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Hi Fi industry and miscellaneous comments

Sign up for our email newsletter and get the stuff I’d be sued for on an open webpage. Don’t subscribe if you get easily offended, have no sense of humour or are a wowser - If you really do enjoy our irreverent humour however, please feel free to offer your opinion on Google by clicking on the Logo above. We also have a Specials e-mail which we send out about once a month. To be on the list for those, you need to click HERE and put subscribe in the subject line. 24th April 2021: REL T/x Series REL have updated their award-winning T/i series with the latest incarnation known as the T/x series. With direct replacements to last years models the new T/5x, T/7x and range topping T/9x. Each model sports a new cabinet design with rounded edges and a shorter, stockier appearence looking meaner and more attractive than the ourtgoing models. Newly designed drivers allow for greater excursion for greater output yet faster reaction times for a quite striking improvement in musical fidelity. With each model available in a beautiful gloss black or white finish they're on to a winning formula of looks, and performance for both music and movie listeners making them a true cross-over subwoofer no matter what your listening habits are. Available in early May pricing will be as follows: REL T/9x $2,399.00 REL T/7x $1,999.00 REL T/5x $1,399.00 30th March 2021: SVS 1000 Pro Series SVS have recently updated the 1000 series of subwoofers to the new 1000 Pro. This update has some fairly major improvements on the effected models with a slight bump in power output to 325w RMS (820w short term peak,) an all new digital control panel and the addition of app support for Apple and Android users to be able to fine tune the subwoofer's performance from their seating position. The sealed SB1000 Pro starts from just $899 for the Black Ash finish and climbs to $999 for the gloss white and gloss black finishes. The ported PB1000 Pro also stays the same price as its predecesor at $999 and is available in Black Ash only. This is impressive given that the PB1000 Pro now features an upgraded 12" driver compared to a 10" in the last series allowing for greater depth and output. Display models have now arrived and stock is now available to order so pop in and have a look when you can! 13th March 2021: Paradigm Founder Series Exciting times are ahead with the imminent release of Paradigm’s newest range, the Founder series. Due for release in May the series consists of 3 floorstanding speakers, a serious centre speaker, a set of bookshelf speakers and an LCR that can either be used as a larger bookshelf speaker or a smaller centre. Avalailable in 4 beautiful cabinet finishes there will be something suitable for almost and room decor. For the first time ever in this price range Paradigm have introduced a large hybrid floorstander called the 120H which offers a built in 1000w rms amplifier in each speaker. This is employed to drive the bass drivers only and coupled with ARC Genesis calibration technology the low frequency delivery should be almost perfect in any room. The new 40B bookshelf speakers are a very welcome addition as we haven't seen a speaker of this size and capability sing the Signature series discontinued 5-6 years ago. With a larger 6" mid/bass driver over the outgoing Prestige 15B we're expecting more scale and presence. The Prestige 15Bs were simply stunning for their size so we are very excited to hear these new beauties. With retail prices and colours yet to be confirmed we'll keep you posted as soon as we hear anything further. Stay tuned. 23rd September 2020: New KEF Models Released The LS50 Wireless 2 gains a big bump in power to a massive 380w RMS and now benefits from a completely new control app designed from the ground up for an easier to use expeirence whilst also gaining the latest streaming tech. Pricing for the LS50 Meta has been set locally at $2,495 whilst the LS50 Wireless 2 retails for $4,295. With demo stock due to start arriving from next month they're a hot product to pop on the short list! Anyone wanting a pair should get their orders in nice and early to avoid any lengthy delays. 14th July 2020: REL HT/1508 Predator Arrives The latest REL HT series of subwoofers have long been a favourire of the store with the HT1003 and HT1205 being the top of the pecking order at their price point. These units offer huge control and musical accuracy coupled with the output desired by many home theatre enthusiasts. Enter the new top of the range HT/1508 Predator. With a cool name like this you would expect it to be serious, and serious it is...very! With a short stocky design allowing for easier placement than most of this capability this 15" sealed subwoofer offers 850w RMS for huge slam and depth without ever sacrificing finesse, something that REL have built their name on. At $2899 RRP it is a steal so anyone looking for smile inducing bass should look no further. Pop in store to check it out today. 