The latest digital quarterly publication from Audio T - The UK's oldest, independent specialist Hi-Fi retailer - Est. 1966.
M usicatHome + Autum n 2022 LOVEMUSIC . LO VE FILM M EETTHE FAM ILY! TAKEAN IN-DEPTH LOOK ATTHEACOUSTIC ENERGY500SERIES
DALI KORE THEALLNEW
Find outaboutthe new Linn SelektDSM Hub W hat’sthe latestfrom RELAcoustics? Who are N eatAcoustics?
The latestgeneration RuarkR2 M K4
And so m uch m ore.
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Editor-Brad Tyler Published byAudio T Design& ArtworkbyBrad Tyler
Al prices,credit term s and interest rates quoted are corectatthe tim e ofgoing to pres butm aybe subjectto change.E&OE
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06 -THEALL-NEW RUARKR2MK4 10 -W HO ARENEATACOUSTIC? 14 -CYRUSCLASSIC SERIESREIM AGINED CONTENTS
48 -THE LATESTFROM THE RELHTSERIES 52 -THECOMPLETECHOICE-THETOTUSHI-FIRACKS 54 -SPECIALSPEAKERS.SPEACIALOFFER.SPECIALFORTY 58 -GETTHEEDGE-BLUESOUND POWERNODE
16 -TAKEA CLOSERLOOKATTHEREGA PLANAR3 18 -THEFLAGSHIPRANGEFROM ACOUSTIC ENERGY 22 -AUDIOLABOMNIA -BESTOFBOTH W ORLDS? 30 -DALIKORE-STATEOFTHEARTSPEAKERTECH 34 -INNUOSPHEONIXNETNETWORKSWITHCH 40 -THEQUTESTSOLUTION FROM CHORD ELECTRONICS 44 -WHATMAKESACHORDOHMICCONNECTION? 47 -SOLIDSTEELSSSERIES
60 -SENNHEISER M OM ENTUM 4W IRELESS 66 -INTRODUCING KEFKUBESUBW OOFERS 71 -THE SPECIALEDITION DALIM ENUETSE 72 -WANTSVERSUSNEEDS&THEDEMO ROOM 76 -AURALIC SIRIUSG2.1AND VEGA 2.1 82 -THEM OREDELEKTABLELINN SELEKTDSM 88 -THEDECLINEOFDECADES
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M ake m usicone of life’ses entialswith the elegantnew RuarkAudio R2 Ruark launches an al new M k4 version ofits award winning R2 m usic system
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A com plete m usic system ,R2 is equipped with DAB+,FM and internettunerswith pre-sets,and directly supports major streaming services including Spotify,Am azon M usicand Deezer,and with a quality Bluetooth receiver every other streaming service available. The Bluetooth function also seamlesly integrates with the volum efunctiononphonesand tablets,so volum e can be easilyraised orreduced asdesired.R2also features a USB-C charge and playback port, switchable auxilary line input and headphone output.Rem ote controlis available through the UNDO K app,oracom pacthandsetavailableasan optional extra. The colour LCD clearly displays tim e,alarm and program m e inform ation including station and album artwork,and auto-adjuststo suit am bient lightlevels. Like al Ruark products, the R2 incorporates carefuly selected technologies to deliver wonderfulyclearand efortles sound. The linear am plifier linked with the com pany’s proprietaryN S+ driversand adaptive equalisation providestheperfectsound balanceforenjoying al m usic and spokenword content, m aking R2 an es ential way to relax and unwind in today’s seem inglym anicworld.
RuarkAudio isdelighted to revealthe latestversion ofitsR2m usicsystem .Thealnew designbringsone ofthecom pany’slongestestablished m odelsrightup to date,while retaining the key features thathave m ade the R2so popularsince itslaunch in 2007. ‘The m ostobviouschange… isthe R2 M k4’s slim m er footprint. Such elegantnew proportionsalow the system to be placed almost anywhere in the hom e’ The m ostobvious change from its predeces ors is the R2 M k4’s slim m er footprint.Such elegant new proportions alow the system to be placed alm ost anywhere in the hom e and m akes it perfect for a windowsilorbookshelflocation. The appearance ofR2 is sim ple yetstunning,and totalyin-tune with whatdesign consciouscustom ers are seeking today.The enclosure,with precise lines and softcontours,com bines with the slated wood grile to create a tim eles retro-m odern feel.Along with itsbonded glas displayand Ruark’stradem ark RotoDialcontrolersited atop,R2 is undoubtedly a Ruarkdesign and the qualityrem ainsclear.
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“W e can’tim agine life withoutm usic,and it’sthispas ion thatdrivesusto create prem ium productsthatourcustom erswil love to use and treasure. W ith itselegant,slim profile,thisfourth iteration ofouraward winning R2 m usic system fits easily into any room in the house, and has al the stream ing capabilities and connectivity m ostwil everneed.W ith its ful bodied Hi-Fidelity sound,itm akesspeech and m usicthoroughly enjoyable and like that first tea or cofee in the m orning,an es entialelem ent to creating a greatday.” Alan O ’Rourke,M anaging Director,Ruark Audio Specif ications
• Clas leading renowned audio with enhanced stereo sound • Com prehensive W i-Fistream ing with SpotifyConnect& supportfor • Deezer & Amazon Music Latest generation Bluetooth 5 Receiver • SmartRadio tuner with internet radio/DAB/DAB+/FM •USB-C playback/charge port •O ptionalInfrared rem ote control •Analogue input/headphone output •Fulcolourauto dim m ing LCD display • High fidelityclas A-B am plifiersystem •Ruarkneodym ium NS+ drivers •Finishes:LightCream lacquerwith Ash grile/ Espres o lacquer with W alnut grile •Dim ensions:H185 xW 340 xD150m m including controlsand antenna •W eight:2.9Kg
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W e recently had the chance to visitthe Ruark Audio HQ and sit down with founder and M anaging Director, Alan O ’Rourke to discus the com panyand its history with Audio T.You can watch the fulinterview in the video on the left.
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htps:/youtu.be/W 9Lq0x2XnS4
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W HO ARENEATACOUSTICS?
