Stereotype Hifi Blog

Today I’ve been having a play with Apple’s Remote app on my iphone and I thought I’d share the experience as it’s pretty cool. One of the downsides of computer audio vs a network player type solution has always been the remote control. Today in 5 minutes flat I was simultaneasly controlling my wifes mac book pro running iTunes and my pc running Mediamonkey from the same application on my iPhone. Lost? let me explain.

Step 1: Get a computer – It doesn’t really matter what sort of computer

Step 2: Install some software – Most people using macs will be using iTunes, but I’m more of a PC guy myself so I use Mediamonkey which I find fantastic for managing my digital library of music.

Step 2b (for the PC users): Download the Monkeytunes plugin for Mediamonkey – 30 seconds and you’ll be done.

Step 3: Get an iPhone/iPod Touch/iPad – Go to the app store and get Apple’s Remote App – (On the Monkeytunes website there is info for Android users)

Step 4: Fire up the app and select your computer

Step 5: Enter the passcode on your computer

Step 6: Find a song you love and listen, pause, skip tracks, browse artists etc…

It really is that easy, now head on over to a place like HDtracks.com and start listening to high quality digital music.

While I’m here, I’ll give a little plug for the Cambridge Audio DAC Magic, what this little beast does is connects directly to your computer via USB, then does the digital to analog conversion external from your computer providing you with a high end audiophile sound ready for your amplifier’s inputs.

If you have ditched CD’s then I can’t recommend investing in a decent DAC enough, even compressed MP3′s sound miles better through a proper DAC.

That’s all for today, hope that helps someone out there who wants to control their computer from their pocket with minimum fuss.

If you want more info on computer based systems, check out Computeraudiophile.com there’s a ton of info there too.

Brendan

Free in most cases… So we use to have a $10 flat rate shipping right across the site… now we have introduced Free shipping except on some of our lower margin items (this is mainly items on clearance and things like speaker stands) where we charge a fee from $5-$100 depending on the item. To find out how much shipping will be, just add the item to your cart and select ‘Get Quote’. The shipping cost is for anywhere in NZ for web orders.

For example, now you pay $0 shipping on the wonderful Solstice Interconnect, but the Paradigm J 23 Speaker stands will cost $25 to ship.

So go ahead, order something with free shipping today!

Hope this makes shopping with us even better. Oh, and you can always pickup, we are in Torbay on Auckland’s North Shore, just select that option when you check out online.

Being in the Hifi business I have the opportunity to play with many products of various performance and price. It is just natural to play with the more expensive gear because that is where the excitement lies! But life is about balance, we are all different and different things are important to us. We all started somewhere at someplace in life. I did too.

I still remember my first Hifi set I bought. I remember how I did my research, how I saved up and then finally had to borrow a few $ from my bank before I could buy my dream system. I still remember how excited I was, that new smell right out of the box. I felt the weight, looked at the finish, set it up and listened to it for the first time. It SOUNDED MUCH BETTER than in the shop! Maybe it was my imagination? Who cares, it was mine! I was hooked.

However it did not take a long time before the ‘upgrade bug’ got hold of me. I still remember that adrenaline rush to search and save up for the new amp, then new speakers and so on… About 10 years later I sold my last component of my first Hifi set, a Technics SL-1200 turntable. I replaced it with a Technics SL-1100, the father of them all, which I still have today.

Why this story? Because I came across a set of speakers that are targeted for the first time buyer, but unlike the cheap plastic rubbish that are now dished up for the young, this is something special, something I would have been proud to own as a first time buyer. So if you are on a budget (or perhaps even if you’re not) this is for you. Why? Because not every Tom, Dick and Harry will have them and you will not get them at the stores that sell the plastic models. The really good news is that you will not pay more, in fact you will pay less for a far better product, that will sound better and will last longer!

