Tuesday 16 December 2014

A Rega system for watching films? ... really?


We were asked recently to provide a CD based system that could also be used for watching films. This isn't particularly as easy as it sounds as most Home Cinema set ups are pretty poor at playing music. We have found though, that when we talk it through with customers to find out what their expectations are, most are just disappointed with the lack of clarity from their TV and like the dynamics and bass energy that they have experienced at a cinema. It is interesting that though Home Cinema has always been sold on its surround sound ability, this aspect is not actually very high priority for the high percentage of buyers .... in fact we have seen a lot of systems where the owner has never connected the rear channels as they 'would be in the way'



Generally, we find that though Home Cinema systems are poor at music, straight forward stereo systems are very good at films.... and if that extra bit of scale is needed, adding a subwoofer can work really well.

The system we ended up on was this

Rega Apollo-R  CD
Rega Brio-R Amplifier
Rega RS5 Speakers
REL T5 Subwoofer
Atlas Elements Interconnects
Atlas Hyper 2 speaker cable

Modern TVs are actually quite difficult to connect to  .. this Samsung only had an optical out for audio, so we added a low price optical to line DAC converter (to be upgraded in the future). The Playstation/ Sky and Apple TV were all connected directly to the TV so that the audio would also come through the Rega via the DAC.

The result was quite startling. Although it doesn't look it in the picture, this is quite a large room .. the picture shows around 5%  of the floor area ... the system is tucked into a 'snug' area of the Kitchen/ Diner ... but even so, managed filled the space with clear, dynamic sound .... the solid structure of the building worked in our favour as the speakers needed to be closer in to the walls than is usually ideal ... CDs were very clear with a good tuneful bass and that typical Rega ability to make your foot tap.

On films, switching on the REL subwoofer gave astonishing scale and that true Cinema rumble that adds so much to the atmosphere .. but also as we were using a really capable, purist stereo amplifier, rather that a surround amplifier saddled with multiple channels and noisy video circuits, the music soundtracks sounded superb as well!

If you want a more straightforward approach to enjoying films on your TV then give us a call on 01270 580734







Friday 5 December 2014

Stax SR007 Mk2 Headphones for sale - secondhand

Traded in recently by a customer upgrading to SR009

We have a very nice pair of SR007 Mk2 Omegas for sale - you can view the Ebay advert here


Only one year old and very carefully looked after by a good customer of ours.

If you are interested, give us a call on 01270 580734 for more information




Tuesday 11 November 2014

REL subwoofers

We are now agents for REL

REL have always been the Subwoofer market leaders, they have a wonderful range of midrange and budget models ... but also the formidable Gibralter models which are certainly the best we have heard

REL Gibralter G2
Most speaker manufactures product Subwoofers which match (visually) the rest of their range .. but mostly these are quite poor 'token' models with bought in amplifier units. Adding a REL is like opening a door to a new world

It's not just the extra octaves of bass available which makes a REL so appealing,  a good Sub will actually improve the soundstage and clarity of a system, right up into the treble. This is due to way instuments produce sound .. even a flute will produce harmonics right across the audio band, so retaining this makes the instument sound more realistic.

To see the range, Click here



Thursday 23 October 2014

On the Jig today - Ferguson with Garrard SP25 mk2

After a run of Rega Planar 3 turntables in for updates and service it was good to have a change. This lovely Ferguson Turntable / Amplifier set up is now on the Jig. Fitted with a Garrard SP25 mk2 deck the Ferguson has inputs for an external tape deck and radio. It also has two 'two pin DIN' speaker out sockets ..... so this is a Record player/amp combo

Ferguson - (lid removed)

The reported fault was quite common on Automatic or in this case Semi Automatic turntables, the tonearm was sticking about 2/3 into the album. Now working again after a thorough clean and regrease of the auto return mechanism. Not bad for a 50 year old!


Tuesday 14 October 2014

Rega win at the What Hifi Awards 2014

Rega have done exceptionally well again at the What Hifi Awards


The Fono MM has been awarded 'Best Phonostage' ....again!

