Hi-Fi Essentials
Hardware and treatment for a system you already own: headphones, DACs, amplifiers, streamers, isolation, racks and grounding. The next purchase after the system exists.
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This is the upgrade section rather than the starting point. It assumes you have a system, know roughly what it does well, and want to work out what to change next.
The order that usually works starts with the mechanical foundation. A rack that resonates undermines everything sitting on it, so proper support and isolation come first. Then the source, because nothing downstream can recover what a poor source has already lost. Then the electronics, and last the treatments that sit around the edges of a system, such as grounding.
Some of what is here is uncontested. Speaker stands, isolation feet and a rigid rack do measurable and audible things. Other categories, grounding in particular, divide opinion sharply, and we say so on the pages where that applies. What we will not do is recommend something we have not heard, or call a component essential when your system does not need it. Tell us what you are running and what you want to improve, and we will give you a straight answer.
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£466.67Ex. VATThe MOON 110LP v2 simplifies high-quality analogue playback. Derived from technologies found in its big brother 310LP, the MOON 110LP v2 represents another leap forward in an affordable phono preamplifier.
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From£132.50Ex. VAT
The patented IsoAcoustics isolation stand Aperta, which means ‘open’ in Italian, allows for the full three-dimensional soundstage in your music. Speakers float, eliminating reflections from being conducted back into the structure that creates bass smear and resulting in a lack of clarity and openness.
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£165.83Ex. VAT
Not long after the success of the ZEN DAC and ZEN BLUE, iFi set out to work on another ZEN family product. However this time, iFi wanted to bring high-end headphone amplifier performance to the desktop-sized components.
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SALE£253.32 £266.66Ex. VAT ✓ Save £13.33Supplied as a pair. The Atacama HMS 2X (High Mass Stand 2X) was developed with the co-operation and expertise of ProAc, one of Britain’s most highly respected speaker manufacturers and features a large 200mm x 225mm top plate. Designed for those looking for a reference quality speaker stand, the HMS 2X has a 30% increase in mass loading capacity over our equivalent professional grade SLX series. Once each pair is fully loaded with Atabites, the HMS 2X will give you the ultimate platform for when needing to optimise your loudspeakers performance.Available in Satin Black and as a cost option, Diamond White. -
Spin Clean
Spin Clean Record Washer Fluid - Replacement Fluid for Spin Clean Washer SystemSKU: Spin Clean Washer Fluid
(4 reviews)£19.58Ex. VATKeep your vinyl collection pristine with the Spin Clean Record Washer Fluid, designed for use with the Spin Clean Washer System MK II. This alcohol-free solution effectively lifts dirt from records, ensuring they remain safe and sparkling for countless plays.
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£33.29Ex. VATTo reduce the amount of RF interference entering your system we recommend "capping" all unused XLR Outputs. -
B-Tech
B-Tech BT77 Ultragrip Pro Side Clamping Loudspeaker Wall Mounts with Tilt and SwivelSKU: BT77
(3 reviews)£59.95Inc. VATThe B-Tech BT77 Ultragrip Pro Side-Clamp Loudspeaker Wall Mount is ideal for speakers with curved fronts or rears and suitable for all types of small to medium loudspeakers. -
£604.17Ex. VATEspecially designed to isolate individual components such as CD players, turntables, DACs, preamplifiers, power amplifiers and streamers from vibration. -
From£100.00Ex. VATWhen you place a ‘Vibb eater’ on top of your loudspeaker speaker or on top of your electronic equipment the vibrations and various magnetic fields that come from the box's are absorbed, then through the mechanical friction between the copper granular mixture the excess energy is converted into very low level heat. -
Furutech
Furutech NCF Booster Performance-Enhancing Connector & Cable HolderSKU: NCF Booster
(3 reviews)£337.50Ex. VATNot only does the Furutech NCF Booster Connector and Cable Holder lift audio cables off the floor minimizing their points of contact with the floor, reducing electromagnetic interference, it also excels at providing NCF damping support for connectors and cables at points of connection. The NCF Booster Connector and Cable Holder allows for the optimum alignment between connectors and sockets and eliminates static – boosting performance by allowing a more pure and clear signal.
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£108.29Ex. VATFog Lifters significantly reduce RF coupling, whether with the floor, or due to misdirected efforts to isolate cable with stands or clamps that themselves have too much mass and are sources of RF Noise. A few inches or centimeters might not seem important, but as with light coming from a bulb, the energy falls off exponentially. A few inches or centimeters makes a big difference—which translates into a lower noise-floor and less compromise to, and distortion in, attached active circuits.
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Chord Electronics
Chord Electronics 2YU Musically Transparent Audio Interface for 2GOSKU: 2YU
(3 reviews)From£375.00Ex. VATThe 2yu digital interface turns the 2go streamer/server into a multi-output standalone streamer capable of working with the Hugo M Scaler and a range of DACs