The original N orth E ast A udio T raders Hi-FiStore
THEBEGINNING Bob Surgeonergrew up inCountyDurham and has been an ac om plished self-taughtm usician since histeenage years.In the 1980she found him selfin London,playing and touring with various bands, m ostnotablywithpost-punkensem ble,BrianBrain with PiL'sM artin Atkins. W hen he wasn'tworking asam usician,Bob began to repairand selsecond-hand audio equipm entto friends and acquaintances and when he m oved back up North,he decided to open a shop to continue this busines .Having acquired prem ises in Darlington, Bob founded N orth E ast A udio T raders . Busines wasbrisk and there wasa huge dem and forhighqualitysm al oudspeakers.Bob found that m anyofthe com pactm odelsthatpas ed through the shop had som e superb individualstrengths, but each had its own set of com prom ises that m ade long-term listening unsatisfactory.
Itwas decided thatthe shop would atem ptto m ake its own loudspeaker with the aim of producing a com prehensive m usical experience from acom pactenclosure. The firstatem ptwas,by Bob's own adm is ion, "prety terible", but after a few weeks of developm entwork,the speakerwasbeginning to sound veryrespectable.
This prototype,now named the Neat Petite, would be exhibited atthe HiFi News Penta HiFi Show in September 1990, where it atracted so much positive atention, that Bob m ade the decision to put the speaker into production.
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The design wastweaked furtherto iron-outsom e aspects of the design that Bob felt could be im proved and by Septem ber 1991, the ful production m odelwaslaunched.W ithin a couple ofyears,the Petite had established itselfasa firm favourite with the pres , trade and audio enthusiasts. A second m odel,the Critique,was launched in 1994,quicklyfolowed byNeat'sfirstfloorstanding speaker,the M ystique. By thistim e,Neatwasa ful-tim e m anufacturerof loudspeakers and the com pany m oved to new prem isesin Barnard Castle. Developm entofthe range continued and in 1995, the M KI version of the Petite introduced a ribbon-style tweeter to the design, lifting the
perform ance to even greaterheights.The Critique and M ystique were also im proved and two m ore floorstanding m odels ,the Elite and Vito,were introduced,ensuring thatNeathad astrong range of musicaly-engaging and atractive loudspeakers. THECOMPANYEXPANDS 2001 saw Neat'sam bitionsreach new heightswith the flagship Ultim atum range. These speakers were designed to deliver state-of-the-art perform ance with a m usicalcoherence to rivalany speakersavailable atanyprice.The range featured some distinctive design principles (including Isobaricbas loading,decoupled frontbaflesand top-mounted super tweeters) that made the Ultimatum speakers unique in the world of high-end audio.
Bob exhibiting athisfirst Heathrow PentaHi-FiShow
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The range was updated in 2011 and HiFi Plusm agazine wrote ofthe XL10:
"Theirflawles portrayalofthe sonicsalowed the m usicto gel and cohere so convincinglythat the result was the most persuasive Ihave encountered in m yroom to date" As the com pany grew, new and larger prem ises were required and in 2004,Neat moved acros town to Harmire Enterprise Park where they stil reside today (though the unithasbeen doubled in size since the move!) Perhaps the m ost significant developm ent forthe com panywasthe introduction ofthe M otive range in 2005.This was Neat's first entry into the m ore afordable m ainstream audio m arket and proved to be a huge suc es ,bringing the Neatsound to awider audience than everbefore. Revised in 2013, the M otive rem ains trem endouslypopularto thisday. Thegap betweentheM otiveand Ultim atum was bridged by the Momentum series, which used the Isobaric loading from its biggerbrothers with the tweeterfrom the M otive range. Again, these speakers proved to be extrem ely popular and cem ented Neat's position asone ofthe m osthighly-regarded British loudspeakerm anufacturers. The Momentum loudspeakers were available from 2007 until2020,when itwas replaced bythe new STRATA range. There are four STRATA m odels, M inistra, Ekstra, M ajistra and O rkestra al featuring the halm arks ofNeat's higher-end m odels (Isobaric bas ,ribbon tweeters,decoupled bafle).
The NeatXL10
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IOTA In 2011,Neatlaunched a groundbreaking new m odel, the IO TA. The Iota delivers a huge soundstage and innately m usicalperform ance from an alm ostim pos ibly sm al cabinet. The originalIota m odelled to a new range thatis unique in conceptand m usicalperform ance. The Iota can be used asa m ain stereo speaker in situations where space is lim ited - on bookshelves, desktops, or m ounted on wal brackets. It can be also be used very sucesfuly in Home Theatre/Suround systems. Thistinyspeakerhasbeenacontinuing suc es , and the idea of a low-slung floor standing versionhad beenconsidered byNeateversince its introduction.Al thatwas neces ary forthe new m odel was to retain the exceptional abiltiesofthe Iotaand build on these in afloor standing configuration. Thisiseasiersaid than done,ofcourse,butthe Iota ALPHA hasexceeded al expectationsand has re-defined the concept of the com pact floorstanding loudspeaker. The idea ofthe Alpha istaken to a largerscale in the Xplorer.Itkeeps the sam e form as the Alpha,in a largercabinet,using Ultim atum LF and LF/Midrange units featuring iso-baric loading and an ‘Air M otion Transform er HF’ unit. The Xplorer is stil a relatively sm al speaker,at 74cm tal,but delivers a dynam ic and uncompresed ful-range room filing perform ance. After m ore than thirty years in the busines , Neatisstilgrowing and curentlyhasaportfolio ofsixteen speakers with m odels ranging from the tinyIotato the m agnificentXL10. W ith latest version of the Neat Petite, the com pany islooking to the future (with one eye on the past)and 2023 wil see the introduction ofnew and exciting productsasNeatcontinues to develop and im prove itsproducts.
htps:/youtu.be/KLwjD20W RTk
NeatAcousticscan be found atthe folowing Audio T stores -
•BRIGHTON •CHELTENHAM •PORTSMOUTH • READING
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THEBEGINNING OFANEW AND IM PROVED CYRUSCLASSIC SERIES.
The Clas ic series of products from Cyrus have been a popular choice for many Audio T custom ers for over a decade. The half width designed products are un-m istakenly Cyrus,and with this latest announcem ent,it looks like the Clas icseriesisonlygeting beter. Cyrushasannounced the launch oftwo m odels,in whatwilbecom earangeofproductsinthenew and im proved Clas ic series. The Clas ic AM P, an integrated am plifierand theClas icPRE pream plifier dem onstrate a com m itm entfrom Cyrus to its loyal custom ers,because from the outside,you wilsee a veryfam ilarlook.
