Connected 30

CONNECTED TO MUSIC & MOVIES

New to our range Loricraft Audio

Issue No. 30 Spring 2015

Record Cleaning Machine Page 8

Digital Interconnects

BECOME AN EXPERT PAGE 16

PowerKord™ Survey Results

SPRING PROMOTION!

PAGE 10

PAGE 18

Set up your screen

Why you should have your screen calibrated PAGE 12

SAVE 15% ON MAINS FILTERS NEW Kimber Jumper Cables PAGE 7

M or in e o sid ff e! ers

Find out what our customers think

Stop listening to your Hi-Fi and start listening to the performance

We design our products to allow you to listen to your music, not your system.

Buy online at Exclusive UK distributor

www.russandrews.com 01539 797300

Call UK Orderline

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

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

Welcome

Welcome to the 30th edition of Connected to Music and Movies. Here in Kendal we’ve had a very busy couple of months catching up with all the orders you placed in our Winter Sale. If you recall, we don’t plan on having our twice-yearly ‘money off almost everything’ sales in the future; instead we’ll be having shorter-duration targeted offers on a smaller selection of our products throughout the year. We’re getting the ball rolling this time with some great deals on our mains conditioners – there’s more information on this month’s promotions throughout the magazine.

I was fortunate enough, at the end of January, to travel to Meridian Audio and have a listen first hand to recordings encoded by MQA – Master Quality Authenticated – Meridian’s newly developed audio technology. We mentioned MQA in the previous issue of Connected, but very briefly MQA is a digital-audio encoding and decoding system that promises to deliver sound quality better than conventional high resolution audio: 24bit 192kHz. That in itself is quite something and I can confirm that the sound was startlingly lifelike and musical. The other thing that really makes MQA stand out is that MQA files are no bigger than standard CDresolution files, meaning that for the first time it will be practical to stream high resolution audio. The music streaming service TIDAL is

EDITORIAL

already streaming music at CD quality, and they have confirmed that these very high-resolution MQA files will soon be available from them.

I like the fact that MQA results in improved sound of recordings that are, in some cases, decades old (one of the tracks we listened to was a mono Bob Dylan recording). The process goes back to the original master tapes which are sampled using the MQA encapsulation process. Once the resulting files are streamed or downloaded, they must be played back by an MQA-ready DAC or processor if you want to hear the MQA files and the very best sound. (Meridian’s Explorer2 at £199 offers one of the easiest ways to enjoy MQA files, see p22). And the good news is that even if you don’t have an MQA processor, you will still be able to play your files – albeit at the reduced resolution of CD quality or slightly better.

In this issue...

Regulars Editorial First Words News Dalton‘s Deliberations Letters

3 4 6 15 20

Competition

27

Features PowerKord™ Survey Results

10

Inside the Industry: Calibrate Your TV

12

Classic Hi-Fi

14

Product Feature: Mains Filters 18

Products

So where can you get MQA files? At the time of writing (mid-February) there are no MQA files available just yet, but my understanding is that MQA is already receiving broad support from the music industry, artists, recording and mastering engineers and record labels, and files will start to be available very soon. Having heard just how good MQA is, I can’t help but feel that this will be the way of getting fabuloussounding music within everyone’s reach. ■

New Products

John Armer, Editor

Any views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect the views of the company.

john.armer@russandrews.com

7

Become an expert: Digital Interconnects

16

Recent Reviews

24

Promotions Mains Filters

19

Meridian/TIDAL

22

UltraSockets

28

Russ Andrews Accessories Ltd, 2b Moreland Court, Westmorland Business Park, Shap Road, Kendal LA9 6NS, UK. © Russ Andrews Accessories Ltd, 2015. E & OE.

Issue 30 Spring 2015 CONNECTED MAGAZINE 3

OPINION

Don’t limit the possible

I was reminded the other day of the online furore that ensued when reviewer Malcolm Steward had tested some computer SATA cables in his computer audio set-up.

Malcolm found that some makes of the cables that connected the hard drive in his Network Attached Storage device had sounded better than others and he described what he had heard. I say “furore” because his review was picked up by one of the IT sites, and the comments on that ran into the hundreds – many of them extreme to say the least. Most of the comments were slating Malcolm for suggesting that he heard a difference in a cable that was only transmitting “just ones and noughts”.

It reminded me of the reaction we had to our published measurements of RFI reduction in our woven mains cables.

Several respondents said (I paraphrase) “what they claim cannot be true therefore the measurements must be fraudulent”.

It’s rather shocking in this “educated” and “scientific” age to find so many people confusing belief with facts.

They also confuse information with knowledge. They accept

4 CONNECTED MAGAZINE Issue 30 Spring 2015

at face value statements made by others who lack enough understanding of the subject, and pass them off as their own opinions. An opinion worth listening to is one based on real understanding of the subject: knowledge is information (data) plus understanding. Without understanding, data is meaningless. In my experience, the people most willing to pass judgement on a subject are also the ones who know least about it.

An opinion worth listening to is one based on real understanding of the subject: knowledge is information plus understanding.

Before anyone passes judgement on what is real or fake, genuine or fraudulent, fact or voodoo, they should obtain and read thoroughly an important essay written in the 1950s and updated many times by Sir Arthur C Clarke:

Profiles of the Future: An enquiry into the limits of the possible. In it, he formulates his “‘Three laws of Prediction”. They are: 1. When a distinguished elderly scientist states that something is possible, he is almost certainly right. When he states that something is impossible, he is very probably wrong.

(Clarke qualified ‘elderly’ in physics, mathematics and astronautics as over 30!)

Clarke describes this as a failure of nerve on the part of the apparently competent expert. It is, he says, very common: it occurs even when given all the relevant facts. The would-be prophet cannot see that they point to an inescapable conclusion. Clarke describes many examples of eminent experts insisting sometimes with “quite unnecessary vehemence” something couldn’t be done.

One such example concerns electric light. In 1878 the UK parliament set up a committee to look into Edison’s proposed incandescent light bulb. The committee concluded that it was “unworthy of the attention of practical or scientific men”.

Sir William Preece, Engineer-inChief of the Post Office roundly declared that “the subdivision of the electric light is an

OPINION

absolute ignis fatuus” (fatuous idea). “One feels that the fatuousness was not in the ignis” says Clarke.

2. The only way of discovering the limits of the possible is to venture a little way past them into the impossible.

Clarke further describes the failure of imagination. This is where all the available facts are appreciated and marshalled correctly, but the really vital facts are still undiscovered and their existence is not acknowledged as possible.

He gives the example of philosopher August Comte who wrote in 1835 of heavenly bodies: “we see how we may determine their forms, their disturbances, their bulk, their motions, but we can never know anything of their chemical or mineralogical structure”. Within half a century of his death, almost the whole of astronomy was astrophysics. Comte had decided that such a science of “astrophysics” was a priori impossible. Our friends who say that cables cannot make any difference to digital audio are clearly failing in both nerve and imagination.

The sobering thought here is that we all just accept technology without actually understanding it.

3. Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.

The sobering thought here is that we all just accept technology without actually understanding it. This one is the most pertinent and has several corollaries: Any technology distinguishable from magic isn’t sufficiently advanced.

