Preston Welcomes Linn Products And The New Linn Selekt DSM Music System

Here at Preston we are proud to welcome thw world reknowned Linn Products brand to our branch with their newest product, the Selekt DSM streamer.

There are four different versions of the Selekt DSM available, starting with a dedicated streamer to an all in one which incorporates their Katalyst DAC. We have in store and ready for demonstration the Selekt DSM streamer including amplifier which is a delight to operate as much as it is to listen to.

The digital inputs give you two optical, two coaxial, a USB and HDMI for all your digital connection needs. The Selekt DSM range are music streamers, which gives you access to any music that you have stored on your home network via UPNP up to 24 bit 192khz high resolution and any of the thousands of internet radio stations from anywhere in the world using Tune-in radio.

It also has Tidal and Qobuz lossless music streaming *services (*subscription required) built in, all of which can be selected and controlled by using the Linn control app that is available for your Apple and Android smart device which you can download from the app store.

Linn control app.

Within the set up procedure Linn use a very useful tool called Space optimisation, which is part of the Linn set up software that is installed from the their website onto a PC or laptop.

Main volume control

The Linn Selekt DSM software gives you the opportunity to input your listening room dimensions as well as features in the room to optimise the sound quality for your room. In this set up you can choose from a seemingly endless list of speaker manufacturers and models enabling you to get the very best sound from this system in almost any domestic setting.

Ir remote

Come on in and have a listen. We look forward to demonstrating it to you.

Ian, Gavin & Andy - Audio T Preston.

Linn Hi-Fi products are available from the following branches of Audio T:
Brighton, Bristol, Manchester, Oxford, Preston, Swindon

Linn Selekt DSM Upgradeble Music System Now Available At Audio T Swindon

The new Linn Selekt DSM audio system has arrived here at Audio T Swindon. This system is modular and can be upgraded to your own taste and functionality. The Linn Select DSM can be either a source component that you add to an existing Hi-Fi system or with integrated amplifiers and a DAC to create a single box music system. All you need to do is add a pair of loudspeakers and your done.

The Selekt DSM is very compact and well built and when you switch it on you’re greeted by the illuminated control button on the top of the unit.

The Linn Selekt DSM supports four stereo and four surround sound configurations ( 5.1 ) which you can choose from.

Our Selekt DSM comes fitted with Katalyst DAC and stereo integrated amplifiers. This system features network music streaming including popular streaming services like Tidal, Qobuz, Spotify and will play your CD rips from a NAS or dedicated music server such as Innuos. Built in Internet Radio allows you to connect to thousands of web based radio stations.

Linn Selekt DSM with six customisable buttons

There are ten digital and analogue inputs on the back, including one HDMI ARC (TV) socket and one USB-B input for connecting to a computer. The built in phonostage can take both, moving magnet and moving coil cartridges for turntables.

Linn Selekt DSM connectivity

Set up is very easy. The Linn Selekt DSM can be configured via the Linn Konfig app (MAC or Windows) and controlled via the Linn Kazoo app ( available for iOS and Android ). Six customisable buttons on the front panel can be assigned a task like a radio station, a song, a playlist or a shortcut to an input. It supports formats up to 24Bit/192kHz high resolution.

Linn have added their latest version of its Space Optimisation Room Equalization software. This is very clever and allows you to add details like the dimensions of your room including doors, windows, ceiling height, the construction type of your rooms walls and more. Add your pair of speakers BRAND AND MODEL) and the system optimises the sound for your room to improve sound quality.

We absolutely love it and we think you will, too.

Please come in to have a listen and will provide tea and coffee.

Linn Hi-Fi products are available from the following branches of Audio T:

Brighton, Bristol, Manchester, Oxford, Preston, Swindon

Melody Maker Marantz M-CR612 Arrives At Audio T Enfield

We’ve just taken delivery of the new Marantz M-CR612, better known as Melody X. This has now replaced the M-CR-611, which was a similar device, but boy is this 612 better!

The features on offer are varied and cover almost every aspect of streaming, CD replay and radio listening. The new device now features Apple AirPlay 2, together with Bluetooth capability. DAB/FM is also featured, along side internet radio, so you can listen to a wide range radio stations. The remote handset is supplied as pictured, but the unit can also be operated via an app for Apple and Android for added convenience.

Plenty of Connectivity here!

Around the back, we have speakers connections A & B. These can be set to play music in more than one room, so you can pump things up in the main room, whilst listening at a lower level in the second room. We also find 2 optical inputs which are handy for both TV and games machines and a spare analogue input for connection to external devices such as a phono stage for use with a turntable. One other feature which merits special mention is the ability to form part of a Heos multi-room network to connect with other players that are suitably equipped to run music throughout your home. As expected, this new product also has Alexa, Google Assistant and Siri and will integrate with those products to control volume and input selection.

