Equipment matching, your route to the Holy Grail!

The art in Hi-fi is equipment matching, carefully selecting components in order to get the most from you system. In reality the ability to do this can be difficult, testing multiple items at home may not be possible or costly also sometimes demoing in store cannot gain the required results. Therefore we at AA have decided to compile a blog utilising the knowledge and experience we have gained through years, from cables to speaker/amplifier matching we will aim to cover the important aspects here.

Quite often a certain item in your system maybe letting down the side, this is to not say it is a bad quality or defective piece of kit, it could just be not a great match (low sensitivity loudspeakers and 300B amplifiers spring to mind!) Every component in the chain will affect the sound in some way and knowing how each unit sounds can be difficult as it is relative to whatever is connected – a big circle in some ways, no unit will be completely neutral i.e not affecting the sound in some way, whether this be dynamics, tonal balance or presentation. This said each component has its own signature so matching these with similar sound signatures can be seen as the ideal. We will also look at two different ways of creating a system and how through careful cable matching and speaker/amp selection audio nirvana can be achieved.

Why match your components?

Let’s forget technical issues for the moment, what are we all looking for? The Holy Grail: the pursuit of the closet approach to the original sound (Thank you Peter J. Walker!), recreating a live performance with every subtle nuance so when closing ones eyes you are in the mixing suite or concert hall. Achieving this may seem to be daunting and expensive problem – granted super high end Audio is very expensive, large power transformers cost a lot, along with capacitors and other component parts, factor into this the time it takes to make these things and prices can hit the Stratosphere. However exceptional sound and realism can be gained with a little prior thought and the correct method of selecting each component.

Let’s take a look a couple of examples

We can know look at this two ways: Those who are starting a system and those who are unhappy with there existing sound including issues such as requiring more definition for example. This section will look at two specific systems that contain quite different equipment (system A and system B) both obtain equilibrium via careful matching.  Those who are thinking about starting to build a system need to consider what expression of sound they are looking for – bright or natural are two options for example – there are many our customers require – it could also depend upon your music collection, certain sound properties will work better with different types of music, for example if you listen to mainly classical then a system with shimmering highs and larger drivers to recreate the scale of an orchestra could be the way forward. Check out this system:

System A

The above system comprises of Cyrus 8A and KEF R500 loudspeakers, this system will offer sparkling highs, exceptional detail and a “hair on the back of the neck” standing up effect. The key is in the cable – both the speakers and amplifier are on the brighter side, the aluminium doped cones of the KEF are very well defined and highlight strings beautifully – the Cyrus is lean, equally as defined and very incisive with great stereo imaging. You may be thinking matching these two would result in an overly bright presentation but as mentioned the cables are key, using a Chord Anthem as interconnect from the source to amplifier – as a cable with a high purity of copper the Anthem allows warmth and depth to communicated to the amplifier but as the cable has extruded silver over the copper none of the aspects which make both components tick are lost. Presentation of vocals is crisp and they jump around your listening room with the right amount of etching, strings are sublime with ability to accurately distinguish between multiple orchestral instruments, this said things could become a little too bright if low quality or miss matched cables are added.

We have discussed matching brighter systems and reigning in possible over brightness with careful cable selection (something I will discuss later, regards tone control) It is possible to bring a brighter system back from the edge, systems that are overly dull is another matter – valve based kit can been seen by some as being sluggish and lack lustre, I believe personally this is very often due to incorrect cable and auxiliary equipment being attached. In a scenario such as this with a valve amplifier or class A amplifier in place I would recommend using brighter, quicker cables and sources, have a look at:

System B

This system comprising of the Icon Audio Stereo 40 MKIII, ProAc D2 Reponse  – this system will offer sublime natural soundscapes, musicality and timing (given the right cables and source) the amplifier is delightfully warm and responsive, the speakers are as natural sounding as bookshelf speakers get – at any price. If you are looking for a warmer tone then this is your option, if you are like me though I am imagine you require absolute definition, I want warmth and musicality but I also want to hear a musician break sting (Adrian Boult: Vaughan Williams Symphony No.6, Lark Ascending – Some where near the start!) using a Black Rhodium Opera is a good place to start: featuring solid core silver wire and excellent shielding this cable transfers signal lighting fast but a little leaner and brighter than a traditional copper based cable, this is not to say you lose any detail. The speaker cable is the Nordost Purple Flair, offering monofilament technology loss of detail is negligible and capacitance and resistance is kept low aiding to the speed of signal transfer. In my opinion the faster transfer the more your brain is tricked into thinking you are experiencing a performance, agree or disagree signal transfer certainly makes a difference to your impression of a system.