Any sufficiently analysed magic is indistinguishable from science.

Any technology, however primitive, is magic to those who don’t understand it.

Any sufficiently ignorant person is indistinguishable from stupid.

And last and not least: For every expert there is an equal and opposite expert.

I think the sceptics have a duty to their own integrity to become an expert themselves on their chosen interest (Hi-Fi) by testing every proposition that is either the accepted norm or any new proposition that seems to conflict with it (and, importantly, with a genuinely open mind).

For example, we hold an opinion about where speakers should be placed that differs from the normal recommendation. That was arrived at by testing a variety of speaker positions and finding that getting them as far apart as the room allows and toeing them in was, by a long way, the best arrangement.

A sceptic shouldn’t hold the opinion that this is wrong unless they have tested it for themselves. They might then expend some effort in working out why we might be right… but first they should read Profiles of the Future! ■

Sir Arthur C Clarke was a British science writer and futurist. His most famous work was 2001: A Space Odyssey.

Issue 30 Spring 2015 CONNECTED MAGAZINE 5

News

NEWS

Facebook, twitter and social media round up.

If you don’t already follow us on facebook, twitter, Pinterest and Instagram, it’s worth having a look and signing up to our accounts. We’ve lots of content of interest and it’s updated regularly.

Here’s a taste of what you can find, and the link to the relevant articles:

Tweets

facebook.com/russandrews.accessories Russ Andrews Accessories 10 January

Gibson Les Paul: the guitar of choice for Chuck Berry, Spinal Tap and the Sex Pistols http://ow.ly/H3PpP

Russ Andrews Accessories 20 January

@russandrewshifi Feb 12 An enlightening interview with a true music legend http://buff.ly/1zKwgtV #BobDylan

That is one crazy piano! http://buff.ly/1xR7677

Feb 12 We’d love to know what kind of music you listen to: Classical?

Rock? Jazz? Thrash Metal? Whatever it is, please let us know #musicalchoice Russ Andrews Accessories 25 January A very interesting piece by Roger Skoff on the unattainable reproduction of live music in the home. Do you agree?

Audio’s Un-Winnable War: Roger Skoff takes a look at what’s really possible

Russ Andrews Accessories 24 January Pharrell Williams is the latest musician to appear on The Simpsons. Here are some more: http://bit.ly/1zVGrun

http://audiophilereview.com/audiophile/theun-winnable-war-tag.html

Cartoon cameos: the Simpsons best musician guest appearances

Jan 27 Music venues can become powerful symbols http://buff.ly/1yqHYEF Jan 8 An insight into what’s to come. Meridian MQA reviewed at CES. http://ow.ly/GYVQ6 Jan 3 10 popular free films on @BFI Player in 2014.

From a nail-biting football match to a trip to Saturn in 1911. http://ow.ly/GHlrV #film

Become a fan on facebook www.facebook.com/russandrews.accessories

Connect with us on Instagram http://instagram.com/russandrewsaccessories

Follow us on twitter www.twitter.com/russandrewshifi

See us on Pinterest https://www.pinterest.com/russandrewshifi

6 CONNECTED MAGAZINE Issue 30 Spring 2015

New Products

NEW PRODUCTS

New from

Kimber Kable has introduced new cables to their range. The first are new Kimber Select jumper cables to complement their most recent Kimber Select speaker cables – they are the KS-9063, the KS-9065 and the KS-9068. The jumpers are made with pure copper wire; both pure copper and pure silver wire; and pure silver wire respectively. The cables should

KS-9063

be used if you have bi-wirable loudspeakers and you are using a single run of cable. We recommend using the KS-9063 jumpers if you have Monocle, KS-3033 or KS-6063 speaker cable, KS-9065 jumpers if you have KS-3035 or KS-6065 speaker cable and KS-9068 jumpers if you have KS-3038 or KS-6068 speaker cable.

Find out lots more at www.russandrews.com/jumpers

Kimber have also introduced a new subwoofer cable designed specifically for REL subwoofers that use a Speakon connector at the subwoofer end. While we have offered the Kimber 8TC speaker cable formatted this way for many years (and will continue to do so), the new cable offers different cable geometry (it’s a ‘hex’ braid, more suited to the three-wire requirement of the sub cable) and is smaller. It’s also covered in a flexible covering. There are two versions, a copper cable and an all-silver design.

Find out lots more at www.russandrews.com/subwoofercable

60 Day Home Trial

Kimber REL-Cu subwoofer cable terminated with spades

KS-9065

KS-9068

60 Day Home Trial KIMBER SELECT JUMPER CABLES Set of four, for a pair of speakers KS-9063 Code 3463

£935.00

KS-9065 Code 3465 £1620.00 KS-9068 Code 3468 £2640.00

REL-Cu 2.0m 3.0m 4.5m 6.0m

Code 3600

£180.00 £232.00 £310.00 £388.00

Prices are for bare end to Speakon for spades or bananas add £17.00

REL-Ag 2.0m 3.0m 4.5m 6.0m

Code 3601

£1784.00 £2638.00 £3919.00 £5200.00

Prices are for bare end to Speakon for spades or bananas add £17.00, for WBT-0610Ag bananas or spades add £233

Issue 30 Spring 2015 CONNECTED MAGAZINE

7

NEW PRODUCTS

Loricraft Audio

Professional Record Cleaning machines Russ has long been a big fan of the Garrard 301 turntables and recently returned from a visit to Terry O’Sullivan, present-day custodian of the Garrard brand.

As well as producing a 21st century Garrard turntable, the Garrard 501, Terry’s company, Loricraft Audio, produces its own record cleaning machines.

Russ was so impressed with the machine’s simplicity, effectiveness and build quality that he insisted we include them in our range.

Loricraft Audio’s Professional Record Cleaners offer a semiautomatic way of cleaning records – whether they are charity shop bargains or new discs.

An LP or single is placed on the turntable and the motor is switched on to start the disc revolving. You then clean your disc with your record cleaning fluid and brush of choice – the

turntable can run both clockwise and anti-clockwise to ensure the fluid gets into the grooves and cleans as thoroughly is possible.

The fluid and dirt held in suspension from the cleaning process is then removed from the grooves with the suction arm. The nozzle of the arm is supported just above the surface of the record by a nylon thread which creates a vortex for maximum suction; a motor moves the suction arm slowly across the disc and a powerful vacuum pump sucks the fluid and suspended solids into the receptacle on the side of the machine. Because the spent fluid jar is mounted outside the body of the machine, it’s really easy to see when it needs emptying. And that’s it… record cleaning takes about one minute per side.

Two machines are available; the PRC4 and the PRC6. The PRC4 is the standard machine offering powerful suction for cleaning even very dirty records effectively.

The PRC6 is a slightly larger machine with the strongest pump and whisper-quiet operation.

So why are we offering the Loricraft Audio record cleaning machines? Quite simply, we believe that they are the bestbuilt machines anywhere.

Loricraft’s skill in refurbishing the original Garrard turntables is legendary and it’s clear that this engineering expertise has carried over into the development of their record cleaners too. They are all manufactured at Loricraft’s workshops and the machines are robust, advanced, beautifully engineered and incredibly good at their job.

