I've been buying higher end AV equipment for over 25 years and I can't recommend Nick at The Sound Counsel highly enough, I am yet to find a more friendly and professional dealer throughout the UK, combine that with expert unbiased advice and you have quite a unique buyer experience. Just to give you some idea how good they are I live on the South Coast of England and still my preferred AV supplier is in Edinburgh, none of my local retailers can get anywhere close to the level of customer service you will receive. I'm positive once you make a purchase, like me you'll never want to go anywhere else either. Old school service is still alive and flourishing I'm glad to report.

 

T.A
Home Cinema £30k-£40k
Hampshire

Exceptional company and service

I had never heard of The Sound Counsel so it was with some trepidation that I contacted them to enquire about purchasing a very expensive digital interconnect. It was a truly refreshing experience talking to Nick and my concerns disappeared. He was an audio enthusiast and his advice was based on personal experience with not the slightest hint of sales pressure. As a result I purchased the cable which arrived as promised, superbly packaged and exactly as described.

Sadly the musical presentation was not quite to our liking. After a couple of days I knew I had to contact Nick as ask if I could return it. I hated doing this and wasn't sure of the response. I need not have feared as Nick was not only understanding but removed the guilt I was feeling. Without hesitation he made arrangements to return the cable and make a refund.

I have received exceptional service from The Sound Counsel and recommend them wholeheartedly. I wish them well and a long and successful future.

R.R

I approached Nick Wearmouth a number of years ago while seeking high end brands which were not easily sourced in the UK even though his business was one hundred and eighty miles North of where I live.

I am very glad I did as with Nick's knowledge and expert approach to system building have now reached the point where I am completely satisfied with my system long term.

Nick is a gentleman, extremely professional, and consistently delivers a service which has simply not been equalled elsewhere in over forty years of my audio journey arriving at the musical bliss I now enjoy today and every day.

Is Nick the perfect Hi-fi “dealer”?

Well the word “dealer” does him something of a disservice as he’s really more your perfect hi-fi consultant..

I’ve known Nick for a few years now and when I heard that he was leaving his previous company in January 2019 I was devastated as I knew I would likely never find someone so helpful, knowledgeable and proactive again in my lifetime!

Nick is one of those lovely trusting people who seems to have endless patience and really understands that the only way to assess high end AV or Hi-fi equipment is to try it at home in your own environment. If you want to try a particular piece of equipment (no matter how large or heavy) the chances are that he’ll be able to get it to you.

Unlike most AV “dealers” who you know are really looking to sell you something at the earliest opportunity, Nick seems to gain more satisfaction from playing the long game and making sure you are completely happy with your choices in the end. If he thinks you need advice he will offer it and leave you to decide whether you wish to take it.

It never ceases to amaze me how quickly and politely Nick responds to my endless obsessive technical questions about all things surround sound. He is probably one of a small number of people in the UK that know more about surround sound than (I think) I do and it is clear that he is a real AV enthusiast himself.

I’m really not sure what else one can say except that once you have been “Nicked” you’ll likely never want or have any need to visit an ordinary “hi-fi dealer” ever again.

I was overjoyed (not to mention relieved) when I heard Nick was starting up The Sound Counsel and as one of his first new customers I just cannot recommend him highly enough.

Nick is a true one off.

Can’t recommend highly enough, Nick and his team have worked with us since 2012 and always delivered. Over the years we have had numerous upgrades and Nick has never had any issues coming out to discuss our needs and his vast knowledge is mind blowing, a true audiophile who deliverers his customers needs.

Ever since I started dealing with Dan several years ago, his knowledge in all things AV has been second to none. He has helped my system grow over the years and always been a phone call away for any issues or queries. I would wholeheartedly recommend Dan and the team to experienced home cinema users, to novices looking to kick start their home cinema systems.

I can highly recommend Nick. His knowledge of the sector is second to none - very professional, reliable, and no hard sell - just sound advice and options.

I've known Dan for over 10 years now and what a journey we did together!

Various iterations on a dedicated home cinema room when I was living in Scotland and now in The Netherlands in a much more modest media room.

His expertise around home cinema and HiFi (my 2ch setup has been provided and installed by Dan) is second to none and his willingness to help and provide the right solution it's just stellar!

A testament of his commitment to provide unrivalled customer service is that even from The Netherlands, I keep on asking Dan for support. The latest addition to my equipment has been a 24ch upgrade to my Trinnov Altitude 32.

Keep the good work Dan!

I’ve been speaking with Dan for a number of years or so now and each time that I do, it’s an absolute pleasure. It’s not like I’m phoning a shop to get a price on something but I’m phoning an actual person who can offer some genuine advice. The advice doesn’t come with any agenda or hard sell but after letting him know your needs and wants, he may chip in with something you may not have considered.

He has a very wide knowledge base. Not just from selling products but from actually owning and living with them as well. You can’t beat that type of experience and even more so when it is passed over to his customers.

