;

"It doesn't take a "golden ear" to know what sounds good", Robert Hartley, high Performance Audio Systems.

The Audio Note high-fidelity music system focuses on all the great music recordings produced through the ages, and their philosophy is that a great system should be able to play music across a spectrum of recording quality from poor to exceptional, and in an engaging and convincing musical fashion that rewards the listener regardless of what they want to listen to at any given moment. So, with this philosophy in mind we fired up the OTO and cranked through some albums.

Talk, Talk, The Colour of Spring rich instrumental textures with Hollis's melancholy voice soaring over the rich layers makes this pop, synth album a challenge for any system. The OTO presents a rich tapestry that doesn't flatten the textures that seems to happen with 80s thin recordings. The White Stripes, Elephant, no surprise how great this sounds. White's fastidious recording technique using eight tracks and pre-1960s gear needs to be heard on a valve amp.

Moving to a classical selection - Karl Bohm and the Berliner Philharmoniker Mozart Symphonien Nos 35-41 are clear with great stereo imaging , positioning of instruments and a texture that feels just right. Jonathan Sheffer, EOS Orchestra, Gershwin Rhapsody in Blue presented lovely detail in the opening clarinet solo, with the huge dynamics being handled perfectly. Doors, L.A. Woman, again presents sharply defined, oozing all the drama of the musical intention. This is sometimes lost, messy and tangled in sum systems, but not with the OTO. BB King, The Collection 20 Master recordings is quite a hard live feel. It has a nice spacious soundstage. BB’s vocals are strong and clear and along with his guitar sit front and centre. All other instruments spread out nicely.

Conclusion

The OTO excels at superb presentation of instrumental timbre, a sweet mid range and a clear detailed transparent treble that is never edgy, brittle or overly forward. The immediate effect is beguiling, culminating in what any great Hi-Fi should make you feel - the urge to indulge our passion and play more music.

Let's remember it took the work of two marketing geniuses to come up with the Marmite Love it/Hate it campaigns and create a modern day culture war around yeast extract. The Audio Note OTO is the growing up HI-FI “you never grow out of”.

No one but you can decide if a tube amplifier is ideal for your system and, as we always suggest, an audition of the OTO should be on your list - You may love it!

Thanks for reading.

Max, James & Justin - Audio T Bristol

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…

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

Wants Versus Needs & the Audio Demo Room

/
image: Audio T Bristol, front of shop, 65 Park Street BS1 5PB

For all of its virtues and benefits, the internet certainly has its pitfalls and perils, especially when you’re looking for advice or guidance on a product that you think you might need…

“I'm Looking for a Streaming CD player that has a Dolby 5.1 Headphone Amp with built in Bluetooth Turntable, do you stock it?”

These broad and sometimes strange enquiries have inevitably made their way into our stores. Saturdays have become somewhat random I can tell you. I don’t know exactly when it happened, but I think it began around second lockdown and still continues today…

“Do you have speakers that are good at ‘70s prog rock? I want to be able to stream music from my computer in the attic to my living room from my bathroom. I've converted my shed into a Hi-Fi room and vinyl library and I want to hear my records playing in the kitchen.”

These sort of enquiries don’t really faze us. With over fifty years of industry experience, we’ve heard most things. However, I'm sure there are swathes of people searching the internet to arrive at some forum or online group where impossible Hi-Fi questions are answered with “Yes” instead of a “Why?”

Hi-Fi questions like the ones above are like Himalayan Balsam - they are an invasive species, choking out the real important questions and providing answers like “you can see the Eiffel tower from the London Eye”.

When is an Audition Room not a Showroom?

It goes without saying that no two showrooms are the same. Different retailers in the Hi-Fi industry adopt differing approaches when it comes to their listening spaces. Some audition rooms are more like acoustically treated anechoic chambers, (an-echoic meaning "non-reflective") which is a room designed to stop reflections of either sound or electromagnetic waves. A true anechoic chamber is a fairly unsettling experience. Just by talking in them can makes you drop your voice to a whisper and change your dialect to the received pronunciation of a late night radio talk show host with buttery plosives. In these environments, even fingernails down a blackboard would sound like a perfectly produced scene in a Nordic Noir crime drama. These rooms are great for analysing a system without any external acoustic or sonic interruption or bias… But that’s not how we use this equipment in the real world.

Image: Audio T Bristol, Main Audition Room

Listen With Curiosity - Audio T Bristol, Main Audition Room: 7m x 4.5m x 3m

Unlike most Hi-Fi retailers, every branch of Audio T has dedicated demonstration rooms that resemble and sound like a normal living space. The reasoning is obvious. How can you make a decision about a potential system when the listening environment is nothing like a real home? Our demo rooms are not only for hearing the system, you can do that on any shop floor, but actually listening to music in your own way in comfort and taking the time to learn the functions and features with no pressures. Then switching out components and listening to other options. Based on your feedback, we can then recommend equipment to tailor the sound to what you prefer and that heightens your enjoyment.

But, let's delve a little deeper. How can you get the most out of your time here with us and how you can prepare?

