Music at Home 2020

MUSIC AT HOME 2020

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CONTENTS

AirPlay, iPod, iPhone and iPad are registered trademarks of Apple Computer Inc. BBC iPlayer is a registered trademark of The British Broadcasting Corporation

Bluetooth is a registered trademark of Bluetooth Sig, Inc.

DEEZER is a trademark of Deezer Dolby Atmos is a registered trademark of Dolby Laboratories

iRadio is a trademark of Music of Your Life Inc.

QOBUZ is a trademark of Xandrie

Soundcloud is a trademark of SoundCloud Ltd. Spotify is a registered trademark of Spotify AB TIDAL is a trademark and brand of Tidal Music AS TuneIn is a trademark of TuneIn Inc.

UPnP is a registered trademark of UPnP Forum.

All other products and services may be trademarks or service marks of their respective owners.

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Published by Audio T Design & Artwork Philippa Steward Printed in England by CFB Net All prices, credit terms and interest rates quoted are correct at the time of going to press. E&OE

INTRODUCTION TO HI-FI & HOME CINEMA 6 Arcam 9 Audio Note 10 Audiolab 8 Bluesound 8 Chord Electronics 11 Cyrus 13 Denon 12 Innuos 12 Linn 15 Melco 14 Naim 16, 17 Panasonic 18 Rega 19 Ruark 14

INTRODUCTION TO LOUDSPEAKERS 20 Acoustic Energy 21 Bowers & Wilkins 22 Dali 23 Dynaudio 26, 27 KEF 25 Monitor Audio 24 Neat Acoustics 28 REL 24 Russell K 30 Spendor 29

INTRODUCTION TO ACCESSORIES 30 Chord Company 31 Hi Fi Racks 32 IsoAcoustics 33 Isol-8 34 THE BRISTOL HI-FI SHOW

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STORES

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AUDIO T Who are Audio T?

Audio T are the UK’s leading specialist retailers of Hi-Fi and Home Cinema equipment, 100% UK owned by three hands on partners. By far the longest established group in the country, we were founded in 1966 and celebrated our 50th anniversary 3 years ago! We sell exciting products guaranteed to provide you with a system that will thrill you for years to come.

We don’t try to sell you the latest magazine favourites or in-house brands, we actually offer independent, real world advice based on what things sound like, how reliable they are and how easy they are to use.

With over 50 years of experience, our knowledgeable staff will help you make the right choice based on what you hear and what you like. We stock all of the key brands so we can give you impartial advice based on what’s best for your needs. We only stock products that offer high performance and value for money whatever your budget, chosen by staff who have the knowledge that comes from being genuine enthusiasts.

When is a chain not a chain?

What Audio T is not, is a chain of stores all selling what central buyers tell them to. All Audio T stores are different and are run by enthusiasts for other enthusiasts and anyone who wants an honest opinion in these days of boring uniformity.

Promise that ensures you always get great value. Not requiring vast central resources to spend on buying and marketing means our overheads are low and our prices are keen.

How will good music and movies improve my life?

Music provides entertainment and pleasure. It can stimulate you and relax you at the same time. Music is pure emotion, but this will only come through on equipment good enough for you to respond to it naturally. The more natural the sound, the more enjoyment and satisfaction you will derive. We hope you will enjoy it so much that you’ll buy lots of new music and rediscover your existing collection. That’s what good Hi-Fi is all about and why we love it so much!

Likewise you can be transported into another world by watching movies, but you will need a Home Cinema system that produces natural pictures and great sound.

No mass-market packaged home cinema systems achieve this goal not least because most of them are devoting only 20% of the budget to the sound. We believe, as George Lucas does, that the sound and music are 50% of the entertainment in a film.

SHOPPING AT AUDIO T How do I get the best sound and vision at home?

We like to build a relationship with our customers that will see you using our expertise for years to come.

Independent journalists always give the same advice about buying Hi-Fi and Home Cinema - find yourself a good dealer and listen to the products for yourself. What do they mean by a good dealer? They mean shops that give knowledgeable advice, offer demonstrations and can deliver and install your purchase. Everyone can see and hear the difference between equipment so don’t think you need to be an ‘expert’. A pair of appreciative eyes and ears are the only qualifications necessary when it comes to choosing a good system.

Though Audio T are widely considered as the most reputable stores in the country we also have a Price

Whether you’re tweaking an existing system or starting from scratch, contact your local store to arrange a

We don’t produce or import any of our own brands so we won’t try to switch sell you. And we don’t pay our staff extra commission to sell particular brands and nor do we pay them to sell you unnecessary guarantees. We just make sure that everything we stock is best in class and let you make the final choice!

I’m a beginner how should I use this guide?

If you’re new to Hi-Fi and Home Cinema then you might like to read the introductions to each section for a simple approach to the subject.

After that use the Guide to get an overview of what’s available before coming into one of our shops for a chat and a listen. You will then have a better idea of what to ask us.

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AUDIO T

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WE KNOW you won’t find better service or expertise.

WE KNOW you won’t find better sound.

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PRICE PROMISE

BUT if you find a better deal from another authorised shop, let us know. As long as we can verify it we’ll be happy to match it.

We stand by our Price Promise so you can buy with confidence knowing you will have the best combination of service and value for money.

demonstration. Many other retailers don’t have these facilities - we think they’re essential. Worse still, other dealers won’t install systems for you whereas we are always keen to give you the benefit of our long experience in setting up and positioning equipment to get the very best out of it.

Home Loans

We can arrange home loans of equipment (subject to status) and also home demonstrations, especially for those customers who find travelling difficult. This is subject to arranging a mutually agreeable time and there is usually no extra cost involved (subject to the travelling distance).

Audio T Online

For the convenience of those who live too far from one of our stores, or those who just wish to shop from home, we also sell online to UK mainland customers only. Our online

shop offers a “Click and Reserve” service for customers to reserve items for in-store collection and payment.

We are happy to ship goods to you free of charge but this excludes some products that require special installation or those from suppliers who prefer us not to mail order.

There is also a fixed £4.95 charge if the order is below £20.

All items are subject to availability and we will always give you the best information we can on anticipated delivery dates. Please call or email us for prices or to discuss anything you are unsure about.

Contact us via email on info@audio-t.co.uk and on the internet at www.audio-t.co.uk where, in addition to our online store, you’ll find our most up to date clearance list and news of our latest products.

You can also find us on Facebook at facebook.com/ audiotgroup and on Twitter at twitter.com/ audiotgroup

Delivery and Installation

Having consulted the Hi-Fi Magazines, checked for reviews on the web, sat down and discussed your needs with one of our staff and then had a demonstration on your choice of equipment, you are ready to buy. But why stop there? We can deliver and set up your equipment to maximize its performance and we think you will be surprised at just how much difference a professional installation can make – be it correct rack building, cable dressing or just loudspeaker placement – this expertise can dramatically improve the sound and is part of the skill set you are tapping into when you buy from Audio T.

Custom Installation

Custom Installation ranges from something as simple as mounting a TV on your wall to specifying and installing a full multi-room system. It can include both Hi-Fi and Home Cinema along with lighting, blinds and other hardware. Whatever level of installation you choose we work with experienced installers to offer you the personal attention you expect.

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AUDIO T You may be about to embark on a refurbishment project, have an extension or new home built. Perhaps you have been thinking about a loft or basement conversion for a home cinema with a hidden projector and screen. Whatever your plans, Audio T can arrange these installations for you – working with our installers or your builders.

Credit

We offer a wide range of credit products to suit most budgets. Call into your nearest shop for full details. All our credit facilities are subject to acceptance for UK residents aged 18 and over*. Written quotations are available on request. Minimum amount of loan (after deposit) is £200.

We also accept all major payment cards, Visa Credit & Debit, Mastercard Credit & Debit and American Express. In addition payment can be made by PayPal for online sales or if the goods are being delivered to your home address.

Making your purchase safe and easy

We are authorised by the manufacturers to sell all the products we stock. This means we have trained staff who know what they’re talking about. We have an after sales service you can count on: our warranty is backed up by the manufacturers and we can arrange the repair of items efficiently if they go wrong. We are also happy to answer any ongoing technical queries you may have.

We allow you to upgrade your purchase to something better for up to 30 days, at no cost penalty provided the returned equipment is in perfect condition complete with all packing and instructions (excludes clearance items and special orders).

Join the e-Club

We are able to service your turntable if you need us to and an upgrade can often produce considerable sonic benefits. Our stores have been working with turntables for years, making improvements that are very cost effective.

Sign up today by visiting the Audio T website:

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Our customers can now keep up-to-date by joining our e-Club electronic mailing list that has special benefits for members: monthly newsletters with news of new products, special offers, competitions, extra discount on clearance items and more…

www.audio-t.co.uk. We’ll only mail you once or twice a month and we will never, ever share your email address with anyone else.

*Subject to status. Ask in store for details.

