Audio T Cheltenham and That Double Sub Thing!

/ Audio T Cheltenham/

After my last blog on the rather lovely Advance Paris X-CD9 Compact Disc spinner, I found myself with an afternoon to kill and the urge to experiment. I had already setup the aforementioned valve CD player in the demo room, which I partnered with the equally delightful Advance Paris X-i75 amplifier and some rather great sounding Acoustic Energy AE500 loudspeakers sat upon the visually striking Solid Steel SS6 speaker stands. What happened next took my breath away!

I added two REL T5x subwoofers just to see what would happen…

the system in all its glory

Pushing Boundaries

I am all for trying to push the boundaries of performance versus cash outlay when choosing a hi-fi system. This little experiment involves the underused practice of installing double subs. Yes! You read that right! Two subs… one for the bass on the left channel and one for the bass on the right channel.

The CD and amp

Hocus Pocus

Now the boffins at REL will feed you all sorts of scientific malarkey about pressuring the room and how the addition of double subwoofers will not only improve the deep bass but will also make the mid band open up and spookily will even make that top end sound sweeter and more succinctly detailed. I never used to believe this hocus pocus witchcraftery, but recently I have seen the light and become a bit of a convert.

It’s all down to fixing what’s going on down low so that all the harmonics are able to rise.

Stage Right Rel T5x and Acoustic energy ae500

Get The Balance Right

Experimentation with positioning was important. With the subs too far apart and close to the corners of the room the bass was all woolly and indistinct with a hole in the middle. With the subs placed near to and just to the outside of the speakers the soundstage really snapped into life. Careful dialling in of the crossover point and volume was necessary too, but it didn’t take too long to find the ideal settings to seamlessly integrate with the AE500.

stage left same again

Plugs And Wires

Wiring this system was simple. The REL subwoofers are supplied with all the necessary cables. The yellow and red cables are twisted together and connect in to the positive binding post and the black cable connects to the negative binding post. This process is repeated for the other channel. The left and right speakers are plugged in to the binding posts with the banana plugs on the ends of the speaker cables. The picture below will make this clear!

How to wire up two subwoofers at the same time

The First Rule Of Double Sub Club

Rule number one when using subwoofers for music replay in a stereo system is that they absolutely must be fed a signal from the loudspeaker outputs of the amplifier. If this does not happen then subs and speakers will be getting their signal from different places and will be significantly out of phase with each other to the degree that they will never be able to provide a cohesive signal.

what goes on underneath

Everything I played on this lovely little system sounded amazing!

REL are right. The little details at the top end become sweeter and more extended and are easier to hear against the background. The mid band becomes deeper and wider almost like the walls of the demo room are not there and music comes at you from three dimensional space.

Semi Permeable Men-Brain

The album that astounded me the most on the double sub system was the first album by Prog rock monsters, Diagonal. Released in 2006 this one is the first of four albums all of which merit investigation.

The first Diagonal album

Information about Diagonal is hard to come by. They don’t seem to have a website and their Facebook page just directs you to their record company’s page on Bandcamp. Spotify’s “About” box simply says, “English Progressive Rock/Psych band – originally from Brighton”. Google hits are all about the line joining the opposite corners of a rectangle or the “diagonal band of Broca”, which Wikipedia says is “one of the basal forebrain structures that are derived from the ventral telencephalon during development”. Not very helpful.

Diagonal....look 'em up they are wonderful

The song that benefited the most from this system set up was the first track, intriguingly titled Semi Permeable Men-Brain, a ten minute long 21st century schizoid jerk off apocalypse with more weird time signature changes than even the Guards Of Magog could summon down from the skies. This track is a no compromise full on prog/psyche wig out of the highest quality and this system made it sound so huge that you could just fall in to the soundstage and fly away!

The Bit At The End

As you can tell I kinda quite like this system and I think that you might too. If your interest has been piqued even just a tiny bit then pop in or give us a call and arrange a listen for yourself. The kettle is always on and we usually have biscuits too!

Many thanks for reading Andy, Jon and Farid -

Audio T Cheltenham Store.

If you have any questions about any of the equipment featured in this article, or any other Hi-Fi or home cinema enquiries, be sure to Contact Us.

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

Advance Paris, Acoustic Energy and Solid Steel and REL can be found at the following Audio T stores

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

/ Audio T Bristol/

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

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

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

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

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

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

Justin - Audio T Bristol (2024)

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

Introducing the Rega Nd3

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

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

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

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

Testing and listening

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

System:

Records:

  • 9 Airs by Leif

  • Mezzaine by Massive Attack

  • When Jah Shall Come by Various Artists on Pressure Records

  • Night Train by Ocar Peterson Trio.

Method

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Thank you for reading,

Justin, James & Max - Audio T Bristol

If you have any questions about any of the equipment featured in this article, or any other Hi-Fi or home cinema enquiries, be sure to Contact Us.

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

*All prices, credit terms and interest rates quoted are correct at the time of going to press but may be subject to change. E&OE

Stand aside Olympics, Paris has its own champion! The X-i50BT

/ Audio T Manchester/

Introducing the Advance Paris X-i50BT

Is it new?

New Hi-Fi manufacturers are few and far between these days, so when one arrives with a range as extensive as the one Advance Paris has to offer, you have to stick your head above the parapet and take a look.

However, Advance Paris isn't exactly new. First created in 1995 to cater for the French market only, Advance Paris extended their range extensively in 2004 with an integrated amplifier and electronic components. Wanting to break free of their home market they expanded into a least 40 other countries in 2005.

Audio T Advances to Paris.

Today, Audio T has a near exclusive on Advance Paris products which range from streamers to valve amplifiers to all in one amp/streamers and CD players, the latter of which is resurgent in today's market.

Here at Manchester we are taking a look at the new Xi-50BT

It's an integrated amplifier that has Bluetooth and a phono input and utilises class A type technology, which basically runs at higher temps but offers excellent sound quality.

The first reaction to the Xi-50BT is the styling, Advance Paris are using perspex for the front fascia and a formed steel construction for the case work. Which looks and feels elegant and solid. Good start.

Around the back

The X-i50BT has what you could reasonably call a fair selection of analogue inputs, which include a turntable input. I can't imagine anyone being left wanting for more inputs in the analogue domain.

From a digital angle, the supplied Bluetooth aerial screws into the back and enables communication with smart devices, opening up endless possibilities for visitors to your home wanting to play their own music on your system.

Next up is the USB input, which in this instance, keeps things simple with offering MP3 playback. So if you've got a collection of USB sticks with MP3s on them which you may use in the car, you can stick them in the back of X-i50 as well.

And at the front

Conveniently, the X-i50 has a chrome volume dial which also operates as a multifunction jog wheel, this lets you access tone controls and a loudness feature, as well as cycling through the inputs. Also, the white glow from the back light on the dial against the black perspex fascia adds a premium look to the unit.

The testing

We put our unit through its paces by pairing it with the new WiiM Ultra streamer, a pair of Dynaudio Emit 10 sat on the Atacama Nexxus speaker stands.

Our playlist consisted of German electro/techno maestro Robag Wruhme, some instrumental ambience from Contours, an old school Manchester jazz collective, The Cinematic Orchestra and a little bit of classic funk from Parliament.

What's the consensus mon ami

Well, very good indeed! £500* gets you an amp that happily drives a pair of hefty speakers with aplomb. In general, the sound was detailed and engaging. The high bias mode helped for lower volume listening and across all our playlist the sound filled our demo room with ease.

The electro from Robag Wruhme was pacey, no flabbiness in the bass. The Contours “Elevation” album sounded airy and open. And George Clinton sounded like, well, George Clinton.

Are there other amps around the same price that sound as good? Well, there is a small selection in the same price bracket that either sound very different in terms of playback quality or have a fraction of the connectivity available. However, other integrated amps around the same price, beware!! we have a new kid on the block, and the X-i50BT means business!

But don’t just take our word for it. Contact your nearest Audio T today to book a demonstration.

Thanks for reading.

Munir

If you have any questions about any of the equipment featured in this article, or any other Hi-Fi or home cinema enquiries, be sure to Contact Us.

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

*All prices, credit terms and interest rates quoted are correct at the time of going to press but may be subject to change. E&OE

It’s a wild card from Sonos! A Look at the Sonos Ace Headphones

/ Audio T Southampton/

Greetings fellow music lovers, and welcome to another article from Audio T Southampton. I’m once again delving into the world of headphones and this time taking a look at the brand new Sonos Ace.

As I'm sure many of you will be aware, Sonos is one of the leading brands when it comes to consumer level multi-room wireless systems, wherein you can do anything from creating a fully wireless surround sound system in your living room, multiroom playback via multiple devices or kitting out your garden with the aid of simple-yet-elegant weatherproof speakers. Sonos offer a range of solutions from soundbars to ceiling speakers. And with the inclusion of their first ever pair of headphones, you can now take your night-time listening to a whole new (and more personal) level.

Out of the box…

When I first saw these headphones announced, quite frankly I didn't know what to expect. Knowing who Sonos are, it was intriguing to me as to how they would incorporate such a personal listening experience into their portfolio of multi-room systems. At a reasonable £449*, they have simply blown me away both with their quality and comfort.

Fitting quite snugly on my head and never threatening to fall off when I walk around, thanks to the stainless steel headband which smoothly extends and stays securely in place. Inside the ear cup is an innovative mechanism which allows for precise adjustment to equalise pressure and create an exceptional acoustic seal.

Features

After perusing the included user guide and getting a better understanding of how these headphones work, I discovered that they have a feature called “Aware Mode” - An intelligent form of ANC that lets certain sound frequencies through the noise cancelling element, so you can keep an ear out for oncoming traffic or emergency service sirens. Making them the perfect option for listening to your music on the move.

Something else that the Ace incorporate is the “Wear Detection” feature. This is becoming more of a commonplace attribute with most ANC Bluetooth headphones - Everytime you take the headphones off perhaps to make conversation with someone or to complete a transaction at a store, your music will stop instantly, and will start again as soon as the headphones sit comfortably on your ears. Meaning you won't miss a single second of your favourite tracks whilst on your day-to-day business.

