Audio T Sound & Vision at Home Guide 2014

SOUND & VISION AT HOME 2014

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CONTENTS WHO IS AUDIO T?

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

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INTRODUCTION TO HI-FI & 7 HOME CINEMA Audiolab 8 Heed 8 Arcam 9 Naim Audio 10-11 Pioneer 12 Rega 13 Simple Audio 14 Yamaha 15 Ruark 16

INTRODUCTION TO TVs & PROJECTORS 16 Sony 17 Panasonic 18 Epson 19 JVC 19

INTRODUCTION TO LOUDSPEAKERS 21 Audio Pro 22 Focal 22 Dynaudio 23 Bowers & Wilkins 24-25 KEF 26-27 Q Acoustics 28 Libratone 28 Kudos 29 Monitor Audio 30-31 PMC 32 REL 33 Spendor 33

INTRODUCTION TO ACCESSORIES 34 Grado 34 Audioquest 35 HiFi Racks 36 QED 36 The Chord Company 37 Quadraspire 38 Sennheisher 38 STORES

Back Cover

WHO IS AUDIO T? Audio T is the UK’s leading specialist retailer of Hi-Fi and Home Cinema equipment. By far the longest established group in the country, we were founded in 1966 and are 100% UK owned by three hands on partners. We sell exciting products guaranteed to provide you with a system that will thrill you for years to come.

Unlike most of our competitors who just try to sell you the latest magazine favourites or, worse still, their own 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 47 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.

A good illustration of how great our staff are came with the Award of Salesman of the Year to Joe Reed in Portsmouth from ERT magazine, a trade publication.

Joe himself said “I feel like I receive it on behalf of all the great salesman in Audio T who I have learned from over the last 10 years”.

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.

We don’t produce or import any of our own brands so we won’t try to switch sell you like many other chains.

And we don’t pay our staff extra commission to sell particular brands. We make sure that everything we stock is good and let you make the final choice!

NEW TECHNOLOGIES Rarely has the Hi-Fi market been so exciting, with the arrival of music streaming from computers and media drives giving the industry a shot in the arm and sparking huge debates as to the merits of everything from file types to the best place to site the digital to analogue converter (DAC). New digital products are arriving from all our favourite suppliers (and many new ones), all making products based around this new way of delivering your music. The debate has extended from the relative merits of turntables versus CD to the differences between CD and streaming! All good fun and at Audio T you can come and hear the differences for yourself in one of our demonstration rooms.

On the television front, LED backlit LCD TVs have never been better value and remain the best solution for now. OLED (Organic LED) screens are appearing but it will be a while before they reach a price most of us will be prepared to pay. In the meantime manufacturers are adding “smart” features, gimmicks in some cases but certainly useful in others - like being able to stream BBC iPlayer or rented movies straight from your TV. UHD sets - called “4K” - have also appeared this year with four times the resolution of current 1080p HD. We have 4K screens in some branches and believe they look fabulous on native 4K content though there is, as yet, no commercial programming to watch.

With tough times still holding prices down there has never been a better time to upgrade your existing system. However, we are not desperate to sell you just anything but would rather build a relationship that will see you using our expertise for years to come. Audio T has a hard-earned reputation as the most reputable stores in the country but we also have a Price Promise that ensures you get great value. Not requiring vast central resources to spend on buying and marketing means our overheads are low and our prices are keen.

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

Bluetoothis a registered trademark of Bluetooth Sig, Inc. DLNA is a registered trademark of Digital Living Network Alliance

Netflix is a registered trademark of Netflix Inc

SKY HD is a registered trademark of BSkyB Ltd.

Spotify is a registered trademark of Spotify AB

You Tube is a registered trademark of Google Inc. All other products and services may be trademarks or service marks of their respective owners.

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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’ll 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!

In fact, to help you buy new music on vinyl we have started selling the range of Diverse Vinyl’s own label audiophile pressings and these are now available in the majority of our stores (check the website for details).

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 checkout 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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HOW DO I GET THE BEST SOUND AND VISION AT HOME? 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.

So, when making decisions about what to buy, there is no substitute for actually road-testing your prospective purchases - seeing, hearing and experiencing the products in action. Whether you’re tweaking an existing system or starting from scratch, contact your local store to arrange a 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.

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 that the sound quality is every bit, if not more important than the picture.

JOIN THE E-CLUB Our customers can now keep up-to-date by joining the 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...

Sign up today by visiting the Audio T website: www.audio-t.co.uk. We’ll only mail you once or twice a month and we’ll never, ever sell your email address to anyone else.

Audio T runs the country’s leading consumer Hi-Fi and Home Cinema exhibition at the Marriott City Centre Hotel every February in Bristol. It’s easy to get to, great fun and you can see and hear almost every product in this Guide. Checkout the website at www.bristolshow.co.uk.

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. Our online store 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. 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 Please check the store pages on our website or call your nearest branch for full details of everything that we sell.

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).

FREE PARKING 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.

DELIVERY AND INSTALLATION For a small charge we can deliver and professionally install your Hi-Fi or Home Cinema if you want us to, ensuring you get the very best from your new purchase. Putting a Hi-Fi system together may appear easy but it takes experience to make it sound sensational. Wiring up a Home Cinema system is even more challenging and many people wouldn’t want to even attempt 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.

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).

TURNTABLE UPGRADES AND SERVICING 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.

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.

And, to make things really easy, we offer a Buy now, Pay in 10 Months time* scheme that lets you defer paying us for 10 months at no extra cost. *Subject to status. Ask in store for details.

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

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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.

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 or cinema style seating.

Whatever your plans, Audio T can arrange these installations for you – working with our installers or your builders.

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 up-to-date audio electronics. And, unlike our competitors, 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!

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AUDIO STREAMING The latest buzzword in the industry, streaming refers to several different things, the basic principle being that your music is held in digital form on a computer drive and is then sent to your hi-fi system from there.

One way to do this is to send the digital files straight to your hi-fi where they are decoded by a digital to analogue converter (DAC) and played back just like any other hi-fi component. Alternatively these files can be stored on a network attached storage drive (NAS) from where they can be accessed from anywhere on a home network.