Cables, do they really make difference

Getting onto a controversial subject here, I certainly have heard the difference cables can make, this is of course system dependant. The higher end you get they become less “wow I have never heard that before” and more tone controls they become– I suppose in the simplest form a modern day bass and treble control, for example when comparing The Nordost Valhalla with the Chord Indigo both cables perform amazingly, they bring to life every subtle nuance but they do this very differently, the Valhalla is brighter, less mid heavy but the bass is so tight and it is properly the classiest sounding cable I have ever heard. The Indigo is a little edgier with a great thump in the midrange, lovely for live performance and truly breathtaking with female vocals! Both of those are super high end but the same principle applies with cable costing far less, please give us a call and we can offer a cable set matched perfectly to your existing system!

Why that amp, why those speakers?

We have covered why cables play a part in system matching but you may now be thinking why those specific speakers with the chosen amplifiers (system A, system B), there are numerous reasons, the main being: only choose good quality components – purchasing a high quality speaker and then a cheap amplifier from an unrepeatable source is not a good idea. Match good with good, contrary to popular belief this may not break the bank. Technical reasons do exist however; larger speakers with low sensitivity can be harder to drive – best going for a bigger amplifier here. The Ohm rating of the loudspeakers is important also. Customers quite often ask how Ohm’s affect a speaker – put basically the Ohm rating of a speaker is the resistance it puts up to the current provided by the amplifier – so when you see 100w into 8ohm and 150 watt into 4ohm on an amplifiers specification the reason for is a 4ohm speaker is less resistant to the current the amplifier is providing.  So if you have a 4ohm speaker with smaller drivers you may choose a slightly less powerful amplifier than if you had an 8ohm speaker with larger drivers.

Choosing a source

So you have the majority of your system in place sounding musical and organic – you now need a source, again the same applies, as before – common sense is applicable but let your ears decide. For the first system a more analogue sounding player would work nicely such the Primare CD22 for the latter system perhaps something a little harder edged like the Roksan Caspian M2. As for record decks – give me call, complex! 0121 224 7401

Conclusion

Reflecting upon matching amp and speakers, some key thoughts: avoid matching low sensitivity speakers with low powered amplifiers, you will never get the most from your system! If you like bright kit this is not a problem but be careful you don’t want to end up with a system that hurts after ten minutes – if you are using softer sounding kit make sure your cables and source are up to the job! In reality covering every single aspect of system matching would take an eternity give me a RSI and you a headache but follow the basic steps and you are on the right track – if you want to go into more depth our friendly and approachable team are available for a chat – I am personally happy to talk for hours on why Cryo valves sound better and as always happy listening!

What is a Soundbar / Digital Sound Projector

Sound bars are a “one box” solution for complementing your existing television, some offer the ability to portray a 5.1 setup where space is limited or traditional larger speakers are not acceptable.  We often find customer requiring something that looks smart and does not become the main feature of the room, aesthetics are key here and manufacturers go to great lengths to make slimline designs sound as good as possible. Let’s have a look at the theory behind soundbars and some popular models available to you.

Why Soundbars?

Sound bars have gained in popularity over the last few years, even more so in the last 12 months. Multiple reasons could cited for this, for example new televisions look great but due to the nature of their design adequate speakers cannot be fitted, old style CRT monitors could accommodate speakers with larger magnets and bigger drivers and therefore (in theory) better sound. Another possible reason for this boost is requirement for a one box solution – endless wires trailing everywhere is not good look (sometimes a trip hazard to), Audiophiles may disagree with me here but back in the real world they are more of a distraction dragging you away from your engagement with that favourite movie! With advancements in televisions, Wi-Fi integration for example augmenting the existing sound quality is a natural progression that you can do yourself, picture having a few friends over putting a music channel on, instant disappointment with the TV speakers, not so with a soundbar in place.

Choosing you Soundbar:

There are multiple models on offer, choosing the right one for you may seem daunting but if you factor in the features you need along with your budget then there is something for everyone. Some offer only a stereo such as the Yamaha YAS-101, the baby of the Yamaha range, have look here. Perfect for those in a smaller room where a subwoofer would be too much (this model is also available with a sub: YAS-201) or just a stereo signal is fed to the unit. Yamaha offer multiple options: the YAS range are stereo sound projectors, the YHT offers stereo with a centre speaker (a step closer to surround sound) and the YSP offers full surround affect from the use of multiple line array drivers. From the simple beginnings of the 101/201 features improve throughout the range offering better decoding through the use of HDMI or Optical Toslink and Yamaha’s CINEMA DSP technology, crisp and elegant sound is guaranteed.

The afore mentioned flagship YSP-4300 relies not only on fantastic sound quality but also the ability to integrate into your system with ease. One of the key features attributed to higher end sandbars is the ability to reproduce 5.1 and 7.1 playback from a single source such as a Blu-ray player, this is achieved by reflecting sound waves off surrounding walls:

We could get hung up on the differences between the YSP-4300, 3300 and 2200– put basically they are all high quality projectors with excellent features but the 4300 has more drivers than the others therefore better power output and comes complete with a wireless adaptor, if wireless streaming is a feature you are interested in then take look at the 3300 and 4300, it is not included on the 2200. Streaming as I am sure you are appreciate is a the forefront of new technology, this is feature many consumers now require and brings us neatly onto the Sonos Playbar.

