Five Fantastic Accessories To Get the Most Out of Your System

Here at Audio T Portsmouth we've been having a good old natter, discussing the accessories that we feel have made a big difference to our own set-ups or those we've tried in store. Whether you're looking to build and improve on your own Hi-Fi/AV system, or you want to buy a gift for that beloved Hi-Fi enthusiast in your life, here we have for you our Top Five Fantastic Accessories to help you get the most from your system!

So come with me now on a journey of discovery as we look at five products that you may have seen, you may have not, but we assure you they can make a big difference!

Pro-Ject VS-S2 ALU Record Cleaner

OK, I know what some of you are saying - "But Brad, I don't play records, this is completely irrelevant to me!" Well, to that I reply - "Get in to records, they're awesome!”

You don't get the same experience from any other medium. There's something about the whole tactile experience. Removing it from the sleeve, placing it on the turntable, enjoying the whole album without skipping a track, appreciating the sleeve and artwork... It's obviously a love affair of mine.

But if that doesn't sway you, then skip to the next product.

I was only introduced to the world of professional record cleaners when I joined Audio T last year. I think it's safe to say that we've all seen those £30 cleaners that seem to just spin the record vertically in a small bath of liquid... Now, my only thought here would be that I wouldn't want to get in a bath after a load of other people have been in there, so why would I put my records through the same thing?

The VS-S2 ALU is the latest in the range of pro-ject record cleaners

The Pro-Ject VS-S2 ALU record cleaner is by far one of the best cleaning solutions within its price-range.

The concept is simple: The record sits on a platter and is kept in place by an aluminium screw-on clamp (which also protects the records label from any excess cleaning fluid), you apply said fluid to the surface of the record and spread it out evenly with the provided brush. Move the robust, metal vacuum arm in to place over the record, turn on the motor and the extremely powerful vacuum. The record spins and the vacuum sucks! Your record should be clean in one or two rotations, but the Pro-Ject VS-S2 has a bi-directional motor, so you can give it a spin in each direction to achieve the best result.

As for the fluid itself, Pro-Ject offer the Wash-IT concentrate series, which is not only eco-friendly but also non-alcoholic, so it won't corrode your records - plus it reduces the vinyls static charge, so it will protect the record and stylus and significantly reduce wear.

“I’ve used this machine to clean records that I’ve owned from new and noticed a HUGE change in the depth, quality and clarity of sound! An absolute must have for the hardcore vinyl users out there”

Now, I'm not saying this is made for every vinyl enthusiast. If you've got 20 to 30 records, it's probably not an accessory on your wish-list. But, if like me you have hundreds (if not thousands) of records, then it’s a worthwhile investment!

Audioquest RCA Jack Noise-Stopper

One of the things that Mark (our illustrious Website manager) suggested is the Audioquest Noise-Stopper Caps. Certainly not the most expensive accessory on this list, but possibly one of the most overlooked ones out there that can resolve an issue that you didn't even know you had.

You may not realise it but we are continually surrounded by Radio Frequency and Electromagnetic Interference (RF/EMI Interference). These fairly innocuous waves have a nasty habit of entering our equipment through unused connections and negatively affecting the clarity and dynamics of our Hi-Fi or AV set-ups. The best solution to stopping this, is to cap all of your unused inputs. Audioquest make a range of these caps, from the RCA Jack (pictured) to XLR, HDMI, USB and RJ45 Optical.

When Mark implemented these on his own Denon AV amp at home, not only did it drastically improve the noise floor and clean-up the signal, but he also found that it improved the general quality -

"This rather simple solution turned the sound of my generic AV set-up in to that of a more of a refined stereo amp. Everything became more focused, less hazy, and far more detailed. There was also a noticeable difference in the sound-stage that I just didn't expect".

Considering you get 10 caps for around £40, this is definitely worth trying at home, regardless of whether you're solely Hi-Fi or AV... Give it a go and let us know your thoughts.

one of the most cost effective solutions on our top five list.

Naim Power-Line Lite IEC Mains Cable

Naim Audio have been a powerhouse in Hi-Fi since its founding in 1973 by renowned engineer, Julian Vereker. Known for pushing the boundaries of “The norm”, the British company has always been at the forefront of innovation. Now, when it comes to fans of Naim, they don't come much bigger than our fabled store manager, Nick.

With almost 45 years worth of experience in the Hi-Fi industry, Nick has been in the business almost as long as Naim. So, if he suggests something... I tend listen to what he has to say! With Nick being the ultra Naim fan that he is, I wasn't surprised when he recommended a Naim product as his accessory of choice.

I think it's safe to say that we've all heard the expression “Your signal chain is as strong as its weakest link”, but I think that what a lot of us don't seem to appreciate is that this includes EVERY link, even our power cables!

Derived from the industry-standard Power-Line and using the same de-coupling techniques, the Power-Line Lite was developed at the same time as the UnitI range from Naim.

Featuring a high-gloss floating cable retainer, Thermoset resin case and floating pins within the case for superior electrical contact, the Power-Line Lite will improve the quality of your AV or Hi-Fi, regardless of the manufacturer.

“It's a great solution to improve the musicality of your set-up without spending too much money. The self-aligning pins reduce the floor noise and improve the quality of the sonics.”

So, on Nick's recommendation I found myself in a bit of a comparison challenge. Whilst the differences are subtle in some cases, there was definitely an improvement in bass response, added clarity in the treble, and it generally opened up the soundstage. Definitely one to try if you want to get the best your system.

Audioquest Vodka Ethernet Cable

This is one for all of you streamers out there!

Having been with Audio T for 20 years, Joe shines out as our resident AV nut. His accessory of choice was one that he found to make a huge difference on his own system at home.

Arguably one of the most controversial subject matters when discussing interconnects is the humble digital cable. All you have to do is look up any Hi-Fi blog and you'll see most people saying that “digital is digital”, and “How can a cable make the difference?”, well to those naysayers I say “Give it a go for yourself! It REALLY does make a difference”.