The network can be wired or wireless and this means that your music files can be played back in any room of the house that can see the network. This, in turn, has led to a number of manufacturers producing systems that allow multi-room streaming. The best known of these is Sonos and this system creates its own network, separate from your main wireless one, making it easier to set up (though many customers ask us to do it for them!)

The newest option for streaming your music is to do this directly from a phone or tablet straight to one of the new AirPlay® or Bluetooth® loudspeakers.

These have built in amplification and can take the streaming signal directly from your hand held device

(in the case of Bluetooth®) or both via your network or directly (in the case of AirPlay®). This makes for a very simple solution though the quality from these one box systems won’t be as good as you’d get from two stereo speakers. For kitchens, bathrooms and even bedrooms, however, they can be a simple solution.

There are many streaming services for music on the Internet accessible via Internet radio or companies like Spotify that allow you to select albums or tracks to listen to. There are also the same services for TV from the like of BBC iPlayer or other catch up services and film streaming companies. For all these things you will need an Internet connection, a router and a wireless network (or wired for even more stable results).

MULTI-ROOM AUDIO These systems provide the convenience of selecting what you want to listen to from wherever you are in the house. Quality options vary widely so you can choose exactly how much you want to spend, room by room. 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!

These days expensive and quickly outdated built in systems have given way to much simpler options that can be operated from the likes of phones and tablets. Systems like Sonos can operate wirelessly, making installation both simple and inexpensive.

However, if they can be wired they will tend to be more reliable.

At an even simpler level, products like AirPlay® loudspeakers can play music direct from your phone or tablet giving you “music in the palm of your hand”.

These can be sited in different rooms (or moved if they are portable) allowing you to create a low cost multi-room system.

INTRODUCTION TO HI-FI & HOME CINEMA 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.

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. Some of our audiophile customers have been known to spend many thousands of pounds but the average system is around £1,000 to £2,000. 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. Now 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. Multi-channel sound from Sky HD, Freesat and Freeview HD plus, of course, 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, but 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 factorytrained so we can get it all working without any fuss and transform your living room into your own private cinema or concert hall!

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AUDIOLAB One of Britain’s best-loved audio brands, Audiolab came to prominence in 1983 with the 8000A integrated amp, a bona fide Brit-fi classic. Yet despite its rich heritage, Audlolab’s range has never been more vital and accomplished than now.

Since the launch of the full-width 8200 Series, Audiolab has won many major awards in UK hi-fi magazines for its high-performance audio electronics, thanks to stunning components like the 8200CD player, 8200T tuner, 8200A amp and 8200AP processor. Further accolades have met the compact LAB Series, with M-DAC – widely acclaimed as the best DAC below £1,000 – now joined by the matching M-PWR power amp and Q-DAC, a lightly stripped-back version of MDAC with an amazingly affordable price tag.

HEED

Obelisk si

Heed Audio, based in Budapest, Hungary, manufactures a range of compact high performance electronics, including the SI integrated amplifier, winner of the What Hi-Fi? Sound & Vision Awards 2012 Best Stereo Amplifier, plus pre and power amplifiers, CD transport and DACs, designed to bring you closer to the recorded performance.

Forget hi-fi, remember music!

With none of the performance compromises often associated with compact electronics, the Obelisk range is more than a match for products costing many times the price and taking up considerably more room; which also makes them ideal for use in high performance desktop audio systems.

Unleashed by ION Systems’ designer Richard Hay in the mid 1980s, the original amplifier stirred emotions in unsuspecting hifi and music lovers alike. The original ION Obelisk was something unabashedly different - sort of a valve amp built with transistors.

Audiolab Q-DAC and M-PWR

IAG UK Ltd., 13-14 Glebe Road, Huntingdon PE29 7DL T 01480 447700 www.audiolab.co.uk

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The new Heed modular Obelisks are the perfect products for music lovers who want the ability to upgrade the performance of their systems without changing the fundamental character.

Adding a phono stage or DAC card or a separate power supply, or upgrading to a stereo or mono power amplifiers enables the system to grow with the user.

RPD Distribution, Unit 5, Eastside Industrial Estate, Mead Road, Cheltenham GL53 7EF T 01242 547663 info@rpddistribution.com www.heedaudio.co.uk

ARCAM

Arcam believes in the simple philosophy of bringing better sound to more people.

An enthusiasm for music reproduction lies at the heart of everything they do. Over the years Arcam has built an outstanding team of gifted and passionate engineers who have poured their hearts and souls into producing products that deliver a quality of reproduction that has won countless awards around the world.

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

The Arcam FMJ range of separates has real pedigree.

Arcam started making stereo amplifiers in the midseventies and has produced hundreds of thousands of systems since then. They pride themselves on engineering systems that are transparent and faithful to the original sound. The ultra-low levels of distortion and noise that these systems exhibit deliver a natural but highly detailed result which allows you to listen and be swept along by the power and majesty of an orchestra in full flow.

When an artist takes the time to record their music

with passion and precision, they want it to be reproduced as it was intended without distortion or alteration. Without anything added or taken away.

Arcam is one of a very few specialist manufacturers able to engineer home cinema electronics that can reproduce music to the same standard as the best stereo separates.

Conceived to offer premium performance with a wide range of system components and connectivity to suit the most demanding of installations, the Arcam home cinema components follow the Arcam tradition of sublime sound and picture quality from all genres of entertainment.

Most music and movie systems deliver a fraction of what’s possible. Find out what you’ve been missing and rekindle your love of music with a demonstration at Audio T. A system with Arcam at its heart is a life enhancing, stress busting, joy delivering investment that will thrill your entire family and all your friends.

AVR380 AV receiver and BDP300 Blu-ray player

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Top to bottom: NAIT 5si, NAIT XS 2 and SUPERNAIT 2 integrated ampliďŹ ers

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NAIM AUDIO Naim is one of the few brands that can truly claim to being the best in its sphere of audio engineering. Its rich heritage stretches back over 40 years to when founder Julian Vereker MBE launched his first handcrafted amplifiers, employing designs which directly challenged accepted wisdom at the time. Though its technology has evolved beyond recognition Naim has stayed true to its unorthodox roots with outstanding results: music bursts to life with toetapping verve and spine-tingling clarity.

