NicolasB
Distinguished Member
Some useful shops in and around London if you're looking to audition power amps and AV processors.
1) Sevenoaks HiFi. Avoid the Holborn branch like the plague, it's a shambles, but not that many places have a Cyrus AV8 and Cyrus monobloc power amps. They also have Arcam FMJ but probably won't have any speakers that are good enough to audition it usefully.
2) Graham's HiFi in Islington. The pinnacle of HiFi stores. Tremendously knowledgeable staff, great service. Probably best if you want to have a system recommended to you, listen to it, and buy it, rather than if you want to do lots of side by side comparisons. My salesman was very keen on M&K speakers and Arcam kit. They also sell B&W Nautilus speakers, and a wide range of other things: Linn, Naim, Meridian, etc.
3) Cornflake. Situated on Windmill Street, just west of Tottenham Court Road. The bright yellow building was obviously constructed on Gallifrey as it's enormously much larger on the inside than on the outside. Staff are young, but usually fairly knowledgeable, and helpful. Pleasantly wide range of kit, including Bryston (only shop I've yet found that stocks Bryston kit), Arcam FMJ, Tag McLaren, Naim, Lexicon and Proceed.
4) KJ West One. Very high-end shop. Bit posh. See if you can get hold of Steve Boxshall - slightly camp but very pleasant and cheerful and knows his stuff. Krell, McIntosh, and Meridian kit. Also Pioneer AX10 and Sonus Faber speakers. I think they also do Copland. They also like Martin Logan speakers.
5) Musical Images, Covent Garden branch. Salesman I had (Matt) was a real hard sell merchant, but seemed to know what he was talking about. They have Linn, Arcam FMJ, Parasound and Meridian kit. They will offer more of a discount on new kit than most shops.
6) The Listening Rooms, down in Kensington. Tediously disorganised, but a huge range of stuff including Tag McLaren, Arcam FMJ, Parasound and Meridian, and higher-end stuff too.
7) HiFi Experience, Tottenham Court Road. Keen on Denon kit. Curiously they stock nothing in between a Denon A1SR and a high-end system where processor and amp between them cost about £16000, but their high-end home cinema demo system (from some Canadian company I've never heard of) is fascinating. Can get you a good deal on B&W Nautilus speakers. (I'm getting a pair of 803s unused for £2900). Don't tell them that you're shopping at other stores or they'll stop talking to you.
8) Rayleigh Hifi (Rayleigh branch). M&K S150P speakers. Lexicon, Arcam, Tag McLaren.
1) Sevenoaks HiFi. Avoid the Holborn branch like the plague, it's a shambles, but not that many places have a Cyrus AV8 and Cyrus monobloc power amps. They also have Arcam FMJ but probably won't have any speakers that are good enough to audition it usefully.
2) Graham's HiFi in Islington. The pinnacle of HiFi stores. Tremendously knowledgeable staff, great service. Probably best if you want to have a system recommended to you, listen to it, and buy it, rather than if you want to do lots of side by side comparisons. My salesman was very keen on M&K speakers and Arcam kit. They also sell B&W Nautilus speakers, and a wide range of other things: Linn, Naim, Meridian, etc.
3) Cornflake. Situated on Windmill Street, just west of Tottenham Court Road. The bright yellow building was obviously constructed on Gallifrey as it's enormously much larger on the inside than on the outside. Staff are young, but usually fairly knowledgeable, and helpful. Pleasantly wide range of kit, including Bryston (only shop I've yet found that stocks Bryston kit), Arcam FMJ, Tag McLaren, Naim, Lexicon and Proceed.
4) KJ West One. Very high-end shop. Bit posh. See if you can get hold of Steve Boxshall - slightly camp but very pleasant and cheerful and knows his stuff. Krell, McIntosh, and Meridian kit. Also Pioneer AX10 and Sonus Faber speakers. I think they also do Copland. They also like Martin Logan speakers.
5) Musical Images, Covent Garden branch. Salesman I had (Matt) was a real hard sell merchant, but seemed to know what he was talking about. They have Linn, Arcam FMJ, Parasound and Meridian kit. They will offer more of a discount on new kit than most shops.
6) The Listening Rooms, down in Kensington. Tediously disorganised, but a huge range of stuff including Tag McLaren, Arcam FMJ, Parasound and Meridian, and higher-end stuff too.
7) HiFi Experience, Tottenham Court Road. Keen on Denon kit. Curiously they stock nothing in between a Denon A1SR and a high-end system where processor and amp between them cost about £16000, but their high-end home cinema demo system (from some Canadian company I've never heard of) is fascinating. Can get you a good deal on B&W Nautilus speakers. (I'm getting a pair of 803s unused for £2900). Don't tell them that you're shopping at other stores or they'll stop talking to you.
8) Rayleigh Hifi (Rayleigh branch). M&K S150P speakers. Lexicon, Arcam, Tag McLaren.