Looking to change something within your kit, or even start out from scratch, give them a call, you won’t be disappointed

I have been into Hi-Fi since my mid teens and on the constant treadmill of upgrades ever since (now in my early fifties). I’d acquired a set of floor standing speakers, expensive speaker cables and dual mono block power amps with a separate pre-amp. These were all award winning, from recognised brands and the RRP of the speakers alone was £16,000 so it was not a bad system. Apart from how it sounded. I initially contacted Nick in relation to an amplifier brand he represented and he came to my home to see my system. With some upgrades taking into account my tastes, the room interaction and the synergy of different components I ended up with a system that sounds genuinely how you want high end Hi-Fi to sound, that does exceed the sum of its parts and equally doesn’t annoy my wife or our neighbours. Nick is a genuine expert who is truly passionate about his work, there is no “hard sell” just honest advice and real experience being brought to bear. Given the cost of my system is now more than my first flat I wouldn’t now consider changes without consulting him first. However perhaps more importantly I now feel genuinely satisfied with my system and seem to have stepped off the treadmill. For now…

I have been a customer for nearly six years now and am delighted with the service. I initially engaged Nick as I need advice and guidance on how to get the best performance from equipment I had purchased elsewhere for my dedicated room, after being disappointed that the best my original supplier could offer was ‘to check the wiring was ok’. The expertise supplied to date has been invaluable and has led to a journey of upgrades and enhancements (both product and service) that have left me with a system that has outstanding performance. The key value that Nick gives me is not just the excellent range of products, but the advice in helping me determine what it is I am trying to achieve, and the guidance to help me get there. It’s not about selling products so much as ensuring I achieve the right outcome, and that is invaluable to me (and is not offered by most other dealers in my experience). Highly recommended.

Over the years I have encountered a great many HiFi retailers. Some were OK, there were a couple who were actually good, but most just wanted "the sale". It didn't seem to matter if it was what I actually wanted or indeed needed.

After a great many disappointments and system changes I came across Nick. Nick's philosophy is clearly very different to most I have dealt with. Of course he wants "the sale" but only if its RIGHT FOR YOU. Nick spent so many hours working with me to find the right solution for my HiFi needs. Demo after demo after demo. Home demos too, as we got close to our goal. He is professional, patient, understanding and very knowledgeable and has the invaluable knack of being able to interpret my many mumblings when trying hopelessly to articulate my needs regarding music and sound.

Consequently I have a system that I am delighted with and all at a fair price.

Finally and very importantly Nick's after sales support is fantastic. I can call him anytime and he's always happy to help. If you are looking for anything HiFi related you owe it to yourself to talk to Nick.

I’ve been a Hi Fi addict since I was 9 years old, and as I explained to Nick I wanted to leap in to the Audiophile arena and get as true to life audio as I can.

Before I spoke to Nick I read every blog, article and thread which led me to want the NAD T778... then COVID happened and the chances of getting one of these was like winning the lottery... I contacted every retailer known to man just to get my hands on one... after a few months I managed to get one, alas this was not through The Sound Counsel... Nick offered a load of advice even though I did not buy it from him.

I just fell in love with the receiver, and then went back to Nick for advice on upgrading my Audio Pro image speaker set as I wanted more from the system... With social distancing in place, Nick asked for photos of my living room and got to know my music taste as well as what I wanted from this system... I got a full report of speaker options and a series of advice... due to a build project this got put on hold but I will be back..!

Nick was beyond amazing, I was dealing with a professional that knew their craft and more importantly cared about me getting this right!! I came to the conclusion the T778 wasn’t for me. Nick and I went through a series of options and decided that the Anthem MRX-720 was the way to go with my future system appetite. Every step of the way Nick supported us, I decided to go ahead... Purchased on a Wednesday afternoon and it was on my doorstep 9am Thursday. Painless set up and mind blowing build quality, everything Nick promised... After the ARC set up, it was alive...

So in summary... Nick is an asset to anyone looking to upgrade, his advice and service is really superb. I would never go to the mainstream dealers again and feel I’ve got a hi fi partner for life! A sincere thank you Nick, awesome work!!!

Nick at the Sound Counsel has been absolutely brilliant. As I start to build my system, I have been researching and testing out new components, creating new possibilities and sound which is a spectacle to listen to.

Nick has provided brilliant customer service, attention and rapid response to all my questions. He made me feel at ease with any issues that arose and solved any that couldn’t be fixed with a service that I just don’t think you would get anywhere else. Simply Incredible!

If you are looking for expert advice, efficient, friendly and a platinum service – Nick and The Sound Counsel are where you should go to.

I very much look forward to continuing to grow my system, and speaking to Nick in the near future on what the best equipment to get would be.

RDVW
Home Cinema £5k-£10k
Bedfordshire

Nick has provided with me with outstanding service for over 10 years. Whether its HiFi or AV he is always incredibly well informed and balanced in helping make the best decisions for the system and the location.

I first purchased from Nick and Dan when I started to get into home cinema well over a decade ago. I have slowly upgraded over the years, they have always listened and provided great customer service .

I recently moved to a larger house and wasn’t fully satisfied with bass response. My family grew, so I no longer had the time to enjoy as much film, also trying to reduce “kids screen time” meant we wanted to listen to music more often. I needed a solution to allow me to still enjoy movies, feel the subs, but also be engaged with music and encourage the children to listen to a wide variety of content.

Nick suggested I try the NAD T778 and it's been a revelation. Dirac has helped transform my room, I now feel the bass, I’m surrounded by the film. From a music perspective, the clarity is simply fantastic (and I don’t have high end speakers). We now have music on all the time, the children are starting to remember album covers (via the beautiful NAD touchscreen cover art), just another bonus to keep them interested. The NAD won’t be for everyone, but I can now sit back and enjoy.

Nick has been fantastic, replying to my many queries leading up to the purchase but also providing excellent post install support. I was lucky to walk into their shop many years ago, if you want someone who listens, and as the company names states - counsels, but is never pushy, who wants the best for you within your budget, this duo are who you need to speak to.

 

S.D
St. Andrews
Cinema £10,000-£15,000