When I look at a new audio product to buy I look at these four L’s in this order: LOOKS, LABEL (Brand), LIST price (RRP) and if a product ticks these 3 L’s then I will finally LISTEN to it. I will only consider buying a product if it tics all four L’s. The new Mordaunt Short Carnival speakers are such products. I was stunned when I first lay my eyes, hands and ears onto them, how is this possible for this kind of money? Let’s look at how these new speakers fit the 4 x L criteria.

LOOKS

• Modern, stylish slim-line MDF cabinets – no chip board here
• Attractive ‘wood look’ finish – no cheap, shiny plastic here.
• Woven composite ‘Kevlar type’ driver cones with proper metal phase plugs – no plastic dummy plugs here
• Proper rubber surrounds for durability – not cheap foam that perishes

The Carnival 6 and 8 floorstanders come with outrigger feet and spikes to stabilize them. They even have a separate mass loading compartment at the bottom that you can fill with sand to anchor them to your floor to make their bass even more solid and to reduced cabinet vibration even further. Both the floorstanders and the Carnival 2 book shelf can be bi-wired as well! The bass reflex ports are on the front allowing closer placement to the back wall without the dreaded bass drone of rear ported products. All these features are trademarks of high end speakers and it is a very nice touch of Mordaunt Short to add them to the Carnival range at this price point.

The black finish looks like real wood, its a black ash, not a black satin finish.

The three ‘show models’ in the range to me is the tiny Carnival 1, the ultra slim-line small Carnival 6 floor-stander and the Carnival 7 sub.

The Carnival 1 is a tiny speaker, about the size of your hand, but to give them heart Mordaunt Short made them sealed units, thus no bass reflex port that can make that terrible port noise on small speakers. You can also mount them directly against the wall (they come with small brackets fitted). The Carnival 1’s are far better looking in their wood look finish than their mass market plastic speaker counterparts. More importantly, they sound like a proper speaker not like a transistor radio speaker, but they do need to be paired with a subwoofer to reach the lower notes.

The Carnival 6 is to me the star in the range. It ticks all the right boxes. It’s a super slim line model, only 910 mm high with its spikes fitted. They have a soft dome tweeter and two bass/mid range drivers. The grill only covers the drivers on the cabinet and leaves enough wood to enhance their aesthetic appeal.

The Carnival 7 sub is next on the list. This must be one of the most elegant subs I have seen, it’s small, less than a 12″ cube but with a performance that will stun you. The four outrigger feet and spikes are a further nice touch to add to their looks. So this new Carnival range definitely ticks the LOOK box with great WAF (Wife Acceptance factor).

LABEL

The Brand Mordaunt Short is one of the great success stories of UK speaker manufacturers. They have a great pedigree that stood the test of time for more than 40 years and has won many awards for their speakers. Unlike most other British speakers companies like Wharfedale, Kef, Mission, Quad etc that have sold to Chinese companies, Mordaunt Short are still a UK company with huge research and design facilities in the UK. Every component in every speaker, even their drivers are all in-house propriety designs. They produce some of the most advance drivers you can find today holding various patent rights on speaker designs and drivers that span over many years. So you can tick the LABEL box as well.

LIST PRICE

When I first heard the RRP of these speakers I thought it was per speaker not per pair! The RRP in NZ $ range from only $249 pr to $1099 pr for the most expensive Carnival 8′s, and when compared to overseas pricing, NZ is one of the cheapest places to get these incredible speakers.

How they can do all this for so little money is beyond me? The only thing I can think of is that Mordaunt Short realised that they had to be better than the onslaught from the east. They have done it and we benefit from that… so you can definitely tick the PRICE box!

LISTENING TESTS

As pointed out before one of the stars for me in this line up is the Carnival 6 floorstanders. They must be the best value for money floor-standers available in NZ to-date. Their sound is crystal clear, with a rich midrange and the bass is tight and fast, lacking only the deep bass notes which is in any case you can leave for a sub. The sound is slightly on the bright side of neutral but that is best for Home Theatre in any case. So this is an ideal speaker if your choice is 60% movies and 40% music.

