Cultured Audio

Awesome stock and friendly - and patient - staff. They really went the extra mile to fit me up with the right system, the purchase was a pleasure from start to finish. I wholeheartedly recommend Cultured Audio.Edwards Audio TT4 turntableBeing a software developer I am frequently reminded about the saying 'Garbage In, Garbage Out'. With respects to audio I feel this is even more important, because no matter how good an amp you have, if you are feeding it compressed noise then that is all you will get, perhaps just a little louder.With that in mind I got the best turntable I could get for my budget, the TT4. It's from a British company and in my mind that is important, call me old fashioned but I have been brought up on British audio and it was a factor in my decision making.So, unwrapping! it's looks are under-stated, classy but not flashy, with just enough quirkiness to justify the price. It makes a nice center piece to my front room, with just enough presence to nag you into playing just another record. Looking at the build, it has a nicely designed plinth of layered material, my guess so that it reduces vibrational noise from its platform.Set up was rather easy, helped mostly by the fact that Cultured Audio had set up the cartridge in advance, so the only adjustment left to me was the tonearm counterweight. I quickly found out that this is really important for getting the right sound out of it, and I had an enjoyable few minutes setting the weight, monitoring the sound quality with each fine increment. Satisfied I sat back and just let the first record play.Astonishingly, and I must admit to being used to some ropey hardware in the past, there was no noise. No earth hum, no rumble, no feedback from the speakers. Just clean precise sound. The build quality is excellent, but the quality of the sound also comes from the cartridge doesn't it.It comes with Edwards Audio's own cartridge, and in no way did this disappoint. The tones it generated were clear and precise without being fussy, enabling you to listen to each note in isolation or to relax and listen to the sound as a whole. I found myself zoning out just watching the record revolve picking out details from songs that I had never noticed before.So, that was playing a brand new pressing of a fairly contemporary album, 'Everything Else Has Gone Wrong' by the Bombay Bicycle Club.With my ears having devoured that album, I thought I'd give the deck another test: an original mono 60s pressing of Pet Sounds. Slightly loved through the years, I was expecting this record to perhaps sound a little flat compared to the punchy tones of Bombay Bicycle Club. But no, the sound was warm, engaging, and somewhat like I imagine Brian Wilson would have wanted his album to sound like.In all respects I would recommend this turntable or one of it's sisters. It's rare that a piece of electronics changes the way you look at life, but this kit is so good that is exactly what it has done. Next stop, the record shop...

No body knows hi-fi like these guys. Can't thank them enough for opening my ears to a quality of sound I've never experienced before. If you love you music or home cinema be sure to give these guys the chance to show what's possible. Great service... Great coffee too, thanks guys! I will be visiting @culturedaudio again soon when I'm ready for some upgrades.

Exemplary service from Cultured Audio. I was immediately impressed by the professional warm welcoming (including real coffee), but more importantly they carry a wide and deep selection of some great brands. After a few trips back and forth I decided to buy my first Naim Audio system, and Wow! they certainly recommended the best kit for my needs.

Sublime stock that is easily surpassed by their customer service and after purchase care. They’re more interested in tailoring the right kit to the space you’ll be using it in, then just offloading “massive” speakers and “crazy” amps! It was a really nice experience visiting them and they took the time to demonstrate the difference between each setup. My main bit of advice is -don’t rush it, give yourself plenty of time when you see them and arm yourself with a killer playlist!

I attended an ATC loudspeaker event at Cultured Audio and met Mike and Mark. The event was well organised and very informative. This resulted in a series of discussions related to simplifying a mid range classic Naim and Linn system to reduce the number of boxes and provide a more domestically acceptable installation.These ultimately led to a (very successful) home demonstration of ATC Active 40's and a Linn Selekt DSM managed by Mike.The final result was the replacement of our existing Naim four box amplifier, Naim loudspeakers and Linn Akurate DS with the new ATC loudspeakers and Linn Selekt configured with the Organik DAC. Mike was also able to make an offer which allowed us to replace our LP12 with brand new version, rather than upgrade our existing deck.All aspects of the installation and set up were manged by Mike and Mark. The end result they delivered was a massive upgrade in performance and an exceptionally neat installation.If you are seeking a system with the emphasis on musicality and the support of a very knowledgeable dealer I would have no hesitation in recommending Cultured Audio. A visit to their shop is an absolute must.

Introduced to cultured audio by a friend. Always been in love with music but never experienced it at this level until now. Cultured audio have a great set up offering you the chance to experience hi fi starting from an entry level all the way to far more advanced systems.The showroom is set up with a relaxed clean vibe and a complimentary coffee or two. I felt unpressured when deciding on my first set up and completely chuffed with my edward audio tt4 record player and naim pre- amp and amplifier!. Even purchased a naim muso qb for my bedroom!I got a little confused on the setup but recieved fast tech support from the guys at cultured audio and was enjoying my system in no time.I reccomend cultured audio. A Very knowledgeable and friendly hi fi showroom.

Welcome home...After visiting most 'hifi shops' in my area, it's nice to finally find a store that really cares about MY journey to musical nirvana.I was in the market for a new set of speakers & Cultured Audio could not have been more helpful. We discussed my requirements at length, over some great coffee & then commenced on finding the sound I was searching for. Between shop & also home demo's of Kudos, ATC, PMC & Neat, I am now the proud owner of a lovely pair of Neat Petite Anniversary stand mounts. This took quite some weeks to achieve & I was well supported & never pressured with any kind of sales tactics at any point, just sound advice.Big thanks To Mike, Mark & Chris for bending over backwards to get me to my happy place & I'm looking forward to the next part of my journey down the road :-)

Through the Naim dealer directory I discovered Cultured Audio in a village not far from Oxford. Mike, the director, quickly responded to an email and invited me to visit. It turned out to be one of the best experiences I have had of a high-end audio dealership. Mike’s knowledge of hi-fi is extensive. He and his business partner Mark started Cultured Audio in 2021. They carry some well known and (to me) not so well known brands. Nothing was too much trouble during the demo sessions; the focus was on the customer, and there were many helpful suggestions. If you are looking for good quality hi-fi equipment, and you are in Oxfordshire, Wiltshire, Gloucestershire, Bucks or Berks, you really should visit. Excellent, informed, customer service and tremendous knowledge.

Been wanting to take the next step and upgrade my audio, but always felt a bit scared and lost when it came to what to buy. Luckily a friend recommended Cultured Audio to me and I haven’t looked back since. Really friendly guys who took the time to go through everything with me, never felt rushed and they were happy to demonstrate setups for different budgets. And no hard selling, gave me time to leave and think about my options which I really appreciated, finally came back with my husband and we had blast and more importantly came away with something we’re really happy with. Thank you Cultured Audio.

Superb service and expert advice.They have truely pointed me in the right direction when upgrading my naim system. I have to say I am really enjoying my new amp and speakers very much thanks to Cultured Audio.