Surviving Hi-Fi Shops

Intimidated by hifi shops? Colin's survival Guide on how to buy hifi.

Looking to buy hifi from a real hi-fi shop? This page is advice for people who don't normally come into hifi stores and is aimed at the public within reach of a Hifi Corner shop in Scotland. Please see our home page.

What you need to know before entering a hifi store If you are like me, you'll hate shopping. You'll hate being pounced upon by a salesman (or woman), and you'll be keeping a tight reign on your wallet. Unfortunately if you really want the best value for money, the best sound for your pound, it is not the solution to avoid the sales person. When you buy hifi or home cinema from a 'pile them high, sell 'em cheap' merchant it means you have no real idea whether the product 'sounds good' or is the best long term value. Reading helps in giving you an idea of the quality brands, or maybe not, depends on whose opinion you trust.

Hifi is such a bespoke business and there is no substitute for the personal touch. So How do you cope with an excursion into this potentially baffling world?

The secrets of a sales person. Anyone in sales will recognise that in order to make a sale the customer has to be satisfied. This is the attitude ingrained in Hifi Corner staff, most of the hifi retail industry in Scotland has some connection with this company in the past. The sales person is taught to ascertain what knowledge, if any, the customer possesses . Over 50% of Hifi corner customers have never been in a hifi store before. So you will not be out of place! He or she should be asking questions to a) find out your thoughts (see below) and b) your level of knowledge, so they don't lose you when showing you products. A successful sales requires them to understand your requirements clearly and satisfy them.

How to prepare for the excursion Let's assume that you are planning a visit to a Hifi Corner, we cannot vouch about any other. Firstly the products are vetted before we stock them, there are pages elsewhere in this web site which show the variety and depth of our stock. We try not to keep 25 of a particular model and confuse the customer, what's the point, other people can do that better than us!

By nature of us being a long established specialist retailer, we've weeded our the chaff from the wheat before you visit. We now have to make sure the suits fits you perfectly, and thankfully not everyone has a bucketful of bad metaphors either.

Before you visit think, what is most important to you. Is is sound? Is it price? Is it looks? What percentage would you put on each of these. Remember that if you try and cram in too many facilities for a price the overall sound quality goes down. Hi-Fi Corner customers tend to be more interested in music or home cinema rather than flashing lights. If you are only interested in flash there are a lot of big stores out there with rows upon rows of portable stereos dressed up in big boxes.

It is therefore helpful to have a basic idea of what you need, ask yourself these questions first.

How important is sound?

Do I really need tuner/tape/whatever right now, or am I prepared to add it to a system later?

How long do I expect this to last?

Where will I put it, is space a problem?

Look at your room beforehand, get an idea where you would place the speakers and clap or talk in the room. Is it bright sounding or heavily furnished and dull? Bright sounding rooms don't generally go well with bright equipment.

The big trip.

Ok, so you have your thoughts together. Whether or not you feel you have to do some further homework is up to you. Most background information you require to visit a hifi store can be found settling down with a cup of tea/coffee and plodding through this site. If you can, pick a morning , these are traditionally quieter times and you'll get better attention just after the coffee intake for the day. From experience the best service is given to people who are polite but bold. It is possible to keep your empowerment by using such expressions such as "I'm interested in a hifi/home cinema system, I don't know much about it but I'll know the right one for me when I hear it". This is not an admission of lack of knowledge but a powerful assertion of control. Positive remarks to the salesman such as "I will be in the market next pay day, providing you show me exactly what I need to hear". This shifts the pressure onto the salesman to satisfy your ears, and no-one can argue with them!

Now you are in control. I would suggest you never listen listen to two pieces of equipment at one time, once you've dismissed one, then compared the 'winner' against another. That way you then feel you have the best in your quality range. Before you stop, yes, listen to the next one up just in case, very often you'll still be happy with the equipment you have selected. If you've been reading up and prefer to take the advice of a journalist, then by all means listen to the equipment. Before taking that final plunge, say to our staff "ok, let me hear what you would recommend". Again make up your own mind. If you have a really good cd take it along, good hifi shops expect you to listen to the equipment.

Common arguments against not visiting a hifi specialist.

"They are expensive" Some hifi stores may be expensive but Hifi Corner is not a extreme 'high end store' one look at our offers page shows we keep a wide range of equipment. By nature we don't keep poor quality stuff, and good equipment is a bit more expensive, but it is normally possible to get less but higher quality.In the end this, for most consumers, is more satisfying. Hifi corner has a price policy and competes very well with big discount sheds.

"They talk technical" Yes, this is a common problem, some stores talk down to their customers, don't go there. Hifi Corner training policy is don't talk technical, talk in plain Scots.

"I'll be confused" I would suggest that going to a shed or online shop with hundreds of products picked on features is more confusing. I want someone to vet the products, stand by them, demonstrate them and carry the can if it's not right.

Hope now you are fully armed and ready to go and say 'hello' to your local Hifi Corner.