5th February 2020: New Q Acoustics model Q Acoustics have just released word of their new upcoming model the 3030i. This is a larger bookshelf speaker featuring a 6.5" mid/bass dirver and larger encolsure allowing for a more effortless room-filing range and performance. With a claimed frequency extention of down to 46Hz they'll give you as big of a sound as you'll likely ever get from a speaker of its size. Available in Arctic White, Carbon Black and Walnut finishes. Arriving late Feb and priced at $899 they're likely to be a winner. 19th November 2019: The New KEF R Series Arrives We’ve long been fans of KEF’s Q and XQ series of speakers from years gone by and the latest iteration of the Q series has been superb. We’re now excited to announce we are stocking the new and improved R Series (which is one step above the Q Series). Offering models for both stereo listeners and home theatre enthusiasts, the range consists of three different floorstanding speakers (R11, R7 & R5), a large stand mount speaker (R3,) a serious centre speaker (R2c) and a pair of Dolby Atmos/Presence speakers (R8a.) With three beautiful finishes featuring colour coded drivers they both look and sound incredible. Check out the top of the range R11 in the Walnut finish - I think they’re the best-looking speaker we’ve ever seen in store! The R3 recently won the What HiFi 2019 Award for Best Stand Mount Speaker and the R11 won the EISA Award for Best High- End Loudspeaker 2019-2020. Evidently the industry thinks just as highly of them as we do. We’re currently offering some introductory discounts so pop in store for a listen today or give us a call. 28th October 2019: Toy Story 4 Shines On UHD Blu-ray There aren’t many films that are natively created and mastered in native 4K with most current content being upscaled from a 2K intermediate. The latest instalment of the Toy Story franchise comes to UHD Blu-ray with a full fat true 4K presentation and the result is beautiful. Animated moves do have a tendency to look good but this release really shine. The image is incredibly sharp and some of the details in the animation look almost life-like from time to time. The implementation of HDR gives realistic lighting and shadow depth whilst colour saturation is vibrant and exciting allowing the image to really pop. This is a true reference grade disc from a visual point of view and throw in a super fun and dynamic Atmos track the audio isn’t too far behind. This movie isn’t for everyone as some of the characters can be a little scary so not great for a very young crowd or for anyone afraid of ventriloquism dolls! Other than this I give it a 5 out of 5 as a truly enjoyable watch that’ll also really show you what your system is capable of. 16th October 2019: Cambridge Audio AX Now Available Cambridge Audio's latest offering are a AX series models. These are replacing the very popular Topaz series units which bring high end audio quality and performance to an entry level price point. With much improved aesthetics and a total ground up build of the range they offer top notch performance that belies belief and with some very positive industry feedback already they're likely to be one of our biggest sellers this side of $1000. Comprising of 6 models in the line up there are 2 CD players, 2 all analogue stereo amplifiers and 2 stereo receivers featuring bluetooth and even digital inputs on the AXR100. Available in store now. 4th October 2019: Martin Logan’s new Motion Series Arrives We've just received delivery of the new and exciting Martin Logan Motion series. The new improved models have a revised driver design and a much needed refresh of the speaker covers. Moving away from the metal covers to a nice new two piece material grille helps them look less industrial and more well suited to a home environment. The cabinet finishes have been rethought with a new red-walnut timber veneer finish replacing the older gloss cherry option and a new satin white to replace the gloss white. For the first time the white speaker gets a visually softer appearance wth a silvery grey front cover. The range is now available in store and ready for auditioning! 27th September 2019: Epson Projectors Now Available: We've just taken on Epson projectors after a flurry of awards and positive reviews. After a 10 minute demo of the new EH- TW9400 we were hooked. The picture is incredibly bright and sharp with huge amounts of detail and its 4K enhanced technology looks like it is equal to if not better than some of the cheaper Native 4K offering on the market. Add in the ability to do Anamorphic widescreen and a huge amount of lens adjustment and zoom and it becomes one of the most versatile performers on the market. HDR looks superb and the frame interpolation gives a very smooth cinematic/filmic movement. With models starting from as little as $1149 through to the top of the line EH-TW9400W wireless projector at $4999 they have an impressive offering for most people. With the EH-9400 now available in store, feel free to pop in for a demo. I'm sure you'll be just as impressed as we are. 14th August 2019: Martin Logan Motion Series Clearance: With the discontinuation of the current Motion series being announced we’ve got some great pricing on the last of the remaining stock. With very few bits and pieces remaining this is an incredible opportunity to snap up some of the staff’s all time favourite speakers. All supplied as new with a full 5 year warranty except where stated. Click on the image below for the clearance pricing. 