Highend Headphones

Hi All,

So this is something I didn’t think I’d ever see from Stax, a battery powered portable energiser with a DAC built in, think of it like a Mojo for Stax Earspeakers, brilliant idea, all we need now are a closed back pair of SR-009′s and I’ll be sorted :-)

Anyway we now have the SRM-D10 on permanent demo if you’d like to come and try it anytime with the Stax Earspeakers of your choosing.

Features

Compact electrostatic headphone amp/DAC

Battery-powered, rechargeable Li-ion built-in battery pack

High-resoluton Digital-to-Analog converter, supports up to DSD128

User selectable line-in and USB DAC

All-aluminum chassis

http://www.highendheadphones.co.uk/stax/stax-srm-d10-portable-energiser-dac

Cheers,

Hi Everyone,

Well this one came out of the blue, last week Focal announced their new Highend closed back headphones, the Stellia, and today we had 2 pairs arrive, I had no idea they were this imminent but it is great news as from what I can tell this is a closed back version of the Utopia which I consider to be one of the best headphones currently available, so if Focal can get a similar performance from a closed back they are going to have a real winner on their hands.

At the moment I consider the Sennheiser HD820 to be the best closed back headphone on the planet but just maybe it’s reign at the top is about to come to an end, we’ll find out tomorrow once we get them un boxed and up and running.

http://www.highendheadphones.co.uk/focal-headphones/focal-stelia-closed-back-headphones

Introducing the Focal Digital Headphone Amp - Arche!

Again, another surprise from Focal, they are about to release their own digital headphone amplifier called Arche, what is unique about this is that it will have presets built in to get the best from which ever Focal headphone you own from the Elegia to the Utopia which is a cool idea.

This isn’t due for another couple of months but needless to say we will have it on demo once available.

http://www.highendheadphones.co.uk/focal-headphones/focal-arche-headphone-amp-dac

Hi All,

We are delighted to have added Meze Audio to our headphone portfolio, Meze are a headphone brand that have generally been at the lower end but with the Empyrean they have definitely gone up market and have created a headphone that is causing a lot of interest due to a world first in a new driver design, they are a Planar Magnetic but they certainly don’t sound like any Planar I have heard before so please feel free to pop in to experience the Empyrean in our dedicated headphone showroom -

[url]http://www.highendheadphones.co.uk/meze-audio/meze-audio-empyrean-isodynamic-hybrid-array-headphones[/url]

Hi All,

Focal really have hit the spot with their range of open back headphones released over the last couple of years which have been very popular indeed so it is great news that they have now added a closed back to their range with the Elegia which we are pleased to say we now have on permanent demo, priced at £799 these are definitely going to carry on Focal’s success in the headphone market.

If you’d like a listen anytime or to compare against other closed back headphones on the market please feel free to get in touch to book an appointment in our dedicated headphone shop.

http://www.highendheadphones.co.uk/focal-headphones/focal-elegia-closed-back-headphones

Cheers,

Hi Everyone,

So I was here last night till 10pm listening to the new Stax SR-009S’s, to be honest I could have stayed a lot longer but I got hungry :-)

So the million dollar question, how do they compare to the Mighty SR-009? well firstly the new SR-009S’s are definitely a SR-009 Earspeaker if that makes sense, I had heard that the S was going to be a bit smoother and I thought it may be closer to the SR-007 but I am happy to say that you get all the detail, insight and separation that I love with the 009 so the S is basically a different flavour of 009, but is it better?

Well after lots of back and forth with both Earspeakers and also using the Stax T8000 and Trilogy H1 Energisers what I found was that the SR-009S is definitely more refined at the very top end and luckily not at the expense of any detail, also the overall presentation is definitely slightly fuller which is very noticeable with vocals, they just have a bit more texture and warmth making them sound more natural, when you go back to the SR-009 they sound a tad thinner, as for bass weight, there is a little more but nothing like the SR-L700’s but it is noticeable, but for me as the overall balance is a little weightier which really helps with the transients, you can hear everything stop and start better which seems to give more definition and separation which in turn seems to make the music flow better and more rhythmic, you just seem to get into the music a little more, well I did last night, once I put Radiohead on I just couldn’t take the SR-009S’s off :-)

So if you’ve got SR-009’s should you upgrade to the SR-009S? Difficult really as these improvements are definitely noticeable, personally I would have to change now I know I prefer the SR-009S and will be listening to these going forward but all I can say really is that if you have SR-009’s I would definitely recommend coming in to spend a few hours with the SR-009S’s and see what you think as the improvements are there it is just if you think the cost to change is worth the step up you are getting.

Good job though Stax, for me you have just made the best headphones in the world even better which really is an amazing achievement.

http://www.highendheadphones.co.uk/stax

Cheers,

Hi Everyone,

Well Christmas really has come early for me this year, as a Stax SR-009 user myself when Stax announced the new and supposedly improved SR-009S a few months ago I must admit I got a little excited, well the wait is finally over as our demo pair have just arrived, this will be a short blog as I can’t wait to compare these to the SR-009′s, it will be fascinating to see how Stax have improved what many consider to be the best headphone in the world.

Now then what energiser do I use? the Stax T8000 or the Trilogy H1, decision, decisions :-)

http://www.highendheadphones.co.uk/stax/stax-sr-009s-electrostatic-earspeakers

Here’s a few unboxing pictures -

Cheers,

Update! Please follow the link to the Excellent What HiFi Review - https://www.whathifi.com/sennheiser/hd-820/review

Hi All,

So like buses we have has 2 new closed back headphones arrive this week which are at different price points but both promise to be very popular indeed.

Sennheiser HD820 - The New Closed Back Reference!

Firstly we have the much anticipated new Sennheiser HD820 Closed Back headphones, you could argue that Sennheiser started the current headphone market we know today with the launch of the HD800′s a few years ago and to be fair they are still a true reference headphone and it looks like Sennheiser have only gone and done it agin with the HD820 in creating a Closed Back headphone that really is pretty special.

In fact I would go as far as to say this is the first closed back headphone that doesn’t sound like a Closed back so even if you are not looking for a closed back you should still consider these.

For me where the HD800′s won was in their imaging and soundstaging which even today is still unrivalled, the good news is that Sennheiser have managed to keep this with the 820′s but also where the 800′s were criticised for lack of bass, well this really isn’t a problem with the 820′s, the bass is epic, the good news is that also there is definition in the bass, it isn’t just a bloated bass but has a real texture to it and being an 800 you still get the insight and detail so you could argue that these really could lay claim to being pretty much the perfect headphone which is amazing bearing it is a closed back which have always been considered the poor brother to an open back.

As you can tell I quite like these so if you are in the market for some new headphones, whether open or closed then I would definitely put the HD820′s on the list.

http://www.highendheadphones.co.uk/sennheiser/sennheiser-hd-820-closed-back-headphones

Audeze LCD-2 Closed Back Headphones

At more competitive price point we have the new Audeze LCD-2 Closed Back headphones also now on demo and for their price they are equally as impressive especially in the mid band where Planars always seem to major. Again these have a very powerful bottom end, not quite with the resolution of the 820′s but still very impressive, what with the LCD-2 Classic and these I do wonder how Audeze make them for the money as they really are beautifully built.

http://www.highendheadphones.co.uk/audeze/audeze-lcd-2-closed-back-headphones

Cheers,

Hi Everyone,

So as far as I am concerned when it comes to headphone news it doesn’t get any bigger than this as a Stax SR-009 user myself, as part of their 80th Anniversary year Stax have just announced their new Flagship Earspeaker, the Stax SR-009S based on the brilliant SR-009 but using a new lighter diaphragm and revised thinner chassis to help with any colouration this brings.

Personally I am hoping for the same amazing transparency of the SR-009 but with a little more bass weight like the brilliant SR-L700′s, early reports seem to indicate though that they are a slightly smoother and rounded version of the SR-009 whilst retailing the same level of space and air, very much like Sennheiser did with the HD800S compared to the HD800.

The SR-009′s will still stay in the range as they will offer a different presentation so Stax still feel they are a relevant alternative, just a different flavour if you like. Price is yet to be confirmed but is likely to be around £4000, needless to say I have ordered our demo pair so we should have them around summer time, apparently Stax are only making 100 pairs to start with for the whole world then will make them in small amounts each month so it looks like they are not going to be the easiest headphones to get hold of.