Did you know?

The original machine of this type was designed by Percy Wilson, Technical Editor of Gramophone magazine, and shown to the Audio Engineering Society in 1965!

PRC6 8 CONNECTED MAGAZINE Issue 30 Spring 2015

NEW PRODUCTS

Motorised suction arm moves gently across the record to remove fluid

Powerful vacuum removes the fluid and dirt held in suspension and dries the record

Suction pump switch

Forward and backward rotation of the turntable ensures effective cleaning

Externallymounted spent fluid jar

Suction arm motor switch

Platter on/off switch

PRC4 Record cleaning fluid is applied by hand with a brush to allow maximum control over the cleaning process

Nylon thread supports the suction arm just above the surface of the record to create a vortex and maximum suction ensuring a completely dry record

Accessories

Laboratory standard pump is quiet and efficient

PRC4

Record cleaning fluid We recommend our ReVive record cleaning fluid for effective cleaning.

Supplied in 1 litre bottles Code: 5067 £16

Code: 4322

£1699

Strong pump, your choice of cherry or walnut veneered cabinet Dimensions: 55cm x 30cm x 41cm WHD, including fluid collection jar

Precision Brushes for applying fluid

PRC6 Code: 4323

Code: 4320 For 7” records For 10” records For 12” records

Largest pump, whisper quiet operation, your choice of cherry or walnut veneered cabinet

£18 £21 £26

£1999

Acrylic lid

Dimensions: 55cm x 33cm x 41cm WHD, including fluid collection jar

Available to protect your machine when not in use.

Code: 4324 £165

See them online at www.russandrews.com/loricraft

Issue 30 Spring 2015 CONNECTED MAGAZINE

9

SURVEY RESULTS

We wanted to know exactly what our customers thought about the performance of their cables and how they rated the service they had received from us. So, in August 2014, we sent out an email survey to customers who had bought at least one PowerKord from us. The results shown below are taken from the 188 customers who responded to the survey as of 14th November 2014, along with some of the respondents‘ comments. If you were one of those who replied to our survey, thank you for taking the time to respond.

The most important question of the whole survey was

“Did you notice an improvement in sound quality brought by you PowerKord?” and the results here were very impressive

93% of those who responded said “yes” they did notice an improvement! We’re not surprised of

indeed:

93% YES

course, because we talk to customers who tell us this all the time, but it’s nice to have it quantified in such a definitive way.

“I found that the PowerKord gave a clearer and more detailed presentation to the music. It cleaned up the sound and enabled me to hear deeper into the layers of the instruments.” Mr Russell, Littlehampton.

"Your cables and accessories have transformed my system" Mr Tarry, Hinckley

"Genuinely worth every penny" Graeme Bowler, Dunfermline "Thank you for transforming my musical & visual experience" Mr Steele, Bexleyheath

One clear way you can tell how pleased a customer is with their purchase is by asking

them whether they would be happy to recommend it to others, and that’s exactly what we did. Following the by now well established trend, 177 out of the 185

“Yes” – that’s a whopping 96%! said

"Anyone who does not look to improve the quality of the mains supply to their hi fi system is only experiencing a fraction of the system potential. The difference is night and day!!" Mr Parkin, Thame "Investing in these PowerKords justifies the rest of the system" Mr Jefferson, Aldershot 10 CONNECTED MAGAZINE Issue 30 Spring 2015

SURVEY RESULTS

Next, we asked how they would rate the overall build quality of their PowerKords. Not surprisingly, given the results of the first question, out of the 185 respondents a huge majority of

163 said the quality was “very good” and even 24 of the remaining 25 judged them as “good”.

85% VERY GOOD

"I certainly don't understand how a couple of feet of mains cable can affect the sound so much, given the national grid, the internal home wiring, and the internal processing of the pre-amp and power-amps, but these cables certainly do! ... Build quality is superlative"

13% GOOD

Oliver, Weybridge

"Excellent products, excellent service" Mr Stephens, Shrewsbury

"I always regard your "accessories" as components" Mr Parsons, Slough

The PowerKords are great - but what about customer service? Once again, the news is good:

167 rated us as

"excellent"

with 95% of the remainder regarding the service they received as "good".

"I have used yourselves for over 15 years now and have never been less than 100% satisfied. You provide an excellent service from start to finish, with very helpful, and very friendly staff"

and 22 rated us as ‘Good’

Andy Reay, Doncaster

"I have been dealing with you since 1988 outstanding service and help" Mr Rosario, Epsom "The verbal help by your staff has been much appreciated, as I have no technical skills and always need help" Mr Norton, Fakenham

We have been making dedicated Audio Grade mains power cables for over 30 years. To our knowledge, we were the first in the UK to manufacture consumer

since their launch we have sold over

audio grade mains cables and

55,000!

See all our PowerKords™ online at www.russandrews.com/powerkord Issue 30 Spring 2015 CONNECTED MAGAZINE 11

FROM INSIDE THE INDUSTRY

Consider Calibration After Cabling In the last Editorial of Connected John talked about having his TV professionally calibrated. Quite a few of you were interested in knowing more, so we asked Vincent Teoh to tell us about why calibration is the next upgrade to help you get the best picture quality from your TV or projector.

Vincent setting up his calibration meter

If you've purchased highquality cables for your home theatre system, then you're probably an enthusiast who appreciates pristine image and sound quality.

In terms of picture, one of the wisest investments you can make to extract the best from your TV or projector is a process called calibration.

Unbeknown to most viewers, there exists an industry standard to which broadcast and film content are produced and mastered, specifying the correct white point, colours, gamma and related parameters. When colourists perform colour correction and grading on the original footage in post-production, they would have been doing so on broadcast monitors that adhere to this standard.

Calibrating your TV or projector allows you to Klein K10-A colorimeter recreate the

12 CONNECTED MAGAZINE Issue 30 Spring 2015

director's intent, akin to looking through his or her eyes.

Uncalibrated displays seldom come close to this industry standard, because manufacturers deliberately tweak their TVs and projectors to produce a bright, inaccurate and oversaturated image that would appeal to unaware buyers in shops.

Certain brands do provide more accurate picture presets on their models, but due to the unavoidable unit-to-unit variance in a massproduced consumer product whose components are sourced from different suppliers, a bespoke calibration is still necessary to squeeze the best out of your TV or projector.

Another benefit of calibration is maximising the contrast performance of your display, by making sure the blacks are the deepest possible without crushing shadow detail, and the whites are sufficiently bright without blowing out highlight details or causing eye strain.

A complete calibration procedure also involves optimising the sharpness, noise reduction and motion

FROM INSIDE THE INDUSTRY

controls on your TV or projector to avoid superfluous video processing from spoiling the picture on screen.

technologies such as CRT, LCD, plasma, OLED, DLP and laser.

