Connected 35 by Russ Andrews

CONNECTED TO MUSIC & MOVIES Issue No. 35 Summer 2016

Create really pure mains with our

PowerPurifier™ SEE PAGE 8

FREE 3 MONTH

SUBSCRIPTION TO TIDAL

with any new Meridian Product See page 5 READY

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20% OFF GET 20% OFF

All Torlyte® until 27th July 2016 See page 18

Monocle™ speaker cable until 27th July 2016 See page 22

BACK TO BASICS

“I was in utter shock. I had heard this track at least a hundred times. I thought I knew every string-pluck, every inhalation, every noise. I was wrong. Now I heard completely new sounds, new emotions, new instruments. It was as if there was more air between the instruments, air in the instruments, the whole sound was relaxed but more urgent and emotional... I couldn’t stop grinning!” Mr N Partridge, West Sussex

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All Torlyte® until 27th July 2016 See page 18

LIGHTWEIGHT

RIGID

CUSTOMISABLE

www.torlyte.com Call UK Orderline 01539 797300 Buy online at

Russ Andrews is the sole UK retailer of Kimber Kable International Tel +44 (0)1539 797300

Mail Order Direct • 60 Day Cable Home Trial • Cable Upgrade Scheme • Free Delivery (orders over £100 within UK Mainland) 14 CONNECTED MAGAZINE Issue 35 Summer 2016

WELCOME

EDITORIAL

This time’s issue of Connected is a real pot pourri of features and articles. Alongside product features on Kimber’s Monocle™ speaker cable and Torlyte® (including some rather lovely new pictures that Simon has taken in situ, which reminded me just how good Torlyte looks in a room setting), we’ve managed to fill seven pages with new products. We’re all delighted to be able – at last – to launch the new Figure 8 WattGate™ plugs, which have necessarily taken some considerable time to bring to market. The new plugs mean that we can also expand the range of Figure-8 PowerKords™ and the result is two new PowerKords™ joining the PowerKord-8™ to bring better performance to any component with a figure-8 socket. The star of the new products this issue, though, has to be the new PowerPurifier™ that Peter, Zac, Simon, Russ and the team have been working hard on for the last few months. The PowerPurifier™ has a host of features that make it customisable to your system and budget, and it’s really easy to keep adding additional filters as and when you want. Simon summed it up very well when he said that there’s nothing like it at all on the market – in my opinion it’s the best and most flexible way to get really pure power to your Hi-Fi system and hear just how much music you can extract from your LP – CD – computer file – however you listen to music. The different ways we consume music are also the subject of a couple of different articles. Russ has put pen to paper to tell us why he thinks CD is so good and this time’s customer system is set up around vinyl replay with an Avid Acutus Reference Sp turntable. There really

is something for everyone as Simon investigates streaming audio and whether it actually encourages us to buy more music in a physical format.

Thinking about computer audio

Simon’s article made me think about my own system and streaming audio. Over the last few months I have been putting together a computer audio system to play the computer audio files that I have. It’s been a real success and I’ve found myself listening more and more to these files and less and less to CD and SACD. I had an email from customer David Lovell who suggested that we run a series of features in Connected about computer audio sound quality. David included a description of his set up alongside a list of the products he used which was very different to mine. That’s one of the problems with an article about computer audio – there are thousands of permutations in a set up that it’s impossible to write an article that could cover every scenario. The approach that I’m going to take is to put together a ‘How-To’ guide where I will detail how I set up my system, what I did to get it working well for me, and how I got the best sound quality. Anyone reading it would be able to either copy what I did, or adapt it and use it as a basis of putting their own system together to suit them. Something like that would necessarily be longer than the pages of Connected would allow so it will be available to download or be read on the blog. Look out for it in the coming weeks. ■

John Armer, Editor

In this issue... Regulars

Editorial First Words News

3 4 5

Letters

Dalton’s Deliberations Customer System

15 20

Features

Hearing Aids & Hi-Fi

Products

New Products

Become an Expert: Torlyte®

Product Feature: Monocle™ Speaker cable

Recent Reviews

Offers in this issue

Meridian/Tidal Promotion 20% off Torlyte

20% off Monocle speaker cable 10% off DV-30 interconnect

10% off GQ-24 mini interconnect 26 10% off SuperFuse

10% off AC-24 Power Supply

Russ Andrews Accessories Ltd, 2b Moreland Court, Westmorland Business Park, Shap Road, Kendal LA9 6NS, UK. 01539 797300 +44 (0)1539 797300 © Russ Andrews Accessories Ltd, 2016. E & OE. Any views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect the views of the company.

Issue 35 Summer 2016 CONNECTED MAGAZINE 3

RD WO

FIRST

FIRST WORDS

The CD is dead? Long live the CD. I recently overheard a young (30ish?) girl on Radio 4 condemning the absence of any kind of sleeve notes or booklet to read when consuming downloaded music. She considered it to be a real and tangible loss to music loving mankind! How refreshing, I thought, to have my "oldie" prejudices confirmed by a much younger generation. My next thought was that we were losing CD for the same reasons we were robbed of the LP, namely "convenience" and "higher quality". My view is that neither of these "benefits" compensated me for what was lost when they killed the LP just at the moment we were able to extract most of what the medium had to offer. It has taken nearly 30 years for us to do the same with the CD, and now they are taking that away too! This may sound controversial, and you know how shy I am of being controversial, but for many years now I have been enjoying CD as my principal source because I have succeeded in realising the performance potential I saw in CD back when I started working on the Pioneer Laserdisc players . Depending on the disc, I get more musical enjoyment, better dynamics, and more information about the recording space than is available from the LP. On my system, the limits of vinyl are clearly discernible. The lack of dynamic range compared to the best CDs is obvious, for example. I still play and enjoy music from vinyl and play LPs frequently, but my first choice is the CD version. Fortunately I have a large collection of music I only have on vinyl, so I can enjoy the magic that a good recording on vinyl can have too. I know I have a very special system, and so does my friend Chris who has abandoned vinyl for CD, 4 CONNECTED MAGAZINE Issue 35 Summer 2016

but all the work I have done over the years is available to any of you as products and upgrade services. It isn't just down to the CD player, of course, as better replay puts demands on other system components that must also be addressed. I am sure that is the main reason that the militant vinyl advocates find CD so unenjoyable. Their systems can't cope! I will agree, though, that good vinyl is preferable to bad CD. Fortunately, there has never been a better time to complete a music library on CD. The record companies have been flooding the market with fantastic bargains in boxed set rereleases in much better quality than they achieved in the original full priced offerings. I was sceptical at first, but I found that the biggest benefit was achieved with some of my oldest and most loved CDs which in some cases have been rereleased in remastered versions in the box sets. There are so many out there and the fun is in tracking them down. Of course those of you who, like me, are conscientious (obsessive) about applying all of the Russ Andrews CD treatments we have available will reap so much more benefit! And a real excuse to stay indoors this summer whilst others are out endangering their skin health in those blisteringly hot days ahead.

NEWS

PROMOTION

Equipment Upgrades Our equipment upgrade service has been proving popular as more and more people have been sending us their cherished kit. A Naim Headline amp, a full Musical Fidelity set-up, a Rega phono stage and even a Panasonic set-top box / Blu-ray Disc recorder are just some of the models we’ve had in recently. Almost any Hi-Fi product can be upgraded to higher performance using our techniques and components. If you are interested in having your amplifier, CD or Blu-ray Disc player or loudspeakers upgraded, contact us on 01539 797300 to talk through the options, or find out more by clicking on www.russandrews.com/equipmentupgrades

FREE 3 MONTH

SUBSCRIPTION TO TIDAL

WITH ANY NEW PURCHASE OF A MERIDIAN AUDIO PRODUCT

READY

Meridian Audio have teamed up with TIDAL, the high-resolution audio streaming service, to offer a complimentary three-month subscription. The offer is open to anyone buying a Meridian product before 31st October 2016. Normally £19.95 per month, Tidal Hi-Fi offers thousands of albums to stream in a CD quality lossless format and can be played on Mac, PC, linux computers, and on tablets and iPhone and Android phones. Many network players offer Tidal integration too, including those from Naim, Linn and, of course Meridian‘s Sooloos system. To claim your free 3-month trial, you must register your Meridian product on Meridian’s website and you will be emailed a voucher code. More information on the promotion can found at www.russandrews.com/meridian

Issue 35 Summer 2016 CONNECTED MAGAZINE 5

NEWS

Have your order delivered to an access point If you are placing an order over £100 value for delivery in the UK, it will be sent with our carriers, UPS. As well as being able to deliver to your home (or work) address, UPS have a large number of 'Access Points' – usually convenience stores or filling stations close to your home – where your order can be left securely. The benefit of this is that your items can then be collected at your own convenience and you don't need to wait in for the couriers. If you would like to have your order sent to an access point and you are placing your order over the phone, tell us and we will be able to tell you which access points are close to you. You cannot currently specify delivery to an access point if placing orders through www.russandrews.com, but if you contact us by phone as soon as possible after placing your order we should be able to organise it for you.