The Playbar hails from well know wireless speaker manufacturer Sonos – it takes all the benefits of their original products such as the Play 3, no wires, great software and (considering there is no wires) fabulous sound quality, take a look:

The Playbar can be integrated into an existing Sonos system, so you can utilise it as an extra speaker as well as a soundbar.

Comprising of nine drive units and angled tweeters filling the majority of rooms is not a problem, another great feature is the integration with the Sonos software, you can play your entire iTunes library wirelessly along with music software such as Spotify – all this makes the Play bar a real contender.

In order to clarify between the different models here is a quick run down of the Soundbars mentioned in this blog:

Yamaha YAS-101:

Two channel stereo soundbar offering excellent results over standard flat screen television speaker, detailed sound and slimline looks, a sure winner.

Yamaha YAS-201

Comprising of the above YAS-101 soundbar and subwoofer, one for the movie lover out there – combining a sub makes this system more competent at recreating that cinema experience.

Yamaha YHT-S401

The only Yamaha to feature a left, right and centre speaker– the more drivers the more air you move, over the last two mentioned this soundbar will further integrate you into your movies and music, especially movies!

Yamaha YSP-2200

The entry model into the higher end of soundbars, featuring 16 line array drivers, a quality subwoofer and Yamaha’s excellent decoding ability. A great place begin if you looking for uncompromising sound quality.

Yamaha YSP-3300

Edging ever closer to the top of the range this penultimate model takes the key design points from the previous models but throws in the ability to stream via the included wireless adaptor, this freedom to stream from appropriate device is a game changer.

Yamaha YSP-4300

The ultimate expression of soundbar design: 22 line array drivers, wireless streaming and exceptional looks. If you want the best then look no further, they way this unit reproduces 5/7.1 from a single box with leave you in awe, and being Yamaha it is going to be around for a long time to come.

To conclude

Whichever way you look at it a soundbar in your system can offer fantastic benefit over your standard to TV speakers. Whether it is movies or music you are playing you will be suspired the difference these can make, especially when compared “proper” 5/7.1 box design loudspeaker system. Smart, stylish and trendy – designers such a Yamaha have taken the time to make these not just another speaker in the home, they integrate seamlessly into your system and offer greater enjoyment – even if it is just Tuesday Corrie! Any questions please do not hesitate to call our friendly and knowledgeable team – we are here to help.

KEF have been manufacturing Loudspeakers for the last fifty years but 2013 marks a significant change to their product line, which many may see as a surprise but in reality its a completely natural progression. The range features simply two models, the M500 headphones and M200 earphones. As a company, KEF are no strangers to innovation. After all, where do you start? The Uni-Q driver design and driver de-coupling are two game changers and with such heritage, these headphones stand to deliver much of the same and more. With headphones being a massive growth market, they’re at the forefront of the hi-fi stage now, with many brands competing for market share. Fancy marketing campaigns and celebrity endorsements add weight to a brand, but for us, sound quality is the defining factor.

Standing out in the market can be difficult but these two new models from KEF have already attracted intense media attention and both products have already received the coveted Red Dot design award (we anticipate many more to follow!) In order to ascertain exactly what makes these headphones work so well, lets take a closer look at each model in turn.

M500 Headphones

Impressive Design

Whilst sound is the most important aspect for us, you still want to enjoy wearing headphones in public so design and comfort come into play, and I’m sure you’ll agree that these wouldn’t look out of place anywhere. Some of the photos have made them look “plastiky” but this couldn’t be further from the truth; the silver parts are made from solid aluminium, the black parts are soft memory foam. For closer photos, check out our Facebook photo album.

Smart Hinge

As you will more than likely using these on the move (they are just as competent in a home scenario as well) then the ability to store them in a compact manner is optimal, this said hinges (undergoing constant strain) need to be strong and efficient, this is more than covered and with the ability to move in multi directionally manner a comfortable and secure fit is a given.

Memory Foam

Headphones comfort is further augmented by the use of memory foam ear pads. Indeed, one issue we often hear from customers is that some on/over ear designs can be uncomfortable and fatiguing over long periods. In order to combat this KEF have employed the use of memory foam, this will naturally conform to your ears is breathable and sweat resistant adding to your listening pleasure! On the theme of listening pleasure the memory foam forms a seal around the ear offering a passive noise cancelling so you will not annoy those surrounding you or visa versa!

High Quality Drivers

Key to the abilities of the M500 headphones is their driver design. As already mentioned, KEF are no stranger to innovation in this area but they have excelled themselves once again with the M500. They feature a 40mm Neodymium driver to cover mid and bass frequencies and aluminium copper clad voice coil taking care of the higher register, clarity throughout is preserved with spine tingling accuracy.

Check out attention to detail on the driver below!

A true KEF driver, over engineered, meticulous detail and most of all sublime musicality. These where designed from a perspective that stated: “they must sound like a KEF loudspeaker”– we can confirm that from our own listening tests they have succeeded in this, capturing dynamics reserved usually for speaker aficionados!