I don’t know about you, but one of my biggest gripes with wireless headphones is going to use them and realising that you haven’t put them on charge and the battery is completely flat! Well, with the Sonos Ace Rapid Charging, you can go from 0% to 3 hours of playback with just 3 minutes on charge. That being said, Sonos boasts a staggering 30 hour playback on one full charge (3 hours), so it might be a while before you need to worry.

Performance

Now onto the sound of the headphones themselves…

I have to say I was very pleased their performance. With a modern design that is sleek and minimalistic, the audio playback offers a clean and full bodied low-end, with a crisp and clear mid-range that allows vocals to be beautifully presented through the music.

They are truly amazing to listen to and wear. The Sonos Ace were more than capable in reproducing everything I listened to. From the softest of acoustic tracks, through to electronic and heavy rock music, not once did I wince at any dissonance!

Now, to discuss a key feature of these headphones that I thought I’d save until now; Dolby Atmos mode. I have to say this feature felt quite unique and perfect for television and film viewers who want the cinema experience without disturbing anyone else in the home.

Adding the Ace headphones to your Sonos ecosystem via the dedicated app allows you to connect to the Sonos Arc soundbar and seamlessly takeover the audio in the push of a button. However, recreating that surround sound experience isn’t easy. Especially when you factor in that your head doesn’t stay perfectly still when you’re watching the latest blockbuster.

Sonos have created a uniquely interactive system which immerses you in a three-dimensional soundstage using dynamic head tracking. This innovative feature traces the smallest movement in your head and adapts the sound to keep you centred in every scene.

Hearing the audio seamlessly shift from one side to the other made me feel like I was at the cinema, all the while without disturbing any sleeping house guests. It is worth noting that this feature requires a compatible Sonos soundbar to create the spatial audio possible.

Conclusion

As a stand-alone set of headphones, the Sonos Ace perform above and beyond their price point. Offering exceptional comfort and practical features that are perfect for the music lover on the go. I can imagine that these would be a commuters dream!

Whilst I think everyone could take enjoyment from the Sonos Ace, I think it’s safe to say that these headphones really shine as part of a Sonos ecosystem. So if you’re a Sonos user, this might very well be the next purchase for you.

And with that, I can safely say that this review on the Sonos Ace headphones is complete! If you’re interested in demonstrating these for yourself, be sure to contact your local Audio T.

Thank you for reading,

Tiago - Audio T Southampton.

If you have any questions about any of the equipment featured in this article, or any other Hi-Fi or home cinema enquiries, be sure to Contact Us.

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

*All prices, credit terms and interest rates quoted are correct at the time of going to press but may be subject to change. E&OE

Advance Paris PlayStream A1 Connected Integrated Amplifier: All for one and one for all.

/ Audio T Oxford/

PlayStream A1

Advance Paris may be an unfamiliar name to many despite the fact they have been around for nearly thirty years. Over this period they have grown from initially supplying their home territory in France, to now exporting to over forty countries and now to Audio T.

Aiming to produce high end audio at affordable prices, their product range encompasses: streamers, integrated and pre-power amplification, speakers (active and passive), CD players, CD transports, valve hybrid products, mini systems and WiFi/ Bluetooth accessories. Today, we’ll be looking at the PlayStream A1…

Introduction

There are three models in the PlayStream lineup (A7 / A5 / A1) of which the A1 is the most affordable. The PlayStream A1 HDMI is a connected integrated amplifier. Rated at 2x52W/6Ω in Class AB, the A1 has been designed with the ultimate goal of satisfying the discerning audiophile. It is an incredibly well appointed product, the list of its connection capabilities is a long one:

  • Wired or wireless streaming.

  • Digital inputs including USB

  • Analogue inputs.

  • Optical and coaxial digital inputs.

  • Phono (MM) input.

  • HDMI ARC.

  • Bluetooth.

  • Airplay.

  • Headphone

Design and technology

Of an all metal construction with a brushed black facia, the Playstream sports the look of a premium design. The LED display is blue and is relatively unobtrusive, it gives it a classy appearance and the blue illumination is a strong visual identifier for all Advance Paris products. The controls are metal which feel lovely to the touch.

With its impressive 52W per channel class AB amplification, it should be capable of driving most of speakers to reasonable levels quite happily.

Control

App

Although supplied with a remote control, the majority of end users are most likely to use the Advance Paris App. Streaming products can become a nightmare to use if the App is not intuitive and robust. The Advance Paris Advance PlayStream App is very, very similar to that found on WiiM (pronounced “Weem” in case you were wondering) products and is equally excellent; clear, easy to use and responsive.

Sound quality.

Plugging in a Rega Planar 3 and a pair of Acoustic Energy AE 309, the bulk of the listening was via Qobuz using the onboard decoding (most of the other major streaming services are also available).

Powering up the rather lovely illuminated power button I searched for ‘True Love Ways’ by Buddy Holly (from the original master hits). This exhibited an excellent mid range purity, The A1 is musically articulate, open and transparent.

Another of my ‘go to tracks’ is ‘Collage’ by Lady Blackbird; this highlighting the agile, tight clean bass along with a smooth treble and excellent sound staging.

The overall sonic signature is neutral and non fatiguing, which I think even the most discerning listeners will enjoy.

Running the Rega Planar 3 directly in to the phono input, I was very pleasantly surprised with the result. So many amplifier’s supplied phono stages seem to be a bit of an afterthought these days, but not this one. A spin of Yello’s ‘La Habanera’ from the One Second Album; was smoother than that of the Qobuz rendition of the same track. This is by no means a shabby performer and it is an engaging listen.

In conclusion

The Advance Paris PlayStream A1 represents phenomenal value for money. It is a “French Swiss Army Knife” of a product. It lacks for nothing.

For those looking for a complete home entertainment package that is sonically absolutely leagues ahead of even the most premium of soundbars, or for those customers who would like an excellent sounding amplifier, with all of the connectivity that they could possibly hope for (both wired and wireless), without blowing the budget, then this product is the perfect choice.

Advance Paris is now available in all Audio T stores, so expect to see more from us on these guys.

Thank you for reading.

Rob & Jon - Audio T Oxford

If you have any questions about any of the equipment featured in this article, or any other Hi-Fi or home cinema enquiries, be sure to Contact Us.

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

Introducing the Advance Paris Playstream A5

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Caractéristiques

(Features)

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

Écoute à la musique

(Listen to music)

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

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

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

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

Comparaison

(Comparison - That one was pretty obvious!)

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

Finale

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

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

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

Merci de lire ce que nous écrivons

(Thank you for reading what we write)

Justin - Audio T Bristol

If you have any questions about any of the equipment featured in this article, or any other Hi-Fi or home cinema enquiries, be sure to Contact Us.

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

Say 'Bonjour!' to the X-P700 Preamp & X-A160EVO Power Amp from Advance Paris!

/ Audio T Southampton/

At Audio T Southampton we’ve been eagerly anticipating the arrival of a number of products from Advance Paris. Amongst many new toys that we have booted up and played with since their arrival are the X-P700 preamplifier and the X-A160 EVO power amplifier. So without further ado, let's dive in…

When the pre and power amp were delivered, they were immediately put to use in driving a pair of Acoustic Energy Corinium speakers in the striking British Racing Green. We were pleasantly surprised with the sound straight out of the box. Even without time to run in the equipment, it was apparent that the synergy with the speakers was one to be savoured, utilising the Corinium’s natural warmth and their own inherent clean and warm signature sound to produce a wide and natural soundstage and sound, almost making the speakers disappear completely!

The Advance Paris X-P700 (Right) and the X-A160EVO (left)

Now you might expect these items, especially with what I described above, to be rather costly, however this is thankfully not the case. Each unit costs a modest £1,500*, meaning that you can have a separate pre and power system for a fraction of what you thought it would cost! And asides from the affordable price points, the pre-amplifier is chock full of various features and settings to play with.

X-P700 Preamp

The X-P700 has an extensive range of inputs, both analogue and digital, that meet the requirements of most, if not all listeners. This includes a switchable phono stage that allows you to use either an MM, High Output MC or Low Output MC turntable seamlessly. Also included in this is 2 optical, one coaxial and a USB input for any of your digital sources, utilising the powerhouse Burr Brown PCM 1796 DAC, capable of converting digital files/sources all the way up to 24bit/192kHz without breaking a sweat.

Other connections include a total of seven RCA inputs (excluding the phono input), an RCA record out for the tape enthusiasts and even a balanced XLR input for any of those pesky sources that only have XLR outputs.

But enough about the plethora of inputs, let's discuss the outputs. And this preamp has plenty for you to choose from. Starting with the obvious, you have both RCA and XLR outputs to go to your power amp or active speakers, a 3.5mm and 6.3mm headphone output, and it also has 2 LFE subwoofer outputs, meaning you can have a stereo pair of subwoofers for your system. Now isn't that neat?

You can also add an optional Bluetooth Receiver to the dedicated port on the rear of the unit. I could talk about the full features of this product for hours, but you can find them here to discover at your own pace.

X-A160EVO Power Amp

Now onto the X-A160EVO power amplifier, and there isn't as much to say about this unit as as it is simply a no-frills powerhouse - No French lace here!

What we can talk about however, is the power output, which sits at a very impressive 160 watts per channel into 8 Ohms on Class A/B, meaning this power amplifier can comfortably drive arguably most speakers you decide to pair with it. But despite it being Class A/B, this beast doesn't run very warm at all, not unless you switch on its High Bias mode.

The High Bias mode is quite interesting, as the difference it makes to the sound is indistinguishable when listening at high volumes, however it shines through at lower levels. Essentially, flicking this mode on turns the amplifier into a pseudo-Class A amp.

I found that this mode cleans up some of the audio at lower levels, bringing out the bass a bit more and also making the mids and tops a little sweeter.