National Audio Show, Whittlebury Hall 2016. See you there! Advance warning: we’ll be attending the National Audio Show at Whittlebury Hall, Milton Keynes (close to Silverstone race circuit) on the weekend of 17th – 18th September 2016. As usual we’ll be on hand with upgrade advice and a well-stocked shop. We hope to see you there. You can find out more about the show on the organiser’s website: www.chestergroup.org/ 6 CONNECTED MAGAZINE Issue 35 Summer 2016

WattGate™ Figure 8 Plugs On page 12 of this magazine, you’ll notice that we’ve extended the range of Figure-8 terminated PowerKords™. The new WattGate™ Figure-8 PowerKords™ feature the 340 Evo new WattGate™ Figure 8 connectors that have recently been made available, and we are delighted to report that they are the finest-sounding Figure 8 plugs we’ve tested! WattGate™ Figure-8 As well as being terminated 370 Evo Au Gold directly onto the PowerKords™, the WattGate™ Figure-8 plugs are also available loose if you need to fit them onto your own cables. Like the IEC WattGate™ plugs, the new Figure-8 WattGate™ plugs come in three types – WattGate™ Figure-8 the 340 Evo with unplated 370 Evo RH Rhodium phosphor-bronze contacts; the 370 Evo AU Gold with gold plated contacts; and the 370 Evo RH Rhodium with rhodium plated contacts. In our opinion the rhodium plugs offer superior performance if you want the very best from your WATTGATE™ Figure-8 equipped kit. FIGURE 8 PLUGS All WattGate™ plugs offer W340 Evo the ability to accept very Code: 1916 £30.00 large gauge wire (up to 8 W370 Evo AU (Gold) awg or approximately 3mm Code: 1917 £85.00 diameter per conductor).

See all WattGate™ plugs at russandrews.com/wattgate

W370 Evo RH (Rhodium) £110.00

Code: 1918

NEW

PRODUCTS

NEW PRODUCTS

See the Axios cable review by Paul Rigby from Hi-Fi World on page 27.

Axios headphone cables for Oppo PM1 & PM2 headphones Kimber Kable have announced an addition to their range of Axios headphone cables. The new cables are designed to be used with the Oppo PM1 and PM2 headphones, and are fitted with the correct mini plugs for fitting into the ear pieces. The cables feature Gaboon ebony accents and, like all of the Axios cables, utilise Kimber’s famous braided design and unique seamless transition at the point where the cable splits to each ear piece. The amplifier end can be fitted with your choice of

PM3 RANGE Oppo’s PM3 range of headphones have a single socket on one of the earpieces. In this case you would need a straight wire Axios cable.

Oppo PM1 headphones with Kimber Axios headphone cable

3.5mm or ¼” jack plug, or 3 or 4 pin XLR for connecting to your amplifier or player. The cables can be formatted as a 1Y cable for use with a single-ended headphone amplifier, or as a 2Y cable for use in balanced operation. For more information, go to www.russandrews.com/axios STOP PRESS...STOP PRESS...STOP PRESS...

New Axios cable available for Pioneer headphones! See more at www.russandrews.com/axios

Kimber Axios headphone cable for Oppo PM1/PM2 headphones

WARRANT Y

Code: 5622

1Y for standard headphone amplifier 1.2m 2.0m 3.0m

£598 £710 £850

1.2m 2.0m 3.0m

£727 £824 £964

Code: 5623

1.2m 2.0m 3.0m

£470 £572 £712

2Y cable for balanced operation with balanced headphone amplifier

Issue 35 Summer 2016 CONNECTED MAGAZINE 7

NEW PRODUCTS

Create really pure mains with our

PowerPurifier™ PowerPurifier™ is a new approach to mains purification; a one-box, rackfriendly solution with the potential to combat three key areas of mains contamination – spikes and surges, mains noise and Wi-Fi interference. PowerPurifier features a gorgeous, high-gloss acrylic face and modular internal design, making it really easy to add additional filtering as and when you require. This perfect synergy between form and function makes it unique in the market – no other stand-alone audiophile mains filter has the breadth of functionality found in the PowerPurifier.

Intelligent design

The intelligent modular design of the PowerPurifier™ makes it really easy to incorporate our power conditioners in your Hi-Fi system. The core model delivers highly eﬀective broadband power conditioning thanks to its UltraPurifier™ filter and SuperClamp™ surge protection. But now you can tailor your PowerPurifier by adding extra filtering as and when your needs and budget allow.

Adding extra power conditioning

Adding more filters to your PowerPurifier is really simple so simple, in fact, that you can do it yourself at home! Inside each PowerPurifier you’ll find a bank of colourcoded sockets which match the colours of the various filter modules you can add. So all you need to do is plug one of the new filter modules into the corresponding socket and away you go! If you’d rather we fitted the modules for you; no problem. If you request additional filters when purchasing your PowerPurifier, we’ll automatically fit them for you anyway. And if you’d like some added at a later date, simply send the unit back to us and we’ll fit your new modules for you free of charge (you’ll just need to pay for return carriage). 8 CONNECTED MAGAZINE Issue 35 Summer 2016

The

at a glance

PowerPurifier™ The new PowerPurifier™ takes the place of the original, stand-alone Ultra Purifier. All PowerPurifiers come as standard with the Ultra Purifier mains filter and SuperClamp surge protection, but the modular design means that it’s really easy to add extra mains conditioning – from MegaClamps to ClarityMains and Mains Zapperators. Additional mains conditioning is fitted inside the PowerPurifier saving you space and sockets. You can specify the additional mains conditioning at the point of ordering, or you can add them at a later date. We’ve made it really easy to do yourself, meaning that you don’t have to send the unit back to us to fit the additional filters – it can be done at home in a few minutes.

NEW PRODUCTS

What’s inside?

DESIGNED AND MADE BY US

10A IEC socket input for your choice of power cable

Passive, parallel design delivers outstanding mains noise reduction for a clearer, more natural sound with more musicality

Modular design means that it is easy to add additional mains conditioners internally, bringing increased performance whilst saving space and sockets

The stunning new half-width design makes PowerPurifier™ ‘rack-friendly’ - you can even fit two units side by side on one shelf Dimensions: Width: 210mm Height: 60mm Depth: 230mm

UL94 V0 rated ABS box chosen for sound quality and aesthetics – sounds better than metal casework

Front LED shows unit is operational

What the different filters do. U LT R A P U R I F I E R ™

MEGACLAMP™

Fitted as standard to the PowerPurifier™ and delivers outstanding mains noise reduction, in excess of 80dB broadband.

The MegaClamp™ offers enhanced spike and surge reduction and is many times more effective than the SuperClamp… plus the components don’t wear out. Specify a MegaClamp in place of the SuperClamp.

SUPERCLAMP™ Fitted as standard to the PowerPurifier™ for effective spike and surge protection. We recommend replacement of the SuperClamp components every five years to maintain their effectiveness; the modular design of the PowerPurifier means that is easy to do at home.

CLARITY MAINS™ The ClarityMains™ are a different type of mains conditioner which utilise Coherence Technology. One, two, three or four can be fitted to the PowerPurifier.

M A I N S Z A P P E R AT O R ™ Mains Zapperators™ are a type of mains conditioner that is especially useful at dealing with very high frequency noise from wireless computer networks. One Mains Zapperator can be fitted to the PowerPurifier.

How to order your

Power Purifier™

Issue 35 Summer 2016 CONNECTED MAGAZINE 9

NEW PRODUCTS

Ordering your

PowerPurifier™ Classic model

The PowerPurifer™ comes as standard with a SuperClamp and UltraPurifier™ fitted. It can then be fitted with one or all of the filters below, either at the time of ordering or you can add them at any time afterwards. We will send you full fitting instructions with each purchase.

Add these filters at any time... The PowerPurifer™ can be fitted with the following additional mains filters. There’s a handy label on the back so you know what’s installed.

PowerPurifier™

Code: 1450

with UltraPurifier and SuperClamp

£329.00

MegaClamp™

Code: 1451

ClarityMains™

Code: 1452

One MegaClamp can be fitted in place of the SuperClamp £180.00 Up to four ClarityMains can be fitted

each £114.00

MainsZapperator™

Code: 1453

One MainsZapperator can be fitted

£142.00

Fully loaded model PowerPurifier™

Code: 1450

with UltraPurifier, MegaClamp, 4 x ClarityMains and Mains Zapperator

£1107.00

Upgrading your existing UltraPurifier™ If you already own one of our Ultra Purifiers (or the older Purifiers or Super Purifiers), we've arranged a very special deal for those of you who want the better performance of the new model. Contact Peter on 01539 797300 for more information.