Professional calibrators Some of these basic steps can be are usually trained and carried out by using a test disc such certified by established as Digital Video Essentials or Spears organisations, the & Munsil, but a full calibration goes longest-standing of which being the one step further through the use of Imaging Science Foundation specialised equipment and (ISF). Much more important is software. In general, three the experience and ingredients are required: familiarity of the calibrator a meter to take readings with your particular from the screen; test television/ patterns (either served projector from a signal generator or a disc); and DVE DVD set-up model - if in disc - £21.00 doubt, ask for computer software testimonials. to make sense of Good calibrators the typically charge measurements so between £250 and that the necessary £350 per display, adjustments can be Spears & Munsil depending on the made to align your Blu-ray set-up number of sources, display as accurately as disc - £29.99 whether 3D possible to the industry calibration is needed, standard. and their travel distance.

You can either calibrate your TV/ Many videophiles and audiophiles projector yourself, or hire a allocate a percentage of the cost of professional calibrator. Going the their systems for cabling, and DIY route will set you back around although I'm biased, I believe you £250 for the cheapest meter, test should do the same for calibration. pattern disc and software package, Not only will you be rewarded with and that's not counting the number realistic skin tones and a rich, of hours you have to spend learning natural-looking picture brimming the ropes. Unless you own multiple with depth and displays or upgrade your TV/ detail, you'll also be projector very frequently, it makes paying the highest more economic sense to engage the respect to the service of a professional calibrator director's creative who’s equipped with pro-grade intent. ■ hardware and software capable of delivering accurate and consistent results across different display

CalMANS Ultimate calibration software shows which adjustments need to be made

Russ and John look on as the TV is put through the tests

Vincent Teoh is an independent professional ISFcertified calibrator. He can be contacted via his website hdtvtest.co.uk or by email at vincent@hdtvtest.co.uk

Issue 30 Spring 2015 CONNECTED MAGAZINE 13

CLASSIC HI-FI

Classic Hi-Fi Internally wired with Kimber cable Wall mounting bracket

We get questions from time-to-time from customers who have seen the first incarnation of our PowerBlocks popping up for sale.

The Distribution PowerBlock, to give it its full title, was introduced by Russ in the early 1990s to complement the PowerKords that had been introduced about seven years earlier. Available in six (£250) and eight socket outlets (£300), the Distribution PowerBlock used sockets mounted in a metal box from Olson and came wired with a Russ Andrews High Current PowerKord (which later became the Reference PowerKord, and now the PowerKord-300™). SuperClamp surge protection was fitted as standard. The block was originally available in two versions – the standard version used off-the-shelf wiring to link the sockets; an upgraded version could be specified (an additional £24.95 for the 6-way and £29.95 for the 8-way) which used Kimber TCX cable and the sockets came pre-treated with DeoxIT contact enhancer.

14 CONNECTED MAGAZINE Issue 30 Spring 2015

Treated with DeoxIT

Spike and surge protection Earth Terminal

High Current PowerKord™

The original Russ Andrews Distribution PowerBlock

The Distribution PowerBlock was replaced in 2000 with our iconic triangular PowerBlock. The new PowerBlock offered a significant step-up in sound quality with better sockets, a better internal wiring layout and better casework. The two were available alongside each other for a few months before the older block was phased out by the end of the year.

The block was very popular and it’s likely that many of them are still in use, continuing to do sterling service to this day. If you do have one, it would be worth replacing the internal SuperClamp surge protection which will be at least 15 years old by now, or even better upgrade it to MegaClamp surge

protection. We can do this for you, and the work includes a full service of the block, re-treating the sockets with DeoxIT and retightening the internal wiring.

Service upgrades Service A New SuperClamp Full DeoxIT treatment

£55.00 Service B MegaClamp Upgrade Full DeoxIT treatment

£195.00 We can arrange collection of your block; the price is £12.

(UK mainland only)

Dalton’s Deliberations

Islands in the Stream

OPINION

Write to Simon at - simondalton@russandrews.com

There’s a plethora of statistics being bandied about at the moment. First up, reported in Hi-Fi

Choice magazine, are the latest figures from the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) telling us that “Album sales have dropped by 7.8%” (2013-14) and albums in a physical format have now fallen below half of those sold, at 48.8%.

The real growth area in music sales, according to the figures, is streaming, which doubled in the year 2013-14 to 12.6% “of all music consumed in the UK”. “Give it a couple of years” says David Price, “and the trend will render CD a legacy format”.

It’s interesting that the online magazine The Huffington Post reports the same statistics from a totally different viewpoint. They suggest that, although streaming is growing, it “still only accounts for 12.6% of all the music consumed in the UK”. They report the reaction of the BPI to the number of CD album sales, who note “relatively resilient demand for a format that some commentators had written off, but which many consumers still appreciate”.

A second survey by technology developer CSR examines audio trends amongst consumers who typically listen to music at home at least once a week. The survey found that the most important consideration when making a

purchase was sound quality. This may go some way to explaining the resilience of the CD and vinyl market, but with the introduction of higher resolution formats – especially Meridian’s MQA – the potential for very high quality music conveniently streamed over the internet will become a reality, giving the best of both worlds: convenience and quality.

Regardless of the quality of digital music, many consumers still find digital audio set up very convoluted and confusing

So what of the future of CD and vinyl then? To quote Price again, “Will the idea of owning a physical format in the first place [become] pretty much redundant”? I don’t think so, for two reasons.

First, regardless of the quality of digital music, many consumers still find digital audio set up very convoluted and confusing (this is illustrated on the CSR survey which points out that after sound quality the next most important consideration is ease of set-up).

I can speak from personal experience; setting up my own streaming system at home was a real challenge – even with the help of our streaming guru Pete Bevir!

And what’s easier than simply placing a disc in a tray or on a platter?

The second point relates to the listening experience, which I suspect for many of us is more than just an audio affair. Having finally installed my streamer I’ve now found that I’ve started to listen to vinyl more, simply because it’s a totally different experience; from removing the album from its sleeve to placing the stylus in the groove and – most importantly – sitting back and enjoying listening to at least one side, and usually the whole album. The format encourages you to do this. It’s just not convenient to sit down, listen to one track then get back up again to change the record. So you tend to end up listening to complete albums without the temptation to skip from one favourite track to another. But this is the totally the opposite when it comes to streaming, which encourages you to prioritise tracks over albums – and I’m simply not disciplined enough to stop doing this.

There’s no doubt that streaming will grow to become the dominant format over the next few years but the imminent demise of other formats is perhaps over exaggerated as I suspect many of us will still desire the unique pleasures of a physical format.

Issue 30 Spring 2015 CONNECTED MAGAZINE 15

PRODUCT FOCUS

BECOME AN EXPERT

Kimber Digital Interconnects In the last issue we looked at the Select range of analogue interconnects. Continuing on a similar theme, this time Simon Dalton takes a look at the more complex area of digital audio cables used to connect your CD transport to your DAC, or a set-top-box to your home cinema receiver.

There are basically two types of digital audio interconnect we offer from Kimber Kable: Digital Optical and Digital Electrical (Coaxial). Whereas the optical is a straightforward choice as there is only one in the range, the Digital Coax is more complex in its design and therefore has a number of options.

Let’s start with the optical.

Digital optical cable

They use the highest quality medical grade fibre optic in the OPT-1, the ends of which are hand polished to minimise refraction and terminated to exacting standards to ensure effective connection to your equipment.