One of Advance Paris’ signature features is the beautiful VU meters. Both light up in a nice, cool blue LED (Which can be dimmed or even turned off).

Conclusion

The X-P700 Preamp and X-A160EVO Power Amp from Advance Paris make a fantastic pair for anyone serious about high-quality audio. The X-P700 offers precise control and super clean signal handling, ensuring your music sounds just right. The X-A160EVO Power Amp packs a serious punch, delivering powerful and clear sound thanks to its advanced design. Together, they create an amazing listening experience that's rich, detailed, and immersive. For those who want to take their audio setup to the next level, this combo is a top-notch choice that won't disappoint. But why take my word for it?

If you have any further queries on these products, or would like to book a demonstration to listen to these or any Advance Paris products, don't be afraid to call us and ask/request!

Thanks for reading

Tiago - Audio T Southampton.

If you have any questions about any of the equipment featured in this article, or any other Hi-Fi or home cinema enquiries, be sure to Contact Us.

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

In-Seine-ly Good! Audio T Reading Falls In Louvre with the Advance Paris MyConnect 60 All-in-One Hi-Fi System

/ Audio T Reading/

Bonjour, and welcome mes amis from Audio T Reading in Swallowfield. To be frivolous for a moment, we’ve got to love our far-out French neighbours. While we say “oh my gosh”, they say ‘ah la vache’ – ‘oh my cow’. When it’s “raining cats and dogs” here in Good Ol’ Britannia, over there it’s “pleut comme une vache qui pisse” – ‘raining like a cow pees’. (What is their beef with those poor cows?). Us Brits might retort that someone is exaggerating or “going a bit too far”; the French of course will exclaim ‘faut pas pousser mémé dans les orties’ – ‘don’t push grandma into the nettles’. (It would now appear no grandmother or cow is safe)…

However… while we puff out our chests and feel quite pleased for seeming “to know the score”, it so happens our French friends have a much nicer one up their (record) sleeve as they appear ‘connaître la musique’ – ‘to know the music’. On this fine note, please do keep reading as we have something new to share with you from an exciting brand just across ‘La Manche’ or ‘The Sleeve’ – aka “The English Channel”. Why do our friends à la française call it The Sleeve? Nevermind, en evant (onward)…

SECRETS TRAVEL FAST IN (ADVANCE) PARIS – THE MYCONNECT 60 ALL-IN-ONE AMPLIFIER

Once famously declared by the infamous Napolean Bonaparte, ‘Secrets travel fast in Paris’. And they are about to travel pretty fast here too because, as part of a big Audio T exposé, we are delighted to be one of the few exclusive retailers in the UK to bring to you the fabulous French audiophile brand – Advance Paris.

Here at Audio T Reading, it’s a pleasure to have on demonstration the exciting MyConnect 60 All-in-One Amplifier.

This little all-in-one is quite the tour-de-force, offering a host of audio treats such as external streaming from Tidal, Qobuz, Spotify (and many more music providers), CD playback, DAB+ and FM radio, internet radio, local audio streaming from USB and other network storage (NAS) devices, Wi-Fi, ethernet, Bluetooth and Airplay connectivity, an on-board phono stage for connecting a turntable with a moving magnet (MM) cartridge, a suite of analogue and digital inputs and outputs, plus a dedicated subwoofer output!

There is even a headphone output of the full-fat 6.3mm variety for sending your tunes to a set of good quality cans; As headphonistas here at Audio T Reading, we are thrilled to see a larger headphone jack on the MyConnect 60 – It’s really quite rare to find this on an all-in-one product that retails below £1,000.  

THE APÉRO DÎNATOIRE OF HI-FI – MYCONNECT 60 LAYS ON QUITE A SPREAD

With more features on its plate than one might find at an apéro dînatoire evening buffet, what is it actually like to use the Advance Paris MyConnect 60 all-in-one? One of the biggest turn-offs when it comes to poorly executed all-in-one products is being met with a sea of buttons and knobs that feel more wobbly than blancmange to the touch while being annoyingly unresponsive in use.

Advance Paris have kept the fascia clean and chic on the MyConnect 60; adorning the frontage is a slick feeling on-off button, six small pin buttons providing just the essential playback functions, and the pièce de resistance – a single spun-metal rotary knob with a positively reinforcing turn-and-click operation. This knob performs volume adjustments and allows for access to source selection, tone controls, etc. Streaming control and management of connected devices are provided by the Advance Playstream app, available for Apple and Android devices.

Both the rotary selector wheel and the dedicated app are a joy to use – controls are tactile and are quick to respond, and latency was impressively low when cueing and playing tunes via Qobuz, Tidal and Apple Music via Airplay. It’s evident that the design and engineering team at Advance Paris have paid very close attention to the operational quality of the MyConnect 60; this really matters as a lack of operational foibles brings the connection between the listener and the music ever closer.    

TROUVER LE TON JUSTE – MYCONNECT 60 SONIC IMPRESSIONS

On the subject of music listening, how does the Advance Paris MyConnect 60 fare with audio reproduction? Well, this is a just-add-speakers system and after trying out a selection in our Swallowfield listening chambre we arrived at our impressions of the MyConnect 60 by pairing it with the UK designed Acoustic Energy AE100² loudspeakers – few speakers come up better this side of £500.

The combination proved to be astounding, one of the best French-British connections since the Channel Tunnel or Dover to Calais! Music gushes from this system with freedom and flair – it somehow sounds at ease yet energetic at the same time. This match-up has a really interesting tonal balance; generally speaking, the sound of most systems can be described as warm (fuller sounding), cool (leaner sounding) or neutral (somewhere between the two) and typically the whole spectrum of sound, from the low notes to the high notes, will combine overall to slot itself into one of those categories. What’s interesting with the MyConnect 60 and the Acoustic Energy AE100² combination is that the bass notes are tilted towards a nice and full sound, while the mid-to-high notes are tilted more towards neutral and are comparatively a touch leaner.

This dual-tilt presentation proves to be trouver le ton juste – hitting just the right note. It makes listening to all genres of music a fun and engaging experience. Let’s not forget, the MyConnect 60 with that awesome headphone jack is also a just-add-headphones system. Pairing it with closed back Meze 99 Classic cans or open-back Sennheiser 660 S2 headphones is truly magnifique!

WHAT HAPPENS IN PARIS STAYS IN PARIS – MYCONNECT 60 FINALE THOUGHTS

What happens in Paris stays in Paris? Not quite anymore. Now available from Audio T and with a current asking price of £850*, the Advance Paris MyConnect 60 all-in-one music making machine is a clear step-up in quality from offerings in and around the £500 and above mark. With a carefully tuned class-AB amplifier at its heart, the MyConnect 60 more than holds its own in the company of all-in-one players at approaching twice the price.

The consistency of its excellent presentation deserves a mention – whether it be from CD, streaming, radio and via speakers or headphones, the MyConnect 60 demonstrates all of the attributes of carefully crafted engineering at a price point where it often isn’t found. When combined with the Acoustic Energy AE100² speakers, the MyConnect 60 serves as the conductor of a complete digital music system that rivals any competitor around this price point. And in time you could even consider adding a turntable such as the venerable Rega Planar 2. Et voilà!

Thank you for reading, Rishi and Gareth – Audio T Reading

If you have any questions about any of the equipment featured in this article, or any other Hi-Fi or home cinema enquiries, be sure to Contact Us.

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

Please note: no cows, grannies or French people were harmed in the making of this blog. We love them all! 😉

The products featured here can be found or enquired about at the following Audio T stores:

A BIT ABOUT OUR NEW STORE

Our new Swallowfield store is accessible via the 600 bus route from Reading town centre and is very easy to reach by road with the A33, M3 and M4 all nearby. On arrival you’ll find ample free parking right on our doorstep, and our showroom and demo rooms are all on ground level.

The picturesque surroundings here provide many places to enjoy a countryside walk, a riverside stroll, or a picnic. There are local sites of interest to explore such as the Blackwater River, Wellington Country Park, Siren Craft Brewery and a host of cute village pubs with gardens.

Also during the Summer Bank Holiday weekend in August, nearby Swallowfield Park plays home to the vibrant Swallowfield Show. When you come to see us, why not make a fun day of it?

A Room With Two VU's - The Advance Paris Xi-1100 Integrated Amplifier

/ Audio T Swansea/

oooo, an artistically lit logo. someone’s brought their ‘a’ game.

Nouveaux jouets!

(New toys)

The most recent brand to arrive at Audio T Swansea’s golden shore, is the hitherto little-known in Britain (yet 25 year-old French marque), Advance Paris.

So little-known on this side of la Manche, it’s nigh-on an Audio T exclusive. Far be it for me to make sweeping generalisations and regurgitate national tropes about our continental cousins, but they do like to do some things a little differently over there. A case in point is this Xi-1100 integrated amplifier..

Design inspiration by Sebastien Chabal?*

for the avoidance of doubt, it’s the unit on the bottom shelf.

*This guy

We are used to great slabs of machined aluminium gracing amplifiers of this cost, yet here we have polished acrylic hiding those slabs of aforementioned metal that in turn, hide a robust, pressed steel chassis. Apart from the two funky, dirty-great-big, blue and orange VU meters of course.

almost intimidating aren’t they?

 

The stout construction delivers an all-up weight of 20kg (44lbs) which is bang on trend for this price bracket and most impressive when one has to manipulate it about for a photo shoot. Je vous remercie (Thank you to those not down with the lingo).

A great deal of that mass is the large toroidal transformer, mounted vertically just behind the double fascia and the impressive six-compartment construction of the interior, complete with aluminium heatsinks running down the flanks. This is all very reassuring, as is the specification; 220 Watts into 8 Ohms is respectable enough, but to near-double that up to 400 Watts into 4 Ohms, is impressive and hints at some very useful headroom indeed, should you have a loudspeaker that presents a less than charitable load.