When compared to normal floor-standing speakers the Carnival 6 looks very slim-lined and aesthetically pleasing see picture comparing it to the Mordaunt Short Aviano 6.

If you want to go for 70% music then I would go for its big brother the Carnival 8. This is a lot of speaker for the money and makes for some serious competition for floorstanders under the $1500 mark. Delivering big sound and solid bass and a rich full bodied midrange, while the treble is slightly toned down compared to its smaller brother, the Carnival 6 however this makes the Carnival 8 a more listenable music speaker that you can turn up quite loud before the treble becomes too prominent.

Of the two bookshelf models the Carnival 1 is definitely the looker. This is one of the most beautiful and striking looking micro speakers I have seen. It’s very well built with a lot of weight showing no skimping on cheap magnets here and yes the phase plug is real not a fake one and the plug itself is metal not plastic! It’s a sealed enclosure and there in lies a small problem… They are not as efficient as the others in the range and thus needs more power to drive than their bigger brothers. Strange but true (see our blog on efficiency). However they have the advantage that you can hang them directly on the wall with none of the problems you will have with speakers with bass reflex ports.

I think that was Mordaunt short’s idea with this model: to use them in movie 5.1 setup that you can directly hang on the walls (they come with small wall brackets already fitted). Thus when you combining them with the dedicated Carnival 5 centre and the Carnival 7 sub you will get an entry level, all wood look, 5.1 movie set that can take on more expensive sets at a fraction of the cost. They are crisp and clear sounding with a clear midrange so you will hear every detail, backed up by a tight and punchy sub.

The much larger Carnival 2’s are definitely the better sounding model of the two bookshelf models. They have the same clarity as the Carnival 6’s but the midrange is where they really shine. To me delicate vocals sound the best on the Carnival 2 speakers. So if that is your preferred music taste go for them and just add the Carnival 7 or 9 sub to give you that extra bit of bass they lack. This is also the speakers that Sam Telling of Stereophile raved about. I cannot say it better than the well respected Sam Telling so I rather quote him:

Stereophile: Mordaunt-Short Carnival 2 loudspeaker By Sam Tellig, August 2009.

The Carnival 2s imaged like crazy. Their soundstage was deep and wide, the images solid and stable. What’s wrong with these $250 sneakers-er, speakers? Nothing. Buy a pair just for fun.

The treble was refined and surprisingly sweet. Or not surprisingly: the soft-dome tweeter is made of fabric.

I didn’t catch a case of metal-dome tweeteritis, the way I do with so many cheap and less cheerful speakers.

So yes, this is probably one of the BEST VALUE for MONEY BOOKSHELF speakers you can buy.

The Carnival 3 dipole rears can be placed on stands but its best to hang them on the side walls.  As all the dedicated movie fans will know dipole rears are by far the best as they disperse the sound around you, rather than directing it straight at you. The Carnival 3’s are probably the cheapest dipole rears you can buy in NZ. Not only that, they have each 4 drivers (two tweeters and two mids – most others only have one tweeter). Even if you already have other speakers and looking for dipole rears the Carnival 3 are so cheap its worth just to buy a set for your HT room regardless, you will then experience how real ‘surround sound’ can be.

That leaves us with the Carnival 9 sub. I specifically left this for last because this is something special… for $699. Yes that is right, only $699! There is not a sub that I have ever heard at this price that can even compete with this guy! It’s not small at just under 15″ cubed with a 10″ driver with solid big rubber surrounds. This sub has all the right virtues of a great sub for movies (and for music if you get the settings and position in your room right). For this money you could buy two, one for the front corner and one for the rear corner and I doubt if you will ever want to upgrade your subs. The outrigger feet and spikes add a touch of class to this magnificent sub nothing can come close at this price!

So we you can definitely tick the LISTEN box on all the Carnival series as well.

So which model is right for you?

From my experience with this exceptional value for money speaker range this is my recommendations:

Carnival 1 Package: 4 x Carnival 1 + Carnival 5 center + Carnival 7 sub
For rooms less than 30 sqm and importance HT 75% and music 25%

If you want a minimalist life style set and your preference is movies then I cannot think of any speaker set available in NZ for this type of money that can beat the Carnival 1 5.1 set 1. If you can spend the extra $200, go for the Carnival sub 9 it is well worth the extra especially for a bigger room..

Carnival 2 Package: 2 x Carnival 2 + 2 x Carnival 3 + Carnival 5 cen + Carnival 7 sub
For rooms less than 30sqm and importance HT 55% and music 45%

If your room is less than 30sqm and music is more important than movies go for the Carnival 2 as front speakers, they excel at vocal music. You can then add the package later if you want to expand into movies as well. Again if you can afford an extra $200 go for the Carnival 9 sub and this system will fill rooms up to 50sqm.

Carnival 6 Package: 2 x Carnival 6 + 2 x Carnival 3 + Carnival 5 cen + Carnival 7 sub
For rooms less than 50 sqm and importance HT 50% and music 50%

If music and movies are equally important to you but you cannot afford a whole 5.1 package now go for the Carnival 6 and add the rest later as we recommend in set 6. The Carnival 6 speakers excel on fine delicate and acoustic type of music, like guitar and Jazz. If you can stretch an extra $200 we definitely recommend the Carnival 9 sub. This is also important if your room is bigger than 50sqm

Carnival 8 Package: 2 x Carnival 8 + 2 x Carnival 3 + Carnival 5 cen + Carnival 9 sub
For rooms more than 30sqm and importance HT 45% music 55%

If music is more important to you than movies and you just want a pair of front speakers then the Carnival 8 is the answer. They are good for all types of music but excel on modern music. If you later want to expand into movies then we recommend the Carnival 8 package. In terms of subs, you need the bigger Carnival 9 with these speakers.

To sum up

As you by now probably gathered our favourites is the Carnival 6 floorstanders, Carnival 2 bookshelf speakers and the Carnival 9 sub. They are all exceptional value for money. However all of the new Mordaunt Short Carnival range speakers have a place and it all depends on your room and you preferred music and/ or movie taste. One thing is for sure… we have never seen a value for money speaker range like this in NZ to date.

We are very excited to announce we now stock Audioengine products! Audioengine has really impressed us with their future lead designs embracing digital music. The A2 ($395) and A5 ($695) speakers are the perfect complement for your iPod, laptop, PC, CD player, well just about anything really that has an output! With built in amplifiers there is no need for a separate amp, just plugin your iPod and you’re away, away to high fidelity sound from a compact system. The S8 subwoofer ($795) is 8″ downfiring design that really complements the A2 well as these are a little light on bass – as you would expect from such a small wooden cabinet.  Take a look at the range, and continue reading about what Mike Mercer had to say about the A2′s.

Sonic Satori: i-Fi is The Future, Bring Your Computer Closer to High Fidelity… by Michael Mercer

It’s a great time to be a music and sound addict. As stated before in this column; we now have unprecedented access to music in this age of instant media delivery. The audio purists may pooh-pooh MP3 and the like, but their complaints are irrelevant. Not every music file or stream on the web is poor quality. Like everything else in life; you can choose what level of quality you get. You just have to spend a little time investigating what’s out there. Forget the haters, the doubters, the pocket-protector audiophiles who deny that a computer can be just as legitimate a source as their favorite CD/SACD deck. Now, is there still a place for vinyl/analog? Of course there is (hell I only DJ with vinyl, no CDs), but this isn’t about excluding anything. It’s about accepting the present, and forging ahead with the same enthusiasm that analog-driven music systems once inspired in some of the great audio designers.

Fortunately there are many companies in the Hifi business not only accepting this digital, downloadable revolution, but actually embracing it; and we – the end users, get to bask in their audible efforts. Here I’ll tackle two components that can work beautifully together or individually, in case you already own either one (speakers, or an external DAC for your computer).

