Walked into SSAV Epsom...

[plastic penguin]

...sounds like a beginning of a joke.

I was down at Halfords getting a few bits for my daughter's car. Thought I'd have a quick nosey in SSAV. Some their stuff is Kef and they had the new R3 Meta, couldn't believe how big they are. My Dalis are miniatures by direct comparison.

Quite like the look of the Audiolab amps, they look modern without looking too sanitised. They also had Naim amps which looked typical Naim.

PMC new range are ridiculously expensive, £3800 for their entry-level floorstanders.

The cheapest and smallest standmounts was B&W, which I don't particularly like.

So I was shocked on two levels, the first by the standmount speakers and some of prices.

 

[James105]

...sounds like a beginning of a joke.

I was down at Halfords getting a few bits for my daughter's car. Thought I'd have a quick nosey in SSAV. Some their stuff is Kef and they had the new R3 Meta, couldn't believe how big they are. My Dalis are miniatures by direct comparison.

Quite like the look of the Audiolab amps, they look modern without looking too sanitised. They also had Naim amps which looked typical Naim.

PMC new range are ridiculously expensive, £3800 for their entry-level floorstanders.

The cheapest and smallest standmounts was B&W, which I don't particularly like.

So I was shocked on two levels, the first by the standmount speakers and some of prices.

First time a saw a pair of Kef R300 I felt the same way they where huge

 

[Al ears]

I can understand your feelings regarding new PMCs.
That's a lot for an entry level floorstander and puts it into a price bracket where there is some serious competition.

 

[plastic penguin]

First time a saw a pair of Kef R300 I felt the same way they where huge

Yep, and the R3 are meant to be smaller than the R300. I heard the R300 around a blokes house in our village years ago but it's only when you get up close and personal....

 

[plastic penguin]

I can understand your feelings regarding new PMCs.
That's a lot for an entry level floorstander and puts it into a price bracket where there is some serious competition.

Would you believe that was the offer price. The normal price is closer to £4500. These ones were on clearance sale.

 

[Al ears]

Would you believe that was the offer price. The normal price is closer to £4500. These ones were on clearance sale.

Oh dear !

 

[nopiano]

Would you believe that was the offer price. The normal price is closer to £4500. These ones were on clearance sale.

I’ve been consistently critical of PMC doubling their price (or more) in the last six years, when my (roughly comparable) ATCs have gone up about 25%. However, their new Prodigy models are stonking value. Two grand for the floorstanders.

But they are deliberately plain, in matte black, squared off boxes, and made of existing parts. However, they sound great. Excellent reviews are already published. Good for them, by realising they stretched the price too much with the Twenty5 xxi series. These are the smaller ones...

PMC's superb Prodigy 1 illustrate the danger of perceived value

Behind a Plain Jane is often a performance priority

www.whathifi.com

 

[WayneKerr]

It would appear that any speakers bearing a "Made in UK" label come with a premium price tag attached.

 

[nopiano]

It would appear that any speakers bearing a "Made in UK" label come with a premium price tag attached.

True enough, and that is still valued by some. I’m fairly agnostic on it in a way, because - for example - I don’t mind that my sleek Scandinavian Primare is assembled in PRC. But I loved that ATC’s factory was just up the road from where we lived in the Cotswolds.

Did you see that IAG have opened a British factory to make Castle speakers again, alongside the retro Missions? I must check where those new Quads are made…

 

[twinkletoes]

Anything made in the uk is stupid expensive these days.

Though not made in the uk When I bought my klipsch h3s they were 2.5k, a year or 2 before that 1700. H4s they want 4k, there or their about’s. Hand made in the US but these prices would be hard to swallow now for very little to no difference in sound between the generations.

To get the system I have currently or near as damit , most things are still current, sugden, chord, technics, MF phono stage (not counting the NAD cd player, I’ve owned that from new for 23 years). I’d actually have to spend an extra 2.5k possibly 3. To buy it again.

 

[davidf]

I feel some speaker brands over the last 5-10 years have elevated themselves into a higher “quality bracket” purely by raising their prices.