In the interest of putting the Streaming/CD/Record straight, here are 5 points that need to be addressed when choosing a system.

“High-end audio is about passion — passion for music, and how well it is reproduced. High-end audio is the quest to re-create in the listener’s home the musical message of the composer or performer with the maximum realism, emotion and intensity”
— Robert Hartley, High-Performance Audio Systems

1. Bit of Research

It is very rare indeed, that people just walk in and buy a full Hi-Fi system and walk out. Invariably, the Hi-Fi decision will be a process of reading reviews, talking with friends. This can be quite a daunting process for the uninitiated. The general rule is that source is king; amplification the heart; speakers the limbs. With all systems, at whatever price point, there will be a sweet spot of all three creating a synergy between the components. Check out our Audio T Music at Home Brochure for an overview of who we are and some of the Hi-Fi and Home Cinema Manufacturers we represent. There is also a new Music at Home quarterly magazine that can help with your research.

This being said, if you want to come to us as a blank canvas, feel free to do so.

2. Room Size and Measurements?

Image: Audio T Bristol, Audition Room 2 with home cinema setup

Audio T Bristol, Dem Room 2 with Home Cinema Setup: 4.2m x 4m x 3m

Think of where your listening point will be and measuring the room dimensions, features such as windows and distances from the listening position (sofa or chair) to the speakers. This is because most music is produced for the two channel experience. The sound waves from a left and a right channel and room reflections interact creating a "holographic" stereo image between the speakers.

Rule of thumb - Large speakers in a small room may be too overpowering, resulting in unsavoury bass bloom and resonances that muddies the sound. By contrast small speakers in a large room will result in a loss of detail, a boxy, thin sound and weak bass response.

3. Critical listening, great sound and/or convenience?

How you enjoy music is a very personal experience, unique to you. Tastes vary, collections; digital streaming, vinyl and CD differ. Where? For example, a dedicated music room, lounge or open plan living space determine what is best. The critical listener will invariably have a large collection and have very discerning Hi-Fi sound requirements. It is not unusual for us to ask the customer to bring in their system and then we audition many different Hi-Fi components to zero in on what changes give the best price/performance results. Then, try a home demonstration.

Naim Audio graphic showing the five key elements of a HiFi system

From space saving convenience to Marque separates, this diagram courtesy of Naim Audio illustrates clearly from source to loudspeakers how greater fidelity is achieved.

Creating a critical listening sound with great convenience is the job of the Just-add-speakers HiFi systems. The range topping Naim Uniti Nova or for a modular approach the Linn Selekt DSM. These single boxes are the vanguards of single box greatness.

Convenience need not mean bad sound.

The Ruark range of all-in-one offer great sound and are ideal where space is at a premium.

image: Ruark R3 all-in-one system

Ruark R3 music system; built in speakers, Class A-B amplifier, CD Player, Bluetooth, FM and DAB Radio

Great two channel sound need not break the bank. Check out our Hi-Fi Bundles to get an idea of what is possible for any budget. The Rotel Tribute edition CD player and amp is a great starter system , with the added bonus that the A11 has a Bluetooth input - for that convenience of streaming from a phone or tablet. Don’t see the right thing for you? Let us know and we’ll tailor a bundle to your requirements.

4. Functions, form & how Loud?

Aesthetics are an all important sensitive part, not least because it may not be just you who has to live with your Hi-Fi. The most visually imposing are the speakers, thankfully there are a lot of choices and a myriad of finishes to match most living spaces.

Some listen at low volumes, some like the windows to rattle, and especially with creating a system for enjoying movies to their fullest, the ground to move too. System matching is vital. Contrary to belief, low level listening that still achieves a great stereo image and engaging listen is trickier to achieve in large spaces than louder volumes.

Then, you could always go for the most non-intrusive Hi-Fi experience with a great headphone setup. Pictured above are the Quad ERA-1 Planar headphones with Chord Mojo 2 Mobile DAC/Headphone Amplifier plugged into an Apple iPad.

5. Book a demonstration with Audio T

Begin the journey to explore the possibilities to enjoy your music and film with an audition or just a chat about the options. We look forward to welcoming you!

Thanks for reading - Max, James, Justin - Audio T Bristol

"(PS. Streaming CD player, Dolby 5.1 Headphone Amp with built Bluetooth Turntable? Yes, Check out the Bluesound Home Theatre setup add a Rega Planar 1 plus.)

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…

The Harbeth Speaker Range - The Legends of Hi-Fi Folklore

/ Audio T Bristol/

Looking at the Harbeth range, some may well roll their eyes - scoffing at the folksy wooden box design as the product of pipe & slippers, tweed laden, nostalgic types. Presumably as they waft around in their full-placket polo shirts, low rise trousers and desert boots, sipping on oat milk lattes. But in that judgement, a real gem of Hi-Fi is discarded as the detritus of progress. The Harbeth’s artisanal crafted speaker hides the continued refinement over decades to tune what are truly refined classics.

