THE TIMERETTE STYLUS TIMER HELPS KEEP TRACK OF YOUR CARTRIDGE LIFE
Increcable, who have been manufacturing audio and video components since 2002, have launched new products and will be showing at CES 2017 in the Venetian Hotel Suite 29-137, 5th – 8th January 2017.
Ortofon have launched some new vinyl accessories including a new Test Record, which they say “is designed to allow you to verify your Hifi system in the most natural audio surroundings at home”. The Test Record contains special test signals developed for analysing cartridge performance as well as its interaction with your tonearm and turntable. More »
RJC Audio is a new manufacturer based in the North West of England and whose tagline declares “Designed in the 
UK…Crafted in Cumbria” – Hifi Pig likes this.
The philosophy behind company’s launch product is taken directly from a quote by Bertrand Russel – “It is only in an atmosphere of quiet that true joy dare live” and is brought to life by the Hush Isolation Platform.
RJC Audio argue that having invested not inconsiderable sums on our audio playback systems we need to isolate them from the obstacles such as footfall and other extraneous vibrations so commonplace in the modern home environment.
Hush Isolation Platforms from RJC Audio are designed to support turntables and other vibration-sensitive equipment such as CD Players. RJC Audio claim that by effectively isolating our hifi from external vibrations our equipment is able to work to its highest capability and reproduce the recorded material as intended.
Hush Isolation Platforms are available in models suitable for non-suspended turntables and other equipment with a weight from 6Kg to 17Kg, but for equipment greater than 18Kg RJC Audio also offer custom made Hush Isolation Platforms.
The platforms are priced at between £455 and £525 with an introductory offer available that will save you £75 and the custom units are priced on application.
Hifi Pig will review one of the platforms from RJC Audio very soon.
Having just bought a new pair of lovely “audiophile headphones” I thought “Why keep your headphones stuffed into a cupboard or drawer, getting the cable and the cable extension tangled up?” The house is already a bit of a sty after all and i really don’t need any more clutter! 
Having spent so much of my hard earned cash I want them in plain sight, on a bookshelf or right next to my hi-fi where I can get at them with ease? In short I want to show them off a bit whilst having them close at hand. A quick search found CA Electronics, a Dutch manufacturer of connectors, isolators, damping plates, loudspeakers and hand-made, hand coated headphone stands that look very nicely made indeed.
Each headphones stand is powder coated by hand which provides a very durable finish to maximize the stand’s longevity.
The HS-1 looks just the job and is described as being the “perfect stand for any headphone”. It’s made of 3mm thick curved aluminium, stands about 25ch high and is about 10cm deep. The stand has been designed so that the curve of the stand supports the headband and the narrow end holds the ear-pads in place. The slight flexibility of the stand is said to leave headphones resting in a natural position when not in use and CA claim this will enhance a headphones lifespan.
A new CD compiled by IsoTek, the pioneering brand of power conditioning products for hi-fi and home cinema systems, aims to improve the sound of audio systems by ensuring they are set up correctly and ready to perform at their best.
The Ultimate System Set-Up Disc comprises 20 tracks to test and fine-tune key elements of two-channel system performance, and is designed to be both practical and easy to use. The CD includes a selection of superbly performed, recorded and produced music from the legendary Opus3 audiophile record label, each one chosen to test specific elements of audio performance, together with a unique sequence of specially prepared sounds and test tones to help with things like speaker positioning and system optimisation.
Isoteks Ultimate System Set-Up Disc
The disc begins by testing stereo and phase, with further tests for basic speaker positioning, then stereo and front-to-back soundstage depth. These tracks (1 to 12) help to fine-tune the way a system is set up, in order to optimise its performance.
Tracks 13 and 14 provide a frequency range test – a useful way to examine the bandwidth that a system is able to deliver. The disc then concludes with six music tracks that have been specially selected from the Opus3 catalogue, each one capturing a certain quality associated with two-channel replay, be it timing, atmosphere, soundstaging, dynamics or bass depth.
The six music tracks from Opus3 include an interpretation of Frank Zappaʼs Dog Breath Variations/Uncle Meat by the Omnibus Wind Ensemble, Everybody Loves My Baby performed by Eva Taylor, Bachʼs Toccata and Fugue in D minor with organ played by Matthias Wager and a track from Eric Bibbʼs new album, Blues, Ballads & Work Songs.
The Ultimate System Set-Up Disc is available now from IsoTek stockists, priced at £19.95.
BD Audio is an established company providing high-quality products and services to the U.K. hi-fi market. Based in Malvern, Worcestershire, the firm is owned and operated by Jack Durant. Well known to audio enthusiasts, Jack has many years of experience and has been involved in the design and manufacture of a number of interesting projects. Jack is also a fully-qualified and registered electrical installer, and in addition to routine installation is able to offer services such as the fitment of dedicated, high-current mains supplies for audio and audio-visual systems. Installations are issued with certification to building regulations, and is fully insured and guaranteed for five years. BD Audio can also offer servicing, repair and upgrade facilities for older and existing Ming Da products.
BD Audio will be exhibiting at this years Bristol Sound and Vision Show and will have the full range of 2 channel amplifiers available for demonstration throughout the 3 days, along with the cd player and phono stages, just drop in and let Jack know if there is a particular amp or pre/power combo you’d like to hear and he’ll will be happy to arrange this for you. More than happy to play your choices of music too which makes a refreshing change.
I recently received a message through one of the websites i go on about a new audiophile hifi cable manufacturer from the UK. Curious I had a look at the website as i was after a headphone cable for my new Grado 325is ‘phones.
The guy I spoke to at Reference Fidelity Components couldn’t have been more helpful and although he didn’t have a suitable cable on the site he agreed to make one for me. The cable is very well built and does its job perfectly -so much better than the flimsy stuff
you can buy through manufacturers themselves. The cable is now on sale through the website priced at a very reasonable £45 for a 5metre cable. The headphone cable uses Klotz low capacitance twin core cable and professional quality Neutrik quarter inch NJ3FC6 sockets with NP3X black gold plated quarter inch jack plugs.
I did suggest that he call the cable the “Hifipig Headphone Cable” but he decided to go with Fidelity Voyager in keeping with the rest of his range of interconnects, mains cable and digital cables.
If you are after a great audiophile hifi cable at a fantastic price you really could do a lot worse than talk to these people.
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