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Hi-Fi Show Live 2018 Lancaster Suites

Lancaster Lancaster Lounge - Atlas Cables

Atlas Cables, the engineering-led cable specialist based in Kilmarnock, will be showcasing a wide range of its products at The Hi-Fi Show Live, from its latest flagship Asimi Luxe speaker cables through to the ever convincing Grun coherent grounding system.

Utilising its proprietary cold-weld termination technique for both the signal and return conductors, Atlas will be demonstrating its hierarchy of analogue interconnects taking you through materials, configurations and connection topologies to enable you to hear what makes a difference.

Headphone users are invited to audition the Atlas Zeno, which offers a significant upgrade over the standard leads that come with many high-end headphones. Offering solutions for both headphones and in-ear monitors, the Zeno series covers a wide range of connectivity options and caters for the world's favourite headphone brands. Visitors will be able to try A/B tests via a high-end headphone system to experience the improved performance for themselves.

All discerning audiophiles know that system performance is influenced by the quality of the AC mains and that a clean power supply benefits from a cable's rejection of external interference. Atlas will also be showcasing its full range of screened Eos mains cables along with its latest Eos Superior dual drain screened OCC power cables.

Atlas design engineers will be on hand throughout the weekend of The Hi-Fi Show Live, explaining the technical details that go into the manufacture of every Atlas cable, while representatives will happily talk you through the whole cable and accessory range based on your individual system requirements.

Lancaster Suite 1 - Computer Audio Design with Wilson Benesch, CH Precision and Quadraspire

Just how good can digital audio sound? Computer Audio Design's (CAD) 1543 MkII DAC employs a raft of intelligent innovations to deliver an astonishingly natural sound. At the Hi-Fi Show Live it will be paired with a prototype of CAD's updated CAT Audio Transport. This smart, single-chassis unit is a combined CD-ripper, music storage device, streamer and integrated NAS drive.

Also discover CAD's remarkable USB cables I and II, expertly developed to eliminate the unwanted noise generated by digital source components before it reaches the DAC, and the superb and unique Ground Control units, CG1 and CG3, which tackle noise reduction on a whole different level with results that will astonish.

Partnering with CAD this year is Wilson Benesch, which is showing its Endeavour standmount loudspeaker. Described as a ‘super monitor' by some, the Endeavour stands boldly in a class of its own. This multi-award winning design features entirely bespoke, hand-built driver technology and advanced composite cabinet construction. The result is a superlative high-end audio experience, with an immediacy to the sound and integration across the bandwidth that sets the Endeavour apart from its peers.

Also making its UK premiere at the show are the M1 power amplifier and L1 line preamp from CH Precision. Based in Switzerland, CH Precision can now lay claim to being a world player when it comes to high-end audio. With both its M1 power amp and L1 line preamplifier having scooped a number of prestigious audio awards Stateside, they make up a system front-end that's not to be missed.

Lancaster Suite 2 - Icon Audio

Able to boast what is arguably the most comprehensive range of award-winning valve amplifiers in the UK, Icon Audio has models to suit all budgets and tastes, right up to innovative 250W tube designs for the serious enthusiast. Icon Audio is a small, bespoke UK company formed in 2000 by David Shaw and strives hard to maintain its four cornerstones of ‘Value, Performance, Reliability and Service' while instilling confidence in product purchases that give excellent service for many years. It offers a fabulous series of designs that honour the audio innovators of the past while embracing a sound that is warm, pure and non-fatiguing.

New for 2019 is our fabulous 300B integrated amplifier. With 2x25W of low distortion triode power it is designed to put a smile on your face! We have also upgraded our popular Stereo 40 EL34/KT88 integrated amplifier. Icon Audio uses tried and tested ‘point-to-point' construction techniques in its amplifiers plus in-house manufactured output transformers.

While this gives Icon Audio complete control over the sonic signature of its products it also enables a wide range of different tube designs to be offered, including push-pull, single-ended, triode and ultralinear. Don't know what these terms mean? Come to Lancaster 2 and find out!

