Everyone loves a deal and have we got the deals for you! But seriously, we look to make our trade in components, demonstration stock and specials from suppliers as good a value propositions as you can get. We’ve just updated our listings with a series of components and even cables, so scroll down and see what’s on offer...
Quad 11L speakers (trade in) – $500
Quality never goes out of style and you can say the same about anything Quad have build over the years. In pristine high gloss black these classic British two way shelf or stand mount speakers are looking for a new home where they will be appreciated and cared for. Ideal for classical, jazz and any relaxed genre of music. Every bit as good as the Quad reputation would suggest.
Having been long time Quad resellers we learned to appreciate that they were one of the very few audio brands that genuinely get it right and their reputation is thoroughly deserved. Indeed the hardest thing for us to do is getting any Quad owners to consider another brand.
These 11Ls might be the smallest and most affordable Quad speaker but they are voiced in a way that is comparable with their legendary Electrostatic speakers. The build quality is far in excess of what anyone could call entry level and that’s why they sound so good today – literally as good as they day they were sold. And now with the benefit of far better sounding source systems we get even better results.
The chances of seeing another pair like this come up are close to zero so if you’re looking – or know someone else that might appreciate them, get in quickly.
Lumin D2 Network Player trade in $2995
Lumin are at the top of their game and their streaming components are as good as it gets. We’ve had series of clients recently upgrade their systems with the latest top line models so you get the chance to own a near new Lumin for a fraction of the new price.
The D2 in black that’s just been traded in – and fully updated with the latest firmware (17.1) . While just replaced by the new D3 at NZ$5000, it delivers a captivating performance as the many reviews can attest. This particular unit has done sterling service in a seriously high end system for only 12 months and has been replaced by the X1. Sold as new, with original packing, a 12 month warranty and our highest recommendation. NZ$2995.
Want an absolute killer system with the Lumin D2? Look no further than NuPrimes latest and most affordable power amplifier yet – the 100 watt per channels STA-100 at just $1200 – the sound from these two components is nothing short of astonishing and quite seriously, we’ve got cables that cost more.
The D2 sounds amazing run straight into power amplifiers. The LEEDH lossless volume control means the Lumin players outperform most separate preamplifiers so you can build a much better sounding, simpler and cost effective system. Of course you can also insert these players into any existing system and still get by far the best sound of any network player on the market. There are both analogue (balanced and RCA) outputs and also a digital output enabling the D2 to work in the same way as the U2 Mini network transport – this makes sense if you have a really nice DAC and are looking for an even more affordable way to get into Lumin
Sonus faber Sonnetto III floor standing speakers – demonstration pair- $5000. (new replacement $9000)
With the announcement of the new Sonnetto G2 at the Munich hifi show it’s time for us to let our much loved demonstration Sonnetto III floor standers out into the big wide world to find a new home. For a long time these were our best speakers and were employed to highlight the qualities of, not just the Sonus faber range, but also many other amplification and source components. The Sonnetto’s allow all to shine and be heard at their best.
‘The Sonetto IIIs have restored harmony in our household as they both deliver the classic Sonus faber sound but also advance the causes of resolution, dynamics and broad compatibility. Sonus faber seem to deliberately take their best smaller two way designs as the reference and the extra capacity and drivers in the Sonetto III’s are there to augment the upper frequencies rather than overpower you. In fact on paper the frequency range covered by the IIIs is identical to that of the smaller stand mount IIs with both sharing a nominal lower 3db point of 42Hz.
But this is just one number and is countered by the higher efficiency and power handling of the floor standers. And as we have pointed out with a 3 way design there are payoffs in enhanced midrange clarity and a more open and expansive sound. The use of two smaller but faster bass drivers improves the definition of the bass with better articulation and control.
These qualities are all readily apparent and while they don’t detract from how good the smaller speakers are, if you choose the floor-standers you will genuinely get more.
Despite our exposure to ribbon tweeters, the high frequency characteristics of the the Sonus faber silk dome are exemplary – the damped centre point design seems to greatly reduce distortion and there isn’t a hint of listening fatigue.
The lightness and ease of the midrange and treble when combined is something quite special – the Sonus fabers almost dance around the music and vocals have never been clearer. We’ve been pulling out well played records and suddenly finding whole passages of lyrics are now intelligible whereas before they just seemed to be on the verge but remained indistinct. There is a certain rightness to the sound of the composite paper midrange – it’s there to be heard in the same way that materials used other speakers inevitably have some form of signature.’