Personally I can see these being very popular indeed, especially when you think how many SR-009 users there are out there, partnered with a Trilogy H1 or Stax T8000 Energiser I can see the SR-009S soon becoming the reference for many headphone enthusiasts out there, for one I can’t wait to get my hands on them :-)

For more information or to order a pair please feel free to give me a ring, more info below -

http://www.highendheadphones.co.uk/stax/stax-sr-009s-electrostatic-earspeakers

Cheers,

Hi Everyone,

Well I must admit that I wasn’t planning on holding a Boys Toys event for this year but with what seems like an incredibly long winter and also what with my Radical exploits we have decided to do a bit more of a laid back BTD this year, nice and early in the season just as an excuse really for everyone to get their cars out and take them for a nice spin, I know I can’t wait to get out on the road again.

So to sum up this years BTD in a nutshell, basically we will be at the shop all day with the BBQ going for breakfast and lunch so feel free to come over anytime from 10am - 4pm in your pride and joy to spend a few hours with like minded car enthusiasts and we will have our showrooms open playing some of the best HiFi out there, it really doesn’t matter what car you have, if you love driving then please feel free to come over.

In Conjunction with Radical Cars and UPE Motorsport

I am sure most of you are aware that in a moment of madness I decided to sign up with Radical Cars earlier in the year to enter their SR1 Cup championship, if you haven’t heard about this then my progress can be followed from our motorsports page below -

http://hifilounge.co.uk/index.php?route=information/motorsports

I have to say it has been a daunting, scary and equally exciting and exhilarating  ride so far so I am really pleased that Dom from Radical Cars will be bringing something special along for the day and also Darren from UPE Motorsport will be bringing my race car along and both will be on hand to answer any questions and to explain how going racing with Radical Cars and UPE is a very easy process, be great to have some of you guys joining me on the grid :-)

https://www.radicalsportscars.com/

http://www.upemotorsport.com/

Simulator Setup, Beat my time for Hospitality at our Silverstone Round!

So this is a bit of fun bit where ‘The Need For Speed’ part comes in, basically I will be bringing in my sim setup that I have been using to get as much practice as possible for the real thing and I have to say now that I can compare the 2 this does get really close, well other than not preparing you at all for the fear of cornering at high speed, but it has been a great help, I will set a time on Project Cars 2 in a Radical SR3 around the Silverstone National circuit as a benchmark and whoever sets the fastest time will win a HFL Racing fleece and the top 5 times we will give full hospitality with Radical for our Silverstone meeting on 23rd June and I have to say the food these guys put on is exceptionally good + you can spend all day in the paddock seeing how a race weekend all works.

RSVP

So basically this year is just an excuse to take your car out for a spin, get some free grub, talk to fellow Petrolheads, have a go on a sim and listen to some great hifi, if you do fancy coming along could you please just fire a mail over to my e-mail address so we know how many to cater for, thanks -

[email protected]

Hope to see you on May 26th between 10am - 4pm, now we just need to pray for some sunshine.

For those you haven’t been here before please find our address below -

HiFi Lounge

4 The Granary Buildings

Millow Hall Farm

Millow

Bedfordshire

SG18 8RH

Tel - 01767 448121

Cheers,

Paul.

Here are a couple of pictures from last years event, thanks to Bibs from The Lotus Forums for them -

Hi everyone,

This is just a quick message to say that Wendy is dragging me away kicking and screaming for a holiday to the Canary Island’s, we will be back on May 9th but I will be on my e-mail daily so please feel free to e-mail me on the below address and I will reply asap -

[email protected]

Hugo 2 and headphones packed so I am planning on having a Bowie / Prince / Springsteen / Elvis kind of holiday :-)

Many thanks,

Regards,

Hi Everyone,

To be fair it has been a while since I have done a headphone un-boxing, normally I leave this to Wendy, but in all honesty I haven’t been this excited about a new headphone for a very long time, this is 2 fold really, firstly MrSpeakers have really made a name for themselves in producing extremely good headphones and secondly as I am a big fan of Stax Electrostatic headphones so the fact that MrSpeakers have produced their own Electrostatic headphone has to make you sit up and take notice.

