Cultured audio

I attended an ATC loudspeaker event at Cultured Audio and met Mike and Mark. The event was well organised and very informative. This resulted in a series of discussions related to simplifying a mid range classic Naim and Linn system to reduce the number of boxes and provide a more domestically acceptable installation. These ultimately led to a (very successful) home demonstration of ATC Active 40's and a Linn Selekt DSM managed by Mike. The final result was the replacement of our existing Naim four box amplifier, Naim loudspeakers and Linn Akurate DS with the new ATC loudspeakers and Linn Selekt configured with the Organik DAC. Mike was also able to make an offer which allowed us to replace our LP12 with brand new version, rather than upgrade our existing deck. All aspects of the installation and set up were manged by Mike and Mark. The end result they delivered was a massive upgrade in performance and an exceptionally neat installation. If you are seeking a system with the emphasis on musicality and the support of a very knowledgeable dealer I would have no hesitation in recommending Cultured Audio. A visit to their shop is an absolute must.
Mar 20th, 2023

Welcome home... After visiting most 'hifi shops' in my area, it's nice to finally find a store that really cares about MY journey to musical nirvana. I was in the market for a new set of speakers & Cultured Audio could not have been more helpful. We discussed my requirements at length, over some great coffee & then commenced on finding the sound I was searching for. Between shop & also home demo's of Kudos, ATC, PMC & Neat, I am now the proud owner of a lovely pair of Neat Petite Anniversary stand mounts. This took quite some weeks to achieve & I was well supported & never pressured with any kind of sales tactics at any point, just sound advice. Big thanks To Mike, Mark & Chris for bending over backwards to get me to my happy place & I'm looking forward to the next part of my journey down the road :-)
Mar 5th, 2023

Exemplary service from Cultured Audio. I was immediately impressed by the professional warm welcoming (including real coffee), but more importantly they carry a wide and deep selection of some great brands. After a few trips back and forth I decided to buy my first Naim Audio system, and Wow! they certainly recommended the best kit for my needs.
Feb 19th, 2022

If your going to upgrade or buy some new hi fi kit then I can highly recommend this company.. What you will need is plenty of time for listening so dont be in a rush.. Mike knows his equipment and is patient and laid back.. No hard sales here just a can do attitude to help guide you to musical nirvana.. If your after neet naim or atc speakers or the latest streamer look no further.. Not your usual hi fi shopping experience but something much more personal..
Jan 19th, 2022

Awesome stock and friendly - and patient - staff. They really went the extra mile to fit me up with the right system, the purchase was a pleasure from start to finish. I wholeheartedly recommend Cultured Audio. Edwards Audio TT4 turntable Being a software developer I am frequently reminded about the saying 'Garbage In, Garbage Out'. With respects to audio I feel this is even more important, because no matter how good an amp you have, if you are feeding it compressed noise then that is all you will get, perhaps just a little louder. With that in mind I got the best turntable I could get for my budget, the TT4. It's from a British company and in my mind that is important, call me old fashioned but I have been brought up on British audio and it was a factor in my decision making. So, unwrapping! it's looks are under-stated, classy but not flashy, with just enough quirkiness to justify the price. It makes a nice center piece to my front room, with just enough presence to nag you into playing just another record. Looking at the build, it has a nicely designed plinth of layered material, my guess so that it reduces vibrational noise from its platform. Set up was rather easy, helped mostly by the fact that Cultured Audio had set up the cartridge in advance, so the only adjustment left to me was the tonearm counterweight. I quickly found out that this is really important for getting the right sound out of it, and I had an enjoyable few minutes setting the weight, monitoring the sound quality with each fine increment. Satisfied I sat back and just let the first record play. Astonishingly, and I must admit to being used to some ropey hardware in the past, there was no noise. No earth hum, no rumble, no feedback from the speakers. Just clean precise sound. The build quality is excellent, but the quality of the sound also comes from the cartridge doesn't it. It comes with Edwards Audio's own cartridge, and in no way did this disappoint. The tones it generated were clear and precise without being fussy, enabling you to listen to each note in isolation or to relax and listen to the sound as a whole. I found myself zoning out just watching the record revolve picking out details from songs that I had never noticed before. So, that was playing a brand new pressing of a fairly contemporary album, 'Everything Else Has Gone Wrong' by the Bombay Bicycle Club. With my ears having devoured that album, I thought I'd give the deck another test: an original mono 60s pressing of Pet Sounds. Slightly loved through the years, I was expecting this record to perhaps sound a little flat compared to the punchy tones of Bombay Bicycle Club. But no, the sound was warm, engaging, and somewhat like I imagine Brian Wilson would have wanted his album to sound like. In all respects I would recommend this turntable or one of it's sisters. It's rare that a piece of electronics changes the way you look at life, but this kit is so good that is exactly what it has done. Next stop, the record shop...
Dec 19th, 2021