DAC-V1 digital to analogue converter

DAC-V1 & NAP 100 The DAC-V1 is ideal for desktop listening. Its asynchronous USB input for PC or Mac, unique digital signal processing technology, audiophile preamplifier stage and Class-A headphone amplifier make the most of your digital music files. Add its partnering power amplifier the NAP 100 and a UnitiServe hard disk player server to create a compact three box system that takes your music away from the desk and into the listening room.

Streaming and Multiroom Since the launch of the original NaimUniti in 2009 Naim’s range of music streaming products has expanded to encompass an entire range of awardwinning all-in-one and separates network players.

The latest software for these players allows them to be networked together to form a true high-end multiroom system. Set up is simple, select one player as the master with the n-Stream iOS app and it will stream music from its UPnP, iPod/USB or iRadio input

NAP 100 power amplifier

to up to four client players in other rooms in perfectsync. Just hit Party Mode in n-Stream to instantly bring all players online and enable group volume control.

NAIT Evolved The SUPERNAIT 2, NAIT XS 2 and NAIT 5si are the latest iterations of a Naim classic, the NAIT integrated amplifier of 1983. They benefit from thirty years of research and thousands of hours in the listening room but stay true to the purest analogue philosophy of the original. This infusion of new technology and tradition has created a truly modern range of amplifiers and is a worthy celebration of Naim’s 40th year, hand-crafted in Wiltshire.

The NAITs are perfect partners for our dedicated network players the ND5 XS or NDX but are equally well paired with CD players such as What Hi-Fi? Product of the Year, the CD5si. Combine all three for a truly modern, high-performance system capable of handling all modern music delivery formats.

Southampton Road Salisbury SP1 2LN T 01722 426600 info@naimaudio.com www.naimaudio.com NaimUniti 2 all-in-one player

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PIONEER SC-LX87

Throughout its 75 year history, music and high quality audio has been at the heart of Pioneer. This passion still holds true today with an exceptional range of home cinema and audio products.

Continuing the recent trend of class-leading home cinema amplifiers, the flagship SC-LX87 with effortless Class D amplification and Air Studios approval is sure to get pulses racing. Another successful What Hi-Fi? Awards saw the stunning new SC-LX57 and iControlAV2013 app pick up awards. The impressive N-50 also walked away with the product of the year award for best music streamer.

It is not just at the high-end that Pioneer excels, with a true all-round home cinema package in the form of the VSX-923 and BDP-160. Belying its price-tag, this amplifier and Blu-ray player work together seamlessly to create an immersive home cinema experience.

For audio purists, Pioneer’s two-channel line-up has also earned high praise this year. The EISA award-

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winning PD-50 and A-70 provides stunning Class D-amplified, studio quality audio. High fidelity audio is presented in a compact package with the critically acclaimed, Class D-amplified P1DAB micro-system.

To enjoy limitless music, Pioneer has also teamed up with Spotify to bring the new Spotify Connect feature to a wide range of its home cinema amps and wireless speakers.

Music is not something Pioneer simply does; it is part of its DNA and a comprehensive range of products has been designed to give life back to music.

Pioneer GB Limited, Anteros Building, Odyssey Business Pack, West End Road, South Ruislip, HA4 6QQ T 0208 8363500 www.pioneer.co.uk

REGA Rega Research started making specialist Hi-Fi equipment in 1973. Back then Rega produced just a single product, the first of many now famous turntables. The designer (and at that time production team) Roy Gandy had some very specific design goals which remain unchanged today.

Each Rega design had to exhibit excellent sound reproduction, ease of use, strong reliability, and exceptional value for money. Roy achieved these goals through elegant technical solutions and clever production processes, often creating award winning engineered assemblies at unbelievably low prices.

Roy is still the owner and a key member of the design team.

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

Rega now employs 85 people and manufactures more than 40 different products including CD players, amplifiers, DACs and loudspeakers. They remain a dedicated British manufacturer producing astounding sound quality and unrivalled value for money. Tight control on the quality and performance of their products is achieved in a 21,000sq.ft purpose built facility in Essex. All Rega products are hand assembled by highly skilled technicians who take great pride in the work they do. So confident are they in their ability that Rega offers a lifetime warranty against manufacturing defects on all their products.

Rega products, designed for music lovers by music lovers.

RP6 Turntable

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SIMPLE AUDIO Simple Audio, the company with sound performance and simplicity at its heart, released its landmark Roomplayer series in 2012. Its distinctive and beautifully designed high definition music streamers not only deliver stunning audio performance up to 24-bit, a range of supporting Roomplayer applications effortlessly consolidate multiple music collections. After all, the way we now buy, store and listen to music has dramatically changed.

50, High Craighall Road Glasgow G4 9UD info@simpleaudio.com www.simpleaudio.com

ROOMPLAYERS - you’ll love the way your music sounds. Compact, high definition Roomplayers will have you streaming music in minutes. It couldn’t be easier to connect one to your choice of speakers or

your hi-fi. Roomplayers also come with convenient downloadable apps for your computer, tablet or mobile devices so that you can see and play all your music, no matter where it is stored. Unique multi-user and multi-library features also make it easy for family and friends to find and play their music too. Of course, if you’re in the mood for something different, you can search for new music on integrated music streaming services and online radio stations. Start with one Roomplayer and add more around your home for the ultimate multiroom experience.

Its music at your fingertips, for everyone to enjoy, sounding great, anywhere in your home.

Roomplayer – a great fit with your HiFi

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YAMAHA

Yamaha began its quest for sound superiority over 100 years ago - rather earlier than most of its hi-fi competitors.

Since 1887 Yamaha has been creating musical instruments and electronics that record the artists’ work. Today that tradition continues as they develop new, innovative and exciting products for the home.

Yamaha’s design engineers have never lost sight of their heritage and continue the tradition of creating

beautiful and natural sounding musical instruments and Hi-Fi. Yamaha’s ‘Powered by Music’ philosophy has evolved from this heritage in the musical instruments business.

This year they are delighted to announce two brand new two channel and multi-channel audio products: the MX-A5000 and CX-A5000 home cinema duo and the A-S3000 and CD-S3000 hi-fi separates.