In action in our demo room

Here we have the Marantz M-CR612 connected to a pair of Dali Spektor 1’s a very neat and accomplished system making great music!

Come along to our store for a demo and do feel free to bring along some of your favourite music!

Marantz Hi-Fi products are available from the following branches of Audio T:
Brentwood, Brighton, Bristol, Cardiff, Cheltenham, Enfield, Manchester, Online, Oxford, Portsmouth, Preston, Southampton, Swansea, Swindon

DALI Loudspeakers are available from the following branches of Audio T:
Brentwood, Cardiff, Online, Swindon

The Amazing New Ruark R5 Compact Hi-Fi System

As a company, Ruark found fame by making rather nifty loudspeakers during the 1980’s, 90’s and part of the noughties. Since 2006 they have been pouring their considerable talents into designing and building some of the best compact audio lifestyle products on the market today!

The newest of these is the R5. Ruark call it a High Fidelity Music System.

Now you might think that their description may be stretching the truth a little and you’d be forgiven for thinking this upon first seeing it in the flesh as it is pretty small. Listening is another matter though! It has a lush sound with oodles of detail. This is partly down to the secret weapon lodged on the underneath…….an active sub woofer. This gives a the system a much deeper and more realistic sound than is usually associated with such systems.

You can wirelessly stream music, play from a phone via high quality Bluetooth, play from one of the squillions if internet radio stations, plug in a turntable using its built in phono stage or even play one of those old fashioned CD things!! Support for streaming music services such as Spotify, Tidal and Deezer is built in and there are also spare analogue and digital inputs meaning you can enjoy a multitude of other devices and also upgrade the sound from your TV too!

Ruark have not skimped on the styling either. There is certain retro chic going on here with the sleek curvy hand crafted cabinet and the fabric grille……all very cool and all very perfect for the music and design enthusiast alike.

We love it and we think you will too. The Ruark R5 is available in Walnut or Soft Grey finishes and is on permanent demonstration here in the Cheltenham shop and you are welcome to come in and have a play.

Tea and coffee are available!

Ruark Audio Hi-Fi products are available at the following branches of Audio T:
Brentwood, Brighton, Bristol, Cardiff, Cheltenham, Enfield, Manchester, Online, Oxford, Portsmouth, Preston, Southampton, Swansea

Audio T Southampton Film Night 30th May Featuring The Matrix in 4K UHD

We are delighted to announce that, following detailed discussions (and restraining John), we have decided the movie to be screened at our forthcoming Film Night will be The Matrix.

Newly remastered in 4K with Dolby Atmos soundtrack we are sure this classic movie will be ideal to showcase the performance of the top notch home cinema system we are putting together with some of our key suppliers.

Pioneer’s flagship UDP-LX800 will spin the discs.

Arcam will provide their AV860 processor and multiple power amplifiers.

KEF are supplying an £11000 R series speaker package.

REL will rock the foundations with a dual subwoofer system.

A top quality 4K projector will supply the images.

The entire system will be wired throughout with Chord Company cables.

This £60,000 AV system is designed to thrill, so do give yourself a treat and come along to The Stables at The White Horse Hotel, Romsey at 7pm on Thursday 30th May. We know you won’t be disappointed!

Free car parking is available in Lortemore Place just off Latimer Street, SO51 8DF, directly behind the hotel.

Here’s a link for free tickets. They aren’t essential but useful for us to gauge numbers.

A FREE to enter prize draw for attendees provides further temptation with the chance to win a £399 Arcam rPhono MC/MM phono stage, £200 Chord Shawline Power cable or a £180 KEF Muo Bluetooth speaker!

Representatives from most participating manufacturers will be on hand, along with ourselves, to answer questions and offer advice at Movie Night.

We look forward to seeing you all at The White Horse Hotel, Romsey on 30th May.

Alan, John and Wayne - Audio T Southampton (Chandlers Ford).

The New Ruark R5 Streaming Music System Buzzes In To Manchester.

Say hello to the brand new R5 from Ruark, officially the bigger brother of the ever popular R4, but with the design queues from the top of the range R7, in fact the R5 is like a scaled down version of this Ruark range topper.

The new fabric exterior makes the Ruark R5 look really classy, and with the smooth, slick CD loader and an OLED display the unit offers a discreetly high-tech look, balanced with the furniture grade rich walnut veneered cabinet and soft grey anodised metal-work, result in a minimalist, yet practical design.

To operate and control the R5 it could not be simpler. Fitted atop the cabinet is Ruark's trademark controller, the RotoDial, this ergonomically designed control offers instant operation of the main functions, and with the simplest press of a couple of buttons, some of the more advanced features too.

The RotoDial is completely copied with the supplied remote commander, so all features can be controlled from the comfort and convenience of your favourite arm chair. But there is more; the recently developed Ruark 'LINK' control app, allows you to take full command of the unit via your smart phone or tablet. Through this app, you can link other Ruark WiFi compatible units, and create a whole house Ruark wireless system...

