Page 35 - Hi-Fi

One thing you can say about the world of hi-fi today is just how many options there are to choose from. With all of this choice - right at your fingertips - it's no wonder choosing an amplifier can be a daunting task! Where do you start? Which 'class' do you chose? What is a 'class'? How many watts do you need? and do valves sound better?

... those are just the tip of the iceberg! Amplification can be a minefield... until now. We at Audio Affair have put together a blog which offers simple and

Streamers. They're all the rage - and for a very good reason. And why? Well, they're getting better. Much better. We know that streaming digitally will never quite replace wired analogue in terms of sound quality, but it far surpasses it in terms of convenience and sheer usability, and sound quality is catching up fast. Case and point: the following five hi-fi streamers are streaming separates, designed for use with an existing system

Just in case the paragraph above makes no sense to you, let

What makes a real hi-fi brand? Is it the awards and the accolades? Is it the number of units sold? Or is it passion and dedication to the cause? We'd argue that real hi-fi is defined by passion - and Graham Slee have that in bounds.

Specialising in headphone amplifiers and their upgrades and accessories, they operate in a very specific niche. Because their skills and resources - not to mention their knowledge, passion and expertise - are acutely focused on this niche, the products become objects

We’ve spoken a few times about how we’ve noticed an exponential increase in vinyl sales – it’s becoming an increasingly popular format in the hi-fi realm. So it is no wonder I have customers calling me asking how to get the most out of their vinyl. In my last blog I went through some of my favourite care, cleaning and maintenance products for getting the most from your record collection (and for longer), this time we are going to delve into the strange and varied world of phono cartridges and stages!

A turntable is a strange and wonderful thing. Potentially the most iconic – in terms of image or status – of any of the hi-fi separates, the gift of a turntable - for yourself or another - is sure to raise the right kind of eyebrows. It  speaks volumes (pun intended) about both the giver and the receiver, and can make a serious mark on that person’s life from there on. But which one to pick? The turntable field is full of mines when you’re buying for yourself let alone for another – so we’ve

If you keep up to date with the latest advances in hi-fi technology, it’s highly likely you’ve come across the term AptX. But what is AptX? Essentially, it’s the latest step in the field of Bluetooth streaming. Bluetooth, despite being a revolution in itself, has a nasty habit of compressing audio sent over it, discarding data deemed 'unecessary'. But, as any audiophile will tell you, there is no such thing as 'unecessary' information when it comes to hi-fidelity. Due to this loss, there was a degarding

Radio. It’s very much alive, and it's beginning to thrive. The staple for any kitchen, office, bedroom… or anywhere else that your normal system isn't. DABs make fantastic gifts - for yourself or another - the content is provided in some shape or form, so you don’t have to panic about gifting your loved one with something that will in turn cost them money. And it’s the gift that will keep on giving too! Whether they like music (of any conceivable genre), chat, news, sports, politics (etc.), your

Hi-fi and wireless have something of a speckled history, with many purists believing that the only way to achieve real hi-fi, is through fully wired units. Up until recent years those purists were probably right. But will the arrival of AtpX – the new generation of Bluetooth – do enough to herald a new age of fully wireless hi-fi with the sound you’d expect? Let’s find out.

So… where did it start?

It began, of course, with radio frequencies. This has been a way of transmitting audio completely wirelessly…

Today I found out that Arcam are the only British company to do AV. Did you know that? I didn’t. But now I do, and so do you.

It would seem that Arcam are – quite literally – full of surprises. This we discovered today when we sat down with one of their charming reps for a little introduction to their new range. By the end of October we will be supplying some of Arcam’s incredible new range – and we can confirm there are a few things that we haven’t seen before. But I’m getting ahead of myself. For

At Audio Affair we pride ourselves in our distinction from other Hi-Fi retailers and in the success of our campaign to make music as enjoyable as possible. That’s why we are the most followed hi-fi dealer on both Facebook and Twitter.

More than just an award winning independent retailer, we are explorers of sound. We are music lovers dedicated to only the very best specialist products. We know that ‘Sound quality matters because music affects your mood, your day, your world, your life’ so we’re