The Compact Hi-Fi Starter (June ‘26 Demo Room)
Social media has been our spot for sharing in-store features, but sometimes there is a bit too much detail for a social post. In this case, for us to show off one of our curated demo rooms - great first step into quality hi-fi and more than capable of bringing music to life. And yes, showing off. I wouldn't mind having this at home.
This compact home audio system is configured around the IOTA II from Neat Acoustics. Their brand-new version of their classic IOTA, originally launched in 2011 with huge sound from a tiny enclosure. The IOTA II features a new bass / midrange drive unit and a revised crossover housed in a similarly extremely compact enclosure - visually similar, but a distinct upgrade in sound.
We have experimented by pairing the IOTA II various all-in-one players and integrated amplifiers in our listening rooms, and unsurprisingly these Neat's speakers synergise well with our brands and can handle easily handle each chosen amplifier. Neat has listed a number of brands on their recently updated website that pair well - including Naim, Exposure, Rega and Quad. Classic UK manufacturers.
This system is extremely flexible on placement (thanks to the IOTA II) and would suit small to medium sized living spaces - apartments, terraces, larger homes, etc. It could even be used to bring music into the home office.
Selected Amplifier: Advance Paris MyConnect 60
Advance Paris MyConnect 60
Our first test out of the box was the Advance Paris MyConnect 60. An all-in-one package that can be an ideal pairing for a first home audio system, fully capable of streaming (TIDAL, Internet Radio, AirPlay, etc.) and more than enough analogue and digital inputs for your TV, turntable, and cassette player (which is experiencing a resurgence).
The MyConnect 60 has a built-in CD player and MM phonostage for your turntable. Perfect for whether you are (finally) joining the vinyl ‘resurgence / revival’ (it has already been 19 consecutive years of growth), or looking to re-enjoy both your vinyl and CD collection.
As for the sound and pairing with the IOTA II, it clearly falls within the recommended amplifier power (as the picture suggests, the IOTA has a small footprint), for the sound, your ears are the best judge but it has more than enough to get your foot tapping along with your favourite artists (for our session, Norah Jones and Tracy Chapman).
Selected Source: Rega Planar 1 Plus Turntable*
Rega Planar 1 Plus
The most important component, the source. Extracting the most detail from the vinyl grooves is integral for a quality signal being available for your amplifier and speakers to use.
Rega Research was founded in 1973 by Tony Relph and Roy Gandy with their conjoined surnames resulting in Rega (Tony gave his share of Rega to Roy a few years later). Today, with years of innovation under their belt, Rega is an employee-owned company where every product is designed to achieve the best musical performance and deliver a lifetime of enjoyment at an affordable price.
*As the MyConnect 60 has a phonostage directly available for turntables equipped with a moving magnet cartridge, we would instead pair this with a Planar 2 or Planar 3 turntable for a performance uplift (we don't need the Planar 1 Plus' built-in phonostage with this system).
Selected Speakers: Neat Acoustics IOTA II
Neat Acoustics IOTA II
The original IOTA from Neat Acoustics delivered a performance far greater than what might be expected from such an impossibly small 2-way design, but these new refinements bestow improved bass extension and massive scale, to an extent that seems to defy the laws of physics.
The IOTA II gives an astonishing presentation of scale, which suggests a far larger speaker, but is also very flexible in placement. The compact and stylish cabinet can be used on stands, bookshelves, and desktops in most situations.
Read the Hi-Fi Choice Review.
The Next Upgrade
Bringing music into your home can be a journey. Many of our clients have started from a quality entry level system like this and upgraded over the years. Each upgrade gives you the opportunity to re-enjoying your music and discover unheard details, bringing you even closer to the artist.
To give you an idea on where this starting point for your journey could lead you, we’d consider upgrading your source (turntable) as you continue to grow your vinyl collection, followed by exploring options to upgrade the all-in-one to an integrated amplifier. But only upgrading when and if you can hear the difference.
As it stands, this system has the opportunity to give you many years of musical enjoyment.
We'd love to get you started on your hi-fi and musical journey. Drop us a message to arrange a listening session.
The IOTA II is a brand new version of the classic Iota model, which was originally launched in 2011. It has been upgraded with a new bass/midrange drive unit and a revised crossover. The original Iota delivered a performance far greater than might be expected from such an impossibly small 2-way design, but these new refinements bestow improved bass extension and massive scale, to an extent that seems to defy the laws of physics.
From Neat Acoustics / IOTA
The Planar 2 was developed over two years alongside the latest Planar 3. Featuring the RB220 tonearm, a new 24 V low noise motor, acrylic high gloss laminated plinth, newly designed central bearing and so much more. Every feature of this innovative new turntable is designed to extract the maximum amount of information and detail from your vinyl collection.
Key Features:
RB220 precision tonearm
24 V low noise, low vibration motor
10 mm float glass opti-white platter
Advanced EBLT drive belt
From Rega
The MyConnect 60 is an audiophile all-in-one, featuring a 2x60W amplifier rated at 6 ohms, a wifi and ethernet network player, an FM tuner, a DAB+ tuner, a CD player, a USB player and a Bluetooth receiver.
From Advance Paris