The Detail

In common with many modern amplifiers, the ‘1100 has digital as well as analogue inputs and a phono stage to boot. Moving magnet only in this case, which makes sense to us, as anyone who has a Moving Coil cartridge is probably going to want a discrete moving coil phono stage. In my experience they sound better.

reassuringly built and mightily solid it is too.

 

Uncommonly, the Xi-1100 has two DACs (digital to analogue converters) A ‘regular’ one from Texas Instruments (they don’t just make calculators you know!) a Burr-Brown PCM1796 which is connected to the four optical, two coaxial and single AES (the one that looks like an XLR socket) digital inputs, which can decipher up to 24bits at 192KHz. The second DAC is an X-MOS processor and ‘jitter-corrected USB3318’ used purely for the USB-B input. Not something often seen and (we are reliably informed) resolves the compromise of having one DAC do two slightly different jobs and compromising the performance of one of them. Remarquable!

A comprehensive selection of analogue inputs inhabit the rear panel: four component RCAs, that aforementioned phono stage with ground screw, an XLR, an RCA pre-amp input (handy for home theatre applications) plus a variable-level RCA pre-out (to connect a power amplifier or subwoofer) and a switched, fixed-or-variable RCA output labelled ‘Tape/Subwoofer.’ Oh and no fewer than six loudspeaker terminals. Four are labelled ‘output A’ and two ‘output B’. When you realise that output A is for bi-wiring, six terminals for a stereo amplifier makes a little more sense. You could even tri-wire, should you feel inclined. Logique.

 

i said they like to do things differently and i was right. those unusual bi-wire terminals.

There is one more design feature that has an impact on performance; This amp runs pure Class A up to 45W but when more current is required, the Xi-1100 engages Class A/B. This is of benefit as we get the body, weight and finesse of Class A most of the time, but without the attendant enormous power consumption and heat creation of a fully Class A design. Bon.

So what does it sound like?

We connected a pair of Dynaudio Special 40, (famously a 4 Ohm design that prefers...robust amplification) and they simply sat up and did as they were told.

With the analogue inputs, not as weighty and forceful as one might expect, given the sheer size of the unit, the specs described and those mighty VU meters. It’s...correct. It isn’t bright, it isn’t overly warm, it’s accurate and it is engaging. It doesn’t have a particularly pronounced presence band either, it simply gets on with the job of keeping out of the way of the artiste, an open window on the performance if you will. If it isn’t on the disc, (or in the data file!) it ain’t coming out of the speakers. Bravo!

 

couldn’t resist another pic of those v-u’s, especially when the photographer has taken so much trouble with the bokeh.

Via the DACs, the picture is a little different. It’s gentler than I expected, tracks known to be bright or even hard, are presented with an evenness and grace I had not experienced before. The same scale is still there on orchestral pieces, or electronic landscapes, but the music has an unforced quality about it whilst still keeping the listener engaged. I think this amplifier may be the cause of many a late-night listening session. Now, where did I put my copy of Tom Waits’ Swordfish Trombones...?

But don’t take my word for it, the Advance Paris Xi-1100 is on demonstration at our Swansea store right now, so pay us a visit tout suite.

Merci d’avoir lu ceci (Thank you for reading)

Ade - Audio T Swansea

If you have any questions about any of the equipment featured in this article, or any other Hi-Fi or home cinema enquiries, be sure to Contact Us

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

An Olympian in the making - Advance Paris x-i75 amplifier

/ Audio T Brighton/

Hi folks, and welcome to the latest article from us here at Audio T Brighton. We’re potentially in for a bit of amplification bliss this month as we’re taking a look and a listen to a product from across the English Channel; the French manufacturer, Advance Paris.

Offering a diverse range of products new to us here at Audio T, they provide consumers an alternative choice of hi-fi products at both the entry-level, right up to the high-end. Advance Paris has been in business for over a quarter of a century and it will be fascinating to see what delights they bring to the Audio T-able! (See what I did there?)

Advance Paris x-i75 integrated amp...

advance paris x-i75

The Advance Paris x-i75 integrated amplifier is a well-adorned and smart-looking device with a specified 75W/ch into 8-ohms, a plethora of inputs on the rear, which includes: a MM phono input for a turntable, 1 x CD analogue input, 1 x Tuner analogue input and 4 x Auxiliary analogue inputs, 2 x co-axial digital inputs, 1 x optical(toslink) digital input, 1 x asynchronous USB-B input for a computer/laptop and 1 x USB-A input to allow music files to be played from an attached storage device, such as a USB memory stick or hard drive. An optional Bluetooth module can be purchased and plugged into the provided slot on the rear, if desired, as there is no network wireless connectivity built-in as standard. To be fair, consumers have alternative options from Advance Paris with products available in their range should they wish to go for network connectivity. Apart from that, customers will be unlikely to want more plug-in options than are available in the current range.

the well adorned input rear of the advance paris x-i75

Headphone users will be pleased to see a 1/4 inch headphone jack for personal listening. This is an advancement on the usual 3.5mm mini-jack available on many of the competitors offerings.

For full specifications on the Advance Paris x-i75 integrated amplifier please click on this link.

The Advance Paris x-i75 in use... Sacre bleu!

In order to gain some sonic impressions of the Advance Paris x-i75 amplifier we decided to partner it with a source from the same stable, the x-CD7 compact disc player, commensurate in price and a product we’ve heard a real buzz about!

I carefully placed a copy of The Very Best of Nina Simone and witnessed a positive closing of the CD tray. If you’re in a hurry to start listening to music, the x-CD7 won’t keep you hanging around because once the drawer has closed the CD starts to play immediately! It appears that the default setting on this unit is set to autoplay and this may be a convenient feature for some. On a more light-hearted note, it did remind me of a scene from Ronnie Barker’s BBC production of Open All Hours where Arkwright’s till drawer closed in a similar manner 😆

Sonically, the Advance Paris x-i75 amp and x-CD7 CD player seemed perfectly well-matched and provided a vibrant and flavourful sound, especially when reproducing Nina Simone’s voice.

John Scofield’s Uberjam Deus provided an album of weight and punch to test out the x-i75’s ability to control bass and play a tune and the pairing did a fine job, exceeding the performance of its price class.

Horses for courses, when it comes to hi-fi systems at this price point, both products performed extremely well in different areas, with subjective differences evident with a good in-store demonstration. We always recommend this approach before parting with your hard-earned cash when buying a new hi-fi system, of course, because variety is the spice of life.

We tried the Wharfedale Lintons with the Advance Paris set-up and the Lintons did the job nicely, offering a warm balance which we think complements the Advance Paris very well.

Quelle surprise!

We have been surprised by the quality of the Advance Paris offerings and the extensive range of models available to potential customers. The x-i75 amplifier and matching x-CD7 CD player offer customers a viable alternative to the competition with an extensive upgrade path available as you advance through their range.

As always, the proof of the pudding is in the eating, so get in touch to book a demonstration.

Thanks for reading.

Ade - Audio T Brighton

If you have any questions about any of the equipment featured in this article, or any other Hi-Fi or home cinema enquiries, be sure to Contact Us.

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

Advancing The Sounds Of The Compact Disc With Advance Paris

/ Audio T Cardiff/

Matt from our Cardiff store takes a deep dive into one of our newest and most exciting brands, Advance Paris and of their components particularly the X-D500 CD transport. So let’s test drive this phenomenal piece of kit and see where we end up…

advance paris xd500 cd transport

I find myself once again on the wonderful wild ride through the world of Hi-Fi. As previously mentioned, for this month’s blog I am focusing on the compact disc side of things. The CD source in question this month is a wonderful CD transport made by the amazing French company, Advance Paris.

Advance Paris first came onto my radar in February of this year at the Bristol Hi-Fi show, where I was invited to visit their room and have a listen to the exciting new range of products they had to offer. It was a great opportunity to get to know the brand and I was (and still am) very impressed not just with their look & build of their product range, but also their sonic performance.

advnace paris embossed logo top panel xd500

Advance Paris History

As you will no doubt have read from blogs from our colleagues in our sibling stores - Advance Paris was born in 1995 by French Hi-Fi enthusiasts, pushing the boundaries of high-fidelity audio and music reproduction at its finest. Bringing audiophile quality equipment such as amplification, CD players and speakers to our ears at reasonable prices.

Moving forward to 2004 Advance Paris developed their first integrated amplifier which laid the foundations for the innovations we see in their range today, such as the beautiful yet functional features including preamp valves and VU meters. These features were later joined by streaming with products such as the WTX Stream Tubes network player and amplifiers like the Playstream A5. These products are just the tip of the iceberg in Advance Paris’s fantastic arsenal, and there is truly something for everyone. Whether you’re just starting out or you’re expanding your sonic horizons Advance has it.

The Tech Bit

The XD 500 has a linear power supply with 2 toroidal transformers for perfect separation of the different power supplies, for the operation of this product such as mechanical management, and processing of the signal from the laser etc.

This CD transport also has an over sampling function (up scaling) from (16bit/44.1kHz) to a signal bit rate of (24bit/96KHZ or 24bit/192kHz).

The XD-500 also benefits from a chassis with significant rigidity thanks to its mechanical design. Each circuit is separated from the others by compartmentalised construction, ensuring effective shielding. Equipped with Coaxial (RCA), Optical (Toslink) and AES / EBU (XLR) digital outputs.

Advance paris xd500 cdtransport rear panel

Let The Listening Commence

advance paris remot control

I have said many times before one of the great things about working for Audio T is the ability to bring the latest and greatest kit home to get to know how each piece of equipment performs. As we say to our customers, there’s nothing quite like listening in the comfort of your own room. As I write this, I am in my music room with the wonderful Advance Paris CD transport plugged into my system, sat on my sofa with a cup of coffee listening to a selection of CDs as the evening rolls on.

