I've been a Richer Sounds customer for over twenty-five years, usually at the Kingston upon Thames…read morebranch. This time I was in Manchester and thought I'd drop in and see what the latest equipment is. Things have changed, the freezer with ice-lollies has gone but a tea pot was clearly on display if anyone fancied a brew. Julian Richer the company founder gave away the company to the staff several years ago and the staff proudly wear long service badges. Unlike some large internet retailers Richer Sounds pay UK taxes as well.

I am a huge fan of Richer Sounds…read more Since the age of sixteen or so, I grew tired of having an all-in-one cd player radio thing with a tape deck thing with a couple of space age looking speakers that was all made of plastic and probably came from Argos. No, what I wanted was a big, grown-up looking stack of units, one for the cd player, one for the radio, a record deck, an amplifier unit and some nice tall, mature-looking speakers to plug the whole set-up into. Normally you wouldn't be able to afford this kind of clobber, but that is where Richer Sounds comes in. What they do is stock discount ranges of all of this great gear, selling it at reasonable and competitive prices. There are always loads of staff in Richer Sounds and this Manchester branch is no different. They're friendly, personable and ready to help.

I'm having a total shopping on the internet backlash myself, especially for big purchases. Richer…read moreSounds love this. This is their goal, their mission. They are blinded by anything other than getting shoppers back into stores with experts to help guide their choices. Looking at the physical object that you will be parting with your hard earned cash for; comparing it side by side rather than just comparing two teensy images. The staff are really what make this place- they are all obviously so passionate about the products themselves that they would never dream of trying to rip off the customer. They are excited to get more people using high quality electronics and it shows. Specialising in hi-fi, home cinema and flat screen TVs, Richer Sounds should be your go-to store. Find out the latest technological developments, which competitors the team deem to have the edge - even get something custom made to your requirements. I guarantee you won't be able to calm them down if you go in and ask about this. Like the staff in the electronics store in The Forty Year Old Virgin but much more trustworthy..

Someone suggested I try here when my TV broke recently. I had a look on their website which gave…read moreme a good indication of the range they hold and the prices. Like Sophie C, I was apprehensive about parting with my cash without seeing the physical object I wanted to buy. I was also getting slightly confused between all the new telly talk (having never had to buy a telly before since I was lucky enough to receive a hand me down from my brother about 10 years ago!). The store was easy to find, just a couple of minutes off the M60 motorway. There is no on street parking, but there is a small off street car park just round the corner. The staff were very helpful, answering all my silly questions and helping me select the best set to meet my requirements. I only wanted a small telly and the selection available was far more extensive than some of the other major electrical retailers, and mainly focused on your better known/better quality manufacturers. One of the key benefits of Richer Sounds is the five year guarantee they offer for 10 per cent of the purchase price which is much better value than its main competitors. I would certainly recommend Richer Sounds to others, and will be visiting here again should I need any other AV equipment.

I went to Audio-T in search for a new pair of Hi-Fi speakers…read more I called a day earlier to specify what I was looking for and the setup I currently have. When I turned up the next day everything was installed in their acoustic room. I took a few CDs with me that I know are well recorded and represent the range of my tastes...and a little extra to push the buggers as well ;-) Great experience, I spent about 1.5 hours in the room, trying it on at all volumes, when I wanted other speakers they only obliged to swap and left me to make my own mind up...offering advice when solicited. They are obviously salesmen, a shop has to survive, but they do not seem to play the customer for the sake of it. They have a great range of gear and you can try it all so spend the time you need doing your research then go speak to these guys.

"Hey girls, hey boys, superstar DJs, here we go!"…read more Remember the Chemical Brothers hit that used a sample from Rock Master Scott & The Dynamic Three as it's hypnotic chorus? When it dropped back in 1999, it seemed like every aspiring teenager wanted to become a deejay. Now, they seem more inclined to become iPhone engineers or programmers! For those still interested in learning how to control and manipulate the wheels of steel however, Reflex is a DJ Superstore selling all the equipment you could want from turntables, mixers, amps and FX units to headphones, power sockets, spare cartridges and record boxes. They stock Technics, Numark, Vestax, Kam, Stanton and Behringer and offer a full repair service too. If you can't afford your own decks yet, they sell some secondhand stock and rent turntables, mixers, amps, speakers, projectors and lighting on a daily or weekly basis. If you're keen to start remixing or producing your own tracks, Reflex also rent and sell mixing desks, synths, drum machines and laptops loaded with music software. Handily, they also sell a small selection of dance vinyl and CDs including deep house, techno, trance, drum'n'bass, grime, dubstep and breaks. If you're looking for the latest floor-fillers or old skool classics though, I'd advise you to skip down the street to Eastern Bloc or Piccadilly Records. Rock Master Scott: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RCx_MmUcKYU Rob Swift in action: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tHwfvmo2Qns&feature=related