A major contributing factor to the degradation of a digital signal is strand interaction within the cable itself. This is one of the biggest sources of distortion. Audioquest tackle this by using solid, 10% silver conductors which completely remove any possibility of that pesky strand interaction, giving you a more involved, cleare and dynamic sound.

As you can see, this is a seriously industrial connection.

In the words of Audioquest - “Superior conductor metals minimize distortion by having fewer grain boundaries and less impurities (such as oxides) at those boundaries. Solid High-Density Polyethylene (PE) insulation helps maintain critical signal-pair geometry.”

“When it came to switching over to the Audioquest Vodka, I noticed an instant improvement in the sound-stage and sonics. Everything became bigger with much more detail and presence”.

Even our customers don't have a bad word to say about it on our online reviews.

IsoAcoustic Gia / IsoAcoustic Aperta

I’ll admit that this may be cheating, as I’ve already published a blog post on how I feel about the IsoAcoustic stands, that said, I cannot stress to you enough what a difference these made when I’ve used them in store! The fact that they have products like the Gaia for floor-stander users, as well as the Aperta for bookshelf speakers, means that everyone can get onboard.

Three GAIA models tuned and optimized for each weight range

A lot of people may assume that isolation will give them a tighter bass response. What they may not realise is that the IsoAcoustic options shown here, also have an amazing ability to open-up the soundstage and create fantastic clarity in the upper-mid frequencie. This allows for better isolations of instrumentation and vocals.

The aperta doesn’t only elevate and isolate your speaker, but also allows you to angle vertically.

Should you want to see any of these products in the flesh, or want to discuss them further, be sure to give us a shout or pop in to the shop.

Brad, Nick and Joe - Audio T Portsmouth

Be sure to keep an eye on whats happening in the Portsmouth store by following us on Instagram and Facebook.

All of these products are available in all Audio T Stores.

The Bristol Hi-Fi Show 2020 Organised By Audio T In Association With What Hi-Fi?

The Bristol Hi-Fi Show is the UK’s largest and longest running Hi-Fi and home audio Show which is now in it’s 33rd year! Organised by Audio T in association with What Hi-Fi? it is held every February at the Marriott Bristol City Centre Hotel and has become an annual pilgrimage for music lovers and Hi-Fi enthusiasts from the UK and around the world! Attended by over 80 manufacturers and distributors it represented nearly 180 brands this year!

Here are some of the Show exhibitors in pictures and we’ll add video in the coming weeks! Most of the products on demonstration at The Bristol Hi-Fi Show are available for audition at your nearest Audio T, but do give the branch staff a call first before travelling because they they may need to get the product in first! If you couldn’t make your mind up about what to listen to or buy at the Show, then this is an ideal opportunity to take some time and listen to your shortlist of products in the comfort of one of our comfortable demonstration rooms!

Hi-Fi on the move! Bentley brought along their Naim equipped Flying Spur!

The faithful turned out in force at the The Marriott City Centre Hotel, despite the inclement weather and the impending threat of Coronavirus!

Acoustic Energy were showing off their new AE500 series!

Arcam were demonstrating a phenomenal sounding Audio Visual system using their new AVR series home cinema amplifiers. An absolute joy for the film and music enthusiast!

ATC always very popular, were using CD and vinyl as their music sources.

Audeze Headphone bar featuring Chord Electronics and Astell&Kern Personal Music players.

AURALiC Showing off their G2 wares!

Bowers & Wilkins had most of their series on display this year and a good selection of their headphones were available to try.

Chord Electronics had their full range of portable headphone amplifiers and DACs on show as well as the new Ultima range, which were launched at the Show and drew packed crowds in their main listening room.

Dali had a fantastic display in their room and were showing their new Rubicon 2C Wireless system and the upcoming MENUET SE bookshelf speaker pictured here.

Dynaudio were demonstrating the new Confidence range, which were sounding particularly good! Bowie would be proud!

innuos were demonstrating their fantastic range of music servers and streamers along with the new USBClocker designed to improve the sound quality of digital music played via USB.

Not any old iron! The little Jern (Iron) speakers from Denmark made a big impression with their wide soundstage. You may well yearn for these diminutive heavyweights!

Linn pulled the crowds in with their demonstrations of the Linn Selekt DSM streaming amplifier, Sondek LP12 record player and their new wireless multi-room loudspeaker the Series 3.

Michell Engineering were spinning records with the Gyro and Gyrodec record players and demonstrating the differences in sound quality as you moved up their new range of Cusis moving coil cartridges.

Neat Acoustics were demonstrating their new Ministra standmount and floorstanding loudspeakers.

PMC as ever, were extremely popular and demonstrated their new PMC twenty5i Series and Martln Logan Electrostatics which they are now distributing in the UK.

Rega Research another huge Show favourite were showcasing their new all in one entry level System One! Which sounded very good indeed. It consists of the Rega Planar 1, new IO amplifier and Kyte standmount loudspeakers, which will retail for £999 and is due at the end of March. A fab sounding analogue music system, which is ideal for any music enthusiast starting out on their Hi-Fi and vinyl odyssey.

The REL demonstrations always impress and this year it was no exception! They had a stacked REL line array S/510 system on demonstration, which wowed the crowds!

Russell K had their new Black 50 standmount speaker and the established Red 120 floorstander on demonstration.

Spendor were demonstrating a wide range of their loudspeakers including the, A-Line, D-Line and Spendor Classic.

Solidsteel speaker stands and racks were getting lots of attention and were in use by a number if exhibitors using standmount loudspeakers. We think they are a brilliant accessory.

If you were one of the many faithful and new visitors that braved the weather and the threat of Coronavirus, we salute you and we hope that you thoroughly enjoyed the Show. Thanks for making it another great Show! If you didn’t support it, it wouldn’t happen, so huge thanks to you, the manufacturers and the press for making this one of the best Bristol Hi-Fi Shows ever! For those that couldn’t make it, you can experience it in our Whistle Stop tour video below.