The world moves at a pace - forever forward. The latest, newest CAD designed, user first experience, hyper-connected machined perfection. Alongside this is the ever growing counter-culture of vinyl sales, vintage revival, craft and the yearning for the past, its personalities, possibilities, and events, essentially the "good ol' days" - in a word… Nostalgia.

From the 17th to the 19th Centuries, this fondness of the past, longing for familiarity was considered a psychological disorder. Swiss physician Johannes Hofer coined the term in his 1688 medical dissertation, from the Greek nostos, or homecoming, and algos, or pain. So convinced of this, great medical research effort went into finding the pathological nostalgia bone and treatment.

A recent article in The Hi-Fi press titled "The ugly truth behind Hi-Fi's growing infatuation with nostalgia" took aim at the entire Hi-Fi industry "It’s as though the industry at large has decided that the best way to move forward is to look back". and that manufacturers should be creating new exciting sounding connected, Future-Fi products that wouldn't look out of place in Wallpaper magazine - creating products that become the new classics.

Myopic visions of nostalgia, miss the positive aspects of reflection. not merely looking back fondly or the past revival. To me, Nostalgia is an emotional experience always fleeting, always fragile and of having what you lost or never had, of hearing what you missed hearing. It’s the feeling that overcomes you when some minor vanished beauty of the world is momentarily restored by our senses; re-igniting cornerstone memories that make us who we are. Summoned by the music which moves us, it's powerful and restorative.

Harbeth was founded by H.D Harewood, who cut his teeth at the sharp end of the BBC's loudspeaker Research department in the 60s and 70s that resulted in the iconic LS3/54, LS3/6 and three-way LS5/5 designs. That research, amongst other studies, identified that speaker cone materials were paramount in defining the sonic properties. Today, the mid range drivers are injection-moulded and use the second generation of a special formulation of polypropylene ‘RADIAL’, which stands for ‘Research And Development In Advanced Loudspeakers’. The whole process of design, manufacturing, assembly & testing is carried out at Harbeth’s Lindfield production facility helmed , for the last 34 years, by Alan Shaw . Indeed Shaw is personally and solely responsible for product design and “voicing” all Harbeth loudspeakers with the true craftsman approach of art and science.

The Line Up

Only five models make up the entire Harbeth range - P3ESR XD, C7ES-3 XD, M30.2 XD, SHL5plus XD and the M40.3 XD. They are masterminded by a single designer and the model selection is based on the optimum Harbeth for your system, room size and power handling. The cabinets are handmade and feature the finest veneers. All are rated at 6 Ohm and are easy to drive with two 4mm binding posts. As I write this, we currently have the P3ESR XD, C7ES-3 XD & SHL5plus XD in store and available for audition.

Setup & How they sound

For this experience we partnered the speakers as follows; The baby Harbeth P3ESR XD were driven by the Rega Elex-R and Bluesound Node running Qobuz for a source and then with the Naim Uniti Nova.

Standing at 30cm high, this iteration of the BBC mini-monitor perform really well in our 3m x 4m audition room. Great agility, dynamics and whilst the lower frequency registers are not going to rattle the windows, the roll off, mid range performance and bass accuracy means they never feel lacking, there is a certain feel that they reach lower than the 75Hz specification. The closed cabinet design makes the P3ESR XD extremely flexible in terms of placement, excelling at mid range and upper mids. Great vocal presentation and a treble delicacy.

For the Harbeth C7ES-3 XD, again the Naim Uniti Nova and then with the new Rega Elicit Mk5 and Bluesound Node. This was the optimum speaker for our audition room and any medium sized room. The Naim/Harbeth is an extraordinary combination. Great timing, clarity and openness in spades. The Harbeth secret for accuracy and lifelike sound is the meticulous attention to detail during the design stage. Critically important, but hidden, is the crossover, which carefully integrates the drive units across a wider horizontal and vertical arc. Incremental changes to this fundamental component have allowed this legendary loudspeaker to present the most challenging instruments with increased presence and transparency.

Finally, the Harbeth SHL5plus XD using the ATC CA2 preamp and ATC P2 power amp with the Linn Selekt DSM streamer. The 200mm Harbeth RADIAL2™ bass/mid and 25mm ferrofluid-cooled tweeter of the CE7 are now accompanied by a 20mm dome SuperTweeter to make this a 3-way vented design. This SuperTweeter never seems to make an obvious appearance, but gives more treble detail and texture. This worked best in our larger demo room - 7.5 x 5m x 3m high ceilings - commanding the space with an astounding wide and deep sound stage.

Conclusion

Classics are classics for good reason. Harbeth have withstood the march of time and if a design works, it is better to innovate and iterate to achieve greater perfection.

Overall, across the range the Harbeth speakers are an exhilarating listen. Their natural tone, clarity transparency, depth and imaging are captivating across all music genres. Book an audition to experience this for yourselves.

But why take out word for it? Come and have a listen for yourselves.

Thanks for reading - Max, James, Justin - Audio T Bristol

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…

Harbeth can be found at the following Audio T stores