You can read our original review from 2020 here.
This pair are in ‘as new condition’ and outside of being used to demonstrate Sonus faber and other components here, have never travelled elsewhere.
Handcrafted audio rack – $950
Absolutely one of a kind and irreplaceable, this rack was custom built for us some years ago and has been constantly admired with offers made but we were always reluctant to part with it. Made of very old recycled solid heart rimu, with gently curved uprights and carefully rebated joints, it’s as much a work of art as a useful piece of furniture. The shelving is sufficiently wide for any standard audio componentry but it could be used for considerably more interesting things should you wish.
We’ve applied many coats of quality furniture oil over the years we’ve had it and each time it seems to glow just that much more. It’s very stable and strong and quite probably sounds better than many purpose built audio racks. We’ve had a lifelong aversion to cheap racks that look like an oil rig in your living room and it’s only the arrival of a sleek Italian made carbon fibre that has finally provided us with an alternative.
Because of the solid construction it will be possible to ship this anywhere in Aotearoa.
The 4 shelves each have a useable area of 450 x 270mm.
The footprint is 540mm wide x 400 deep and height is 820mm
Anyone who has ever got a piece of custom furniture made will appreciate both the work that has gone into this rack and the value it represents. It will only become greater over time.
Monitor Audio Sliver 7G 500 speakers $3500 ($4500 new)
Our review pair of the best of Monitor Audio’s latest 7G (Seventh Generation) Silver series is up for grabs. You can read what we thought about them here . This pair look fantastic in the most popular dark walnut finish and have only ever been run here. Because of the size and weight, freight should be taken into account but for anyone in Te WaiPounamu this is much less of an issue.
What the 7G 500s bring to the party is more of everything – they go lower and have even better control that their earlier generation. And boy do they dig down. With a specified bass response of 27 Hz you’re getting low frequency performance to rival any subwoofer – and it’s stereo, not mono.
The midrange reveals new vocal and instrumental detail – you’ll simply hear stuff that wasn’t there before. It’s a a lively and engaging performance.The redesigned tweeter extends out to 35kHz taking you a good way towards the performance of the folded ribbon tweeters used in the Gold and Platinum ranges but having the advantage of being easier to both drive and match to the midrange. What you might give away in having a dome rather than a ribbon is well compensated for in what I perceive as a more coherent and balanced sound
STAX SRS 3100 electrostatic ear speaker system
This is the complete Stax entry level system – the SR L 300 Lambda series electrostatic headphones plus the SRM-252S driver (headphone amp) and all cables included. So it will work with any system, sounds fantastic and blows any comparably priced speakers of headphones into the weeds. Our page here $1300 – new $1800 save $500 on new price.
Sound Creations Symphony audio rack – $800
This is one of the nicest looking and best finished racks Sound creations produced. The unit has 3 smoked glass shelves, rimu inserts on the corners of the steel frame and has castors fitted. We can also provide the appropriate spikes if you’d prefer. It’s double length so can take 6 or more full sized components and unlike the picture above also has a cable management channel which also provides extra strength.
This rack is in very good condition having originally been our best show room model and taken home when we moved from home. The construction is fully welded and this is most definitely not a cheap flat pack. Any new alternative that’s even slightly comparable will be considerably more costly these days. Because of the glass shelves, size and weight it’s not really viable to freight by courier so in this case it’s pickup only.
The only reason we’re selling this is the impending arrival of the new ‘Bassocontinuo‘ racking systems from Italy. These are going to be a whole new ballgame so if you want something even more special we’ll have them very soon…
CD’s for Sale
It’s time for us to go ‘Kondo’ with the Totally Wired CD collection now ready for you to buy. Pictured is just a small selection so we have a special page to list them all which we’ll build up over time.
Specials – freight & warranty – Because the specials are all discounted, we do have to charge freight for out-of-town clients. All components will be safely packed in original packaging if available or appropriate boxes. Normal warranty applies on new components.
Also – Ortofon 2M Black ($650 – new $1299) The 2MBlack MM cartridge has got endless great reviews and the Shibata stylus delivers everything it’s supposed to in terms of detail and accuracy. I’ve carefully checked and had a listen to this cartridge and there’s no indication of significant stylus wear so you’d get at least a good year or two before having to consider stylus replacement.
How To Order – Once you’ve made your decision and are ready to order, we’ll make it easy for you. Either phone us on 0800 909–101 or e-mail and we can get your address and all details confirmed. For payment more and more people prefer to use internet banking – email us to get account details.