Paul Roberts Hifi

Paul Roberts is a place you visit if it’s just been a very generous payday or your student loan has just arrived. If you are looking for an average ipod player or TV then I would probably say you can get a better deal in Curry’s Digital or online.
What Paul Robert’s is here for is the high quality products that don’t find their way into the high street stores very often. They sell an impressive range of BOSE products and the staff are more than happy for you to mess around for ages without much intention of buying.

From the outside, this place looks like some kind of bargain basement for the stereo equipment knocked off by the local skagheads, but as soon as you go through the door, you’re perception is instantly changed. This is no ordinary hi-​fi shop (they’ve got TVs, too, but I don’t watch them so I can’t comment) — you won’t find much for a student budget, for example. Instead this place deals in very high-​end, make-you-dribble/wish-you-earned-£50K systems, either for playing music with so much detail that you instantly can’t listen to music on anything else, or the complete, cutting-​edge, pup’s-pip-pack 7.1 surround sound setups that’ll mean you never come out again because even Love Actually is amazing on this. Therefore they’ve got dedicated mock-​living rooms filled with top-​spec audio equipment to help you make the decision. However, because my flat never looked like some ponce’s flat from London, I can’t quite place myself there, and I bet Mr Roberts wouldn’t let a hippy like me within 10 metres of these hard-​sell areas anyway. Frankly, it’s all beyond me.

Along the bottom side of Gloucester Road, Paul Roberts are an electrical goods supplier, offering high end gadgetry like televisions and Hifi equipment. They’re very helpful and all members of staff have a good deal of knowledge. I’ve assisted my parents in buying their latest, flashy widescreen TV from here, and I was very impressed with the service.
They’ve got a little demonstration room at the back of the shop, which is just nice to look at and test out — then along the right side of the shop they have all the hifi equipment (you can get hold of record players, amplifiers, straightforward Hifis: the full works of audio equipment), whilst on the left they have their range of TVs. They stock a good deal of Panasonics, which in my opinion are the best make and often a little bit hard to come by. They’ve also got smaller accessories like connection wires and headphones. The price range isn’t for the faint hearted, but I think that comes with the territory. If you’ve got the money to spend then Paul Roberts will do a good job of helping you out.

The Exterior design of this shop sign is pretty flashy and it doesn’t end there. Paul Roberts Hifi specialise in all those kind of swizzy gadgets you could probably only afford if you win the lottery. It’s pretty fun to go look at the amazing technology on offer here; a wide range of home cinema setups, Hifi equipment and other multimedia/​surround sound/​audiovisual etc.etc. equipment. One problem with this place however, is its location; next to subway and zzzone photography studios on the Gloucester road, it doesn’t really match up with the other cheaper looking shops. Perhaps this place would be better suited to the top of Whiteladies or further out at Cribbs Causeway or in Broadmead? I can’t imagine many passing students being able to afford what’s on offer here.