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Start by choosing the right shop
You've already made a good choice by
visiting our website. Now make sure that the next step is choosing the
right shop.
Moorgate is an ideal choice. As
a small independent family business, we can put customers first. Neither
are we allied to any one manufacturer or brand and this means that when
you ask our
advice, we can listen to your requirements and give it to you in an
unbiased fashion. Of course you could also buy from
us on-line using this site or at www.hifi-plus.co.uk
- our sister site.
We think
Hi-Fi is made complex when in fact it should
be easy. Choosing your system should be a pleasurable experience in the
same way that listening to music is. Everyone loves music and it is
this simple fact that underpins our philosophy.
What could be better than sitting down with a glass of wine and listening to
music? There's certainly no better way to
unwind after a hard day at work. We think choosing your system should be just as
much fun. If you are not relaxed and comfortable in a hi-fi shop,
you need to be heading for the door.
No such thing as a golden ear
You don't need to be an expert
to pick a good system. Just trust your ears over the word of
your friends or hi-fi magazines. Why would anyone else be better
suited than you to choose your system?
I know that it can be intimidating to walk into a store where
everyone knows more about product that you do but please bear in
mind that nobody knows more about the sound they want than you!
We
are all born with the ability to recognize melody and rhythm; that’s
why babies grin and rock their bodies to the beat whenever they hear
music played; they respond without inhibition. As we grow up we have
this natural joy robbed from us by our inhibitions. Music has the
ability to "unlock" us
and make us feel like children again.
Better
Hi-Fi
reproduces music more accurately and as a result its more enjoyable and requires less effort. Think of it
reading a book where every fourth word
has been erased; you can just about fathom the meaning of the text but
doing so requires a great deal of effort. So much effort in fact, that
after a while you get fed up. A poor
Hi-Fi system is just like that because it requires effort to listen to
it. Listening to music should be effortless!
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That's why many people own what they assume to be a
perfectly good system, but they hardly ever listen to it. Only
those who have had a good system at home can fully appreciate the
pleasure music can bring. If you want to find out what a thrill it can
be without shelling out a fortune; go and experience the pleasure of an
orchestra or a decent band performing live. Once your ears are used
to the quality of live music, you'll want to reproduce that experience
at home.
Really
good equipment isn't cheap but it is an investment. You'll be stunned by the sound long after you've forgotten the price.
Customers often tell us that their stereo is one of the best value things
they've ever purchased. Spend
£5K on a kitchen and it won't make your food taste and better. Spend
£5K on a bathroom and it won't make you any cleaner. Spend £5K on a
stereo system and it might just transform your life! Of course we
sell fantastic stereo systems for a lot less than that as well!
A
Point of reference
Live
music is the best reference for judging a Hi-Fi system. If you have ever heard
someone singing your favourite song out of tune you will know that
it drives you up
the wall. A Hi-Fi system can do this to music in exactly the same way,
making it almost unbearable and reducing it to a unpleasant
experience. Poor sound is fatiguing, whilst good sound is relaxing and uplifting.
Good
hi-fi is usually simpler to use and also better made; so it will
usually last longer. A good stereo system may last well over 15
years and some equipment considerably more than that. |
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Listen
First
Moorgate's demo room is just like your lounge. It's about the size
of the average lounge, has carpet, curtains, a sofa and a chair – just
like yours. Here you will be amazed how clearly you can
hear the differences that exist between various systems. You won't need “golden ears” or expert knowledge to appreciate
fantastic sound, all you need to do is discover the sound you like best.
You can only do this by listening in a relaxed environment -
without pressure and with some good advice.
You
should avoid
shops that guide you towards own-branded equipment, something that is
increasingly common in chain stores. This equipment is mostly built down to a
certain price and stacked alongside similar, well-known brands. Their
sales people are often on incentives to sell their own brands above
everything else and we think this is unfair and bad for the customer.
Hi-Fi on the High Street has become a
pretty meaningless term and there is less good quality equipment around in the big
multiple stores than there was in the ‘70’s. So much for great
choice and better value for the consumer!
Is a discount on a piece of average equipment a wise saving? We
think not.
Don't be put off by the fact
that we are "specialists". Moorgate selects everything by actually
listening to it, so the chances of you getting great sound for your money
is infinitely greater. Think about it!
Our staff are not intimidating, nor will they talk in techno babble to confuse you. Like you,
they are music lovers, employed
and trained to listen to your requirements and help you choose the best
sound for you. It
is their intention to offer every customer who comes through our door the
best sound for their budget. They know from experience (20 plus years of
it) that happy customers come back and recommend us to their friends.
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Moorgate
staff never hurry customers. Time is something that they advise people to
take advantage of, often encouraging people to make two or three
visits to the store to hear different products and become clear in their
minds that the best choice has been reached.
It is for these
reasons that customers recommend Moorgate to their friends and are happy to
return when they want more equipment.
Your first step
Bring some CD's or records with
you as it will help you relax and also offer
a point of reference for you (since you already know how it sounded when
you heard it before). Avoid listening to any specific aspect of the music like bass extension or stereo
imagery, these terms are meaningless jargon and don't have any relation to music. Instead,
ask yourself if you are enjoying it? Is it tuneful and melodic? Does it meet your expectations?
These questions sound obvious but they will really help. Don't be
afraid of asking for advice either and don't feel the need to find words
to describe the sound. Just tell us if you like it or not.
Read Hi-Fi magazines but take them
with a pinch of salt
Hi-Fi magazines are often the
first port of call for anyone looking for a system. New customers will
be wary of walking
into a shop that sells equipment they have never heard of and place
themselves in the hands of so-called "experts". Hi-Fi
magazines are informative and tell you what's available, give you advice on how
to get started and offer some basic rules-of-thumb. They are also sensationalist, biased and
confusing. They may offer advice on what to buy but they won't give you
your money back if you buy it and then don't like it when you get home.
Even worse; they often award great reviews based on advertising revenue.
The other, extremely important factor is
that they are infinitely worse qualified that you to decide what you
like! If you only take one piece of advice from us it is this; trust your own judgment and remember that whatever you buy - do so
because you like it!
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