Recommendations for a GOOD audio shop in Edmonton?

TheRater

New member
Jun 1, 2005
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I am trying to spend my Christmas bonus and have settled on a 'home entertainment system.' Rather than recommendations for what brand/type etc. I thought I would ask for some recommendations for good (not cheap good but quality good) places to get some quotes in Edmonton?

- TR
 

threepeat

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Sep 20, 2004
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Edmonton
Audio talk

TR, there are two excellent audio shops in Edmonton and a couple of decent ones. I define an excellent store as being one that sells only audio equipment and where the salesmen know what they're talking about. The two best stores are: (1) Audio Ark (www.audioark.com) and (2) Premier Audio (www.premieraudio.ca). The other two stores, which are still decent but a definite step down from the other two, are Audio 5.1 (www.audio51.net) and the Gramophone (www.gramophone.ca). Audio Ark is the best because they've been around for a long time, since the 1970s. Premier Audio is also excellent the last time I was there, though I have heard that they have gone down recently. Audio 5.1 is pretty decent, but the store is more a midrange store than a high-end one, and the service reflects this. Gramophone is excellent service-wise, but they are mainly a music store so they only have one listening room which I believe you have to book an appointment for if you want to audition any equipment. Which store you choose will largely depend on which brand of equipment you want to buy, as each store seems to have exclusive rights in the city to carry a particular brand.

I have no idea what your budget is, but if you want to shop in any of these stores, you will need at least $2 000 for the audio portion of your system (speakers, receiver, CD/DVD player). Of course, the sky's the limit -- Audio Ark's best system would run probably about a third of a million dollars. If your budget is under this and if you want a real audiophile system, I recommend just getting a two-channel system to start, like get a good receiver and a good pair of bookshelf speakers. Then later on you can add a good pair of main speakers, and move the bookshelf speakers to the back as your surrounds. Then you can add a subwoofer and a centre channel later. I'd buy the centre channel last; in my opinion it is better to have no centre channel than to have a crappy one. If you plan on spending under $2 000 for your entire system, it probably doesn't matter a heck of a lot where you go, so I'd say just head to Future Shop or Best Buy and grab one of their home-theatre-in-a-box systems.

If you have any questions please ask... I love talking audio. :)
 
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