Sherbourne Drive, Tilbrook Milton Keynes MK7 8BL T 0844 811 1116 http://uk.yamaha.com

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RUARK AUDIO

INTRODUCTION TO TVs AND PROJECTORS

MADE FOR MUSIC

These days Home Cinema buyers are truly spoilt for choice.

Whether you prefer a TV or want a full-blown cinema experience using a projector and screen, the technology is is getting better and becoming more affordable.

Ruark Audio is a family-owned British company, passionate about sound and design, that has been making world-class loudspeakers for over thirty years.

Ruark applied those same principles to design and create a new generation of perfectly formed music systems with wide ranging appeal that look and sound great in any space, whether it be your living room, bedroom or office.

Their entire range of products has not only received 5 stars with What Hi-Fi? but also numerous other prestigious awards to set alongside. Ruark Audio has quickly become recognised as the must have of the ‘small audio’ world.

The very latest technology is OLED (organic light emitting diode) and, though screens are coming out now, LED backlit LCD is a reliable, mature technology at lower than ever prices and is likely to remain the best choice for several years. OLEDs are interesting because they don’t need backlighting, meaning they can be both thinner and lighter. They also have excellent colour reproduction and low power consumption but are at prices that are likely to drop substantially. We can’t wait!

In the meantime both OLED and LCD TVs are becoming available with UHD - commonly called “4K”. This is four times the resolution of current 1080p HD sets but there is no commercial content to watch currently. Remember, though, that this was also the situation when high definition was launched and most of you will probably now have an HD TV! We have 4K screens in some branches and believe they look fabulous on native 4K content - so one for future proofing as we expect to see 4K streaming services starting and a 4K blu-ray standard that will lead to significant content within the next year or so.

One of the problems with all the latest TVs, however, is their slim chassis don’t allow for decent speakers, meaning the sound is thin and indistinct. There are several ways to improve this: you can add a discrete 2.1 speaker system which attaches to the back of the set and improves the sound hugely; you can add a sound bar underneath and these give you a semblance of stereo and can also be used to stream music; or, of course, you can go the whole hog and add a proper home cinema sound system which will sound by far the best. These don’t have to be large and obtrusive if you use small satellite speakers and a sub woofer.

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

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If you really want a Home Cinema that’s truly enveloping you must come and see one of the projectors we recommend; there’s nothing that comes close to that experience! We can advise on the best choice for your room, install it and set it up to get the best performance possible. Once fitted these systems are very discreet and can virtually disappear if you want them to.

SONY Remember the first time you saw High Definition?

Be prepared to be amazed again with a level of realism beyond anything you’ve ever seen on a TV.

A 4K resolution TV (3840 x 2160) shows you more detail than ever before. Utilising eight million pixels it’s able to show four times the detail of full HD. At Sony we’ve been involved in every stage of the development of 4K. From shooting big-budget Hollywood films such as After Earth on our professional 4K cameras to installing 4K projectors in almost a third of UK cinemas. We’ve assisted broadcasters with trials of great sporting events such as Wimbledon and the Premiership and we will be filming the FIFA world cup final in 4K.

We’ve been able to apply this unique expertise in 4K to our TV range – being the first to launch a 4K TV in the UK over one year ago and receiving the 2013 TV of the year award for our 65” X9 TV from T3 magazine. They state it offers “the sharpest images you’ll have ever seen on a screen , making it one of the best TVs to buy right now.” We’re certainly not going to disagree!

The Heights, Brooklands, Weybridge, Surrey KT13 OXW www.sony.co.uk

KD55X9005 4K TV

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PANASONIC

The latest Panasonic Smart VIERA TV line-up takes digital TV technology to new heights of 1080p performance and design. Whether you’re looking for a fantastic Full HD LED LCD widescreen TV or picture perfect HD plasma, Panasonic has a flat screen TV that’s right for every budget and room size.

Panasonic House Willoughby Road Bracknell RG12 8FP T 0844 844 3852 (Panasonic Customer Care Centre) www.panasonic.co.uk

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Panasonic Smart internet-enabled TVs don’t just offer the best digital picture and sound quality, regardless of price, they also open the door to a world of connected entertainment personalised just for you.

From the best in Catch-up TV to the latest movies, you can be sure there’s always something great to watch, the way you want to watch it.

With Panasonic’s exclusive My Home Screen, your favourite streaming TV services, including BBC iPlayer, YouTube and Netflix, have never been easier to use.

You can even read the latest movie reviews from the comfort of your armchair, courtesy of an integrated web browser. For extra convenience, every VIERA Smart HDTV features built-in Wi-Fi and supports Skype TV calling.

Smart VIERA TVs combine easy calibration for the best image quality with Voice Guidance technology designed to help you understand and compare the various features and functions available. A built-in camera uses face recognition to personalise your widescreen TV viewing experience.

EPSON

JVC Immerse yourself in 4K brilliance Take your home entertainment to the next level and lose yourself in the vivid reality provided by the 2014 range of advanced projectors from JVC. All models come 3D enabled and feature the Industry’s highest native contrast ratios of 150,000:1 on the flagship model DL-AX900R, 120,000:1 for DLA-X700R, 60,000:1 for DLA-X500R and 50,000:1 for DLA-X35.

Immerse yourself in the detail and precision of every strand of hair and blade of grass; put yourself in the driving seat of a high speed car chase and delve into the wonders of an underwater adventure provided by the 4K signal input featured on the DLA-X900R, DLA-X700R, and DLA-X500R.

Epson EH-TW7200

However fast moving or detailed you like your games, movies or sports, Epson’s exclusive, innovative 3LCD technology delivers bright, natural images that are smooth, easy on the eye and on a screen size of up to 300 inches.

Enjoy bright whites, deep blacks and vivid colours, even in daylight with high colour and white light output. This new industry standard for picture quality makes it easy to evaluate performance and choose your perfect projector.

For flexibility of installation, selected Epson projectors offer horizontal and vertical lens shift together with a variety of connectivity options, including HDMI to deliver Full HD content effortlessly. For a reduced total cost of ownership and complete peace of mind, Epson projectors are efficient, operate with low power consumption and include an unrivalled warranty.

1

enquiries@epson.co.uk www.epson.co.uk 1 Compared to leading 1-chip DLP home entertainment projectors. Epson 720p projectors are three times brighter; Epson 1080p projectors are consistently two and up to three times brighter. Based on NPD data, July 2011 through June 2012.