How Do They Sound?

The final and most important point! Although they’re not quite in stock at time of writing (but will be soon so pre order yours here for first delivery) KEF kindly bought us a pair to test out and take some exclusive photos of!

What struck me first was how comfortable these are, they sit nicely on the head and the ear pads cover the ear with a good seal, not painful in the slightest. The source used was Spotify on iPhone – the M500 are on home ground here, the impedance is at the right level to be driven with ease with this device, coincidentally both the M500 and M200 are designed for and Apple approved. From the first note of Arvo Part’s “Spiegel Im Spiegel” I was hooked,  they are well balanced, natural and (I say this carefully) correct, meaning they sound right. I am personally very fussy about sound, as I am sure you all are! These headphones have the ability to bring performers to life and don’t need exaggerated bass or over inflated highs! Final thought: if you are looking for a portable headphone that sounds “proper Hi-Fi” then look no further!

Works With All Devices!

True to their hi-fi heritage, the M500 are true hi-fi headphones and deserve to be listened to through a good headphone amplifier like the Graham Slee Novo or similar to get the most out of them. That being said, unlike other hi-fi headphones that need a good amplifier to sound at their best (and otherwise can sound very thin and bass light), the M500 are very efficient, which allows you to use them with other portable music players and your iDevice and enjoy excellent quality sound with good bass definition.

M200 Earphones

There is beauty in simplicity, and KEF have kept things simple to start, with a single headphone model and single earphones model, yet like with the M500, the M200 are equally as groundbreaking.

Driver Design

The M200 features another KEF innovation, a Dual Dynamic Driver (DDD) comprising of a 10mm low frequency driver and 5.5mm Neodymium high frequency driver, this combination provides a tight controlled and very natural sound with exceptional detail retrieval.

The DDD combination provides resonant free bass due to the driver being behind the HF driver and directly connected to an aluminium housing:

You can see from the above KEF’s attention to detail, these earphones go way beyond what could be seen as a standard design.

Comfort and Innovation

Quite often the key to great earphones is comfort and this is something taken into account fully here, the personal nature of earphones mean a comfortable fit can be make or break – including in the packaging are three sizes of ear buds ensuring you get the best possible fit – this is important, it prevents unwanted noise from leaking in and valuable sound from leaking out.

They also feature a “secure arm”, another innovative feature. Those of you familiar with in ear earphones will understand the frustration of having the bud drop out every five minutes – especially when you are half way through your favourite record riding on a bike or public transport! The secure arm can be adjusted and stays in place behind the shape of your ear to keep them in place and comfortable.

Works with all devices!

As with the M500, these are deigned to work with and approved by apple – that said, they will also work the majority of other smart phones on the market. The included microphone is a pretty much standard feature but again the KEF quality shines through offering crystal clear response! Although we would rather be listening to them than making calls!

Safe Listening

KEF are also taking our hearing seriously, which is very reassuring given that damage to hearing is quite possible with headphones especially in loud environments. Thankfully, both models are designed to comply with CENELEC standard EN60065/A12, so you can enjoy all the subtle nuances without worry. In addition, despite being an “on ear” design and not being an active noise cancelling design, the M500 are very capable at blocking out external noise and when we listened to the demo pair with KEF, we couldn’t hear them from a few meters away when someone else was listening to them. So they’re very capable at keeping external sound out and keeping others from hearing what you’re listening to! What more could you ask for?

Summary

In conclusion, this new direction for KEF appears to be a fruitful one, moving into the headphone/earphone market requires serious effort towards design and sound. Indeed, rebranding OEM products would not have done the job and I am pleased to say here this is not the case, quality is, as you can guess sublime sound is crisp with breathtaking accuracy – short of strapping to LS50’s to your head (not recommended at all, CENELEC and so forth!) you will struggle getting that sound anywhere else regardless of price. Stocks are due very soon and these are going to be a big sellers this summer, so if you want a pair we recommend being quick, available to pre-order form us now which you can do here.

So you have decided on your new turntable, nice job! Many turntables now come pre setup with the cartridge fitted and aligned but we will go through everything as one day you will choose to upgrade your cartridge! Although the cartridge may be fitted you will still need to fit the counterweight, balance the arm and install an anti skating weight (on specific turntables.) With this in mind lets pick a turntable to set up! The Pro-Ject Debut Carbon Turntable is a fantastic place to start. With all the features you need from a turntable. Please have look at our video to go along with the setup part of this blog, here.

As the cartridge comes pre aligned on the Debut, I will discuss fitting a new cartridge later. I recommend fitting the counterweight first off – gives you more room to play with without the platter in the way, especially if you are new to this. Avoids the risk of damaging the cartridge on the platter.

