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Tag: Review

Rococo Systems Linn Kiko review

It’s arrived! We knew our Linn Kiko was coming today and for some reason that made the coffee this morning here at Rococo Systems taste much better.  The anticipation and debate on what time the courier would arrive started about 07:30 and didn’t stop till the doorbell rang at just minutes before 11am. I’ve never known the staff here so eager to answer the door, so well done Kiko for staff motivation before we even get our hands on you. The Kiko comes in Linn’s new white packaging, very slick and extremely strong, as you would expect such an item to arrive.  Tape cut and flaps opened the smell of new hi-fi filled the air and there was a combined “aaahhh” heard all round. Once out the box we knew we had a winner on our hands Linn really have stepped out the zone with the Kiko.  It’s sleek, shiny and right away you start to picture all the places it could be placed round the home or office. The next surprise was the weight of the speakers, “wow” no messing here with these small but well built active speakers.  Again, they compliment the design of the Kiko perfectly.  By this point the excitement was really buzzing lots of “ooo’s, aaa’s” and head nodding going on. Just when we thought that was it for surprises we got a hold of the new K40 speaker cables, approx 2m long and silver.  The weight of these cables dictates the quality and becomes another exciting part of the Linn Kiko set up. We eventually stopped drooling long enough to set the Kiko up, which will easily fit on a shelf and has been designed as a true lifestyle piece at home in any room and 99% of room locations.  Our Kiko is white, which gave it an even more contemporary and desirable look. Ethernet cable plugged in and power on, our first choice was Barb Jungr, Walking in Menphis…………………………………WE CAN’T BELIEVE HOW GOOD THE LINN KIKO SOUNDS!  Crisp, rich depth even at low level, turn it up though and in return your ears will be rewarded with a punchy wholesome experience that you can’t help by smile with. The Kiko may be little but it misses nothing, it’s a real contender in the marketplace.  As Linn people to the core, we knew it would be good, but we honestly didn’t expect it to be this good, it’s excellent!  Take every component above described, put it all together, which is a simple plug and play job even for the most inexperienced person and you really have something terrific. The Kiko knocks spots off similar priced, lifestyle competition on the market right now.  For too long customers have been asking for such a product from Linn and now it’s arrived, they won’t be disappointed. The price point of £2500 now seems really keen and super value in comparison to other less impressive “lifestyle” systems.  If you’re in the market for a lifestyle system for you home, office, holiday home, boat or cabin, then giving the Linn Kiko houseroom is probably the best Audio decision you can make this year! Read more on the Linn Kiko at our online shop order yours today and start to enjoy your music, as it should be wherever you want. https://rococosystems.com/ecom-prodshow/Linn-Kiko.html  

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The 10 Greatest Music Gadgets ever.