That is where the sim ilarities end though. The circuit design has been com pletely re-designed and the m ajority ofthe internalcom ponentshave been upgraded bythe CyrusR&D team ,which has resulted in sound im provem entsthatwil help the Clas ic series retain a loyalfan base foryears to come. The new Clas icAM P & PRE are available to order now,alternatively book a dem o ses ion with your nearestAudio T store.Furtherm odelsin the range including astream er(BluO S)wilbecom e available overthe next18 m onths.
“Itwasaconsciousdecision to keep the lookofthe Clas icseries,wel justthat… Clas ic.Theseproductsareveryim portantto Cyrus,theyare a partofourDNA,so when we had the opportunity to m ake them even beterusing knowledge gained from the developm entofthe XR series,itm ade perfectsense.” said ChrisHutcheson,Head ofM arketing
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Clas icAM P Integrated Amplifier
•91 watsperchannel •4 xAnalogue line levelinputs •1 xPhono M M inputforvinyl turntable •2 xCoaxialdigitalinputsviaRCA phono •2 xO pticaldigitalinputsvia Toslink •Unbalanced pream plifieroutputs •Headphone outputvia3.5m m jack •PSX-R upgrade connection •Firm ware upgrade port
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Clas icPRE Pream plif ier •4 xAnalogue line levelinputs •1 xPhono M M inputforvinyl turntable •2 xCoaxialdigitalinputsviaRCA phono •2 xO pticaldigitalinputsvia Toslink •True balanced outputsviaXLR •Headphone outputvia3.5m m jack •Firm ware upgrade port •PSX-R upgrade connection
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REPRODUCED FROM HI-FICHOICE
Rega Planar 3 £880
Originalylaunched atatim ewhen UKshopperswere panic buying bread,the 3 has seen som e changes
There wilbe som e reading thisfor whom the Rega Planar3 was the first‘proper’turntable theyowned. Launched in 1978,ithitthe sweet spotbetween high-end decksand budget ones perfectly. Indeed it was so suc es fulthat there was once a waiting list to buy one. These days, the form ula rem ains m uch the sam e,although the deck itself is way beter in term s of design. Although basicalyan inexpensive, m inim alist vinyl spinner with no independently sprung sub-chas is or other such fancifulfeatures, it com binesa suite ofclevertouches to deliver a sound that’s beyond m ostpeople’sideaofanafordable turntable.Itsbelt-drive system has been im proved increm entaly over the yearsto deliversurprisinglylow wow and fluter. An alum inium m otor puley helps with this, as opposed to theplasticonethatthe
com pany used to em ploy.A new 24V m otoris also fited, with the option of a Neo I external power supply, for further improvements to speed stabilty. Regahasspecified itstapered aluminium RB330 tonearm, which is a direct descendent of the company’s clasic RB300 of 1983. It has a calibrated tracking weight display, which is prety ac urate,so there’s no need for fiddly stylus gauges. There’s a brace barthatruns between itand the centre of the deck to combat resonancesin whatisa prety light plinth. Seting up the Planar3 isstraightforward,not least because a Rega Exact moving-magnet cartridge com esfited and pre-aligned, complete with Rega’s
excelent three-point m ounting system. Stil, it’s not absolute-beginner teritory, as you do have to screw on the counterweight. Generaly the finish is excelent and this feels like a clas product,ratherthan a budgetone.Asever,thePlanar3 sounds best without its dust coverfited,perfectly levelon a lightshelforcofee table.
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Sound quality The latest Planar 3 is com fortably the best-sounding turntable in this group by som e distance;the only deckshere to rival it are the Edwards Audio and Roksan oferings,though these provide a diferent sound ratherthanasuperiorone.Keyto the Rega’sperform ance isitssense oftidines , orderand poise,plussuperforensic detail retrievaland vanishingly low surface noise. Itcom esacros asa m uch m ore expensive deckthan itrealyhasanyrightto. Noteveryone wil ike to hearrecordsin this way;itm ightbe too analyticalor‘hi-fi’for som e,yetthe Planarrealy getsthe basics right.The Kraftwerktrack,forexam ple,isa revelation; I’ve heard poorly setup Linn LP12s do worse.Through a good system , you can hearrightinto the recording and get vast am ounts of inform ation out.Yet thisdeck neverm achine-gunsdetailoutat you,being com posed ataltim es. Its slightly cerebralcharacter fals behind justa touch with the louche jaz ofDave Brubeck,however.W hileitdoesaltheright thingsand ofersup an expansive and tidily organised soundstage,itdoesn’tquitehave the swing of the Roksan or even the EdwardsAudio.Itsoundsm ore controled than any other deck in the group and at tim es that’s highly satisfying,butatothers you wish itwould letitshairdown abit.Al the sam e,it’s a hootwith a wel recorded rock track like Don’t Stop, giving a very sm ooth but nuanced sound to al the instrum entsand speeding along withlotsof gusto –staying calm and com posed on the dynam ic clim axes.Bas is taut,tight and strong,butnotbloated;treble isverysweet and crisp yet not rounded of. The end result is a suprem e turntable that’s m ore than happy in the com pany of far m ore expensive am psand speakersthan itsrivals. “The latestPlanar3 is com fortably the best-sounding turntable here”
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ACOUSTIC ENERGY500SERIES ALOOKATTHEFLAGSHIPRANGE
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The f lagship Acoustic Energy 500 Series,com prises three m odels,the AE500 stand-m ount,the AE509 and AE520 f loor-standers and boast their newly developed carbon f ibre tweeters and m id/bas drivers,designed to m atchthepistonicpowerand ac uracyofAcousticEnergy’slegendary ceram icalum inium driversbutwith im proved self-dam ping forasm oother,m ore transparentsound.
The new 500 Series tweeterfeatures a brand new 25m m carbon fibre dom e. Carbon fibre is m uch lighterand beterdam ped than othertypicalhard dom e m aterialsand providesalightning fast,natural sound which wil surprise the listener with its neutrality.The new castalum inium W DT waveguide on the high frequency driveris positioned close to the m id/bas driverforoptim um dispersion and is extrem ely stif to reduce vibration being pas ed to the tweeter,ensuring sweet,clearand naturalhighs. The 125m m m id/bas driversinclude new oversized 35m m voice coilsforlow therm alcom pres ion and very high m otor force factor to provide a highly dynam ic yetcontroled bas response.The woofer hasan optim ised m otorand suspension system for m axim um linearity and lowest distortion ensuring m id-range definition,whilstthe lightweightnature of the carbon fibre cone m aterialincreases transient speed and clarity.
