New Zealand Made
We've been involved with New Zealand made for even longer than we have been in the audio business. In over 25 years there would be very few locally made products that we haven't been closely involved with - There has been Perreaux, Plinius, McLaren, Roberts, Craft, Dynavector and Mega amplifiers. Lambert, Boland, Audax and Image loudspeakers. And of course SlinkyLinks cables.
While it's easy to get all nostalgic and view the past with rose tinted glasses, change is inevitable and the NZ made story is quickly evolving.
What has been constant for us is the core quality of any NZ made product should be value for money. It should simply be at least as good, if not better than any imported model at around the same price. Being locally made is good for warm fuzzies, but we would not be treating our clients with any respect if we did anything other than present them with the best sounding choices we can find - wherever they may come from. So our NZ made selection is not about being from the neighbourhood, but being best of breed.
The first NZ made products were an answer to geographical isolation and a restrictive import regulations. Now we operate in an open global economy and the rules have changed dramatically. The face of NZ made has changed. Our best products are collaborations and it's the NZ contribution to brands that you may not expect that makes a real difference.
Frank Denson is the elder statesman of New Zealand audio and while he would splutter and tell us it was all nothing but his contribution has been huge - his support got Plinius off the ground in its formative years. He is directly responsible for Dynavector amplifiers but will pass the credit onto Dr Tominari in Japan and Johnathon Davies in Australia. The P75MK2 Phono stage is a uniquely advanced high value NZ made product that sets the standard in both affordabilty and performance. Maori names for the top line Dynavector cartridges are a direct reflection of Franks input. The collaboration with Bill Firebaugh has made the Well Tempered Amadeus and Simplex turntables possible with manufacture being in the Opera Audio factory in China - another of Franks many connections.
Chris Ball has been continually building speakers for the last 3 decades - there are vast numbers of his speakers, first produced as Audax, and now Image throughout New Zealand living rooms and more than a few overseas lounges. Rather than try and reinvent the wheel, Chris seeks out the very best driver technology from around the world, and incoporates it in his own finished speaker designs. The vast body of experience he has gained over time, not to mention a pair of the best ears in the business help make his speakers sound as good as they do. For Chris it's about delivering the best possible sound and value. Which he does for about half the price of the competition.
Gary Morrison and Ross Stevens front the newest NZ made venture - PureAudio - Gary's original Craft amplifiers are a legend and his merger into Plinius resulted in the range of Class A products that put New Zealand on the high end audio map. Ross Stevens was responsible for Perreaux's best and most distinctive designs then applied his expertise to Plinius line with even better results. Together they are about to reshape the the NZ audio landscape and bring no-compromise sound quality back to the foreground with a series of pre and power amplifiers.
David Irvine and Simon Holbrook are responsible for the SlinkyLinks silver cable story. There have been continual improvements in manufacture and termination which has advanced the sound quality significantly. Because of our longstanding relationship we offer our clients a special custom service with better than standard plugs, superior configurations and priority delivery on orders.
Kam Young was born and bred in Wellington and now runs the Design Agency responsible for the aesthetics of the NuForce Icon range that has replaced the Perreaux Silhouette product as the standard setter in compact high performance audio.
And... New Zealand born John Ransley and Sharon Guytonbeck are Totally Wired Ltd, your wholly NZ owned and operated specialist audio store and are your best link to the very best of NZ made.
Free Hector Dolphin with your Purchase of NZ$ 600+
Only while stocks last.
Hector’s dolphins are unique to New Zealand. It is estimated that there are only 7381 left of this endangered species, down from over 25,000 in 1970. They are intelligent and social animals, not to mention extremely cute and have never done anything to hurt anyone. Yet their numbers have been decimated as they stray into set nets and their habitat is degraded.
But it is not too late for our favourite dolphin. WWF – the World Wide Fund for Nature – have a fund raising programme specifically targeted at saving the Hector’s Dolphin. By challenging New Zealanders to adopt and individual dolphin (or even better a small group), WWF are able to raise awareness, and directly contribute to the survival of the species.
You might think that as a retailer of cool electronic products for your home, Totally Wired might be an unlikely supporter for such a cause. But this is a personal issue for us. We wake up look out to Blueskin Bay, north of Dunedin which is also home to a handful of Hector’s Dolphins. Every time we venture out into the bay, we look for the Hectors. Every time we find them it is both a thrill and a relief that they are still there. The fact that we also choose to take our holidays in remote places like Fiordland and Stewart Island where, despite comparative isolation, it is a readily apparent that pressures from both commercial and recreational fishing are impacting on many species, further sharpens our resolve to do something.
So, with your purchase from us, you’ll get your very own Hector’s Dolphin. You can even give it a name. And just to remind you of what a good cause you are helping with, you’ll get a Hector’s Dolphin adoption pack, with certificate, poster and information sheets, and a little furry Hector’s Dolphin to take pride of place on your hi-fi or cinema system.
Direct Contact
John Ransley and Sharon Guytonbeck are the principals behind Totally Wired. It’s our own business and we take pride in building something worthwhile.
If you want to contact us directly per mail: