Vinyl Roadshow returns to Manchester........

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On Saturday 12th October Audio T Manchester will be holding a record store day. Diverse Vinyl will be setting up a record shop right here on our shop floor, giving you the chance to browse through a selection of some of the best 180 gram pressings available and re-issues of classic vinyl as well as a cross section of the rest of their stock. There will also be records available on Diverse Vinyl's own label, Diverse Records.


Rega Research will be here to help and advise you on turntables and to show off the amazing RP8 turntable with the incredible Osiris amplifier. Rega will also be bringing along a pair of RS10 speakers. The Chord Company will supply all the cable needed to connect everything together and will also advise on correct set up using their cables and demonstrate the difference between interconnects.  

 We can also carry out a free health check on your  turntable and offer 10% discount on parts *

*depending on demand, you may have to leave your turntable with us for a few days.

 


See contact list below.

Audio-T Manchester

Diverse Vinyl

Diverse Records

Rega Research

The Chord Company

Alternatively you can contact Dave,Munir, Mike or Kev at the store on 0161 8398869

The REGA RP 40 has landed...

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We in Swindon have just taken delivery of three VERY Limited Edition REGA RP 40 which marks and help celebrates the 40th Anniversary of Rega.

With numbers limited to 200 ( 80 of which have already been sold! ) for the Uk market you can guarantee that they won't be around for long.

See a copy of the brochure below:

There's a very good chance that the three Rega RP 40's that we have here will remain boxed in order to guarantee new boxed stock to the first three customers.

So if you're in the market for a piece of future Hi-Fi history, Don't delay! They won't be around forever!!

Give us a call on Tel: 01793 538222 or

E-mail us on swindon@audio-t.co.uk 

 

 

Cardiff Store Event with Anthem and Spendor

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Join us on the 17th of October when we will be showcasing the new Anthem MRX710 Home Cinema Receiver along with Spendor Loudspeakers.

Not a lot we can tell you about the new receivers at the moment as it is all under wraps until the launch date. However they will have 4K Upscaling and Pass Through, Faster HDMI Switching, iOS and Android Compatibility and a higher level of Digital Signal Processing for an even greater precision in ARC correction. All will be revealed on the day!

As for Spendor we will be demonstrating the fantastic D7's

 

What Hi-Fi said that these were the finest Spendor loudspeakers they had heard in years and when it came to insight and precision these floorstanders set the standard at this price. Fine praise indeed.

We will be partnering these with the new Naim Supernait 2 and the CD5XS along with the ND5XS streamer allowing us to demonstrate not only CD by high quality 24bit recordings.

We will also be using Spendor speakers in our cinema room along with the Anthem receiver. This will provide excellent sound with both music and movies, bringing two channel stereo and surround sound even closer together.

So bring along your favourite CD and movies for an interesting and informative day. We shall be open until 8PM on the day. 

New 40th Anniversary RP40 From Rega (Special Limited Edition)

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We've just taken delivery of Rega's latest turntable. To Celebrate their 40th year Rega have released the very limited edition RP40 (See flyer below for details. Many unique features).

When they say limited they mean it. 2500 worldwide with only 200 for the UK of which 80 have been shipped so just 120 left and Rega say 'when they are gone, they are gone' so don't delay.

We have just received our 2 which will remain boxed. £798.00

 

Sony VPLHW50ES Projector Brings Home Cinema To Life

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Having had the Sony VPLHW50ES projector set up and working for a couple of weeks and tried some of our trusted 2 and 3d movies, we have to say how impressed we've been with its performance.

The inital picture we got straight from the box was fantastic and what a help it was having the vertical and horizontal lense shift available on top of the unit making the final positioning a breeze, less faff more time to watch your favourite movie before getting into those little fine adjustments.

The menu screens for making those adjustments to tailor the projector for the image which best suits you are very comprehensive  and easy to follow so getting what you want could not be easier.

It has a great colour balance, excellent black levels and beautiful fine picture detail, not only that you can get all of this in a room with some low lighting on, very handy for those who are easily scared in the dark.

2d movies we tried we thought looked amazing, but going on to 3d, well this is one of the best 3d viewing experiences we've had to date, you can even make adjustments to the depth of the 3d,wow.