10 CONNECTED MAGAZINE Issue 35 Summer 2016

WARRANT Y

We cover against any manufacturing faults and defects for a minimum of 25 years.

Includes FREE Delivery on orders over £100 to most UK Mainland addresses

We are so confident that you will love the PowerPurifier™ that we give you 60 Days to try it at home - if you’re not 100% satisfied we’ll give you your money back.

NEW PRODUCTS

NEW RF Router Plug-In™ version The new RF Router Plug-In™ offers a more convenient way of following Russ’s Grounding Guide to ground the casework of your equipment. Use the RF Router Plug-In™ if you are grounding through the mains wiring rather than an additional, external earth spike.

How it works

RF grounding involves linking your equipment casework to a single component – usually your preamp or integrated amplifier – which then connects via the RF Router to either an external earth rod or to the earth terminal on one of our SuperSockets™. The RF Router Plug-In™ simplifies the process where you are not using an external earth rod. It means that you don’t need to fit a socket with an additional earth terminal. Simply plug the new router in to your existing wall socket and connect it to your amp’s casework via the length of ground wire included, or purchase a length of Technical Ground Weave. You can download Russ’s Grounding Guide at russandrews.com/grounding

NEW Consumer Unit We have added another Consumer Unit to the range of products we offer for wiring Hi-Fi mains circuits. The new unit is identical in performance to the existing one we offer, but it comes in a steel case making it compliant with the latest amendment to the wiring regulations.* The consumer unit is fitted with the correct MCB and RCD suitable for a single Hi-Fi ring main or spur circuit and we fully treat it with DeoxIT® contact enhancer prior to assembly. To see all of our products for wiring a Hi-Fi mains circuit, visit russandrews.com/mains-installation

CD Player

Turntable

RF Router Plug-In

Grounding wire Integrated Amp

The RF Router Plug-In™ uses an effective RF-dumping circuit which is frequency-optimised to make an easy route for RF to exit equipment chassis to ground... hence the name RF Router. Our listening tests have demonstrated to us that the sound is better with the RF Router in circuit than with a direct connection.

RF Router Plug-In™

WARRANT Y

Code: 1915

Includes 1m Grounding Wire fitted with spades

•

Consumer unit suitable for one Hi-Fi or Home Cinema ring or spur (single phase)

•

Amendment 3 compliant (complies with BS EN 61439-3)

• •

Full metal enclosure

£189.00

Fitted with high-performance 40A 30mA RCCB and 16A MCB

* The latest amendments to the wiring regulations state that newly-installed consumer units must have a noncombustible body or be housed in a noncombustible container. These regulations do not aﬀect existing installations.

Dimensions: Height: 240mm / Width: 147mm / Depth: 100mm

Consumer Unit

Code: 1920

£226

Issue 35 Summer 2016 CONNECTED MAGAZINE 11

NEW PRODUCTS

PRODUCTS

NEW

Figure-8 PowerKords™ We are delighted to be able to expand the range of our PowerKords™ fitted with Figure-8 plugs. The additions to the range have been brought about by the introduction of the superb new WattGate™ Figure-8 plugs which mean that we can at last fit Figure-8 plugs onto the larger PowerKords™ with more connectors.

The new PowerKords™ at a glance PowerKord-308™ PowerKord-508™ with WattGate™ 370 EVO RH figure-8 connector

The PowerKord-8™

1.0m 1.5m 2.0m

12 CONNECTED MAGAZINE Issue 35 Summer 2016

Noise reduction sleeving

•

High performance UK mains plug fitted with Russ Andrews fuse (international options available)

16 high purity copper conductors Kimber’s woven cable technology Fluorocarbon insulation New WattGate™ 340 EVO figure-8 connector

PowerKord-508™

The new PowerKords™ join the original PowerKord-8™ which is the start of the range.

PowerKord-8™

• • • • •

Code: 1541 £99.00 £123.00 £147.00

• • • • •

Noise reduction sleeving

•

High performance inline UK mains plug fitted with Russ Andrews fuse (international options available)

24 high purity copper conductors Kimber’s woven cable technology Fluorocarbon insulation New WattGate™ 370 EVO RH figure-8 connector

PRODUCTS

NEW

NEW PRODUCTS

The new PowerKords™ incorporate the new figure-8 WattGate™ plugs. The PowerKord-308™ is fitted with the WattGate 340 EVO™ figure-8 plug which has unplated phosphor-bronze contacts. The top-of-the-range PowerKord508™ is fitted with the WattGate 370 EVO™ which is the Rhodium plated version – in our tests, the best performing plug. Both of the WattGates™ fitted to the PowerKords™ have high spring-rate terminals for a secure connection to your equipment and the plugs grip onto the cables tightly with proprietary WattLock™ capture boxes. The plugs are non-magnetic and have a durable polycarbonate plug shell.

PowerKord-308™ with WattGate™ 340 EVO figure-8 connector

PowerKord-508™ with WattGate™ 370 EVO RH figure-8 connector

WattGate™ 340 EVO 2.5mm hex hardware

Phosphor bronze Contacts

Wattlock teeth

Solid Brass WattLock capture box

WattGate™ 370 EVO RH 2.5mm hex hardware

Wattlock teeth

Where would you use a PowerKord-8?™ You would use the PowerKord-308™ or PowerKord-508™ on any piece of equipment with a figure-8 socket! They are perfect on CD players, DVD or Blu-ray players, amplifiers, TV screens, Sky boxes and other Freeview or Freesat set-top boxes. If you already use one of our PowerKord-8s™, our experience has shown that you can expect a significant upgrade in performance when moving up to the PowerKord-308™. The PowerKord-308™ has twice as many conductors as the PowerKord-8™ and delivers better bass with more musicality. The PowerKord508™ has 50% more conductors than the PowerKord-308™ and is the very best performing model; you should fit it if you want the best performance for your figure-8 equipment.

How to order your

PowerKord™ 4 Layer Plated Contacts

4 layer plated WattLock capture box

Issue 35 Summer 2016 CONNECTED MAGAZINE 13

NEW PRODUCTS

Ordering your

Figure 8 PowerKord™ Order online at: russandrews.com/powerkord8

PowerKord-308™ Code: 1578 fitted with W340 EVO

1.0m 1.5m 2.0m

£240.00 £290.00 £340.00

PowerKord-508™ Code:1583 fitted with W370 EVO RH

1.0m 1.5m 2.0m

£480.00 £555.00 £630.00

WARRANT Y

We cover against any manufacturing faults and defects for a minimum of 25 years.

Includes FREE Delivery on orders over £100 to most UK Mainland addresses

We are so confident that you will love the NEW PowerKords™ that we give you 60 Days to try it at home - if you’re not 100% satisfied we’ll give you your money back.

Upgrading your PowerKord-8™

If you are already the owner of a PowerKord-8™, remember that we will buy it back from you if you want to upgrade to the Powerkord-308™ or PowerKord-508™. If your PowerKord-8™ is less than a year old you will receive 100% of the price you paid for it back; if it’s between one and two years old, you’ll receive 75% of the price paid; if it’s over two years old, you’ll still receive 50% of the price paid. Find out more about our Cable Upgrade Scheme at russandrews.com/upgradescheme or call us on 01539 797300. 14 CONNECTED MAGAZINE Issue 35 Summer 2016

DALTONS DELIBERATIONS

Does streaming lead to buying music?

Write to Simon at - simondalton@russandrews.com

hasn’t that always been the case? Those who prefer to listen to their music on better systems has always been a minority interest.