AUDIOENGINE A2 Powered Speakers – $395.00

These little gems have taken both the desktop audio and high end communities by storm with their unbelievable dynamics, packed into tiny boxes, not to mention the price! Measuring in at only 6”(H) x 4”(W) x 5.25”(D) you’d think the sound of these speakers would be limited by their physical size. This is far from true. As a matter of fact, they are so impressive I put them atop my list of seriously high valued audio products (the Wadia iTransport being another, along with the HRT Streamer II USB DAC, both covered here previously). Their ability to create depth and width is simply astounding, and many of my own clients have said so without any solicitation from me.

They also look fantastic; available in high gloss white and black. AUDIOENGINE also offers a desktop stand for the speakers (a sort of wedge, which helps to raise their firing angle; aiding in image specificity when seated between them at your desk). They offer two inputs, one via stereo-mini (1/8”) and the other standard RCA jacks. The power block is about the size of a PC laptops power supply, and this is one of the reasons they sound far better than anything in their league. Another is the fact that unlike most powered monitor speakers that have the on-board amplifier in both cabinets, AUDIOENGINE puts a stereo amplifier in one box (the left channel) and then you feed the right channel through standard speaker wire. This keeps the noise level induced by the amplifier down, allowing for the music to shine through.

You simply have to hear these speakers to believe how good they are, and if you’re skeptical, be my guest and do some online research. I bet you’d have trouble finding a mediocre review. That’s a rarity, especially in an audio product that carries a price tag of $395. I’m not saying you’re going to shake the windows with their bass response, as the small size has obvious drawbacks when it comes to bottom end, but they also make a subwoofer (review to come soon), which can take care of everything below. I’ve listened to everything from Future Sound of London to Martin Sexton on these mini-monitors, and they surprise me every time. For the end-user who’s not interested in floorstanders taking over their room, or even stand-mounted bookshelf speakers (AUDIOENGINE offers their A5 for this application) the A2 provides unmatched musical performance in both this size and price range. Check them out ASAP. You won’t be disappointed.

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You can continue reading Mike’s article on his Sonic Satori blog over at the Daily Swarm

View the Audioengine range and more images

York St recording studio in Auckland’s parnell opened their doors to the public yesterday. Tiens and I went along to see what goes into making a record and were keen to see this impressive facility. The thing that stood out for me the most was how friendly and genuine the crew are, these guys obviously love what they’re doing. The work that goes into the acoustics of each space was impressive, different spaces to achieve different sounds, room shape and diffusing the sound rather than killing it seemed to be the key to perfect acoustic reverberation.

It was interesting talking to Hook – one of the studio engineers – about compression in recordings. They don’t like it as just as much as us Hifi guys, but they have to please their customer. A band who is trying to ‘make it’ wants their recording to stand out, and some bands want compression so their track sounds louder, not just on the radio but also when those record company bosses are flicking through tracks of new artists looking for a group to sign, they want to stand out. It was good though, to hear that bands tend to cater for their audience, so for bands who target younger people who the majority of which are only going to listen in mp3 on their iPod headphones, the compression is cranked. Other bands who’s audience is a little more refined shall we say, use less compression because they know people will be listening at home or want the record to sound good on their own higher quality systems.

What is also nice about York St is the history behind it and the history behind the mighty Neve desk. Here’s a little description from wikipedia:

The heart of the control room is the vintage 1974 EMI Neve. There were 7 of these consoles made by the legends at Neve specifically for EMI studios around the world, one of which was in Wellington, New Zealand. One is at U2′s studio in Dublin, one is at ICP studios in Brussels, Belgium, two have been put together as one large console and is in Steakhouse studios in Hollywood CA, two are currently being put together at the Great Linford Manor in England and number 7 is here at York Street in New Zealand, which is the only one left in original condition and retains the same warmth and clarity as the day it was built…… Kept in immaculate condition, the console is a lovely sounding beast.

There’s some nice photos on both the York St site and Wikipedia so take a look if you want more, but here’s my shots from the day taken on my phone.

Also, here’s the latest Nathan King song filmed at York St:

Thanks again to the York St crew, especially Hook who spent a lot of time showing us around, we had a great time!