Stax are celebrating their 80th Anniversary this year and in reality no one has really rivalled them when it comes to Electrostatic Headphones, for whatever reason they have pretty much had the market to themselves so I am really keen to find out how MrSpeakers takes the challenge to Stax.

Firstly you have to be impressed with the quality of the packaging, basically the Voce come in their own Walnut presentation and storage case which is such a brilliant idea, also another neat touch which MrSpeakers use with their other headphones is the ability to put in ‘Tuning Filters’ in the ear cup to tailor the sound to your own personal taste, so this is a very flexible headphone.

They are also very light and comfortable and appear to be very well made. Now being an Electrostatic they need their own Energiser to drive them, MrSpeakers doesn’t produce this part but you can use them with many different Energiser’s on the market including any of the Stax range.

I have only un-boxed them 30 mins ago and will be running them in on our Trilogy H1 energiser but I couldn’t resist to have a quick listen, instantly it is a sound I know I will like, there is something about an Electrostatic headphone that is captivating, a spacious and airy sound that dynamic’s and Planar’s just can’t match, I will let them run in for a couple of days before making any concrete conclusions but at the moment I would say MrSpeakers really do seem to be a welcome addition to the Electrostatic market.

http://www.highendheadphones.co.uk/mr-speakers-headphones/mrspeakers-voce-electrostatic-headphones

Abyss AB-1266 Phi Now On Demo

In other headphone news I am really pleased to say that we now have the new and improved Abyss AB-1266 Phi headphones on permanent demo, personally I would say that the AB-1266 are up their with the Stax SR-009 and Focal Utopia as the best headphones out there.

According to Abyss they say - ‘The new version AB-1266 Phi refines the sonic virtues of Abyss with greater transparency to the source, further improved low frequency impact and resolution, and vocals as alive as can be.’ And who am I to argue :-) seriously though they are incredibly good.

http://www.highendheadphones.co.uk/abyss-headphones/abyss-ab-1266-phi-headphones

So if you fancy coming in to try out either the Voce or Abyss just get in touch to book an appointment.

Cheers,

Hi All,

A real quick one with 2 big highlights from CES which is running in Las Vegas at the moment -

Chord Introduce their new ‘Qutest’ DAC

So whenever Chord Electronics announce a new DAC it is always big news and this is no different as their new DAC called the ‘Qutest’ is the replacement for one of our most popular Dac’s, the 2Qute, this new version has a funky new look, is based on the Hugo 2 Rob Watts Dac Chip and also has user switchable filters and 3 different output voltages and priced at £1195 this is going to be another huge success for Chord.

The phone has been red hot today with people placing orders so with limited numbers available this month please feel free to give us a ring to place your order, if you have a 2Qute and would like to P/X it for a Qutest please feel free to get in touch also as we give very competitive trade in prices.

http://www.highendheadphones.co.uk/chord/chord-qutest-dac

Sennheiser Announce the HD 820 Closed Back Headphones!

I have a feeling that these are going to quickly become the reference for closed back headphones and are really going to move the game on much like the original HD800′s did when launched a few years ago.

Promising HD800 levels of sound quality in a closed back really is saying something but if anyone can then Sennheiser are are the guys to do it, also I have to say that they are also the coolest closed back headphones I have seen, using Gorilla Glass so you can see the drivers inside but this glass is also used to help the sound keep that open presentation, they just look stunning.

I am not sure just yet when they are going to be available but we are taking pre-orders now, I have a few pairs on order so if you’d like to get a pair reserved from the limited supply that will initially be available please give me a ring, we just need a £200 deposit.

http://www.highendheadphones.co.uk/sennheiser/sennheiser-hd-820-closed-back-headphones

So there we go two really hot new products to start 2018 with, I have a feeling this is going to be a good year :-)

All the best,

Regards,

Hi All,

Firstly I’d like to wish everyone a Happy New Year, let’s see what 2018 has in store for us all, I’m sure there will be some great new Hifi and music to look forward to, already got a few gigs booked :-)

So our original virtual tour proved very popular but I think it is fair to say that a lot has changed at HFL since that was made around 5 years ago, the headphones were still upstairs which seems like forever ago so now that the new showrooms are finished we thought it would be a good idea to get Andrew in from Visual Impact to re-do everything so please find the link below for the new virtual tour of HFL V2, please feel free to step inside, have a good look around and stay as long as you like :-)

Virtual Tour Link

http://www.360-virtual-tours.co.uk/360-tours/HIFI-1/

Showroom Photo’s

Also Jason has now finished taking photo’s of all the HFL showrooms including our original upstairs room which has just had a lick of paint to darken the walls down a touch to help with projection when using it as a cinema room, all that is left now to finish our make over will be the new website which should be launching very shortly all being well, watch this space.