The AE509 is a M id Tweeter M id/bas (M TM ) driverlayoutwith a 2 way cros overusing high voltage polypropylene film wound capacitorsand aircore inductorsatcriticallocationsforoptim um dispersion through a sm aleracoustic source size within the cros overregion. The AE520 features two dedicated 125mm m id-range drivers, three low frequency drivers and a 25m m tweeter.The two dedicated 125m m carbon fibre m id-drivers include new oversized 35m m voice coils for low therm alcom pres ion and optim um m otor force factor. Both are m ounted within their own dedicated sealed enclosure whilst the three dedicated low frequencydriversare reflexloaded byalarge rear facing rectangularport. These unique drivers are housed in a new Resonance Suppres ion Com posite (RSC)cabinet
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evolved from the prestigious Reference Series and featuring the sam e constrained layer com posite to greatlyreduce cabinetacousticradiation,which would otherwisecolourthesound.Thecabinetsarefinished in high glos Piano Black, Piano W hite or Am erican W alnutwood veneerfinishes.Alum inium bars/feetare supplied with the AE509sto ensure rigid floor-coupling and m axim um stabilty whilstthe stifnes ofthe m etal structure reducesthe room to speakerinteraction. O fering unparaleled levels of perform ance, quality and value the resultisa loudspeakerrange with clean, unclutered lines delivering a thriling and powerful presentation discerning Acoustic Energy owners have com e to expectforover30 years. Resonance Suppres ion Com positee TM (RSC)Technology. The RSC Cabinet technology utilsed by Acoustic Energy in ourprem ium rangesisa sandwhich ofM DF and rubber,com pres ed together to form an inhert com posite m aterial that is both easy to craft into cabinet designs and efective at dam ping harm ful vibrations that could otherwise colour musical reproductions.
AE500 The AE500 is a com pact stand-m ount loudspeakerfrom ourflagship 500 Series. Folowing on from the award winning AE100 and AE300, the AE500 ofers a significant step up in audio quality, m aterials, and cabinet finish. The 500 Series features our newly developed carbon fibre tweeterand m id/bas drivers, designed to m atch the pistonicpowerand acuracy of our legendary ceramic aluminium drivers but with improved self-damping for a smoother, more transparentsound. Ofering unparaleled levels of perform ance,qualityand value the resultis an audio productwith clean,unclutered lines delivering a thriling and powerful presentation discerning Acoustic Energy owners have com e to expectforover30 years.
Finished in a choice ofPiano Glos Black,Piano Glos W hite or Am erican W alnut wood veneer finishes, the AE500 wileasilyintegrate within anyhom e décorplaced on speakerstandsorbookshelves.
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AE509 The AE509 is a slim -line floor-standing loudspeaker with com pact dim ensions, suitable form edium to large sized room s. Sim ilar to the AE500 com parison, the AE509 ofers higher levels of perform anceand finishthanits300Series equivalent.The 500 Series features our newly developed carbon fibre tweeters and m id/bas drivers,designed to m atch the pistonic powerand ac uracy ofour legendary ceram ic alum inium driversbut with improved self-damping for a sm oother,m ore transparentsound. Ofering unparaleled levels of perform ance,qualityand value the result is an audio product with clean, unclutered linesdelivering athriling and powerful presentation discerning Acoustic Energy owners have com e to expectforover30 years. The slim-line cabinets are finished in Piano Glos Black,Piano Glos W hite or Am erican W alnut wood veneer finishes. Solid Alum inium bars are supplied to ensure rigid floor-coupling and m axim um stabilty,whilstthe stifnes ofthe m etal structure reduces the room to speaker interaction.
Heavydutyalum innium floorspike ofthe AE509
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AE520 The AE520 is a powerful, slim-line, floor-standing loudspeakerwhich buildson the AE500 and AE509 m odels to firm ly establish itselfasthe brand’snew flagship, featuring m ulti-driverdesign,im posing size and perform ance. The AE520 featurestwo dedicated 125m m m id-range drivers, three low frequency driversand a25m m tweeter–alfashioned from carbon fibre to provide perfecttonal m atching acros the frequencyrange. The two dedicated 125mm carbon fibre m id-drivers include new oversized 35m m voice coils for low therm al com pres ion and optim um m otorforce factor.Both are mounted within their own dedicated sealed enclosurewhilstthethreededicated low frequencydriversarereflexloaded bya large rear facing rectangular port. Designed to m atch the pistonicpowerand acuracy of our legendary ceramic alum inium drivers, these new units ofer much improved self-damping for a sm oother,m ore transparentsound. Verticaldirectivity has been optim ised to provide excelent verticalcoverage whilst reducing the energy otherwise wasted on ceilng and floor reflections when com pared to traditionaldesigns. The slim -line cabinetsare finished in Piano Glos Black, Piano Glos White or Am erican W alnut wood veneer finishes. Solid Aluminium bars are supplied to ensure rigid floor-coupling and m axim um stabilty, whilst the stifnes of the m etal structure reduces the room to speaker interaction.
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REPRODUCED FROM AUDIO TBLOGS
OMNIA
CanYouRealyHavetheBestofBothW orlds?
ByElenaTzouliou from Audio T Enfield
Iwasborn into thisworld in 1995,m aking m e a “M ilennial”,a term thatgeneraly refers to the generation of people born between the early 1980s and 1990s. I, like so m any of m y generation,have grown up in an era not only between analogue and digitalm edium s,butalso physicaland stream ed.You could say,w e “bridge the gap”,between form ats. I’veowned acas etewalkm an,CD players,anM P3 playerand iPodsin variousincarnations… O verthe course ofm ylife,m ostform sofentertainm enthave gone from physicalto digitaly stream ed.Itdidn’t happenovernightofcourse.Bitbybittheanalogue faded form any and the stream ing took over,and before I(oranyofusknew it),we were im m ersed in new age technology in m any aspects ofourlives, particularly in m usic. Today,we’l be exploring the conceptsofphysical and digitalystream ed m usicusing alovelypiece of equipm entthat’sdesigned to give you the bestof both,butcan we realyhave ital?