Mike and I have been talking via Twitter for a few weeks now,  thanks to Gary Morrision (of Plinius fame) and we have mainly been talking about how we can, as Mike puts it, “spread
our audible disease to the masses”.

For a while now I’ve been wanting to write something on the topic of getting the most from your digital music collection (and specifically talk about the Wadia range of iPod products) so when I came across an article Mike wrote I thought, well, I’ll be honest, it’s better than what I would have written! So anyway I asked Mike if I could re post it here and he not only agreed, but sent me the unedited version of the Wadia bit… Mike you rock, keep up the great work and you’re welcome here anytime!

- Brendan

As a music addict I constantly download and stream tunes I cannot get in physical formats. As a HiFi enthusiast I also make every effort to ensure the music I am listening to sounds the best it possibly can—though it can be frustrating trying to coax quality sound from digital music devices. But if you know what you’re doing, it is possible to enhance the sonic integrity of your iTunes, iPhone, and iPod-based music systems at a reasonable price.

So how to do it? One of the answers lies in an essential part of any digital playback system, a component the high end audio community has been focused on improving for many years: the DAC (the digital-to-analog converter). Every digital player, whether it be a simple CD deck or a Blu Ray unit, has an internal DAC. We are analog beings and process auditory information in analog. No matter how many bits your digital system offers, the resolution, the sample rate, the bit rate; all the information needs to be converted back to analog in order to hear it. This is where some systems shine and others falter.

The biggest sonic obstacle lying in your digital path to better sound is your computer’s internal DAC. If you’re using the headphone jack/output (as most people are) to drive your desktop speakers or your stereo system you are relying on the computer’s internal DAC for the digital to analog processing which more often than not compromises sound quality.

Here I’ll discuss two different devices to improve your computer’s sonic performance, available at both your local HiFi dealer (yes, they do still exist) and various HiFi websites. Some will even allow you to demo the unit before making a final decision.

The Wadia 170i Transport is an iPod dock (not a DAC actually), but it is no ordinary dock.  Most consumer units may allow for the physical docking of your iPod and even give you access to the screen’s menus via your flat panel and other neat features, but they do nothing with regard to the digital processing of musical information.  Most of the docks offered simply pull the analog signal from the iPod (thus relying, again, on an inferior DAC, this time in the iPod itself).  Wadia was the first to build a component that not only accesses the digital datastream of the iPod, but actually pulls that datastream out through its COAX output (this cable looks just like the standard RCA interconnects you typically use, but this one needs to be a dedicated digital cable for best results).

The Wadia is larger than other docks, but stylish.  At 8″ wide x 2.7″ high x 8.0″ deep, and weighing in at 4.6 lbs, this thing is hefty and just about half the size of your average component.  It supports most iPods, and comes with multiple plastic inserts to accommodate different models.  It does not support the iPhone, but Wadia is about a month away (last I checked) (It’s available now in NZ – Brendan) from introducing their new 171i Transport which will provide iPhone support.  Needless to say they are on their game (which is also why the company has a stellar reputation for performance in audiophile circles).

The main sonic advantage of this component is it allows the user to incorporate a better external DAC.   If you happen to own a surround sound receiver for example (that does Dolby Digital EX and DTS for movies) then you probably have a digital COAX input (how you would normally get your multi-channel sound) then you can use it in conjunction with the Wadia.  This input leads to your receivers internal DAC, which, if it’s of decent quality, will sound far better than using the headphone output of the iPod.  Even if you don’t have a surround sound receiver, many new stereo receivers have digital inputs as well, though most of the receivers sold today are fully surround sound equipped (so, you’re covered).

