A lesson in listening and hearing music

 This summer has seen Future Lifestyle become the installer for Meridian range of speakers and audio products for southern Spain.

 Meridian has developed a number of unique technologies since they started in the late seventies, all in the pursuit of audio perfection.

 Members of the Future Lifestyle team were lucky enough to be invited to the Meridian HQ in Cambridgeshire, England where we learnt what makes Meridian audio equipment stand out from the crowd. We also got to witness the care and attention to detail that goes into the construction of their products which are made right there on the premises.

Sooloos their own audio storage and interface system is a breeze to use, both via the Control15 touch screen interface or the free iPad app. Streaming lossless audio to anywhere in the house over a single Cat5 cable.

To round off our visit we were treated to a cinematic experience in their reference home cinema. The clarity and depth of the cinema is hard to explain. The snowboarding file “The Art of Flight” dragged you so far into the action it had checking for broken bones afterwards and a spin round the test track with Jeremy Clarkson of Top Gear had us thinking that the Jaguar he was driving was about to come smashing through the wall at any moment.

Now Meridian Audio is not to everyone’s taste or within their budget. But if you are serious about your music then they are most definitely worth a look.

Contact the Future Lifestyle office on info@futurelifestyle.es or call them on +34 902 107 227 to book a demonstration and hear the music you have only ever listened to before...

Happy Birthday Denon.......

Denon have always delivered the highest quality AV experiences to the consumers and has become a firm favourite of Future Lifestyle. From the beginnings of CD technology, to the rise of surround sound, and now to mobility, streaming, and networking, Denon has not only evolved with technologies, but it has been the leader and innovator that has developed and introduced these technologies to the world and made it accessible to consumers.

Today Denon make some of the finest surround sound amplifiers on the market capable of delivering new formats like 3D video. With video up scaling & Audyssey DSX sound processing they ensure that the end user gets the best possible home cinema experience.

Denon is marking its 100th anniversary with a Special Edition Anniversary product collection.
The A100 collection comprises seven components, each finely tuned, hand-tested and accompanied by a signed certificate of authenticity from the chief production engineer who hand-crafted the product. Also included is a 'brand book' that explores the history of Denon.

The AVR-A100 9.2-channel AV receiver features Denon’s Link 4th, high-bit i/p conversion and scaling, advanced connectivity, network audio/photo streaming, gold-plated inputs/outputs and cast iron footing to stabilize sound quality. It's also works as an 11.2-channel pre-amplifier.

The matching DBP-A100 Universal Player is compatible with Blu-ray, DVD, Super Audio CDs, DVD-Audio discs and CDs – and features Direct Mechanical Ground Construction and Multi-layer Chassis Structure. The DBP-A100 is also equipped with Denon Link 4th to minimize jitter during HDMI transmission, and features an anniversary edition coupling condenser and cast iron footing for sound stabilization.

Also part of the centenary range are a number of hi-fi products, including the PMA-A100, an integrated stereo amplifier, and its partner, the DCD-A100 CD/SACD player. The former features a newly engineered construction designed to form a solid foundation for a pure, clean sound, and the latter uses sound-enhancing technologies like Advanced AL32 Processing and the latest 32bit/192kHz DACs, is SACD compatible, and features a USB port for connecting an iPod or USB memory.

Stereophiles can match these with Denon's new AH-A100 over-ear headphones for a luxurious listening experience. These offer a piano mahogany finish, and pack a high-grade driver unit,  newly designed skin-soft ear pads and headband, and come in a storage case with wiping cloth.

The final products in the range are the DP-A100 turntable, a direct-drive design equipped with the DL-A100 cartridge, and based on the design of the classic DL-103.

The A100 range will be available from only a selected number of outlets that will display the Denon centenary logo.

Death of the CD?

Are we witnessing the last days of the humble CD? The download generation has taken over the party now and it seems even the hi-fi stalwarts going off to dance with its non-physical rivals.

Linn, one of the major forces in hi-fi and most famous for the LP12 turntable that's dominated the high-end market since the '70s, is pulling out of the CD player market.
Linn is turning its attentions to streaming devices such as its DS range. And the reason Linn's cited isn't that that's where the market is heading; it's because Linn claims that digital streaming is now superior to CD.

When you can get high quality downloads from iTunes and Spotifly offering downloads of CD quality, it's getting increasingly difficult to argue a case for CD other than "But I like actual things!" And that's an argument that's better suited to vinyl, with its ritualistic process of placing the needle in the groove and changing to side B.

Who would of said that vinyl might outlive CD?