Common Questions answered

The stylus of a phono cartridge is a consumable item, in other words it wears out with use, and can also easily become accidentally damaged, as it is extremely fragile.

Ortofon OM10 cartridge, minus stylus, which has been accidentally snapped off

As 90% of the value of a phono cartridge is in the stylus, it is often just as easy to replace the entire cartridge rather than just the stylus - this also allows you to upgrade to a better sounding cartridge to give you more enjoyment from your vinyl.

Chunky, heavy and often un-relliable as they aged, VHS tapes are firmly consigned to the history books...

As HD televisions become the norm, the majority of previous video formats to the Blu-ray format have all become nearly obsolete. However, as many people have built-up a collection on VHS and DVD, replacing them on Blu-ray can be an extortionate task in itself, purely due to both cost and finding the rarity titles.

HD Televisions, such as this Loewe Individual, are becoming t

Dust can be a system's worst nightmare...

With extensive use and various locations to work in, Hi-Fi and Home Cinema components are subjected to an array of varying working environments. However, although most systems are equipped to work in various locations, some tend to suffer if they’ve been subjected to dust and conditions which boast of extreme temperature changes. Although some systems are more susceptible than others in such conditions, taking care for the cleanliness of your components will enhance performance by running to their best of abilities.

If there is one thing that presents a problem in any scenario, it’s most likely to be dust. This system killer doesn’t help things as dust can bake itself onto components that produce significant heat, i.e. transformers. As well as dust on heat producing components, it can also embed itself onto printed circuit boards, hampering the original performance factors by reducing efficiency and t

Hi-Fi and Home Cinema systems can often be a centre point for many people within their homes. However, and in contrast, some people also wish to keep their audio components away from sight in discreet locations. But, in order to make sure your components are seated safely, a look into stands, racks and other related Hi-Fi furniture is an essential.

Atacama's Elara 500 Hi-Fi Rack

Most audio components require a substantial placement to take the item’s weight, and also to improve audio quality by allowing the components to receive natural airflow and to also stop any resonance moving throughout the entire system; resonance is caused by motorised components that cause other components to lose stability and their edge of accuracy. O

In the previous blog entry, Integrating Older Components into your Set-up. Part 1 of 2, we looked at how and why people are choosing to re-commission their vinyl records of yesteryear, by using their original, high-end turntables. As we've already addressed, cleaning and a service is an essential to allow for your traditional turntables to perform as close, or even as the same, as they did when they were fresh out of their boxes. This edition of the blog will address how to integrate the tape back into the everyday set-up. This will include a look at the cassette.

In a world where digital audio seems to dominate almost everyone's Hi-Fi system, it is no surprise that a few of us are now bucking the trend by including older components within our systems for both nostalgia, but more importantly, for the potential that they still have lurking inside them.

Classic QUAD 22 and II power amplifiers from the 1960's

An Experience of Pro-Ject

 Founded by Heinz Lichtenegger in 1991, Pro-Ject’s home is located in Vienna, Austria, and houses the firm’s manufacturing and management facilities. With around 300 workers in the company, Pro-Ject may be a small company, but they certainly are big on the results of their products!

Pro-Ject originally came about due to Lichtenegger finding the market of turntables to be un-inspiring and to be certainly lacking in the true Hi-Fi and audiophile sector. We must remember that in the late 80s the CD was beginning to exceed sales of vinyl records for the first time. Although the CD was, and still is, a convenient format that can produce phenomenal accuracy and superb tonal results, Lichtenegger still firmly placed his trust in the format that was beginning to fade away from mainstream production. But, after many ideas and self-built examples, Lichtenegger soon found that his turntables were breathing new life into the format that was seemingly dying a fast death. On the timeline of Hi-Fi history, CDs were becoming as cheap as CDs, offering more clarity on budget systems and stood up to the reliability tests that vinyl records were failing to: record releases toward the end of the 80s saw cheaper materials and thinner albums being produced, resulting in hastened wear and tear. Eventually, the mass production of vinyl records ceased on mainstream releases ceased.

