Julian Richer hands over control to his staff

[CN211276]

I have bought quite a bit from them over the years including my Grado and Oppo headphones. Before both purchases I was able to compare them with alternatives on my short list before coming to a decision. Headphones are the only kit that can be meaningfully auditioned outside your listening room. My one gripe is they would not sell me the Audioquest Dragonfly Red to go with the Oppos because they insisted it is not compatable with a phone. It is and I ended up buying it from Audio T. Another plus point is the next day replacement of a Marantz amplifier after the first one caught fire when I switched it on.

[joe]

Apart from cables, I've mostly bought DVD players and VHS players from Richer Sounds. I remember when their first shop opened, near London Bridge. It was a startling contrast to the Sound Organisation shop just up the road.

[guydarryl]

I remember going to Richer sounds at London Bridge walk to buy an Aurex cassette deck.

bit off topic but some naughty person had painted "did you know that Dennis Thatcher owns 50% of Falklands Oil co".

Often wondered whether it was true or not, but a worthwhile visit in terms of opening my eyes to possibilities (and the cassette deck was good too)

[wiicrackpot]

I used to use Richer's first shop, on London Bridge Walk. It was slightly larger than a wardrobe and was like an Alladin's cave for reasonably priced hi-fi..

Bit like the Jamaica St branch in Glasgow, bought my first non CRT television there and my first DVD player,
as others have touched on, good place to shop for end of line stuff and non hard sell shopping experience.

[Daniel Quinn]

It's formula is easy to duplicate, yet nobody deos it.

The reason why is most other hifi sales people are profit minded cockwombles

[Ed345]

I got my first proper speakers from Richer Sounds about 20 years ago. Mordant Short MS20i. They lasted me quite a long time, and sounded pretty good when I hooked them up to a NVA amp years later.

Other highlights were a Minidisc deck(!), and my now 19 year old headphones. Sennheiser HD600, which were £100. Considering the use they have had, they might be the best value for item I’ve ever owned.

[Ed345]

Agreed about the business model. Amazing that the HiFi / electronics industry is still based on new models every year regardless of improvements.

[Geoff.R.G]

Amazing that the HiFi / electronics industry is still based on new models every year regardless of improvements.

Is it? Hi-Fi is slow moving, most people probably upgrade only when there’s a new feature they want or if they hear something better. Bling my make some buyers consider an upgrade when they don’t really need it but it looks shiny. It isn’t everybody that can resist.

I think my only current model electronic item is my iPad mini 4, my latest computer is 5 years old and my newest hi-fi items are about 18. No manufacturer is going to get rich on my custom! I was told that there is very little difference between a Quad 606 and a Quad 909 (not that Quad bring out new models very often) as far as I am aware it is mainly cosmetic. I suspect others make minimal changes too but probably only the minimum necessary to encourage new sales.

[karatestu]

Upgrading ? Its all bollocks. Probably same electronics in a slightly different case. Just an excuse to sell you something else.

Vintage gear still holds it own does it not. Reason being that nothing fffing changes

[Geoff.R.G]

Upgrading ? Its all bollocks. Probably same electronics in a slightly different case. Just an excuse to sell you something else.

Vintage gear still holds it own does it not. Reason being that nothing fffing changes

That was rather my point, Quad made minimal changes over nearly 30 years and freely admit to the fact, others are not so open. Of course a “new” model every year is an excuse, there is indeed nothing new except, possibly, some better components.

If people realised that there wouldn’t be a hi-fi industry.