Canford Audio plc

The Canford Group was founded in 1976 by career experts from the broadcasting industry – and that pedigree has made Canford into the UK's largest pro-audio manufacturer and distributor. The original founders are still majority owners of the business; they built a team of specialists with expertise in audio, video, data hardware, and infrastructure.

Canford today employs over 200 people across five sites including offices, factories and warehouses.

We have embraced the past 30 years of change in the audio industry and we offer the latest technologies for your audio and video requirements. But we also recognise that our customers have their own needs and approaches. The key to our success is our understanding of our customers and our ability to tailor our service to your needs.

Canford also publishes The Source – our catalogue, but so much more than just a catalogue. First published in 1981, The Source remains an essential resource for broadcast engineers, technicians, system integrators, and many other professionals; today the 1,500-page publication has a circulation of 35,000 copies just in the UK.

We export a quarter of our output. Forty percent of our products are manufactured in-house. And our catalogue also includes products from leading manufacturers such as Shure, Sony, TK, Tannoy, Yamaha, Wohler, Sonifex, Neumann, Hofbauer, Denon, and dozens of others. Canford is a great British firm, with a turnover of nearly £20 million, and we are adaptable to a constantly advancing technological landscape while staying flexible to your needs.

Powering

We offer batteries and chargers, portable power units and power supplies with fuses. We also supply phantom powering products, including testers, adaptors, power supplies, and other units. Phantom powering is useful for transmitting electric power through microphone cables to activate and operate microphones that contain active circuits. And we supply AC power conditioning and switching to manage electric currents not initially matched to your equipment specifications and needs.

Microphones

We supply a range of microphones, including: head-worn, body-worn and miniature microphones; table and surface mounted units; gooseneck and stub units; standard hand-and-stand microphones; lip microphones for recording studios; array mics; radio microphones for wireless use in large spaces; and radiomic antennae. And in each of these categories we offer a wide collection of individual products for your exact needs.

Headphones & Headsets

Professional audio and broadcast work calls for a range of headphones and headsets for specific circumstances. We offer standard headphones, headsets, and spare sets; as well as ear-defending headphones, headsets and earphones that cancel ambient noise and high background noises. We also offer level-limiting headphones and headsets, to ensure the safety of your hearing. And we offer a range of wired and wireless earpieces and in-ear devices and base stations, and wireless headphones.

Record & Replay

We supply a wide variety of recording and replay equipment for DAT tapes, portable and fixed; portable solid-state and hard-disk recorders/players; MiniDisc units; CD, DVD and cassette recorders/players and duplication systems, networked audio hardware and software solutions; and spare high-quality cartridges and styli for analogue turntable needs. And we offer spares of the once-ubiquitous, now collectible Uher "Report" series of portable tape machines, while stocks last.

Audio Interfacing & Metering

We offer a huge range of products for audio interfacing and metering in whatever version you may need. Each of our product categories in this range offers its own array of products to meet your requirements. Our range covers audio splitters and combiners; microphone interfaces; DI boxes, attenuators and impedance conversion; headphone amplifiers and portable power amps; systems matching, buffering and conversion units; pro-interfaces and limiters; CAT-5 or CAT-6 cable adaptors; digital conversion circuit boards; routers and distribution amps; Firewire units; transmission-switching and processing; transformers, radio receivers, other accessories, and audio metering displays.

Video Interfacing, Monitoring & Camera Accessories

Proving that our expertise is not just audio, we are pleased to offer a selection of video interfacing and monitoring products, as well as camera accessories, to complement our audio interfacing range. These products cover RF distribution; camcorder adaptors; feed splitters; SCART-to-SDI adaptors; hum reduction boxes; video monitors; as well as location lighting, memory cards, and other monitoring devices.

Audio Mixers & Processing

Mixing is essential to audio production. Our collection of products includes a huge mix of portable mixers and other location-specific accessories; workstation mixers for connection to computers, including interfaces and software; general purpose audio mixers; automatic, live and venue mixers; radio broadcast consoles and software; essential routers and switchers; matrix mixers and zone control devices; signal processors; as well as a variety of spare knobs, switches and faders.