Wonderfully musical and an amazing bargain, the Fono MM comes close to the performance of models at twice the price!

Rega Fono MM mk2
 
To see (or buy) the Rega Fono click here

Also in the Awards, the Rega RP3 turntable won 'Best Turntable £400-£800'

The RP3 and earlier Planar 3 has become an audio institution. A modern classic!
Rega RP3 with Rega ELYS2 cartridge
 
We were also very pleased to see that Regas new Amplifiers the Elex-R and the Elicit-R also coming top in the Amplifier catagories.

Please contact us if you are interested in any of the above products - 01270 580734

mail@cheshireaudio.co.uk


Tuesday 7 October 2014

Atacama Evoque modular Hifi Rack

Atacama have come up with a bit of a winner with the Evoque. It is quite rare to get a decent looking table which sounds great and is also modular so that you can build it to suit your needs.

The main plus point with the Evoque is it's use of Bamboo ... it may seem like a bit of a gimmick. but Bamboo ticks a lot of boxes. Firstly it is very light and rigid, which keeps low frequency resonance to a minimum ... it is also quite random in it's density, which could be a bad thing if it made the mass unpredictable (as in real wood), but in Bamboo the random element is at a much more granular level, so overall mass stays constant and the structure of the material effectively damps mid to high frequencies.

Add to that a choice of shelf gaps and various finishes and the Evoque makes real sense, even with quite high end systems

To see more click here

Thursday 25 September 2014

Audion Sterling Plus amplifier for sale

We have an Audio Sterling Plus -  Valve amplifier for sale on Ebay

Here is the link :

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/251650974963?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1555.l2649

Any enquiries, ring us on 01270 580734



Rega RP6 for sale

We have a Rega RP6 listed on Ebay

Here is the link :-

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/251649810236?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1555.l2649

Any enquiries call us on 01270 580734

Tom Evans upgrades Vibe Phoenix and Groove Mk2

Here is a 'copy and paste' of a customers review after having his Tom Evans Vibe upgraded to Phoenix spec and Groove phonostage to Mk2


"Tom is probably the least well known, most underrated manufacturer of high-end hi-fi in the world. This is strange because every review I've ever read about his kit says the same thing - it's amongst the best in the world and generally about half the price of equivalent kit. I've got a Vibe and a Groove. They don't look flash, they just sit quietly, in black with a small blue LED to let me know they're working. And they do work, beautifully. Always, with everything. Without a doubt they are the beating heart of my system. Both have been upgraded by Tom, whenever upgrades are available. Relative to getting a similar improvement in sound from something else, the upgrades are cheap as chips. I was talking to Tom about the latest upgrades that I've just had done to the Groove and the Vibe asking when the Groove upgrade would be fully run in. Of course, Tom asked me what I thought and I got excited telling him and he got excited explaining why and we both ended up happy. The Vibe clicked in almost straight away bringing an immediate and obvious improvement to CDs - more everything (musicality, detail, soundstage and so on) but ++ for the sheer excitement and involvement of the sound (on CDs!). The Groove - not quite so much so quickly. Certainly better in every respect with it's vinyl, but not quite as open and involving as usual. Then again, after a long session with Phil Dixon of Cheshire Audio last night, the vinyl finally edged ahead for sheer brilliance! Highlights at this point were King Crimson's Epitaph, Brand X's Nuclear Burn and Renaissances's Midas Man. The Groove took them all in it's stride changing the mood to exactly fit the music. Oh, and the Door's LA woman rocked with an undreamt of fervour while Love is a Stranger lifted Annie's voice up to places I didn't even know it had! and there's more to come as the running in completes. Tom Evans - Simply the best. Honestly. Truly fabulous."

Any questions about the wonderful Tom Evans range

call us on 01270 580734



Wednesday 3 September 2014

Rega RP10 and Stax Omega

We did an interesting install recently. A headphone only, vinyl based system consisting of a Rega RP10 / Rega Apheta cartridge through Trichord Dino and Dino+  Phonostage,  into a Stax SR007/SRM007 Omega system

The high end Rega turntables have always been amongst the most precise and musical sounding players and the RP10 is quite a noticeable jump up in quality over the previous P9.