Turntable Upgrades and Servicing

We are members of the Radio, Electrical and Television Retailers Association 5

INTRODUCTION TO HI-FI AND HOME CINEMA WHAT’S IN STORE FOR YOU New technologies

Hi-Fi and Home Cinema separates, as individual components are commonly known, offer the very best sound quality and the ability to upgrade easily. Combinations of these items can be tailored to build a complete system that will suit your sonic preferences, your home decor or whatever your particular needs may be. This modular approach to system building makes upgrading easy, as well as letting you add other components as your tastes develop, technology changes or your budget allows.

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We can put together systems from as little as £500 but we are confident that you will agree, once we’ve shown you what is possible, that spending more will pay big dividends. You can listen and look in our demonstration rooms (or at home) and make the decision for yourself.

A good separates Hi-Fi system will give you musical enjoyment that will excite you and involve you on an emotional level, just like live music. It will be an investment you will never regret.

Likewise, everyone is thrilled by the excitement of surround sound when they visit the cinema. You can enjoy the same amazing experience at home; and not just with films. The same benefits apply to many TV programmes, sporting events and games consoles. Multichannel sound from Sky, Freesat and Freeview plus, of course, blu-ray players (and now 4K blu-ray players) and streamed content has made the experience ever more available. Home Cinema with surround sound is definitely something that the whole family will enjoy!

All our stores can demonstrate how wonderful Hi-Fi and Home Cinema can sound, and you really need to discuss things before handing over your money. For example, some home cinema amplifiers sound great on music as well as films but others don’t. It’s expensive to make them sound good on both so you need to think about where your priorities lie. Whatever you decide, our staff members are factory-trained so we can get it all working without any fuss and transform your living room into your own private cinema or concert hall!

Rarely has the Hi-Fi market been so exciting, with the arrival of music streaming from computers and the internet giving the industry a shot in the arm and sparking huge debates about the benefits of different file types and DACs. Not to mention the relative merits of turntables, CD players and streaming itself! All good fun and at Audio T you can come and hear the differences for yourself in one of our demonstration rooms.

Audio Streaming

There are several different ways to stream music but the basic principle is that your music is held in digital form on a computer drive somewhere - on your computer, in the cloud or at a music streaming company (see below).

These digital files can be streamed into your hi-fi using a streaming programme (such as iTunes or JRiver and others) where they are decoded by a digital to analogue converter (DAC) and played back just like any other music source. Alternatively they can be stored on a network attached storage hard drive (NAS) from where they can be played using a suitable streaming product added to your Hi-Fi system. We can advise on which one would be best for your system.

The great benefit of streaming is that you can copy (rip) your CD collection onto your computer or NAS drive (or to the internal storage in some systems) and you can then browse your music quickly and easily. Your CD’s can be stored in your loft or garage freeing up space in your home. High resolution downloads have also become available so you can purchase and stream music at a higher quality than CD. Your music files can be played back in any room of the house that can see your network. This, in turn, has led a number of manufacturers to produce systems that allow such multi-room streaming. They provide the convenience of selecting what you want to listen to

INTRODUCTION TO HI-FI AND HOME CINEMA from wherever you are in the house using an app on a tablet or a phone. They avoid clashes of interest too: you can listen to the radio in the lounge while your partner listens to their favourite track in the kitchen!

They can operate wirelessly, making installation both simple and inexpensive; however, if they can be wired they will stream more reliably and sound better. These much simpler options mean that expensive (and quickly outdated) built in systems are rarely required.

Music Streaming Services

The internet, digital audio, and the advent of streaming have made listening to music today easier than ever.

Subscription based music streaming services such as Apple Music, Deezer, Qobuz, Spotify and Tidal give you the flexibility of listening to an enormous range of music from the comfort of your favourite armchair without the need for any physical media at all. All you need is a music streaming device connected to an amplifier, headphones or DAC and a pair of speakers or headphones and away you go. All the music is served over the internet and you access your music using a mobile or desktop app. Music can also be held locally on your phone or tablet so you can listen to it when you’re not online.

Home Cinema

A Home Cinema is something the whole family will enjoy together (and one of the few things that will keep teenagers socialising with you!) We supply and install the best televisions and projectors, along with the most upto-date audio electronics.

Flat screen TV’s have never been better value and remain our affordable solution. We are now selling OLED (organic LED) TV’s and the picture on these is quite stunning.

With self illuminating individual pixels, they require no backlight and offer both terrific black levels and an even sleeker appearance. All the TVs we sell are now both 4K, with four times the resolution of older 1080p sets, and “smart” so they are able to access the internet to stream BBC iPlayer and the many other services supplying, for example, rented movies. We don’t sell ‘built to a price’ special models you won’t find on the manufacturer’s websites; we sell the real thing with none of the features removed or picture degraded!

Old technologies

Yet, despite all the above, physical media in the form of records have had a conspicuous revival. More and more music is becoming available on vinyl and the sales of turntables are booming. Many people say that records still sound best and most would agree that the record sleeve and its accompanying artwork and information leave CD’s as a poor relation and streaming as a quite different experience.

Audio T has always sold turntables and, to help you buy new music on vinyl in particular, we sell a range of Diverse Vinyl’s own label audiophile pressings and these are now available in many of our stores (check the website for details). We also sell a comprehensive range of pickup cartridges and phono stages to get the very best from your turntable.

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AUDIOLAB

BLUESOUND Lenbrook Industries, the company behind NAD Electronics and PSB speakers brings Bluesound, the high-res multi room music system along with the ethos of proving that sound quality and value can exist together. Bluesound is an award-winning, premium wireless sound system that allows you to play high-res music in every room throughout your home.

Available for iOS, Android, Kindle Fire and Windows & Mac desktops, the BluOS controller app was built for music lovers giving access to a wide-range of features, including your favourite music services, grouping players, streaming direct to your wireless headphones, Apple AirPlay 2 functionality and many more. Choose music from your preferred music streaming service (including Tidal Masters, Deezer Elite, Qobuz Sublime, Amazon HD and UHD) or from your own 24bit WAV, FLAC or MP3 files from your music library connected to your home network.

Since its introduction in 2018, Audiolab’s 6000 Series has earned a reputation as the finest range of audio electronics for those seeking high-end performance at affordable prices. The latest model to join the range is the 6000N Play – a new network audio player that adds extensive wireless streaming facilities to any high-quality audio system.

Crowned ‘Best Music Streamer Under £500’ in the What Hi-Fi? Awards 2019, The 6000N Play combines the versatility of the Play-Fi wireless audio platform with Audiolab’s sonic know-how to deliver a hi-res Wi-Fi streaming solution that’s simple to set up and use. You can play from any source on your wireless network – smartphones, tablets, PCs and Macs, as well as NAS drives and music servers – utilising the 6000N Play’s dualband, dual-antenna Wi-Fi (Ethernet cable connection is also available).

The 6000N Play joins the 6000A and 6000CDT in Audiolab’s multiaward-winning 6000 Series. The 6000A is widely acclaimed as the ideal integrated amp for modern music lovers seeking premium-level performance, build and facilities at an affordable price, packing in 32bit DAC circuitry, aptX Bluetooth and a range of inputs for digital and analogue sources, including an MM phono stage. For CD playback, the 6000CDT CD transport is the 6000A’s perfect partner, epitomising the expansive and engaging sonic clarity for which Audiolab is famed.

IAG House, Sovereign Court, Ermine Business Park, Huntingdon PE29 6XU T 01480 447700 www.audiolab.co.uk 8

Control what plays where and at what volume with the free BluOS app for your smartphone, tablet or computer.

The music playing experience has never been more intuitive and accessing high-res music from your favourite artists never been so straight forward. Getting the kind of crisp and detailed sound that only an audiophile-grade system can deliver has never been easier.

ANATECH Distribution, Unit 4 Heathlands Industrial Estate, Heathland Close, Twickenham TW1 4BP T 020 8977 8633 bluesound.anatech.co.uk www.anatech.co.uk

ARCAM Effortless Listening.

Immersive Sound.

ARCAM exists to bring the highest fidelity reproduction of music and movies into people’s lives.

Established in 1976, the brand continues to embody a passion for music and strong engineering expertise, developing products that deliver a level of audio that is so convincing and lifelike it connects audiences straight to the emotional power of music and movies.

The West Wing, Stirling House, Waterbeach, Cambridge CB25 9QE T 01223 203200 www.arcam.co.uk

ARCAM has an unrivalled engineering pedigree and is recognised for its innovation and development of world-class products such as the first offboard DAC in 1988, the first British Dolby-S cassette deck in 1992 and the first hi-fi DAB separate in 1999. ARCAM’s HDA range follows this same pattern with an all-new fascia design, new features and the best quality components.

The SA30, the latest addition to the HDA Hifi range, is

the maker’s flagship integrated amplifier boasting 120 watts of Class G amplification for impeccable sound, control and efficiency. The brand new HDA Home Cinema range features seven models - three AVRs bring one-stop power and processing solutions, exemplifying ARCAM’s recognised excellence in this arena. And, a trio of new power amps and a comprehensively equipped AV processor to partner perfectly with the power trio.

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AUDIO NOTE (UK) Audio Note (UK) launched the original MEISHU integrated amplifier in March 1994. To say it caused a stir is not in the least an exaggeration, and it quickly became the standard by which all other 300B Single Ended Triode amplifiers would be measured. Over the following 25 years, the MEISHU has continued to win hearts and awards around the globe for its unparalleled performance and musicality.