I was recently watching an episode of ‘The People’s History of Pop’, introduced by Twiggy. She was recounting the first record her sister bought back in the 1950s. It was a copy of Diana by Paul Anka and she remembers how she and her sisters passed it round the dining room table, read the sleeve, felt the weight of the vinyl. This is told with a real air of mystique that surrounds this almost religious experience – and they didn’t even own a record player! I was reminded of this when I came across some research commissioned by the BBC which looked into the growth in vinyl sales. ‘The Vinyl Revival’, it appears, isn’t as straightforward a tale of mass audiophilism as we may be led to believe. The research, conducted by ICM Unlimited, found that only 52% of those who bought vinyl actually played it. 7% didn’t even own a turntable! One young student from Manchester was quoted as saying "I have vinyls in my room but it's more for decor. I don't actually play them… it gives me the old-school vibe. That's what vinyl's all about," he added. Oh dear… There is some better news though. A second survey conducted by BPI/ERA offers more insight into the buying habits of the UK music consumer. The key theme that appears from the research is that, far from music streaming suppressing the market for physical media, it is actually encouraging buyers. “As many as 69% of the survey respondents” it reports,

agree with the statement: “I stream to discover music and see what’s popular, but when I come across something I love, I like to buy it”. What’s interesting to the Hi-Fi industry is that one of the key reasons given for this is sound quality. When those who use streaming and listen to CDs were asked “What is important when buying & owning CD?” 92% cited sound quality as a key reason – the figure went up to 94% with vinyl as the medium of choice. So what does all this tell us? Well, it does seem to suggest that the fear that buyers are now only listening to low res streaming and are not be interested in better quality sound is overstated. OK, there will always be a vast quantity of listeners for which this is true, but

Another interesting point is that streaming is creating an interest in discovering and enjoying the whole experience of music - which is more than just about listening. When I was growing up, music was far more of an event than just listening. At the time, the charts were the key generator of interest in music. They created a buzz around popular music which was nothing to do with sound quality. But that whole experience of excitement that surrounded the weekly edition of Top of the Pops sparked an interest that led us to wanting more. Once I could afford it, that Pioneer receiver and turntable were mine and the joy of hearing all my favourite records in high fidelity was established forever. Part of what engendered this interest was listening to, and taping, the weekly Sunday chart show on Radio 1. Back in issue 17 of Connected magazine I argued that, far from killing music, taping was an activity which allowed us time to listen to tracks we wouldn’t normally choose. The tapes of the chart rundown contained a vast majority of music which we wouldn’t normally have chosen – it introduced us to a wider spectrum of popular music. And it seems that this is exactly what streaming services like Spotify are now doing for today’s new listeners. And that’s not a bad thing is it?

Issue 35 Summer 2016 CONNECTED MAGAZINE 15

BECOME AN EXPERT

Give your system the best possible support Torlyte® is our unique solution to finding the best support for your Hi-Fi system. John Armer investigates... Russ was initially intrigued by the fact that a Hi-Fi system could sound so radically different in different locations, and in researching this phenomenon, he came to reject the conventional answer – that it was all due to room acoustics. He discovered that the furniture on which the system stood made a significant contribution to the sound and, after several years of analysis and research, this led to the development of Torlyte®. Torlyte’s® approach is quite different from the conventional wisdom and the original designs enhance both the appearance and performance of the system and the room it is installed in.

What makes it different?

First off, Torlyte® is not simply a timber Hi-Fi rack. When we say not timber, that’s not strictly true – it is made of wood. But it’s not simply made from off the shelf sheet materials, chosen because of their appearance. Torlyte® uses a mixture of different woods, each chosen specifically for its acoustic properties, and individually fabricated into grids and skins. Each Torlyte® shelf is hand made by our craftsman –a complex product to make, but we believe the results are well worth it.

16 CONNECTED MAGAZINE Issue 35 Summer 2016

The problem of support It’s well known that vibration affects the sound of a Hi-Fi system. The sound from loudspeakers passes through the air and through the floor and the Hi-Fi system stand. In a turntable-based system this ‘acoustic feedback’ gets back into the cartridge - it is, after all, designed to pick up tiny vibrations. The slightly delayed sound is mixed in with the music signal meaning that the sound you hear is flatter, less dynamic, has higher distortion and - crucially is less musical. A CD or streaming-based system also suffers from acoustic feedback because the components in it are microphonic. By microphonic, we mean that they produce a small electrical signal in response to mechanical stress. With Hi-Fi the mechanical stress is music, the components sing along with it – slightly delayed – adding an unmusical and very audible hash noise. Since acoustic feedback passes through the system support – the Hi-Fi rack or speaker stands – the materials that the stand is made of affects the sound considerably. Heavy, metal racks store the energy passing through it, making the time delay even worse. Rubber or sorbothane feet do the same thing, resonating at an even lower frequency than a solid material, sounding worse still. And the materials are important too – metal stands with glass shelves concentrate the feedback energy into a narrow band at its resonant frequency, compressing the dynamic range and pushing one narrow band of music forward.

BECOME AN EXPERT

The solution - Torlyte® The solution is to design a support which is very light and very rigid. Low mass means that little energy is stored, so that the time delay, that is so destructive of musicality, is reduced. Rigidity means that the support has a higher resonant frequency and again reduces time delay. Knowing all this led Russ to design Torlyte®. Ultra-light and very rigid, Torlyte® has superb acoustic properties and is perfectly suited to the task. Torlyte® uses a very specific choice of woods and a honeycomb structure to give it the right combination of lightness and strength. It addresses both the technical and aesthetic aspect of living with Hi-Fi equipment. Torlyte® is suitable for supporting all systems, from entry-level to high-end Hi-Fi systems and Home Cinema equipment.

The Torlyte® Range

The heart of the range is our Torlyte® rack system. Torlyte® racks are a modular design consisting of a base unit that can support two full-sized pieces of equipment, and additional shelves. If your system is very simple, consisting of just an integrated amp and a CD player (or a turntable, for example) you’ll only need one of the Torlyte® Base Units. If you have a couple of sources, adding a Torlyte® Shelf to sit on the Base Unit will give you an additional support for your extra source. Because the Base Unit and Shelves are available individually, you can just buy extra shelves as your system grows. Torlyte® Rack Systems are fitted with spiked feet as standard – perfect if your listening room is carpeted. If you have a wooden floor, choose Cone Feet instead.

If you use a turntable, it will quite happily sit on the top of a Torlyte® rack system, but you might want to invest in one of our dedicated Torlyte® Turntable stands for added rigidity. The stand has adjustable feet to allow for turntable levelling. The Torlyte® Turntable Stand doesn’t just need to be used with a turntable; it is ideal for supporting any piece of kit, from streamers to CD players. It will accommodate two half width separates too (see above right).

Speaker stands

We have different Torlyte® supports to accommodate floor standing or standmount (bookshelf) loudspeakers. Users of stand-mount loudspeakers can choose from one of two heights of speaker stands; as a rule of thumb choose the taller stands for smaller stand mount speakers. Stands are fitted with spiked feet if you have a carpeted floor, or with our Cone Feet if you have a wooden or tiled surface. If you have floorstanding speakers, we can custom-make a Torlyte® speaker Plat at the correct size to sit under your speakers. Again these are fitted with your choice of Cone Feet or spikes.

Platforms

If you already have a Hi-Fi rack that isn’t Torlyte® that you don’t want to or can’t replace, you can still enjoy ‘the Torlyte® effect’ by using our Torlyte® Platforms. Use them under each piece of equipment, giving you many of the improvements of the full Torlyte® racks. You’ll also find that ‘the Torlyte® effect’ is even greater when using Torlyte® Platforms on Torlyte® racks.

How to order your

> Issue 35 Summer 2016 CONNECTED MAGAZINE 17

Buying your rack

BECOME AN EXPERT

Follow these simple steps to build your perfect support system.

Buy a Base Unit... • Unique low mass, high rigidity design reduces acoustic feedback

• Flexible design allows you to create a customised rack

• Made from a selection of specially chosen woods

TORLYTE® BASE

code 4024

WAS £460.00 NOW £368.00 Height: Ext. 201mm, Int. 150mm BASE UNIT 1

WAS £470.00 NOW £376.00 Height: Ext. 261mm, Int. 210mm BASE UNIT 2

WAS £480.00 NOW £384.00 Height: Ext. 396mm, Int. 345mm

BASE UNIT 1 BASE UNIT 3 ’Base Units’ are fitted with Spiked Feet as standard, Cone Feet are optional on request - at the extra cost of the feet). The width and depth of all shelves and base units are the same, only the height varies: Width: external 540mm, internal 450mm Depth: external 495mm, internal 450mm

BASE UNIT 3

Add Shelves at any time... TORLYTE® SHELF

60 Day Money Back Guarantee

code 4023

WAS £250.00 NOW £200.00 Height: Ext. 130mm, Int. 105mm SHELF 1

SHELF 1

WAS £260.00 NOW £208.00 Height: Ext. 170mm, Int. 145mm SHELF 2

20% OFF

WAS £270.00 NOW £384.00 Height: Ext. 200mm, Int. 175mm SHELF 3

GET

60 Day Money Back Guarantee

Delivery While we endeavour to keep stocks of Torlyte®, some items are made to order. Please allow up to 6 weeks for delivery.

