Archive for December, 2012
iFi Audio Special – Amazing New Brand!
After a long wait, we are now the first UK retailers to be in possession of the newest, blingyest (is that a word?) hi-fi components from iFi Audio – the iDAC, iCAN, iPHONO and iUSB Power. Looking fantastic too in their Apple-esque packaging, top notch.
Just arrived yesterday but already we’ve had them out for a play. Couldn’t wait, you see.
The iCAN headphone amplifier is driving our 600ohm Beyerdynamic T1 Tesla as we speak and, even without any running in, sounds awesome. Wait till the thing warms up! No problem driving those headphones, nor HiFiMan HE400.
Now to 2 big surprises.
The iDAC USB DAC at £275 is INSTANTLY making mincemeat of one dac in particular that we have here that is 3x the price. Suddenly all this amazing “space” appeared where there would normally be mush. Wow, amazing at this price, especially as it has a 3.5mm headphone jack so the laptop user can plug headphones in directly, if required and that’s all that’s needed.
But, wait. Don’t do that yet.
What’s this iUSB Power Supply for?… OMG (as you kids are saying these days), plug that in along with the iDAC and the combination (total of just £450 for BOTH items) and the results take you onto a completely different plane. All that you had before is still there, just more and MORE of it. Where did all that bass come from all of a sudden? Why can’t I stop my toes tapping.
iPHONO is left but we’re exhausted today.
All these are now on initial stock and can be ordered for delivery prior to Xmas if you are quick. Just to reiterate, we are more than slightly enthusiastic about the success of these products. Before you spend two or three times the amount on a product you’ve heard of before, try these. Buy any/all of these wonderful products exclusively here
November 2012 Newsletter
It’s fast approaching Christmas so now is the time to check out our Christmas bling!
Introducing our newest brand – Chord Chordette. This range of hi-fi products from Chord Electronics look fantastic, sit in the palm of your hand and deliver some of the finest sounds you’ll hear
Qute HD DAC
Starting with the Qute HD DAC. This beauty has just won the What Hi-Fi? magazine award for best DAC £900-1200. At just £990, that makes it a bargain. Anyone who’s been in touch with us since we took delivery of our dem model has heard about this model as we’ve been shouting from the rooftops about it’s attributes. This isn’t just a way to upgrade your ageing CD player. This is a product you simply must have.
Use it’s coaxial (BNC) input to let the Qute HD process the digital signal from your CD player or transport. You will be amazed.
Use the optical input, perhaps as we are, to let Apple’s Airport Express stream from Spotify then let the Qute do the high quality decoding.
Use the USB input for your laptop too.
Finally, if you’re lucky enough to have any DSD audio files, the results with the Qute HD are simply stunning. Can Dire Straits and The Eagles really sound so clear? It seems so!
Scamp DAC/Power Amp
Actually, as this product has a volume control located on the back, it can easily be used without a pre amp as an integrated amplifier in it’s own right.
This has USB digital input and is designed for laptop users from that point of view, although it has an analogue input too. It takes up no space at all on your desk and, paired with some decent speakers, is more than enough for any office system.
Only modestly rated at 40w per channel (can be bridged with another Scamp to make an 80w monoblock), this still goes loud.
It’s sound is fast and carrys a beat really well with surprisingly robust and tight bass. This is a great performer and works even better when paired with the Qute HD DAC doing the converting, rather than the Scamp. These two together are really a case of “greater than the sum of their parts”.
That’s a taste of the new range, we’ll talk of other models in another newsletter. In the meantime, ask us if you have any queries about any Chordette products.
CHORD OFFERS!
Having whetted your appetite with our thoughts on the new Chordettes, isn’t it great that we can offer deals on Chordette too, just in time for Xmas.
Buy any 3 Chordette units (excludes Gem model) and get the Chordette Coupe Carry (worth £420) absolutely FREE!
We’d recommend
1. Scamp power amp, Qute HD DAC and Prime preamp as being a great combination at £3660 (should be £4080 at full price).
Or how about
2. Scamp as integrated amp, Qute HD DAC and Toucan Blue bluetooth headphone amplifier? These would make a fantastic set up at £2970 (should be £3390 full retail).
Not to be used in conjunction with any other offers.
Please let us know if you need short interconnects to connect them and we’ll tell you about the Chord range designed specifically for Chordette.
STOCKING FILLERS
Audioquest Dragonfly USB STICK DAC
This is about the size of a normal usb memory stick but has a high quality DAC built in. Output is to 3.5mm jack that you can plug headphones into directly or you can use to output to a headphone amplifier or home hi-fi amplifier with appropriate cables. Think about it, you’re on the train with your Mac/PC and can plug the Audioquest Dragonfly DAC into a usb socket to bypass the soundcard and give you sweet music from the high quality in-built DAC..
View the Audioquest Dragonfly here
Audioquest USB Cables
If you’re outputting from your PC/Mac to the usb input on your hi-fi dac using standard cables, you could be missing a BIG trick. Audioquest’s new USB range goes from £25 to £469 in 5 models called Forest, Cinnamon, Carbon, Coffee and Diamond, the last two featuring Audioquest’s amazing DBS Dielectric Biasing System.
View the Audioquest USB Cables here
That’s all for this time. Merry Xmas to all our customers and thanks for your support this year. We look forward to serving you again next year as we ride out the economic downturn and continue to take our little Audio Elevation brand forwards into 2013.
0800 035 1620
All prices include free UK shipping so the price you see above is the price you pay.