So when Audio Note decided to look at improving the amplifier, they knew the ‘New MEISHU’ would have to be something extremely special…

Taking what they learned when developing their worldclass 211 SET amplifiers, the JINRO, TOMEI and the legendary ONGAKU, Audio Note followed the principle that the elements in an amplifier circuit are like the lenses in a microscope. If these elements are not correctly chosen and adjusted, the image becomes blurred, and detail and information is lost. The same is true for an amplifier circuit; if each stage is not perfectly matched

Audio Note (UK) Ltd. Viscount House Units C, D and E Star Road Partridge Green RH13 8RA T 01273 830800 www.audionote.co.uk 10

to work with the rest of the amplifier, the result will be blurred, unfocused, uneven sound, lacking in information.

So to create a better amplifier, the natural idea was to simplify the circuit and optimise every element. This is exactly what they have done with the new ‘MEISHU Tonmeister’.

This could only be achieved thanks to Audio Note’s ability to use their own extremely closely matched transformers and custom components. These allow them to exert total control over the performance and voicing of the complete amplifier, something that is simply beyond the possibilities of manufacturers who have to rely on ‘off the shelf’ components.

The result is an amplifier that maintains the legendary Audio Note musicality, midrange magic and glorious tonal colour of the original MEISHU, whilst bringing new and previously unheard levels of information retrieval and dynamic expression. The MEISHU Tonmeister; the new reference.

CHORD ELECTRONICS

Celebrating 30 years of British manufacturing in 2019, Kent-based Chord Electronics has been proudly designing, engineering and hand-building its class-leading hi-fi since the late ’80s, when the company first introduced its advanced, proprietary technology amplifiers.

Those early amps were quickly noticed by The BBC, which became Chord Electronics’ first customer; Abbey Road Studios, Air Studios and many other ‘majors’ promptly followed. With a range of pro-level amplifiers already in production, the company followed its dream to become the first to bring studio-grade performance into the home, delivering music just as the artist intended.

Today, the company’s multi-award-winning amplifiers have become reference, best-in-class products and combined with Chord Electronics’ now legendary

DAC technology, the company’s uncompromising hi-fi products are recognised as being in a league of their own.

The portfolio ranges from small, portable headphone amps/DACs like Mojo and Hugo 2, to powerful yet space saving models, such as the TToby and Etude, to hugely capable reference-level products, built to drive the world’s most demanding loudspeakers.

In recent times, the company’s groundbreaking new amplifier technology, ULTIMA, has begun to filter down from the flagship into an increasingly affordable range, including the new ULTIMA 2 and 3, and the Etude stereo power amp.

Chord Electronics’ amplifiers and DACs showcase 30 years of know-how; expertise distilled down into a perfectly finessed range of standout products, built for the modern age.

The Pumphouse Farleigh Bridge Farleigh Lane, East Farleigh ME16 9NB T 01622 721444 www.chordelectronics.co.uk 11

INNUOS

DENON

Innuos was founded in 2009 with the vision that you don’t need to sacrifice sound quality nor be a technology wizard to enjoy the convenience of Digital Music at your fingertips.

The award winning ZEN Mk3 Music Server Series is composed by three models with increasing audiophile refinement: ZENmini, ZEN and ZENith.

The ZENmini Mk3 has both digital as well as analogue outputs and offers a sound quality upgrade through an optional LPSU in matching chassis.

All your music in one place Rip and store your CDs, import your existing files and download new music from online stores.

Discover new music through Spotify, Qobuz or Tidal and listen to your favourite online radio stations.

AVR-X3600H

Upgrade to Award Winning Sound with Denon Upgrade to the next generation of home entertainment with Denon’s new AVR-X3600H AV receiver. Be transported to the very heart of the latest blockbuster movie, enjoy the best seat in the house for your favourite band, or unleash the power of your gaming console with the best sound possible.

Easy set-up and control All models enable a complete computer-free operation for managing CD ripping, importing digital music and editing album data (including cover art) via an easy-to-use tablet/smartphone app.

Play your music through your HiFi system, music streamer or wireless speakers, in one room or all around the house.

An AVR is the beating heart of your home entertainment system, so, it’s important that it comes equipped with the latest audio formats.

The AVR-X3600H will allow you to experience immersive surround or 3D sound thanks to support for Dolby Atmos®, Dolby Atmos Height Virtualization Technology, DTS:X™, DTS Virtual:X® and IMAX Enhanced.

Setting up your AV Receiver is also an important factor to consider.

The reality is that even the most technologically advanced product will sound different in every room. You may experience a demonstration in-store, only to come home and find that it doesn’t quite sound the same. To tackle this, Denon AV receivers come equipped with Audyssey calibration built in. Thanks to its huge measurement and processing power, this allows you to perfectly calibrate your AVR to suit your listening environment. All you need to do is plug in the supplied microphone and let the system take care of the rest.

D&M Audiovisual Ltd., Unit 10, 1 Lanyon Quay Belfast BT1 3LG Northern Ireland T 02890 279830 www.denon.co.uk 12

Unit 15, The Venture Centre, Sir William Lyons Road, University of Warwick Science Park, Coventry CV4 7EZ T 01793 384048 sales@innuos.com www.innuos.com

ZENmini Mk3 and optional LPSU

CYRUS Cyrus’s newest product, the ONE Cast is the world’s first Hi-Fi amplifier to be compatible with voice control from all of the three major players, Google, Apple and Amazon Alexa, enabling you to use simple voice commands such as ‘Hey Google, play Dark Side of the Moon on Cyrus ONE Cast’. It also connects directly with streaming apps such as Spotify, TIDAL, Deezer, Qobuz or Roon running on your phone or tablet.

Cyrus Audio Ltd Ermine Business Park Huntingdon PE29 6XY T 01480 410900 www.cyrusaudio.com

Cyrus products give you all the performance you would expect from a Hi-Fi brand that has been winning global awards for more than 35 years. They offer amazing levels of clarity and insight into the music which takes your listening experience to a whole new emotional level. And yet it manages to achieve this feat with systems made from small unobtrusive boxes, that do not take over your living space.

Their systems are modular, so you can choose from hundreds of configurations to find a system that exactly

matches your needs and budget. But that’s just the beginning, their upgradable nature means that you can grow and improve the performance of your system over time, with individual elements being recycled and repurposed – a music system that grows with you, not one that you will grow out of.

The entry point into the brand is the ONE series, a range of products that combine huge functionality, ease of use and spectacular sound in a single box.

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MELCO

RUARK AUDIO Ruark Audio is a family-owned, British company. They have been creating audio products for over thirty years, and are just as passionate today as they were back then.

Alan O’Rourke and his father Brian, a skilled cabinet maker became captivated by a trade and hobby that they both enjoyed. You would usually find music playing in their house and with the advent of stereo sound, they began designing their own speakers. Friends and family gave their seal of approval, so they began working on two initial designs that they felt could be produced commercially and launched Ruark Acoustics in 1985.

Melco makes digital music better and easier!!

Nowadays, Ruark are immensely proud to offer a generation of music systems with wide ranging appeal, enjoyed for both their beautiful design and superior sound. From compact speakers and table top radios, to integrated music systems and perhaps the most elegant digital radiogram available. Using only the best technology, all Ruark products are developed with sound and connectivity in mind. And, with their intuitive Rotodial Control System, all Ruark models share the same easyto-use controls.

Crafted in Japan where surprisingly there is no culture of using computers in the home for entertainment, Melco achieves much higher performance than computer based audio sources, and being designed for audio only, installation and operation is really simple.

Whatever you choose to listen to, you can relax in the knowledge that you are listening to the very best. You are listening to Ruark.

5 year warranty and world class technical support are for your confidence.

59 Tailors Court, Temple Farm Industrial Estate, Southend-on-Sea SS2 5TH T 01702 601410 www.ruarkaudio.com

Melco greatly enhances the sound quality of all digital music sources including streaming sources such as TIDAL, as well as the internal library.

Importing music or CDs into the Melco is very simple, and even adds the necessary metadata when importing Naim rips.

Melco will play into a Network Streamer, or USB-DAC, or both, and can even be used stand-alone without any network connection.

Check out Melco Intelligent Music library – finally solves all the problems browsing for music especially Jazz and Classical.

Audiophille Digital Music Masters Ltd., Sandy Farm Business Centre, Sands Road, Farnham, Surrey GU10 1PX T 01252 784525 www.melco-audio.com 14

LINN

Selekt DSM Network Music Streamer & Linn Majik LP12 Turntable

Life with Linn: a life enriched Linn’s aim is simple. They want to bring you closer to the music you love, to feel every note, to experience your music with a clarity and power unlike anything you’ve ever heard.

Their philosophy is simple too. They don’t make anything unless it’s better than what’s available elsewhere. For Linn, “good enough” isn’t good enough.

Linn designs and makes some of the best music systems in the world. Based in Scotland and established in 1973, everything is manufactured in-house, from the electronics in its industry-leading Linn DSM technology to the loudspeakers found in homes around the world.