All Torlyte® until 27th July 2016

And not forgetting Cone Feet

For the very best performance, you should use our Cone Feet between your equipment and your Torlyte® Rack. Remove your existing equipment feet if you can – or fit them alongside if you can’t (just make sure the Cone Feet lift your equipment off its original feet) to effectively couple your equipment to the rack. The sound becomes more ‘solid’ with better soundstage definition and much more music. 18 CONNECTED MAGAZINE Issue 35 Summer 2016

GET

10% OFF

All Cone Feet until 27th July 2016

Cone Feet sets of 3 Small was £23 now £20.70 Big was £25 now £22.50 Jumbo was £33 now £29.70

Turntable Stand

BECOME AN EXPERT

• Triangular shape for greatest stability and lowest weight

• Unique low mass, high rigidity design reduces acoustic feedback

Width 450mm (17.75”), Height 450mm (17.75”), Depth 360mm (14”), Base width 560mm (22”), Base depth 400mm (15.75”). Fitted with spiked feet that are adjustable for turntable levelling. code 4060

TORLYTE® TURNTABLE STAND NOW

£650.00 £520.00

Speaker Stands

Size A

195mm

Size B 215mm

(Dimensions same except height)

• Two heights to suit diﬀerent sized speakers

• Unique low mass, high rigidity

design reduces acoustic feedback

550mm (excluding spikes & feet)

660mm (excluding spikes & feet)

• Supplied in pairs, fitted with spiked feet as standard

300mm

Torlyte® speaker stands are fitted with spiked feet as standard, or Jumbo Cone Feet on request at the extra cost of the Cone Feet. The stands include two sets of small cone feet to support your speakers on top of the stands.

270mm

TORLYTE® LOUDSPEAKER STANDS code: 4077 PER PAIR £695.00 NOW £556.00

Platform

• Use under each single component • Unique low mass, high rigidity design

Did you know?

reduces acoustic feedback

• Fitted with three Big Cone Feet Width: 445mm Depth: 349mm Height: (inc. Cone Feet) 40mm Fitted with three Big Cone Feet two at front and one at centre back. code 4056

TORLYTE® PLATFORM NOW

GET

£184.00 £147.20

20% OFF

Torlyte® is supplied flat packed, making it safe to ship. It’s very easy to put together at home, and full assembly instructions are included.

All Torlyte® Racks,Stands & Plats until 27th July 2016 Issue 35 Summer 2016 CONNECTED MAGAZINE 19

Customer System

CUSTOMER SYSTEM

This time, our roving reporter Phil Hansen takes a trip to London to meet Russ Andrews’ customer Andrew.

Avid Acutus Reference SP Turntable

Andrew’s impressive looking system - sounds good too!

Lurking behind the door of a beautifully restored Victorian terrace house in south London lies a Hi-Fi system that has been a labour of love for over six years; the system that so entertained and excited us during our recent visit. Early retirement permitted Andrew more time to be spent listening to his music collection and it was this that encouraged him to invest in his first ‘serious’ Hi-Fi system - an all Linn set up comprising CD player, pre-amp and power amp, plus the Linn Akurate 242 loudspeakers. Like many people, Andrew went down the CD route at that time, after all “Why go back to vinyl when it’s so scratchy?” He did see the light eventually though and purchased his first ‘audiophile’ turntable; the ubiquitous Linn LP12.

Get into the groove

SD Technology features throughout 20 CONNECTED MAGAZINE Issue 35 Summer 2016

A recurring theme of our conversation was the need to ‘get as close to the groove’ as possible, not in a rhythmical way (well actually maybe in a rhythmical way as well), but in a physical way. The essence of the music is contained

within the grooves and so logic dictates that extracting the information as accurately as possible from those grooves will give more of the music. As good as his LP12 was, Andrew felt there was still more to be extracted from his vinyl jazz collection so he invested in the flagship model from Avid, the Acutus Reference SP. Numerous tonearms and cartridges later and the system was completed with a SME V arm and Dynavector Te Kaitora Rua cartridge and, we have to say, what a splendid combination it is. The Avid turntable has now been joined by a World Audio Designs valve pre-amp, phono amp and power supply in place of the Linn solid state pre-amp. This new preamp uses the same valves, in fact genuine new ‘old’ stock of the Berlin made Telefunken valves, used in the recording studios of the 50s and 60s, Andrew’s favourite era of jazz recordings. The introduction of the valve equipment created an openness and delicacy that hadn’t been apparent before. Andrew comments that, “Using a fully analogue system, from end to end, allows the ambient sounds of the studio, the microphones and other valve equipment used during the recordings to shine through.” The Linn power amp and speakers are still present, along with an Akurate DS streamer in place of the CD player (used for background music and other component burnin rather than serious listening).

CUSTOMER SYSTEM

Power gains And the biggest improvement? Without hesitation the reply was, “The introduction of a dedicated mains spur, with its own Russ The Russ Andrews path Andrews consumer unit and serious earthing.” The second biggest to enlightenment improvement has been a Balanced Hi-Fi is a means to an end for Mains Unit and, following Russ’ Andrew. It is definitely about the philosophy, the power supply side music and not the equipment and of things has received a lot of his loyalty lies with products that attention. Three wall mounted deliver, not specific brands. mains sockets feed nothing but Fortunately for us, Russ Andrews power conditioners – a Platinum products are most definitely Ultra Purifier™ and two Clarity-8s™. delivering the music he loves! The The BMU1000 and PowerBlock™ are very first product introduced was a connected to a fourth wall socket result of dissatisfaction with the and SuperKords™ abound! performance of the digital streamer. A recent revelation was “What do I have to the addition of Russ do to make it “What do I have to Andrews fuses, sound better?” was do to make it sound replacing some very the plea sent out high end Japanese to his friend, who better?” was the plea ones, which in suggested, sent out to his friend, comparison “Wrecked “Change those everything”, and most who suggested, cheap wires.” A recently, the PowerBlock™ and “Change those PowerKord™ feeding mains cable were cheap wires.” the Avid Acutus TT the first Russ Reference PSU has been Andrews products upgraded to SuperKord™ status – introduced, together with a Tonik “Zac has worked his magic on it!” interconnect. “The music just sprang Summing up his love for music and to life, the veil was lifted”, exclaimed the reasons for upgrading his Andrew. The more RA products system the way he has, Andrew added, the better the results and says, “The purpose is to listen to soon the system was being music and to stretch you into music powered via SuperKords™, and the you don’t like. The system and all speakers wired up with Crystal-24™ the Russ Andrews accessories are in a bi-amped configuration. there to give you this experience.” Confidence in the 60 Day Money And on the continuing use of Russ Back Guarantee, likened by Andrew Andrews products to enhance the to the ability to get money back experience? “My pension is now from Majestic Wine for bottles you paid direct to Russ Andrews – haven’t enjoyed, provided the though he does allow me to keep a chance to replace interconnects little for essentials; like food!.” with Kimber Select from the cartridge to phono stage and pre-amp.

Power comes from a dedicated ring main via an UltraPurifier Block

Crystal-24 speaker cable is supplemented by a brace of 8TC jumpers A longer version of this article is available on our blog at http://www.russandrews.com/ an-avid-enthusiast Issue 35 Summer 2016 CONNECTED MAGAZINE 21

PRODUCT FEATURE

MONOCLE

™

Kimber’s Monocle X™ and XL™ speaker cables form the bridge between their traditional woven cables – from 4PR to 12TC - and the more technically-advanced Select range. What you get with Monocle™ is a hybrid of the two designs making for a high-performance cable that won’t break the bank. Simon Dalton finds out more about this distinctive cable.

Low loss fluorocarbon dielectric

Polyethylene dielectric

VariStrand™ copper conductors

16 or 24 wire counter opposed helix

VariStrand™ Technology uses 7 strands of diﬀerent diameters to give an even frequency balance.

Monocle-X™

Monocle-XL™

Monocle-XL™ speaker cable

22 CONNECTED MAGAZINE Issue 35 Summer 2016

PRODUCT FEATURE

Monocle X™ utilises a 16 wire braid, combining eight TC and eight VS conductors, and Monocle XL™ adds 4 more of each totalling 24 altogether. Each wire is manufactured from VariStrand™ copper, see illustration left, ensuring that no particular frequency range dominates. This combination brings the best of both TC and VS attributes, creating a lower noise floor and, as with the Select range of cables, these conductors are then woven around Kimber’s own X38R stabilizing core. This expanded braid geometry oﬀers better mechanical and electrical damping as well as extending dynamic range on both ends of the spectrum, giving you a huge soundstage and precise imaging. The result of all this technology is a cable which is capable of allowing you to hear more of the full potential from your valued system.