I’ve often m etcustom erswho are struggling with whether or not to upgrade and digitise their curentanalogue system .They frequently tel m e, “I’ve gotrid ofm y CDs” or“M y otherhalf/kids want to be able to quickly stream from their phones”, and proceed to ask for advice – questions such as,“W hat’s the bestdecision for m ysystem and/orhousehold?” or“Isthere a way to keep my curent system and just add stream ing?”or“Is100% digitalthe wayforward?” There are thingsto consider… Physicalm ediacom esinm anyform ats–W eareal too fam ilarwith records,especialywith the “Vinyl Revival”showing increased popularityand salesin vinylrecords yearon yearsince 2007.Even the humble casete tape is starting to see a renais ance within youngerconsum ers,no doubt in the wake ofvinyl's enorm ous resurgence.CDs are yet to m ake their com eback, with digital streaming making up to 85% of music consum ption,and vinylrecords outseling those shiny discs for the first tim e in alm ost three
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REPRODUCED FROM AUDIO TBLOGS
decades. Lets not forget to m ention M iniDisc, Reel-to-Reeloreven the LearJetStereo 8 Portable 8-Track Player! As things have evolved, digital stream ing has becom e the m ostpredom inantform at,with over three quarters of the world favouring it over anything else.Thischange in trend hasm eantthat the charts are now counted in m ost part by the num beroftim es a song,artistoralbum has been stream ed, counting this towards their “sales”, m oving them up ordown the charts in relation to these num bers.M eaning thatm ostsongsthathave been num berone overthe lastfew yearshasm ost probablybeenstream ed m oretim esthanphysicaly bought. Contrastingly, it is argued that physical form ats m ainlyexistnowadaysasa m arketing toolto atract colectors. For exam ple, when the Spice Girls (I know whatyou’re thinking,“Can we go one blog withoutm ention ofthe Spice Girls!”,the answeris No!)released their25th anniversaryedition oftheir firstalbum Spice,itwas available on six individual releases ofvinyl,five cas etes and a double CD. Hardcorecolectorssuchasm yselfwould’vebought al the variants (each one a diferent colour representing each Spice Girl,and a generic one), m eaning the colectors have exactly the sam e album on m ultiple form ats.O fcourse I’ve bought them al,butthey siton m y display shelfpurely to lookpretyaspartofoneextensivecolection.Ionly realy everlisten to the album through stream ing platform ssuch asSpotify,asI’m sure m any others do! Now unles you’re using stream ing servicessuch as Tidal,QobuzorAm azonM usicHD,asm aldownfal with stream ing isthatm anyplatform scom pres the sound,m eaning thatthe m usicsom ewhatlosesthe life itonce had. So whatdo we do? Do we scrap physicalmedia altogether,considering how m uch ofthe world is now stream ed?O rare both able to happilyco-exist together?Let’sinvestigate… The Audiolab O m nia is an al-in-one pre-am p, am plifier,CD player and stream er system ,where with justa click ofa buton,you can choose to
stream orlisten to yourCDs;iteven hasa built-in phono input,alowing vinylloversto plug in their turntablestoo.So realyand truly,alyou need for thissystem are apairofspeakersand you’re good to go!The award-winning system com esin ablack or silver finish, and it’s alum inium fram ework is typical of Audiolab’s m odernised aesthetic for today’s living environm ents.Considering thatthe costissom etim esa bitoutofreach when buying al ofthese system s separately,the O m nia has a very efective price-point for it’s capabilties!So, withoutfurtherado,let’splug itin and see how it sounds.
The setup isrelativelyeasy.First,to getitrunning you’l need to plug itin with the provided power supply (orperhaps one ofthe m any afterm arket cables we stock Here).The O m nia com es with a rem ote control, m aking it that m uch easier to switch between sourcesatadistance.Iplugged in som e AcousticEnergyAE320sand Iwasreadyto go. Although the O m nia has an ethernet connection,Iopted forwireles connectivity. Now that’ssorted,on to playback… Iensured Iwas on the “Bluetooth” source and then simply connected through my phone’s setings. Ibegan stream ing m y favourite songs from Spotify first,then afterwards Iswitched over to Tidal,a stream ing platform thatusesthe M Q A file type.In com parison,Tidalprovided a clearer and m ore open sound qualitydue to the file types ituses.Icould hearthatthe detailwas cleaner am ongstthe broaderam bience in the room .Don’t get m e wrong, Spotify sounded briliant, but Tidal’s uncom pres ed file types are unm atched.
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So,whicheverone you use iscom pletelyapersonal choice.
Next, I played the sam e tracks on CD. O nce inserted,it’sa sim ple case ofpres ing the “source” butonontherem otecontrol,and itinstantlyflicked overto the CD source.Ilistened carefuly to hear the diferences, and adm itedly, the songs I stream ed throughTidalsounded alm ostidenticalto the CD,butthe laterdefinitelyseem ed to have the upperhand.Itwas thatlitle bitm ore crisp,open and detailed.So far,I’m m ajorlyim pres ed!
Aftera while oflistening,switching back and forth between Bluetooth and CD, I becam e curious aboutwhatvinylwould sound like.Iplugged in a Rega Planar3 exact,and again played the sam e tracks to hearany diferences (like Isaid before,I have everyform atofthisparticularalbum ,so Iwas wel-prepared). I found that every detail was broughtforward asthe stylusm oved between the grooves.Thistim e,the diferenceswere extrem ely
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Specif ications
Outputs • 1 xPRE Am plif ier,1 xStereo Speaker,1 xHeadphone, 1 x12V Trigger Sam pling Frequency •O ptical/Coaxial:44.1kHz- 192kHz • O ptical/Coaxial:44.1kHz- 192kHz PC USB:44.1kHz-768kHz(PCM )/DSD64,DSD128, DSD256,DSD512 StandbyPowerConsum ption • < 0.5W NetW eight • 9.1kg Gros Weight • 11kg Dimensions(mm)(W xH xD) •440 x156 x327 Carton Size (m m )(W xH xD)540 x412 x210 Finish • Black/Silver
•2x50W (8ohm )/2x75W (4ohm )Clas AB •ES9038Q 2M 32-bitDAC •4.3"(800x480m m )large size fulview IPS LCD •Builtin certif ied hardware M Q A Fuldecoder(PC USB, Coax/O ptical) •CD playbackcom patiblewithCD,CD-R,CD-RW discs •USB memorydevicesupport(M P3/W M A/AAC/W AV) •DTS Play-Fitechnology(IEEE 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac) •Stream ing service supportincludesAm azon M usic,Spotify, TIDAL,KKBox,SiriusXM ,Napster,InternetRadio,Deezer, iHeartRadio,PANDORA,Qobuz,QQm usicand m ore •Dedicated Curent-FeedbackHeadphone AM P •Integrated /PRE-POW ER /PRE onlyM odes •Android /iOS/KindleFire/W indowsPC ControlSupport •USB f irm wareupgradeinput Inputs •3xAnalogue,1xPhono (M M ),1xPowerAm plif ier,2x SPDIF (Coax), • 2 xSPDIF (O ptical),1 xDTS Play-FiStream ing,1xPC USB(USB B), • 1xUSB HDD(USB A),1 xBluetooth(aptX/aptX LL),1 x12V Trigger •M ulti-room /m ultispeakergroup support •Bluetooth 5.0 (aptX/aptX L )stream ing •Low Noise M oving M agnetPhono stage
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STATE-OF-THE-ARTLOUDSPEAKER TECHNOLOGY DALI KORE
“The DALI KORE represents for DALI a design, electroacoustic, engineering, m anufacturing and m usical rebirth” - LarsW ore,DALICEO
Danish Hi-Fi m anufacturer, DALI, returns to the ultra-high-end loudspeakersegm entwith theirnew flagship loudspeaker. The DALI KORE is a masterpiece of stunning visual design and ground-breaking technology, representing the pinnacle of DALI’s loudspeaker traditions and decades ofresearch.Staying true to the renowned DALIsound principles,the KO RE draws on a rich bloodline ofDALIhigh-end loudspeakersthathave been pushing the boundariesofloudspeakerdesign and technologysince 1983.