Colour brightness (Colour Light Output) measured in accordance with IDMS 15.4. Colour brightness will vary depending on usage conditions.

For more information please visit www.epson.co.uk/CLO 2

Survey conducted by Futuresource Consulting Limited for the period from 2001 to 2012.

2

JVC 2014 DILA 4K Projector

JVC House, JVC Business Park, 12 Priestley Way, London NW2 7BA hdworld@jvc.co.uk www.jvc.co.uk

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“The service from you is continually exemplary, second to none. I have not encountered this level of knowledge, approachability, thoughtfulness and patience, anywhere before. Great team.”

THE AUDIO T e-CLUB

Our shops run dozens of events each year designed to let our customers see and hear the latest products and technology. Some are product focussed, others are all about listening to music or buying vinyl records. We really hope you will join us at as many of these as you have time for - so join us for some great sounding Hi-Fi and a cup of Audio T!

Mr Ryan, Brighton

"A rare pleasure to experience such throughly good, ‘joined up’ customer support these days, very much appreciated.”

Mr Morton, Oman

“I would just like it to be known how grateful and impressed I was with my recent hi-fi upgrade from your Portsmouth branch. Your staff provided outstanding service and installation of Naim Audio’s flagship equipment. Their knowledge, kindness and professionlism was exemplary. I will certainly be returning for my next purchase.”

Mr Deadman, Portsmouth

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EVENTS

Our customers can now keep up-to-date by joining the e-Club electronic mailing list that has special benefits for members: • The latest Audio T news direct to your in box • Monthly newsletters with news of new products • Exclusive e-Club Special Offers • Competitions • Priority notification on any Sales • Extra discount on clearance items • Invitations to roadshows and musical evenings • and more...

Sign up today by visiting the Audio T website: www.audio-t.co.uk. We’ll only mail you once or twice a month and we’ll never, ever sell your email address to anyone else.

INTRODUCTION TO LOUDSPEAKERS 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. If your goal is excellent reproduction of music then these are still the best choice, although they are larger than some of the alternatives now available.

The most common of these alternatives are known as sub sat systems, as they use a subwoofer to produce the bass frequencies with satellite speakers for the rest of the frequency range. The advantage of this approach is that the bass can go deeper than in most traditional speakers, which is particularly useful in Home Cinema systems, and the satellite speakers can be small. Unfortunately they can sound poor if they are not well designed or if they are not set up properly in your room. They can be stand, shelf or even wall mounted with the sub tucked away near a wall.

The third 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 the 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.

And now there is a new speaker option that has developed from the iPod docking market. As Apple AirPlay® and Bluetooth® have developed as ways of transmitting music without too much of a loss in quality, manufacturers have offered another loudspeaker option. In this scenario the speaker and amplifier are built into one box and the music is sent straight to it wirelessly, controlled by a phone or a tablet. This approach offers neither true 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. 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.

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.

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AUDIO PRO

FOCAL

Audio Pro is an audio company with deep roots in hi-fi tradition which promotes the very best in Scandinavian audio design. Audio Pro has engineered and produced loudspeakers since 1978, many of which have become truly iconic.

One of these icons is the What Hi-Fi? award winning, highly acclaimed, Air One. A one box wireless speaker system giving full CD sound quality. You can play wirelessly from any device, Apple via AirPlay® or Android via DLNA. Add more Air Ones around your home and you have created a high quality, wireless multi-room system all achieved with no ugly cables or software. So simple just unpack plug in and enjoy the award winning Audio Pro Air One. With over 30 years of heritage, Focal is universally respected as one of the leading loudspeaker innovators and manufacturers in the world today.

ARIA 900 Focal research has led to the creation of a new breed of loudspeaker. Designed and manufactured in the heart of France, the new Aria 900 range of loudspeakers features unique flax technology, new TNF tweeters, minimalist style cabinets and perfectly phase-optimised crossovers – all delivering ultimate listening pleasure.

FLAX TECHNOLOGY Aria’s unique speaker diaphragms consist of a layer of Flax encased in an ultra-thin fibreglass skin. This hybrid material is as rigid as Kevlar® and twice as light as traditional poly glass, making it an excellent choice for sound quality.

PERFORMANCE Aria drivers feature a new Zamak (zinc/aluminium/magnesium/ copper) basket and the tweeters are suspended using Poron, a memory foam material developed for the reference Utopia range, which reduces distortion three-fold in critical areas of the audio spectrum.

Audio Pro Air One

Maidstone Road,Milton Keynes MK10 0AJ T 01908 282 498 www.audioprodirect.co.uk

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Southampton Road, Salisbury, SP1 2LN T 0845 660 2680 info@focal-uk.com www.focal.com

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DYNAUDIO

Founded in 1977 Dynaudio is one of an elite group of companies still to design and manufacture every aspect of its products.

The company’s Skanderborg HQ in Denmark is a centre of pioneering R&D technology and stateof-the-art precision manufacturing, all combined with levels of craftsmanship long forgotten by other brands. Dynaudio’s award winning products can be found in everything from the Bugatti Veyron to over 10,000 recording studios worldwide, such as London’s Air and the BBC, where it is standard in all studios.

Dynaudio UK 6 Brook Dam Lane Soham, Ely CB7 5HZ T 01353 721 089 bill.livingston@dynaudio.com www.dynaudio.com

Dynaudio’s enthralling new Excite loudspeaker range delivers true high-end sound, though at a price that will surprise. These are speakers where quality of performance completely belies the cost of the models. What’s more, the designs offer the kind of finish we’d expect from this high-end

Danish company, being both beautifully crafted and extremely elegant.

Essentially, the Excite range delivers luxury loudspeakers at an affordable price that are the perfect introduction to Dynaudio.

Excite models can be driven quite effortlessly by almost any amplifier due to their amp-friendly design and their significantly upgraded ultra efficient driver technology. New magnet mounted front grilles add to their clean appearance while four finishes are available, meaning the Excites happily fit into any home.

The range comprises the compact X14 standmount, the X34 slimline baby floorstander, and the threeway flagship X38 floorstander. Completing the range is the X24 centre.