What to use it with

Neil Partridge, Worthing

The first thing to remember here is that Monocle™ is highly adept at extracting the finer details and nuances from a recording. The downside of this is that it will also highlight any problems ‘downstream’. For that reason we always recommend that you have upgraded to a good level of Russ Andrews and Kimber mains and interconnect cables before introducing Monocle™ into your system. This way, you will already be dealing with any negative eﬀects on the power and signal paths so that the higher resolution of the improved speaker cable brings only positive results. We’ve paired Monocle-XL™ with budget kit before now and the results were impressive! In most practical applications though, Monocle-X and XL are well suited to mid-level systems upward. So, components from brands such as Arcam, Audiolab, Naim, etc up to higher end equipment from the likes of Musical Fidelity, Chord and Audio Research. Get the set up right and all of this kit is capable of superb results with Monocle™ speaker cable.

Connections

20% OFF

Monocle-XL™ "I have been knocked out by the detail, clarity and fresh depth and perspective that these cables have given my much loved faves. This may sound silly, but in the background to 'Bill Evans Live at the Village Vanguard' there are dinner conversations going on. For the first time, even though I don't listen for such things. The actual words could clearly be heard. Luckily the huge improvement in the detail of the Bill Evans trio more than compensated for this! Total, unreserved recommendation!!! Mr Ross, Oban

Both Monocle™ and Monocle XL™ cables come with WBT terminations – banana or spade, copper or silver. All feature WBT’s NextGen technology which utilises low mass principles for improved performance and sound quality. The WBT-0610 bananas are a locking, slanted design which puts less strain on heavier gauge speaker cables and are available in two models: the CU version which uses gold plated pure copper and the AG model which features platinum plating over a fine silver base. The same materials are also used on the CU and AG versions of the 0661 and 0681 spades, the former being 6mm, the latter 8mm. We recommend the use of the bananas as a more reliable connection.

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Monocle-X™ "The most noticeable improvement was that the speaker cables just seemed to disappear, as did the speakers. The soundstage opened out, individual details became more apparent and easier to spot. Most importantly the music and performers really came to the fore, allowing me to appreciate recordings I had grown tired with, or never really liked in the first place."

MONOCLE™ speaker cable until 27th July 2016

MONOCLE X™

60 Day Money Back Guarantee

2.4m pair

WAS £1,158.00 NOW £926.40 3.6m pair WAS £1,398.00 NOW £1118.4

MONOCLE XL™ 2.4m pair

WAS NOW 3.6m pair WAS NOW

£1,511.00 £1208.80 £1,903.00 £1522.40

Prices are for WBT Cu plugs, for Ag add £200 Other lengths available - please ask

Important ordering information

Monocle speaker cables are hand built for us at the Kimber factory in the USA. For those taking advantage of the special oﬀer, we will be ordering the cables on 6th July and again on 1st August. Delivery will be approximately 10-14 days after that. Issue 35 Summer 2016 CONNECTED MAGAZINE 23

Hearing Aids and Hi-Fi

ARTICLE

Following are two articles written for us by Russ Andrews customers who have had experience of improving their listening by having hearing aids fitted. The first is from a customer David House who went down the NHS route.

“

Hi-Fi enthusiasts of all ages think that their ears are more perfect than the rest of the population. Whilst this may be true in general, it is definitely not so with the advancing of years. By the age of 70, only a few will have hearing above 5kHz and will probably be losing 1 dB per year in terms of volume. I have been aware of a loss of hearing above 5kHz, but had stubbornly put off hearing tests, taking the view that music perception would only be the poorer if hearing aids were applied. What follows is a summary of the events of six months’ intervention with NHS care. At the first appointment, the audiograms showed a left side limit (way down) of 4kHz and a right side limit (even further down) of 2.5kHz. The latter identifying an apparent dead zone in the cochlea. I was referred back to the G.P. specialist for ENT and advised that my middle ear drains were blocked and required nasal drops to clear the problem. As a further precaution, an MRI scan was undertaken for the left ear, to eliminate the possibility of a growth in the inner ear. Fortunately this proved negative.

24 CONNECTED MAGAZINE Issue 35 Summer 2016

The initial set of Siemens/behind the ear (BTE) hearing aids prescribed were excellent for speech, focussing on conversation, reducing background noise, etc., but were not satisfying for music. Several attempts were made by the audiologist to “fine tune”, but to no avail. Fortunately, the NHS audiologist was well aware of the impact of the shortcomings of digital hearing aids and recommended a switch to Oticon. Speech-wise these were adequate but not as good as the original Siemens’ hearing aids. However, listening to music was far more enjoyable. So what are the lessons learnt? If you are aware of hearing loss, do not delay a hearing test with the NHS. This could identify problems some of which can be resolved. Take time to understand the process and what can and cannot be done with hearing aids. Even if you have asymmetric hearing like me, even small amounts of hearing recovery, e.g. 500 – 1,000 Hz, can improve the enjoyment of music. If you have not heard high frequency sound for a while, it comes as a shock even when only small amounts are re-established. Be careful not to confuse the extended frequency range with distortion. Focus only on the musicality. Tweaking the hearing aids is a slow and reiterative process, so do not be fobbed off, thinking that they may be right first time – they will not be. If you are still not satisfied with your

NHS hearing aids after 4-6 months, there may well be better devices available privately. But going the NHS route puts you in an advantageous position before committing to a significant private expenditure.

”

Although hearing aids are not perfect (there are lots of articles on the web to explain why), they are, on balance, worth having. The minor downsides of distortion are more than compensated by the benefits of a wider frequency band and improved stereo imaging. Is there life after hearing aids? – most definitely.

David House

“

The second report comes from Russ’s friend Chris Bonar. Chris went down the private route, and also uses the same brand of hearing aid, but a different model. It all started about a year ago. Russ and Sue were spending the night at my Dundee home which is also the location of Russ’s most iconic system – still, after 25 years, a work in progress! I think I had just said “Sorry, I didn’t catch that” for about the fourth time in an hour, and Russ blew his top. The words “casting pearls before swine” were not actually used, but it was close. It isn’t that I was unaware that my hearing was not what it had once been. It was just that, so far as music was concerned, I had it in my head that any cure was bound to be worse than the disease. I mean, I am

ARTICLE

coming up 80 and am of the generation for whom “graphic equaliser” was a dirty term; and now I was supposed to stick something like that in my ears? Russ, however, made the point that some of his customers were no longer in their first flush of youth and might be thinking along similar lines, and that I would make an excellent guinea pig. So I agreed that I would give it a go and treat the whole thing as a research project. Internet searches did little to allay my scepticism. Hearing aids are generally optimised for speech intelligibility in different environments and music was given little if any priority. Extending the search to “hearing aids for music/musicians” was even more depressing – pages and pages of musicians and music lovers moaning about hearing aids! However, little flickers of light began to appear amidst the gloom and one or two names began to emerge which were attracting some favourable comment. Notable amongst these was Oticon which was already on my radar as having a manufacturing plant in Scotland. The next stage was to get my hearing tested and a bit of research showed that Oticon was a brand promoted by the Hidden Hearing chain and that they had a branch in Dundee. So I made an appointment and in due course had the test done by Norrie Howie, Hidden Hearing’s local audiologist. The results were pretty typical for someone my age with significant hearing loss from 1k to 8k (the limit for the test). When I mentioned Oticon, Norrie responded with enthusiasm, saying that this was what he had chosen for his own hearing problems and that he did indeed find the Oticon range particularly good for music.

To cut a long story short, I ordered a pair of Oticon Nera 2 Pro instruments – these are one step down from the Alta which is Oticon’s premium brand. I specified them in MiniRITE configuration; this comprises a compact and unobtrusive case for the electronics which is designed to hook on behind the ear and is connected by a tube to a miniature ear piece which fits within the ear canal. This latter is small and low mass which is important for music as it provides a minimal barrier to the natural, unmodified sound. They weren’t cheap – comparable in price to a 2.5m pair of Kimber Select KS 6063 speaker cables. However if someone has significant hearing loss I know which of the two is going to give them the most benefit! To my delight, I found that wearing these particular hearing aids hardly affected the quality of the sound at all. All my initial doubts and prejudices have been totally blown away. Admittedly, it has taken some time. Norrie warned me not to expect too much too soon because the brain needs time to adjust to the new reality and that can take a month or so. And, although this was the case, I can still remember my astonishment right at the outset on realising just what I had been missing all this time. I honestly don’t think that there is any aspect of the listening experience that is leaving me wondering whether this or that might not be getting adversely affected. My only possible reservation isn’t even down to the Oticons. This is that once again being able to hear the top end of some recordings can be a mixed blessing! Still, it is easy enough to turn down the gain on the hearing aids.

