Sneaky YouTube

Many audiophiles now believe digital streaming offers superior music reproduction to that of using a CD player. Number One Audio has produced a short "how to" video to help music enthusiasts better understand Linn's digital streaming technology. Using a Linn Sneaky DS, Netgear Router, Sony Laptop and Linn's 109 loudspeakers, audio consultant Nathan explains the role each component plays and how to connect the system together.

If you've read all you can about DS and want to know more - click here to view the video.

Don't think twice...

Growing up in the analogue sixties, access to a wide variety of music was not as it is in today's listen to what you want when you want 21st century. Apart from pirate radio and wonderful Radio 1 we caught what we could on TV as it was broadcast. Repeats were few and far between, VHS recording a distant dream.

Thursday meant Top of the Pops which pretty much dictated (or reflected) the tastes of the day. Other light entertainment shows had guest pop slots and there was always Blue Peter on Friday.

I was too young to appreciate Peter, Paul and Mary. Sure I enjoyed their catchy melodies and sweet harmony, but I guess they were a little too sophisticated and subtle for a ten year old and they passed me by.

Scroll forward forty years and scrummaging idly through my local music shop I stumble across The Very Best Of Peter, Paul and Mary and decide to take a punt. (Not much of a punt with Lemon Tree, If I Had A Hammer, The Times They Are A Changin(Live), Leaving On A Jet Plane, Puff The Magic Dragon etc).

Back at Number One Audio I rip the trio onto RipNas for Linns DS and Meridian's Ensemble, sit back - relax - breathtaking! Recorded in a golden analogue age the vocals sound as fresh as if they were recorded yesterday. Over and above the melody, chords and harmonies is a stunning musical performance. Dynamics are pronounced with each voice and instrument perfectly placed in the soundstage. But forget the technology, this is song writing and musicianship of the highest order, the lyrical message as relevant today as was when first penned.

Lady Gaga? Queen Mary Please!

Number One Audio go Live

Number One Audio Consultants are proud to announce our involvement in the Leamington Music Festival Weekend which begins on Friday 30 April 2010.

The festival weekend is organised by Leamington Music who also promote a comprehensive program of concerts throughout the year in the Leamington and Warwick district.

Number One Audio are sponsoring the first event of the weekend on Friday 30 April with a performance by the Schubert Ensemble of London featuring music by Mendelssohn, Weber and Schumann.

The Schubert Ensemble of London was formed 26 years ago and is recognised as one of the world's leading exponents of chamber music for piano and strings. Further information about this event and the festival weekend will be published here soon. For more information about Leamington Music click here.

DSP8000 on Permanent Demo

Meridian's flagship digital, active DSP8000 loudspeakers are now on permanent demonstration at Number One Audio Consultants for the next two months, driven by Sooloos.

This is a loudspeaker which realistically reproduces the timbre and dynamics of a concert grand piano.

Visually, the loudspeaker is elegant and beautifully finished. Acoustically our demonstration reinforces Meridian's credentials as one of the premiere audio manufacturers in the world. To hear what all the fuss is about call into our showroom - or for a more critical demonstration, please call to arrange a listen in our Audition Suite.

There are places left at our first birthday celebration party on 29 October. So to arrange an audition or book a place at or Red, White and a Kind of Blue celebration call 01926 429136.

Red White and a Kind of Blue

To celebrate our first anniversary, Number One Audio Consultants is hosting an event on 29 October 2009. Bringing together the best of the old and new worlds, the evening will celebrate the best in French wine and cool American jazz under the banner of Red, White and a Kind of Blue.

In our showroom Geoff Burns of local wine merchants S. H. Jones will guide guests through a tasting of red and white French wines whilst a Meridian Sooloos/DSP8000 system provides background jazz music from Americas coolest exponents.

Following wine tasting, guests will be free to relax and enjoy jazz music via the vinyl medium in our Audition Suite featuring Linn Klimax LP12 with Linn Akurate electronics and loudspeakers.

Places are limited and this event is bound to be popular. To reserve your place, please contact Nathan on 01926 429136 or email consultant@numberoneaudio.co.uk.

For more details click here.

RipNas completes the picture

With interest in digital streaming gathering pace in this pivotal year for the audio industry, some excellent IT products aimed specifically at music lovers are coming on line. RipNAS is such a product which works seamlessly with LINN's superb digital streaming products to give the convenience of the digital domain with the quality associated with real hi fi.

Back in the 1970's Ivor Tiefenbrun of LINN taught us that the source of the audio signal was the most important element of the audio chain - what was lost from the record groove at the outset could not be reclaimed further down the equipment chain. In the digital age everything has changed and nothing has changed in that it's still important to achieve an accurate RIP of your original CD and RipNAS does just that as well as being easy to use.

This NAS (Network Attached Storage) device operates almost silently and is stylish enough to sit alongside your Hi Fi equipment rather than an IT rack under the stairs or in the garage. It's also pre-configured with software for quality ripping and streaming - it really is ready to go straight out of the box.

Storage space begins at 1TB giving a capacity of around 2800 CD's in audiophile FLAC format. Larger drives are available or you can add to your original box as your music collection grows.

To see, hear and learn more about RipNAS or digital streaming contact nathan@numberoneaudio, call into our showroom in Leamingtom Spa or call 01926 429136.

The Revolution WILL be televised.

In the audiophile's halcyon days of the early eighties there was no serious rival to vinyl. It was (and still is) a total work of art. For your hard earned, not only did you get your favourite music via a beautifully tactile and sonically superior medium, there was the artwork, lyrics and sleeve notes to peruse as you chilled.

CD was a little slow to take off, but as the sound got better and people prefered the convenience of the new format, sales boomed at the expense of vinyl. Soon we were flicking through racks of small jewel cases rather than 12" LP's. And now the days of CD dominance are numbered. Have you been into HMV recently? Sure you can find most of what you want in London's Oxford Street, but in my local branches in Coventry and Leamington Spa you don't get much more than the Pop forty and Classic FM's smooth hits. Most of Solihull is given over to DVD with just a small section for CD's stacked end on, so you can't see the artwork anyway without pulling it out of the pile.

Apple led the digital revolution in music, but they prized quantity over quality. However you can't argue with their commercial success and they do appreciate the "visual" element of listening to music with a great artwork and cover flow system.

At Number One Audio we've noticed a growing interest in quality digital music sales and enquiries in recent months. In the hearts and minds of some there will always be place for CD players as there is with vinyl - in fact vinyl is enjoying a resurgence. But digital reproduction from hard disks and/or streaming will be the dominant medium of the future.

But a new piece in the digital jigsaw is bound to accelerate the take up of digital players in the coming months. Last week Linn released Cara, a new software update for their superb range of Digital Streaming players. Combine this with Kinsky Desktop and you have an interface to your music collection which is a real pleasure to use. You can flick through your album collection quickly as you recognise the artwork with good resolution and size. Combine this with "Songbook" on and iTouch or iPhone and get a similar experience in the palm of your hand.

What goes around comes around. To experience the new generation of high quality audio and find out how it can make you life better contact nathan@numberoneaudio.co.uk or call 01926 429136.