I have just spent five wonderful days in Victoria, BC. A gorgeous little city, with a Mediterranean climate, fine restaurants, excellent nightlife, the Olympic Mountains across the Strait and, of course, the Pacific Ocean. One day, I’d like to live there. Other than no snow and good wine stores, the only other two prerequisites for a big Audiophilia move are a BMW dealership and a good high end audio store. Happily, Victoria hits on all counts.
Which brings me to Sound Hounds, Victoria’s home of high end audio. Founded in the early 70s (the store seems to have kept the original style), the store is a feast of high end goodies. It is a dealer for Audio Note, Quad, Magneplanar, and many other high end lines. They boast good sound rooms, a healthy trade in room, and a repair centre. Nice.
But best of all are the sales team. The latest hire is from 1993, with the owners and other salespeople from the store beginnings. And they still have smiles on their faces and lots of trusted experience.
If you are an audio fan and have some time in Canada’s paradise, drop in for a visit.
Audiophilia on 
Audiophilia on 
Audiophilia 
Audiophilia 
{ 9 comments… read them below or add one }
I will!
howdy fellow audio dudes…i’ve been an audioaddict for 40 years…i’m seemingly the only audio dude in the okanagan valley…are there any of you out there….send me an e till then audios
Welcome, Dusty. Love your part of the world. Cheers, a
I couldn’t agree more about the sales staff. One of the best services they provide is warning you what NOT to buy. You may (or may not) find cheaper prices at the chain or online stores, where accurate knowledge is often non-existent, but Sound Hounds has already saved me a fortune by pointing me towards the right products–and away from others. What good is a low price on the wrong product?
One other thing: The sounds from a given piece of equipment are highly determined by the room. By providing loaners to take home, you have the chance of making sure that you’re getting the right stuff.
On top of everything else, they’re just great people to deal with.
Sounds perfect. Great staff. Looking forward to working with them.
Thanks, Russ. And a warm welcome to you.
Cheers, a
Hi ,
Someone told me you might sell items on consignment.I have a pair of IMF speakers,15 yrs old,too large for my new place,high quality when new,any chance.
Ken
Maybe contact them directly, Ken?
Cheers, a
With all due respect, I must disagree about thee knowledge displayed at Sound Hounds. I visited over the last week, for the first time, on a visit to Victoria, having heard many good things about Sound Hounds.
The sales people seemed disinterested in moving from the couch to speak with me, and when I was able to get some attention, I inquired about “the price of a CCR”, while standing in from of the Magnepans on display. The salesman did not know what a CCR was…maybe he thought I was speaking about Creedence…
Then I asked about the price of a REL Studio III…The salesman did not know what that model was.
He asked if that was the new line being introduced at CES… I responded that the new line being introduced was the Gibralter line. The salesman knew nothing about the Studio III, indicating they don’t do much with the more expensive RELs…
I think that Sumiko would be interested in how their products are being represented…
I am just a consumer; (an avid consumer, admittedly) but I really find it frustrating when salespersons do not know their stuff…
I agree with the last review, the guys are very hard to get off the couch..
They only speak to their friends and rich ass dummies who have ridiculous cash to blow,, otherwise you should go to best buy, (their attitude)
I love audio, but im not a rich dude,,, so I guess Ill be ordering from online..
wonton