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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NEWFurutech
Furutech Silver Arrows II The Silver Arrows-II Series Silver Hybrid OCC Phono CableSKU: Silver Arrows II
£1,929.17Ex. VATThe Furutech Silver Arrows II is a phono cable built on Alpha silver hybrid OCC conductors, with three-layer shielding, four-way grounding and an external ground wire to keep a cartridge's tiny output free of interference. Rhodium-plated carbon and stainless connectors, Neo Damper technology and a 10mm cable. Supplied at 1.2 metres in straight DIN, angled DIN, RCA and XLR terminations. -
NEW£137.50Ex. VATThe Furutech NCF Booster-Brace is a damping support for power plugs at US (NEMA) wall outlets and distribution blocks, using an NCF nylon resin body and aluminium housing to steady connectors and reduce static.
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NEW£2,216.67Ex. VATThe Furutech LP Flattener DF-2 removes warps from vinyl records using a controlled heating and cooling cycle. Lay it flat, open it, place the record on the guides, close it and press one button; an LCD reports progress throughout. The heating plate reaches a maximum of 57°C, and the unit stores vertically to save space. UK model runs on 230V, drawing up to 460W.
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NEW£154.17Ex. VATThe Furutech ASB-1 is an antistatic brush for records, CDs and DVDs, built with COREBRID B core-sheath conductive fibres developed by Mitsubishi Chemical. Rather than attracting static onto the bristle surface, where it can discharge back onto the disc, the fibres conduct it away through a carbon core to ground, lifting dust from LP grooves in the same sweep. -
NEW£483.33Ex. VATThe Furutech Monza LP Stabilizer is a record weight built from precision-machined non-magnetic stainless steel base and top modules, girdled by a layer of damping carbon fibre. Its underside carries 16 concentric cushioning grooves formed from piezoelectric damping material, coupling the record to the platter while absorbing resonance. Weighs 350g. -
NEW£291.67Ex. VATThe Furutech La Source 101 is a set of four headshell lead wires built around pure silver Alpha conductors, seven strands of 0.16mm wire in Teflon insulation. The contact pins are machined from solid phosphor bronze and rhodium plated, with a four-way split tip for stable contact, and are crimped rather than soldered to the conductor. Fits standard 1.0mm cartridge and headshell pins. -
NEW£158.33Ex. VATThe Furutech La Source 103 is a set of four headshell lead wires using silver-plated Alpha OCC conductors, seven strands of 0.2mm wire in audio grade PE insulation. The contact pins are machined from solid non-magnetic phosphor bronze and rhodium plated, with a four-way split tip and a solderless crimped joint to the conductor. Fits standard 1.0mm pins. -
NEW£66.66Ex. VATThe Atacama SLX Top Plate Pack replaces the standard 225mm x 225mm steel top plates on Atacama SL and SLX speaker stands with larger 280mm x 300mm plates. They are 10mm thick, precision cut from black impregnated high density MDF, and suit larger, heavier or deeper bookshelf speakers. Sold as a pair and made in the UK. -
NEWFrom£300.00Ex. VATEnhance your PhonoARAY setup with this 1m Chord Earthing Cable available in Clearway or Shawline options. Designed to reduce RFI and improve grounding between turntable and phono stage, it features 4mm speaker-style terminals for secure connections. -
NEW£749.17Ex. VATWinner for Best portable music player at the What Hi-Fi? Awards 2026
The Astell&Kern PD5 is a compact, one-hand digital audio player that uses eight Cirrus Logic CS43198 DACs. A switchable Dual Drive Mode chooses between Quad-DAC, for up to 28 hours of playback, and Octa-DAC, for up to 8Vrms balanced output. It weighs 198g and adds EnviroTune ambient-noise compensation, dual-band Wi-Fi with Roon Ready and Qobuz Connect, and 3.5mm and 4.4mm outputs. -
NEW£3,165.83Ex. VATThe Astell&Kern A&ultima SP4000T is a flagship tube DAP with quad Raytheon vacuum tubes, dual AK4499EX DACs and Triple AMP modes for rich analog hi-res sound. Its Triple Tube and Triple AMP modes shape the tone across dozens of combinations, while native DSD512 and 32-bit/768kHz playback, Roon Ready and Qobuz Connect handle the finest hi-res files and streaming. Balanced 4.4mm output, 256GB storage and a 6-inch screen complete a reference-class player. -
NEW£533.32 £665.83Ex. VAT ✓ Save £132.51The Audeze LCD-2 Closed-Back Leather Headphones offer an unparalleled listening experience, providing real live sound with no distractions. Introduced in 2018 to bring the beloved sound of the original LCD-2 to a wider audience, these headphones deliver amazing value with a sound signature that is both captivating and addictive.