In addition to showing its ranges of award-winning preamps, power amps, headphone preamps and matching loudspeakers, Icon Audio's lively demonstrations will also include its superb phono stages, new Stereo 30SE integrated amp and new MFV15 horn speaker with 15in bass driver.

Lancaster Suite 4 - Sound Design Distribution

Sound Design Distribution returns to The Hi-Fi Show Live with the radical, size-defying Kii THREE DSP-controlled active audio playback system [HFN Aug '18], designed to eliminate the negative effect of the listening room, ‘the world's largest sound processor', on audio quality.

Using proprietary Active Wave Focusing technology, each Kii THREE's six-driver configuration, which is actively driven by six 250W Ncore amplifiers, can be made to produce a completely coherent, time-aligned wave front that is emitted only forward and behaves as though it came from the midrange driver.

This ingenious DSP operates using cardioid principles, eliminating all backward radiation from the driver system. Rather than delayed reflections, the listener hears all the sound at the same time, in any space.

SDD's Kii dem this year features the first UK outing of the BXT low frequency extension modules, which transform the Kii THREE system into a floorstanding, line-source design, deploying 16 additional drivers (eight per side) and a further 4000W, lifting total system power to 7000W.

The modules are easy to attach/detach and are auto-detected by the Kii THREE, which then adjusts the software automatically. The BXT makes full use of the Kii THREE's technology, extending the frequency range and SPL of the system for the most extraordinary ultra-wide fidelity.

Liberated from the effects of the room, this completely integrated, leading-edge playback system points the way forward for audio design and development. You'll remember where you heard it first...

Lancaster Suite 5 - Audio Note

This year, Audio Note (UK) will be presenting the kind of affordable ‘maximum music' system that its loyal customers have been enjoying for over a quarter of a century. Vinyl will be heard played on the TT-One Deluxe turntable, the single-motor version of the company's classic three-point suspended design with its real-wood veneered, birch ply plinth hand built in the same Austrian factory as the firm's classic line of loudspeakers. Combined with the copper-wired ARM-One/II tonearm and IQ3 moving-magnet cartridge, the result is a vinyl front-end guaranteed to transport listeners to the heart of the musical message.

Digital music is handled by the CDT-One/II CD transport and DAC1.1x/II digital-to-analogue converter. Audio Note (UK) firmly believes that the best domestic digital audio source is still ‘Red Book' CD, so prepare to have your preconceptions challenged by this involving and beguiling combination, as it proves just how impressive the not-so-humble silver disc can sound.

Meanwhile, amplification is provided by the OTO Phono PP amplifier. Built completely in the UK and featuring an on-board valve MM phono stage, this 9W Class A push-pull design has been in production for over 25 years and the latest iteration sounds more impressive than ever.

Last but not least, filling the room with rich, colourful sound are Audio Note (UK)'s AN-K, the smallest model in its classic line of speakers. The updated version of this sealed-box design is now equipped with a newly developed un-doped paper cone for an even more natural and tonally realistic performance.

Lancaster Suite 6 - Kog Audio, Vitus Audio and Avalon Acoustics

Visit the large Lancaster 6 Suite where Kog Audio is presenting the latest products from its portfolio. We have the RI-101 integrated amp from Vitus Audio, a renewed and reinvigorated update to the longstanding RI-100, in conjunction with its new RD-101 DAC/streamer.

We also plan to present Alluxity for the first time at a UK show, the brand being a member of the Vitus family, along with the Vitus team to assist with your technical questions.

You can also hear the brand new Avalon Acoustics PM1 floorstander, the first we've seen from the Precision Monitor series, which will be an exceptionally popular product based on what we've heard so far. In addition, we hope to play the Estelon YB - a sonic sculpture that will provide an interesting contrast to the Avalon - at a similar price.

Our systems will be completed with Stillpoints isolation, Tellurium Q cabling (including the recently released Statement), and Melco digital servers, which will be serving up hi-res music in the highest quality.

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