Purchasing high-end audio equipment can be intimidating for newcomers, but a boutique hi-fi and headphones store in the CBD has some simple advice.

“Come in, select a few tracks that you know well [and] that you like and let us take you on a journey,” Frédérique Matry tells new customers.

Addicted To Audio opened its first Adelaide store in Hilton three years ago before moving to its current Grenfell Street location in November last year.

“We really wanted to come to the city to capture the city market and bring headphones and hi-fi into the city, because there’s really nothing here anymore,” says Matry, who is Addicted To Audio’s national sales manager.

“The idea of being in the city is to try and expose it to more people, because quite often what people will say is that we didn’t know we could get this.

“We’re really fortunate to have some really cool record stores around us, so we work well with them as well, they bring people here.”

The brand was started by current CEO and owner George Poutakidis and also has stores in Sydney, Melbourne, Perth and Auckland, as well as an extensive online collection.

The store sells everything from CD players to music streamers, amplifiers, speakers, acoustic treatments from Portugal and furniture from Denmark that is specifically designed to house audio equipment.

The Addicted To Audio showroom on Grenfell Street.

Walking into the Grenfell Street store, the first thing CityMag noticed was the large benchtop, where potential customers can come and get acquainted with the equipment on offer.

Matry likens this experience to sitting at a bar and enjoying a drink with friends, although there’s no alcohol on offer at the store.

“The idea is to just come here like you would in a bar and have a [metaphorical] drink,” she says.

“Some people like to have a drink for the taste of it, some will have a drink for the emotion of it, or to have a good time with friends, or have a chat. So, what we wanted to do is for people to come in to be moved by music.”

Looking around the store, CityMag was drawn to the high-end speakers and turntables, where customers can play a track from the selection of classic vinyl records, including The Beatles’ 1969 album Abbey Road.

This is the experience that Matry hopes to offer customers.

“Sit down and we’ll show you a few things and we’ll try to find what your flavour is,” she says.

“We may start with headphones and then we will say to you, okay, now that we’ve established that this is what you like, let’s show you how much better this can sound by adding a better source, which is what we call a DAP, a Digital Audio Player.”

Turntables and speakers available at Addicted to Audio.

Matry says headphones can be bought for $99, but other pairs can cost $5,000, $6,000, $7,000, or even $10,000. She adds that the store is meant for everyone from professional musicians to music lovers.

“All the brands that we sell and represent are curated by us with passion in mind,” says Matry.

“We’re open to everyone. There’s no right or wrong with music. It’s a bit like food and wine; at the end of the day, it’s what appeals to us that’s important.

“Most customers, they come here and they sort of get hooked and they keep coming for more, so hence the name addicted.”

When asked whether the cost-of-living crisis is affecting sales, Matry said this year will be challenging but that investing in something like high-quality headphones is a smart purchase.

“What we sell is not to be thrown away in six months, it’s something that will be with you forever and may be handed down to younger generations,” she says.

“You talk about the cost-of-living crisis, and you know, people will go out for dinner and spend $200 on a meal, for example, with a few drinks, but you could actually be dining at home, investing in a beautiful sound system, drinking with your partner and your friends and it’s actually a lot more cost-effective than going out.”

Addicted To Audio is located on 132 Grenfell Street, Adelaide and is open from Tuesday to Friday from 10am until 6pm and then Saturday from 10am until 5pm.