Grahams

Secreted away in the backstreets of De Beauvoir Town, Grahams certainly won’t be doing any casual business with passing pedestrians. Those who come here make the pilgrimage because they are ready to compile a hi-fi/home-cinema system with much care and deliberation and are willing to spend a large sum of money in the process. Probably the longest-established of all competitors in town (its predecessor, Grahams Electrical, opened in Clerkenwell in 1929), the shop is guided by a policy of uncompromising quality, whatever the cost; consequently, the large majority of its components (amps, speakers, HD TV equipment, wireless streaming audio and so on) demand four-figure sums. The carefully crafted list of manufacturers includes B&W, Linn, Loewe, Miller & Kreisel, Spendor, Classe and many others of the same lofty and rarefied standard. The staff and owners are so proud of the company that their profiles can be found online so you can put names to faces before walking through the front door.