Thos of you that have got to know me from my previous blogs or have met me in store will know that vinyl & turntables are my first love. The CD format does come a very close second and I have collected rather a lot of CDs over the years, possibly in the high hundreds in all honesty, I’ve lost count. It is safe to say that the CD player, or in this case the CD transport, is just as important in delivering quality sound as the turntable. You may be thinking why bring the Advance Paris XD 500 home and plug it into a Cyrus amp. My reasoning for this was that the XD 500 sounds phenomenal through Advance Paris’s own amplification using the internal DAC and I feel it is just as important to test the flexibility of a CD transport as many of us out there mix and match brands in our Hi-Fi systems.

How Does It Sound?

First impressions, as with all the Advance Paris equipment I’ve had the pleasure to come across, is that the build quality is superb and the aesthetic styling is clean and modern. With looks that would grace anyone’s home system.

(Although, I must say that it looks especially impressive if you pair it with the A10 integrated amplifier as they really complement each other.)

Aside from looks, let talk about performance...

With my amplifier all warmed-up from the get-go the XD 500 CD transport really adds something a little different to what I am used to.

This CD transport seems to add a certain warmth you’d expect from an analogue source whilst maintaining a sense of digital magic. It works perfectly with instruments such as the iconic Fender Telecaster tone of Bruce Springsteen, especially on Racing in the Streets, where it sounds more alive than ever before. Stephen Perkins’ drums on the Jane’s Addiction track, The Great Escape, seemed to be cleaner whilst retaining the solid groove he plays throughout the track.

I feel that the XD 500 really captures what we want from the music, and more. The fact that it performs as well as it does at this price bracket is a testament to one of Advance Paris’ main goals “…the aim is to deliver uncompromising sound quality at affordable prices”.

Demonstration Tracks

1: Bruce Springsteen - The Promise

Track: Racing in the streets

2: Jane’s Addiction - The Great Escape

Track: Irresistible force met the immovable object

3: Artist: Incubus - Morning view

Track: Just A Phase

Demo albums used

Conclusion

In short, Advance Paris really has set out to impress with their innovative designs, whilst tipping the proverbial hat to vintage technology such as valves and VU meters. But above all else, the sonic performance of the entire range conducts itself well above its price point.

So why not give us a call and book yourself in for a demonstration and tell us what you think.

Thank you for taking the time to read our blog!

Matt - Audio T Cardiff

If you have any questions about any of the equipment featured in this article, or any other Hi-Fi or home cinema enquiries, be sure to Contact Us.

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

Sacre Blue! VUs, valves, vivid sound and value-for-money herald a French Hi-Fi invasion

/ Audio T Portsmouth/

It’s an established brand name that most of us in the UK have probably never heard of. However that’s all about to change…

There is a buzz of excitement running through Audio T at the moment as all stores have recently taken delivery of demonstration units in the Advance Paris range which you can also read about in other Audio T shop blogs.

At Portsmouth, we have been fortunate enough to secure the popular mid-range A10 Classic amplifier, the WTX-StreamTubes network player, the XCD9 CD player as well as the Air65 Connect active network speakers.

Advance Paris? Well, they have been manufacturing hi-fi since 1995 and sell products in more than 40 countries. However, it’s fair to say that the French company are yet to secure a high profile this side of La Manche. Now, with a new UK distributor, that is set to change.

In fact with so many products in their range - from all-in-one systems, amps, streamers and even cables - it may feel a little like a French hi-fi invasion. Especially with the keen pricing and brand’s focus on bang-for-buck.

Let’s take a look…

First impressions of their amp, streamer and CD player are very positive. All units in the Advance Paris range are classy-looking in a modern-yet-retro way (thanks to valves and VU meters) and are well-built.

WTX-streamTubes, a10 and xcd9

The A10 is no exception. The unit is reminiscent of amps from US manufacturer, McIntosh in terms of its twin blue-lit VU meters sitting behind a glassy fascia.

The A10’s twin VUs and valves

It’s not a case of style over substance either. The A10 is a sizeable unit weighing in at just under 15kg. There is grunt aplenty from this class AB amp which delivers 130W into 8ohms.

The A10 is well-furnished with connections including six analogue, a moving magnet (MM) phono stage, five digital inputs and three USB inputs. There is also a connector for an optional aptX XFTB01 or XFTB02 bluetooth receiver. There are a couple of HDMI connectors, including an Arc, and two sub outs. A 6.35mm headphone socket sits on the otherwise uncluttered front.

The rear of the A10

Unusually, and in common with many other Advance Paris products, there is also a valve-driven preamp stage. Apart from looking pretty exotic, these little glowing valves are designed to play an important part in the sound reproduction.

The warm glow of the A10’s twin valves


The proof is in the listening…

In our first listening session in the Portsmouth demo room we had the A10 driving a pair of Spendor A7s. Not the hardest speakers to drive, although they really sing with the sort of current supplied by more powerful amps like the A10.

Our first impression of the A10 was that it delivers a surprisingly fluid and detailed sound. Many amps take a bit of running in to lose that box-fresh brittleness in their sound.

The lack of initial harshness may be, in part, due to those valves in the A10’s pre-amp stage. It may also be the class AB push-pull amplification that imparts this silkier-than-expected tonality. AB amplification combines lower distortion class A amplification with higher efficiency class B to give a natural sounding amp that doesn’t generate as much heat as pure class A.

There is even a switch on the back of the unit which allows you to engage a higher bias towards A class amplification. While there isn’t much of an obvious immediate difference when switching to high bias there was a slight dip in volume combined with a sense of a more natural presentation. We chose to leave it in high bias.

The A10 runs pretty warm as you’d expect with any valve technology - high bias just makes the casework that little bit warmer. This amp ideally needs a bit of space around it.

Already impressed, I took the A10 home for an extended weekend audition. I swapped out my tank-like Parasound A21 and, by comparison, the pretty chunky A10 looked positively compact. And, at almost half the weight of mine, the A10 was far less of a back breaker to move.

The first impression was that the A10 was noticeably brighter than my amplifier. Not surprising perhaps given newness of the Advance Paris electronics compared to my well and truly run-in unit which is about 20 years old.

Had my system lost some of its warmth with the A10 in place of the Parasound A21? Probably. But this likely says more about my amp than the A10. In car terms, I see my old amp as a vintage American muscle car: in other words, bags of raw power with a lovely V8 sonic burble to it (figuratively speaking, obviously), but not so agile on the twisty stuff.

The A10, fed by a Bluesound Node running into a Naim DAC-V1, coaxed another level of detail and precision out of my Spendor A5Rs. That double cymbal strike in the slow-build intro to AC/DC’s Hells Bells (Back In Black) had never sounded so defined on my system.

Robert Plant’s vocal (and backing vocals) on Fallin’ in Love Again (Band of Joy) were better projected and three-dimensional through the A10. The soundstage on the track Nerds on Mushrooms, by electronic duo Infected Mushroom, was vast and the detail stunning, all anchored with a thunderous bassline thanks in part to my REL T/Zero sub.

José Carreras singing Agnus Dei in the Misa Criolla was spine tingling. Don’t get me wrong, this track sounds very good indeed through my amp. But the A10 lent a fresher tone to Carreras’ voice, perhaps it was as much to do with there being more perceived space around his vocal. This sense of space around instruments and vocals is something the A10 projected very well.

Conclusion

I thoroughly enjoyed the A10 both in store and in my personal system. In terms of the detail, the sense of space in the music and the size of the soundstage the A10 simply delivered more.

More than once, while listening to the A10, I had to remind myself that this amp only costs £2,000. Ok, only is probably not the right word since £2K is a lot of money. But the thing is, the A10 sounds and looks like an amp that might easily carry a price tag of £3,000 or more.

The A10 embodies the Advance Paris commitment to quality and value-for-money. If you are in the market for a mid-range integrated amplifier with plenty of power, tremendous connectivity, deeply impressive sound and lush looks to match then the A10 certainly ought to be on your demo shortlist.

Thanks for reading.

Alan, Stephen and Luke - Audio T Portsmouth

If you have any questions about any of the equipment featured in this article, or any other Hi-Fi or home cinema enquiries, be sure to Contact Us

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

The Advance Paris X-CD9 CD Player lands at Audio T Cheltenham

/ Audio T Cheltenham/

OK… we are so super excited about this new (to us) and fairly exclusive French brand, Advance Paris. With 25 years experience in their home market, Advance Paris started out as Advance Acoustic in 1995 with a range of five loudspeakers. After expanding its speaker range, Advance Acoustic began working on electronic products in 2002, launching its first integrated amplifier in 2004. This integrated amplifier laid the aesthetic and technological foundations for Advance Paris products as they are today. VU meters, valves and massive amplifiers play a major part in the makeup of the brand's DNA. The first product under the Advance Paris brand was launched in 2013. Advance Paris is now international and sells its products in over 40 countries, bringing a sophisticated French touch to listening rooms all around the world.

Valve Close Up

The reassuring warm orangey glow of valves

Amongst all of the lovely Frenchness from Advance Paris comes the rather lovely X-CD9 Compact Disc player which will be the subject of this little blog. The X-CD9 comes armed with both analog and digital outputs. The analogue output though has something rather special: as you can see on the above picture of the front panel, the comforting orangey glow of two miniature audio valves which provide a musical signal devoid of any aggressiveness to your amplifier. 

Classic Good Looks

sleek slimline good looks

Great care has been taken in powering this CD player using a toroidal transformer. It provides a stable and clean power supply for all analogue and digital circuits such as the CD mechanism, laser control and digital-to-analogue converter (DAC).

Nive varied selection of outputs too

Equipped with coaxial (RCA) and optical (TOSLINK) digital outputs, unbalanced (RCA) and balanced (XLR) analogue outputs, the X-CD9 could just be the ideal CD player for your Hi-Fi system and your large CD collection.

posh remote

Pleasantly Surprising

I have spent rather a lot of time over the past week or so listening to this rather sexy slimline CD player as it has been going through the running in process. It started off well enough fresh out of the box but after being on now for about 100 hours it has begun to sound rather wonderful. The sound is warm and super smooth and for a CD player is very analoguey (hey I’ve invented a new word). I suspect that this warmth is the effect of those two valves on the audio output stage. I love the fact that it uses a proper drawer loading mechanism too, I am not a fan of slot loaders personally so that is another tick in another box. Internally the X-C D9 uses top quality Woolfson DACs not used so much these days but still up there with the absolute best. The CD mech itself sits on a sprung sub-chassis to cancel out any deleterious effects from both outside and internal vibrations. What all of this amounts to is that the X-CD9 performs way above what I would normally expect from a player at this price point (£890*). There has not been a single disc go through this player that I have not been very pleasantly surprised by.