”

One last thought. Revisiting some of the stuff that I looked at a year ago it is clear that technology is advancing at a rapid rate – Norrie confirms this – and there is now a wider choice of hearing aids that are well reviewed on music. So my advice is to give it a go – even if you do have to postpone the purchase of that pair of speaker cables. Chris Bonar

Russ Comments

These are two valid approaches to solving the same problem. A problem all of we “oldies” face sooner or later. For your family and friends’ sakes don’t be a denier. You can see I had to shout to get Chris’s attention! My Mother’s hearing deteriorated to the point where we had to bully her into getting a hearing aid. She refused to use it saying” I haven’t got a problem with my ears”. No, we said, but we have!

Seriously, though, you don’t notice the music you are missing, and you may even be changing you system in ways that make it sound worse to people with little or no hearing loss in your attempts to compensate. Trust me, the problem is with your ears not the system, so go to the NHS or a private audiologist and sort it out! Oticon have a very wide range of excellent aids at all prices, so check out reviews and test samples. Some customers have also reported good results with other models – Bernafon comes to mind and I'm sure there are others. The NHS model that David got seems to be exclusive to them so I don't know how far up the range it is, but I understand the technology in it is older than in Chris's model. However David seems very happy with it and, as David acknowledges, going the NHS route puts you in an advantageous position before committing to going the private route. Issue 35 Summer 2016 CONNECTED MAGAZINE 25

Reviews

BACK TO BASICS REVIEWS

Keep up to date with new reviews in our blog section at www.russandrews.com/blogs

Kimber DV-30 digital interconnect The April 2016 edition of Hi-Fi Choice magazine reviewed Kimber’s DV-30 digital interconnect. Starting off with a CD of Rossetti’s Symphony in D Major, the reviewer reported that “the sound I am treated to is elegant and refined. All the instruments”, he continues, “are well under control with a good and open presentation”. He adds that “strings in particular are smooth and clear”. Moving onto rock music, he’s equally impressed: it’s “likewise well controlled and I never feel that the bass overpowers the rest of the performance”.

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The only downside is that this cable may be somewhat awkward if used in a tight space as it is quite stiff - this is due to the "solid central conductor, along with the dual shields"

10% OFF

Kimber DV-30 interconnect until 27th July 2016

Kimber DV-30 Verdict:

In concluding, and awarding the cable four stars, he writes that the DV-30 offers “a smooth and well-controlled performance”.

Price: £67 for 0.5m Magazine: HiFi Choice Issue: April 2016

Russ Andrews GQ-24™ mini to phono interconnect russandrews.com/dv30

Again from the April 2016 edition of Hi-Fi Choice, the GQ-24 mini cable was reviewed with the nickel phono option. Straight off the impression is a good one, even when used with “a selection of 232kbps MP3 files”: used with his Samsung Galaxy S3 connected to his HiFi, Neville Roberts reports that “sonically, the GQ-24 cable performs remarkably well”. With a selection of Baroque pieces by Giuseppe Valentini, he reports that “the strings are conveyed with a smoothness and refinement that’s surprising given the format, and the performance of the concerto is very believable”.

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10% OFF

So it’s impressive even with a restricted source format. But the story doesn’t end there. To test just how capable the cable is, Neville Roberts tests the GQ-24, via an adaptor, between his PrimaLuna ProLogue Eight Mk2 CD player and his amp. The result? “The GQ-24 proffers an engaging musicality and clearly demonstrates a talent for carrying the best possible quality signal from whatever it’s connected to”. russandrews.com/gq24 26 CONNECTED MAGAZINE Issue 35 Summer 2016

Russ Andrews GQ-24™ mini interconnect until 27th July 2016

Russ Andrews GQ-24™ Verdict: Price: £55 for 0.5m Magazine: HiFi Choice Issue: April 2016

Meridian Explorer USB DAC

REVIEWS

Another review from April’s issue of Hi-Fi Choice finds David Price enthusing over Meridian’s tiny USB DAC. When it comes to sound quality, the Explorer² performs as good as it looks, he says. "When given high-quality source material, the Explorer² is capable of flying".

He listens to Café Regio's from the soundtrack to Shaft by Isaac Hayes. Here, with a 24/192 version, the track is an "unalloyed joy via the Explorer², which proves utterly at ease with a superlative recording, glistening with detailing, blushing with warmth, and displaying an almost mineral clarity".

READY

FREE 3 MONTH

SUBSCRIPTION TO TIDAL

The review continues: "I almost have to pinch myself in order to remember that I am listening to a portable DAC".

WITH ANY NEW PURCHASE OF A MERIDIAN AUDIO PRODUCT

It's clear that David Price is highly enamoured with the little Meridian Explorer² DAC, whether used with standard hi-res files or the new MQA files. So much so, in fact, that he says "At the price, I have not heard a better portable DAC/headphone amplifier than the Meridian Explorer²".

Kimber Axios headphone cable russandrews.com/explorer

SEE PAGE 5 FOR DETAILS

Meridian Explorer2 DAC Verdict: Price: £199 Magazine: Hi-Fi Choice Issue: April 2016

The June 2016 edition of Hi-Fi World carries a short review of Kimber’s new headphone cable. Paul Rigby, reviewing, tested the cable out on his Sennheiser HD800s, starting with the CD of Bing Crosby’s Bing On Broadway and the track Swanee. Fitted with the Axios cable, his HD800s “forged a tremendous insight in terms of detail”. In comparison to the standard cable he notes that “Crosby’s voice lost earlier smearing and blurring while Buddy Cole’s backing now exhibited the subtle backing guitar”. That’s a guitar that, pre Axios, you could have convinced him was never there! Similar revelations were there on Neil Young’s Ragged Glory LP on vinyl, where improvements to the rendition of vocals “provided more nuance and separation”. Although he feels this is a lot to pay for a headphone cable, Paul does admit that Axios did allow his HD800s to “really express themselves for the first time”. He adds: “they provided a sense of truth, giving each instrument a tonal accuracy and a musicality that engaged and entertained”. And despite those reservations around price, he still recommends that “every high-end headphone owner should demo this cable”.

Kimber Axios headphone cable Price: £796 for 2m Magazine: Hi-Fi World Issue: June 2016

russandrews.com/axios Issue 35 Summer 2016 CONNECTED MAGAZINE 27

SuperFuse™

REVIEWS

The April 2016 edition of Hi-Fi World magazine saw Paul Rigby assessing the performance of our mains plug replacement fuses. "Sound tests produced a notably reduced noise floor over the entire soundstage producing more articulate and recognisable pianos, clear and lucid vocals, reduced bloom on some compressed recordings within the upper mids and a punchier but more complex rock-derived bass." Pretty impressive for a fuse hey? But he goes on: "added to that, whilst listening to jazz the upright bass offered new and subtle manipulations. The delicate twists and turns were now easier to follow".

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So, is £25 a lot to pay for a fuse? Well, we're biased of course, but we'd say the R&D, work (we even hand-polish the end caps) and materials that have gone into these is what makes them perform so well. But, ultimately, it's the results that count and here Paul is very clear: "the price of the fuse which, initially, might have triggered howls of derision seemed, after the test, to be rather low. Low, that is, considering the improvements in sound quality"

10% OFF

SuperFuses™ until 27th July 2016

Russ Andrews SuperFuse™ Price: £25 each Magazine: Hi-Fi World Issue: April 2016

AC-24 1000 PSU for Rega

russandrews.com/superfuse

A second review from April’s Hi-Fi World, and Paul Rigby was assessing our AC-24 1000 power supply unit (PSU) on his Rega RP3 turntable.

"The sonic improvements affected by this upgraded power supply are not subtle" says Paul. "The reduction in the noise floor applies dramatic enhancements to all frequencies and aspects of the sonics." An impressive all-round improvement then. And he adds: "Treble offers greater reverb, bass more character and upper mids greater transparency". It's clear that the improvements brought by this improved PSU are not small. Big enough to recommend buying one if you are considering the purchase of an RP3? That's a tricky one, as you'd need to compare the additional cost against a better turntable. But if you are an existing owner of an RP3 - and that's who this product is really aimed at - Paul is pretty emphatic: "this upgraded power supply is a no brainer... [it] will seriously enhance your turntable".

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10% OFF

N.B. Paul tested his AC-24 1000 using a standard mains cable; he notes that you can expect the performance of the PSU to be improved even more with the addition of an upgraded power cable such as the PowerMax Plus™ or PowerKord-100™. russandrews.com/ac24 28 CONNECTED MAGAZINE Issue 35 Summer 2016

AC-24 1000 until 27th July 2016

AC-24 1000 PSU for Rega Price: £201 Magazine: Hi-Fi World Issue: April 2016

Your letters In praise of Silver Streak

STAR LETTER

I’m writing in praise of the Kimber Silver Streak interconnect that I’d recently purchased.

