Briefly, it was matter of finally replacing a couple of ancient (mid-1970s) Naim 402s with something which would work well with a Rega Planet and a Nait 3. I was hoping for a home demonstration sometime in the following weeks, but what I got was a car-full of new speakers to try out myself that very night: two pairs (B&Ws and Linns)with no great pressure to get them back in a day or so. Instead, I had a follow-up visit at home from him on Sunday tea-time (yes, Sunday) which proved extraordinarily helpful but which also left me needing more time to think and decide. Again, no problem, so that by the time I contacted him on Tuesday, I was really settled in my mind about which way to go.

I returned the rejected speakers to him yesterday, and was treated to coffee, plenty relaxed chat about hi-fi matters, a demo of the new top-of-the-range Linn CD player, etc. Robert Ritchie seems to approach customers as friends, not as people to get shot of as soon as they have parted with their money.

My wife (not a hi-fi enthusiast: favourite line -- 'That system gets more attention and money spent on it than I do') paid him the ultimate compliment when he left on Sunday night. 'Now I see why people keep going back to that chap -- you'll never get service like that from anyone else.'

David Robb

If you'd like to give them an even bigger 'Thank You' can I suggest you take a look at The WOW Awards.

This organization is devoted to rewarding excellent service, and promoting it in others - give them a Christmas present they won't forget!

Andy.

Andrew L. Weekes
alweekes@audiophile.com

In the last 3 months I've had 802's with CDS2, and then with Linn CD12 each for about a week with no pressure whatsoever.

A easy recommendation as the best dealer in Scotland, and one of the few that handles Naim, Linn, Chord, B&W Nautilus and many of the other better makes. None as good as Naim of course - well apart from the Linn CD12.

Happy Xmas to all

Colin Lorenson

Colin did you enjoy the CD12, I thought it was really good but not necessarity better than the CDS2.

Must catch up in the New Year.

regards

Dev.

quote:

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I know that Robert Ritchie of Montrose has been mentioned on this forum before, and praised for his extraordinarily helpful approach to his customers, but as the very recent recipient of his services it seems that the least I can do is to remind everyone (the world over) of just how good he is.

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I visited him with a friend in the market for new speakers circa 1981. He too let us drive away with the Skoda filled with 3 pairs of speakers (ARC 101, KEF, B&W) without any interest in obtaining a deposit or even any form of identification. His explanation was 'Ahl ken ye'
He also drove the distance from Montrose to St. Andrews to install things as small as new cartriges or tonearms, when the owners by all rights should have come to the shop for these small things to be done.
I can remember him saying that he had found the NACA4 speaker wire audibly directional off the roll- the first time I had heard anyone address the seemingly ludicrious concept of cable directionality. The system he was playing in the shop that day was a pair of Linn Saras driven by a Nytech receiver, fronted by a Sharp cassette deck that he had tweaked, and recorded the Wall off a Linn/Ittok/Asak. He is certainly not afraid to hybridize conventional flat earth dogma with the 'suck-it-and-see' approach.

Ron
Dum spiro audio
Dum audio vivo

<A HREF="http://homepages.go.com/~rontoolsie/index1.html" TARGET="_blank">http://homepages.go.com/~rontoolsie/index1.html</A>

I wished I lived in bonnie Scotland.

You're really lucky to have such a fine example of how it should and could be done.

A Happy New Year to you all and lang may this blokes lume reek (or whatever)

P.(size 8 feet so cant use DBLs)

The reamrk from another contributor about Robert treating his customers like friends is spot on. Since I moved from Aberdeen, he has given me impartial advice quite a few times, even though he knew there was no sale at the end of it.

I have a great deal of admiration for Robert because he always treats people with respect, courtesy and decency.

quote:

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I suspect that there are many Naim dealers that are worthy of recommendation out there

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Whilst I don't actually use a dealer in the conventional sense (I buy mainly second hand, so Loot is my main dealer), I can happily recommend a few:

Audio Counsel - I have been to both branches, I bought my old Xerxes and Onix OA21 from the Oldham branch back in 1986, and that was the first and only time I have ever heard Kans work at a dealer. I have recently visited the Cheadle shop, and they are a great crowd who certainly know exactly what they like, I have a lot of time for them even if our views ultimately differ somewhat. Downstairs dem room is pretty good, upstairs less so.

Audio-T - My P9 came from the Reading branch, they went to a lot of trouble to provide a meaningful deck dem for me at a time where other dealers seemed totally unable to, and have provided very good service ever since. Good sounding dem room, and a decent crowd.

Better Hi-Fi Liverpool. My local dealer, their dem room sounds absolutely awful with a real bad bass boom, but they are a good crowd. I bought my old 62 / 140 and my first pair of Kan IIs there, and they found me a second hand HiCap at the time they were rare as hens teeth. They have been able to keep me in a never ending supply of old style 135 bulbs, though I have now given up as the bloody things blow so often.

Doug Brady Hi-Fi Warrington. Started life as W. A Brady and son in Smithdown Rd Liverpool, a crazy shop where I would be stunned to find Asaks and Koetsu cartridges just lying on the counter, plus boxes of weird arms etc - several dem rooms, I heard loads of stuff there in the early 80s, and even bought the odd bit. Doug is a true character, and a lot of valuable information can be prised out of him right up until the point he blows it all by recommending a Chord amp. Can be a very good place for second hand kit. Dem rooms are less than ideal as they tend to have so much kit lying around.

Tony.

When I know the outcome, I'll post it on the forum.

David

And in the nothing can be to difficult for them category, comes the installation of my new Loewe Aconda TV which they amazingly managed to get into my house, still contained within the largest card board box I have even seen!

But, above all, is the ability to sit in their, yeah boomy, dem room, with fresh brewed coffee listening to their latest fancy waiting for the wife to turn up.

Tony, where are you in relation to Better Hi-Fi, as some 'neutral' ears are always welcome.