ATC SCM50 Loudspeakers And Native Qobuz High Resolution Streaming For Naim

We are very pleased at Brighton to have our new ATC SCM50 on demonstration in store and complementing our Naim ND555, NAC552 and NAP500 system. There is no doubt that these speakers are what we’ve been looking for as they bring a new level of engagement and integrity to the musical performance.

The ATC SCM59 3 way speaker system comprises the improved new 25mm tweeter, along with the outstanding 75mm soft dome midrange driver and 234mm super linear bass driver, in a relatively compact and very solidly constructed cabinet. These speakers are built for serious performance, and can be used in passive or active configuration. We have the active amplifier modules as well, so with some notice, we can demonstrate both versions. ATC make larger versions of this speaker for those able to accommodate them.

Do drop in for a listen or make an arrangement so you can spend a decent amount of time with the system.

Qobuz high resolution streaming comes to Naim along with a free 30 day trial. Certainly worth giving it a try to see what it offers.

Naim have incorporated native Qobuz music streaming in the recent firmware version 3.4 update for ND555, NDX2, ND5XS2 network players and Uniti Nova, Star and Atom systems along with other improvements, that include better sound reproduction. The firmware update for the 2nd Generation Mu-so2 and Qb2 will follow soon.

Visit us at Audio T Brighton or ring 01273 609431 or email us to explore Naim equipment.

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

IsoAcoustics Gaia lll Isolates Your Speakers From Earth

The Gaia III isolators from IsoAcoustics are part of a range of products that help you decouple your Hi-Fi and speakers from the rest of the planet and improve the sound quality of your system.

The IsoAcoustics Gaia III feet are designed to replace the spikes at the bottom of your speakers. We have been putting ours through their paces at the store, and taking some cool snaps with Chromey as our model.

Iso Acoustics Gaia III Isolators.

Stop, Isolate and listen, IsoAcoustics are back with a brand new invention.

Interestingly the base of the Gaia feet is made from a rubber compound that acts like a sucker and sticks to hard surfaces. Inside the Gaia III is a spring loaded mechanism that works the magic to reduce the vibrations.

The Spendor D7.2s floorstanding loudspeakers sounded and looked a whole lot better after the Gaia III upgrade.

Our own tests prove that the Gaia feet do actually make a difference. Adding the feet to a pair of Spendor D7.2's with the Rega Aethos integrated amplifier and the Naim NDX2, the Gaia's made the music much easier to listen to. Even making the instruments sound clearer, it tidied up the bass and improved the overall sound stage, giving you an improved image if you like.

So that's a marked improvement to your sound quality for a little under £600.

For those of you with carpets, IsoAcoustics also make carpet discs for all 3 sizes of the Gaia feet.

Not pictured here.

And as you can see they have won plaudits from across the pond, with the legendary publication Stereophile, giving the Gaia III’s the product of the year award and editor’s choice award. Not an easy feat. (Nice to see you having pun! Ed.)

Why not come in and have a listen at Audio T Manchester and hear the difference for yourself. If you’re still not convinced, you can make use of our home loan service and try them on your own speakers. Hearing is believing!

IsoAcoustics isolation products are available at all branches of Audio T.

Cyrus ONE Cast Integrated Streaming Amplifier Arrives At Audio T Enfield

We welcome the new Cyrus ONE Cast streaming amplifier that includes amongst other features it offers you, voice control by Alexa, Siri and Google! All you need to do is connect it to your Wi-Fi network and just add the speakers of your choice to enjoy your music.

The Cyrus ONE Cast also is a fantastic streamer with Google Chromecast built in, Apple Air Play 2 and Bluetooth audio so no matter which way you want to connect to it, you can!

Turntable fans are catered for as the Cyrus ONE Cast has a built in MM Phono stage. So there is no need to buy an outboard phono stage which will save you money.

The Cyrus ONE Cast is so flexible, you can also connect your existing CD player and TV to it as it has 4 Digital Inputs.

There is a dedicated headphone amplifier when you want to hear your music with a little more intimacy.

No need for another App and let’s face it, there are probably more apps than you currently need on your phone.

If you subscribe to any of the following, you are good to go without another app to use. This includes Spotify, Apple Music, Tidal, Qobuz, Deezer or whatever streaming app you use.

If you want a multi-room whole house audio system, just add more Cyrus ONE Cast units around the house with speakers and the same music track will play in all rooms.

Just two taps and the music on your phone will play. Simples!

If you want to hear the Cyrus ONE Cast- pop into Audio T Enfield and we’ll show you just how flexible this little unit is.

The Cyrus ONE Cast is available at all branches of Audio T.

Cyrus Hi-Fi products are available from the following branches of Audio T: Cardiff, Enfield, Manchester, Southampton, Swindon

The Innuos Phoenix USB Reclocker Is it Set To Rise Or Remain in the Ashes?

With the advent of streaming firmly cemented in the homes of countless music lovers, manufacturers everywhere are looking to improve the quality and capabilities of their products to keep up with the high resolution audio provided by the likes of Amazon Music and Tidal. But what if you didn't want to change your streamer? What options are actually out there? The answers are few and far between, but Innuos just might have something of interest.

Innuos developed the Phoenix by replicating technology found in their flagship model, the Statement, which retails around the £10k mark.

The Innuos Phoenix USB offers three separate components all in one sleek unit. A USB regenerator, a linear power supply (which means mains power is supplied to the transformer via input filtering and helps to eradicate mains-borne noise) and an external master clock with its own linear power supply.

How does it work? The Phoenix reclocker takes the USB signal from any source and completely regenerates it to an extremely high-precision signal to feed into your DAC by re-clocking it and allowing it to perform at its best. For those of you who aren't aware, re-clocking is a technique of rounding incoming data to match with generated clock signal from a new source, reducing random data jitter.

We were lucky enough to have the guys from Innuos visit us in the Portsmouth store with the pre-production model in hand, so we were quick to set it up and had a play. Whilst some products when added to an existing set-up make a subtle difference, the Phoenix is a powerhouse of change.