There are so many areas of this projector we could go on about, but 1 more thing we feel is a major benefit is the whisper quiet fan so even in the most tense, quiet moments of a movie you'll not be distracted from the action by a fan.

All this for £2799.95 and now on a special offer price of £2399. We believe this projector should be on any movie fans must have list, do yourself a favour put a couple of discs in your bag and pop in and see for yourself. Read the Sony VPLHW50ES What Hi-Fi? review here

REL's T7 Storms The Competition!

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Subs, where to start... Some use downward firing drivers & others use forward firing drivers, why? 

The really great thing about downward firing subs are their "coupled-to-room" sound, the ability to work with your room to create a smooth seamless presentation is fantastic. This is achieved by controlling the distance from the first boundary to the drive unit using certain height feet. In a downward firing subs case the first boundary it encounters is the floor, this makes tuning a sub easier. This also means that it can create a more constant & controlled response, Great! However it's not all good news, for those of us after all out trouser flapping & chest pounding bass, we'll need to look elsewhere. 

  

That's where forward firing subs come in. Some people will argue that subs are omnidirectional... I disagree when it comes to a design that is forward firing. Why is it any different to a traditional pair of speakers? It's simply in most cases using a larger single driver and operating at a lower frequency range (the frequency part is what i think many people mean when it's omnidirectional, because you can still hear these larger soundwaves its okay to hide a sub away) Although you can hide a sub behind sofas etc. it's certainly not the best place to position it in my opinion. With a forward firing sub you get so much more slam & attack, which is why I believe it's important to let your sub breathe  into the room, firing across the longest length of a room eg. from corner to corner, to give it more control without booming or humming.

 There are pros and cons to both designs, so why can't you have both?... Well you can. It's REL's T-7!

 To be honest when I first laid eyes on the T-7 I didn't think it was going to work that well. I had preconceptions that the 8" active downward firing driver would clash with the 10" passive forward firing driver creating a mushy unfocused presentation... I was wrong, very wrong.

The REL T-7 is now amongst some of my most favoured subwoofers. The first reason for this is REL's use of both downward & forward firing drivers.

 Secondly is the use of hi-fi quality power supplies, toroidal to be exact, partnered with high current Class A/B amps. These are the same types of transformers & amplifier designs being used in some of the best stereo amplifiers being made today. The use of these helps marry the sub to your speakers (if using the same power supply & amp designs in your amplifier).

 Thirdly is REL's use of input filters, this is what I think has got me really hooked on REL subwoofers. Borrowed from its more expensive sibling (Serie R) the new input filters are considerably quicker than previous REL designs & many other speaker manufacturers sub designs. The signal that comes into the back panel inputs of the subwoofer then out to the drivers is lightening fast! Giving REL subwoofers the ability to start and stop fast enough for you to hear even the biggest of sub bass frequencies in movies or music with a layered, controlled & textured response. Something I can't say for all subwoofer designs.

Fourthly is REL's high level connection (for music) as well as the standard LFE RCA input (for movies). The high level connection allows for seamless integration to your speakers, not just because you are presented with volume & crossover controls separate to the LFE RCA input, but because you connect the sub to your amp via the speaker terminals (using a cable made up of x1 yellow cable-left positive, x1 red cable-right positive, and x1 black cable left & right negative) taking the lovely character of your amp to your sub as well as the speakers.

The REL T-7 ticks all the boxes. It's compact, it's fast and agile, it sounds much bigger than it looks, & it can improve music and movies like no other. In my opinion REL could charge more for performance like this, so grab one before they change their minds!

If you're in the market for a new sub I strongly urge you to audition this first.

Book a demo today, or listen to REL's T-7 at our up coming [Event] 

Audio-T Enfield

Tel: 0208 367 3132

Email: enfield@audio-t.co.uk

Thanks
Simon

Focal Aria 906 and 926.... Coming Soon To Audio T Southampton!

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As if the excitement of our forthcoming movie isn't enough we have more thrilling news!

We are very much looking forward to the arrival of the new Focal Aria 906 and 926 speakers.