Our trusty ‘ol demo room

Same Room In Cinema Mode

Naim Lounge at Launch with Statement and PMC BB5 SE’s

Naim Lounge now with 500 System and Wilson Audio Yvette’s

Downstairs Demo Room

The Highend Room

Finally Highend Headphones.

Hopefully we have most bases covered for everyone who loves their music and wants a HiFi or headphones to enjoy it.

So please feel free to come in anytime,

Regards,

Hi All,

Both Wendy and myself just wanted to send everyone a a huge thanks for your support over the last 12 months which really did help make 2017 another awesome year for both HiFi Lounge and Highend Headphones, for me I still find it amazing that there really are this many people that love their music and HiFi, I don’t think I’ll ever get used to it so thanks again all and I know I have said this before but I really do believe that we have the best customers :-)

Expansion Into New Showrooms

I guess it is only natural to look back over the last 12 months at this time of year and for us I guess one of the major highlights has to be the start of the work for our new showrooms and then seeing them finished, inevitably they took a lot longer than originally planned but we couldn’t be happier with the end results.

Basically the Naim Lounge went from this -

To This -

And the Highend Room From this -

To This -

Another Great Year of Open Days

Again we had some great open days with brilliant turn outs as ever so thanks to everyone who came along, we started with the launch of our Naim Lounge with the Naim Statement and PMC BB5 SE’s really testing out the acoustics of the new room, another highlight was the Devialet Lost Recording evening where we played a Sarah Vaughan Lacquer costing around £7000 that could only be played once and it really did sound amazing.

Then we had our Boys Toys Day II, although the weather was a little hit and miss it was still a brilliant day where we met at HFL for breakfast then went onto dCS to hear some really incredible HiFi, hopefully do another one in 2018, got an interesting idea if we can pull it off so watch this space.

Finally we celebrated our 5th Anniversary in October with a brilliant day where it really was great to see so many familiar faces but the star of the day had to be Peter Thomas, the founder of PMC Speakers, who run our Highend Room all day with an amazing selection of his rare recordings, we really couldn’t fit everyone in the room.

HiFi Road Trips - It’s a Tough Life!

So both Wendy and myself had 2 brilliant trips this year, I was taken to Utah for a Wilson Audio trip I will never forget, the real highlight was a visit to Dave Wilson’s home where I got to hear the incredible WAMM Speakers, without a doubt the most incredible HiFi I have ever heard, if I had a spare 1 million Pounds then I know where it would be going.

Wendy also went galavanting abroad with a trip to the Sennheiser factory in Germany, not sure that was such a good idea though as she ordered a £54,000 HE-1 Orpheus headphone system for the Highend Headphones showroom which should be here early next year all being well, that’s the last time I let her out on her own :-)

Album of the Year 2017

Again it has been a pretty good year for music, thank god it hasn’t seen so many artists pass away like 2016, my favourite albums came down to a choice of 4 really, I’m sure the first one will make people groan a little but for me my most played albums have been James Blunt ‘The Afterlove’, Lorde with ‘Melodrama’, London Grammar’s ‘Truth Is A Beautiful Thing’  and Liam Gallagher’s ‘As You Were’ but the clear winner is easily Lorde for me, such a brilliant album with every song being superb but for me the standout track has got to be ‘Lady Writer’ which really does still give me goosebumps so I highly recommend this if you haven’t tried it, I still can’t believe she is only 21, amazing talent. I also want to give a shout out to ‘Baby Driver’, most definitely my favourite film of the year, the 1st 10 Minutes must be one of the best opening scenes ever plus it has an amazing soundtrack a very cool film.