Connection Heaven is how Ruark describe the R5, and that is no lie or exaggeration.

It starts with a traditional CD player, one offering multi-format support. All three radio systems are incorporated, conventional FM, DAB+ Digital, and internet radio. The R5 boasts a Bluetooth wireless connection, for playing music from all your favourite devices; featuring the latest high specification aptX HD receiver. In addition, both analogue (a separate RCA line input, with separate RCA Phono input) and digital (via optical toslink connection) hard wired inputs are provided. Full wireless music streaming from U-PNP devices; and as mentioned, fully multi room ready. You can also play your favourite tunes from Spotify Connect, with support for Tidal, Deezer and Amazon Music services.

Inside the R5's electronics it has a high capacity linear power supply and utilises genuine Hi-Fi grade Class AB power amplifiers, driving the main left and right channel high quality full range speakers. These larger drive units, compared to the smaller R4, are combined with a low frequency bass driver mounted underneath the unit to help give the R5 a truly rich sound, much bigger than the elegant, compact case would suggest. Room filling sound within even a large room, distortion free and with ease.

The base unit and reflex port underneath the R5.

The heat sinks on the class A-B amplifier.

The Ruark R5 in on display and available for demonstration at our Manchester store.

Come along and ask for a demo. Munir, Mike, Macarena,Dave and Haden should be there to help

See you at the store.

.

Ruark Audio Hi-Fi products are available from the following branches of Audio T:
Brentwood, Brighton, Bristol, Cardiff, Cheltenham, Enfield, Manchester, Online, Oxford, Portsmouth, Preston, Southampton, Swansea

Dali Oberon Loudspeakers Now Available At Audio T Swindon

We have taken delivery of the first two speakers of Dali’s Oberon loudspeaker range. Dali, Danish Audiophile Loudspeaker Industries, are a company with more than 35 years of experience and we can’t wait to have a listen to them!

The Oberon range comprises of two pairs of standmount speakers, two pairs of floorstanding speakers, a pair of on-wall models and a centre speaker. The speakers we would like to show you are the Oberon 5 floorstanding speakers and the Oberon Vokal centre speaker.

The Dali Oberon Series is available in four finishes : Black Ash, White, Dark Walnut and Light Oak. The new grills are either Mountain Grey supplied with the light finishes or Shadow Black supplied with the dark finishes. Marshmallow White is available is an extra cost.

Our speakers have arrived in Light Oak and we have to admit that they look really nice .

Dali Oberon 5 Floorstanders and Oberon Vokal Centre Loudspeaker with Grills

Dali Oberon 5 and Oberon Vokal without Grills

The Oberon 5’s are 83cm high, 16cm wide and 28cm deep. Like all Dali speakers, the Oberon 5’s fire straight ahead (not angled in towards the listening position) due to the soft dome tweeter’s wide dispersion. The two bass/mid woofers wood-fibre cones take over the mid-range and bass frequencies.

Here are a few photos of the Oberon 5. Stunning wood finish

Dali Oberon 5

Dali Oberon 5

Dali Oberon 5

The Oberon Vokal centre speaker is an ideal partner for the surround sound system and blends in nicely with it’s soft dome tweeter and two wood fibre cone woofers.

Dali Oberon Vokal without grill

Dali Oberon Vokal with grill

The Dali Oberon 5 and Oberon Vokal offer a very nice balanced front soundstage when used together in a surround sound system, just add Oberon1, Oberon3 or even Oberon On-Wall as your surround channels.

We listen to all sorts of music and the Oberon 5’s sound fast, detailed, sharp without being bright. A great allrounder.

Please come in for a listen . Coffee and tea will be provided.

Stefan & Andy

Dali loudspeakers are available from the following branches of Audio T :

Brentwood, Cardiff , Online , Swindon

Rega Record Store Day Special Edition Turntable Available On Saturday 13th April

Just 500 limited edition versions of the Rega Planar 1 Plus turntable will be manufactured. 125 of those will have some special and rare prizes hidden at random inside. Ranging from £25 record tokens, to artist signed albums, posters and pictures, and a super prize of two tickets to this years Mercury Music Prize awards!

In Brighton we’ll be featuring the Linn Sondek and Rega Planar turntables on Record Store day.

The Rega RSD turntable benefits from a high quality built in phono stage, custom printed mat, matching lid badge, Record Store Day screen printed plinth, premium smoked cover, Rega Carbon cartridge, and is a plug and play design.

Because of hidden prizes we have restrained ourselves and held back from opening one of our RSD decks, which means that we cannot bring you a photo we’ve taken of one, so here is a Rega image

Our homage window to support Record Store Day. With thanks to John for the coloured vinyl and the display

And in case any of you were to doubt the commitment of Rega in the support of playing records, we bring you the redesigned Rega Planar 78 turntable. Yes, that’s right it plays at 78 rpm (and only 78 rpm!).