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BOWERS & WILKINS Since 1966 Bowers & Wilkins has been following John Bowers’ ambition: to create a loudspeaker that neither adds nor takes away from the music as recorded by the sound engineer. In effect, the perfect loudspeaker.

The newest addition to the Bowers & Wilkins line-up is the CM10 which sets a new standard in performance and features a number of technologies new to the CM range. It is the first to include the tweeter-on-top configuration, a hallmark of the acclaimed 800 Series Diamond, along with a newly designed tweeter dome.

The FST™ mid-range has also been decoupled from the rest of the cabinet, another first for the range.

These new technologies, along with the increased depth of the enclosure, provide a more extended bass, better imaging and lower distortion and coloration.

Bowers & Wilkins revered acoustic engineering is also applied to its award-winning personal audio products. The Wireless Music Systems bring together over 45 years of audio expertise with intuitive AirPlay® wireless streaming technology to create a system that gives all the convenience and freedom of wireless music, without compromising on sound quality. And Bowers & Wilkins stylishly mobile headphone range brings you closer to your music than you ever thought possible, wherever you are.

Zeppelin Air

24 24

P7

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

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KEF KEF is a world leading British speaker brand with a 50 year history of innovation in pursuit of the clearest and most accurate reproduction of recorded sound.

R Series

With a track record of pioneering award-winners from professional studio monitors of the Beatles era to the legendary Reference Series and the recent ground breaking Muon and Blade, no other brand can equal KEF’s long list of design firsts .

Every KEF speaker large or small embodies the same ethos: quality engineering to enhance the enjoyment of pure sound.

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

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KEF R SERIES With the R Series now available in a range of finishes including high gloss piano white, this versatile speaker range is not only easy on the eye but also creates a sound that’s so stunningly accurate that it approaches the benchmark standards of KEF’s legendary Reference Series.

With nine timelessly handsome models including three assertive floorstanders, two bookshelf speakers, two fully specified centre channels, dipole surrounds and a matching subwoofer, KEF’s R Series represents a decisive step forward in the enjoyment of music or film.

KEF LS50 Since its launch, the KEF LS50 mini monitor loudspeaker has been recognised for its acoustic design and state of the art technologies from KEF’s flagship Blade loudspeaker. Winner of What Hi-Fi?’s award for “Best Standmounter £400-£800” in 2013, this bookshelf speaker is designed to bring professional studio quality sound to the comfort of your home.

KEF LS50 - the ultimate mini monitor

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Q ACOUSTICS

LIBRATONE

Loop

The design brief for Q Acoustics is straightforward: simply design and produce the very best affordable loudspeakers in the world.

Not the best at any price; but certainly the very best ‘for the money’.

The results speak for themselves. Q Acoustics continues to receive prestigious awards and universal acclaim. These products deliver unequalled sonic performance at their price - a feat recognised at the 2013 What HI-FI? Awards where Q Acoustics received an unprecedented five coveted awards, including ‘Product of the Year’ for the new Concept 20.

Libratone design is strictly Scandinavian – minimalist, elegant and clean.

Modern life needs modern audio and Libratone creates sound systems for today. That’s it. Wireless technology, hi-fi audio quality, and Scandinavian design – in one sound source. Their goal is to add a new audio dimension to iPhones, iPads, iPods, DLNA and computers worldwide and to deliver an alternative to stereo systems whilst delivering a great sound experience.

All Libratone speakers come in a variety of colours to suit your decor including red, green, black, grey and beige.

For general enquiries contact: Tom Martin, UK manager Tom@libratone.com For technical enquiries: support@libratone.com www.libratone.com

UK Distributor Armour Home Electronics, Units 7 & 8, Stortford Hall Industrial Park, Bishops Stortford CM23 5GZ T: 01279 501111 www.armourhome.co.uk www.qacoustics.co.uk

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Zipp

KUDOS

Super 20

THE KUDOS DIFFERENCE

Unit 3/4 Harvey Court Low Willington Industrial Estate Willington DL15 0UT T 0845 458 6698 www.kudosaudio.com

At Kudos we take an uncommon approach to loudspeaker design: we use music as our primary tool. While working in the demanding field of live sound engineering, Kudos’ Derek Gilligan discovered that technical measurements – the traditional basis for designing and assessing loudspeakers - don’t reflect everything that we hear. The human ear is a fine technical instrument and there’s no substitute for extensive critical listening in a variety of environments. Of course Kudos still use traditional measurements, but only to investigate technical issues within a design.

As well as a music-led approach to loudspeaker design, three further qualities are key to the Kudos difference: • We only use exceptional quality components, working with some of Europe’s finest engineers

to source the best available components at given price points.

• We believe that when it comes to hi-fi circuitry and connections, less is definitely more. We keep our signal paths clean and clear by closely matching our excellent quality components, so there’s no need for complex interventions to counteract signal distortions.

• The best quality components demand respectful treatment. We favour traditional, well-proven engineering techniques, drawing on the wisdom of ages to bring out the best in the latest technologies.

Every product is hand assembled in Kudos’ premises in the north-east of England.

The result? The Kudos range of loudspeakers aims to offer the most musically involving hi-fi experience achievable, with each model setting a standard at its respective price point.

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MONITOR AUDIO If you love fabulous sound and design, you’re at one with Monitor Audio. Since 1972 we’ve been perfecting the big ideas and the tiny details that combine to identify our award-winning DNA.

Across a range rich in its choice of style, size, shape and application, our expertise promises you the seductive blend of fidelity and décor-friendly design that brings your favourite songs and movies to life in any room. With Monitor Audio, living with great sound has never been easier.

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

From every Monitor Audio system, you’ll enjoy a harmony of innovation and design excellence defined by quality, refined by relentless testing and listening, driven by performance in all its forms.

Share for instance the unique potential of the ASB-2, the world’s most complete soundbar. By combining a high performance active audio system with powerful streaming technologies - including Airplay® - the ASB-2 offers an irresistible mix of size-defying frequencies and fuss-free functionality. Alternatively, relish the immersive audio impact of the next generation of Radius satellites and subs, perfected for discreet installation with a wide selection of colours and installation options; or revel in the natural sound and slender style of the new eightstrong Silver speaker range, created in a choice of real wood and gloss finishes and made to re-energise entertainment in your home.