29th July 2019: The UltraCube 12 Returns: We just said goodbye to one of our favourite subwoofers of all time and what do you know, the importer has found some more stock. I’m not sure how you “find” 20 large subwoofers but this is very much to our excitement as the 650w sealed 12” subwoofer is an animal for movies and when coupled with the optional PBK becomes an incredibly capable musical performer too. Using a downward firing 12” driver and two 10” bass radiators this compact subwoofer can hit below 20Hz which is incredible for its size. The best part of this is that we took them all in order to offer a great price so whilst we have stock available this $2000 subwoofer will set you back only $999! The music lovers out their can add on the optional PBK equaliser kit for only an extra $99 that will take it to another level again. Stock is limited so don’t take too long to snap one up or you’ll miss out. 20th July 2019: Q Acoustics Concept 300s Arrive: After many months of anticipation the latest flagship speaker offering from Q Acoustics have arrived. The new Concept 300 is a reference grade bookshelf speaker that looks and sounds like nothing else we’ve experienced before. Available in 3 beautiful two tone finishes and supplied with a pair of stands that look like they belong in an art gallery, they truly are a statement items that will complete any high end compact setup. Available to audition in store now. 2nd April 2019: KEF Q Series Free Upsize Promo: KEF have followed in the footsteps of Definitive Technology and are offering a very similar promotion which offers a free up- size in speaker when purchasing a qualifying product from their Q series. Simply purchase your new set of speakers before the end of trade on 31st May and receive the following upgrade at no charge! Bookshelf Speakers Purchase a pair of Q350s for the price of the Q150 Floorstanding Speakers Purchase a pair of Q750s for the price of the Q550 Purchase a pair of Q950s for the price of the Q750 7th March 2019: QED Cables Now Available: QED cables are considered one of the industries premier cable manufacturers offering anything from speaker cable and interconnects through to data cable and HDMI. We’re currently stocking their range of speaker cable and audio cables to suit both stereo and home theatre systems of any calibre. With a new range of high-spec HDMI cables due for release shortly that will offer support for native 4K resolutions and beyond, there’ll be something suitable for even the most demanding hardware or application. Give us a call and we’ll recommend a suitable cable solution to really bring out the best in your system. You’ll be surprised how much of an improvement can be made from such an affordable upgrade! 24th January 2019: New Monitor Audio SoundFrame Display: A personal favourite of mine, the fully customisable Soundframe series of descrete speakers offer an incredible performance and sound quality for what simply looks like a piece of art. Whether you stick with the standard black or white finish or you opt for a custom image of maybe a holiday snap or wedding picture these models mount either in or on the wall and look like a traditional canvas print. The sound performance from these things is superb and a great way to integrate audio into a living space where a more traditional speaker may not suit. Available in 3 different sizes and either framed or frameless, we have the SoundFrame 1 available in a new perminent display to audition in store. Please come in for a look and listen to see what all the hype is about. 3rd January 2019: New Monitor Audio Gold Series Announced: Monitor Audio has really taken off in the last few months and this has certainly been aided by them gaining some big industry awards and fantastic reviews. The Bronze series has quickly become my speaker range of choice under $2k so I would heavily recommend a listen. The latest range to get a make over is the Gold series with the new arrivals announced today. The new models will start to arrive in February and pricing should hopefully be confirmed shortly, The new design and finishes look simply beautiful and for the first time the premium Gloss Ebony finish will be the same price as the rest of the colour choices. Have a look at the new range here: https://www.monitoraudio.com/en/product-ranges/gold-5g/ 1st January 2019: Happy new year!: The new year has just ticked over and I’ve just finished watching the fireworks, time for a refill. The team here at Eastwood Hi-Fi wishes you all the best for 2019 and hope you have a great year. 20th December 2018: Paradigm Premier Series Awarded: The new Paradigm premier series has only just hit the shelves and already the positive reviews are starting to