Hag

Storm Corrosion

I have had especially fine results with the track “Hag” off the self titled album by the band Storm Corrosion.

Storm Corrosion is the 2012 collaboration between modern prog rock geniuses Steven Wilson of Porcupine Tree fame and Mikael Akerfeldt from Opeth. Based upon both of these guys home bands I was expecting some kind of riff monster of an album but what transpired was just the opposite. This album is quiet and spaced out. There is a spooky other worldliness going on here that took me totally by surprise. To start with, I was not at all sure that it was any good but over the past few years it has grown on me to the extent that now it is one of my go-to demo albums.

Played on the Advance Paris X-CD9 the soundstage is huge in every direction. When the bass kicks in the malevolent evil beauty of this track really becomes apparent.

Elekro Kardiogramm

Kraftwerk

Another favourite demo piece is the track, Elektro Kardiogramm, from the Tour De France Soundtracks album by total legends Kraftwerk. It is possible for some CD players to make this track sound a tad bright and sterile but not here. The X-CD9 turns this track into a multi dimensional robotic elecro-lurch and just when you think that bass has gone down really low… It goes down a little bit more! Wow, this player is seriously good!

Summing Up

All I can really say is that this unit breathes new life into the CD player market at anywhere near its own more than reasonable price. I have heard many much more expensive CD players sound a lot worse than this little marvel. The Advance Paris X-CD9 is most definitely an entry level audiophile product and as such demands a place on your demonstration short list.

Many thanks for reading Andy, Jon and Farid -

Audio T Cheltenham Store.

If you have any questions about any of the equipment featured in this article, or any other Hi-Fi or home cinema enquiries, be sure to Contact Us.

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

*All prices, credit terms and interest rates quoted are correct at the time of going to press but may be subject to change. E&OE

Cyrus Stream-XR streamer and Cyrus i9-XR amplifier - Bringing tears of joy to your hi-fi listening.

/ Audio T Brighton/

Hi folks, and welcome to the latest article from us here at Audio T Brighton. We’re in for a bit of streaming playback bliss this month as we’re taking a look and listening to a classic British Hi-Fi brand, Cyrus Audio. Cyrus has a long-standing history in many facets of the Hi-Fi industry and their kit has been widely acclaimed all over the world. Distinctive looks, practical 1/2 standard size case boxes and great sound have long been synonymous with the Cyrus name, so let’s have a closer look at some of their more recent offerings, the Cyrus Stream XR and Cyrus i9-XR integrated amplifier.

First, a little bit of history behind the Cyrus brand...

I have long remembered Cyrus from my early foray into the world of hi-fi during my university days in the mid-eighties. I have fond memories of the Cyrus 1 amplifier, launched in 1984, which a mate of mine owned, sporting a distinctly different sound to that of my NAD 3020, being both more detailed and dynamic than the warm and cosy NAD.

Horses for courses, but a great head-to-head shootout in the days when none of us could afford a Naim or Exposure amp on a student grant (remember them?)

Cyrus today...

Cyrus celebrating 40 years of hifi

The Cyrus brand has certainly moved on in the 40 years since my Cyrus v NAD head-to-head, if not much in the way of visual change but certainly technological advancements and range expansion. Cyrus has always maintained its half-case appearance and family sound, one that is familiar and has encouraged a loyal following over the decades.

Audio T in Brighton has a range of Cyrus products, including a Cyrus Stream XR, Cyrus i9-XR amplifier, Cyrus CDi-XR CD player, Cyrus PSU-XR power supply,

Our resident vinyl guru and shop manager, John Killick, heartily recommends the: Cyrus Phono Signature Phono Stage, Cyrus PSX-R2 power supply. We will endeavour to cover a couple of these products during the rest of this blog.

Cyrus Stream XR - Bringing tears to your eyes

cyrus stream xr

The Stream-XR streamer is great addition to the Cyrus range and the decision to use the Bluesound BluOS app to operate the streamer is a smart move by industry veterans.

Well established as a functional and reliable application, the Bluesound BluOS app allows use of the Cyrus Stream-XR to be a breeze, allowing connection to streaming services such as: Spotify, Tidal and our personal favourite, Qobuz, to be a relatively seamless user experience. Connection to the internet can be made wirelessly via your home network router, or better still, using the RJ45 Ethernet port on the rear, which we generally recommend anyway.

rear inputs on the cyrus streamer-xr

Equipped with a single pair of RCA analogue outputs, 1 x optical output and 1 x co-axial digital outputs, the Cyrus Stream-XR can be used as a standalone streamer or as a streaming transport if use with an external DAC is desired.

The Cyrus Stream-XR sounds great on its own, but as with their other products in the XR range, a Cyrus PSU-XR power supply upgrade will wring the last ounce of performance and musical engagement when funds allow, and is the first and most logical upgrade path for Cyrus owners to pursue.

Equipped with 1 x optical input and 1 x co-axial digital input, the Cyrus Stream-XR can also function as a DAC to output into an analogue amplifier, should they not be equipped with their own internal DAC. Many of the latest modern integrated amplifiers have built-in DACs so the options come down to personal taste and use case.

Partners in rhyme... Cyrus i9-XR amp

cyrus stream-XR with partnering cyrus i9-xr integrated amplifier

We have already mentioned some of the dance partners for the Cyrus Stream-XR earlier in the blog, but we do need an amplifier and a pair of speakers in order to listen to assess its talents. Keeping equipment in house, so to speak, we have been listening to it via its sister amplifier, the Cyrus i9-XR integrated.

Comprehensively equipped, the Cyrus i9-XR integrated amplifier comes with a plethora of inputs; quite an achievement given the small real-estate available on the rear panel. With 1 x MM phono input for turntable playback, 4 x RCA analogue, 2 x optical, 2 x co-axial and 1 x USB digital input for a computer, twin speaker outputs and a headphone amplifier output on the rear, the Cyrus i9-XR really does fit a quart into a pint pot!

Rated at 91 Watts into a 6-ohm load, the Cyrus i9-XR has plenty of power-on-tap into most normal speaker loads.

Together, the Cyrus Stream-XR & i9-XR bundle perform to a very high level, offering tight, detailed and punchy sonics, with imaging and clarity being strong points. Again, adding the Cyrus PSU-XR power supply upgrade brings forth remarkable gains in focus and clarity, with leading edges of notes, dynamic subtleties and timing moving from very good to excellent with the power supply in place.

A perfect dance partner...

System matching is an essential part of building a satisfying hi-fi system and our resident Wharfedale Linton speakers & stands proved a great partner for the Cyrus setup, offering a touch of warmth and richness to the sound, balancing nicely with the detail, clarity and transparency of the Cyrus pairings. The Wharfedales not only look good on their matching stands, but they sound grand for not a lot more than that, offering a remarkable value to sonic prowess ratio.

wharfedale Linton in walnut with Wharfedale stands.

As always, the proof of the pudding is in the eating, so get in touch to book a demonstration.

Thanks for reading.

Ade, John, Paul and Kevin - Audio T Brighton

If you have any questions about any of the equipment featured in this article, or any other Hi-Fi or home cinema enquiries, be sure to Contact Us.

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

Cyrus can be found at the following Audio T stores

Wharfedale can be found at the following Audio T stores

JBL launches its new range of AV receivers

/ Audio T Portsmouth/

The new JBL MA range brings something new to audio visual processing and amplification. The high spec, value-focused range consists of five models: the MA310, MA510, MA710, MA7100HP and MA9100HP.

The range comes in both black and white-fascia models all with a snazzy orange accent behind the front plate and also around the base of the feet. The units look unfussy and modern.

JBL MA9100HP


We’re focusing on the baby of the range here, the £499 MA310. Yes, that’s correct, £499!

JBL MA310


In common with it’s bigger brothers the MA310 packs Class D amplification under the bonnet, in this case pushing out 60W into two channels at 8ohms, or 100W at 4ohms.

It’s a 5.2 receiver meaning you can run two front speakers, a centre speaker, two rears and two subwoofers. It has four 4K HDMI inputs and an HDMI Arc out.

There are additionally two pairs of analogue RCA inputs plus coaxial, optical and USB inputs. There is Dolby and DTS decoding and DACs can handle high res up to 192kHz 24-bit.

JBL MA310 rear

It doesn’t seem like a massive spec until you remind yourself that this is a sub-£500 AV receiver. You may well ask, how many more inputs and outputs do I really need?

JBL MA range remote

After all, with the MA310 it is possible to create a full 5.1 surround system that will leave every sound bar out there in its dust. And potentially, depending on your choice of speakers, you can have this for around £2,000.

That’s a lot of surround sound real estate for a very reasonable investment.

Added to which the MA range comes with free EZ Set EQ app (iOS and Android) which can optimise the sound for all connected speakers. There is on-screen display for easy set up. And it is Bluetooth enabled for music replay from a suitably enabled device.

The MA range offers a natural upgrade path.

Stepping up to the MA510 gives you 75W RMS, an eARC and HDMI 2.1, HDR10+/Dolby Vision and WiFi.

JBL MA9100HP

The MA710 additionally gives you 7.2, 110W, Dolby Atmos, 6xHDMI, APTX HD Bluetooth, a zone 2 pre out options, biamping. The MA7100HP has 125W, 2 HDMI outs, 3xOptical, an MM phono stage Dirac Live, colour LCD and built-in ambient lighting. The MA9100HP offers 9.2 channels and 140W.

Thanks for reading.