 

[Gray]

I’ve been consistently critical of PMC doubling their price (or more) in the last six years,

Good for them, by realising they stretched the price too much with the Twenty5 xxi series.

They listened to you 👍

It comes to something when we have to accept that £1250 is a 'good' price* for the Prodigyv1....and for that you get a choice of a single, take-it-or-leave-it finish....and need to pay another £99 if you want the luxury of grilles ☹️

* By PMC standards it really is.

 

[plastic penguin]

I’ve been consistently critical of PMC doubling their price (or more) in the last six years, when my (roughly comparable) ATCs have gone up about 25%. However, their new Prodigy models are stonking value. Two grand for the floorstanders.

But they are deliberately plain, in matte black, squared off boxes, and made of existing parts. However, they sound great. Excellent reviews are already published. Good for them, by realising they stretched the price too much with the Twenty5 xxi series. These are the smaller ones...

PMC's superb Prodigy 1 illustrate the danger of perceived value

Behind a Plain Jane is often a performance priority

www.whathifi.com

Those drivers look bigger than on the Twenty series. Pleased they've ditched that 'lean back' style of cabinet.

 

[Al ears]

It would appear that any speakers bearing a "Made in UK" label come with a premium price tag attached.

Understandably so, assuming they are actually made in the UK, which can often mean different things to different manufacturers.
Sometimes this is not a good thing....
I gather the new Castle speakers are assembled in the UK which is slightly different.

 

[Al ears]

Those drivers look bigger than on the Twenty series. Pleased they've ditched that 'lean back' style of cabinet.

The lean-back was surely there for time alignment. Not sure how they manage with the new speakers.

 

[GSV Ethics Gradient]

Local SSAV closed several years ago - used to love popping in for a look-see, but the location was poor and they never seemed busy.

I do recall them saying they had some mis-selling complaints from people/opportunists* who'd bought HD-DVD players and realised they'd backed the wrong horse...

*delete option of own choosing.

 

[Gray]

The lean-back was surely there for time alignment. Not sure how they manage with the new speakers.

They probably manage the same way as most other straight-box makers do 😜

 

[GSV Ethics Gradient]

Never liked the lean-back look myself, but we digress!

 

[Gray]

Never liked the lean-back look myself

Just as well it's never bothered me - as I've got it....and sounding fine (with selected vinyl rips) it was, yesterday.

Back on the shops....Audio T Brentwood was good for me....till it closed.

 

[plastic penguin]

The lean-back was surely there for time alignment. Not sure how they manage with the new speakers.

Don't like that lean back cabinets, one of the reasons I excluded the Neat SX2.

As @Gray correctly said, many other brands don't seem to have time alignment issues.

 

[plastic penguin]

Local SSAV closed several years ago - used to love popping in for a look-see, but the location was poor and they never seemed busy.

I do recall them saying they had some mis-selling complaints from people/opportunists* who'd bought HD-DVD players and realised they'd backed the wrong horse...

*delete option of own choosing.

When I visited the branch he had the door locked, and that was 4pm. Can't see them staying open too much longer. As they are franchised can't see the head office in Sevenoaks keeping them open unless sales picks up. Other than a couple of Monitor Audio Silver speakers and B&Ws, most of the components are high end.

 

[WayneKerr]

Witham SSAV branch has just had a swish refit.

 

[plastic penguin]

Witham SSAV branch has just had a swish refit.

I suppose it's down to location. Our Epsom branch is in the Upper High St, away from the main shopping thoroughfare. And parking is awful as well.

Right opposite was a Audio-T, they closed down about 10 years ago.

 

[Gray]

Witham SSAV branch has just had a swish refit.

It didn't look too bad on the one occasion I visited that branch - although that was ages ago.
From memory it was situated in quite a bustling shopping area, am I right Doug?

(Not that everybody has milk, bread and an Audiolab 9000A on their weekly shopping list).

 

[Gray]

Richer are the thrivers.
Despite Julian talking of tough times, there are always loads of punters in the Romford store - can't imagine ever being the only one in there (unless I've just been there at busier times 🤔).