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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Where to spend next
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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NEW£215.83Ex. VATThe Meze Audio 105 AER is an open-back headphone with a 50mm dynamic driver and a warm, full-bodied tuning, easy to drive from portable sources and comfortable for long sessions thanks to velour pads.
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NEW£249.17Ex. VAT
The Meze Audio 99 Classics 2nd Gen is a closed-back headphone with walnut cups and 40mm dynamic drivers, retuned for a more neutral balance and supplied with a USB-C DAC/AMP adapter.
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NEW£115.83Ex. VAT
The Meze Audio ALBA in-ear monitors pair a single 10.8mm dynamic driver, tuned for warm, balanced sound, with a detachable 2-pin cable and a USB-C DAC/AMP adapter for USB-C devices.
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NEW£99.17Ex. VATThe Meze Audio ALBA S in-ear monitors pair a single 10.8mm dynamic driver, tuned for warm, balanced sound, with a detachable 2-pin cable and 3.5mm jack, for sources with a headphone output.
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NEW£357.50Ex. VATThe Meze Audio 105 SILVA is an open-back headphone with walnut wood ear cups and a 50mm dynamic driver with a titanium-coated surround, tuned to be fun and detailed, with a USB-C DAC/AMP adapter included.
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NEW£32.46Ex. VATThe B-Tech BT8200 is an ultra-slim universal wall mount for flat screens up to 47" and 40kg, holding the screen just 14mm from the wall. It has hook-on installation, OWLS wall plate levelling, post-installation screen alignment and Torsion-Lock security.
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NEW£45.79Ex. VATThe B-Tech BT8421 is a slim universal wall mount for flat screens up to 55" and 35kg, holding the screen just 30mm from the wall. It has hook-on installation, OWLS wall plate levelling, lateral adjustment once mounted and a security locking bar.
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NEW£219.96Ex. VATThe B-Tech BT8426 is an adjustable drop ceiling mount for flat screens up to 65" and 50kg, with a tool-less drop of 625mm to 950mm in 25mm steps. It adds Torsion-Tilt of +/-15°, lateral adjustment and VESA support up to 600 x 400mm with the included adaptors.
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NEW£59.96Ex. VATThe B-Tech BT8422-PRO is a low-profile universal wall mount for flat screens up to 80" and 70kg, holding the screen 30mm from the wall. It fits VESA and non-VESA patterns up to 825 x 500mm, hooks on with OWLS levelling and comes in installer brown box packaging.
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NEWFrom£641.62Ex. VATThe B-Tech BT8582 is a single column floor stand for flat screens up to 55" and 40kg, with a heavy duty 6mm steel base, non-marking rubber feet and integrated cable management. It takes VESA fixings up to 600 x 400 and comes in black, or black with a silver column.
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NEWFrom£218.29Ex. VATThe B-Tech BT8221 is an ultra-slim double arm wall mount for screens up to 65″ and 36kg, in black or white. It folds to just 37mm from the wall, extends to 560mm, tilts +/-15° and swivels at three points, with coverplates and integrated cable management.
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NEW£99.96Ex. VATThe B-Tech BT5229 is an Elements Extra double arm wall mount for screens up to 65″ and 35kg, with tool-less tilt, 180° swivel and ±5° levelling. It sits 57.6mm from the wall folded flat, extends to 497.8mm and spans 16″ stud walls.