The iconic Sondek LP12 turntable continues to set the standard for vinyl playback and the latest digital stream players out-perform any CD or network music player available.

Linn systems are sold through a worldwide network of specialist retailers who also share a passion for enriching people’s lives through music.

Linn was awarded a Royal Warrant in 2002 as supplier of entertainment systems to the Royal Household, and received the Queen’s Award for Enterprise in Innovation in 2012.

Linn goes to extremes to pursue musical perfection. When you hear the results, you’ll understand why.

Glasgow Road Waterfoot Glasgow G76 0EQ T 0141 307 7777 www.linn.co.uk 15

NAIM AUDIO

Mu-so 2nd Generation

Authentic music excellence since 1973

Naim has been crafting high-performance music systems and accessories at its Salisbury HQ for 46 years. During that time, music formats and technologies have changed, but one thing stays the same: Naim’s founding mission to take you closer to the authentic sound and emotion of the music you love. Naim now offers a full family of audio systems, blending the latest technology with classleading performance and usability.

Unique music streaming platform There is nothing ‘off the shelf’ about any Naim product – and the company took the same approach to its music-streaming platform: 25 engineers spent 3 years developing a unique system that could make the most of online services such as TIDAL and Spotify, as well as your own music collection. All Naim streaming products sound superb on their own, but can also work together to create easy-to-use, great-sounding multi-room music systems.

Mu-so Qb 2nd Generation

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Stream your music in high-resolution quality (up to 32bit/384kHz) via UPnP, or browse millions of songs through AirPlay 2 (including Apple Music), Spotify Connect, TIDAL, Chromecast built-in and Internet radio.

There’s Roon support, too – giving access to a world of other music services. Great Wi-Fi connectivity promises a slicker streaming experience, while Ethernet remains an option if you prefer things hard-wired. You can also connect devices wirelessly via Bluetooth.

Your journey into the Naim music-streaming family begins with the Mu-so wireless speaker family – re-engineered in 2019 and already winning awards. The larger Muso 2nd Generation can fill even the biggest room with astonishingly clear, deep sound, while the more compact Mu-so Qb 2nd Generation is equally adept at providing high-quality performance in slightly smaller spaces. Both can also be used to boost your TV sound.

Next step up is the Uniti range of one-box players: Uniti Atom, Uniti Star (which also features a CD player) and the reference Uniti Nova. Just add speakers for the very best streamlined stereo performance.

The music-streaming pinnacle is reached with Naim’s dedicated network players, the ND 5 XS2, NDX 2 and flagship ND 555. Pair with the amplification and speakers of your choice for the ultimate hi-fi experience.

NAIM AUDIO Powering exceptional music performance Power your speakers to new performance heights and hear more from your music than ever before by adding Naim amplification to your hi-fi system.

From a new generation of integrated stereo amplifiers to the ultimate multi-box marvel that is Naim’s flagship Statement – capable of supplying a horsepower-worth of peerless music drive – there is something to suit every set-up.

New in 2019 are the NAIT XS3 and SUPERNAIT 3 - quite simply the best-sounding integrated amplifiers Naim has ever made, featuring significant performance upgrades, plus a return to built-in phono stages.

Those phono stages make the new NAITs perfect partners for turntables, but they are also ideal amp companions for streamers, CD players, or any other music source you555 want to enjoy ND Network Player with the signature Naim sound. They are not just for driving speakers, either – both feature a superb headphone output, too.

Award-winning sound The Awards are coming in fast for both amplifiers. Giving it the full five stars, What Hi-Fi said of the NAIT XS3 “It slots into your system and does exactly what you want it to, and that’s deliver the music with emotional impact intact.

We can’t ask any more of an amplifier than that.” The NAIT XS3 has also won Highly Commended Award from Hi-Fi News, and an Editor’s Choice from Hi-Fi Choice.

The SUPERNAIT 3, meanwhile, is described as a ‘Musical masterpiece’ by Hi-Fi +, has won an Audio Excellence award from Hi-Fi Critic, and named an Editor’s Choice

by The Ear, which wrote: “as the beating heart of a music lover’s system, this integrated may just be the last amplifier most of us could ever want or need. Conceived, designed and built in Salisbury, this thing is a triumph.

Bravo Naim!”

Let your local Audio T specialist demonstrate the step up in performance between the two models - plus the upgrade options an additional power supply can offer and then take you on to explore the world of dedicated Naim pre- and power-amplifiers.

Southampton Road Salisbury SP1 2LN T 01722 426600 info@naimaudio.com www.naimaudio.com

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PA N A S O N I C Panasonic is one of the oldest manufacturers of consumer electronics, founded in 1918 in Osaka, Japan to manufacture light bulbs, adaptors, and bicycle lamps. Panasonic has since grown to become one of the largest companies in the world.

Today Panasonic continues to make award winning consumer products, such as OLED televisions, which benefit from the research and development capacity of a large corporation.

Experience Cinema Picture Quality in Your Home.

For several years, Panasonic TVs have used the slogan Hollywood to Your Home, and while every brand will say their TV is “just like going to the movies” for Panasonic it is a deeper commitment.

All Panasonic OLED TVs are not just endorsed by Hollywood, but tuned and even used as client reference monitors by Hollywood companies like Deluxe and Technicolor. Professional monitors used for colour grading have small screen sizes, but producers require a large consumer TV that gets as close to the original picture as possible. This means when you are watching content on a Panasonic television, you are seeing as close to the original image as possible.

“The image on Panasonic’s OLED TVs is exactly what I see on the set and in the grading room. For that reason, it’s my monitor of choice on Top Gun: Maverick” Joe Kosinski, Director of Top Gun: Maverick

Maxis 2, Western Road Bracknell RG12 1RT T 0844 844 3852 (Panasonic Customer Care Centre) https://www.panasonic.co.uk 18

REGA

Rega Research Ltd. Est 1973.

Engineering is the beating heart of Rega Research Ltd, a company obsessed with specialist materials, tolerances and accuracy. Every Rega product is designed to achieve the best musical performance and deliver a lifetime of enjoyment.

This year, Rega has announced the new Planar 10 turntable, a product that best demonstrates all the aforementioned obsessions. The latest handmade Apheta 3 moving coil cartridge is a masterclass in micro engineering and the perfect partner for the latest skeletal design turntables. Couple these with a phono

stage from Rega’s large range of multi award winning pre-amplifiers and the new all-powerful Aethos stereo amplifier and you can experience the very latest in Rega audio systems.

Rega remains a dedicated British manufacturer and employs over 140 people. Rega designs and assembles every product by hand in their custom built 38,000 sq.ft facility in the South East of England, with their product range exported globally to over fifty countries.

So confident are they in their ability, Rega offers a lifetime warranty against manufacture defects on every single product they make.

Roy Gandy, Rega’s founder

6 Coopers Way Temple Farm Industrial Estate Southend on Sea SS2 5TE www.rega.co.uk 19

INTRODUCTION TO LOUDSPEAKERS approach offers neither stereo nor the ultimate in fidelity but it is a simple (even portable) solution that will suit many people. These speakers are great in kitchens and other rooms where a traditional hi-fi solution is unnecessary and many DAB radios are now equipped with this option as well. Bluetooth enabled speakers can also be connected wirelessly to many Panasonic TVs. Whichever alternative you choose you will still need to think about how the speakers will react with the room and where you will place them. As you would expect, our staff have great experience in matching systems to rooms and will gladly guide you.

Loudspeakers have changed dramatically over the past few years and nowadays you can get outstanding performance from a vast range of stylish designs – some grand and imposing and others so tiny that you will barely notice them.

Your options are, broadly speaking, traditional wooden speakers that have been the mainstay of the speaker market for years and give great sound. They are available as bookshelf, stand mounted or floor standing designs and can look very elegant. The finishes of these speakers have also changed and now, in addition to wood, they are often available in both white and high gloss black and look stunning. If your goal is excellent reproduction of music then these are still the best choice, although they are larger than some of the alternatives.

The other approach to speakers is the custom installed way, where speakers are fitted discreetly into ceilings, walls and even rocks in the garden! This is a great way to lose those boxes but it generally compromises the sound unless you buy the very best. They are ideally suited to bedrooms, bathrooms, pools or patios, where ultimate sound quality is not the main requirement or the use of more traditional speakers would be inappropriate. Ceiling fitted speakers can also be used in home cinema systems (in combination with a floor mounted sub woofer) or as a discrete solution to where to put the rear speakers.

There are also stand alone wireless options where speaker and amplifier are built into one box and the music is sent straight to it via your wireless network or Bluetooth, controlled by a phone or a tablet. This

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And remember, loudspeakers are like car engines: they’re mechanical devices that need to be run-in. Treat them gently for the first week or two and you’ll find that as time passes their sound will improve noticeably.

ACOUSTIC ENERGY

AE509

Founded in 1987, Acoustic Energy is a British owned loudspeaker manufacturer based in the Cotswolds.

The company’s first speaker, the AE1, gained an enviable reputation as one of the finest high-end compact monitors available, setting performance standards in accuracy, power-handling, dynamics, transparency and above all musicality.