ASB-2

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Silver Series

31 31

PMC

Twenty.23, Twenty.21, Twenty.22, Twenty.24

Celebrating the company’s first two decades in business, PMC’s award-winning twenty series loudspeakers continue the company’s traditions of engineering excellence and design flair, delivering the ultimate in audio reproduction for any room size or application.

With four models of increasing size - the twenty.21, twenty.22, 23 and 24, plus a dedicated centre channel speaker, the twenty.C - the twenty series, like all of PMC’s products, combines complete sonic transparency with the last word in design elegance.

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PMC, the Emmy® award-winning British loudspeaker company, is widely respected as the manufacturer of the finest studio and hi-fi loudspeakers in the world with clients such as Prince, Elbow, Coldplay, Universal Music, the BBC and many more. The company’s handcrafted designs provide a pure, uncoloured sound thanks to their ATL™ bass loading technology, which guarantees a wide dynamic range, crystal clear mid-range and full, rich bass at all volumes.

Hear your music and movies exactly as the artist intended with PMC.

43-45 Crawley Green Road Luton LU2 0AA T 0870 444 1044 sales@promonitor.co.uk www.pmc-speakers.com

REL

SPENDOR

REL strives to produce beautiful designs in a category not known for them; the engineering team ensures that every REL is built to the most rigorous standards.

The result is products that are both beautiful to behold and offer industry leading performance.

T-9 features a rugged, 300W monoblock driving an Ultra Long Throw™ 10” engine with a matching fluid coupled passive resulting in the equivalent driven surface area of a 15” driver.

All this performance is encased in a solid 1” thick cabinet braced carefully and finished off in five coats of hand rubbed lacquer. Other models built to the same exacting standards, but with engines and amplifiers sensibly matched.

REL. Accept No Substitutes.

D7

Spendor loudspeakers are distinguished by their engaging natural sound. The products are designed and manufactured in the UK. They began supplying broadcast reference loudspeakers to the BBC back in the early 70’s. Today Spendor has three product lines: A-line, D-line and Classic.

The new D7 delivers music with a breath taking realism that conventional loudspeakers cannot match. Check the glowing reviews, this is not a wild claim! Engineering highlights include Spendor LPZ (Linear Pressure Zone) tweeter, bi-venturi linear flow port (inspired by Formula 1 diffuser technology) and new EP77 polymer cone material.

T-9

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

Listen to Spendor, let the technology work, hear the music.

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

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INTRODUCTION TO ACCESSORIES

GRADO

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.

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 structure-borne 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 extend the time you can listen to music without disturbing others, and they can help ensure that others don’t disturb you! 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 iPods 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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RS1i Headphones

Grado have been the leaders in design engineering, for both the high-end audio and recording industries, for almost half a century. Joseph Grado, who founded the company, is credited as the inventor of the stereo moving coil phono cartridge.

Today, Grado is most famous for its remarkable headphones and its biggest selling model is the universally praised, multiaward winning SR80i.

If you desire the world’s best headphone, the flagship Grado PS1000 is £1,699 per pair, but with the iGrado model, you can enjoy the award-winning performance of Grado headphones for less than £50.

UK Distributor Armour Home Electronics, Units 7 & 8, Stortford Hall Industrial Park, Bishops Stortford CM23 5GZ T: 01279 501111 www.armourhome.co.uk www.grado.co.uk

AUDIOQUEST AudioQuest is a US based company that has been designing and manufacturing high performance, low distortion cables and accessories for over 30 years.

Great sound and great pictures, music that consumes you, movies that transport you around the universe... all come from honouring the original signal.

AudioQuest knows it’s an unavoidable fact of life that every component and cable in a system causes distortion, changing the overall character of the signal. Better cables and components can only improve performance if they do less harm to the original signal and reduce the amount of noise and distortion introduced into a system. Do No Harm!

Hoge Bergen 10 4704 RH Roosendaal The Netherlands T 01249 848873 info@audioquest.nl www.audioquest.com Cinnamon HDMI, RCA Noise stopper caps, NRG Power Cable

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HI FI RACKS

QED QED has been the leading UK producer of hi-fi, home cinema, and now digital cables, for nearly four decades.

Why? Because QED understand that cable design is about science, not black magic.

Good cable design comes solely from adhering to sound scientific principles and utilising the highest quality materials, together with the skill, knowledge and experience to fuse these elements together.

Podium XL (V)

Award-winning solid wood racks that look as good as they Sound.

Hi Fi Racks produces audio visual furniture that combines elegance and grace with exceptional acoustic performance.

They firmly believe that ‘one size doesn’t fit all’. That’s why any of their racks can be tailor-made to meet your exact requirements. From extra depth or width to a rack shaped to fit into a particular place, they’ll build it to your precise specifications. What’s more, all their stands are upgradable and adaptable to accommodate changes to your hi-fi system and home cinema storage requirements over time.

Each piece is individually hand-made in their rural workshop, using only the finest solid hardwoods sourced from around the world. The high quality design and craftsmanship has won Hi Fi racks many awards from leading industry publications.

These include Product of the Year Awards from What Hi-Fi? and Hi-Fi Choice magazines for the Podium range, and Best Support in the 2011 Hi-Fi World awards.

QED’s highly qualified designers do precisely that, which is how they consistently produce award-winning models. The new ‘Performance Graphite’ Optical and Coaxial Digital cables are perfect examples; setting new standards of performance, yet simultaneously delivering astonishing value for money.

QED - Premium Performance, Exceptional Value.

www.qed.co.uk

Reference Audio Forty

As a family run business, Hi Fi Racks pride themselves on offering customers personal service and unbeatable attention to detail.

Unit 22 Burrough Court, Leicester LE14 2QS T 01572 756447 info@hifiracks.co.uk www.hifiracks.co.uk

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Ruby Anniversary Evolution

THE CHORD COMPANY Chord cables: designed and hand built in England with passion and precision. Your journey into real music and movies starts here.

Find out more about The Chord Company, including their acclaimed Cable Doctor service at www.chord.co.uk “I didn’t realise a cable could make such an improvement. It’s like having a new music collection. Everything I play sounds more like a performance than just a recording. One of the biggest improvements I’ve ever made”.