I like this store. Especially as you can just stop outside (if you are quick, as it is a yellow…read moreline area) which is handy considering a lot you will buy from here will be in large bulky boxes which you wouldn't want to walk through the street of Manchester with. You may as well tattoo 'mug me' on your forehead rather than walking round with boxes of Technics, Pioneer, Novation and many other high tech branded goods! So being able to stop outside to load is a plus point. Their stock level is good, with a wide range of equipment. The staff are knowledgeable and helpful. Having bought software and hardware from here, it has a wide range of products for the hobbyist, to the professional. It also stocks some accessories like record bags, mix tapes (or CD's) etc but best of all you can go and test any of the products, whether its a cheaper synthesiser to £4-5K Pioneer DJ decks. As for the pricing, I can't say it's a cheap shop having things worth thousands in there, but it is cheap in comparison to those products elsewhere. However not everything is, as always it's best to do your research first. I usually find they are cheapest on about 2/3rds of the things I research so that's good. All in all its a great place to call in even if you are just walking past, to see all the great things on display and have a little play. Chances are, if you are like me you will probably leave with something :)

Dirty disco Deep house…read moreFree jazz Hard funk Detroit techno Psyche rock Acid folk Whatever music floats your boat, the guys at Richer Sounds will have a stereo or individual seperates that will make the most of your record collection. The staff are enthusiastic and friendly and the shop is packed with great stereo, TV and home cinema electronics. New stock arrives weekly and prices range from £20 to £200 for speakers and seperates. They also have a cool demo area and all the accessories you could need from plugs, cables and spark leads to spare DVDs, minidiscs and rechargable batteries. On the stereo right now? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qh-99_1k3mE

Breightmet Electrics ltd is situated on the 'main drag' of Breightmet which is Bury Road and is…read moreideally located should you be on bus (471 especially) between Bury and Bolton. From the outside the store isn't much to look at, it's a little tired and drab and the window displays are unenthusiastic and as the saying goes 'nothing to write home about'. I thin the main thing that invited people in is the sheer lack of anywhere better to go as there is literally only a handful of shops here and it's always nice to try and 'go local' to the independant stores. Although access is fairly easy especially with a buggy it doesn't really improve once you enter. It looks just as drab on the inside and is uninspiring. The shop is a fairly decent size but the decor and lighting makes it feel smaller and the main thing that comes to mind is 'grey'. They carry a variety of electrical appliances but don't expect jazzy displays of the greatest and latest trends, however if you're just after a washing machine or cooker etc it does what it says on the time and sells electrics, in Breightmet. The staff are helpful and approachable and don't 'pounce' on you which several of the larger chain stores are guilty of and yet in all honesty, I personally would prefer to go to one of the chains and travel that bit further. If the place was updated I think it would attract a lot more business.

Surely, one day, the combined power of ebay and massive chain stores offering cheaper prices will…read moreput shops like Central Radio will go out of business. Until that day, I'm quite happy that places that exist. You can go in and browse massive flat screen televisions and stereo systems without feeling the pressure from pushy sales assistants and bargain deals staring you in the face. In fact, the chap in Central Radio didn't even offer to help me in my search for some headphones. Was he being rude or just letting me have a look myself and consider my options? I'm going to quite happily go for the latter, if I needed help I would have asked. There isn't the most stock ever in Central Radio. They only really had one pair of headphones at around £10, everything seemed like a much more serious investment at around £30. Central Radio is definitely the shop to visit if you want to spend some time really investigating and discussing your technology options.

Is there anything better than listening to Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong croon 'A Foggy Day' or…read more'They Can't Take That Away From Me?' The only thing I can think of is listening to Ella and Louis on a Bang & Olufsen stereo. I don't have the bling to buy one myself but I have a couple of friends that own B&O stereos and the sound is A*M*A*Z*I*N*G. If I had a spare five to nine hundred pounds in my pocket, I'd be in the shop right now, trying to decide which system to buy. As it is, I'm enjoying the crackles of my dad's old Technics deck spinning a worn out copy of Ella & Louis on vinyl. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ma91kie8G3A

There's nothing better than tuning yourself to the crisp, bassful, and surrounded sound that comes…read morefrom the Bang & Olufsen headphones plugged to your ipod! Luckily I was gifted this one on my birthday by my dearest parents. B&O can just blow your mind off! This store is more than Awesome and starry eyes can describe! If you're a techno-freak and love just being around steroes and some thumping sounds, this place has it all to captivate you thoroughly! I personally couldn't go ahead and just buy one of the gems in here, but if you're looking at sprucing up your place with some noise, and have the bling to ka-ching! B&O, is your stop!