It replaced the Kimber Timbre interconnect that I’ve had for some while. I thought the Kimber Timbre would be a hard act to follow, so I only expected a marginal improvement with the Silver Streak. I was blown away when I heard the difference. It sounded as though I’d upgraded my CD player (or amplifier). Fantastic, with a clearer and better bass, and a very open treble with no hint of glare. Superb. Alex Kieppas, Northants.

Silver Streak interconnect £221 for 0.5m pair

Curing a bright system My system is as follows: Marantz SA-15 CD player, Audio Research SP9 Preamp, 300B valve power amp and a pair of Mordaunt Short Pageant speakers from the 1970s! The valve power amp was built by a work colleague and gives out 12W per channel. The speakers were silver wired some time ago

LETTERS

STAR LETTER

and I use silver speaker leads and good quality interconnects. I use a 4-way Russ Andrews extension block and connected to this I have: a YellO mains lead (from the CD player), a Powermax Plus mains lead (from the power amp), and the preamp has its own mains lead. I use Kimber Tonik interconnect (with 16dB attenuation) from the CD player to the preamp and IXOS 104 interconnect between the preamp and power amp.

Win a Silencer mains filter, worth £52.00

Want to share your experiences with our readers? Or simply want advice? Write to us! We’ll publish the best, funniest and most interesting in each issue of Connected. The writer of this issue’s Star Letter receives a Silencer, worth £52.00 Get in touch at: connected@russandrews.com or write to us at: Connected, Russ Andrews Accessories, 2b Moreland Court, Westmorland Business Park, Kendal, Cumbria, LA9 6NS, UK.

reduce Mould Release Agent (MRA) on discs and can go a long way in reducing that bright CD sound. Some discs have more MRA than others.

Even though my equipment is mostly vintage it sounds very good in my opinion - it sounds Is your system on a transparent and dynamic with glass and metal rack? wonderful That too can be a midrange and cause of bright sound. very good bass Wood sounds best. BUT suffers I would also look to your from a slight interconnects and tinge of speaker cables. Use brightness on ReVeel® and ReleeS® Pack another Tonik some (not all ) £30 between pre amp and CDs. Having said power amp – and 4PR or 4VS from that I can listen to it for hours your power amp to your speakers. without any listening fatigue. If the silver speaker wires are in fact I would just like a slightly silver plated wires, I think that could smoother top end and my budget be a contributing factor to your is limited to £300. Any advice you bright sound. Unless the speaker can give me would be very much cable is pure silver (and VERY appreciated. expensive) it could well have that sonic characteristic. JA Ray Lukic, by e-mail

Thanks for your email. Do you clean the offending CDs with ReVeel and ReleeS? These products help to

Tonik interconnect £64 for 0.5m pair Issue 35 Summer 2016 CONNECTED MAGAZINE 29

LETTERS

Curing clicks and pops I have been enjoying the “additional” music since the cables arrived from the last order; so first of all I would like to say thank you very much (I literally have to get used to the many more notes and phrases coming out of the speakers). Nevertheless I now have a question on what can be done if a ‘pop’ comes through the HiFi as the fridge switches itself on and off? I presume this comes from the voltage spike as the compressor/ thermostat goes on/off. I must confess that I have tried some alternative ‘mains conditioners‘ but to no avail. There are a range of products SuperClamps and MegaClamps – from the Russ Andrews website which might be able to help solve the issue; would you be able to advise that a little further on what I might need / need to do? Would installation of one or some of the clamps eliminate these “pops”?

the switch (usually in the thermostat) closes and makes contact, electricity will jump between the contacts (called arcing) and generate quite a powerful RF pulse through the air. This of course completely bypasses any filter or clamp you’ve got plugged in to your mains.

PowerKords I currently have, would do the X4 justice. One is a Kimber Standard PowerKord (4TCM) and the other is a Kimber High Current PowerKord .... both are quite long in the tooth now. If you don’t think either are up to the task, what PowerKord would you recommend?

The effect of this pulse is an annoying click or pop through the speakers. The problem is, you don’t know which part of your HiFi is acting as the aerial. It could be the CD player, amplifier or the crossover network in your speakers.

B Parsons, by e-mail

The only way to deal with the problem is at source and using two components to suppress the RF pulse. They are called a VDR and Contact Suppressor and you can see them online at www.russandrews.com/vdrcontact-suppressor/ Priced at £9.50 for the kit, they are easy to fit and come with full fitting instructions. PB

A Liu, by e-mail Clicks and pops can either be airborne or travel along the mains wiring. Spikes that travel through the mains wiring are easily dealt with by a surge suppression device, such as a Super/MegaClamp or one of our mains filters which have clamps built in. If these don’t work, then it’s likely the problem is airborne. Just before

VDR and Contact Suppressor £9.50

Which cable for my X-Block? I am going to place an order for an X4 Block in the next few days and was wondering if one of the two Russ Andrews

Your existing Kimber High Current PowerKord will be perfect for the X Block. The current equivalent of a High Current PowerKord is the PowerKord300™. Your other options include upgrading to the PowerKord500™ or sending in your High Current PowerKord-500™ PowerKord for £480 for 1m some upgrades such as better plugs and a SuperFuse for example. If, for example, you want the latest WattGate 320 EVO plug, it would cost £45 including the fitting. If you want the best-performing IEC plug, we can fit the Rhodium plated version for £125 including fitting. PB

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30 CONNECTED MAGAZINE Issue 35 Summer 2016

COMPETITION

WIN a MegaClamp™ worth £179!

We’ve something a bit diﬀerent for this issue’s competition. Below, you’ll see five rows of images and each row adds up to one of our products – but which ones?

WIN

A MEGACLAMP™ WORTH

£179

MegaClamps™ are plug-in devices designed to improve the sound of your Hi-Fi or Home Cinema by reducing the effects of mains voltage spikes. They're designed by us and offer an easy and effective way to upgrade your system.

* Photo by University of Salford Press Oﬃce / CC BY 2.0

Send your answers to us at competition@russandrews.com

or on a postcard to: Connected 35 Competition, Russ Andrews Accessories Ltd, 2b Moreland Court, Westmorland Business Park, Shap Rd, Kendal, LA9 6NS.

Entries must be received by 11.59pm on the 15th August 2016 and the winner will be picked at random from all the correct entries. The winner will be informed by 22nd August 2016 and will receive one MegaClamp™ surge filter worth £179.

Terms and Conditions 1. The closing date for entries is 15th August 2016 and the winner will be notified by 22nd August 2016; 2. The rules of entry are given in the text of the competition; 3. No purchase necessary to enter; 4. There is one prize of a MegaClamp. 5.The prize is not transferable, cannot be exchanged for cash nor will a cash alternative be offered; 6. Our decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into; 7. We reserve the right to feature photographs and the names and counties of all entrants in future publications and publicity; 8. This promotion is not open to employees of Russ Andrews Accessories or their families, or anyone connected with the promotion; 9. The promoter is Russ Andrews Accessories Ltd, 2b Moreland Court, Westmorland Business Park, Shap Road, Kendal, LA9 6NS, UK. Issue 35 Summer 2016 CONNECTED MAGAZINE 31

Reference Code

Burn-In (the time it takes for a new cable or piece of equipment to settle in and perform at its best) is a natural process which can be speeded up by our standard Burn-In option. But Super Burn-In™ is something completely diﬀerent as it adds to the cables performance. You can think of it a bit like a turbocharged DCT. Super Burn-In™ is achieved via our customdesigned and built machine which treats your cable to a specific ‘recipe’ for that model. Because of this, Super Burn-In™ can only be applied to Kimber and Russ Andrews cables. So when you opt for Super Burn-In™, you’re applying a process that cannot be achieved any other way. The Super Burn-In™ process can be applied both when you purchase a new cable and as a ‘retrotreatment’ for cables you already own.

Customer Number

Return address: Russ Andrews Accessories Ltd, 2b Moreland Court, Westmorland Business Park, Shap Road, Kendal LA9 6NS, UK.

It’s not just about Burn-in...

“I have to say that this process is exceptional... I can honestly say this upgrade is similar to going up a cable stage.” J. Weston, Worcs.

Order Super Burn-In™ on your cables now Super Burn-In™ on PowerKords™

£100

Super Burn-In™ for Interconnects and speaker cables

£100

Super Burn-In Plus™ on PowerKords™ £150 (a two stage process) We aim to turn your cables around in 2-3 days

www.russandrews.com Call UK Orderline 01539 797300 Int Tel +44 (0)1539 797300 Buy online at

Exclusive UK distributor

Russ Andrews Accessories Ltd, 2b Moreland Court, Westmorland Business Park, Shap Road, Kendal LA9 6NS, UK.

Mail Order Direct • 60 Day Money Back Guarantee • Cable Upgrade Scheme • Free Delivery (orders over £100 within UK Mainland)