Out of the box you will need to

1) Some Debut models have transport screws which prevent the motor from being damaged during movement (make sure you keep them and put them back in when you move!) (Only on certain Debut models)

2)Okay your now ready to slide the counterweight (balances the arm) onto the end of the arm, instead of just pushing this on you can gently twist it on, don’t worry about getting into the right place yet we need to remove the arm from its cradle but first

3)gently remove the plastic cap covering the cartridge *extra care needed here to avoid damaging the stylus* – the same goes for all turntables you are setting up or when making adjustments

4)Remove the arm at let it float in the space between the cradle and spindle (the centre point where the platter fits on to) At this point the arm may be rocking back and forth – it is your role through gently rotating the counterweight to get the arm to balance i.e. not rocking back or forth.

5)Once this done you can return the arm to the cradle.

6)At this point set the down force dial to zero, do this carefully to avoid moving the counterweight (the down force ring moves independently of the counterweight).

7)Now the arm is balanced and down force dial at zero the down force can be properly set – down force is relevant to each cartridge and should say either in the instructions for your turntable or new cartridge. The cartridge on the Debut Carbon Turntable is 18.0mN so set the down force dial to 18.0 (One notch on the dial represents one mN. Move the whole counterweight assembly to set down force) We have a great stylus weight measurement device in order to accurately measure in grams the tracking weight (1.8g on this cartridge) reducing tracking errors therefore improving your playback experience, see here. You can now fit the anti skating weight, this prevents the arm from moving across the record causing damage. There are three rungs on top of the arm each one represents a different down force setting relevant to the cartridge, as our cartridge is 18.0Mn the second rung out from the arm is used.

Congratulations you have now set up the arm! The same rule can be applied for other turntables with a counterweight and anti skating weight of a similar design, amending the parameters where needed. All turntables will be in some respects adjustable, some more than others for example some Pro-ject (and other brands) turntables will have VTA adjustment. This sets the Vertical Tracking angle ensuring the arm is parallel to the record reducing tracking error – on Pro-ject turntable if this option is available it will usually be on the base at the back of the arm, adjusting this hexagon key will cause the arm to move up or down.

Now this is complete you can fit the belt, platter spindle and platter – ideally wear gloves when fitting the belt as any grease from your fingers will cause unnecessary wear.

Key things to remember when going through the above process are take care and be patient. All this will pay of the first time you play back your favorite record!

Plugging it in

Turntable output is not line level, meaning that the output level is not as high as other sources, this means you cannot plug directly into the CD input of your amplifier there is need for a separate amplifier. Some amplifiers have a built in phono input but this is often just a tick on a features list on not a guarantee of quality it is a better idea to have a outboard unit. This due to the unit having its own dedicated circuitry, gaining improvement in sound quality! I have put together a simple diagram in order to show how to connect your new turntable:

As you can see a series of connections are to be made between the units. The turntable connects to the phono stage (PS) Via RCA connection but as you can see there is also another connection needed (the finer cable) this is the ground and is needed to avoid unwanted noise. From the Phonostage to the amplifier another set of quality RCA cables is needed. The Pro-ject debut comes with pre attached phono cables – if you are fairly good with a soldering iron then you can chance these, this offers a great improvement but make sure you use a well insulated RCA cable! (See below) That brings me to another point, you should always use a good quality cables, they really do make a huge difference. And the reason the make a difference you ask? Well it is difficult science but put simply the continuity of signal from one end to the other is paramount, anything that affects this will hinder what you hear back! Good quality cables will feature a high purity conductor and incorporate a from of shielding, not just to make the cable look nice but to prevent radio frequencies affecting the cables ability. Sheilding we have found paramount when it comes to turntable cables so here are a few examples, we have found sound fantastic!: (A lot of the Chord cables can be made with a ground, just ask).

http://www.audioaffair.co.uk/Chord-Chorus-2-RCA-Interconnects/product_800

http://www.audioaffair.co.uk/Chord-Cobra-3-RCA-Interconnects-VEE/product_839

http://www.audioaffair.co.uk/Nordost-Valhalla-Tonearm-Cable/product_4713

New cartridge? Getting things sounding right.

Okay as promised we will now discuss factors which affect existing the turntable owner, for example fitting a new cartridge. This can be a daunting process for the first timer but no need to worry it is actually quite simple.

You will need a turntable alignment gauge, without this you risk damage to the cartridge and your treasured records. We do variety dependent on how confident you are – for simple set up the Ortofon alignment gauge is fantastic. If your feeling a little more adventurous have a look at the Dr Feickert MkII Cartridge Alignment Tool. Remember the better you fit the cartridge the less chance of tracking error and unnecessary damage to your records!