Rega RP10 Apheta

The RP10 is quite beautifully engineered, with Rega's usual simple logical solutions to the complex problems involved in turntable design.

The Trichord Dino/Dino+ is an old favourite of ours and gives a lot of flexibility without compromise ... very clear and natural sound and extremely low noise levels.



The Stax of course need no introduction ... the Omegas really excel with a great signal source and created a lovely large open soundstage which was totally refined yet realistically dynamic.

Perhaps on our next call we will have to drop off a pair of Stax SR009 .... but that's another day




Thursday 3 July 2014

Pink Triangle LPT in for service and repair

On the Jig today....

One of our all time favourite turntables, the LPT (Little Pink Thing)  a simplified (but allegedly more expensive to build) version of the Pink Triangle Export.

This example is in really nice condition, just needs a straight forward service. Considering it was only really a midrange turntable it comes very close to a Sondek for musicality and naturalness of presentation.






Tuesday 24 June 2014

Tom Evans phonostages upgraded to Mk2 spec

Had a chat with Tom Evans a couple of days ago....which is never a brief call. Toms passion and pure almost childlike excitement when talking about his products is wonderful to hear, you imagine him jumping from one foot to the other still holding a soldering iron.... and I'd say he's a rare breed nowadays ... years ago there were countless small companies where ultimate sound quality was the goal... and if there was a bit of profit there too, then even better. Mostly the only companies that survived after the golden years of the eighties have become very corporate and have had to focus on profit to survive.

Back to the phone call ... The entire range of phonostages have now been upgraded to Mk2 specification, this upgrade will be available as a retro fit .. .price around 300-400 pounds depending on model

Is it better?? here is a clip of conversation from a follow up email from Tom

"the jump to Mk 2 is a total transformation, distortion alone is 10 x less, enabling me extend the bandwidth to an incredible  0.15 Hz - 119 Khz  -3 db. "

So... yes, a lot better

Click here to see current range : Link to Tom Evans page

Or ring on 01270 580734 to discuss upgrading your existing unit



Wednesday 18 June 2014

Thursday 29 May 2014

Isotek Aquarius EVO3 v Nordost Thor - first thorough test

We had an opportunity a few days ago to compare our new Isotek Aquarius EVO3 to a customers Nordost Thor.... with some quite unexpected results!
 
The Nordost is quite an interesting beast, not a mains filter as such, it could almost be described as just a very expensive mains block ... but this would be very unfair to what is an astonishing product. The Thor is internally wired with Nordost's top mains cable, the Valhalla. Every socket receives its current at exactly the same time, due to equal length sections of cable and earth paths are also kept identical. There is a certain amount of 'mains field manipulation' but no filtering as such. In initial tests, some years ago, with this customer system, many types of filtering were tried, eventually settling on an 'Experience Filtration' unit .. which seemed to clean things up a little .. this was soon replaced when the Thor became available .... With the Nordost in place, timing, clarity and spacial realism were much improved, so much so that after briefly taking it out of the system to double check the effect, it was reinstalled, never to leave.
 
 
 
Isotek Aquarius in place with Nordost Thor in foreground
Now to the comparison ...

The Aquarius has six mains outlets, four low current ones for use with source components, and two high current for power amplifiers and other high current units. The technology used in the Isotek unit is the result of many years of evolution and research ... even so we didn't expect to improve on the Thor, it was just to be an interesting experiment, particulary as previous trails with filtering on this setup had been a little inconclusive.
First, we ran through a few favourite tracks with the Thor in place .. then, the new and previously unused Aquarius was connected up. Then ... disaster, the Isotek tripped out, we had connected the two monobocks to the high current and the CD Player ( a Naim CDS3/555) to a low current. The Naim has a 3.15a mains input fuse, which we though would be fine on the 5a outlet .. but no, the tremendous switch on draw from the Naim was too much .. the Naims fuse is a particularly slow device to allow for this surge .. and they do occasionally blow their own fuse. Taking the CD out of circuit and connecting direct to the mains cured things ... luckily Vinyl in this set up is the main source, so we carried on.