These qualities reflect the company’s core product ethos which is faithfully maintained to this day by using new driver technologies, cabinet materials and manufacturing techniques within a focused product portfolio. From the 100, 300 and flagship 500 Series ranges to the awardwinning active version of the AE1, each loudspeaker is expertly conceived and crafted to deliver a lifetime of listening pleasure and enjoyment.

With well over a 100 years of combined experience and knowledge of the audio industry, the people behind the Acoustic Energy brand are dedicated music lovers who believe the finer things in life such as nice cars, good

coffee, food, wine and great design should all be enjoyed with the due care, respect and appreciation they deserve.

Backed by press awards and critical acclaim from journalists around the globe, this belief is shared by music fans, retailers and professional studios in over forty countries worldwide who’ve chosen Acoustic Energy loudspeakers, helping to secure our status as one of the most highly regarded British brands in the audio industry.

Acoustic Energy Loudspeakers, designed for the love of music.

for the love of music

Acoustic Energy Directors Mat, James and Neil

16 Bridge Road Cirencester GL7 1NJ T 01285 654432 www.acoustic-energy.co.uk 21

BOWERS & WILKINS

Dale Road Worthing BN11 2BH T 01903 221500 uksales@bwgroup.com www.bowers-wilkins.co.uk

Bowers & Wilkins is a global phenomenon. This British audio brand has been at the forefront of highperformance audio technology for more than 50 years and their quest for perfection has resulted in a succession of technical loudspeaker innovations that have satisfied the world’s most demanding listeners.

Bowers & Wilkins products consistently set the benchmark for high-performance Hi-Fi, home cinema and personal sound. Its 800 Series Diamond loudspeakers are the reference monitors of the world’s most demanding recording studios, and it produces best-in-class speakers for most budgets. Bowers & Wilkins also manufacture award-winning headphones and wireless audio systems, as well as being the audio system of choice for premium automotive manufacturers such as BMW and Maserati.

Bowers & Wilkins has grown from its cottage industry beginnings to become the global leader in high-end loudspeakers and audio systems. Design excellence and technological innovation run deep in its lifeblood. The research and development laboratory that John Bowers founded in Steyning in 1976 was the first of its kind, hiring only the most talented and curious engineers in a quest to discover the secrets of acoustic behaviour.

Many of the advances made by Bowers & Wilkins engineers – such as pioneering use of materials like Diamond – have not only influenced the way Bowers & Wilkins speakers are made, but how all loudspeakers are made.

Bowers & Wilkins Formation

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DALI

Oberon 7

DALI (Danish Audiophile Loudspeaker Industries) grew from Scandinavia’s leading audio retail chain in 1983, with the aim to meet customers’ demands which existing brands could not offer. Driven by a raw passion for music and its honest reproduction, DALI design and develop loudspeakers in-house at their factory in Noerager, Denmark.

DALI speakers are defined by sublime quality and an engaging audio experience across a wide area in any room. A key contributing factor to DALI’s success is their exclusive DALI drive units, which are designed from scratch by their engineers in Denmark. Because of their unique driver technologies and materials, they are able to design and manufacture speaker systems that allow

listeners to experience their favourite music exactly as the artists intended.

DALI offer a wide range of loudspeakers, all of which reflect the true DALI principles. Today they offer loudspeakers to suit all tastes and budgets, from the cost-conscious DALI SPEKTOR series to the superb flagship DALI EPICON range. DALI not only produce fantastic Hi-Fi and home cinema loudspeakers, but have also in recent years released a selection of Active speakers and more recently, headphones.

Today, more than one million satisfied customers enjoy their favourite music and movies at home through DALI speakers.

DALI Audio UK Ltd. AV House, Unit 12 Amor Way Letchworth Garden City SG6 1UG T 0845 644 35 37 uk@dalispeakers.com www.dali-speakers.com/uk 23

MONITOR AUDIO

REL REL makes subwoofers. That’s it. Nothing else. No distractions.

Nothing to steal their focus. No kidding themselves that they can be good at everything. No trying to conquer the whole world. They just do their best to conquer their part of it.

From the beginning this has been a labour of love, born from a desire for a more perfect sound experience. It began with one man’s dissatisfaction with the performance of subwoofers available at the time. That search for better, that pursuit of perfect sound remains the driving force behind REL, and it has driven massive advancements in technology and innovations in design. Turning loose the power, the drama and the fun that lies within great music and movies.

Silver 500

Monitor Audio loudspeakers are admired and acclaimed for their peerless combination of aesthetic beauty, flawless construction and exquisite sound. They deliver a performance to savour for a lifetime.

Since 1972, Monitor Audio has created award-winning loudspeakers to meet every need. The extensive range includes bookshelf, standmounted and floor-standing speakers, home cinema surround systems, and acoustically matched architectural speakers (for ultra-discreet highquality sound in the home and outside).

Globally renowned, Monitor Audio speakers are sold in over 80 countries. The strength and depth of the ever-evolving product portfolio demonstrates the power of a high-performance loudspeaker brand that serves every application, taste and budget. If the best possible sound from a beautiful loudspeaker is your desire, Monitor Audio’s pedigree is incomparable.

Silver 6G Walnut

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24 Brook Road Rayleigh SS6 7XJ T 01268 740580 info@monitoraudio.com www.monitoraudio.com

Each day the REL team works in pursuit of only one intention, to produce the most raw, perfect, pure sound possible, to capture the raw intention of the artist. REL uses the best quality materials and employ the most exacting construction requirements. They think of the problem holistically and pursue the chase of the perfect experience of sound with an obsessive passion and vigour.

REL explains that they do it because they love sound, and believe sound can move people more than any other sense. They believe it’s the integration of the bass via the perfect subwoofer that makes everything else better.

North Road, Bridgend Industrial Estate, Bridgend CF31 3TP T 01656 768777 www.rel.net

KEF The KEF Q Series, now in its 8th iteration, brings high resolution sound with more depth and more clarity.

Consisting of two bookshelf models, three floorstanding speakers, two all-important centre channel models and the Dolby Atmos-enabled surround speaker, the series boasts a huge number of acoustic innovations and enhancements to make it the most accomplished Q Series range yet.

Building on a strong reputation and countless previous awards, the all-new Q Series features a range of acoustic enhancements for a truly outstanding performance. At the heart of the evolved Q Series is the legendary Uni-Q driver array. This signature innovation places the tweeter in the

acoustic centre of the midrange and bass cone, bringing the acoustic ideal of a single point source closer than ever to realisation.

With the ‘Sit anywhere’ Uni-Q sound you can expect to hear effortlessly sharp, clear highs, sweetly robust midrange and fast and clean bass with minimum distortion at any volume - a more accurate three-dimensional sound that’s dispersed evenly throughout the room.

With the introduction of the B2 Wall Bracket, a dedicated accessory for the Q350 and Q150 bookshelf speaker, the KEF Q Series is designed to suit any home or space - from a two-channel stereo set-up to a full-on 5.1.2 AV system.

Eccleston Road, Tovil, Maidstone ME15 6QP T 01622 672261 www.kef.com

KEF Q350 Bookshelf Speaker

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DYNAUDIO Dynaudio’s founders were firmly of the opinion that if you want something done right, you do it yourself.

And they’ve been doing exactly that since 1977.

Everything the company’s engineers do is based on first principles – starting from scratch on each new model… there’s no shoe-horning off-the-shelf parts into a fancy cabinet and calling it a day. Instead, they say, they begin with an idea. “What do we want this speaker to do?” And then they put four decades of experience, technology and innovation to work. It’s a sandbox, and Dynaudio’s engineers are given free rein to play in it.

The new Confidence is a great example: it’s packed to the gills with ingenious new tech. But how to update such a classic model without losing its essence? The Dynaudio team evaluated a raft of new materials and acoustic techniques using the astonishing 13 x 13 x 13m Jupiter measuring facility (pictured, right) at their Denmark HQ. Then they used them in extremely specialised ways to raise the Confidence’s performance to another level.

Confidence 60 Confidence 20

Dynaudio is also quick to point out that this knowledge also benefits everything else in its line-up.

Confidence was a long project – which is why a lot of its tech appeared in other speakers in the company’s range before its release in 2018. The Special Forty’s Nomex spider? Confidence. The Hexis in the Evoke’s new Cerotar tweeter? Confidence. Bespoke top-tier tech across the board.

Dynaudio doesn’t do ‘off-the-shelf’. It’s bespoke Danish engineering – for everyone.

10 Felsham Chase Cambridge CB25 0JP T 01638 742 427 dynaudiouk@dynaudio.com www.dynaudio.com 26

DYNAUDIO

Dynaudio: listen to more

Nothing left to chance The Danish loudspeaker legends use some amazing equipment to develop products for homes, pro studios, the car industry and more

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N E AT A CO U ST I CS Thinking inside the box…

Neat Acoustics began making loudspeakers in 1989. Its reputation for producing innovative loudspeakers was established with the legendary PETITE model, which delivered a compelling musical performance through the implementation of some rather unorthodox thinking.

