Sevenoaks Sound & Vision

Great article on our Witham store refurb in this months Essential Install magazine.

Essential Install Mag - SHOWROOM SHOWCASE: SEVENOAKS SOUND AND VISION WITHAM EI took a trip to the Witham branch of Sevenoaks Sound and Vision, one of the group’s most established and successful stores. A recent refurb of the main shop area and a new high-performance home cinema demo space meant there were plenty of exciting sights and sounds to learn more about.

Is it even an AVR? It's white! And not enormous! And it has a Spinal Tap gag on the volume dial! In Sevenoaks stores now https://tinyurl.com/AVRgoesto11 JBL

It was a pleasure to welcome McIntosh Laboratory Inc. Chief Design Officer Livio Cucuzza to our Sevenoaks store today to introduce our management team to the new Sonus faber Sonetto G2 range of loudspeakers.

Partnered with some very impressive McIntosh amplification, we were blown away by the exceptional build quality, meticulous attention to detail, and of course, the sublime sound created by these beautiful Italian speakers

It's competition time again! This month you've got the chance to win a gorgeous pair of Focal Hadenys high-end headphones worth £599. Hadenys combines contemporary design with hi-fi quality. Fitted with exclusive Focal speaker drivers, they deliver warm sound with remarkable depth and precision. https://www.sevenoakssoundandvision.co.uk/t-rewards-competition.aspx

Sevenoaks Sound and Vision is proud to announce it is now an Employee-Owned Business!

We’re delighted to tell you the exciting news that as of 30th June 2024 Sevenoaks Sound and Vision is now owned and controlled by an Employee-Owned Trust (EOT) acting for and on behalf of the employees of Sevenoaks Sound and Vision Limited.

At the core of this decision is the desire to ensure the business retains its existing character and ethos, both now, and into the future. Passing on the business to our valued employees will preserve the unique Sevenoaks culture and will empower us to take the business forward successfully into the future.

Going forward it is business as usual, and we hope our fantastic customers will agree that in taking these steps we are preserving the culture, first class service and operating style in which we have thrived together for over 52 years.

Thank you to all our customers, friends, and business partners who have supported us over the years – we wouldn’t be here without you!

The NAD Electronics C 700 is one of our best selling NAD products, so we are delighted to announce the launch of the all new V2 version, boasting numerous improvements over the original model, including an upgraded ESS 9028 DAC, a moving magnet phono stage, Dolby Digital decoding, optional Dirac Live room correction, and an included IR remote control. https://tinyurl.com/NAD-C-700-V2

Trade In your old Naim Audio CD Player* and save up to £1500 on a selected Naim streaming product!

Simply contact your nearest Sevenoaks store or call our sales line on 0333 016 4775 to arrange your trade in.

* More info and Ts and Cs here - https://tinyurl.com/Naim-Trade-In

https://www.sevenoakssoundandvision.co.uk/t-rewards-competition.aspx

A couple of weeks ago we were out and about enjoying the new Focal closed back Azurys headphones and we've just got our hands on their open backed sibling, the "Hadenys". Paired with the fantastic little IFi audio GO bar portable USB DAC, they're absolutely gorgeous - sure footed bottom end, sweet and breezy mids, and a very detailed but never harsh treble. We liked them out of the box, but found they needed quite a bit of running in before they really found their stride, and now they've had some time to breathe, we're absolutely loving them. Just don't take them on the bus, as you'll annoy everyone within 6 feet of you. https://tinyurl.com/Hadenys

Get ready to step back in time and immerse yourself in the golden age of music at Summertown Wine Bars upcoming event, "A Sinatra Serenade: Vinyl & Hi-Fi Experience." Taking place this Saturday, 18th May, from 7:00pm until 9:00pm, this special evening promises an unforgettable journey through the timeless melodies of Frank Sinatra.

Experience the nostalgia of vinyl as Summertown Wine Bar showcases the iconic Sinatra vinyl, "Songs For Swingin’ Lovers", played in full on high-quality hi-fi. Plus let this state-of-the-art equipment bring you lots more of the smooth sounds of Sinatra and let his voice transport you to another era, where elegance and sophistication reigned supreme.

https://tinyurl.com/Sinatra-Serenade

Getting to grips with the new Focal "Azurys" headphones. This closed back design is one of a pair of new high-end wired headphones from Focal, the other being the open back "Hadenys". They sound great (obviously) but we're really taken with the look and feel, in particular the very nice cool blue finish. Build quality is everything you'd expect from Focal, and we think that at £499 these represent great value for money. https://tinyurl.com/Focal-Azurys

After the success of their first event, our Oxford store will be hosting another Vinyl and Hi-Fi evening at Summertown Wine Bar this Saturday - this time we're travelling back to the 90's and celebrating Britpop!