Digital electrical cables Code 2650

0.5m £53.00

Unlike digital optical cable, there are many more elements to the construction of a digital electrical cable, meaning that there are significant ways you can improve its performance as you move up the range.

PVC outer dielectric

Tin plated copper shield

DV-21

Aluminium mylar foil shield

Code 2510

0.5m £51.00

DV-30 - Solid copper conductor 1.0mm diameter, foamed FEP dielectric, aluminium mylar foil shield, tin-plated copper braided shield, low loss outer dielectric.

DV-30

The principle is pretty straightforward: use the highest quality fibre optic then insulate and terminate to ensure that the integrity of the fibre is maintained and no light is lost. That’s exactly what Kimber have done with the OPT-1.

OPT-1

DV-21 - Solid copper centre conductor 0.6mm, PE foam, aluminium mylar foil shield, tin-plated copper shield, low-loss PVC outer dielectric.

Code 2515

0.5m £67.00

D-60 - Solid-core pure silver conductor, Expanded PTFE dielectric, helically wound silver shield, conductive PTFE layer, PTFE dielectric, second helically wound silver shield, PTFE outer dielectric.

D-60

Code 2525

0.5m £201.00

Digital electrical cables are based on the established standard of coaxial design shown in DV-21 below (that’s why they are often referred to as ‘digital coax’).

The things that really set Kimber cables apart are the quality of the conductors; the insulation and the shielding... and the performance of these cables improves as you move up the range due to the use of higher quality materials. Each step up in quality is designed to enhance the ability of the cable to accurately transfer the digital audio signal.

PE Foam

0.6mm Solid copper

Coaxial design of Kimber DV-21 16 CONNECTED MAGAZINE Issue 30 Spring 2015

PRODUCT FOCUS

Select the very best There are just two cables in the Select range: the single-ended KS-2020 and its sibling the balanced KS-2120. Both offer a major improvement on the standard coax design and are built from the ground up to optimise the accuracy of timing in the digital domain.

The ultimate performance of the Select cables derives from a unique process of development.

The design of Select digital cables is the result of an understanding that, unlike analogue signals, any concern with the waveform of the digital signal is a distraction because a DAC only reads the central slice of information in the middle of the signal, ignoring the top and bottom of the square wave (see Fig1). What is important – vitally important – is the timing of the signal.

Fig.1

switching points

You’ll often hear critics of digital performance enhancement claim that improvements are not possible because it’s “all just one’s and noughts”.

In fact, it would be more accurate to say that it’s actually all about ‘on and off’. This is precisely what Ray Kimber recognised; it’s the accuracy in the timing of this ‘on/off’ switching which is at the very heart of digital music playback and the extent to which a system is able to accurately portray music in a truly musical manner (as Russ has always said: “Musicality is all about rhythm and timing”).

By focusing on this timing aspect rather than on the waveform, Kimber have developed cables in the Select range that have superb timing qualities which minimise errors and maximise the potential of your system to accurately recreate what’s on the music source.

DAC reads this slice of waveform

In digital playback the square wave-form is not important. What is significant is the distance/time between switch on and switch off points.

KS-2120

KIMBER SELECT DIGITAL INTERCONNECTS KS-2020 Code 2940 £817.00 0.75m KS-2020

KS-2120 0.75m

Code 2941

£1041.00

Issue 30 Spring 2015 CONNECTED MAGAZINE 17

Filter your mains

PROMOTION

Some of you ask “what’s the difference between all the mains filters we have in the range?” Should I go for an AbZorber or an UltraPurifier? What’s the difference between the Clarity Mains and the Mains Zapperator?

The key thing to understand is that each of the plug-in mains conditioners we offer do a specific job. You can – and should – use all of them in your system to get the very best sound quality. We appreciate that not everyone can go out and buy all of them at once, so here’s our suggestion for which conditioners to fit in which order so you upgrade your sound in the most cost-effective and best way.

Mains filtering first

The core mains conditioners in our range are the Silencer, the Mini Purifier and the Ultra Purifier.

These are all wide-band mains filters, designed to reduce mains noise and harmonics on the mains supply and deliver a cleaner, clearer sound.

These are the filters you should fit first: they are designed to plug into an empty socket close to your Hi-Fi or Home Cinema and if you only fit one type of mains conditioner, fit one of these.

For big systems with several components – such as those with pre and power amplifiers (or powerful integrated amps or Home Cinema systems) you should use the Ultra Purifier. Smaller systems can use the Ultra Purifier or the Mini Purifier. You can, if you wish or your budget dictates, just use a Silencer as you would use a Mini or Ultra Purifier, but the Silencer is also designed to be used around the home to quieten mains noise at source. Lots of customers use the Silencer in the kitchen close to fridges, freezers and microwaves that are plugged in and switched on all the time.

Zap those high frequencies

Our experience has shown that the very high

18 CONNECTED MAGAZINE Issue 30 Spring 2015

frequencies that computers and their peripherals operate at have a detrimental effect on musicality.

Our Mains Zapperator is designed specifically to target these frequencies, so once you’ve fitted our mains filters, augment their effect with Mains Zapperators. Mains Zapperators are designed to be fitted close to things such as your computer, your modem/router, wireless printers and so on.

You can also use Mains Zapperators close to your system to shield it from the negative effects of Wi-Fi networks.

Bringing more clarity

Clarity Mains, and the more powerful Clarity-4 and Clarity-8 units are worth fitting next. The Clarity modules that feature in all the Clarity units are developed for us by a US company and employ what they refer to as Coherence Technology that aims to reduce noise in the ground plane of a circuit. We find that the Clarity units, once you’ve fitted mains filters and mains Zapperators, are very effective at delivering increased resolution, detail and clarity. The Clarity units are very effective when used close to your system, and like the Mini Purifiers and Ultra Purifiers should be plugged into a spare socket in the extension feeding your Hi-Fi or Home Cinema.

Protecting your system from spikes and surges

Our mains filters – the Silencer, Mini Purifier and Ultra Purifier – all incorporate our unique ‘clamps’ to protect your system from sound-degrading mains spikes. But you can get further improvements by incorporating The AbZorber, which is the final conditioner you should fit, once you’ve installed those above. Designed by Ben Duncan, the AbZorber works alongside our SuperClamps and MegaClamps. The clamps work by reducing surges over about 340V; AbZorber works by reducing the residue of these spikes at lower voltages and will deliver additional improvements. ■

Spring Promotion

PROMOTION

SAVE 15% on all our mains filters until 22nd April 2015

Mains Conditioner checklist 3 First fit our mains filters – Silencer, Mini

Did you know?

Our mains conditioners are all parallel devices. This means that while they are connected to the mains supply, current is not drawn through them. Our tests have shown that some inline mains filters have an adverse effect by increasing the mains impedance which results in a flat, boring and lifeless sound. Because our mains conditioners are all parallel devices, none of them exhibit these drawbacks.