What are the greatest music gadgets ever invented? Find out which 10 important pieces of music-making kit changed everything for the better. As Friedrich Nietzsche once said: “Life without music would be a mistake.” 1. Dansette (1952)   Selling one million units in the 50s and 60s, Dansette became a household name in post-war Britain just as the music industry blossomed with first The Shadows and subsequently The Beatles. Made in London, the Dansette was an integrated player, complete with built-in amp and speaker. It set the look for turntables of the era and, more importantly, provided the soundtrack to My Generation, baby. Original price: 33 Guineas | Used by: The Beatles | Dansette.co.uk 2. Regency TR-1 Transistor (1954)   Built by Texas Instruments and I.D.E.A., this coupled the former’s transistors with the latter’s antenna nous to produce the first widely successful portable radio. Now a design icon, the TR-1 – or, more accurately, its cheaper successors – changed the world by allowing suburban kids to hear the “race” (ie: black) music that became known as rock and roll. Step aside Eddie Izzard: THIS was the first world-famous trannie. Original price: $50 | Used by: Chuck Berry | Regencytr1.com 3. Fender Stratocaster (1954)   The iconic ‘Strat’ is still the most recognisable electric guitar in the world. Selling in the millions even today, the classic features a solid body, three single-coil pick-ups and a double cutaway design that allows easy access to the higher octaves. Widely mimicked, but rarely bettered, it’s been used by everyone from punks to bluesmen to progressive noodlers such as Mike Oldfield.   Original price: $250 | Used by: Jimi Hendrix | Fender.com 4. Minimoog (1970)   The monophonic Minimoog revolutionised music one note at a time, putting the alien sounds of hitherto room-sized, wallet-busting synths into a more portable and affordable package. Synthesized bloops and squawks began to creep into the repertoire of everyone from Floyd to Zeppelin, then the proto-electro of Kraftwerk and Tangerine Dream. According to no less an authority than Rick Wakeman, the Minimoog “absolutely changed the face of music”. Original price: $1,495 | Used by: Kraftwerk | Moogmusic.com 5. Linn Sondek LP12 (1972)   The LP12 is the world’s best-known hi-fi turntable. Made in Glasgow, the deck has cult status in audiophile circles, dominated the scene in the 70s and 80s and is used by many an audio reviewer as a reference. The deck has countless after-market modification kits available, but its fundamental design remains unchanged from the 1972 original.   The Linn Sondek is available to buy at Rococo Systems & Design now. Grab yours here and receive fantastic savings! Original price: £80 | Used by: Rolling Stones | Linn.co.uk 6. Technics SL-1210 (1972)   Originally produced as a hi-fi consumer unit, and put out under a Panasonic offshoot brand, the SL-1210 and its very near cousin the SL-1200 have been synonymous with DJ setups since 1978. Rock solid in its build and reliability, and durable enough to withstand the worst the DMC World DJ Championship can throw at it, these are the original “wheels of steel”.   Original price: £120 | Used by: Every DJ in the history of dance music up to about 2008 | Panasonic.co.uk 7. Sony Walkman TPS-L2 (1979)     A portable cassette player with lightweight headphones, the Walkman kick-started the MTV age. It was high-tech, miniature Japanese engineering at its finest and became an icon. Which is why Sony still clings to the brand to this very day.     Original price: $200 | Used by: Michael Jackson | Sony.com 8. Roland TR-808 (1980)   One of the first cheap drum machines, the 808 was originally built as a studio tool to help create demos, but its “unrealistic”, clonking sound soon found favour with hip-hop artists. Used on more hit records than any other drum machine, it also powered the dance music revolution of the late 80s, along with Roland’s TB-303 “acid machine”.   Original price: $1,195 | Used by: Beastie Boys | Roland.co.uk 9. Korg M1 (1988)     More than just a keyboard, the M1 was a full-on workstation: a MIDI sequencer with a bank of sounds that went on to become the best-selling digital synthesiser of all time. Ahead of its time, the M1 had a 4MB capacity – hey, that was tonnes in ’88 – expansion slots and an LCD display.   Original price: $2,166 | Used by: Pet Shop Boys | Korg.co.uk 10. Apple iPod (2001)   Jobs and Ive’s thin white juke has done as much for music appreciation as any device, putting “1,000 songs in your pocket” at launch. Since then it’s caused the demise of the high-street music shop, replaced albums with playlists and turned Apple into a behemoth. Yet with iOS switching its iPod app to Music and the Classic’s design gathering dust, is the end almost nigh?   Original price: $400 for 5GB model | Used by: Coldplay | Apple.com/uk

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Q Acoustics’ World Beating Speakers

Q Acoustics World Beating Speakers You have already seen the accolades given to the Q Acoustics 7000 and 2000i home cinema speakers in ‘What HI-FI? Sound & Vision’ and ‘Expert Reviews’, together with the rave reviews of the Q Acoustics 2020i and 2010i stereo speakers in ‘What HI-FI? Sound & Vision’. Now come even more fantastic reviews for these world beating loudspeakers. This time it’s the turn of ‘AV Forums’, ‘Hi-Fi Choice’ and ‘Home Cinema Choice’ magazines. There’s even one from Russia! Q Acoustics 2010i Hi-Fi Choice magazine (March 2012) gives the Q Acoustics 2010i an absolutely brilliant ‘5 STAR’ review. They describe the speaker as: ‘Tiny Dynamite’ and go on to say the 2010i delivers “Stunning musicality, alongside remarkable power handling.” Jason Kennedy, their very experienced reviewer states: “I was blown away by the musical integrity and sheer entertainment they deliver.” “it is far better than it has any right to be.” “it’s superb.” The truly amazing Q Acoustics 2010i is in stock right now Q Acoustics 7000 The March 2012 edition of Home Cinema Choice magazine bestows a fantastic 5 STAR review, together with their coveted ‘Best Buy’ accolade, on the elegant Q Acoustics 7000 5.1 Loudspeaker Package. This time it’s Adrian Justins who gives the speakers an extensive evaluation. Describing them he says they are: “Sumptuous” “The aluminium cabinets really are exquisite, beautifully finished in piano black.” As to the sound quality; Adrian says: “Straight away, I was impressed by the power and depth” he adds “Close your eyes and you might think these are coffin-sized floorstanders.” Being an ‘old school’ reviewer, Adrian knows that the real test of any good speakers is to find out how they perform with music. The answer: “I closed my eyes and listened to Hilary Hahn’s superb SACD recording of ‘The Lark Ascending’. I was transported to the orchestra pit of the Royal Albert hall, every instrument distinct and precise, even the sound of Hahn’s bow drawing down the violin strings.” Q Acoustics 7000 The hugely influential ‘AV Forums’ website has written a comprehensive 2,300 word review of the 7000 home cinema speaker package. Their reviewer concludes the product is: “frankly stunning for the price” “superb build, finish and thoughtful design touches abound … a product of seriously high value.” “We’re not talking perfection here, but it’s a damn site closer to it than it has any right to be for the price. The very definition of a ‘Best Buy’ award.” “For a budget sub/sat package, it’s damn near epic.” ‘From Russia With Love’ Q Acoustics 7000 It’s not just the UK market that loves Q Acoustics. Below is a brilliant review which has appeared in the latest issue of the Russian ‘Salon’ magazine. It declares the Q Acoustics 7000 is an ‘Editor’s Choice’, the magazine’s highest accolade. So, what’s the conclusion? The answer is that Q Acoustics loudspeakers are receiving rave reviews from every publication that hears them, wherever they are in the world. In short, they are popular, world beating products from a highly successful new British brand which delivers truly unrivalled value for money.