Okay you have picked your cartridge alignment gauge based upon budget and level of accuracy needed, now you can remove the old cartridge from the arm – remember to use either the tie that came with the turntable originally or a cable tie loosely fitted to hold the arm in place. The majority of cartridges will come with 1/2 inch mount this fits via two screws to the arm. Some arms will have a P mount this is basically a headshell that fits directly to the arm, the cartridge will still fit by the standard 1/2 inch method to the headshell though (usually). Once you have removed the existing cartridge you can attach the new cartridge, take extra care when reattaching the the tonearm wires, I have found using a good quality pair of tweezers at this point is beneficial. Loosely fit the cartridge leaving the protective cap on. Once you are happy the cartridge is attached you can now implement the cartridge alignment tool, (now remove cap) for this description I used the Mobile Fidelity MFSL Geodisc Cartridge Alignment Tool. With easy to use design and instructions on the unit it is a breeze. The key point when fitting a cartridge is making sure the stylus tracks the groove correctly and by gentle movement and lining the stylus up with the dot on the gauge this can be achieved. Over hang on the cartridge is set by ensuring that when the stylus is lowered on to the grid the cartridge des not overstep a marked line. More advanced tools will allow for better continuity when setting overhang have a look at: Clearaudio Alignment Gauge fantastic for over hang set up! Once you are confident that the cartridge is aligned correctly tighten the screws taking extra care not to move the cartridge!

Different cartridges weigh different amounts so you will need to re-balance the arm in the way described earlier, also down force may be different so that will need to be amended. The downforce figure will be in the instructions of your new cartridge in mN, remember the Pro-Ject Measure IT Electronic Balance Gauge I spoke about earlier

One thing that quite often generates problems is setting the Azimuth, put basically this is the the angle at which the needle sits in the record groove. For example if it is too much the the right or left playback will be affected and a chance that the cartridge will contact with the record, not only is this audible and annoying it causes damage to the record. Different turntable have different ways of altering Azimuth, the Debut III we set up earlier has a screw on the lower part of the arm that you loosen. Ensure when amending the Azimuth the arm is in the cradle and that there is indeed a problem in the first place. You can check this by inspecting the cartridge with a magnifying glass and ensuring that it is of an equal length in height (above the record) all around the cartridge. You can also use a mirror to ensure the correct positioning.

Generally if you are having playback problems after fitting a new cartridge then go back and just double check the alignment again, as carefully as possible! Any further issues you may have or questions please do not hesitate to give us a call, that’s what we are here for!

Absolute essentials!

There are certain items that us vinyl lovers should not be without, little things that make listening to your favorite records a dream and keep your turntable running well. By sheer design records attract dust particles in the air.

Here is a list of everyday essentials to get you started!

Clearaudio Carbon Fibre Record Brush – Excellent for getting into the grooves of the record – makes a great improvement, see it on the video here 0.00 Perfect cleaning for everyday use – do not play a record without one!

Mobile Fidelity MFSL Geodisc Cartridge Alignment Tool – Simple to use, great instructions and excellent results! Makes sure you get your cartridge set just right to avoid damage to the cartridge or your treasured records!

Clearaudio Diamond Stylus Cleaner Brush – You may have clean records but if you stylus dirty then you will not be getting the most from your system! Take extra care when using this…

Audio Affair Vinyl LP Record 12″ Outer Sleeves 100 Pack – More protection from dust for your treasured vinyl!

A good quality turntable mate such as Cartridge Man Music Mat Turntable Mat – this ideal for isolation and anti slipping. Also is you have a standard platter on you Pro-Ject Debut check out the Pro-Ject Acrylic IT Platter Turntable Upgrade

Hi-Fi News Test LP – The Producers Cut – 180g LP – Superb as a setup tool, allows you accurately gauge the performance of your system and tweak it where needed.

Ensuring your turntable is level is of the up most importance, fail in doing so will result in tracking errors and even damage to the stylus or record. With this in mind get yourself the Ortofon Professional Bubble Level.

One great way of cleaning your records is with a record cleaning machine ideal for records that have seen better days. This really is the ultimate method for the vinyl enthusiast. If you are on a budget have a look at the Spin Clean Record Washer MkII Excellent performance and pricing!

We also do a range of cleaning fluids as well, this method is affective as records can build up grease and other dirt that seriously affects playback, have a look at Moth Record Cleaning Fluid. You can use this with the Moth record cleaner, other record cleaners or simply a cloth or pad – remember to wear gloves though!

To summarise, vinyl is a no longer a times past format and reality probably never was, just under the shadow of CD! We see more and more people rediscovering their vinyl collection or beginning a new one so why not get involved! Please do not hesitate to contact for any queries you may have – our dedicated, knowledge and friendly staff love nothing more than to chat Hi-Fi.

The popularity of soundbars has increased dramatically in recent months, and it’s down to a few main reasons: they eliminate the wiring and confusions when setting up the traditional 5.1 or 7.1 home cinema system, with minimal space required. And to be honest, it just looks damn sleek when placed under your flat screen HD TV.

We’ve cherry picked the top 5 sound bars for you to consider, make sure to read this before you buy!