SAVE 15%

Purifier and Ultra Purifier 3 Next plug in Mains Zapperators around your house 3 Then use ClarityMains units with your system 3Finally fit The AbZorber for enhanced filtering

on all our mains filters until 22nd April 2015

SILENCER

Silencer was £52.00

Code:1403 Now £44.20

PURIFIERS

Mini Purifier was £151.00 Code:1440 Now £128.35

Ultra Purifier was £390.00 Code:1425 Now £331.50

with 1m PowerMax Plus

SAVE 15% on all our mains filters until 22nd April 2015

ABZORBER

ZAPPERATORS Mains Zapperator was £109.00 Code:1443 Now £92.65

The Abzorber was £532.00 Code:1442 Now £452.20

SAVE 15% on all our mains filters until 22nd April 2015

CLARITY MAINS Clarity Mains™ was £114.00 Code: 4584 Now £96.90

Clarity-4™ was £499.00

Clarity-8™ was £799.00

Code: 4644 Now £424.15

Code: 4645 Now £679.15

Offer ends 22nd April 2015. Offer cannot be used in conjunction with any other offer.

Issue 30 Spring 2015 CONNECTED MAGAZINE 19

Your letters

LETTERS

LETTER Win a Silencer mains filter, worth £52.00

ReVeeling the sound

Transport and DAC?

Would you show Russ the attached pic and tell him I have just finished the bottle today on some CDs! Is this a record?

(Geddit?!).

If purchasing a CD-based system, which set up would provide the most accurate / lossless STAR data transfer?

I’ve found that CDs cleaned with CD cleaner (albeit ‘antique’!) rip to a computer faster (less re-tries) and as we know less ripping time = more listening time! Perhaps you could use this equation in your sales literature?

Option 1 consisting of a CD transport, a digital interconnect and an integrated amplifier with a DAC.

P Weatman, Kendal

Our original CD Cleaner

Thanks for the picture, Phil. The CD cleaner you’ve just finished is an early incarnation of our ReVeel CD cleaner. ReVeel was originally supplied in a bottle with a separate pad used for applying it to the disc.

We moved over to the wipes that we now use in the late 1990s. As for whether it’s a record or not... if any readers of Connected are still using ReVeel in a bottle, contact us at connected@russandrews.com. JA.

20

STAR

CONNECTED MAGAZINE Issue 30 Spring 2015

LETTER

Option 2 consisting of a traditional CD player, an analogue interconnect and an integrated amplifier.

If the standalone CD transport in the first option is identical to the transport present in the traditional CD player and the DAC chip present in the integrated amplifier is also identical to the DAC present in the traditional CD player, this would leave the only different factor being the connecting cable choice / data transfer method - digital or analogue. And let’s say Kimber top of the range Select analogue and digital cables are used. As a result, which “data transfer” method would provide the least amount of information lost?

M. Farrow, by e-mail It’s not just a question of ‘least information lost’ but, ultimately, ‘which sounds the best?’ If you’ve followed our features on Russ’s system in past issues of Connected, you’ll know that he prefers the sound when the DAC is in the player and not separate. His advice is – buy the best one-box CD player you can afford and connect it to your amplifier with the very best Kimber analogue interconnects you can. JA

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.

Which SuperFuse first?

I’m intrigued by your new super fuses. I already use your established fuses but the new ones are very expensive (any chance of a multibuy offer??) and would have to be prioritised.

It would help if you could suggest the order in which each of the following would benefit from them:

• Power amp (Quad 405.2, with a 16-strand Kimber power cable).

The Quad has its own internal anti-surge fuse– I imagine this compromises the benefit?

• SilencerBlock, with an 8-strand Kimber power cable.

• Sky+ HD box (our main source, including for radio– we listen to radio (3) a lot).

• TV (Panasonic with a captive power lead).

• A modest Blu-ray player (Sony) with an old YellO Power lead.

(Used only occasionally.)

LETTERS

• An elderly CD player (Arcam Delta 70, again used only occasionally).

Also off the Silencer block is a PowerLink extension with its captive lead. This feeds a small array of plug top transformers for a DAC (MF X-DAC), Creek passive pre-amp, Apple TV; these don’t have [internal] fuses.

Your thoughts would be appreciated.

D. Montague, Somerset In your case, this is the order in which I’d advise you to upgrade: - Sky+ HD box - TV - Power amp - SilencerBlock - PowerLink - Blu-ray player - CD player On your power amp, the internal fuse shouldn’t compromise the performance any more than the internal fuses in the other equipment. The fuses in the mains leads are there purely to prevent the cable overheating in the case of a fault so components have their own internal fuses for system protection. This is worth bearing in mind when choosing the right fuse ratings for the cables. All our cables are rated 13A but the others, especially the captive leads, will need checking.

The first SuperFuses I installed were into my SkyHD box and ageing

SuperFuses £25 each

Samsung LCD TV. I have to say I wasn’t expecting the level of improvement they made. It’s the first time the TV picture has truly looked Hi-Def and the colours are so much more natural. Impressive.

SD

A new product idea?

Your website encourages us to suggest new product ideas.

Well, I’m always surprised at the difference achieved by cleaning connections. But I have no way to clean my balanced interconnect sockets (the female end). How about a tool like the one you have for phono sockets?

S Caufield, by e-mail.

Thanks for the email and idea.

When I first found the cleaning tool, I did wonder if they did an XLR version and sadly they don’t.

I’ll keep searching for a solution, so watch this space! PB

Shining a little light on the matter I believe that you have investigated the effect of replacement LED light fittings on hi-fi systems and have concluded that there should be little or negligible effect, except perhaps for radio receivers. However, my experience is that some lights can have an effect on some equipment. When I replaced my halogen lights with LEDs in my lounge, where I mostly listen to music, I couldn’t discern any degradation in sound from my main amp. However, I also run

remote speakers in the kitchen using an old but perfectly serviceable Arcam Alpha r. When I went into the kitchen to check the sound I was astounded by the distortion. Switching the lights off returned to the sweet sound I’ve been used to.

Speaking to a lighting expert in Bristol it became apparent that, as with mains cables and the like, not all LED light bulbs are the same. In fact, Matt at Ablectrics told me they sometimes have problems with LED lights on different circuits ‘talking’ to one another causing problems with switching and cabling. He sold me some very expensive replacements which he thought would help not just with the hi-fi problem but also to give the best colour rendition properties because I have artwork on the walls. Thankfully these lights cured my problems with the Alpha 7 so I’m quite relieved. It’s taught me that, just as I choose Russ Andrews products for my hi-fi, I also need to buy better quality light fittings than you can find at your average DIY store or supermarket.

Rob Mellors, by e-mail.

Thanks for your feedback. The quality can really vary between different LED lights. We use them in our dem room and we’ve certainly found some to be noisier than others. Trouble is, it’s pot luck finding good ones! PB

Issue 30 Spring 2015 CONNECTED MAGAZINE 21

PROMOTION

LETTERS

Increased Clarity I just had to buy a fourth ClarityMains DIY module before the sale finished as the addition of the first three, one Clarity Mains at a time to gauge performance, DIY - £111 was nothing short of outstanding!