When we first got the Wadia iTransport I was a little skeptical as to how much better the sound could be through my iPod.  The iPod wasn’t, after all, for me, something that I relied on for good sound.  It was merely the digital carrying case for all the music I wanted to listen to on the go.  Does this sound familiar?  I was stunned to hear just how much better some of my compressed files sounded actually!  Mostly live DJ mixes, usually around 192k mp3s, sounded more dynamic and had far more bottom end than I even thought possible for an mp3 file (some music seems to lend itself better to certain forms of compression – I find anyway).  The uncompressed files offered another level of musical reference entirely.  The atmospheric sounds of Radiohead’s Kid A sounded just as lush and textural as they did when I played the production CD (and my CD playback system is no slouch).  However, as the old adage goes; crap in, crap out.  If the files you are playing sound like shite to begin with, they’re not going to get any better with the Wadia, but if the file is decent you will be able to hear far deeper into the music than ever before.  Do uncompressed (or even less compressed, such as AAC files) take up more space in your hard-drive?  Of course they do, but everything is about compromise; everything.  Me; I’d rather spend a little more money on more hard drive space – and they are far less expensive now than they were even two years ago.

The bottom line here: The Wadia 170 iTransport costs a little less than an iPhone, so doesn’t it seem worth it if you can turn your iPod into a far better sounding piece of hardware?  Again; the source itself is always the most important thing, but if you fill your iPod (or just use a fair portion of its memory) with decent sounding music the Wadia will help you unlock its sonic potential; potential most people don’t even know exists (or even care about).  I can’t live without mine, and that is perhaps the best thing I can say about it.  By the way:  It also has video outputs, so you can download movies off iTunes onto your iPod, and then dock it to the Wadia, giving you access to that movie on a bigger screen.

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You can continue reading the rest of Mike’s article over at The Daily Swarm

For more info on the Wadia range of products checkout:

Wadia 170i Transport $749

Wadia 171i Transport $899 (iPhone Supported model)

Wadia 151 PowerDAC Mini Amplifier $1999 – Matches above Transports, stunning unit.

Follow Mike on Twitter and also check out Positive-Feedback where Mike writes…

Thanks to Mike again for this great post, so are you ready to go digital?

It comes around every year and I for one love it. NZ Music month is a great way for the music industry here in New Zealand to showcase globally what we’ve got going on in our little musical corner of the world. As well as some great NZ new releases we also get spoilt for choice with the amount of gigs going on, so get out there amongst it and enjoy some fine New Zealand music.

Here’s some NZ music that’s worth checking out:

The new Phoenix Foundation album (and their old albums too!) is well worth a listen, here’s the first single off the album

The Phoenix Foundation – Buffalo
(Embedding is disabled so you’ll have to watch it on Youtube, but come back!)

When I hear The Mint Chicks on the radio, I always find myself turning it up and singing along, their latest single Say Goodbye is no different. I can’t find a video of that online so here’s an older track:

The Naked and Famous are an Auckland band that I think will be around a while, I think their style is very timely and they’ve done a stellar job of their video Young Blood, I look forward to more from this band.

The Artisan Guns are another Kiwi band to keep an eye on. Autumn has been out for a little while now and did pretty well on the charts here, I think they have a sound that will be well received offshore, let’s just hope they get the chance.

In June last year Chris Knox one of NZ’s great songwriters suffered a life altering stroke. The album ‘Stroke’ is a celebration of Chris and his music – it’s a bunch of friends and fans playing his songs.  To find out more about the album visit http://www.chrisknox.co.nz/

Here’s one of Jay Reatard’s last recordings, Chris’ song “pull down the shades” off the album Stroke

And one for our International readers – Poi e updated with some shots from the latest NZ movie Boy – You can’t get more Kiwi than this

And of course remember to check out all the local acts playing this month, you’ll find a gig guide on the NZ music month site

One last thing, NZ music isn’t just for one month of the year, you’ll see two NZ albums made my Top 9 of 09 list last year.

Support your local.

We just sent out our April newsletter, in it you’ll see we have some great bargains from Magneplanar, Marantz and some special package deals. We’re also very excited about the launch of Mordaunt Short speakers in New Zealand, offering staggering value for money. Plus, we have some great new products from all the top brands.