Personally I was shocked as to how much depth and detail the re-clocker was able to bring to what you assume is already a pristine digital sound. The first thing that really hit me was the effect it had on increasing the soundstage, not only in width but also height – Things got way bigger! Secondly, but arguably more important, was the change in clarity and separation in the music – you could really pinpoint each instrument in the mix. It also gave a depth of sound that was akin to making a 2D image 3D.

We demonstrated the Phoenix with several different streamers from different manufacturers at varying price ranges and found it made the same difference on each one.

I think that it's safe to say - Much like its namesake, the Phoenix is a thing of pure magic.

We'll hopefully be seeing stock of the Phoenix towards the end of February, but if you can't wait until then Innuos will be showing off this box of tricks at the Bristol Hi-Fi Show.

Brad, Nick and Joe - Audio T Portsmouth

Be sure to keep an eye on what’s happening in the Portsmouth store by following our Instagram and Facebook

Innuos products are available at all Audio T Stores.

The New Marantz PM7000N Music Streaming Amplifier At Audio T Swindon. Just Add Speakers

With the recently launched Marantz PM7000N, we now have a one-box Hi-Fi solution without compromise, that offers incredible value for money.​​

Any Hi-Fi enthusiast, whether a seasoned audiophile or someone just setting out on their Hi-Fi journey, will more than likely be acquainted with Marantz. Leaving aside the fact that the Marantz heritage is legend, and is doubtless worthy of a separate blog post, I am keen to focus on their current range of amplifiers; of which the PM7000N is the latest addition.

If you're considering your first Hi-Fi amplifier then a Marantz PM5005 will probably by very close to the top of your shortlist and one listen tells you the brand clearly has a winning formula. It's an enormously talented amp' and for such relatively small beer. Take a step up the ladder to the multi-award winning PM6006, which still continues to garner praise, particularly following its UK tuned edition, the SE, and you have two exceptional amplifiers for a very reasonable price. Equally, take a little look at the present range toppers, the PM10 integrated amplifier, and matching SA10 CD Player. A fine combination that will stand proud against any perceived competitor offering poise, power and control, and outstanding detail and dynamics; not to mention absolute bullet-proof build quality. And while not inexpensive, at literally a pound or two less than £14000, they make for an impeccable partnership that absolutely delights. But with all of that said, what is often easy to overlook is the consistency inherent throughout Marantz' range of amplifiers, particularly when step up from the PM6006 to the next in line, the PM8006.

At this price point your head can easily be turned by the likes of Naim's entry level offering, the Nait 5Si or the equally well regarded Rega Elex-R; both fine amps in their own right. Consequently the PM8006 is often overlooked in favour brands that open their ranges with pricer products. And I have always thought this is a shame as the PM8006 in my experience offers a little taste of the what a high-end equipment can do for your music. I've always found the PM8006 to offer a more mature and powerful sound than those below it; giving a clean and musical presentation, it's never bright, but it does bring the out finer detail. Instruments are resolved with greater realism and it offers a wonderfully deep soundstage, it’s an exceptional amplifier!

The reason for the preamble, is that a little bird tells me that the new Marantz PM700N Streaming Amplifier model is very much based on the PM8006, and in no small way either! There are subtle differences in the spec' sheet. The PM8006 is rated at 70w in to 8 Ohms, 100 into 4 Ohms, while the PM7000N offers 60w & 80w respectively. The PM7000N also includes both a newly designed pre-amplifier circuit and moving-magnet phono-stage, Marantz Current Feedback Amplification and their Hyper Dynamic Amplifier Modules, in this case the HDAM-SA3. It also includes a brand new DAC circuit built around Asahi Kasei AK4490 chip. In terms of inputs, while a perfect one box solution, the PM7000N has more than enough inputs anyone using multiple sources.

There are three line level inputs, plus the new MM Phono-stage. The inputs for the internal DAC include a single coax input, two optical connections and USB-A port for your PC and the DAC is capable up to PCM 24bit/192 and DSD 5.2 with the USB, coaxial and optical inputs. Naturally there is Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity and Denon and Marantz's propriety HEOS streaming platform. HEOS gives you access to Amazon Music, Spotify connect, Napster, Pandora, Tune-In and Tidal, to name just a few, and all can be controlled via the HEOS app', which is beautifully straight forward to navigate and the streamer also offers Apple AirPlay 2. There is also a handy feature that allows you to switch off the digital circuits such as the USB input, Bluetooth and & Wi-Fi to enhance analogue replay; particularly useful if your intending to indulge your record collection for an afternoon. ​​

With the tech-specs taken care of, what of course is most important, is how it sounds! Now my impressions are my own, but as with the other amplifiers mentioned in this blog I really do like it and my brief description to the PM8006 sound should give you a very clear indication of what you can expect from the PM7000N.

While assessing the sound, I paired it with both the Monitor Audio‘s Silver 200, to great effect, and with a pair if Spendor A4’s, which are quite a bit more expensive than the amplifier priced at £2400. While the Silver 200 and the A4's are clearly very different the speakers are able to deliver what the speaker designers intended because the amplifier is so well balanced. I won't say too much more about the sound, we all experience sound differently and we also have our personal preferences, but if you’re in the market for an new amplifier, upgrade or downsize or otherwise, the Marantz PM7000N Streaming Amplifier is absolutely worthy of an audition.​

Please contact the Audio T Swindon team and we will be happy to arrange a proper demonstration for you. Call Andy or Andrew on 01793 538222, we are always pleased to hear from you.

Marantz Hi-Fi products are available from all branches of Audio T:

The Arcam SA30 Wireless Streaming Integrated Room Correcting Amplifier At Audio T Swansea

Eagerly anticipated since Arcam told us about it in late 2019 (they do enjoy a good tease in Cambridge) the SA30 Intelligent Wireless Streaming Integrated Amplifier has finally washed up upon Swansea’s golden shore. (Yay!)

Armed to the teeth with the Network Audio Player from Arcam’s range of exciting and excellent-sounding AV amplifiers, plus that whale of a killer app; Dirac Live Room Correction.