First impressions .. a bit mixed, certainly a cleaner better defined sound .. but perhaps a little soulless and two dimensional .. .but we persisted with a few more tracks .After an hour or so we became aware of a change of balance, the image had started to expand, the character in vocals had started to develop, bass clarity and definition had improved massively ... going back to a few previous tracks confirmed it. Even CDs seemed to benefit through the filtered amplifer. Obviously the unit was starting to warm up and run in.

Tests are still going on ... we are going to try an Isotek Titan in the same set up to see what that does  ... also the customer wants to try his Valhalla mains lead into the Aquarius ( this was not possible as the Isotek used a 20a IEC socket ... so we will need to swap the connector)

So far .. 1:0 to the Isotek!

Further reports soon...

To see Isotek range click here : http://www.cheshireaudio.co.uk/acatalog/Isotek.html



Wednesday 7 May 2014

Atlas Asimi Ultra - Amazing match for Naim Systems

Exciting times! We've just had the new version of the Atlas Asimi interconnect cable in. Visually very similar, the first obvious difference is the grey rather than silver outer sheath ... but the main upgrade is down to the new 'Ultra' plugs (hence the Asimi Ultra designation) ... no details of these as yet, but they are a work of art .. beautifully engineered and a good firm fit.

Atlas Asimi Ultra interconnect
First listen (and now the permanent home) was in a customers full Naim setup. Naim equipment is notorious for giving poor results with non Naim cables .. but Atlas seem to have it sussed, the whole range work well .. this Ultra replaces a Naim HiLine, which is a superbly designed and excellent performer ... but the Asimi creates a much larger, more natural soundstage ... the whole sound is smoother, yet detail is increased (which is a clever trick). The usual result with high end 'non-Naim' cables is a huge gain in detail or image ... but a complete lack of musicality or 'soul'. The Asimi on the other hand must be the most musically correct cable we've ever heard...connected to the Naim timing and complex rhythms just flowed, without any need for the listener to concentrate or focus on any specific aspect of the performance ... it was all just there!

To enquire about the Atlas range and possibly arrange a home loan ring 01270 580734

or email us at mail@cheshireaudio.co.uk

Wednesday 30 April 2014

Record Store Day and the Rega Mini Fono A2D phonostage with USB

We have had a lot of requests from customers who have recommissioned their old record players .. or bought a new one so that they can enjoy their LP collection again. The common problem has been that in the 20 or so year gap since they last used vinyl things have changed a little. Most amplifiers no longer have a record player input, so any upgrades to their system over the years probably mean that things will no longer work.

Events like 'Record Store Day' have really increased interest
Record players have a much lower output than CD, Taper and radio ... infact they are the only source component that does not use the standard 'Line level'

The solution is to buy a separate Phonostage. This plugs into a line input of your amplifier (any will do) and your record player plugs into the Phonostage. This steps up the level of the vinyl to the correct level.

There are a huge number of available units, we carry various from under £100 to over £5000 ... The quality is very important with these units ... as the output of a cartridge is about 100 times less than that of a CD Player the signal is very susceptible to noise - so quality components are a must.

An ideal first choice is the Rega Mini Fono A2D ... this is price at just £89 and also includes a Digital converter so that you can plug it into a computer and record your favourite albums.

Rega A2D - Rear view showing USB socket


To see our range of Phonostages - click here

Friday 25 April 2014

Isotek mains cables

Just updated our Isotek mains cable page



Take a look here : Isotek Mains leads

Reviews to follow ... if you would like to try one out for yourself, give us a call on 01270 580734



Tuesday 22 April 2014

Isotek Mains filters - new demonstration stock coming soon

We have always really liked Isoteks range of Mains Filters ... and within the next week or so we shall have a selection of models available for home trail .. more information soon

Link to Cheshire Audio - Isotek prices




Wednesday 9 April 2014

Grado Headphone prices reduced by 20%

Grado, even though they dominate the middle range of the headphone market have recently realigned their prices to bring them into line with the US market.... prices have dropped by around 20% which is excellent news!