Here’s a snippet from the newsletter regarding HDMI 1.4:

It’s a very interesting time in the Hifi market at the moment, on the one hand we have struggling retailers closing their doors, and on the other we have an AV market flooded with out of date TVs and AV receivers being sold at very low prices. With the onslaught of 3D and HDMI 1.4 enabled TVs, Blu ray players and AV Receivers, it makes the world of Home Theatre a daunting place for customers!

HDMI 1.4 adds the capability of sending two high definition (1080p) signals simultaneously – for 3D – as well as enabling and internet connection over the HDMI cable, its easy to see where AV products are heading. If you want the latest and are trying to future proof your purchase, you may want to wait until the HDMI 1.4 spec AV products hit the market here in NZ. If you just want a high quality receiver that has the latest high definition surround formats and aren’t bothered with 3D, then the Cambridge Audio 650R Receiver is for you.

If you missed out, you can view it online, but make sure you get the next one, by subscribing to our mailing list – we promise not to pass your details onto anyone else.

Always keen to hear your thoughts, so make yourself known and post a comment!

Quite often I get asked, so what are you listening to at the moment?

Well here’s an answer to that question, well kind of, the list is much longer in reality…

I hope you enjoy these wonderfully talented artists, some of whom will never be heard by many amongst the masses of commercial pop on the air waves.

So what are you listening to?

There has been plenty of best of lists going around the ‘interweb’ in the past few weeks… this got me thinking, what is my top 9 of 09?

Here it is:

#9 Animal Collective – Merriweather Post Pavilion

This album definitely took a few listens and for me its not one where I sit down and make it through the whole thing.. but there are great moments and My Girls is epic!

#8 Fanfarlo – Reservoir

I’ve only had this album a week or two and heard many friends raving about it, in fairness I need to give it more time and if I had it could well have made it higher up this list. A great debut, watch out for what these guys do next.

#7 Andrew Bird – Noble Beast

Noble Beast was my first introduction to singer songwriter Andrew Bird, I found myself listening to this album over and over, its a great recording and collection of songs and Bird’s voice is wonderful.

#6 The Veils – Sun Gangs

“A very modern mixture of prayers, love letters and personal record keeping” is how lead singer Finn Andrews described The Veils finest offering to date, outstanding song writing. Check out this nice little short film about the band and the album. Made in NZ. Love it.

#5 Wilco – Wilco (The Album)

The much hyped and anticipated Wilco album, I must admit I didn’t use to be a Wilco fan but after seeing Jeff Tweedy and the boys live at the seven worlds concert I was converted. I still find ‘Sky Blue Sky’ boring but this album is great, some fun catchy tunes and Tweedy’s voice has never sounded better.

#4 Lady of the Sunshine – Smoking Gun

Angus Stone steps out into a side project with fantastic results, a great album that I’ve thrashed. If you’re a fan of Angus & Julia Stone, grab this, if you’re not do it anyway.

#3 Dimmer – Degrees of Existence

Shayne Carter has been working hard and the results have paid off. One of my favourite NZ artists and another solid album. I wasn’t sure on the single ‘Degrees of Existence’ at first so if this is all you’ve heard, listen to the rest of it. ‘Too far gone to care’ is genius.

#2 Dan Auerbach – Keep it Hid

Black Keys front man Auerbach steps out on his own and delivers a great album, making the #1 spot for Amazon’s best of 09. A great raw sound and his musical talent shines through.

#1 Phoenix – Wolfgang Amadues Phoenix

Wow. Ok I’ve always been a Phoenix fan but this album blew me away, especially after their last mediocre effort.  ’1901′ has to be my favourite track of the year. Its not the longest album around but its solid. It works as an album start to finish, you listen to the whole thing each time you put it on. Its fun, its recorded well and my subwoofer loves it

In terms of singles of the year, Moth Wings by Passion Pit and Sweetest Disposition by The Temper Trap are worthy of a mention as is My Girls by Animal Collective… but as mentioned above 1901 by Phoenix gets my vote.

Well there you have it, what are your picks?