Another Rega photo as we do not keep this in stock. It is available to order £349 excluding cartridge.

Join with Julian, Paul and John to explore what Linn and Rega turntables can bring to you and your record collection. Discover more of the music from your records.

Rega Hi-Fi products are available from all branches of Audio T.

Linn Hi-Fi products are available at:
Brighton, Bristol, Manchester, Oxford, Swindon

New Ruark R5 Lifestyle Music System With Rega Planar 2 And A Goat

Yes that's right a Goat. We have been experimenting with the phono stage in the new Ruark R5 just to see if it really can do everything really rather well, or if we could find a chink in the armour.

R5 Planar 2 and Goat. Can you spot it?

As in Preston’s wonderful blog on the arrival of the R5 and its many features, it is a hugely versatile and a great sounding system as one would expect from a Ruark product. However, we know that built in phono stages can be can be of variable quality, so we thought we would put the Ruark through its paces.

The circular remote takes a short time to learn how to navigate but very pleasant to use when you have.

We felt the Rega planar 2 (with Carbon cartridge) was a suitable match as you could hear the difference between the Planar 1 and the 2 quite clearly. We did try the Planar 3 but didn’t feel you where getting the best out of it.

After a short listen we had a quick play with the sound settings to a) see how easy it is and b) to find out how much more we could pull out of the system. It was super easy and you can make the changes during playback making things fast and efficient. We switched off 3D sound, switched loudness on and kept bass and trebile level. This seemed to give the overall sound presentation more openness and clarity, allowing more control in the room. Of course this can differ from room to room, and the surface upon which the R5 is placed will play a role in how the system sounds.

Then we cranked the volume and enjoyed some Goat!

Goat Requiem

So, why do I keep saying Goat. Well Goat are a Swedish Alternative/Experimental group, who formed in 2012. Their main genres are various types of rock such as experimental, psychedelic and hard sort of world music (that being the name of their debut album). I often get asked by customers if I have come across anything new and a bit different, well Goat fits that bill. The album is very well produced, open and a good system test. Certainly worth a try.

Back of the album

After listening to two of the four discs at various volumes we decided that the built in phono stage is certainly not a chink in the armour but another strength.

In conclusion, much as expected the Ruark R5 is an all-round fabulous portable music system bringing stylish, compact quality and great sound into the home.

We look forward to seeing you in the Portsmouth branch so can can hear it for yourself. If a home demonstration is required that can also be arranged.

Nick, Joe and James

Ruark Audio Hi-Fi products are available from the following branches of Audio T:
Brentwood, Brighton, Bristol, Cardiff, Cheltenham, Enfield, Manchester, Online, Oxford, Portsmouth, Preston, Southampton, Swansea

The All New Ruark R5 Portable Music Streaming System Has Arrived

The all new Ruark Audio R5 has arrived. As we have come to know and love from Ruark is that they are well designed and visually pleasing, and jam packed with features for a single box music system.

The R5 is fitted with a multi-format CD player that will play self made discs in WAV, AAC and MP3 formats and has an OLED display for clear information display.

You can connect a mobile device to the R5 using the very latest in Bluetooth technology, AptX HD Bluetooth. Or, if you prefer you can stream music from Spotify, Spotify connect, Deezer, Amazon music and Tidal streaming services which are all built in to this competent and visually appealing unit.

You can choose from a phenomenal range of music stations on FM, DAB and DAB+ or from anywhere in the world using internet radio where you are sure to find something for your listening pleasure. The R5 will connect directly to your network either via an ethernet port situated on the back of the unit or via WiFi. The R5 even lets you play your stored music from a network hard drive using the UPNP feature.

The Ruark R5 is equipped with a built in phono pre-amplifier enabling you to connect a turntable directly with no additional boxes required. Ruark have also expanded the physical inputs on the R5 to include an optical input to connect your TV or another digital device as well as an analogue RCA input and a USB port for playback from USB devices in a variety of file formats.

Situated on the front of the R5 is a convenient headphone socket for those late night listening sessions enabling an up close and personal performance from your favourite artists day or night.

This latest addition to the Ruark Audio line up the R5 has a full remote control that works on radio frequencies so doesn't need to be pointed at the unit and if you misplace the remote control temporarily, there are controls on the top. Ruark Audio have a control application 'Ruark Link' which works with both Apple and Android devices giving you all the control you will ever need over your music.

The R5 is multi-room ready so will connect with MRX, R2 Mk3 and R7 Mk3 for seamless multi-room playback.

