So how many ZG'ers are there in sunny Devon? And where do you buy your hi-fi?
Hi Coda II, Tend to find myself importing stuff from US and Europe these days. Although, back in the day when I did buy brand new I'd often make trips up to the big smoke (London) as there isn't very much choice down this end of the country when it comes to selection of high-end audio goods. I'm guessing Exeter is sufficient for most mid-market priced items and needs. There's a couple of other dealers scattered around other parts of Devon and Somerset too, but have never investigated as they'd involve car journeys and I don't have ready access to a car.
I used to use Guilfords(later Radfords) in Exeter many moons ago,this being the closest decent dealer to Barnstaple. Havn't stepped into a dealers(well a hifi one anyway!) for years now,due to the net and all that,but theres a cool looking one in Tiverton thats pretty new.........must have a nose around sometime. http://www.audiodestination.co.uk/ Paul.
Hi Paul, Any idea when Guilfords changed over to Radfords? I only started going there when it was Radfords and wasn't even aware of the prior name change, well more specifically I've always known it as Radford Hi-Fi. The Radfords shop in Exeter has now changed over to a Sevenoaks franchise shop instead, but they have kept the same staff on and have also kept their existing Naim dealership from when that shop was previously Radfords (Naim isn't normally stocked by Sevenoaks). So that means we have 2 main Naim dealers in Exeter. Have heard of Audio Destination but couldn't think of where they were based, was thinking it was getting towards mid/north Devon.
Does Audio Destination need a courtesy mini bus? Looks worth a visit but not really somewhere you pass, guess that's why they called it Audio Destination Also surprised (pleasantly) to find that the distributer for Heed Audio is in Newton Abbot: tsource
I'm in Exeter, same as Henryt. All my stuff is mainstream, so I get it either from Sevenoaks (was Radfords - nice NAP180!) or Audio-Excellence in Sidwell Street. Then there's Richers and Smack Generators, and if you REALLY want a good nose around, the Emporium on the road that leads to Heavitree (what IS it called!?) opposite The Pyramids pool is interesting; the owner sounds a bit like Ozzy Osbourne, is pretty chilled, and has TONNES of prog/psyc vinyl and loads of groovy seperates to browse through...
I think there's a handful of manufacturer's down here. JPW in Plymouth I think for starters, although are they still trading? The Emporium is the only second hand hi-fi place in Exeter AFAIK. Mostly full of £20 a go early 80s silver amps and tuners, but very very occssionally they have some interesting items in. I bought an MF T1 tuner from there. They also had some kind of huge AR speakers in the shop which were apparently quite rare, and there are some nice ReVox seperate behind the counter but not for sale.
"Early in 2002 Mike Jewitt (ex Heybrook Hi Fi) and Charles Greenlees (ex JPW Loudspeakers) formed The Acoustic Partnership and in turn bought the sole trading rights to the brand “REVOLVER†from B & W." The Acoustic Partnership, Saltash
Up until about 1983 'Gulliford House' was in a barn somewhere near Dawlish. I think the owner was 'Mike Simmonds' although I'm guessing the surname. He moved to an ex-mini-supermarket on a road whose name I've forgotten. Down the High Street, over the river, over the roundabout, on the left opposite a sort of shopping arcade. This was in conjunction with Radfords but they called it 'Gulliford Audio'. BTW Doug Graham now of Naim used to work there... Paul
Think it was called Cowick Street......? I remember saving up for ages to get the £90 required for an RB-300 to fit to an original Pink Triangle......I must have been about 15 or so at the time. Didn't have any dosh for a bus or train to get there.......managed to get a lift with a very strange geezer in an Austin Allegro. Getting back was a nightmare though!......Should have bought the RB-250,a bargain at £65! Paul.
Hi i am new to this forum but may have some ifo on the Guiliford/ Radford thread.Guiliford was situated at Kenton near Dawlish.It was a farm owned by Mike Simmonds.I bought a Rega 3 off Mike in 1980.He only sold British Hi fi.his starter system was Rega 3 A&r A60 amp and Heybrook HB2 speakers.He ended up with Radford in the mid 1980's,I think as a director or similar.As reported Doug Graham was the manager at Radfords before becoming sales manager at Naim.I bought a Naim 62/140 off Doug.He was really keen on Naim and Linn Kans,After Radford sold out to Sevenoaks Mike Simmonds became manager at Audio Excellence in Exeter
Yes, Radfords/Sevenoaks is in Cowick Street... the side of the river that flooded quite nicely a few years ago... can't recall if they were affected by it though. Dom, the road to Heavitree is, surprisingly enough, called Heavitree Road. The Emporium is always worth a look through.