Neat’s approach allows the music to dictate the design of the loudspeaker, rather than the other way round. Many musical genres are used, including recordings made in Neat’s in-house recording studio. Neat speakers are developed in an iterative process, to the point where they’re considered to fully represent the essence of the musical performance.

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The reputation (and the unorthodox thinking) continues to grow with the recent introduction of the EKSTRA loudspeaker. An elegant yet deceptively complex design, the Ekstra features a true-ribbon tweeter and Neat’s unique take on iso-baric bass loading. An elegant loudspeaker that can be placed close to walls or in corners, the Ekstra is yet another winning combination of aesthetics and technology from the Neat team.

Hard on its heels comes a miniature bookshelf version, the MINISTRA, which uses the same ingredients as the Ekstra, but squeezed into an impossibly small enclosure. The Ministra is not only the latest groundbreaking design from Neat Acoustics, it’s a mini-miracle.

29 Harmire Enterprise Park Barnard Castle DL12 8XT T 01833 631021 www.neatacoustics.com

SPENDOR

A7

Every Spendor loudspeaker is designed, engineered and assembled at our facility in East Sussex, with all components and cabinets refined through an extensive in-house R&D programme.

The distinctive Spendor sound is the product of our obsession with detail and engineering excellence.

For example, Spendor drive units work seamlessly together through efficient high-quality crossover networks, employing short signal paths, whilst being anchored directly to the rigid cabinet structure. Spendor cabinets, all manufactured at our cabinet plant in Sheffield, incorporate our unique dynamic damping technology to deliver super-fast response, while high linearity crossover components, high quality internal cabling and our solid

forged steel stabilizer spike system, incorporated on each floor-standing model, all contribute to the class-leading performance of every Spendor design.

The result of all this knowledge and expertise is three distinctive Spendor product lines that all offer the authentic Spendor listening experience, carefully tailored for different preferences, needs and budget. Our A-Line loudspeakers offer captivating performance in compact, elegant designs suitable for smaller spaces. Spendor Classic delivers an immersive listening experience that many listeners find missing in other speakers, whilst D-Line delivers resolution, accuracy and scale to bring out the very best in high-performance audio systems.

Made for Music. Designed for you.

G5 Ropemaker Park South Road, Hailsham BN27 3GY T 01323 843474 info@spendoraudio.com www.spendoraudio.com 29

RUSSELL K

INTRODUCTION TO ACCESSORIES

Russell K is a British Company that designs and builds high performance loudspeakers for home use

The performance of your Hi-Fi or Home Cinema system is influenced most by your choice of major components, however, other seemingly less important items also play a vital role in the process. The cables, the stands and the supports under your system can all dramatically affect – and improve – the system’s performance. Spending relatively small amounts of money here can produce large improvements in sound quality. We aim to give you the best advice on finding the balance between what is truly worthwhile and running up huge bills on accessories you don’t need.

Founder and designer Russell Kauffman has over 30 years Industry experience, having worked for Wharfedale, Monitor Audio and Bowers & Wilkins before starting Russell K in 2013.

In his own words “ I always wanted to manufacture loudspeakers - it’s a chance for me to do the things I believe work to create the best sound, instead of being told ‘no’ for commercial reasons. I don’t have a Marketing or Sales department deciding what can or cannot be utilised in a Russell K design. It is so liberating to be free to focus on what really matters - and that is the sound”.

“Audition Russell K to hear them for yourself - give our speakers thirty minutes of your time. If they don’t make you smile, don’t buy them!”

Priced from £899 to £6499 there is a Russell K for everyone!

Wentworth House, 81-83 High Street North, Dunstable LU6 1JJ T 07831 481527 russellk@russellk.co.uk www.russellk.co.uk

Stands and tables contribute significantly to the way loudspeakers and system components perform. Loudspeaker stands not only place your loudspeakers at the correct height they also improve detail, dynamics and bass performance.

Equipment stands enhance the performance of Blu-ray/CD players, turntables and electronics by dealing with spurious air and structureborne vibrations. There’s a vast range available in different designs, different materials and different colours, so there’s no excuse for not giving your system the support it deserves!

Good cables are crucial: the interconnects that come free with equipment rarely offer adequate performance and you should certainly consider replacing them. Poor speaker cables will also strangle the sound of your whole system. Likewise poor video cables will not exploit the full potential of your television or projector.

Headphones have had a huge renaissance and new audiophile models are appearing every month. They can sound even better than your speakers and, with the addition of a portable DAC, you can listen to your favourite music in HD audio. We sell Bluetooth wireless models and also headphones for travelling with built in noise reduction. But most of all we sell a wide range to upgrade those supplied with smart phones and the like. The headphones in the box are almost always very poor and upgrading quite inexpensively can make a huge difference to the sound.

Replacement versions can also come with the ability to take phone calls - a very useful addition if, say, you are out walking.

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C H O R D CO M PA N Y Designing and hand-building near Stonehenge, England, this team of dedicated music lovers has been creating high-performance audio products since 1985. The company goes to great lengths (and precise tolerances!) to produce their award-winning cables; every element is chosen for optimum performance.

Whatever music you play and whatever format you use, Chord Company’s class-leading products can transform your listening experience, making extraordinary degrees of musical honesty and realism possible.

Chord Company enjoys an international reputation for realistically priced, audiophile-quality interconnects and speaker cables, and has become known for its unique ARAY/Tuned ARAY/Super ARAY conductor technology, proprietary Taylon® insulation, advanced shielding materials and its ground-breaking ChordOhmic speaker plug connectors. These advanced flagship technologies have, over time, also trickled through to the company’s wider product range.

Regardless of budget or type of system, Chord Company has a range of cables that will let you hear just how good your music can sound. Why not arrange a demonstration?

All Chord Company cables are designed, handbuilt and tested at their factory in Salisbury

Chord Company House, The Millsway Centre, Salisbury SP4 7RX T 01980 625700 www.chord.co.uk 31

HI FI RACKS

Renowned for their acoustically performing products by audiophiles worldwide, Hi Fi Racks was founded in 2007 with a mission to produce furniture that looks as good as it sounds. With a dedication to using only the finest quality solid hardwoods, their innovation, design and craftsmanship has won Hi Fi Racks many prestigious awards, accolades and five-star reviews from around the globe.

Unit 22 Burrough Court Burrough on the Hill Leicestershire LE14 2QS T 01572 756447 info@hifiracks.co.uk www.hifiracks.co.uk 32

Bespoke four-tier Podium Reference rack in solid oak

Hi Fi Racks offers a wide range of solid hardwood products, including racks, TV stands, speaker stands, wall mounts and more - covering the full breadth of hi-fi and AV equipment support. Understanding that every customer’s needs are unique has inspired their ethos of “One size does not fit all”, with products available in standard sizes and in bespoke widths, depths and heights, enabling customers to tailor the design to fit a space in their home or the dimensions of their equipment.

X 50 Speaker Stand in solid oak with walnut stain & black legs

Each item is designed and made-to-order by skilled craftsmen within their workshop in the heart of rural Leicestershire, on the historic Burrough Court estate.

So, whether you are looking to get the best possible performance from your hi-fi system, display your cherished turntable, house your LP collection or position your new smart TV, think Hi Fi Racks.

ISOACOUSTICS The driving force behind IsoAcoustics is Dave Morrison, a man closely involved in planning and building radio and television studios at the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation for 20 years.

Dave was part of the design team faced with building the world’s largest multi-media centre in Toronto: over 1.72 million square feet, with recording studios for drama, music, and chamber ensembles, special effects, radio and television shows.

Dave’s IsoAcoustics speaker stands are built based on this experience, with a unique, patented isolation technology that allows speakers to “float” in free space, letting you hear authentic, uncoloured sound. These eliminate

energy transfer to and from surrounding surfaces. Bass becomes tighter. Overall imaging is enhanced. Your speakers perform to their full potential.

IsoAcoustics has had various approvals from well-known speaker manufactures and is being discovered by more customers, at an ever increasing rate. The GAIA range, which won the EISA award for best HiFi upgrade in 2019/20, replace spikes on floor standing speakers up to 280kg, with the OREA range dedicated to electronics support. Finally the DELOS products are suitable for turntable support and larger electronics. In a relatively short period of time, IsoAcoustics has grown rapidly and now sells in over 60 countries.

Dave Morrison

Unit C1, Belcon Industrial Estate, Geddings Road, Hoddesdon EN11 0NT T 03301 222500 www.scvdistribution.co.uk

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I S O L- 8

Pure Engineering…

Nic Poulson

ISOL-8 Teknologies Ltd PO Box 56402 London SE3 7WQ T 020 8856 8856 sales@isol-8.co.uk www.isol-8.co.uk 34

Nic Poulson’s background was originally in broadcast engineering. He trained and worked for the BBC as a sound engineer in the eighties. The corporation’s legendary high standards made a deep impression on him. After leaving the BBC in the early nineties to further develop his passion for audio, Nic had become an established electronics designer with success in both audio amplification, with ISOL-8’s sister company Trilogy Audio Systems, and also in the challenging field of international airport runway lighting systems. He then formed IsoTek Systems after identifying the need to tackle the problems of compromised power supply in Hi-Fi and AV systems. An area he believed was being misunderstood and neglected by mainstream manufacturers. ISOL-8 was then founded to continue developing Nic’s ideas.