I fitted the first module in the mains conditioner that feeds the digital side on my PowerBlock. After a couple of weeks of being impressed, I did the same with my other mains conditioner, feeding the analogue side. Again the improvements were obvious. I then attempted to fit the third module inside the Pulse 2 [power supply] that feeds the [Acoustic Precision] Eikos transport - but it looked too difficult and I chickened-out, not wishing to upset Tom Evans at some future date!

I had read that multiple modules were even better, so I fitted the third module with the first module in the (Digital side) mains conditioner. The improvements were even better, hence why I ordered a fourth module to double-up in the other Mains Conditioner.

On that note, I find it strange that my eight SuperFuses, which were an obvious success from day one, actually continued to improve quite significantly with time.

The reason I find that strange is that it demonstrates to me that Super Burn-In is not the end of the burn-in story.

Colin Gray, by e-mail Super Burn-In is perhaps a slightly misleading name, in that it’s not really a burn-in process like the one that happens to a new conductor material naturally.

So yes, I’m not surprised you’re hearing changes after the process has been applied.

PB

22 CONNECTED MAGAZINE Issue 30 Spring 2015

FREE 90 DAY

SUBSCRIPTION TO TIDAL* Meridian Audio are offering a FREE 90 day subscription to TIDAL (normally £19.95 per month), the high fidelity music streaming service, *with any new purchase of a Meridian Audio product. Simply order before 31st May 2015 and register your product to receive your TIDAL activation code.

TIDAL allows you to stream music losslessly, allowing you to enjoy your music the way the artists intended. TIDAL features expertly curated editorial recommendations, album presentations, playlists, articles, features and interviews, and, in addition to millions of songs has over 75000 high definition music videos to watch and listen to.

POPULAR

PRODUCTS

Explorer2 Offering true high-end quality from headphones and earphones, the Explorer2 is a USB-powered digital to analogue converter featuring over 30 years of Meridian’s digital expertise. Explorer2 is MQA-ready.

Code: 4653 £199

Media Core 200 This compact system can store up to 2,000 CD albums at full lossless quality. With a future software update, TIDAL will seamlessly integrate with Media Core 200.

Code: 4536 £2000

Terms and Conditions This offer is limited to purchase of Meridian Audio speakers, streaming audio and personal audio products, audio controllers, surround processors and projectors. It is not available with the purchase of accessories and parts. Offer expires 31st May 2015.

Voucher codes can be activated until 31st October 2015.

Reviews

REVIEWS

X6 Block™

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

Review by Paul Rigby - theaudiophileman.com

The review compares the X6 Block first with a standard white plastic high street extension and then with a competitor’s offering.

When first compared to a high street extension, the review observes that "the soundstage sprang to life with a layered complexity that immediately forced a smile”. And the improvements continued, especially in the musicality of the performance. The double bass, which had been “largely absent from the basic power block” now provided the “rhythmic foundation” for the track. In fact, he observes, “You could hear the nuance of the plucked strings for the first time”!

Moving onto a harder test for the X6 Block, Paul compares its performance with a competitor’s extension block and the results were still impressive. “In comparison, the X6 provided a superior bottom end, a greater weight and heft to lower frequencies that enabled The Who track [‘My Wife’] to really rock”.

SuperFuse™

In conclusion, he writes that the X6 Block “is packed with enhancing technologies that all add to the enhanced sound quality”. The X6 gets a 'Groovy' Award.

Russ Andrews X6 Block Verdict: Price: Code: Website: Date:

8/10 GROOVY £349 1166 theaudiophileman.com December 2014

Review by Paul Rigby - theaudiophileman.com

Another excellent review of our SuperFuses™ appears on Paul Rigby’s website ‘The Audiophile Man’. It makes interesting reading because many of the comments he makes about the improvements to sound quality relate to the overall performance of the piece. Here’s an example: With reference to The Who’s ‘My Wife’ he says “the bass guitar, which was previously shaped by the Keith Moon drum kit, now became much more recognisable as a separate instrument”.

Again, “On the Dexter Gordon jazz track, the sax, played during the early solo, was not only larger in terms of presence but also reedier in terms of tonality while the bass, centre stage, could now be heard going through subtle manipulations.”

It’s these kinds of improvements that really get to the heart of a piece.

Having a saxophone sound more like the individual saxophone being played allows you to hear more of the subtlety and meaning that the player is bringing to the track. And it’s these aspects that make a piece of music unique.

All in all it’s difficult to think of another product which can bring such significant improvements for as little as £25...

SuperFuse Verdict: Price: Code: Website: Date:

7/10 £25 each 1016 theaudiophileman.com December 2014

Issue 30 Spring 2015 CONNECTED MAGAZINE 23

Cabasse Stream One

REVIEWS

Review by Ed Selley for AVForums.com

Looking for a neat and impressive sounding streaming system for a second room? Ed Selley thinks Cabasse may just have the answer with their Stream One. There’s certainly an impressive list of source inputs and enough to keep most of us in music for as long as we want. The newly developed app provides a simple and convenient way to control it all too.

The device itself can be used in a choice of positions, including fixings for wall mounting, so it’s easy to find a home for.

“This is a speaker that manages to sound big and powerful despite the fairly compact size... Voices and tricky instruments like cellos and trumpets have a scale to them which smaller systems can often struggle with. There is also no shortage of real world headroom to the performance either and the Stream One should go plenty loud enough for most requirements”.

This is already a competitive area of the audio market but the Cabasse is no slouch and certainly manages to make a compelling case for itself. In giving the Stream One a ‘Recommended’ award, Selley suggests that “if you need an all-in-one for audio at a competitive price, this is a very convincing solution to the problem”.

BMU 1000

To find out more and to buy Cabasse Stream One go to www.russandrews.com/cabasse

Cabasse Stream One Verdict: Price: Code: Website: Date:

RECOMMENDED £499 4680 AVForums.com January 2015

Review by Janine Elliot - hifipig.com

Janine Elliot recently reviewed our BMU1000 Balanced Mains Unit and was mightily impressed, stating that “this was the quickest, and effectively the cheapest, upgrade to my home audio, and when connected to my TV gave me greater colour and sharper definition to boot”. Indeed, towards the end of the review she is clear about her appreciation of the very concept of balanced mains when she concludes that “for me the [BMU]... is the purest way to upgrade your Hi-Fi to how it should sound”.

Playing a variety of musical genres via the BMU, Janine found some quite dramatic changes in the performance that bought out new layers to the music and more coherence to the overall presentation. Talking of the track ‘Harpnosis’ from the album ‘Masterpiece Guitars’, she observes that “A myriad of plucked instruments from around the globe knitted together with clarity and authority ... where in other systems the track could be a traffic jam mishmash of unconnected noises”.

A worthwhile investment then? “You’ll wonder why you didn’t do it sooner”.

24 CONNECTED MAGAZINE Issue 30 Spring 2015

Russ Andrews BMU1000 Verdict: Code: Price: Website: Date:

8.5/10 RECOMMENDED 1194 £1599 hifipig.com January 2015

Kimber Select KS-6068

REVIEWS

speaker cables and

KS-1036 & KS-1136 analogue interconnects

Review by Neil Gader for The Absolute Sound

US Hi-Fi magazine The Absolute Sound (sister magazine to our Hi-Fi+ magazine) features a detailed review of Kimber’s range topping cables.