We had the pleasure of listening to these superb speakers recently and immediately knew that we had to have them! The Focal Electra range have been long term favourites of ours, so much so that both of us use them at home, and it's great to see similar elegance and build quality at more affordable price points with these new Aria models.  The hi-tech drive units incorporating flax are a revelation too. The sound is fast, very transparent and totally involving. 

Follow the link below for a positive appraisal of the Aria 926.  We totally concur with Andrew Everard's description of these 'gloriously enjoyable speakers'.  

We'll let you know as soon as the new Focals arrive here so you can bring in your favourite tunes and judge for yourselves. See you soon. Read the latest review of the Focal Aria from Andrew Everard here

Audio T Southampton.... The Movie!

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Yes folks, coming to a display device near you very soon is this years must see film! 

Audio T Southampton The Movie!

Director Phil now has all the film in the can and is busy in the editing suite creating a cinematic epic!

Tune in again soon for the premiere of this milestone movie.  You won't want to miss it, so don't blink!

Although our movie will be a true epic, you may be glad to know that it will be slightly shorter than Ben Hur or Gladiator.....

 

 

Explicit Elicit R Integrated Amplifier And Another Winner From Rega

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Rega have done it again, not content with a new cd player, amp, dac, record players and phonostage over the past couple of years, they have re-visited the Elicit amplifier to see what could be done.

The Elicit R is the result, a heavier beast at 13kg and a fresh new stlye more in keeping with the higher priced Osiris amplifier. It has plenty of inputs including a great internal phonostage on input 1, for those of you that either aren't vinyl users or already have an external phono stage, this input can be made into a line level input by use of a button to the side of the input on the rear of the amp.

It also has a full in/out recording circuit and a direct input which bypasses the pre-amp and volume stage and goes directly to the power amp stage for use in home cinema systems and finally a pre amp output, so any of you out there with the Cursa/Maia combo or perhaps other power amps this could be an opportunity to upgrade your pre amp section.

Like the Brio R it has a new power amp circuit with improved power supplies giving it an increased power output to 100 watts a channel into 8 ohms and we've not yet managed to find a speaker that it doesn't do justice to. It has a new remote with a nice clear lay out for ease of use which can be used to control all the new R size components.

When it comes to performance it more than holds its own against ampilifiers of a similar price and some costing a lot more with its well balanced Rega sound so now we are left waiting, hopefully for not much longer, for its CD stablemate the Saturn R and we're sure that this combo with a pair of Rega RS7 speakers will be a force to be reckoned with.

Treat yourself, bring in a couple of CD's or records and have a listen.

Read the What Hi-Fi? review here.

Ann Widdecombe And The Musical Fidelity V-90 DAC...

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Hopefully the title grabbed your attention and you think: "what on earth is he on about".... well let me explain...

We recently took delivery of the new Musical Fidelity V-90DAC,

As with any new toys that arrive we can't wait to get them out and give them a test. I thought that as the V-90 would be mainly used with moderate systems that I would test it using the Sonos Connect with an Arcam A19 amp and KEF LS50 speakers. 

I decided to use the Sonos as a source as this is the kind of thing that can really benefit from a helping hand in the digital to analogue conversion department, as well as the benefits of being able to plug other things into it like your TV, SKY box, Blu-ray player, PC or any other streamer like a Squeezebox. 

It's surprising how many people already have a DAC with a component nearby with a digital or USB output that is not plugged into the DAC! The TV I would say is the most common, it can make massive improvements to the sound of the TV by putting it through the hi-fi (as long as the layout lends itself to it of course - mine does!).

Hang on - I'm getting to Ann.........

So - got it all fired up...

Playing the Sonos through the system on it's own at first gave surprisingly good results from spotify and from our higher rate ripped music, I then swapped over to using the DAC (connected with QED standard optical cable)....and what a difference!!!!

Here is where Ms Widdecombe comes in.....

It's often very difficult to express in words how something sounds or how you felt when listening to music, what can I compare it to??...  then I suddenly thought ..... what starts this weekend??????

the Nation's favourite sequined celebrity humilation festival that is STRICTLY!!

ahhhhh - the penny drops ....