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Q Acoustics Introduces Its New 7000 Series

(And Gets Ready To Storm The ‘Style’ Home Cinema Market) We are very pleased to introduce Q Acoustics Q7000 a completely new ‘Style’ home cinema loudspeaker package with truly class leading performance. Describing the new speakers Tony Jones, Q Acoustics’ Brand Manager said: “They are small, look beautiful in either gloss black or gloss white finishes, and deliver an audio quality previously thought unattainable for ‘style’ speakers in the sub £1,000 price sector.” What Hi-Fi? Sound & Vision Magazine Agrees Fantastic Five Star review “giant-killing performance” “slim, sturdy and beautifully finished” “detail levels are sky high” “Soundstage is expansive, coherent and rigorously focused” “it’s mightily impressive” “Q Acoustics has hit the bull’s eye”   Click here to view the article featuring Q Acoustics 7000 Series.

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Grado Wins 25 Stars!

Grado Fantastic Reviews Grado headphones receive so many fantastic reviews, but this year they have topped them all. The September 2011 edition of What HI-FI? Sound & Vision magazine conducts a ‘Megatest’ of more than 40 pairs of headphones. The huge seventeen page review includes five Grado models; the iGrado, SR80i, SR325i, PS1000 and the in-ear GR10 models. The result? I’m sure you’ve guessed it already: Grado Wins 25 Stars! By which of course we mean each and every pair of Grado headphones receives a resounding ‘FIVE STARS’ from the expert reviewers.   Grado iGrado What Hi-Fi? Sound and Vision, September 2011 Click here to view the full article, featuring Grado iGrado.     Grado PS1000 What Hi-Fi? Sound and Vision, September 2011 Click here to view the full article, featuring Grado PS1000.     Grado SR325i What Hi-Fi? Sound and Vision, September 2011 Click here to view the full article, featuring Grado SR325i.     Grado SR80i What Hi-Fi? Sound and Vision, September 2011 Click here to view the full article, featuring Grado SR80i.     Grado GR10 What Hi-Fi? Sound and Vision, September 2011 Click here to view the full article, featuring Grado GR10.  

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New downloads from Linn Records

Premiere Recordings from Martin Chalifour Fans of Martin’s debut album will be pleased that the outstanding violinist is back with his second album which showcases his versatility with performances of Mozart, Lutoslawski and two premiere recordings. Recorded in the magnificent Walt Disney Hall (described by producer Bob Attiyeh as ‘a recording engineer’s dream’), Martin plays his famous 1716 Nathan Milstein golden-era Stradivarius, under the direction of two brilliant conductors. Sir Neville Marriner conducts the Los Angeles Philharmonic for a sublime performance of Mozart’s Violin Concerto No. 5 where Martin’s musicality shines through. Andrey Boreyko conducts the orchestra and Chalifour in Lutoslawski’s violin concerto Chain 2 which was originally written for Anne-Sophie Mutter. This album also includes the world premiere recording of Steven Stucky’s Tres Pinturas, featuring pianist Joanne Pearce Martin, and Esa Pekka Salonen’s Lachen verlent which complete this varied programme. Experience this delightful performance in Studio Master quality today. Click here to be taken to a download of this album.  

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