Not surprisingly, these don’t come cheap (from £20469 for the KS-6068 speaker cable) so for the lucky few who can afford them, are they worth the investment?

intimacy and low-level resolution that’s almost embarrassing in its nakedness”.

In the right level of system, this ability to allow the true performance of the components to show through has a startling effect that “would compel even the most OCD listener to drop whatever he’s doing or thinking of doing and just sit still and listen”. Listening to various genres of music, the effect is just the same; a far more intimate relationship with what’s being conveyed by the artist and a depth of insight that’s breathtaking.

“For the life of me I can’t think of another top-tier cable that has ever compelled me to listen quite as deeply as I was able to with these wires.”

It goes without saying that these cables deserve a true high-end system to allow them to show their true worth because at this level they are going to show up any imperfection. The flip side of this is that they also allow a top flight set-up to really show its (often hidden) depths: “It’s here, in the company of a finely tuned audio system, that the Kimber Select settles into such a natural and organic relationship with the music that you forget about the effort that went into designing and building these wires, forget that you’re even listening to a system, even forget the hole still smoking in your wallet”!

Unlike some cables, one of the key characteristics of the Kimber is its ability to convey the audio signal in a highly neutral manner, so there’s never any worry that it will radically alter the overall character of your system.

As Neil Gader, reviewing, says: “whether your audio rig is strictly grain-free photorealistic or gauzily impressionistic, that’s what Kimber is going to give you in return”, and continues by observing that “sonically the KS achieves a level of

So just how good are these cables in relation to similar offerings? On this question, Gader is clear: “By any benchmark that I’m aware of the Kimber Select series 6000 is as sonically breathtaking as is its price tag. For the life of me I can’t think of another top-tier cable that has ever compelled me to listen quite as deeply as I was able to with these wires. On the one hand it’ll expose every weakness in a system. But on the other, it will also permit an otherwise excellent system to realize a whole new level of resolution and musicality... My highest recommendation”.

Kimber Select 6068 speaker cable Price: Code: Magazine: Issue:

£20,469 for 2.5m 3378 The Absolute Sound March 2015

Issue 30 Spring 2015 CONNECTED MAGAZINE

25

REVIEWS

"I still use my acoustic gramophone, as well as the hi-fis and radiogram, for my 78s. The enjoyment of a pre-dinner glass of wine in the garden in Summer, with friends and a few choice records on a gramophone are one of the simple pleasures in life that should be indulged" Tony Bolton We were sorry to hear of the death of long-time Hi-Fi World contributor and reviewer Tony Bolton at the all too young age of 50. Tony was diagnosed with cancer just a few weeks before Christmas and sadly passed away on the 27th December 2014, a short time after starting treatment.

Tony Bolton 1964 - 2014

His contribution to the industry, especially his down to earth approach and extensive knowledge of analogue recording and playback, will be greatly missed. Our condolences go out to his family and colleagues at Hi-Fi World.

ReVive

®

Review by Tony Bolton - Hi-Fi World

In Hi-Fi World’s January edition (out for Christmas) they asked some of their contributors to recommend items for their Christmas Wishes and Tony Bolton – described as their ‘resident vinylista’ – chose our ReVive record cleaning fluid.

“I have used this fluid in both the bath type of record cleaner (Disco Antistat) and the vacuum type of cleaning machine and have found that it gives excellent results in both environments”. He notes that, because the formula doesn’t contain alcohol, it’s flexible too, and can be used on both vinyl and shellac albums. But what about performance? “It is effective and affordable”. Well, you couldn’t ask for more!

26 CONNECTED MAGAZINE Issue 30 Spring 2015

ReVive record cleaning fluid Price: Code: Magazine: Issue:

£16 5067 Hi-Fi World Jan 2015

Crossword Time!

COMPETITION

Send your completed crosswords to reach us by 27th April 2015 and one lucky person, picked at random from the correct entries, will win a 0.75m HD09e HDMI cable.

Post them to: Crossword Competition, Russ Andrews Accessories, 2b Moreland a 0.75m Kimber Court, Westmorland Business Park, Shap Road, Kendal, LA9 6NS. HD-09e worth Tip! All answers can be found in Connected, our catalogue and our Facebook page.

WIN

1

£37

2 3

4

5

6

7 8

9

10

11 12

13 14

15

16 17 18 19

20

21

22 23

24

Across 3. The quality of a note or sound - also a Kimber interconnect! (6) 4. The standard design for digital electric cables (7) 9. The ‘U’ in USB (9) 10. ‘With’ Jools Holland on BBC2 (5) 12. Our unique support system (7) 14. Effective noise reduction in interconnects and mains supply (8) 16. Our top surge protection (9) 21. John Coltrane’s 1965 masterpiece (1,4,7) 22. The ‘king’ would have been 80 this year (5) 23. Our Home Trial on standard cables is ..... days (5) 24. Manufacturer of Portable DAC supporting MQA (8,5)

Congratulations!

Congratulations to: Stephen Crowe, Peter Richardson, Victor Kerfoot and Roger Brooks who were picked at random from the correct entries from the last issue of Connected‘s wordsearch competition.

They all win a SuperFuse.

Down 1. Quieten mains noise with this filter (8) 2. Ray’s Kable (6) 5. Shared by Beach Boy Brian and Kaiser’s ‘Voice’ Ricky (6) 6. Berliner Philharmoniker’s Simon (6) 7. For best TV pictures, do this (9) 8. Flautist James (6) 11. Eyepiece or speaker cable? (7) 13. Our core range of woven mains cable (9) 15. Dalton’s ... (13) 17. 30 years ago her album ‘Hounds of Love’ topped the charts (4,4) 18. Mains, 4, 8 and Pro (7) 19. Of the ‘Machine’ and ‘Magic Roundabout’ fame (8) 20. Kimber’s range topping cables (6)

Terms and Conditions 1. The closing day for entries is 27th April 2015 and the winners will be notified by 8th May 2015; 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 0.75m Kimber HD-09e HDMI cable, picked at random from the correct entries; 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 30 Spring 2015 CONNECTED MAGAZINE 27

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

Upgrade your wall sockets Customer Number

DCT and DeoxIT treated

Reference Code

Very high pressure contact terminals

RECOMMENDED Hi-Fi Choice Aug ’12

“instruments sound distinctly more real... the music is clearly more engaging."

HiFi Choice August 2012

Nickel plated earth connection

“Cleaner, slightly drier, and altogether more natural sound issued forth, with quite a significant enhancement to the precision and size of the soundstage.”

B Parsons, Slough

ULTRASOCKET™ Single and double faceplates are a straight swap for existing single and double sockets Sockets are BS1363 certified and high impact and fire resistant for your peace of mind

SINGLE FACEPLATE DOUBLE FACEPLATE DOUBLE FACEPLATE WITH EARTH

Order Code: 1901

WAS

NOW

£79.00 £89.00 £99.00

£71.10 £80.10 £89.10

Try one now in your own system from only £71.10 (was £79)

SAVE 10%

until 22nd April 2015

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 Home Trial • Cable Upgrade Scheme • Free Delivery (orders over £100 within UK Mainland)