It is quite simply the same as listening to the judges comments after watching Louis Smith (and for those of you that say you have not seen the programme and don't know who he is - nobody believes you!) compared to good old Ann. They will say that Louis has wonderful timing with a flow that is smooth and elegant and they would love to see it again, whereas Ann managed to get through the performance but you wouldn't really want to watch it again - feet not in time with music and so on - you get the idea........ the Sonos on it's own sounds ponderous and a bit flat compared to the DAC which suddenly brings a whole different feel to the music.

The interesting thing is that you realise the information is actually there but the internals of the Sonos are just not up to the level of a decent external DAC, then of course you realise that the other components you have with digital outputs will also get the same improvement...... a bargain really!..

And that is how you connect a Privy Councillor to hi-fi!!

If you would like to read more about the bits and jitters etc. here's a link to the MF webpage: http://www.musicalfidelity.com/v90-dac/

Or why not call in for a listen yourself....

more bizzare connections coming soon.......

Cyrus Signature Series Has Arrived!

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We're big fans of the Cyrus range and as a result we've become a Signature Premium dealer which gives us 

access to all the products in the range.

However the biggest plus is the new Signature range which is the pinnacle of the design and engineering which has evolved from the acclaimed Anniversary system.

We have the DAC XP Digital Pre Amp which has six digital inputs and two analogue inputs for all you vinyl lovers out there and balanced outputs for the best connection to the Mono X 300's. There are also rca outputs if you want to use the pre amp with other Cyrus power amps.

With a great pre amp you can't get better than the Mono X 300's or Mono X 200's mono power amplifiers, which feature Zero Feedback technology, which gives very low distortion and lets the music sing. The detail retireval is astounding. If you haven't heard them it's worth booking a demo to have a listen. We have heard new detail from well known and well worn CD's!

Shortly to join the range is a CD Transport which will compliment the above items but there is also a brand new product which Cyrus is keeping under wraps - watch this space!

If you already have a Cyrus system or are wanting to upgrade to the Signature series, Cyrus offers an upgrade path which maintains the new technology available today and an easy upgrade path to the Signature series.

To listen to the Signature series please call or email Andy or Phil.

Tel 01793 538222

Email: swindon@audio-t.co.uk

Music Maniac Headphones

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It is rare for us to stray from the usual (but generally excellent) suspects of Sennheiser, Grado and B&W headphones but when we heard the new Denon AH-D130 closed back headphones we were so impressed we new we had to stock them.

Priced at just £179 these are astonishingly good value. The sound is truly engaging with a wonderous punchy bass. They bring a smile to your face!

For use both at home and with portable players (control of iPod/ iPad plus a microphone for i/Phone).

These may also be the most comfortable headphones you will ever wear.

Denon studied over 4000 pairs of ears (seriously)! before coming up with their pentagonal shaped ear pads and memory foam cushions.

Pop in and have a listen for yourself. They might make you smile as well.

PMC, Chord Electronics, and Chord Co. Cables Come Together

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Come and join us on the 26th of September for a feast of music delivered by some of the best equipment the UK has to offer.

We will be marrying together PMC loudspeakers, Chord Electronics, and Chord Co. cables for your delight and delectation.

PMC will have the Twenty series and the new (and rather wonderful) Fact 12

Chord Electronics will have the awesome SPM 1400 monoblocks, DSX1000 streamer and CPA5000 pre-amp. Along with examples of their Chordette range and more.

The Chord Co. will be linking all of this together with their usual flair and great cables including some of the new Tuned ARAY cables.

Come and join us for some music, some fun, and some great equipment, we will be offering a discount on purchases from the three manufacturers on the day. We start at 12.00 mid-day and go on to 7.30PM.

Give us a call 01277 264730

Paul and Danny

 

The Chord Company Signature Tuned ARAY Arrives!

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Step into the world of The Chord Company's Tuned ARAY cables.

 I have been a fan of The Chord Co. for a long time. However, before hearing The Chord Company's new Tuned ARAY cables I didn't know what I was missing!  

Whether it is an RCA pair, 5Pin DIN, digital coax, or USB cable they all contribute to a more realistic musical presentation. Perhaps, that should be they contribute less, letting the music really shine through, unrestricted and less coloured.


Tuned ARAY in an analogue RCA configuration starts at the Signature range and goes up to the Sarum range. Signature Tuned ARAY uses silver-plated high purity copper conductors for both the signal and return paths. All conductors are insulated with PTFE and feature a dual layer, high-frequency, silver-plated braided shield, which minimises signal loss through interference. The Signature Tuned ARAY RCA cable also features Chord's ultra low mass acrylic plugs.