We look forward to seeing you in store for a listen

Ian/Gavin & Andy

Ruark Audio lifestyle Hi-Fi products are available from the following branches of Audio T:

Brentwood, Brighton, Bristol, Cardiff, Cheltenham, Enfield, Manchester, Online, Oxford, Portsmouth, Preston, Southampton, Swansea

Record Store Day 2019 fun

For this year’s Record Store Day we’re going to have a fun day in store, when we’ll set up a couple of fab vinyl based systems and play a selection of classic albums all day.

This sort of thing…..

The fantastic Audio T offer of one of our excellent record bags free with any turntable purchased will be in full effect.

We will of course have the limited edition Rega Record Store Day turntable available on a first come first served basis.

Of course we’ll be happy to offer advice on upgrading or servicing your turntable as well as having a selection of vinyl based accessories from stylus brushes to phono stages to help you get the most out of your deck. Or try out one of our record cleaners and see how that can improve the sound quality of your music.

Oh and we have actual records for sale too!!!!

Come in and join in the listening

See you then!

Audiolab 6000 Series Integrated Amplifier And CD Transport Arrives At Audio T Enfield

We have always been fans of Audiolab electronics. With that in mind we are very happy to announce we have the Audiolab 6000A Integrated amp and Audiolab 6000CDT CD Transport on permanent demonstration for your aural pleasure.

Starting with the Audiolab 6000CDT CD transport first, you will notice that this now sports a slot loading mechanism instead of the standard tray loading mech. This ensures almost silent operation, together with excellent disc reading accuracy. The large front display can be switched off to further enhance not only the signal purity but also the sleek styling.

Moving on to the Audiolab 6000A integrated amplifier, this pays homage to the classic Audiolab styling but brought bang up to date. It now has an inbuilt phono stage (Moving Magnet only), Bluetooth receiver, onboard DAC (4 Digital inputs) and a headphone input.

Moving to rear of these beauties, the CD Transport has both optical and co-axial outputs. The amp has the aforementioned 4 digital inputs and an additional 3 analogue inputs along the MM Phono stage.

Finally, we connected these up to a variety of loudspeakers and have had excellent results with brands such as Acoustic Energy and B&W among others. We found an ideal partner for vinyl replay in the shape of the Rega Planar 3 / Elys combination.

Audiolab Hi-Fi products are available from the following branches of Audio T:

Brentwood, Bristol, Cardiff, Cheltenham, Enfield, Manchester, Portsmouth, Southampton

Bowers & Wilkins 800 Series Now Available At Audio T Bristol

We are very proud to take our love of Bowers and Wilkins speakers to the next level, and welcome the 800 Diamond series to the Bristol shop. We have all models from the 800 range on demonstration and boy do they sound good!

The range starts with the 805; a classic standmount and an excellent entry into the 800 series.

We move swiftly on to the floor standers, starting with the 804 then onwards and upwards with the 803, 802 and the unbelievably good 800.

The Bowers and Wilkins 800 D3 loudspeaker. Perfect fit for our dem room.

We all went to the factory in Worthing, a couple of weekends ago, to get trained up on the range and be introduced to the amazing manufacturing techniques developed by Bowers to make these fabulous speakers.

All lined up and ready to bring a smile to many peoples faces.

The factory is now dedicated to the production of the 800 Diamond series and watching the staff do their work was an experience in itself. They are all obviously passionate about what they do and the standards are so high that you can pretty much guarantee, all the products leave the factory perfect. It is even in the employees contracts that they are not allowed to drink alcohol the night before they have work to ensure a steady hand.

The matrix. This is what allows you to here the music and not the cabinet.

We all came back to Bristol having thoroughly enjoyed the trip. A bus mans holiday it certainly wasn’t and we couldn’t wait to get back to the shop and listen to our 800’s. They are here if you want to indulge.

We will be doing in depth reviews as well as dedicated listening events in the very near future.

Bowers & Wilkins 800 Series are available from the following branches of Audio T:

Audio T Brentwood, Audio T Bristol

Bowers & Wilkins loudspeakers are available from the following branches of Audio T:

Brentwood, Brighton, Bristol, Cardiff, Enfield, Manchester, Oxford, Portsmouth, Preston, Southampton, Swansea, Swindon

Denon DM41 - An Introduction To Hi-Fi & A Fully Featured Alternative To A Soundbar.

While Denon's DM41 has been around for a little while now, it remains as popular as ever and is the latest iteration in long line of Award winning compact Hi-Fi products from Denon.

Offering a wealth of features and connectivity, coupled with strong amplification and tucked in a box no larger than the footprint of a A4 piece of paper, the DM41 is perfect if space is at a premium. But it most beguiling feature is it’s capacity to offer a genuine taste of sonic benefits, and the enjoyment to be had, from a separate’s Hi-Fi system; it's a fantastic way to start your Hi-Fi journey.