The Arcam SA30 has the same handsome fascia and build of it’s junior siblings the SA10 and SA20, power output has been uprated to 130W into 8 Ohms (200W into 4 Ohms) This should be sufficient for most reasonably priced loudspeakers on the market. Supporting the extra hwyl* and gusto is an HDMI ARC input for your TV, four digital inputs, three line-level analogue ones and a phono stage capable of supporting moving magnet (MM) and moving coil (MC) cartridges.

For your added convenience, the handset is a learning model, full home automation integration is available via the RS232 socket and one can disable all digital functions by pressing the DIRECT button, turning the SA30 into a vanilla analogue amplifier - especially comforting when listening to your latest vinyl cuts.

The Arcam SA30 in currently running in our first floor music salon. Why not come down for a gander and fill your ears with sublime sounding music?

Noun: *hwyl (in Welsh use) a stirring feeling of emotional motivation and energy.

Thanks for reading and we look forward to welcoming you in store soon!

Arcam Hi-Fi products are available at the following branches of Audio T: Cardiff, Cheltenham, Enfield, Oxford, Southampton, Swansea, Swindon

Rega P3, 24 Volt Motor Upgrade At Audio T Oxford

This 30 year old Rega P3 was bought in with a failed motor. After discussing the various options with the client, it was agreed that it would be a good opportunity to replace the old motor with the new improved 24V version.

The new motor is far smoother running than the original and because vibration is the enemy of turntables, it results in a lower noise floor and gives greater detail and dynamics. We also replaced the standard belt with the high performance version for better pitch stability.

The old motor and circuit board, prior to removal.

New 24 volt motor and circuit board.

The previous motor has been removed. The new one is ready to be installed. There’s no margin for error when placing the new motor in place!

Nearly finished.

Protective cover in place.

Lubricating the bearing.

Lastly, before playing, we check the alignment and weight of the cartridge.

The finished turntable now sounds better than when it was first purchased. The customer loves it!

Servicing A Linn LP12 Turntable At Audio T Oxford

With the current resurgence of both vinyl and turntable sales, we now see many customers who want to rejuvenate their classic Linn or Rega turntables.

Recently we had a client wishing to get the most of his large record collection. He bought in his elderly, early 1990’s Linn LP12, for us to service.

We hope you might find the work that this entailed interesting.

Levelling the Linn jig. If this is not done correctly, you will never be able to set up the turntable.

Ready to start work. Base board removed.

Ensuring chassis bolts are completely vertical. This is vital for a correct setup.

Replacing the bearing oil.

Refitting the inner platter, using gloves to avoid fingerprints.

Checking on belt orientation.

Checking on tonearm collar fit and alignment. While the tonearm is out, we will check its bearings.

Setting the correct ‘bounce’. An LP12 should have a nice, pistonic bounce, with a steady, even decay.

Setting the speed, using a strobe.

Setting the correct weight for the cartridge.

Checking cartridge alignment.

The finished turntable, now playing at its optimum, with added pep, life and soul.

If you own a Linn, we can service and also advise on the numerous upgrades that are available to further boost the sound quality.

Retro And Fun JBL L100 Classic Loudspeakers At Audio T Cheltenham

Originally introduced in the Summer of 1970 the L100 was conceived as the domestic version of the L4310 Professional Studio Monitor and it soon became JBL’s biggest seller.

This new JBL L100 Classic looks very similar and indeed keeps the original styling with the distinctive Quadrex grille foam, but the boffins at JBL have done a turbo on basically everything to put this new version in the mix with the very best.

Thicker cabinets with better bracing than the original models and a brand new and bang up to date complement of top notch drive units to include a 1” titanium dome tweeter with soft surround and acoustic lens wave guide, a 5” Pure-Pulp cone mid range drive unit and a monster 12” cast frame White Pure-Pulp bass unit all in a bass reflex enclosure weighing a very chunky 27kg each and tuned via a single front firing port. The front panel also has high and mid-range L-Pad adjusters. These may come in useful for a little fine tweaking work depending on personal tastes and speaker positioning but we used them set to their flat position.

Now in this day and age where the majority of fashionable loudspeakers tend to be tall and slim and come in all sorts of shiny piano lacquers, these JBL’s are quite a lot wider than they are deep, making them about as trendy as professing to be a Marillion fan. But then what do the fashionistas know about good taste anyhow. By dismissing Marillion they would be missing out on some of the loveliest music produced by a band in recent times and by dismissing these JBL’s they would be missing a loudspeaker that is loaded with fun. Accurate? …… Possibly not as accurate as the B&W’s, KEF’s and many others I could mention, but who cares about accurate when you can have this much fun? They are wonderfully animated with amazing dynamics and a real and palpable sense of authority. I played the track Eyes Of The World from the new live Grateful Dead album Saint Of Circumstance and they were digging out the most joyous of basslines and made the whole song take off within a soundstage bigger than most speakers can only dream of.

This album really gives those 12 inch pulp drivers a work out!

Prospective purchasers have the choice of walnut , walnut or walnut for the cabinet finishes but then you can choose between orange, blue or black for the grille foam colour to complete that real retro look.

They proved very easy to accommodate position wise in our demo room on the supplied JBL stands, which gets the speaker up off the ground and angles it back slightly. This helps with the time alignment of the mid and high frequencies, which will manifest itself as an improvement in clarity and detail. We had them working really well about 50 cm away from the rear wall and angled in slightly.

They proved to be a very moreish listen, making us want to try lots of music of many different genres one after another and they were not fazed by any of them. If you are into something that goes against the grain a little and offers up a charismatic alternative to many of today’s samey and some would say, boring speaker designs then give us a call and bring in a pile of your favourite music and have some fun……..we do! We also make great cup of tea or coffee and have some nice biscuits too!

Thanks lots for reading, Andy, Jon and Farid.