With fine wines and food available throughout the evening, and music curated by our team, the event promises to be a wonderful night-out.

Attendees can expect a night filled with two iconic vinyl albums played in full, and the best of Britpop streamed in high quality from Qobuz. The curated music selection will transport guests back to the golden era of British pop, with hits from renowned artists filling the airwaves.

Entry to this event is free, but due to high demand, booking a table in advance is recommended. Secure your spot by visiting www.summertownwinebar.co.uk or calling 01865 556791.

For further information about the music line-up and hi-fi equipment, inquiries can be directed to our Oxford store at [email protected] or by calling 01865 241773.

Building a beautiful Michell Tecnodec. Really satisfying job!

https://tinyurl.com/Select-27

ONE WEEK LEFT TO ENTER! https://tinyurl.com/Rewards-Alpha-IQ

This week we were invited to deepest darkest Essex to visit Monitor Audio, and it was fascinating to get a glimpse behind the scenes of this 50-year-old British hi-fi institution.

There are some really cool things around the corner (which we’ve promised not to mention yet) but we also got to experience the phenomenal new Cinergy home cinema system (currently installed in our Witham stores demo room) and the stunning Hyphn loudspeakers, as well as getting to talk to the audiophiles, design teams, and engineers responsible for these extraordinary products.

It was a fascinating day, and we can’t wait to get our hands on some of the new kit that’s on its way!

https://www.sevenoakssoundandvision.co.uk/brands/Monitor_Audio

This Saturday (20th April) our store will be at the award winning Summertown Wine Bar hosting an evening of great vinyl music, and exceptional wine! This joint venture, inspired by the flourishing vinyl culture of London and New York, aims to unite music enthusiasts and wine connoisseurs alike for an unforgettable night. If you're in the area do come along - no tickets required for entry, but booking a table in advance to secure a spot is recommended. This can be done by visiting summertownwinebar.co.uk or phoning Summertown Wine Bar on 01865 556 791. Further information about the evening is also available by contacting Sevenoaks Sound and Vision's Oxford store at [email protected] or on 01865 241 773. Pro-Ject Audio Systems Naim Audio Focal

Just got our hands on the new Audeze MM-100's, and we absolutely love them. Gorgeous build quality, including a lightweight magnesium and steel chassis, gel filled earpads and an adjustable suspension strap, but the real killer is the sound, which is provided by completely new Audeze planar magnetic drivers... Coupled with the open back design we found them to be exceptionally natural, hugely spacious, and utterly addictive. https://tinyurl.com/2az4kp8c

Our Sevenoaks store is getting ready to host our upcoming Sonus faber McIntosh Laboratory Inc. event tomorrow (Saturday 16th Match, 11am to 4pm). Do come along if you can! https://tinyurl.com/mvxmmbc7

Vinyl records are back in the virtual goods basket used to calculate UK inflation (completely down to Taylor Swift album sales if you're to believe the hype). We just wanted to say we were there first, and vinyl never left us!

So to pre-empt the next physical media craze which is inevitably just round the corner, we're banging the drum for CD too. Remember them? Little holographic drinks coasters that only had music on them 😁

CD is still a fantastic format with a huge amount to offer, and from speaking to our customers, we know that lots of people have still got stacks and stacks of CD's but have long since ditched the player. That's where the Pro-Ject Audio Systems Pro-Ject CD Box E comes in.

Don't be put off by the somewhat "functional" design, this is the real deal, with a Red-Book CD mech inside (not a DVD or Blu-ray drive), and a 24/192 DAC with both analogue and digital outputs. It's also absolutely tiny - only 8cm wider than the CD inside it, so really easy to add into your existing system without needing lots of extra space on the rack.

Finally though, it's a genuinely affordable product - at only £199 it is the perfect way to revisit (and get the best out of) your CD collection.