Pro-Ject's 6 Record Deck

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Here in My Car…

A Guide to Maximising the Audio Quality in your Car

At Hifi Gear, we specialise in consumer-based Hi-Fi and Home Cinema products. Often, most of these products are designed to be used in homes and small public venues. However, we don’t supply car audio related products. But, however, we do supply advice (as found in this blog entry) about the best ways of getting quality from the audio formats you use in your car.

Car audio became a popular asset to many American cars in the 1960s as they began to feature AM radios and, on more expensive models, VHF receivers. As the seventies grew closer, 8-track cartridge players became a favourite retro-fit item on cars of the time. Interestingly enough, brands we take for granted in the Hi-Fi community often had links and sectors of their brands that dealt in audio systems for vehicles: Pioneer is one of them that stands out the most because they brought Hi-Fi onto the car scene with their refined cassette and receiver models. Yet, as formats came thick and fast, car audio grew into much more than a radio and a set of stereo speakers in the parcel shelf. There were phases of graphic equalizers and Minidisc car systems, but it all largely relies on CD and the iPod or MP3 generation of today.

The car has become a much more prominent necessity in many people’s lives. Some people often find themselves running up and down the UK’s motorways every day to commute, so a car can be regarded as a second home to some. So, people find that music can help the journey wind away. What this guide looks into is how to keep as much as your music as possible, and in high quality, in your car with you for your entertainment on laborious journeys.

Pioneer has now made smaller systems. Just as well. Tried fitting these in a Ford Capri?

Which Cartridge is Right for Me?

A Guide That Looks at The best Cartridge for Your

Record Deck on a Budget

The traditional vinyl record is making a huge come back! Although, some may argue that it never really went away. However, if you are keen on building a collection and want to take advantage of that warm tone, an essential tune-up of your turntable is certainly worth considering!

Many audiophiles will change their tone arms, cartridges and they will alter their decks to perform better than they did coming out of the factory. In one way, it’s like tuning a classic car – throwing on some twin carbs, changing the cam shaft and exchanging the exhaust system will certainly make a considerable boost in performance. Just like car tuners, audiophiles strive to get more performance out of their ‘stock’ turntable by a series of modifications.

As we are looking at turntable cartridges for beginners and those with a tighter budget in mind, we will be looking at the great ranges available to you – all costing below £100.

The most important place to start is the join between the vinyl record and the player’s needle – the cartridge system:

Some turntables do come with a cartridge fitted. However, these often prove to be weak in terms of performance and can often lead to damaging the records if they weren’t fitted correctly prior to operation. What is suggested is that the existing cartridge, which is usually un-branded, should be replaced by a cartridge that has greater stamina and accuracy than that of the original.

A new cartridge will lead to the following benefits:

1. More sonic accuracy. This means that the sound will be more robust and will sound more as it was intended to do by the artist.
2. Kinder performance to the record. Playing a record over repeatedly will eventually lead to it wearing out. However, an up-rated cartridge will be kinder and will easily prolong the record’s playing life if it has been fitted and tracked correctly.
3. A new cartridge will also help by attaining a certain and desirable sound characteristic. In essence, you can buy cartridges that feature a warm and traditional sound, or, alternatively, a cartridge can provide a more accurate and greater sense of depth or clarity. The choice of sound characteristics can help by boosting or reducing in a certain frequency range.

So, by upgrading, you can get a much better stereo-image, boost or reduce a certain sound characteristic and prolong the record’s life for longer lasting playing pleasure. Listed below are the cartridges that can help dramatically in boosting playback performance:

£17 - £50:

The Budget AT-91 offers exceptional value...

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How to Build a Hi-Fi System on a Budget

In this edition of Hifi Gear’s ‘How to’ Guides, we are going to look at building a superb Hi-Fi system on a budget that doesn’t cost you the earth. This edition focuses on the critical combination of speakers and amplifiers.

At Hifi Gear, we do believe that everyone is entitled to a superb Hi-Fi system. And, especially in this economic climate, we realise that not everyone can afford the best of the best. So, for those who are just getting into Hi-Fi, or looking to build a good system with a set budget in mind and those who appreciate a system that’s a cut above the rest, this guide aims to help you by looking at what we have on offer in terms of our range of system components, exceptional and relevant advice, as well as information and support after your purchase.

So, let’s start with the basics…