Tony M , Matlock

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

Chord Crimson VEE 3

37

QUADRASPIRE

SENNHEISER

Bamboo is also a sustainable and carbon neutral material where its CO2 absorption prior to harvesting is greater than the CO2 emissions during manufacture and transportation.

Quadraspire uses Moso bamboo that is panda friendly as there is no leaf growth on the first five metres of the stem and is therefore not a source of food for the panda.

To cope with increasing demand Quadraspire has recently moved to a new dedicated factory south west of Bath, England.

With a skilled workforce the company manufactures all its wooden and bamboo racks, including aluminium columns, as well as the range of Qube storage cabinets.

IE 80

0 ‘Th e Ex cep tion al’

Since 1995 Quadraspire has been designing and making quality hi-fi racks that combine style and function with acoustic performance. The latest development is the use of solid bamboo in the Q4 and Sunoko-Vent range of racks. Bamboo, with its high tensile strength and vibration suppressing qualities, is the ideal material to further improve the Quadraspire rack sound performance.

HD 800 ‘Crafted for Perfection’

For over 65 years, Sennheiser has been focused on the relentless pursuit of audio perfection. This heritage continues to be the driving force behind every product they produce today. It is embodied in everything they do – their constant innovation, precision engineering and exclusivity. This journey has led them to create some of the finest headphones exclusively available through Club Orpheus dealers where you will receive first class service, priority product support and unparalleled expertise.

HD 800* The dream was to create an acoustic experience more incredible than anything ever heard through dynamic headphones. And they did it. The highest performance, premium engineering and a visually striking design have been combined to create a glorious success that has become a true pioneer in headphone development.

SV2T

IE 800* Brimming with technology and designed with comfort in mind, the IE 800 has more innovations than any other in-ear system, allowing music lovers to enjoy perfect sound, even when they’re on the move. Groundbreaking technology ensures that unlike with other in-ear headphones, music is played back with crystal clarity and absolute time precision.

2013 What Hi-Fi? Sound & Vision Awards Winner of ‘The Best In Ear Over £300’ category. *Selected Club Orpheus Stores only.

Quadraspire Limited, Unit 2 Hallatrow Business Park, Wells Road, Hallatrow BS39 6EX T 01761 452178 sales@quadraspire.co.uk www.quadraspire.co.uk

38

Sennheiser UK Ltd., Pacific House, Third Avenue, Globe Park, Marlow SL7 1EY Tel: 0333 240 8185 info@sennheiser.co.uk www.sennheiser.co.uk

Save 10b% uy

when you at tickets online o.uk .c w o h ls www.bristo

✔ See and hear almost every product in this Guide ✔ Meet the manufacturers and designers, often there in person

✔ Visit the What Hi-Fi? Sound and Vision stand for a demonstration or an answer to any questions you might have ✔ Get great deals on most purchases made at the Show

✔ Win great prizes in the Show competition ✔ See loads of the latest products, hot from the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas

✔ Easy to get too, right in the heart of Bristol and next to the new Cabot Circus shopping and entertainment area

✔ A great day out for all the family

✔ Easy parking next to the hotel

In association with:

✔ The Show’s 27th anniversary Show in 2014!

Bristol 2014 Prices: Adults - £10.00. Students/Senior Citizens (over 65) - £7.00. Accompanied children under 16 FREE. Save 10% when you buy tickets online. Two Day Tickets (available online only): Adults £16.50. Students/Senior Citizens (over 65) £11.50. www.bristolshow.co.uk 39

WHERE TO FIND US

BRENTWOOD

30 Crown Street CM14 4BA 01277 264730

brentwood@audio-t.co.uk Open Tuesday – Saturday 9:30 – 17:00 Thursday late till 19:30

CARDIFF

134/6 Crwys Road CF24 4NR 029 2022 8565

cardiff@audio-t.co.uk Open Tuesday – Saturday 9:30 – 17:30

MANCHESTER

63 Bridge Street M3 3BQ 0161 839 8869 manchester@audio-t.co.uk Open Monday – Saturday 9:30 – 17:30.

Sunday 11:30 – 16:30

PRESTON

43 Friargate PR1 2AT 01772 883958

preston@audio-t.co.uk Open Tuesday – Saturday 9:30 – 17:30 All stores are closed on Sundays and Mondays, except Manchester which is open 7 days a week.

Evening demonstrations can be arranged by appointment.

Check the website for directions and information on where to park.

Please visit our website for more detailed information and maps:

www.audio-t.co.uk

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SWANSEA

9 High Street SA1 1LE 01792 474608

swansea@audio-t.co.uk Open Tuesday – Saturday 9:30 – 17:30

BRIGHTON

69 London Road BN1 4JE 01273 609431

brighton@audio-t.co.uk Open Tuesday - Saturday 9:30 – 17:30

CHELTENHAM

38 Winchcombe Street GL52 2LZ 01242 583960

cheltenham@audio-t.co.uk Open Tuesday - Saturday 9:30 – 17:30

OXFORD

19 Old High Street Headington OX3 9HS 01865 765961

oxford@audio-t.co.uk Open Tuesday – Saturday 10:00 – 17:30

READING

4 Queens Walk Broad Street Mall RG1 7QF 0118 958 5463

reading@audio-t.co.uk Open Tuesday - Saturday 9:30 – 17:30

SWINDON

60 Fleet Street SN1 1RA 01793 538222

swindon@audio-t.co.uk Open Tuesday – Saturday 9:30 – 17:30

BRISTOL

65 Park Street BS1 5PB 0117 926 4975

bristol@audio-t.co.uk Open Tuesday - Saturday 10:00 - 18:00

ENFIELD

159a Chase Side EN2 0PW 020 8367 3132

enfield@audio-t.co.uk Open Tuesday – Saturday 10:00 – 18:00

PORTSMOUTH

29 London Road North End PO2 0BH 023 9266 3604

portsmouth@audio-t.co.uk Open Tuesday – Saturday 10:00 – 18:00

SOUTHAMPTON

12 Hursley Road Chandlers Ford SO53 2FU 023 8025 2827

southampton@audio-t.co.uk Open Tuesday - Saturday 10:00 – 18:00