To see the model line up and new lower prices - go to : Grado Headphones

Or ring us on 01270 580734


Tuesday 1 April 2014

Ortofon Cadenza Black

One of our favourite higher end cartridges. The Cadenza Black is very much in the mould of the classic Ortofons of old ... beautifully made with exceptional attention to detail.

The Black has the exceptional clarity and control that high end Ortofons like the MC3000 were renowned for, but also has the warmth an musicality to pull the best out of even a mediocre recording.

We can offer a very generous trade in on your old MC cartridge against a new Ortofon ... give us a call on 01270 580734 for details

See the range here : Cheshire Audio - Ortofon page

Technical data
Output voltage at 1000 Hz, 5cm/sec.0,33 mV
Channel balance at 1 kHz< 0,8 dB
Channel separation at 1 kHz> 27 dB
Channel separation at 15 kHz> 20 dB
Frequency range at - 3dB20 - 60.000 Hz
Frequency response 20 kHz - 20 kHz+1,5/0
Tracking ability at 315Hz at recommended tracking force *)90 µm
Compliance, dynamic, lateral16 µm/mN
Stylus typeNude Shibata on Boron cantilever
Stylus tip radiusr/R 6/50 µm
Tracking force range2,0-2,5 g (20-25 mN)
Tracking force, recommended2,3 g (23 mN)
Tracking angle20°
Internal impedance, DC resistance5 Ohm
Recommended load impedance> 10 Ohm
Cartridge body materialStainless steel Aluminium
Cartridge colourBlack/Black
Cartridge weight10,7 gram

Monday 10 March 2014

Sonority stands for Sonus Faber Elipsa

We have been fans of the Sonority range of Isolation Platforms for a long time. Sonority have taken a different approach to isolation by using an arrangement of ceramic ball bearings and cups ( which allows quite a lot of movement) no spikes. the principle being to control resonance by introducing a very low frequency movement and using very low resonance materials (laminate and tungsten carbide) to deter higher frequencies. The results are quite astonishing ... particularly on CD players and Pre Amplifers .... huge increases in dynamics and a general 'live' feel to the music are usual.

Our most recent success have been a pair of Triple layer speaker platforms ... we've done a few of these now and have always been amazed by the improvements.


The top two laminates are separated by the ball bearing arrangement and then sit on integrated cones on the base ... this base then just sits directly on the floor.

To say that everything is improved sounds like an exaggeration, as there is usually some trade off with isolation ... but not in this case, bass is cleaner and better defined and appears to dig much deeper .. imagery is much more precise with much more extention and naturalness in the treble.

This pair which were bespoke made for Sonus Faber Elipsa cost £1750 ... which seems like a lot, but is actually great value if you try and work out alternative ways of bringing about this kind of upgrade.

If you want to try you and of the Sonority products ... give us a call on 01270 580734



Friday 7 March 2014

On the Jig today .... Linn Sondek / Basik / Rega R100

In for a bit of TLC today, a very nice and very early Linn Sondek. Still with original, Acos Lustre based, Linn Basik arm.

This LP12 is so early that it even has the routed slot in the top of the plinth, towards the back, for the original lid support (before they went to a sprung hinge) It also does without the Nirvana Kit and Electronic Valhalla Board which were early 80s additions

Quite surprisingly the owner is still using a Rega R100 cartridge .. which I suspect will has been in it from new. Replacement styli for these have been unavailable for at least 20 years.

I quite enjoy working on these early Sondeks as they are fairly straight forward to set up and very rewarding as the improvement sonically, from a simple strip down and rebuild, is quite dramatic. Years of every screw, nut and bolt slackening off, can really take it's toll.



Just a basic service here will cost around £50 plus any parts.