Alan, Stephen and Luke - Audio T Portsmouth

If you have any questions about any of the equipment featured in this article, or any other Hi-Fi or home cinema enquiries, be sure to Contact Us

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

*All prices, credit terms and interest rates quoted are correct at the time of going to press but may be subject to change. E&OE

The “Best” Hi-Fi Systems of 2024 for £2,500 - Audio T Swindon Top Picks

/ Audio T Swindon/
The “Best” Hi-Fi Systems of 2024 for £2,500 - Audio T Swindon Top Picks

In the previous blog Modern Hi-Fi 101 - A beginners’ guide exploring the Basics of Hi-Fi Setups in 2024 we discussed some of the key concepts and considerations to be had when building a modern Hi-Fi system. Here, we are taking this further and giving you The Best Hi-Fi Systems of 2024…

…  okay ‘The Best’ will never truly be objectively correct, nevertheless we will be sharing a few of our favourite picks, giving examples of some worthy listening combinations of current equipment out there, all within the £2500 budget (at time of writing)

Read More

'Good Morning - Audio T Swansea, how can I help?'

/ Audio T Swansea/

Customer - “Hiyah! I need a decent vinyl system, but I'm on a tight budget.”

Us - “Don’t worry, we’re here to help and this is not our first rodeo.”

Customers who are unfamiliar with Audio T, perhaps acting on a friend’s recommendation, often feel as if they need to empty their bank account to own a system that will give them joy. This is especially true if they happen to be a hi-fi novice who has friends who have been cultivating and upgrading their systems over a number of years. A mature vinyl replay setup which to the untrained eye, may look complicated and expensive. We’ll let you into a secret; it doesn’t have to be…

“this is what i’d have, if it was my money miss”

Record Player

If we’re talking record players, few manufacturers can boast such a pedigree as Rega. Now well into their 51st year, Rega of Southend-on-Sea is known for producing quality hi-fi entirely in Essex, and for those on a modest budget, squeezing every last drop of performance from every penny spent. The phrase “Sweat your assets” might have been coined for them.

For this enquiry we shall choose the entry-level Rega Planar 1 turntable. Starting at £299* (although the walnut finish photographed is £329*) it displays the core design philosophy of Rega turntables (and Colin Chapman of Lotus Cars) ‘Add lightness.’ Rega hold that mass in a turntable will absorb energy, we need all the energy that is generated in a pick-up cartridge to be transferred to the amplifier, so we make the supporting system as light as possible. We also want the fewest losses in the system of cantilevers, beams and bearings as we can, so the system has to be as rigid and as closely-toleranced as possible. Simple, light and stiff; rather like a good martini.

the rega planar 1 playing a record. unsurprising, given its brief.

Lively and always up for a good time, this deck can only be characterised as F.U.N.

Amplifiers

On the subject of amplifiers for vinyl playback - Some suggest that it makes sense to choose a manufacturer of turntables to produce an amplifier that will ensure the best quality replay from a vinyl source. Now, let’s not forget that we working with a budget conscious customer… Enter the Rega iO at £420*. Developed especially to partner the Rega Planar 1 and Planar 2 turntables, the iO is a simplified version of Rega’s venerable and hugely popular Brio amplifier (currently on sale at £549) It has just three inputs – Moving Magnet for vinyl and two line-level, (maybe for the value-for-money music streamer, the Wiim Pro, which I reviewed a few months ago.) Do not be deceived by modest dimensions of the iO, with the correct partnering speakers, this amplifier has horsepower enough to rock your room.

the rega io amplifier, playing through its turtable input, very, very, quietly.

Cables

black rhodium intro loudspeaker cable. note the ferite ring under the white heatshrink. unusual at this price point.

The connection between amplifier and speaker can be marred by the wrong choice of cable. We could be tempted to use something like QED 79 Strand to keep costs down, but in this case we are vastly better-served by choosing something that has been designed to sound much better. A personal favourite of ours is the Black Rhodium Intro loudspeaker cable at £70 for a 3m pair. These are factory-terminated, directional cables with ferrite cores at their terminus and they absolutely sing. With a sparkling treble, decent weight and surprising scale, our system suddenly sounds much more expensive.

Speakers

Finally, we come to my favourite inexpensive loudspeakers, the Acoustic Energy AE100² at £279*. Available in black, walnut or white, music pours out of them in such a hearty, good-natured fashion, you simply cannot help but raise a smile. Are they the last word in loudspeaker transparency? Absolutely not. Are they enjoyable and fun to listen to? Unequivocally, yes. Do they want you to have a good time? Without a doubt! And, so do we. So, if you have any questions about any of the equipment featured in this article, or any other Hi-Fi or home cinema enquiries, be sure to contact us

ae100 speakers resting upon isoacoustic aperta 155 isolation stands.

Thanks for Reading

Adrian (Images by Nic) - Audio T Swansea

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

Rega can be found at the following Audio T stores

Black Rhodium can be found at the following Audio T stores

Acoustic Energy can be found at the following Audio T stores

*All prices, credit terms and interest rates quoted are correct at the time of going to press but may be subject to change. E&OE

The Behemoth Returns - Denon AVC-A1H weighs in on its home cinema credentials

/ Audio T Manchester/

When you think of Japanese Hi-Fi companies, you tend to think in relatively modern decades... 70s, 80s etc. But, Denon can trace their sound making roots back to the beginning of recorded sound. Up until the 21st Century, Denon was the brand name of The Nippon Columbia record company. The Japanese arm of the American record company Columbia, supplying the Japanese market more with it's own material than American imports. Through events such as World Wars and various Emperors, Denon slowly became the company we know today.

A bit of history

A major supplier to the Japanese broadcasting organisation NHK (Nippon Hoso Kyokai, literally Japan Broadcasting Corporation) building electronics, turntables and pick-up cartridges specifically for the Japanese broadcaster. Even today, the classic DL103 cartridge, launched for broadcast purposes in 1963 is still a part of the Denon lineup.

The Legendary DN-023R

Denon was at the forefront of digital audio. In 1972 it announced the DN-023R , the world's first digital recorder. Less than a decade later, the brand unveiled the first CD player for professional use, followed a year later by the first consumer model, the inimitable DCD-2000.

The humble cassette.

Denon used to make a plethora of great cassette decks in the 80’s and 90’s

At the end of the 60s, Denon was one of the first companies experimenting with digital PCM recording, as a route to mastering better vinyl record replay, and by the mid-1970s, Denon had firmly established a digital recording and mastering chain, releasing all of their recordings as digital mastered, years before the CD player was on the market. They earned a high reputation for sophisticated direct-drive turntables, and some of the best sounding cassette recorders ever made.

As the market moved towards multi-channel sound and home theatre, Denon was one of the companies pioneering the technology. In fact, the original version of the Denon AVC A1 amplifier, was one of the very first amplifiers with full Dolby Digital surround.

And today, from Denon we have a new behemoth to wow our home cinema enthusiasts. Enter the Denon AVC-A1H…

Design

Denon has consistently been a reputable name in the audio-visual industry, known for its high-quality receivers and amplifiers. The latest addition to their lineup, the Denon AVC-1H, continues this tradition with a host of advanced features and cracking performance.

The AVC-1H boasts a sleek and modern design, characterized by a minimalist front panel with a clear, easy-to-read display, which to be honest hasn’t really changed much over the last number of generations, and that’s not a bad thing. The construction is solid and at 32kg it feels like it. Its aesthetic appeal will complement any home cinema setup, blending seamlessly with both modern and traditional decors.

The ins and outs

The Denon AVC-1H is packed with connectivity options, including multiple HDMI inputs and outputs, USB, and analogue connections, dedicated XLR connections from high-end sources like the Panasonic UB9000 UHD player and XLR outputs for subwoofers. So those of you who may have high-end subwoofers in your setup, you are not going to be left wanting.

One standout feature is the support for HEOS multi-room audio technology, which enables seamless music streaming throughout your home. Additionally, built-in Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and AirPlay 2 offer versatile wireless streaming options, catering to different user preferences.

The AVC-1H also includes voice control compatibility with Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, and Apple Siri, providing convenient hands-free operation. The intuitive setup assistant and on-screen GUI make installation and configuration straightforward, even for those new to high-end AV equipment.

So many useful connections hidden around the back, wait!!!, whats that!! a lesser spotted Chrome trooper??

the avc is designed and built in Japan

the high quality transformer brings the power

high end components adorn the inside of the AVC-1H

Performance

Denon has always prioritised sound quality with its flagship range, and the AVC-1H is no exception. Equipped with advanced audio processing technologies, it delivers rich, immersive sound. The receiver supports the latest audio formats, including Dolby Atmos, DTS:X, and Auro-3D, providing a three-dimensional audio experience that is both enveloping and precise.

The power output packs a punch with it's 210W per channel, easily driving a wide range of speakers with precision, clarity and detail. The AVC-1H’s ability to reproduce both subtle details and stark dynamic shifts makes it ideal for both music and movies, ensuring an engaging listening and visual experience. The beach scene at the beginning of Dunkirk is a great example of this, a great movie with superlative audio and visuals.

In addition to its stellar audio performance, the AVC-1H excels in video processing. It supports 8K/60Hz and 4K/120Hz video pass-through, making it future-proof for upcoming content. HDR10+, Dolby Vision, and HLG compatibility.

While the AVC-1H sits at the higher end of the price range, its extensive feature set and exceptional performance justify the investment, standing as a powerful and versatile AV receiver that excels in both audio and video performance for audiophiles and home cinema enthusiasts seeking the top tier of audio and video quality.

Its wide range of features, future-proof specifications, and user-friendly design make it a standout choice for anyone looking to elevate their home entertainment system. Whether you’re a cinephile or a music lover, the AVC-1H promises to deliver an immersive and satisfying experience.

Our AVC-1H is on demo at our Manchester store. We have both inwall and free standing speakers to hang off the AVC-1H, all of which sound absolutely epic.

If you have any questions about any of the equipment featured in this article, or any other Hi-Fi or home cinema enquiries, be sure to Contact Us.