Denon has been at the right at the forefront of Award-winning compact, one-box solutions for a good 20 years and while FM radio, DAB and CD have always been the mainstay of Denon's previous iterations, consistent improvements and refinements have lead to today's DM41, which now offers a much wider range of facilities. An additional feature for this model is the inclusion of a Bluetooth receiver module, ideal for straight-forward streaming of music from a phone, tablet or laptop. And if wish add a turntable, a single set of RCA’s connections will do the job perfectly, and what’s more, if your turntable has a built in phono-stage, these is no need for any further investment, just settle down and enjoy your vinyl.

The Denon DM41 also offers a neat little solution for enhancing your TV sound, in glorious 2.1, that will offer clarity and dynamics that just can't get from the vast majority of TV speakers. Small enough to slot easily into most TV stands, the real beauty of using the DM41 for TV sound is the inclusion of "sub-out" connection allowing you to experience real impact while watching films and TV and also allowing you to enjoy enhanced detail with both speech and ambient sounds, making even everyday viewing a much more enjoyable experience. Amplification is rated at 30 watts into 6 ohms which should be more than enough power to drive and control speakers to more than acceptable levels in small and medium rooms.

We partner our display DM41 with a pair of Monitor Audio Bronze 1 speakers, which, to our ears, an ideal match. But stepping up to the Monitor Audio Silver 50 makes the world of difference, with clearer separation, a more realistic sense of an tone and timbre to instrumentation, clearer vocal presentation and a more rounded and detailed bass output.

The Denon DM41 offers fantastic value for money and also gives a great introduction to the world of Hi-Fi and all of the reward a well chosen components can bring.

Denon Hi-Fi products are available at the following branches of Audio T:
Brentwood, Brighton, Bristol, Cardiff, Cheltenham, Enfield, Manchester, Online, Oxford, Portsmouth, Preston, Southampton, Swansea, Swindon

Audio T Southampton's (well John's) Top Ten Home Cinema Demo Movie Scenes!

Our resident Home Cinema fan John has some personal favourite movie scenes which he uses to set up and calibrate AV systems. We thought we would share a few with you in case you want to put your own Home Cinema through it’s paces.

Are you ready? Here’s John’s top ten! (His choices…)

Straight in at No.10 is Battleship, scene 15 running into 16. I would just like to make it clear at this point that artistic quality is not a factor here. This is just a dynamic visual and audio extravaganza which tests dialogue coherence (but sadly doesn’t improve content!) during action sequences.

No.9 is another movie which majors on automotive action rather than subtle characterisation… Fast and Furious 8 (is that all..?), scene 17, will give your system a thorough work out, although the language is a bit fruity.

No.8. Iron Man 2, scene 16. Not an Art House film, although there’s a bit more acting and dialogue here, but being John’s choice, it is mainly gunfire and explosions… again. Good surround effects though, from the laser sequence.

No.7. X Men Apocalypse, scene 14. I think you get the picture, as it were, by now. Not exactly cinema verite, but this scene includes some clever slow motion CGI and very effective Dolby Atmos accompanied by the Eurythmics backtrack.

No.6. Terminator 2, Judgement Day., scene 4. A bit of a classic now, albeit not in the same sense as Citizen Kane, for example, but these are John’s selections…This is a well filmed vehicle chase sequence with an excellent soundtrack. The Harley sounds convincingly throaty on a good, well set-up system.

No.5. Top Gun, scene 1. Stepping even further into the past, John has gone with the opening scene with it’s full throttle soundtrack providing a test for anyone brave enough to turn the volume up to 11. WARNING! John has damaged speakers doing this so please do exercise some caution. Top Gun top tip is to play the DTS soundtrack to avoid audio disappointment.

No.4. Back to the Future III, scene 15, the duel. Guns again… However, central to John’s selection this time, is the atmospheric sound and musical soundtrack during the gunfight. It’s a fair cop.

No.3. Jeff Beck Live at Ronnie Scott’s, scene 11. At last we can do away with guns and pick up an axe instead. Well, listen to Jeff play his Fender Stratocaster anyway. This welcome musical break from action movies shows how a concert video can be enhanced by a well recorded DTS surround soundtrack, perfectly capturing the intimate atmosphere of Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club

No.2. The Greatest Showman, scene 8. Keeping his focus on music now instead of pyrotechnics, John likes the gripping soundtrack in this scene which draws one’s attention to the spectacular choreography on screen, if you like musicals…

And at No.1. Bohemian Rhapsody, scene 23. A masterful recreation of Queen’s 1985 performance at Live Aid. John would have loved to have been there, if only he wasn’t five, but this movie gives him more than a taste of the real experience with Dolby Atmos providing the requisite acoustics in order to suspend disbelief.

We will be hosting a Movie Night at The White Horse Hotel Romsey on 30th May. The movie being screened is yet to be selected but please rest assured that John won’t make the final decision without supervision. Perhaps you would like to email us with some suggestions?!