The JBL L100 Classic loudspeakers are only available at Audio T Cheltenham

Acoustic Energy AE300 Series Arrives At Audio T Cardiff

With a gap in our shelves we set out on the hunt for a new pair of speakers to fill out our repertoire…

After reading and hearing glowing reviews of Acoustic Energy loudspeakers, we thought we’d have a listen to their AE309s that they kindly brought down for demonstration. The design is elegant, simple and most importantly sounds great, we were sold from a single listening session and had them on order immediately. The delivery times were brilliant and we had them on our hands right away, a pair of AE309s and AE300s both in walnut.

As metal domed speakers go I am usually a skeptic but Acoustic Energy now have me convinced that it can be done right with their aluminum domed tweeters.

There was still some of the sibilance that I attributed to the metal cones but as they wore in and when I replaced the NACA5 speaker cable with Chord it disappeared and became incredibly musical. What worries I had were simply washed away with the depth of bass and clarity of treble, I find myself quite literally hearing detail I have never before heard. I have to sometimes remind myself that these are a £1100 speaker and to stop comparing them to others way above their price range!

They have a forward sound much like Bowers & Wilkins, so if that doesn’t appeal to you then I would suggest listening to Dali or Spendor as an alternative. In comparing them to other metal dome loudspeakers in a similar price range, I’m surprised to find that I prefer the AE309s in many ways, they are great value for money for their size and are far less fussy about placement.

The Acoustic Energy 300 series have a few quirks that make them interesting, a rectangular rear port which reduces the affect of the rear wall (we had our placed about 30cm away), opposing rounded edges to reduce the number of veneer sheets used and a bottom weighted cabinet to improve stability and cabinet resonance. The 300s come paired with their own stands with a stylistic walnut stripe down the front and a solid design.

If any of my waffle resonates with you then feel free to come down to our Cardiff store and try them for yourself! They are a very refreshing take on the ‘modern’ speaker sound that might convince even the most old school of Hi-Fi enthusiasts.

Thanks for reading, Hefin, Nick and Kerrin.

Acoustic Energy loudspeakers are available from the following branches of Audio T: Bristol, Cardiff, Cheltenham, Enfield, Online, Oxford, Portsmouth, Reading, Swansea, Swindon

Much Anticipated Arcam SA30 Wireless Streaming Amplifier Arrives At Audio T Southampton!

We have been eagerly awaiting the arrival of the new top of the range Arcam SA30 wireless streaming integrated amplifier for some time. It’s definitely been well worth the long wait!

The attractive full width casework is barely taller than Arcam’s SA10 and SA20, and no deeper, but packs a hefty punch at 120W per channel into 8 ohm and a massive 220W into 4 ohm speakers. The features list is very comprehensive too. Musical performance is always the priority for Arcam but this is by no means a minimalist product and it’s great to be able to offer a British designed amplifier which ticks so many feature boxes without compromising sound quality.

The five analogue inputs include a phono input which is, unusually, switchable for moving coil (MC) as well as moving magnet (MM). Four digital inputs (2 optical, 2 coaxial) feed the integral 32 bit Sabre DAC. There’s also an ARC input for TV sound via HDMI and the SA30 is a uPnP wireless streamer incorporating GoogleCast and AirPlay 2 as well as being a Roon endpoint.

Like Arcam’s AV receivers, the SA30 wireless streaming amplifier is equipped with Dirac loudspeaker set up and room equalisation, enabling tailoring to speaker characteristics and removal of adverse resonant room frequencies. Individual Dirac Live curves can even be stored for different inputs. A calibration microphone is supplied for use with a PC or MAC to set up Dirac.

The Arcam SA30 wireless streaming integrated amplifier is a great addition to our range of stereo amplifiers in store, with a stunning set of features and very impressive power output. We can’t wait to put it through its paces!

Check back later to see how SA30 performs in our dem room, or call to arrange a listen or just pop in and see us at Audio T Southampton (Chandlers Ford).

See you soon,

Alan, John and Wayne

Arcam Hi-Fi products are available at the following branches of Audio T: Cardiff, Cheltenham, Enfield, Oxford, Southampton, Swansea, Swindon

New Rega Aethos Amplifier At Audio T Oxford

We first saw the Rega Aethos integrated amplifier at our Bristol Show in 2019. There had been a lot of talk for sometime, about a Rega amplifier that would be priced to sit between the existing Elicit and Osiris models. It was purely there as a visual exhibit and not for demonstration.

I was immediately impressed by both the styling and build quality. I can never resist seeing how heavy products are, as I (sometimes erroneously) equate weight with quality. This thing weighed a ton. I was then told that it had no transformer inside! How heavy must it be with one? The answer, is nearly eighteen kilos!

After a long wait (or heavy weight), the Aethos amplifier is now available and we have a demonstration unit in store for you to listen to.

So, what is it like?

This thing is a beast of an amplifier, far more powerful than the quoted 125 wpc would suggest. I doubt there are many loudspeakers out there that it cannot drive, easily. It is enormous fun to listen to: capable of tremendous bass and punch and yet agile and delicate when required. A truly enjoyable listen, that really grabs you on an emotional level.

If you are a headphone user, you are in for a treat! Rega have gone to town on this feature and it is better than many, not inexpensive headphone amplifiers that I have tried. Maybe it is so good so as to justify the omission of a phono pre amplifier? Rega’s logic is that; if you have an Aethos, you would probably partner it with a Rega Planar 6 (or above) turntable and that turntable would most likely be fitted with a moving coil cartridge. I suspect also, that it would also be quite difficult to implement a decent phono stage satisfactorily, inside the casework.

If you would like to hear this phenomenal Rega amplifier, please get in touch with at Audio T Oxford.

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

Naim 500 Series Now On Demonstration at Audio T Brighton

The legendary Naim NAC552 DR pre-amplifier and NAP500 DR power amplfiier are back on demonstration in Brighton alongside the outrageously good range topping ND555 network player and 555 DR power supply.

Our in store big system is really coming together now and will be joined soon by a pair of loudspeakers to complement the substantial performance on hand, but in the meantime the ATC SCM40 are doing sterling service, and have been ‘woken up’

The Rega Planar 10 and Linn Klimax LP12 turntables are on hand for record playing duties.