Nic pioneered the use of multiple filter sections to tackle noise cross contamination between audio components.

He also has championed the use of DC blocking to further improve sound quality.

ISOL-8 has shaken off the negative image previously attached to power conditioning. In the past many poor designs, and the optimistic performance claims made for them, have meant that many people have closed their minds to the idea that there are substantial performance gains to be found. Nic’s innovative and no compromise approach has solved many of the performance shortfalls caused by compromised mains power.

ORGANISED BY AUDIO T Friday February 21st to Sunday February 23rd, 2020 (The 2021 Show runs from Friday February 26th to Sunday 28th, 2021)

✔ See and hear almost every product in this Guide ✔ Meet the manufacturers and designers ✔ Visit the What Hi-Fi? stand for a demonstration or an answer to any questions you might have ✔ See loads of the latest products, hot from the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas ✔ Get great deals on most purchases made at the Show ✔ Win a prize in the huge Show competition ✔ Easy to get to, right in the heart of Bristol and next to the Cabot Circus shopping and entertainment area ✔ Easy parking close to the hotel ✔ A great day out for all the family ✔ The Show’s 33rd year!

Bristol 2020 Prices ON THE DOOR: Adults £14; Students & Over 65s £12.50 Two Day Tickets: Adults £25; Students & Over 65s £22.00 Students & Emergency Workers half price after 2pm on Sunday Accompanied Children under 16 FREE ONLINE*: Adults £12.50; Students and over 65s £11.00 Two Day Tickets: Adults £22.00. Students & Over 65s £19.00 Three Day Tickets (available online only): Adults £36.00; Students & Over 65s £31.50 *online booking fee applies

In association with:

www.bristolshow.co.uk 35

BRIGHTON

69 London Road BRIGHTON BN1 4JE

01273 609 431

brighton@audio-t.co.uk Contacts: Julian, Paul and John

BRISTOL

Opening hours Monday Closed Tuesday 9:30 - 17:30 Wednesday 9:30 - 17:30 Thursday 9:30 - 17:30 Friday 9:30 - 17:30 Saturday 9:30 - 17:30 Sunday Closed We’ll Pay For Your Parking Refunded against purchase

Welcome to Audio T Brighton. Located here since 1980, we previously traded as Jeffries Hi-Fi before joining the Audio T group in 2002.

Music is a key factor in our lives and we would be very pleased to have the opportunity to help you improve your enjoyment of music and movies at home. Extraordinarily, between the three of us we have amassed over 100 years in Hi-Fi retail.

Turntable specialists since the early days of the Linn Sondek LP12 and Rega turntables and with over 40 years of providing upgrades and servicing for these and other makes we can help you obtain the best possible sound.

Our refurbished Home Cinema room is well worth a visit so come along for a ‘wow’ moment.

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65 Park Street BRISTOL BS1 5PB

0117 926 4975

bristol@audio-t.co.uk Contacts: Max, James and Justin

Opening hours Monday Closed Tuesday 9:30 - 17:30 Wednesday 9:30 - 17:30 Thursday 9:30 - 17:30 Friday 9:30 - 17:30 Saturday 9:30 - 17:30 Sunday Closed We’ll Pay For Your Parking Refunded against purchase

The Bristol store is situated on the ever popular and vibrant Park Street in central Bristol. Here you will be greeted by friendly, knowledgeable staff with many years of experience between them. The store boasts two demonstration rooms and a range of Hi-Fi and Home Cinema products to suit your every need.

We encourage you to bring in your own music and movies so you can experience the delights on offer and we regularly enjoy greeting customers from Bath, Chippenham, Chepstow, Warminster, Shepton Mallet and Weston-Super-Mare.

We are fortunate in Bristol that our Operations Director Tony Revelle assists in carrying out turntable servicing. He has more than 40 years experience with Linn and Rega turntables and with many other brands.

CARDIFF

134/136 Crwys Road CARDIFF CF24 4NR

029 2022 8565

cardiff@audio-t.co.uk Contacts: Hefin, Nick and Kerrin

Opening hours Monday Closed Tuesday 9:30 - 17:30 Wednesday 9:30 - 17:30 Thursday 9:30 - 17:30 Friday 9:30 - 17:30 Saturday 9:30 - 17:30 Sunday Closed FREE CUSTOMER PARKING

Welcome to Audio T Cardiff, winners of the Technology Retailer of the Year at the Welsh Independent Retail Awards 2017 & 2019. As the best destination for quality Hi-Fi and Home Cinema in your area we pride ourselves on being friendly, helpful and knowledgeable with an insatiable passion for music.

Two demonstration rooms let you evaluate products in a relaxed and informal setting. Our single speaker room allows you to listen to components such as CD players, amplifiers and the latest in streaming technology. Our Home Cinema room has an 80” screen, 7.1 surround sound system and controllable lighting.

From Hi-Fi separates, micro systems and TV’s to a complete multiroom solution, we will ensure a smooth experience throughout, with informative demonstrations and impartial advice.

C H E LT E N H A M

38 Winchcombe Street CHELTENHAM GL52 2LZ

01242 583960

cheltenham@audio-t.co.uk Contacts: Jon, Farid and Andy

Opening hours Monday Closed Tuesday 9:30 - 17:30 Wednesday 9:30 - 17:30 Thursday 9:30 - 17:30 Friday 9:30 - 17:30 Saturday 9:30 - 17:30 Sunday Closed We’ll Pay For Your Parking Refunded against purchase

The Cheltenham store was opened in Albion Street during the 1980’s and in 2000 moved to new premises in Winchcombe Street. It offers a large downstairs sales area and a dedicated Home Cinema demonstration room. Upstairs we have a large Hi-Fi demonstration room.

We sell a range of Hi-Fi equipment from one box systems to high end separates, a good range of Home Cinema equipment, multi room audio and up to the minute streaming devices.

Jon, Farid and Andy have in excess of 40 years experience and are able to offer turntable servicing and upgrades.

Call in and you’ll be assured a warm welcome and a cup of tea or coffee.

Home loans and demonstrations are available on request.

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ENFIELD

159A Chase Side ENFIELD EN2 0PW

020 8367 3132

enfield@audio-t.co.uk Contacts: John, Jason, Francis and Mahmood

MANCHESTER

Opening hours Monday Closed Tuesday 10:00 - 18:00 Wednesday 10:00 - 18:00 Thursday 10:00 - 18:00 Friday 10:00 - 18:00 Saturday 10:00 - 18:00 Sunday Closed FREE CUSTOMER PARKING

There has been a Hi-Fi store on Chase Side for over 40 years and, with a reputation for a warm, welcoming atmosphere and knowledgeable, experienced staff, Audio T Enfield is the best destination for quality Hi-Fi and Home Cinema products in the area.

We can also undertake service and upgrades to Linn LP12 turntables.

We are within easy reach of the A10 and M25 (J24 or J25) and have a customer car park at the rear. We have two demonstration rooms and lots of products up and running for you to play with.

Tea and coffee are definitely part of the service, so feel free to pop in and have a chat or take a look at the latest technology in an informal environment.

We look forward to seeing you and meeting your requirements.

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63 Bridge Street MANCHESTER M3 3BQ

0161 839 8869

manchester@audio-t.co.uk Contacts: Dave, Munir, Mike, James and Haden

Opening hours Monday 9:30 - 17:30 Tuesday 9:30 - 17:30 Wednesday 9:30 - 17:30 Thursday 9:30 - 17:30 Friday 9:30 - 17:30 Saturday 9:30 - 17:30 Sunday 11:30 - 16:30 We’ll Pay For Your Parking Refunded against purchase

Audio T Manchester, formerly Practical Hi-Fi, has supplied quality Hi-Fi and Home Cinema for twenty years. We pride ourselves on customer service and impartial advice.

We regularly welcome customers from Bolton, Salford, Ashton, Oldham, Altrincham, Warrington, Stockport, Rochdale, Macclesfield, Wilmslow, Wigan, Huddersfield, Buxton and Knutsford so please call in to discuss your plans.

With 60 years of experience between us we all have a real passion for music. We offer turntable upgrades and servicing for a wide range of turntables including LInn, Michell & Rega, backed up by Dave the Manager’s 30 years experience with Linn & Naim.

We have a demonstration room where you can audition in a relaxed atmosphere. If you’re playing records, streaming or watching films we can assist.

OXFORD

19 Old High Street OXFORD OX3 9HS

01865 765961

oxford@audio-t.co.uk Contacts: Jon, Luke and Adrian

Opening hours Monday Closed Tuesday 10:00 - 17:30 Wednesday 10:00 - 17:30 Thursday 10:00 - 20:00 Friday 10:00 - 17:30 Saturday 10:00 - 17:30 Sunday Closed We’ll Pay For Your Parking Refunded against purchase

A warm welcome from Jon who has been leading the team for many years. He is ably supported by Luke and Adrian who are as happy discussing streaming products as they are talking turntables or Home Cinema.