2017 HiFi Highlights.

Another year with some truly great new products like Chord’s amazing Hugo 2 and quite incredible Blu II, this has really made CD playback relevant for me again, the stunning dCS Network bridge, the beautiful new Sonus Faber Homage range of speakers, another great turntable from Rega with the Planar 6, the brilliant PMC COR amplifier and at long last Naim finally got the new Uniti Range to market and I think it is fair to say it was definitely worth the wait, so all in all not too bad a year really, I am sure next year we will see some more great new products, saying that I have just ordered some new products that I have been promising myself since launching HFL, more news in January :-)

Breaking News

In a nice way to end the year we have just found out that we have been awarded ‘Best Retail Experience 2017’ by PMC Speakers for the 4th year running which is fantastic news, thanks PMC, we love you too :-) press release below.

Best retail experience 2017 – HiFi Lounge

Another multiple winner, HiFi Lounge has now achieved the “Best Retail Experience’ award for four years running, and once again was awarded purely on the basis of customer feedback. the Dunton, Bedfordshire, business has been widely commended for its very warm welcome, stunning surroundings and contagious enthusiasm for PMC loudspeakers.

So there we go, as we say goodbye to 2017 both Wendy and myself would just like to wish everyone a Brilliant Christmas and a Prosperous and Healthy 2018.

Looking forward to seeing what 2018 has to throw at us :-)

Many thanks and all the best,

Regards.

Paul & Wendy.

Christmas Opening Times -

Friday 22nd - PM Only

Saturday 23rd - AM Only

Sunday 24th - Closed

Monday 25th - Closed

Tuesday 26th - Closed

Wednesday 27th - Closed

Thursday 28th - AM Only

Friday 29th - AM Only

Saturday 30th - AM Only

Sunday 31st - Closed

Monday 1st - Closed

Hi All,

A really quick blog to say that Chord Electronics have just released a severely limited edition gift pack for the excellent Poly and Mojo Combo.

Only 100 have been made worldwide, we have managed to secure a few sets so please give us a call if you’d like to secure one, please find more info below.

Available now, the Mojo/Poly Gift Pack offers a complete (and highly advanced) audio streamer/player solution for the discerning music lover and tech enthusiast at a fantastic price. The Gift Pack contains the following:

Mojo DAC/headphone amp

Poly streaming/SD card module

Official Mojo/Poly protective case

64GB Micro SD card

Charging cable

Configuration tool

Gift Pack box

http://www.highendheadphones.co.uk/chord/chord-mojopoly-gift-pack--limited-edition

Cheers,

Hi All,

Well it has taken much longer than originally envisaged but our new showrooms are now finally finished and up and running so I thought I would do one more video walkthrough to show the finished rooms.

We decided to take on the extra rooms around a year ago and I really thought it would only take a 3-4 months and we’d be up and running, obviously that wasn’t the case and there was much more work involved than I originally thought, I guess it was more a case of getting the room treatment right so we tested it with the Naim room first which was a big success then we had to design and order the treatment for the Highend Room which added another 2-3 months to the total time.

In the end though we really couldn’t be happier with the finished results, I seem to spend more time doing tours nowadays than HiFi demo’s but everyone seems impressed so far, I have to say that we really are spoilt with our location here as the views from the new showrooms really are quite special.

So for the last 2 weekend we have been putting the new rooms through their paces and on 2 occasions now we have been running 5 demo’s at once which has been interesting to say the least with still just me and Wendy juggling things, it’s good to be busy though :-)

Please enjoy the video below, I must apologise for the poor camera work but hopefully it will give you an idea of how HFL V2 has ended up and if you are ever in the are please pop in for a look round.

Thanks,

Hi All,

At the moment Wendy is on a jolly, sorry I mean working hard, in Germany as a guest of Sennheiser, today was a factory tour amongst other things + she got to listen to the new Orpheus HE1, a snip at £54,000, we have been mad enough to have ordered one for permanent demo so watch this space as it is very special indeed, hopefully we’ll have it at Highend Headphones in time for Christmas.

Please find a few pictures from Wendy’s trip so far -

Cheers,

Paul.

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Quite Possibly The Coolest Display Stand Ever!

So Wendy is now back from her trip to Germany as a guest of Sennheiser and whilst out there she ordered our demo Orpheus and to be fair when she showed me this video of the stand that comes with it I got a little excited myself, I know the headphones are amazing but this has to be one of the coolest stands ever :-)