Amplification

Amplifiers boosts your audio inputs into an array of speakers and recorders. We offer a range of fixed and portable amplification solutions to meet any context. Portable mixer-amplifiers and other integrated systems are available from Canford; we also offer mixer-amplifiers with low impedance at the 100/70V measure; integrated and zoner-amplifiers with low impedance; integrated stand-alone amplifiers; power amplifiers for either single or two-channel use; multichannel power amps; and loop amplifiers.

Loudspeakers

Professional audio means professional loudspeakers. And we have a few – more than a few – for you to choose from. Our range of loudspeakers starts with portable powered systems, for shows and recordings that are on the move; powered general purpose loudspeakers; rack-mounted powered loudspeakers; passive entertainment and performance loudspeakers; passive and active monitors for studio and stage; the famed Rock loudspeakers; paging and public address loudspeakers; and related line transformers with other accessories.

Communications & Datacoms

Canford sells an assortment of communications equipment, including telephones and other telephonic devices or adaptors; telephone balance-units, couplers and contribution systems; as well as ISDN equipment for broadcast studios and other facilities; remote control, networking and connectivity devices; intercom systems; and the Tecpro communication system solution.

Test & Measurement

Canford offers a number of testing and measurement devices to help you perfect your audio and video solutions. We supply test discs and tapes to check your disc and tape players, as well as running sound checks, audio tests, and other similar tests. We also supply tone and message generators; measuring-sets for phantom, loudspeaker and loop configurations; audio test-sets, audio and video test and alignment devices; video and PC test and alignments tools; cable measurement tools and lead testers; and acoustic analysers with sound-level meters.

Audio & Data Connectors

Canford makes sure you can connect all your different devices, equipment and cables, in the field or in the studio – including with many Neutrik products. We offer XLR connectors and adaptors; terminals; gold-plated and other single-pole connectors in different measurements; phono adaptors; circular DIN connectors and related pieces; headphones and other jacks; a number of multi-way loudspeaker connectors; multi-pin connectors; various data and communications connectors; and the range of products that make up a full Krone system.

Connection Panels & Stageboxes

We offer a range of connection panels and stageboxes to hook your microphones and other audio equipment through one unit to multicore power cables. We offer floor-mounted and wall-mounted boxes, as well as recessed mounting brackets; audio termination panels; audio jackfields and patch panels; video and audio termination panels; data and communications connection panels; and other similar devices. Each of these categories includes multiple products, each specific to a need, as well as related tools for installing and maintaining your panels and stageboxes.

Cable Assemblies

Canford supplies a full audio and video solution. This includes cable assemblies, such as custom-made cables prepared by our own manufacturing teams; audio and video interconnection cables and leads; audio and video patch-cords and patch-cables; phono, DIN and optical leads; audio multiway cables; loudspeaker and headset cables; jack Y-leads; data cables; and AC power cables. Our cables come in a range of lengths and colours according to your specific needs.

Fibre Optic Cables, Connectors & Interfaces

Fibre optic cables are far faster than standard copper-based cable solutions. We offer a range of fibre optic cables and patch cords, as well as connectors; fibre optic termination and patch panels; rugged fibre optic cable splitters, combiners and assemblies; optic-to-copper assemblies; and fibre optic test equipment to ensure the smooth operation of this critical facility. We also offer an SMPTE HDTV hybrid fibre camera cable assembly.

Bags, Cases, Trolleys, Racks & Hardware

Canford covers all your audio and video equipment transportation needs with our full range of cases. We offer hard cases to protect sensitive and essential kit; soft cases and bags for a lighter transportation option; flight-cases for taking your equipment around the world; racks and rack cabinets for studios and other professional spaces; trolleys to move kit in studios and venues; rack-fittings, slides, shelves and drawers; security covers; other enclosures; fasteners and other assorted hardware.