Unlike m any high-end statem ent loudspeakers, the DALIKO RE reproducesm usic thatisasclose to the originalrecording aspos ible.W ith virtualy no distortion or colouration, nothing is added, and nothing is subtracted. DALI KO RE is the ultim ate expres ion of DALI’s low los sound principle.From the quietestbreath to the largest orchestral climax, it recreates every musical nuance with true fidelity and seem ingly endles dynam icresponse,atanyvolum e.
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The KO RE’snew high-sensitivity EVO -K Hybrid Tweeter is an evolution of the acknowledged DALI Hybrid Tweeter m odule.The unique com bination ofa large in-house designed and m anufactured 35 m m dom e,and a new high sensitivity version of the ribbon element, creates an ideal tweeter elem ent.The m idrange driveris DALI’s firstdedicated m idrange thathasbeen built from the ground up. This large, high-sensitivity,7-inch driver features a range oftechnologicalinnovations and brings natural warm th and m usical coherence to the al-important m idrange frequencies. The bespoke design twin 11½-inch bas drivers feature the new dualvoice-coilBalanced Drive technologyand DALI’slatestSM C Gen-2 m aterial.Together,they create a powerful perform ance with ultra-low levelsofdistortion thatletyou hearand feeleverylow-frequencydetail. From the as em bly of the drivers, tweetersand cros overs,to the cabinet construction and lacquering,the DALI KO RE is m anufactured exclusively at DALI’s production facilties in N ørager, Denmark. KORE is a clear dem onstration that DALI, along with Danish design, engineering, and m anufacturing,stands am ong the best that the world has to ofer.The DALI KORE is an unashamedly ambitious high-end Hi-Fispeaker,and the ultim ate expres ion ofDALI’spas ion form usic. The DALIKO RE introducesaworld first; the brand-new DALIpatented Balanced Drive SM C technology, a new driver topology utilsed on the woofers and the m idrange.Thistechnologycreatesa perfectly linear and symmetrical loudspeaker m otor system , free from the inherent magnetic loses and thereby drasticaly lowering harmonic distortion and compresion, and significantly enhancing the dynamic capabilties.
For m ore inform ation, speak to your local Audio T showroom .DALIcan be found in-store at-
• Cardif • Enfield • Swindon •Cheltenham • Oxford • Swansea
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htps:/youtu.be/O qHM sulFW 40
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REVIEW BYJasonKennedy InnuosPhoenixNET networkswitch
W henyouhaveproduced som eofthebestregarded m usic serversavailable and folowed thatup with a USB reclocker that outperform s m any stream ers whatis yournextm ove? ForInnuos founderNuno Vitorino itwasto develop a networkswitch from the ground up.In m anywaysit’sthe nextlogicalstep,if you have an InnuosZenith serverand a PhoenixUSB reclocker you wil also have a DAC and everyone m akes those, but as others including M elco and Ansuzhave discovered the network switch isjustas critical a part of a stream ing system as the core elem entsm entioned above.
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“OCXO clocksarefound onalotofhigh end DACs because they are am ong the m ostac urate available”
halfwidth caseworkand Innuos’distinctive stealth styling on the frontpanel,butaround the back thingsare ratherdiferent.Thisunithasfour,just four,chunky ethernetports.Thisgivesyou som e ideaofhow dedicated the PhoenixNetisto audio duties,itwil work as a generalswitch butonly just.Forone thing ithasm axim um throughputof 100M b where al com m ercialswitches are good for a gigabit,you don’t need high speeds for audio signalsand adding thecapabiltyintroduces noise,which isvery clearly the enem y.Inside the caseonaveryneatlylaid outcircuitboard youwil notfind trafic prioritisation circuity norswitching regulatorsbecause neitherare required foraudio signals.Neither is there any opticaldecoupling which is a popular m ethod for isolating noise, Innuosfound thatthe decoding proces required to turn light into an electricalsignalintroduced m ore noise than they were able to achieve with purelycopperconnections. W hatyou do see are gold plated tracks,M undorf caps in the two linearpowersupplies,Nichicon capsforthe switch chip and an O CXO clockright nextto it.O CXO clocksare found on alotofhigh
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end DACs because they are among the most ac urate available. Also on show are isolating transform ers and heavy shielding around the four portsbecause these portsare prone to sharing any EM I that gets into them . Apparently the sturdy ethernet sockets were selected to work with the substantialplugsfound on CAT7 cableswhich are a lot les flim sy than the plasticky ones on m ost ethernet. Asthe AnsuzX-TC switch thatIreviewed lastm onth was in the system when the PhoenixNetarived it seem ed an idea to contrastthe two,a contrastthat did notdo the Innuosanyfavoursto be honest.So I leftitin the system fora weekand found the results to be increasingly engaging and revealing, when Nuno explained thatittakesseveraldaysforO CXO clocks to become thermaly stable the penny dropped and Iwentback to com paring itwith the Ansuz. This tim e things were very diferent, now these two switches were very hard to separate in term softhe sound quality they alowed the restof the system to deliver.Thatsystem consists ofa BT router,AirportExpres ac es point,Innuos Zenith SE server, AURALiC ARIES G2.1 stream er and M etronom e Le DAC converter.W hen you add in the factthatIneed to connectm yPC to the networkvia the switch you’l realise thatfourports were never going to be enough.In the end Iused a Cisco 2960 switch for the router, PC and ac es point connections and hooked itup to the inputon the PhoenixNet. “It’s safe to say that the PhoenixNet is a first clas network switch” Unlike m any network switches, the PhoenixNet usesa powertransform er W hen Iputthe Ansuznextto the Innuosaweeklater things had changed quite m arkedly, now it was dificult to say which was the m ore neutral and transparentofthe two.Theysound diferentwith the Ansuz giving a slightly more three dimensional ac ountofthe m usicalbeitone thatcan seem alitle pum ped up nextto the calm erpresentation ofthe PhoenixNet. The result seem s to be the sam e
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TECHNICALSPECIFICATIONS
•Type:Stream ing audio networkswitch •LAN Ethernetports:4 (via RJ45) •Fibre opticports:none •Clock:OCXO •Packetdatabufer:not specified • Features:Isolation transform ers,linear PSUs • Finish:Siver/black •Dimensions(H×W ×D):87×
215 × 342m m •W eight:5kg •Price:£2,599
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The Q utestLitle System The com pactsolution from Chord Electronics
O nce unthinkable, Chord Electronics’ clas -leading proprietary analogue (and digital) technology is now available in devices no longer than your hand. Technology’s m iniaturisation m arch hashelped deliverpetite,fulyfunctioning productswith cuting-edge tech and room -f iling abilities.