Streamed music played on the ND555 network music streamer comes from CD’s ripped on the Naim Uniti Core music server for best results and streamed from the internet for convenience and huge choice, with great quality too. The ND555 allows the music to flow with astonishing ease and engaging musicality. A cutting edge design in so many ways.

Rather beautiful inside and out!

The NAC552 DR pre-amplifier has proved itself time and again over the years for its ‘fundamental rightness’ and substance, with a real sense of texture and body to instruments and sounds.

The NAP500 DR power amplifier could be described as a gentle giant. It benefits from the transistors and and high power Discreet Regulators developed as part of the Naim Statement project. An amplifier of speed and agility along with great power and finesse.

The attention to detail through the design and manufacture is extraordinary and the results speak for themselves. The power supplies are housed separately from the more sensitive circuitry in each 500 series component.

The Naim Super Lumina cable range developed alongside the Statement amplifier will bring more to the 500 system than the already very good cables supplied with the products.

The Naim 500 Series is aspirational for many and with the Naim Statement amplifier beyond the grasp of all but the fortunate few, we urge you to arrange a visit and bring some music with you to spend a little while enjoying what this fabulous equipment can do for your music.

Visit us at Audio T Brighton or ring 01273 609431 or email brighton@audio-t.co.uk to explore Naim equipment.

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

Linn Training In Glasgow For Audio T Linn Dealer Staff

On a sunny but cold November morning, a number of Audio T staff arrived at the beautifully landscaped Linn factory. It is set into a hill in a very picturesque suburb of Glasgow, called Eaglesham.

The purpose of the trip was two fold: Firstly; to have a look around their very impressive factory. It has to be said that the people at Linn are true engineers. Secondly; To train some (and refresh the rest of us), with the skills needed to either build or service the legendary Linn LP12 turntable.

Contrary to some opinions out there, no special mystical or magical skills are required. As mentioned previously, Linn are an engineering company, with a passion for both music and the best means of reproducing that music.

The LP12 is a precision made machine, and a rather wonderful one at that! What is required to get the best out of this turntable, is a fully trained skill set along with the correct tools and equipment. Something that we have in Oxford and most of the other Audio T stores.

If you would like your Linn updated or serviced, or if you would like to listen to the latest incarnation of this classic turntable, please feel free to either call or email us and we will be delighted to help.

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

New Flagship Acoustic Energy AE500 Series Loudspeakers At Audio T Bristol

This is not some "Holier than thou" new composite Unobtanium, forged in Mordor creation. This is a speaker that elevates performances in a really engaging way.

Based in Cirencester in the Cotswolds, Acoustic Energy have been around for over 30 years and are highly respected in the professional music industry, producing the highly regarded AE 1 Active and renowned by the Hi-Fi press for the original AE 100. They always seem to make a speaker that punches above it’s weight, puts a smile on your face and yet looks and feels very unstated.

The new AE500 series continues the tradition, currently comprises two models, AE500 standmount and the AE509 floor-stander. Both feature the brand new 25mm dome tweeter and 125mm mid/bass drivers with carbon fibre cone.

Until the end of December Acoustic Energy are offering 25% OFF a new pair of AE 100 / 300 or 500 series when you trade in your old loudspeakers.

Everything from the ground up has been redesigned to work with the new carbon fibre cones - beautiful woven to be stronger, lighter and faster responding to acoustic load than aluminium or paper. The lens surround of all the drivers has been redesigned and are closer together to cast a 170 degree even sound dispersion, most noticeable on the tweeter lens, softly embedded in the cabinet.

Talking of cabinets, the finish comes in Piano Gloss White, Piano Gloss Black and American Walnut veneer with three of the twelve edges with a bevelled curved edge. Personally, I prefer the rustic feel of the walnut wood, which also suits the slim cabinet design . Acoustically, this is the same cabinet construction as their reference series using new Resonance Suppression Composite to reduce cabinet acoustic sound radiation.

The rear firing bass slot, I found is a lot faster, direct sounding with low frequencies being less breathy. The slot design seems to be less sensitive to wall proximity, which increases the speakers placement possibilities.

The internal tuning of the floorstanders is a whittling craft of baffle placement and internally machined port. Lots of loudspeaker manufacturers prefer to handle issues of internal cabinet resonance by manipulating crossover frequencies. AE prefers to keep the crossover neutral at around 4kHz. The standing wave frequency resonances are handled by a hole in the mid-placed horizontal baffle that is tuned by altering the diameter, micrometre by micrometre until a standing wave cancels out the cabinet resonance.

The floorstanders come with these elegantly machined plates with spikes making fine adjustments to positioning easier than the usual mounting underneath. This also means that the speaker has a lower centre of gravity and feels better grounded for its slim design.

For testing, we connected the 500s to Naim's new Supernait 3 using Naim's NDX5 for streaming Qobuz (Audio T Bristol playlistl) content. I suspected that this combination would sound overly bright with squeaky clean dynamics - a clinical examination resulting in a Coroner’s report that the Music died of unnatural causes!

I couldn’t have been more wrong. These speakers are exquisite sounding. Regardless of genre, this series has an uncanny ability of producing a clean, dynamic sound, effortless stereo sound stage and an engaging listen without being overly detailed or fatiguing. Female vocals soar, orchestral classical pieces a new level of detail and very involving performance.

Head to Audio T Bristol and audition the AE500 or AE509. Until the end of December Acoustic Energy are offering 25% OFF a new pair of AE 100 / 300 or 500 series when you trade in your old loudspeakers.

Acoustic Energy Loudspeakers are available from the following branches of Audio T: Bristol, Cheltenham, Enfield, Online, Portsmouth, Reading, Swindon

A Couple Of Modern Classics! Wharfedale Linton 85th Anniversary Loudspeakers

Right then …..it’s that time of year for a bit of taking stock on what has gone before and the traditional end of year poll. I will keep this one nice and simple. It consists of my own personal favourite loudspeaker of the year and my own personal favourite album of the year.