For more information call Philip on 01270 580734



Saturday 22 February 2014

Naim Audio Hi-Line - for sale secondhand

Just put onto Ebay

Secondhand Naim Hi-Line (Din to Din)

New price £650


We will be writing up the demonstration that led to this remarkable lead being part exchanged at a later date

Bid for it here : Link to Ebay

Or call us on 01270 580734



Thursday 20 February 2014

Audio Technica AT33EV MC cartridge for sale

For sale

Audio Technica AT33EV cartridge. 12 months old and very little use

£569 new and we want £399 for it.

Alternatively you can bid for it on Ebay at Ebay Link


Ring Philip for more information on 01270 580734

Friday 14 February 2014

Rega turntable spares

We are getting a lot of requests for Rega spares ... just to make this easier for everybody we've created a spares page ... this will be tweeked as time goes on. We need to take photos etc.

Speaker spares are also available .. and we will list these soon.


If you need something that isn't on the list .. give us a call on 01270 580734 .. we should be able to help.

Link to Rega spares


Saturday 8 February 2014

On the Jig today - 1960s Bush portable Record Player

This could be interesting .. .been given this Bush portable record playing system to repair

It's amazing how many of these beautiful little set ups are still around. Most people of my age started their record collections on similar devices, I was lucky enough to inherit my sisters

This Bush system (with transistors! :-) ) incorporates a Garrard record player mechanism .. a very common unit, and similar to the BSR. This system has the standard 'sticky' automatic mechanism which is fairly easy to fix, once you have worked out which of the multiple levers and cams is actually causing the problem.


So might be a big job ...

I'll post the outcome ... when there is one

www.cheshireaudio.co.uk

Thursday 6 February 2014

Linn Sondek LP12 / Ittok in for service

I keep forgetting to post these ... which is a shame, as they create a lot of interest

On the Jig today ... (or rather yesterday, as it is now finished and tested and ready for redelivery back to it's owner) One Linn Sondek LP12 / Ittok / Goldring.

Just in for a once over and service ... This 'Black Ash' mid eighties deck is in pretty good condition for the year .. the Black Ash versions tend to age very badly,  as the black stain wears off, to show bare white ash underneath. This deck though has only had a single owner and seems to have had a pretty easy life.


With a service like this the main thing is to retighten everything which has slackened off over the last 30 years (this deck has never been serviced before) So a complete strip down and clean to start ... some of the parts were extremely loose, the arm rest lock nut was four turns clear of its biting point .. .and all the tonearm bolts had a full turn spare. Very little actual wear was apparent .. the main bearing had the standard wear dimple, but nothing too drastic. Arm bearings were spot on, with no sticking (which is unusual)  .... The Valhalla board though is on its way out, with visible bulging to the main caps - perhaps 12 months of useable life in it, at which time we'll recommend fitting either a Hercules board or a Heed Orbit.

Whoever had originally set this deck up had done it in a bit of an odd way ... not anything that would effect the sound ... just things that an obsessive like myself needed to put right .. The arm cable was dressed awkwardly and the retaining clip had been fitted upside down .. they had also used earlier compression nuts on everything, rather than the Nylocks, which would have been standard on a deck of this age.

So after cleaning up the mains plug and fuse and leaving the cartridge sitting my trusty AT637 for a couple of minutes to clean it up .... time to give it a listen

These early LP12s always make me smile, a lovely warm punchy sound that seems to manage to pull the rhythm and soul out of even quite ropey recordings (of which I have many) I was quite surpirised how well the Goldring coped ... As the owner admitted, it is getting on a bit ... but it managed to play the, slightly overblown, kick drum and bass guitar rhythm on Richard Thompsons ' I misunderstood ' without cracking up  .. .it did show a slight tendency towards 'end of side break up', which may be a sigh of its suspension starting to age .. but generally, it sounded great ... so much so actually, that I listened to far more 'test' tracks than I intended too :-)

If you need you Sondek / Rega / Roksan/ Pink Triangle / Gyrodek servicing - give me a call on 01270 580734 (Philip)