Everything I've talked about so far has featured in Chord's high performance cables for some time now, however these features alone are not what makes Tuned ARAY so good...

The magic lies in the Tuned ARAY conductor configuration. Chord quotes “a revolutionary way of building audio interconnects. Tuned ARAY conductor technology produces outstanding levels of detail along with an extraordinary level of musical coherence.” I don't disagree, the change it has made to my system is amazing.

The most noticeable improvement is that the noise floor seems to have dropped, creating an inky black silence between every single instrument in the recording. This in turn has created one of the most realistically believable soundstages I have ever heard. Vocalists stand up to the microphone and start to sing, bass drums cut through me, strings on guitars have so much more texture.

The application of Tuned ARAY cables within a system sounds like nothing I've heard before. The only thing I can compare this type of performance jump to be like are mains conditioners or feeding your system with a battery. I can't think of many black boxes that give these types of improvements for the same price as Chord Signature Tuned ARAY cable, which is why Tuned ARAY has become one of the most important upgrades I have made to my system.

The difference that is Tuned ARAY, is the ability to listen to a piece of music vs. listening to your system trying to play a CD, WAV/FLAC File, or Vinyl. It's real, the musicians are playing in front of you!

My only request is that you forget what you think cables can do, and listen to a Chord Tuned ARAY cable for yourself.

 

Thanks for reading

Simon

 

Book a demo today, or listen to what Chord Tuned ARAY can do at our up coming [Event].

Audio T Enfield

Email: enfield@audio-t.co.uk

Tel: 0208 367 3132 

New Marantz Micro Hi-Fi System

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The M-CR610 is the latest all in one system from Marantz. Modern looks and a great sound make this Micro system a formidable opponent for any other compact Hi-Fi system.

Like its predecessor it offers CD playback DAB/FM radio, internet radio and networking. You can also plug an ipod into the USB socket on the front. In addition, this new model offers wireless internet connectivity and Spotify.

Marantz have an ipod/ipad app that allows you to control the unit. The app is obviously made for the ipod and works reasonably slickly, although a dedicated iPad app would be nice.

Bewitching PMC Fact 8 and Bryston System Revisited

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Every now and then we put together a combination of products in the store and are reminded of how the sum of the parts is even greater than the merits of the individual components.

We've been big fans of the PMC Fact 8 since we first heard them over three years ago.  The elegant and beautifully crafted cabinets enhance any domestic environment. Even the most die hard hifi-phobics are won over by the aesthetics of these beauties.

This is not just a case of 'nice cabinet, shame about the sound' though; far from it. The Fact 8 carves a solid three dimensional image out of the air with effortless ease.  The transparency of the sound has to be heard to be believed with the splendid cabinets effectively disappearing.  

The other essential ingredient to this spell-binding performance is our Bryston system. No surprise that it gels with the PMC speakers, as PMC distribute Bryston in the UK, and design their speakers using Bryston amplification, but the BCD-1 CD player, BP26 pre-amplifier and 4BSST power amplfier really make the Fact 8's sing!  

The Fact 8 is an efficient design utilising PMC's Advance Transmission Line which does not need huge power to generate real low end extension but driving them with the 2 x 300 watts of the 4BSST adds a whole extra dimension of control and ease to the sound making the combination totally magical!

Please feel free to share this magic with us. Give us a call to book a listen and come along with your favourite CDs or LPs.  'When the spell is broken' by Richard Thompson seems appropriate, or maybe 'Witchcraft' by Frank Sinatra.... you choose.

 

Another Trip to the Darkside

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For those who came to our Classic Album Evening and even for those who didn't. In fact for any and all Pink Floyd fans out there.

Tune into BBC R2 or R6 on Monday at 8:00pm as Tom Robinson invites listeners to compile The Ultimate Pink Floyd Playlist. See the link for details.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b038zlll

Followed by Darkside , a play for radio by Sir Tom Stoppard incorporating The Dark Side of the Moon by Pink Floyd.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b038xr3n

It sounds like a good evening of listening.