Good hifi shops in Manc CC?

anyone know of any?

I'm on the lookout for some headphones and fancy trying a few.

 

How well do you know the city centre?

Bridge St (just off Deansgate on the salford side) has Superfi and Practical HIFI.

On the northern quarter nearer high st there is seven oaks and central radio (central radio is good as you can try out headphones before purchase there).

There is a more upmarket HIFI shop down Deansgate towards Castlefeild but I am not sure what it is called.

I can't think of any others of by hand. If you are looking for sub £200 phones then Bridge ST should be your first try.

I hope this helps.

 

cheers

 

There's a lack of decent Hi-Fi shops in Manchester, especially for the size of the city. Pity.

Wingnut

 

They are there you just need to know where to find them. A lot of the higher end shops are not in the city centre but in the suburbs such as the crappy Audio Counsel in Cheadle.

 

To be fair I use Audio Counsel in Oldham a lot, and I've always found them very helpful. I've bought all sorts of stuff there and spent quite a few afternoons listening to stuff. They don't have a massive range of stuff, but they can order most things. They won't sell you what you don't need either. Yes they may be Naim fans, but they sell Nad, Rega, Rotel, Arcam, Rega, Densen, Quad... Always preferred them to the city centre shops.

 

I have to say Dave Mac at Practical on Bridge Street is a VERY knowledgable guy, and the standard of staff knowledge is also high, especially Brendan and Chris. I'd say they were a very decent shop indeed for budget to mid end hifi.

 

Can't remember who I dealt with there, but I lost faith in them after they loaned me a pair of Dynaudio Audience 52's. I couldn't get them set up in my room without the bass going crazy.

I took them back without making the purchase, but they said that my Arcam Alpha 9 was not powerful enough to handle them, I'm not sure if it is or not (i suspect it is because Dynaudio would be seriously limiting their market if the 52s only works with amps greater than 70w). I had told them what I had before they loaned them so they just seemed to be trying to save face by blaming my amp.

Wingnut

 

I have always found Practical HIFI to be touch and go. They would not agree for me to try out some interconnects at home even though I said I would buy them first then just return the ones (the same day) that didn't suit my system. They told me that the Chord was the best etc.

I just walked into superfi over the road and they let me buy 3 different interconnects on the basis I could take two back.

 

Try The MusicWorks in Cheadle instead. Opposite side of road to AC, and about 150 metres further out. Good advice, nice sounds, excellent coffee

 

I will have a look in next time I am in the Cheadle area. I don't tend to go down to Cheadle much these days as I tend to meet my cousin in Didsbury instead now as its nearer to me.