Thanks for reading

Munir - Audio T Manchester

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

Audio T Cheltenham and The SME Model 12 Mk 2 Turntable

/ Audio T Cheltenham/

“This is no ordinary turntable” is the first thing you read upon opening up the instruction book for this sexy beast of a vinyl spinner. Well then let’s put that bold statement to the test then shall we?

First The History Lesson…

SME is without doubt one of the hi-fi world’s most iconic brands. Founded in 1946 by audio legend Alastair Robertson-Aikman in West Sussex. Today SME is recognised as makers of one of the finest precision turntables and tonearms in the world. Entirely made in house with state of the art manufacturing processes, complemented by traditional craftsmanship methods. SME audio has evolved from 75 years of engineering excellence, innovation and perfection, delivering precise and pure audio reproduction.

The SME model 12 mk2 in all its glory

Then The Science Bit…

The Model 12A MK2 is a precision turntable of high mass made to exacting engineering standards for high performance. The chassis and sub-chassis are CNC machined from premium grade aluminium billet. The sub-chassis is suspended on an advanced isolation system for primary resonance control and houses the main bearing, platter and tonearm. Four fully adjustable feet are mechanically de-coupled from the main chassis by isolators providing base resonance control.

The main spindle is 19mm precision machined from high chrome tool steel, ground, super finished and supported in a sealed housing with individually fitted sintered bronze bearings of generous proportions needed for precise bearing and platter rotation.

The platter is machined from aluminium alloy and weighs over 4.6kg. Extensionally dampened with the top surface iso-damp, diamond-turned with a fine scroll for acoustic performance. This method of finishing upsets a myriad of tiny fibres which interface with the underside of the vinyl record. A substantial record clamp operating on the reflex principle ensures the largest possible platter contact even when appreciable record warp is present.

The motor conforms to the highest standards of silent running and the turntable is driven by a custom made bi-phase AC synchronous motor controlled by a highly advanced speed control unit providing precise speed accuracy and stability.

close up of that beautiful arm bearing

The MK2 Model 12 comes equipped with a Model 309 tonearm with internal wiring by Crystal Cable as standard. Tonearm choice can be upgraded to the superior Series IV or V if you so wish.

Speed control box

The Speed Control Box…

The Speed Control Unit uses a dedicated DSP engine to generate two independent pure mathematical sine waves which provide total control of frequency, phase relationship and amplitude. These in turn are matched (tuned) to the motor for accuracy to obtain the best possible performance.

The speed range is 33.33 and 45rpm with independent memory settings via a switched encoder. Fine pitch speed increments/decrements of +/-0.01% of the selected speed are made by a rotary control on the Speed Control Unit fascia. The SCU case is CNC machined from billet aluminium. A separate mains Power Unit keeps the transformer away from the SCU and importantly separated from the turntable audio signal cables.

The Dynavector 10x5 Mk2 looks good in the 309 arm

We have chosen to partner the SME up with the Dynavector 10X5 Mk2 moving coil cartridge. A combination that works exceedingly well.

Power unit for the speed control box

Time for a listen

When presented with a new turntable such as this I always like to refer back to a couple of favourite demo albums of mine. Both are really good at telling me how a turntable is performing but both are very different from each other.

I Robot MFSL

First under the clamp is I Robot by The Alan Parsons Project. Not the standard version but the Mobile Fidelity double vinyl edition with the album spread over four sides and playing at 45 rpm for extra detail and bandwidth. I always side one track one which just so happens to be the title track. All swirly synthesisers and female vocals morph into a rhythmic hypnotic electronic Tangerine Dreamy pulsing with snappy drums then choral vocals to form a very Pink Floyd like funky melange which the SME portrayed beautifully. Has to be one of the best times I have ever had whilst listening to this old favourite. Just stunning… especially the separation of the band from the wordless choral vocals…..just beautiful.

A krautrock classic

Next on my test album list was the three sided live bootleg of one of my all time favourite bands Ash Ra Tempel. Being a bootleg this one is not the nth degree in sound quality that the Alan Parsons Project is but hey I love it and for a turntable to be my friend it has to make this Krautrock gem sound OK. And boy does it! Again quite possibly the best I have ever heard it. I always go for the track Ooze Away on the Red Side of the album. Spaced out drums emerge from an ambient freak out elecrosludge and when the drums kick in it becomes truly transportative (is that even a word? Tis now!).

Summing Up

Here we have what is without doubt one of the great turntables from one of the great turntable manufacturers. If you are in the market for that one vinyl spinner to last you the rest of your life and provide your hifi system with the source signal it so richly deserves this could quite possibly be it. Me? I will love it forever just because it makes my 1973 Ash Ra Temple bootleg sound sooooooo good. Audio perfection…Nuff said!

Many thanks for reading

Andy, Jon and Farid - Audio T Cheltenham Store.

If you have any questions about any of the equipment featured in this article, or any other Hi-Fi or home cinema enquiries, be sure to Contact Us.

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

The SME Model 12 Mk2 can be found at the following Audio T store

Dynavector can be found at the following Audio T stores

Creativity At It's Finest - A Look at Michell Engineering.

/ Audio T Southampton/

Hello fellow audio enthusiasts, and welcome to another blog from Audio T Southampton. The topic of this month’s article is all about the incredible Michell Engineering, the creators of the world-renowned Michell Gyro SE. In this blog we will be taking a look at their history, and then discussing two of their turntables that we currently have in stock for demonstration. So, without much further ado, let's take a dive into the history of Michell Engineering…

John Michell working at his test bench

Start at the beginning

Our story begins in 1966, when an engineer by the name of John Michell started a new company producing scale models for use in movies, as well as engineering components for local firms. His business expanded quickly, and he soon found himself in a large unit based in Borehamwood, Hertfordshire.

You can see some of his earlier work in the film “2001 A Space Odyssey”, where he and Stanley Kubrick worked together on the model for the Discovery One ship.

pre-production model of the discovery one

In 1969 a turntable company known as Transcriptor contacted John, and Michell Engineering began to produce multiple parts for them.

Later on in the year Transcriptor moved into the Michell premises, though they didn't stick around for long as in 1973 they relocated to Ireland. However it wasn't all in vain for John, who took over the manufacturing of their stunning Hydraulic Reference Turntable.

An original transcriptor hydraulic reference turntable.

Progress comes with experience…

1977 was a truly significant year for Michell Engineering, as this was when John began manufacturing his own turntable – the extremely rare Michell Reference Electronic Turntable. This originally came with a black base, though later during its production Michell offered two alternative choices; either a mirrored or a marble base. But this wasn't the only thing that came out of Michell, for John had something of a breakthrough and invented the record clamp, which a large variety of other manufacturers have now followed suit and adopted.

an original michell reference electronic in the fabled black.

An icon is born…

Moving forward to 1982, we see something truly revolutionary for Michell Engineering, more so than the previous turntable; this was the creation of the GyroDec. Originally fitted with a heavy aluminium platter that featured a rubber mat and the signature gold platter weights below, this unit really took the world by storm.

1989 saw Michell introduce a new upgrade, the Gyropower QC; a much more silent and efficient method of supplying power to their turntables. In 1995 something very exciting was released in the form of the new flagship Orbe Turntable; created after the monumental success of the GyroDec created a lot of requests and feedback that the company elevate themselves to new higher grounds. The Orbe features significant engineering changes over the GyroDec, making the Orbe the true high-end turntable from Michell Engineering.

The first rendition of the gyrodec.

In 2002 John became seriously ill, forcing him to take a step back to recover whilst his family ran the business for him. During this time John invented multiple things from the comfort of his own home, including the TecnoDec, the TecnoArm, Techno Weight and many more. However, sadly on the 23rd of October 2003 John died, leaving behind a great legacy, an amazing company and a loving family.

The family continues to offer the world near unrivalled performance for the price paid, and even to this day Michell Engineering are synonymous with fantastic design and magnificent sound.

The true flagship from michell, the orbe.

Now that we have had a look at the history of Michell, let's dive into two of their notable turntables, these being the TecnoDec and the GyroDec, both units that we have in stock at our Southampton branch.

A Look Into The TecnoDec

The Michell TecnoDec is a fantastic mid-range turntable, perfect for those seeking a beautiful sound without parting with all of their savings in one fell swoop. The variant we have in-store is the one featuring a T2i Tonearm and the Goldring E3 Moving Magnet Cartridge, which would set you back a very reasonable £2,000* in total. With the classic Michell Engineering design of keeping the motor and power supply separate from the plinth to minimise vibrations, the TecnoDec is a superb turntable.

Truthfully when I first laid eyes on it, I thought it would be a very good deck, however I wasn't prepared for the level of sound that I received. Each note hit perfectly, and the deck's simple design means using it is a breeze. Offering a lovely clear and open sound signature, the TecnoDec is a magnificent addition to any system, especially for those seeking to begin their record collection and who need a turntable which will unlock the secrets the records contain.

The michell tecnodec

Up A Notch To The GyroDec

And now onto the stunning Michell GyroDec. Featuring the T8 tonearm and Michell’s own Cusis S Moving Coil Cartridge, this setup sits at a strong £6,800* total. To my mind there is no doubt as to why the GyroDec is world-renowned, each note being reproduced perfectly and clearly. I know it’s a cliché but I really did hear things in some tracks that previously I did not know where there.

I had guessed that the GyroDec was going to be a brilliant addition to the Southampton store, however nothing could have prepared me for the sheer level of detail and clarity provided, alongside the gorgeous design. The cartridge was simply sublime, a perfect pairing for the rest of the turntable. So much so that this has now become my all-time personal favourite, and is one I would strongly suggest everyone listen to at some point.

The two SE models; the Gyro SE and the orbe se.

And that is all I have for you. Just a brief introduction into Michell alongside my own personal thoughts on both units. If you would like to listen to these, then please contact our Southampton store for further details.

Thanks for reading

Tiago - Audio T Southampton.

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Michell can be found at the following Audio T stores