Substantial low bass for a small enclosure
Yamaha YAS-101

Perfect for the lower end budget, delivering solid sound for your favourite TV shows or films. With its built in subwoofer, allowing you more room for anything else in the cabinet.  The soundbar uses excellent surround sound technology which is equivalent to a 7.1-channel system, excellent imaging and rich presence. Producing clear voice volume as well as any action sounds at the back and sides.
RRP: £229.95

Wireless active subwoofer allows flexible placement
Yamaha YAS-201

A whopping 160 watts is produced from this sound bar, getting every single dialogue with its Clear Voice technology. The YAS-201 does come with a seperate subwoofer, but fear not cable haters – it’s completely wireless giving you full flexibility of positioning. The YAS-201 is the latest in stylish, discrete and impressive sounding home cinema at a very attractive price.
RRP: £349

Powerful, refined sound
Yamaha YSP-2200

This sound bar is 3D ready with a total power output of 132W. Lots of sockets at the rear include 3 HDMI inputs. This Digital Sound Projector is larger than the two mentioned but still attractive with its customary black finish. What we really like about the YSP-2200 is the sleek looking tidy LED display panel located at far right, helping you to set up the system with ease. Don’t forget it also comes with a subwoofer for those bass lovers.
RRP: £819.95

High Quality, Expansive Surround Sound
Yamaha YSP-3300

Featuring 16 array speakers which can be controlled by the YSP Technology. With two powerful woofer units producing amazing sound quality and clear dialogues with surround sound. The body of the YSP-3300 soundbar is made out of aluminum, which takes away any unwanted vibrations. One of its best feature is the wireless streaming – the result is out of this world, you will not believe your ears!
RRP: £999

Outstanding Surround Realism
Yamaha YSP-4300

Finally, we have the high performance sound bar with 6 more array speakers from the YSP-3300 (a total of 22 array speakers). Still very flexible for position with its wireless subwoofer.  Also a massive output watts of 324W. If that’s not enough, the YSP-4300 sound bar features a USB for iPod/iPhone/iPad, USB Memory, Portable Audio Player connectivity and a radio tuner. Top marks!
RRP: £1299

Christmas is nearly upon us (only a few shopping days left – check out our last minute gifts section if you are still looking for gift inspiration), but that also means that it will soon be over too, and the January Blues won’t be far behind.

Fortunately, we at Audio Affair are always keen to find ways to bring a little ray of sunshine into our customers’ lives, and with that in mind we would like to announce our exciting NAD Open Day coming in mid-January.

On January 19th (11am – 5pm) we will be opening up our demo room to the public to coincide with the NAD Digital Roadshow. This is one of a number of events around the country which will allow the public to fully experience the very latest products from market leaders NAD, with our showroom experts and NAD’s Brand Manager available to answer your questions and assist with demonstrations and exclusive deals on the day.

NAD entered the marketplace back in the early seventies to find that the rock and roll revolution had brought with it an increased desire from listeners to experience a ‘truer’ sound on their home hi-fi systems, but that brought with it a lot of hyperbole and expense. So the company went back to basics and concentrated on the reality behind all of the knobs and faceplates. They concentrated their efforts on making equipment that recreated lifelike sounds from music and movies which allowed the listener to become more involved and immersed in what they were experiencing.

They have been extremely successful in doing this for four decades, trading the glitz and glamour of design for functionality and exceptional performance, but, most importantly, they place a real emphasis on their customer’s enjoyment of their products and consequently their music and movie collections.

To mark those forty years of success why not join us at our Custard Factory store where we will be joining in with NAD’s commitment to ‘enjoyment’ to bring you a day of opportunity and excitement where you can experience full demonstrations of popular NAD products. The C390DD,

M51 & DAC1 are all simple, unassuming products which we are confident can allow a little ray of sunshine into those January blues.

The NAD C 390DD is not only a new concept in amplification, but also in audio system architecture. It has no analogue stages in the signal path, keeping music in the digital domain right up to the speaker outputs. All preamp functions are executed in the digital domain without the phase shift, noise and distortion that plagues all analogue designs regardless of price or pedigree.

The incredible precision of the M51′s processing engine gives music a vibrancy and transient accuracy that must be heard to be appreciated.

The conversion process from PCM to PWM completely eliminates any jitter present on the incoming signal; again, offering state-of-the-art performance in this most important parameter.

The DAC 1 Wireless USB Digital-to-Analogue Converter is the meeting of computer music and hi-fi sound. The DAC1 lets you listen to any music stored on or streamed to your computer on your hi-fi system.

Point-to-point wireless technology means you can just plug in the two-piece DAC 1 and start enjoying computer audio with the least amount of fuss.

We are all excited about this and are looking forward to the opportunity to demonstrate these products, and it gives us something to look forward to as much as it does our customers. Our showroom is a wonderful setting, a relaxed environment with friendly knowledgeable staff and free refreshments all day for everyone so blow away those January blues and join us on January 19th.

Whilst writing up product descriptions for our exciting range of Sennheiser Sport Headphones, designed to be worn by joggers, gym enthusiasts and general sporty types, I asked my colleagues which songs, other than the obvious “Eye of the Tiger” which we will have to take as a given, they would be pumping through a pair of Sennheiser OMX 680′s or MX 680i‘s in order to spur them on through the pain barrier and help them achieve that extra mile on the treadmill or to help them to lift those extra 10kg at the gym.