The com pacttrend,once the preserve ofthe m obile m usic lover, has now benefited m ilionsofpeople around the world living in today’s sm aler living spaces,from com pact city apartm ents to ever-shrinking new-build homes. W ith the rightengineering,it’snow pos ible to geta powerfulhi-fisystem ,with enough oom ph to drive al m anner of com pact speakers and headphones, without com prom ising perform ance. Chord Electronics’ Qutest range is considered by m any as the perfect sm al system . The Kent com pany’s three-strong range of com ponents: the Anni desktop integrated am plifier,Hueiphono stage and Q utestDAC join forcesto create a knockout
system fordesktops,sideboards,bookshelvesand m ore, capable ofroom -filing,hi-fisound from turntablesand alm ostaldigitaldevices. The Qutest system enables playback through loudspeakers or up to two pairs of headphones (for private orlate-nightlistening)courtesy ofthe recently launched Anniam plifier. Anni’s dualinputs alow the Hueiphono stage to connectto turntables,plusa world of digital playback from connected sm art phones, tablets, laptops, PCs and more via the m ulti-award-winning Q utestDAC. W ith al three Q utest com ponents achieving five star reviewsthrough to Productofthe Yearand W hatHi-Fi? Awards,the com bined Q utest stack ofers audiophile sound qualityfrom athree-device system no biggerthan ashoebox.
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Q SS:Q utestStand System Storing, displaying and protecting the Q utest com ponents is sim ple, with the dedicated Q utest Stand System (Q SS) available separately, which has been purpose-m adeto notonlyperfectlyhouse the individual components, but also disipate heat whilst providing the optimum support. Available asindividual,stackable tiers,the Q utest Stand System ’s m odular design, means levels can either be bought individualy as the system grows, or to provide a neat and elegant solution for the three-com ponent com plete system (asyou can see to the right).
Q utestbynam e… In addition to clas-leading electronics, the Q utest range is entirely designed, engineered and m anufactured in the UK. The com ponents are precision-m achined from aircraft-grade aluminium before being anodised byhand forahigh-quality, lasting Jet Black finish. A three-year waranty bringsadded peace ofm ind to this award-winning and highly versatile com pactcom bination.
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htps:/youtu.be/c8ocbqvguFA
ChordO hm icSpeakerCable Connectors
Chord Company factory-quality speaker cable term inationsfrom participating branchesofAudio T with the ChordO hm ic Hex Gun crim ping tool,the A/V and CIinstalers’new bestfriend. Chord Com panyisenabling itscustom ersto obtain factory-quality speaker cable term inations from an increasing num berofitsUK dealers(including Audio T),thanks to the rol-out ofthe ChordO hm ic Hex Guncrim ping tool,aprecisioninstrum entcapableof delivering consistent term inations every tim e.The scheme enables consumers to bypas the production queue atthe com pany’sW iltshire factory and also negatesthe need forexisting cablesto be returned to base forupgrading. The ChordOhm icHexGun m akesitpos ible foran expanding group of Chord Com pany retailers to profes ionaly term inate new speaker cables to factory standards;existing cables can also benef it from the upgrade.Alcablesare neatlyf inished with the recentlylaunched ChordO hm icbananaorspade plugs, plus the Chord Com pany ‘trousers’ where specif ied. Chord Com pany speakerconnectorsare
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now plated with ChorAloy – the com pany’s latest plating m aterial - for a sonicaly superior and tarnish-free finish. Fuly trained and certified to term inate al speaker cables from the wide-ranging portfolio, selected Audio T storescan quicklyand easilycreate bespoke lengths(bothin-storeand on-site)forawiderangeof applications. From hi-fi and home cinema instalations to comprehensive multi-room CI projects, dealers can now ofer ‘just right’ cable lengths that not only ofer that bespoke look but save m oneyon unneces arym etreage. Alan Gibb, Chord Com pany’s m anaging director said, “ Historicaly,crim ping hasunfairly been seen as a fast, com prom ised term ination option for cable connectors; conversely, this is the termination standard for military and other high-spec connections. Folowing a 10-year project,wehaveoptim ized ourChordO hm icplugs and silver-plated copper cables to give a far superiorlong-term connection overourprevious soldered connectors. ”
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SolidsteelSS Series
W ith alitspartsalreadyprepared forproces ing, the average production welding tim e ofa single stand isabout15 m inutes, These characteristics m ake them inim itable and unique. The SS standsare also supplied with “Pata-fix® ” for the junction between the top plate and loudspeaker.Floorprotecting discsare included. Available in 3 sizesand 3 colourfinishes(powder black,powderwhite and RAW lacquered steel).