Firstly and probably most importantly, by far and away the best album of the year is a little thing by the band Lost Crowns called Every Night Something Happens. This is one of those mind bending prog/jazz/psychedelic things that comes along once in a while and really gets your brain cells tingling.

Great music with great artwork. There are connections here with Cardiacs and Knifeworld but the songs are so much better than both of these bands. Great lyrics and wild complex rhythms bounce around and off each other bringing to mind prime time Frank Zappa and Cardiacs at their most gymnastic time signature shifting best and then add a dose of Anglagard prog rock thuggery then you end up with this aural jacuzzi for the brain. May even be album of the decade…….WOW!

The band Lost Crowns. How can a band who look this great not be good!

Now then. How about a great pair of loudspeakers to help make sense of all this prog rockery? Well try the new Wharfedale Linton 85th Anniversary loudspeakers. Retro beauty mixed with ultra modern drive unit and cross-over technology.

This is a design that is at once ultra revealing but at the same time ultra musical. Kinda the Holy Grail of speaker design. This results in one of those very rare designs these days that is both audiophile AND fun! So many manufacturers can do one or the other but somehow manage to forget to do both!

Boasting high-tech Kevlar constructed mid and bass drivers and a textile soft dome tweeter each housed in their own internal enclosure. The Peter Comeau designed cross-over is as close to inaudible as is possible to get which means that the drive units operate seamlessly. This means that they can image as well as anything and conjure up a depth of image that very few can manage regardless of price. This is just the perfect pair of speakers to play music like Lost Crowns through. The complex rhythms shift off and around each other bouncing along infectiously and conveying beautifully both the really dark musical moments and the humour within the lyrics.

The stands double up as great record storage too. When driven by a competent amplifier they truly disappear and the music is left hanging in the air in front of you. We love them and we think that you will too.

Come in to the Cheltenham store for a no obligation demo …..just remember to bring in some of your own favourite music and we will do the refreshments.

Wharfedale Linton 85th Anniversary loudspeakers are available at the Audio T Cheltenham.

Just contact Andy (blogger), Jon or Farid to arrange a personal demonstration,

New REL S/812 And S/510 Subwoofers Thunder Into Audio T Manchester.

Audio T Manchester are proud stock the brand spanking new S Series subwoofers from REL Acoustics.

No End to the Low End

The new REL S/812 medium chassis subwoofer is dressed to kill with devastating levels of power. REL have upped the power of the previous S range and added an elegance and design not seen in the S range before.

A Pair of Ace of Bases

The REL S/510 follows the same suit but with smaller footprint.

Both the 812 and 510 have amplifiers that offer extra headroom over the quoted power, and as a result, even though the 812 is rated at 800 watts it could easily manage 1000 watts in short bursts.

These are also the first medium chassis REL’s designed to be stackable, yessss, up to three (3) units high per side.

Special fixtures and (included) metal plates allow these models to be stacked up to three-high safely and remain locked together. It will give our customers a chance to own REL line arrays for half the price of the Reference Line Arrays.

The 510 also has the NextGen3 amplifier from the previous outgoing flagship from the S range and now features a full 500 watt monoblock design.

Addicted to Base

The uniquely tuned passive radiators use special suspensions, now with an additional 30mm of linear travel, to produce performance far beyond conventional subwoofers.The new SuperProgressive™ passive radiator produces extremely long travel allowing for very loud output while retaining the variable stiffness of its suspension. This allows it to act like a sealed box compact 12” design at low volume and a high output 14” design at its limit.

Bass in the Place

All about the Bass

Thunderbolts and Lightning, very very frightening

At 800 watts the NextGen5 amplifier in the REL S/812 is borrowed from the reference models and rocks huge reservoirs of power and current. The 45% increase in power (previous version was 500 watts) is needed to deliver both the insane output levels needed for modern home cinema, as well as to produce the deepest bass in a high end 2-channel system. This increase in power is the result of an all-new circuit termed PerfectFilter™ that balances both frequency extremes.

PerfectFilter performs two seemingly disparate qualities; extending the strong, even response of the extreme low end of bass frequencies while simultaneously opening up air and delicacy in the middle and high frequencies of a system. Additionally, the applied customised PureTheatre™ filters allow the S/812 to deliver the most awe-inspiring home cinema effects ever offered in a classic REL.

So Much Rumble, It’ll Make Your House Crumble.

Tick, Tick,Tick, Tick….Booom!!

Yes, yes and yes…you can stack the S/series.

Our S/812 and S/510 are on demonstration at the Manchester store. and you’re welcome to come along and listen to ours.

James, Munir, Mike, Dave and Haden will be here to help.

We hope to see you soon!

REL Subwoofers are available from the following branches of Audio T: Brighton, Bristol, Cheltenham, Enfield, Manchester, Oxford, Portsmouth, Southampton, Swansea, Swindon

Soundboard Music Awards A Great Success!

Celebrating 50 years of Music in Swansea, the Soundboard Magazine Music awards recently took place at the National Waterfont Museum in Swansea.

Soundboard Magazine celebrates original music and art across South Wales and promotes original music; past, present and future!

The awards recognise the best in Music, Live Music and Venues and Audio T were very pleased to be able to sponsor the award for “Best Single”.

An amazing line up of music started with the Fiddlesticks String Orchestra before the ceremony got under way., followed by Steve Balsamo.

On to the awards… We were very pleased to present the Award for Best Single to Who’s Molly? for “Until I Found You” Who also won awards for Best Band and Best Live act!

Mike Kennedy of Soundboard Magazine, Who’s Molly? and our very own Nic Forbes.

The next band to play was “The Stray Pursuit”, a fantastic group of young lads that have only been together for a year or so and deservedly won the award for “Best New Act.

The evening was finished by a solo acoustic performance from Who’s Molly?

The winners…….

We would very much like to thank Mike Kennedy and all at Soundboard Magazine for giving us the opportunity to support such a wonderful evening and very much look forward to next year’s event!

Pictures courtesy of @HELENLOUISEBANHAMPHOTOGRAPHY