After a brief explanation of these facilities and activities with plenty of reference to Rocky Balboa, we reached an understanding and so were able to begin compiling a list which we have loosely named the “Ultimate Exercise Machine Encourager Songs of All Time” until such time that we can come up with something a bit snappier.

That list starts with “Eye of the Tiger”, and it will probably end with “Eye of the Tiger” too, but in between we managed to come up with a handful of tracks that would help us get to the gym and maybe even consider some exercise.

1. Eye of the Tiger – Survivor
2. We Are the Champions – Queen (there were a surprising amount of Queen nominations including I Want It All, Don’t Stop Me Now, We Will Rock You, so you can amend the list as you see fit)
3. Chariots of Fire – Vangelis
4. I Believe I can Fly – R. Kelly – (I initially had doubts about this one as the bpm rate is pretty low, but after checking with one of the staff at Kef I was rightly put in my place as this was the first song to come to her mind….. after “Eye of the Tiger” of course)
5. 20th Century Boy – T-Rex
6. 7 Nation Army – The White Stripes
7. I Will Survive – Gloria Gaynor
8. Because the Night – Patti Smith
9. What A Feeling – Irene Cara
10. All Along the Watchtower – Jimi Hendrix (a personal favourite here, although this is one of my all time favourite tunes and can be used as motivational tool for almost any occasion; going out, getting the house work done, learning the electric guitar, buying a decent pair of speakers to get the maximum benefit of the treble tracked guitar solo….)
11. I Need A Hero – Bonnie Tyler

Now, this may not be a very comprehensive list, and those readers who have the
perseverance and drive to have trained for a marathon will no doubt see it as coming up a little short. Obviously to us at the office, 11 tracks seems like more than enough to get us working out, but if we are honest, most of us would struggle to get past “Chariots of Fire”.

However, for you audiophiles with a little more stamina, we thought it might be fun to throw this open to you. We could probably use another nine or ten tracks, so please post suggestions in the comments list. The end result will be that one or more of us will have to sample the play-list and channel it through one of Sennheiser’s Sport Earphone range whilst exercising. The challenge, of course, will be to keep the heart rate up at a healthy exercising level for the full play-list, so the shorter the songs the better. Also, the more motivational the song the better, not just to make an awesome list, but to actually feed us the musical energy it is going to take to get through this trial alive!

Our doors opened at 9am sharp for the first viewings by the public on our newly refurbished Faithful Audio demonstration room. We had a total of 12 systems available to demonstrate with Hifi, streaming and speakers from Naim Audio, stereo and pre amp/power amp combinations from Heed Audio, Musical Fidelity’s M6i cd & amplifier, along with 5.1 home cinema courtesy of Anthem receivers along with KEF R & T series.

Also on demo were the brand new KEF LS50 loudspeakers that many of you will have read about in the press recently.

The morning started with demonstrations on Naims Uniti2 ‘all-in-one’ hifi system, all that heard it were very impressed, especially with the iPad app which worked seamlessly to play streamed music. We also used traditional Cd which was equally impressive while playing through our white demo Naim Ovator S400 loudspeakers.

This moved onto a Clearaudio Concept(mm) turntable demo using a Trichord Dino phono stage. The customer listened & purchased two of our stock albums as well as the obligatory record cleaning brush…we were off and running!

At the rear of the demo room we have a small headphone area which was put to use throughout the day, the Sennheiser Hd700 & Hd800′s being the most popular models to demonstrate.

Downstairs customers were invited to have a bite to eat from our selection of canapé’s and sandwiches along with light refreshments from champagne to orange juice and lemonade. A few bottles of wine were opened along with several bottles of Peroni!

We asked all who attended to fill out a survey about their experience during the day-they then entered our amazing competition to win a Naim Nait 5i amp worth £875-and we are pleased to say that all who attended were very happy with the store, the staff and our demonstration facilities.

We also asked if there were any brands our customers would like us to stock that are not currently available and will be working on these suggestions over the coming weeks.

All in all a terrific day, many thanks to those who attended, please watch the website for our next open day details.

If ever in any doubt as to whether you should buy a pair of speakers.

The answer is always, yes.

In the world of HiFi, sometimes it’s not as straight forward as connecting A to B.

So every Friday from  4th May 2012, Audio affair will be hosting a weekly #HiFiTechChat hour between 1pm to 2pm (GMT). Anyone can participate this event with their HiFi related issues or just looking for a geek to geek discussion.

How to join the chat

There are two ways to do so:

1) Twitter: Follow the #HiFiTechChat hashtag at the appointed time to see all of the tweets. Alternatively, you can follow through Twitter Search or follow #HiFiTechChat on your favorite Twitter client.

2) To see all the conversation as it happens, we have a dedicated HiFi Tech Chat page on the Audio Affair website, you can even join in right there and then via your Facebook or Twitter account.

From time to time, we could be hosting a specialised HiFi topic, as well as special guest appearances. So make sure to put this in your diary and come have a peek every Friday.