We have a demonstration room where you can audition products in relaxed surroundings, and we have a fantastic range of equipment, which we are always happy to demonstrate, so bring some of your own music, or delve into ours and hear it as it should be heard!

If you’re looking to give your Hi-Fi an overhaul, fit a soundbar to your TV or install a Dolby Atmos home cinema, we can make your dream a reality.

We regularly welcome customers from Witney, Faringdon, Wantage, Newbury, Henley, Marlow, Thame, Northampton and Milton Keynes in store.

PORTSMOUTH

29 London Road North End PORTSMOUTH PO2 0BH

023 9266 3604

portsmouth@audio-t.co.uk Contacts: Nick, Joe, and Brad

Opening hours Monday Closed Tuesday 10:00 - 18:00 Wednesday 10:00 - 18:00 Thursday 10:00 - 18:00 Friday 10:00 - 18:00 Saturday 10:00 - 18:00 Sunday Closed FREE CUSTOMER PARKING

Located here since 1990, we were previously Jeffries Hi-Fi before joining the Audio T group in 2002.

With 50 years experience and a passionate love of music and film we offer everything from superb two channel equipment to the latest in streaming systems. The latest TVs combined with Home Cinema offer an experience like no other, making this the number one local destination for all your home entertainment needs.

Home demonstrations and home installations are available. We offer a customer install service and turntable servicing. Our main aim here in Portsmouth is for every customer to leave thrilled.

We regularly welcome customers from Arundel, Bognor Regis, Chichester, Fareham, Gosport, Havant, Littlehampton, Petersfield, Waterlooville and the Isle of Wight in store.

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READING

4 Queens Walk READING RG1 7QF

0118 958 5463

reading@audio-t.co.uk Contacts: Simon, Gareth, and Rob

SOUTHAMPTON

Opening hours Monday Closed Tuesday 9:30 - 17:30 Wednesday 9:30 - 17:30 Thursday 9:30 - 17:30 Friday 9:30 - 17:30 Saturday 9:30 - 17:30 Sunday Closed We’ll Pay For Your Parking Refunded against purchase

In the centre of Reading, our store first opened in 1978 as Reading Cassette & Hi-Fi. Audio T took over, with Simon Walker as manager, in 1996.

Our focus and passion has always been predominately music, concentrating on new technologies like streaming, high resolution audio and storage advice, as well as traditional vinyl and CD based systems up to and including the high end in both solid state and tube (valve).

We have an enviable reputation in turntable set-up and service especially, but not exclusively, of Linn LP12s, Well Tempered and Rega along with a range of cartridges to complement them.

Our strength lies in ‘system building’. We aim to enable customers to realise the greatest performance from their investment through our deep understanding of the products we carry.

40

12 Hursley Road SOUTHAMPTON SO53 2FU

023 8025 2827

southampton@audio-t.co.uk Contacts: Alan, John and Wayne

Opening hours Monday Closed Tuesday 10:00 - 18:00 Wednesday 10:00 - 18:00 Thursday 10:00 - 18:00 Friday 10:00 - 18:00 Saturday 10:00 - 18:00 Sunday Closed FREE CUSTOMER PARKING

1969 was a year to remember. Neil Armstrong stepped onto the Moon.

Concorde and the Boeing 747 flew for the first time. Stateside 400,000 people gathered for a music festival at Woodstock. Back home Monty Python first aired and Led Zeppelin’s first album was released. As if all this wasn’t enough a new Hi-Fi store named Hampshire Audio opened in Chandlers Ford.

In 1999 Hampshire Audio joined Audio T and, 50 years after first opening, we are still here with the same goal of providing Hi-Fi systems that enhance the enjoyment of music at home. The only difference now is that we also offer CD, streaming, multi-room audio and home cinema as well as the Hi-Fi medium of choice in 1969, the 12” LP.

SWANSEA

9 High Street SWANSEA SA1 1LE

01792 474608

swansea@audio-t.co.uk Contacts: Nic, Chris and Adrian

Opening hours Monday Closed Tuesday 9:30 - 17:30 Wednesday 9:30 - 17:30 Thursday 9:30 - 17:30 Friday 9:30 - 17:30 Saturday 9:30 - 17:30 Sunday Closed We’ll Pay For Your Parking Refunded against purchase

A warm, welcoming atmosphere and knowledgeable, experienced staff make Audio T Swansea the best destination for quality Home Cinema and Hi-Fi in the local area. We regularly greet customers from Carmarthen, Mumbles, Neath, Port Talbot, Bridgend, Llanelli, Pembroke, Brecon, Aberystwyth and Tenby.

Our main showroom features a wide range of Hi-Fi, from turntables to streaming and multi-room products as well as the latest OLED TV. Our ground floor cinema room features a projector based surround system with full Dolby Atmos speaker set-up. Upstairs is the refurbished demo room where the traditional stereo Hi-Fi demonstrations take place.

We can supply and install simple or more complex Hi-Fi systems, from a simple stereo, multi-room music or a fully automated home cinema system.

SWINDON

60 Fleet Street SWINDON SN1 1RA

01793 538222

swindon@audio-t.co.uk Contacts: Andy and Andrew

Opening hours Monday Closed Tuesday 9:30 - 17:30 Wednesday 9:30 - 17:30 Thursday 9:30 - 17:30 Friday 9:30 - 17:30 Saturday 9:30 - 17:30 Sunday Closed FREE CUSTOMER PARKING

A welcoming atmosphere and friendly staff make Audio T Swindon the number one destination for quality Hi-Fi and Home Cinema in the area. We regularly welcome customers from Marlborough, Hungerford, Chippenham, Cirencester, Devizes, Wantage and Burford and are happy to visit your home to discuss the best options for your system.

With over 36 years experience we are passionate about both turntables and audio streaming. We offer a range of products from quality two channel Hi-Fi’s to large Home Cinema systems incorporating 4K screens and projectors.

We have two comfortable demonstration rooms with tea and coffee always available. Feel free to pop in for a chat, or request a demonstration online. There is a customer car park at the rear.

41

NOTES

42

7

Great Reasons to Choose Audio T

We’ve been in business for over 50 years and we are the UK’s oldest independent specialist Hi-Fi Retailer. Run by enthusiasts, we love music and film and are passionate about sound quality.

This is what we offer you:

INDEPENDENT ADVICE We want you to be thrilled with your new purchase so we give impartial advice based on what’s best for your needs

PRICE MATCH PROMISE We’ll match any deal from any authorised dealer to make sure you always get the best value

PART EXCHANGE

We can give you a price for your old hi-fi which you can put towards a new hi-fi purchase

AFTER SALES SERVICE

We’re always on hand to advise and help solve any problems you may have

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

DEMONSTRATIONS

We have listening rooms in store or we can arrange a home demonstration for you

FLEXIBLE FINANCE OPTIONS AVAILABLE

Including interest free. With a small deposit and subject to status

HOME INSTALLATION

We can deliver and install your equipment to ensure you get the best possible result

43

WHERE TO FIND US BRANDS STOCKED & OPENING TIMES

Please check the store pages on our website or call your nearest branch for full details of everything that we sell and our current opening times.

F R E E PA R K I N G

With increased pressure to park in and around town these days we offer a small but useful service to encourage you to visit us. If you come into one of our stores that does not have free parking on-site, and you buy something, then we will reimburse your parking fees. Just ask the salesperson when you are paying and we will credit this against your purchase.

t

WE KNOW you won’t find better sound.

t

WE KNOW you won’t find better service or expertise.

t

PRICE PROMISE

BUT if you find a better deal from another authorised shop, let us know. As long as we can verify it we’ll be happy to match it.

www.audio-t.co.uk

44

BRIGHTON

BRISTOL

CARDIFF

CHELTENHAM

ENFIELD

MANCHESTER

OXFORD

PORTSMOUTH

READING

SOUTHAMPTON

SWANSEA

SWINDON

69 London Road BN1 4JE 01273 609431 brighton@audio-t.co.uk

38 Winchcombe Street GL52 2LZ 01242 583960 cheltenham@audio-t.co.uk

19 Old High Street Headington OX3 9HS 01865 765961 oxford@audio-t.co.uk

12 Hursley Road Chandlers Ford SO53 2FU 023 8025 2827 southampton@audio-t.co.uk

65 Park Street BS1 5PB 0117 926 4975 bristol@audio-t.co.uk

159a Chase Side EN2 0PW 020 8367 3132 enfield@audio-t.co.uk

29 London Road North End PO2 0BH 023 9266 3604 portsmouth@audio-t.co.uk

9 High Street SA1 1LE 01792 474608 swansea@audio-t.co.uk

134/6 Crwys Road CF24 4NR 029 2022 8565 cardiff@audio-t.co.uk

63 Bridge Street M3 3BQ 0161 839 8869 manchester@audio-t.co.uk

4 Queens Walk Broad Street Mall RG1 7QF 0118 958 5463 reading@audio-t.co.uk

60 Fleet Street SN1 1RA 01793 538222 swindon@audio-t.co.uk