It is of criticalim portance for the perform ance of m onitor-type loudspeakersto have them positioned at the corect height.A great speaker deserves a carefuly designed and sonicaly transparent stand. Additionaly, since this type of speaker is often relativelylightin weightcom pared to floor-standing units, it is es entialto m aintain high stabilty and rigidity. And, as with al components, proper decoupling m ustbe considered. The SolidsteelSS Seriestri-pod design ofersnatural stabilty free from rocking. The three tubular supports are com bined with crim ped steel bars carefulybras welded byexperthandsatourfacilty in Pescara, Italy. The stainles steel spikes are removable to alow the frame to be filed with dam ping m aterial. Decoupling between the chas is and the top shelf is achieved through three high precision steelbal bearings.The originality ofthe design ofthese legendary products dates back to 1992.
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Introducing the New Serie HT/1205 M KIand
HT/1003 M KI The New Standard forAc es ibly-Price Hom e Theatre Subs
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Insane Perform ance atitsSize and Price HT/1003 M KI a.k.a. TheHammer
Specif ications Type Closed box,front-firing driver Active DriverSize & M aterial 10”,250m m long-throw, CarbonGlas TM cone structure, inverted carbon fibre dustcap, steelchas is Low FrequencyExtension -6dB at24Hz InputConnectors Dualpurpose Low LevelStereo RCA orLFE RCA O utputConnectors Daisychain Low Levelstereo RCA orLFE RCA PowerOutput 300wats(RM S) Am plif ierType NextGen5 Clas D Wireles Capability HT AirW ireles (O ptional), Zero Com pres ion Single Large Scale Integrated Chip W xHxD,Including Feet& Rear PanelControls
Buy an HT/1003 M KI ifyou don’thave the space or don’tneed the extra outputofourlargerm odels.Itis sim ply a m ore com pactbutjustasbeautifulversion of ourlargerm odels;itdeliversidenticalbuild qualityto its siblings.Itsstyle m akesitan idealpartnerin HT/3D REL theatre setupswith Serie T/x. The al-new 300W Clas D am plifier ofers greater headroom and powers a new CarbonGlas™ 10” (250m m )driver.This com bination delivers devastating output,playing twiceasloud astheoriginal.Thistypeof perform ance isunheard ofatthisprice point.The icing on the cake is that— like al the new HTs— itresponds beautifuly when playing m usic and HT-Air delivers state-of-the-art(optional)wireles .
14.25 x13.25 x15.25” (362 x343 x387m m ) Finish
HorizontalyO riented Lined Grained BlackCom posite Cabinet,15m m Top Plate, finished in 5 coatsofHand rubberHigh Glos BlackLacquer
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HT/1205 M KI a.k.a. The Cannon
Specif ications Type Closed box,front-firing driver Active DriverSize & M aterial 12”,300m m long-throw, CarbonGlas TM cone structure, inverted carbon fibre dustcap, steelchas is Low FrequencyExtension -6dB at22Hz InputConnectors Dualpurpose Low LevelStereo RCA orLFE RCA O utputConnectors Daisychain Low Levelstereo RCA orLFE RCA PowerOutput 500wats(RM S) Am plif ierType NextGen5 Clas D Wireles Capability HT AirW ireles (O ptional), Zero Com pres ion Single Large Scale Integrated Chip W xHxD,Including Feet& Rear PanelControls
The HT/1205 M KI establishesa new perform ance standard forafordable hom e theatre subwoofers.Itavoidselectronic gim m ickry in favor of properly balanced priorities. It has corectlysized cabinetsthatare solidlybraced and beautifuly finished.Italso features a sparkling new am p design that efortles ly delivers500W into an al-new CarbonGlas™ 12” (300m m )driver.The new blacklacquertop plate hasasubtle RELlogo floating ontop whiletheexpensivelywroughtblack line-grained com posite forthe cabinetlooksstunning. The HT/1205 M KI plays 50% louder than its predeces or while also delivering m ore precision and subtlety. It is capable ofoutputlevels m ore com m only found in m odels welover£1,000.The new filterdesign ensuresitisfantastic forboth theatre and m usic.
16.25 x15.25 x17.25” (413 x387 x438m m ) Finish
HorizontalyO riented Lined Grained BlackCom posite Cabinet,15m m Top Plate, finished in 5 coatsofHand rubberHigh Glos BlackLacquer
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The Totus Hi-FiRack The com plete choice.
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Youknow thathi-fisaboutm orethanjustthesound. It'saboutthe experience,and the freedom to create your listening space in your own unique way.It's abouthow you listen to it,where you listen to it,and who you listen with.So,when itcom esto finding a hi-firack thatm eets yourunique needs,there’s no room forcom prom ise.It’stim e to gain back control overyourlistening experience,and getthe sound you’ve alwayswanted -from the ground up. That'swhy we created the TotusHi-FiRack,to give you com plete choice overexactly how you wantto configure your listening space. W ith ultim ate flexibilty for every aspect of your hi-fi rack, our unique m odulardesign givesyou com plete control over your rack’s design for custom isation at every step ofthe way. Begin with yourchoice ofsolid hardwood orour m inim alistsolid oak finishes,m atching yourexisting furniture orcreating a stand-outcentrepiece.Next, inputyourbespokedim ensionsto seam les lyfityour com ponentsoravailable space in any width,depth orheight.Because,atHi-FiRacks,we believe that one size doesn'tfital. Create yourunique listening space w ith com plete freedom .
Selectfrom round orsquare legs with optional SONISPIKE© precision-engineered stainles steelisolation spikes,orchoose bolted legs for additional stabilty with larger and heavier set-ups. Regularly need to m ove your rack around in yourhom e,ofice orstudio? W antto hide yourcables,oradd an extra acousticboost for sensitive audio equipm ent? Add castors, cable m anagem ent,isolation plinths,and m ore. But what’s flexibilty without perform ance? The Totus Hi-Fi Rack is precisionengineered to optim ise the quality ofyouracoustics,with every piece ofsolid hardwood bonded with the grain, concave to convex, and LINK4© Connection Technology preventing the chain reaction of frequencies from one tier to the next.Freeing yourm usic by counteracting residualresonance and vibrations for crystal clear clarity, you’l experience a widened, im m ersive soundstage, with everynuance and com plexityuncovered. W ith Totus,there’s no lim itto whatyou can do with yourset-up -it’sthe com plete choice .
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