flow. Online reviewing powerhouse Audioholics have just reviewed and awarded the new Premier 800F floorstanders and 500C centre speakers as their Product of the year. For those of you wanting to read the review then click the link below. For anyone wanting to hear the speakers please feel free to pop in for an audition. https://www.audioholics.com/tower-speaker-reviews/paradigm-800f 29th November 2018: Definitive Technology Promo Final Days: The Definitive Technology upgrade promotion is due to finish at the end of trade tomorrow so make sure to get in any orders quickly to take advantage of one of the best promotions we’ve seen in recent years. Kef Q Series With EISA Award: The Expert Imaging And Sound Association have awarded the KEF Q Series as their Home Theatre Speaker System of the year 2018-2019. The system comprised of the Q750 front speakers, Q650c Centre Speaker , Q350 rear speakers and the matching Q50a Dolby Atmos enabled speakers. The speakers are available in black or white and we have them available in our demonstration rooms ready for auditioning, pop in for a listen today! 16th November 2018: Panasonic Release Premium UHD Blu-ray Player: The latest premium 4K Blu-ray player to hit the Australian market is Panasonic’s DP-UB9000. This model has already seen an overseas release and has taken out the EISA award for “Best High End UHD Blu-ray Player.” Winning 5 start reviews from industry heavy hitters such as What Hi-Fi? and Techradar this looks to be the answer that home theatre enthusiasts have been waiting for ever since Oppo ceased manufacturing their popular UDP-203 and UDP-205 players. With a retail price of $1649 it seams aggressively priced for the level of audio and video quality on offer here. With stock due to arrive mid- December I’m eager to get my hands on one and I bet a lot of you are too. We’re taking pre-orders now so if interested in securing a unit please give us a call on 02 9651 4922. Rotel: We’ve opted to strengthen our range of stereo components by adding Rotel to our brand portfolio. Offering beautifully built, incredibly reliable and affordable Audiophile components including CD Players, DAB+ Tuners, Amplifiers and Network Streamers, they have something for most users and budgets. Tonally they are a match made in heaven with the Monitor Audio speaker line up so pop in today for a listen. 26th October 2018: Monitor Audio Arrives: Monitor Audio have recently changed importers here in Australia and are now distributed by Uncle Paul at Melbourne based Interdyn. This has meant that we’ve been able to secure access to this premium British loudspeaker brand and we can immediately see why they are considered one of the biggest names in the industry. One of their most exciting products is a simple product called the Soundframe which gives superb hifi quality performance from a wall mounted artwork/speaker. These are a great way to add audio to a room in a beautiful yet discrete way. Available in store from early November I’m predicting them to be a massively popular product so keep an eye out for them! Q Acoustics Win Another Award: Another week and another award for the new Q Acoustics 3000i series. This time it is the turn of the 3050i floorstanders and they have just been awarded the EISA 2018 - 2019 Best Buy in the Loudspeakers category. Available in store to audition they are a superb speaker at a very affordable price point to suit both audiophiles and home theatre enthusiasts. 13th October 2018: Paradigm Premier Series Now Available: It has been a long wait but we finally have the entire Premier series on the shop floor and ready for auditioning. They marry superb sonic performance with beautiful looks so definitely a must listen for your short list. We’ll have them on our site in the coming few days. Optoma UHD51 4K Projector: We have just taken delivery of our new UHD51 4K projector from Optoma. This brings 4K projection to the masses with a retail price of only $3,299 and boy is it impressive for the money. With 2400 lumens output and a claimed 500,000:1 contrast ratio it really shows off what HDR can offer in a projection system. A truly superb offering and exciting to see image quality of this level dropping so significantly in cost. Available in store now to audition. 3rd October 2018: Yamaha Trade & Save: Off the back of the great success on last year’s Trade & Save promotion Yamaha have decided to offer this again. Running from the 1st October through to the 31st December 2018 new buyers can trade in an older AV receiver as a credit towards a shiny new AVENTAGE unit. Trade in units must be in fully working order including remote control and must be paid for in full before the end of the promotional period. The trade in will attract the following discounts depending on the AVENTAGE model being purchased. Discounts are from the retail pricing. Full T’s & C’s check out the link HERE. CX-A5200 - $500 trade in value MX-A5200 - $500 trade in value RX-A3080 - $500 trade in value RX-A2080 - $400 trade in value RX-A1080 - $300 trade in value RX-A880 - $250 trade in value RX-A780 - $150 trade in value