Don’t forget to check out our store blog for Movie Night updates closer to the date.

That’s all Folks!

Alan, John and Wayne

Neat Motive SE2 - Thinking Inside The Box!

For a while now the speaker that we sell the most of has been the Neat Motive SX2. They are that great combination of being easy to drive, small in stature but sound big!

Recently we have discovered that there is an improved version (only made to special order) called the Neat Motive SE2 which boasts a new version of the classic EMIT planar magnetic tweeter that is ordinarily only found in the rather more expensive prestige Ultimatum models. Here the tweeter is very cleverly compliantly mounted within its own discrete cavity and boasts a new and enhanced crossover. And here’s the good news …….. all of this comes for only an extra £100! Bargain or what!! Sorry for all the exclamation marks but in this instance they are entirely justified!!!

Since we discovered these little gems it is now not often that we sell the SX2. Every time we demo the SE2 people always prefer its sweeter and more engaging presentation of the music.

These speakers are also not too fussy about position either. They do like a little room behind them and a bit of a toe in which will open up the soundstage, but if you are pushed for space and need to get them close to a rear wall or if you are listening off axis they will still do a great job. They also come in a variety of room friendly finishes too.

The Neat Motive SE2 really come to life when partnered with the amazing little Rega combination of Apollo CD player and Brio amplifier. This combination as system punches well above its weight. That all important thing of “system synergy” really comes into its own here producing a sound that is both finely detailed and musically engaging without ever sounding bright or harsh.

Playing a CD copy of the wonderful Prog Rock classic that is the first Riverside album “Out of Myself” the first track which is called The Same River has mid-range detail in bucket loads and proper deep bass that will drag you in and keep you hooked while the band builds up a true epic of the genre and until the very last note fades! This band should be huge. They are masters of creating Prog Rock epics building on the sounds of Porcupine Tree, Dream Theatre and Pink Floyd, this is a great disc for sorting out the men from the boys when it comes to loudspeaker reproduction. Like the soft petals of a flower unfurling to reveal a Venus Flytrap inside with the sting of a Scorpion (ooer!). And if you like this one there are lots more to discover as well!

So to conclude this little bloggy thing, we think that the Neat Motive SE2’s are one of those magical loudspeaker designs that you should really put on your shortlist what ever your budget is! You will not be disappointed!! Yikes …..more of those exclamation mark things again!! Oh Well.

Neat Acoustics loudspeakers are available from the following branches of Audio T:
Brighton, Cheltenham, Portsmouth, Preston, Reading

Rega Hi-Fi products are available from all branches of Audio T.

Grab Yourself A Hi-Fi Bargain & Save Up To 50% OFF In Preston's Spring Clearance Sale

We are having a bit of a spring clean here at Audio T Preston and we are moving on some top quality Hi-Fi at bargain prices.

We have a veritable Aladdin’s cave of open box and ex-demo products including headphones, amplifiers, speakers, streamers , subwoofers and lot’s lot’s more besides.

We have Rotel, Yamaha, Dynaudio, Martin Logan, Ruark, Piega, Monitor Audio, Bowers and Wilkins, Quad and the list goes on…

If you are a member of the Audio T e-Club then you get an extra 5% discount. If you haven’t joined you can click here to sign up.

Don't forget that these are limited offers and when they are gone, they are gone, so don't miss out!

Click HERE or on the Clearance List poster above to see the full list of clearance sale products. If there is anything that you like the look of then give us a call on 01772 883958 or email us at Audio T Preston and we can discuss it further.

Listed below are just some of the bargains to be had, enjoy.

Martin Logan ElectroMotion ESL - Save £1298

Quad Vena Amplifier - Save £120

Piega Classic 3.0 - Half Price !!

Novafidelity NF-X50D - Save £250

Monitor Audio Silver 200 - Save £400

Rega DAC - Save £150

Dynaudio Contour 60 - Save £2250

Record Store Day 2019 at Derricks Music In Swansea Featuring The New Rega Limited Edition Turntable

Record Store Day 2019 on Saturday 13th April is set to be another cracker in Swansea! We will once again be teaming up with Derricks Music on Oxford Street Swansea to play vinyl on some great sounding Rega (official sponsors of RSD) Hi-Fi.

With the success of our previous years prize draw we will again be giving away the limited edition Rega RSD turntable. All you need to do to be in with a chance of winning the turntable is call in to Derricks on RSD and fill in the entry form, and we will pull the winner out of the hat at 5pm as usual.

Last year in particular was the best phone call we made to let the winner know the good news. The phone was answered and the news delivered, but the winner was in the pub and already a couple of sherberts in. It took about five attempts to tell him that it was not a prank, it was hysterical!

We managed to present the prize the following week…

As usual we will be playing vinyl all day, this year we will be playing the very turntable that you can win!

There will be a few more goodies and offers that we will have with us on the day, so keep an eye on our Facebook page as we get closer to the day.

If you’ve not yet seen the list of RSD releases for 2019 you can find them here

We look forward to seeing you there….

PMC?......The Is' have it! Brighton Review The PMC iB2SE Standmount Loudspeaker

Last June we had the brief opportunity of hearing the PMC MB2se, which are now happily residing with our customer as his speaker of choice. Since then we’ve been wanting to spend some more time with a speaker of this type to give it a proper evaluation.

PMC IB2se walnut

Fast forward to the end of February this year and we took delivery of a pair of PMC IB2se, these are said to be more of a domestic version of the MB2se. Although they are still a very substantial speaker they are slightly more conventional in styling and driver layout, but before doing any evaluation we set about running them in, as we felt they needed a few more hours to get them to sing.

The IB2se business end!

The main differences here are that these are passive speakers, using a smaller flat sectioned bass driver, slightly smaller in size all around, slightly lighter in weight with small differences in transmission line length, sensitivity, impedance and frequency response but still using the same stunning mid range and treble units which result in its ability to give the music its clarity.

It’s all about the bass!

In the short time we had the MB2se we were completely blown away by them, so we were looking forward to hearing what these would do considering the smaller size and cost. We hooked them up to our reference system here in the shop; a full Naim system comprising of a Linn Klimax LP12 for vinyl playback, a Naim ND555 network player for streaming our ripped cds from a Naim Uniti Core hard disc player into a Naim NAC252 pre amp, Naim Supercap DR pre amp power supply and Naim NAP300 DR power amp.

Time for some tunes!

Differences? yes, but these speakers are most definitely cut from the same cloth, the level of detail and musicality is incredible, the bass is full but in no way over blown, the mid range is full of delicate subtlety and the treble is insightful and full of sparkle without being relentless or hard, these really are a speaker that bring all of the accuracy that is required by a studio engineer for mastering music but with the added bonus of being a speaker to come home to after a long day at work, put on some of your favourite music and spend the evening in musical bliss.

IB2se Treble and Mid Drivers

Whilst listening a customer, who was in the shop at the time, said with a big grin on his face “WOW! I’ve not heard that level of insight in to the music being played since I was in a studio and feel I could just spend hour and hours trawling though my music collection with these”

Unfortunately these speakers will not be with us forever, so if you get a chance pop in and give them a listen, you’ll not be disappointed, Julian, Paul and John will be happy to play them for you…..it gives us a good excuse, as if we needed one!

PMC Loudspeakers are available at the following branches of Audio T:

Brighton, Bristol, Cardiff, Enfield, Manchester, Portsmouth, Southampton, Swindon

Seeing How They Are Made: The Bowers and Wilkins 800 Series Loudspeakers

We recently had the opportunity to visit the Worthing based production facility for Bowers and Wilkins 800 series speakers to see first hand how their flagship range are made.

We were greeted at the door by the iconic Nautilus loudspeaker, this one resplendent in its Union Flag livery.

Our guide to the process and factory was Peter, who has been working for Bowers and Wilkins for more than 25 years. He took us around the complete production facility explaining processes and technologies along the way in a very informative, and entertaining, way.

One example of this was the machine used for forming the cabinet for 800 series. This is created from multiple layers of wood and glue which are formed at high pressure and temperature by folding down across a folder like this:

The tour was like the audiophile version of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory with a huge array of machines and people finishing, sanding, painting etc etc.

We saw the famous Bowers and Wilkins Matrix being inserted into one of the 800 series floorstanders.

The Matrix is assembled separately

With the cabinet prised apart by metal jaws the matrix is positioned and glued into place. When the jaws are released the natural spring of the cabinet form will add compression to the matrix

Peter was full of interesting information most of which highlighted the amount of time and care which goes into making these speakers. They are not just built, they are truly hand crafted!

From paint which is applied in up to 13 layers with a four day drying time for each layer, to creating, forming, and metalising the Continuum cones for the drivers everything is done with so much care and attention to detail. The people who work at this production facility are justifiably proud of the products they create!

The factory also produces the iconic Nautilus speakers and the Custom Theatre range which includes beasts like this:

it’s big!!

Also some funky special edition colours.

All in all we were incredibly impressed with the dedication of the people on site and the pride and care which was taken over every aspect of the production of these phenomenal 800 D3 speakers.

Part of the production floor

Alien anyone?

The finished article

We came away with a new found admiration and respect for the Bowers and Wilkins 800 D3 series

We already knew they sounded stunning, now we have a better understanding of why due to the care and attention to detail that goes into creating them,

Last but not least these two poor cabinets were marked “no partner” maybe they need a dating app? I’m thinking Timbr possibly!

The Bowers & Wilkins 800 Series are available for demonstration at the following branches of Audio T:

Brentwood, Bristol