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For our September club meeting we’re very pleased to be able to present the new KEF LS50 Wireless speakers. The KEF LS50 Wireless speakers are being kindly provided by the Lifestyle Store in North Parramatta. (Refer to https://www.lifestylestore.com.au/.) Alex Wilson from the Lifestyle Store will talk about the equipment. At $3799 RRP the KEF LS50 Wireless speakers may seem expensive – but the truth is, they’re a bargain. All you need is a source and a cable into the KEFs and they do everything else. They handle digital and analogue inputs, have internal DACs, source control, volume control and amplification, and of course.. speaker drivers! If they didn’t sound great, that would be all for nought – but they sound excellent too. We’ll also have the new Oppo UDP-205 universal player on hand, also from Lifestyle. We will also have their precursor, the KEF LS50 passive speakers, such that we can do a comparison. Of course the passive speakers need separate amplification and cabling both of which can and will influence the sound. So we can’t really compare apples to apples, but it’ll offer you the chance to hear which configuration you might like best. Note that the emphasis on the day will definitely be on the active version. The featured system on the day will be: KEF LS50 Wireless Active Monitor speakers: Taken from the Lifestyle website… “The KEF LS50 Wireless is a complete and fully active music system designed for how high resolution music is now enjoyed. It delivers exceptional sound quality, once only achievable by putting together a system of high quality separate components … LS50 Wireless delivers a clear, accurate and transparent sound that creates an intense, rich, and multi-dimensional soundstage experience. Made possible from its small enclosures through expert acoustic design and state-of-the-art technologies.” Refer to https://www.lifestylestore.com.au/kef-ls50-wireless-active-monitor-speakers.html. Also checkout Marc’s excellent and comprehensive review at http://www.stereo.net.au/reviews/review-kef-ls50-wireless. Marc mentions some of the capabilities of the KEF LS50 Wireless this way … “You can connect the LS50 Wireless via your smartphone or tablet, either via Wi-Fi or Bluetooth (aptX) and stream Tidal, Spotify or your choice of local music. Or you can make the connection via USB or Toslink directly to your PC or laptop, or even your TV, taking advantage of the built-in 192/24 DAC.” Oppo UDP-205 universal player: Taken from the Lifestyle website “The UDP-205 provides reference level sound quality through the analogue outputs, improves the clock precision of the HDMI audio output, and increases the power of the built-in headphone amplifier. For the analogue output stages, the UDP-205 utilises two ES9038PRO DACs, which are the flagship of the ESS Sabre Pro series, delivering best-in-class audio performance.”. $2199 RRP. Refer to https://www.lifestylestore.com.au/oppo-udp-205-4k-blu-ray-player.html and http://www.livingsound.com.au/2017/04/oppo-udp-205-universal-player/ The other system on the day will be: KEF LS50 Mini Monitor (passive) speakers: Taken from the Lifestyle website “An innovative concept inspired by the legendary LS3/5a, LS50 mini monitor speaker is designed to bring professional studio monitor concept into the home. Rarely the case in such a compact design, the LS50 monitor delivers a rich, multi-dimensional ‘soundstage experience’ that is out of all proportion to its size. Patent-pending acoustic designs, together with state-of-the-art technologies from KEF’s latest flagship Blade loudspeaker, provide the ultimate studio experience – even in the smallest of spaces.” On special now at $1999 RRP normally $2599 RRP Refer to https://www.lifestylestore.com.au/kef-ls50-mini-monitor-speakers.html and http://www.theabsolutesound.com/articles/kef-ls50-loudspeaker/ AudioGD SA-2 DAC: Refer to http://www.audio-gd.com/Pro/SA/SA2/SA2EN.htm AudioGD Master 10 Integrated amp: A fully balanced design with the gain stages and pre-driver stages working in class A, discrete analog stages without any OPA or coupling caps in the signal channels. Refer to http://www.audio-gd.com/Master/Master10/Master-10EN.htm and http://6moons.com/audioreviews/magnepan2/4.html The second half of the music sessions will be our popular BYO. Members and guests are welcome to offer music to share with us all. So bring along your favourite music on CD/SACD or USB flash drives (sorry, no vinyl). All we ask is that the music and recordings be interesting. We'll ask you to tell us a little about the artist/recording before it is played. Tracks over 6 minutes will be faded out, to give everyone a fair go. Whether you are a novice or a seasoned veteran, you will have the opportunity to listen, learn and share your experiences with others. Feel free to come and hear the capabilities of the system, or to just share the experience with like-minded music lovers in a friendly and relaxed atmosphere. Guests are welcome – we are a very friendly club so you don't need to know anyone to join us for an afternoon of fine music and sound. Venue: Epping Creative Centre, Dence Park Address: 26 Stanley Road, Epping When: Sunday 10th September 2017 Doors open at 1pm Meeting starts at 2pm Best regards, Tom Waters President Sydney Audio Club W: www.sydneyaudioclub.org.au FB: https://www.facebook.com/sydneyaudioclub E: tomwaters@sydneyaudioclub.org.au