TR Forums

I'm going to purchase an inexpensive home system (my first in many years).
It will probably be centered around Wharfedale Diamond speakers -- it may be valved.
(I've mentioned this because I want to indicate my desire of quality over bass thumping, ear bleeding quantity.)
A couple of questions if I may:
Does anyone have a preferred store in Vancouver?
Does anyone use an online retailer as I'm wondering if there is a B&H of home audio site.
Is anyone aware of a reputable Canadian online audio retailer -- something like the NCIX of sound.
Thanks in advance!

For receivers you can pretty much buy from anywhere (sorry, you missed the Boxing Day sale bonanza, that Pioneer VSX-1019 receiver certainly looks nice at C$400 ).

Speakers, especially with a brand like you stated (which I don't know, must be a good one; I only know B&W, Paradigm, PSB, etc.), I think there may be 1 or 2 stores that carry them.

Cables? Monoprice/eForCity.

If you truly wish to go with fire bottles (I'm assuming your "valved" means the UK-speak for tubes), you'll truly need to listen to the amp/speaker combo before purchasing. Most tube amps have a fairly high output impedance, which means that the impedance curve of the speakers (an "8-ohm" speaker does not have a flat 8-ohm impedance over the audio spectrum but instead varies with frequency) will impress itself on the amplifier output. Sometimes the combo works, sometimes it doesn't, and there's no way to make sure other than to listen.

Oh crap. Tubes. That I have very little knowledge of.