See our site at:-

http://www.cheshireaudio.co.uk



Tuesday 4 February 2014

Atacama Equinox hifi table

We've just updated our Atacama Equinox hifi stand page



See it here Atacama Equinox




Thursday 30 January 2014

Ortofon Quintet - Excellent new range of MC cartridges

If anybody thought that Vinyl was a dead format ... or that analogue design was still frozen in the 1980s, they need look at the incredible activity in the cartridge market. New designs from all the major manufacturers are common and this regular updating and improving has been fairly constant even since the introduction of CD. The most prevalent brand over the years has been Ortofon, new ranges seem to come along pretty much every year (or it seems like it) and they are always a good step up over the models they replace. The most recent being the new Ortofon Quintet range. These new MC cartridges cover the £200 - £650 price range, replacing the Vivo MC models and I suspect also replacing the Rondo range (though these are still listed on the pricelist at the moment)


 
 
The new range consists of five models and brings the naming system into line with the rest of the range ... so the models are, in order of price : Red, Blue, Bronze and Black .... and though it may seem strange to some, they also include a Mono version. There has been a big resurgence in interest in older mono recordings .. and the true enthusiast will opt for a Mono cartridge to avoid compromise .. Ortofon now offer a few Mono options .. as do a some other high end manufacturers such as Lyra.

See the range at : Ortofon Range

Dont forget, we will trade in your old cartridge ... Ortofon (working or not) or any other model if in good order



Saturday 25 January 2014

Nordost Heimdall 2 - review

Another excellent Nordost review - this time for the Heimdall 2 series of cables. The review confirms what we experienced quite closely ... Heimdall 2 is such a big leap over the original Heimdall that it pretty much equals the much more expensive Nordost TYR ( which has now also been upgraded to '2' spec)

To read the Hifi+ review of the Heimdall 2 speaker cable, interconnect and mains cable - follow this link

Hifi + review

Or to buy

Cheshire Audio - Nordost pages

Remember we can trade back your old cables ..... we are particularly interested in trading back Nordost

Home trail available






Thursday 23 January 2014

Atacama Eris ECO 5 - Modular hifi rack

We have now updated our listing for the Atacama Eris - excellent value Bamboo shelved modular Hifi table

Atacam Eris ECO 5 modular
Available with three different bamboo finishes and three different frame colours, Including Satin Black, Diamond White and Metallic Silver

For more information go to : http://www.cheshireaudio.co.uk/acatalog/Atacama_Eris_ECO.html

Wednesday 22 January 2014

Atacama Elara Hifi Rack - Bamboo for the masses!

Gone are the days of the square section steel Hifi stand. New materials and the demand for something which looks stylish, rather than resembling an oil rig, have resulted in a huge and diverse range of options.

The Atacama Elara is an excellent value fixed height stand (with adjustable internal shelves)

The Elara uses the new wonder product Bamboo ...(well not new at all actually .. but certainly a recent discovery in Hifi circles)

Bamboo is extremely inert material with is extremely effective at absorbing and controlling vibration ... which results in a more dynamic and realistic sound from your system.

Atacama Elara

See the Elara here : http://www.cheshireaudio.co.uk/acatalog/Atacama_Elara2.html

Tuesday 14 January 2014

Nordost Purple Flare - Product of the Year - Absolute Sound Magazine

One of our favourite mid range speaker cables has won Absolute Sound magazines 'Product of the Year'

Purple Flare is a flat section multi core cable. A configuration which has served Nordost well - easy to hide under carpet and hence sometimes the only choice when a high end performance is required in a shared space such as a living room


Congratulations to Nordost on this well deserved award

To try out a set at home (or the matching interconnect) give us a call on 01270 580734

See the range here http://www.cheshireaudio.co.uk/acatalog/Nordost_Factory_terminated.html






Atlas Digital cables

We've just been updating our Digital cables section ... more to come


See http://www.cheshireaudio.co.uk/acatalog/Digital_Cables.html for more details