Pro-Ject CD Box E CD Player The Pro-Ject CD Box E finally introduces a CD player to the entry line. Featuring the same beautiful brushed and anodized aluminium front panel as the S, DS or RS players, it will be a sure eye-catcher in your living room.

OK... We see a lot of cool new products through our doors, but occasionally something gets us really excited. The new NAD Electronics M66 (or the "NAD Masters M66 BluOS Streaming DAC-Preamplifier" to give it its full rather grand title) is one of those products.

So - why is this such a big deal?

BluOS streamer? Check.
ESS Sabre DAC? Yep. A flagship ES9038PRO if you're asking...
Dirac? Of course - there's the full bandwidth version Of Dirac Live Room Correction, as well as Dirac Live Bass Control.
What about a phono stage? Only an "ultra-quiet MM/MC phono stage with precise RIAA equalization, high overload margins, and infrasonic filter"!
Subwoofer output? How about FOUR (balanced and unbalanced) to get the absolute most out of the Dirac Bass Control software.

Absolutely packed with cutting edge audio technology, the M66 is a revolutionary component that will be at home in any high-end system.

There's a great review by Darko.Audio here which is well worth a watch - https://darko.audio/2024/02/nad-masters-m66-video-review/

More info at https://tinyurl.com/NAD-M66

Come join us at for an incredible in-person event! We are delighted to present the McIntosh Laboratory Inc. & Sonus faber Roadshow, where you can experience the finest audio and home cinema* equipment firsthand.

http://tinyurl.com/SSAV-Roadshow

Join us in store for this unforgettable event. Immerse yourself in the world of high-end audio and home cinema as you explore the latest products from McIntosh and Sonus faber.

Discover the exceptional craftsmanship and cutting-edge technology that sets these brands apart. From powerful amplifiers to stunning speakers to incredible sources, you'll be captivated by the remarkable sound quality.

The events will be full of musical discovery, brand insights, stories, one or two surprises possibly and guaranteed fun for all.

Feel free to come along anytime during the event.

Brighton - Thursday, 29 Feb 5pm - 8pm
Witham - Thursday, 7 Mar 5pm - 8pm
Loughton - Saturday, 9 Mar 11am - 4pm
Sevenoaks - Saturday, 16 Mar 11am - 4pm
Manchester - Wednesday, 20 Mar 5pm - 8pm
Guildford - Thursday, 21 Mar 5pm - 8pm

Introducing Focal Aria Evo X. Featuring renewed technologies and a special finish, Aria Evo X marks a continuation of the philosophy of Aria 900 to offer a pure listening experience.

The speaker drivers’ Flax cone, made from French flax fibre, delivers a very natural sound without colouration, with rich reproduction of the midrange and powerful bass. The treble is smooth and clear thanks to the Focal TAM tweeter.

Available in three finishes: Black High Gloss, Prime Walnut and the gorgeous new Moss Green High Gloss. Combining leather-effect front panels with these finishes gives the products real character and sophistication. Supplied with the loudspeakers, the magnetic grilles ensure an ideal, discreet integration into any living spaces.

http://tinyurl.com/ssav-aria-x

Come join us at Sevenoaks Sound & Vision Brighton & Hove Store for an incredible in-person event! We are thrilled to present the McIntosh Laboratory Inc. & Sonus faber Roadshow, where you can experience the finest audio and home cinema* equipment firsthand.

http://tinyurl.com/48p3epm9

Located at 57 Western Road, Hove, BN3 1JD, our store is the perfect venue for this unforgettable event. Immerse yourself in the world of high-end audio and home cinema* as you explore the latest products from McIntosh and Sonus faber.

Discover the exceptional craftsmanship and cutting-edge technology that sets these brands apart. From powerful amplifiers to stunning speakers to incredible sources, you'll be captivated by the remarkable sound quality.

Don't miss out on this unique opportunity to hear your favorite music and cinema* like never before and elevate your audio and visual experience to new heights!

Joe Gormley from Fine Sounds UK (Distributor for Sonus Faber / McIntosh in the UK) will be on hand throughout the event along with the team at Sevenoaks to answer any questions you may have about Sonus faber and McIntosh products.

Support your local retailer and don't miss out as it will be a great event!

The event will be full of musical discovery, brand insights, stories, one or two surprises possibly and guaranteed fun for all.

Feel free to come along anytime during the event.

We hope you can attend, and we very much look forward to meeting you.
*not all stores will be demonstrating home cinema systems.