Bay Bloor Radio

Very kind stuff. You can try every earphones in the stock and pick the best one that you like.

As a kid growing up I remember going here with my dad and drooling over all the cool electronics. All grown up now I make an effort to visit this store whenever Im in the area. They have a great selection of products. They staff is very knowledgable. They are commissioned so they are quick to judge you as you come in. They can quickly tell if your a prospective buyer or your just browsing. They can be very rude, they will only put in effort to help you if you look your serious. They also are very limited to what brands they carrry. They are big on bose, klipsch, etc. They dont carry any harman kardon or jbl.
The service department is great. I bought a pair of earphones and they stopped working within the warranty period and bay bloor took care of all the warranty work for me. Within a week they got me a brand new pair still in the box. All I had to do was bring in the old ones and provide my receipt. If I dealt with the manufacturer it would have taken much longer and would have been more complicated since I would had to do all the work.

I have been a customer for over 10 years. Never had a problem at all.
They’ve always done some minor discounting.
The staff are generally long-timer’s and competent, if a little un-​enthusiastic. (I’m sure you’d be burned out after working there for many many years). — but they are competent and nice guys.
I’ve never interacted with someone with a bad personality — they just seem a bit tired :)
I’ve purchased projectors, amplifiers, speakers, etc… and the support from them has always been great.
Over the years they have moved more ‘down-​market’ to more affordable systems. If you are looking for a good hi-​fi system they’ve got enough choice to make you happy. Not as much choice as some of the other hi-​fi shops in town but BBR might have more entry level systems at more modest prices for condo-​dwellers. Other hi-​fi shops might have something that sounds better, even for the same price, but you’ll have to spend more time researching/​listening at these shops to see what suits your tastes.
I view BBR as a good store, with a good business model, and good staff aiming to get people enjoyable systems without fuss.
If you want to optimize your $$$ and maximize your :) then I’d suggest trying some of the the smaller hi-​fi shops in town that have different products you can consider. If you want a one-​stop shop for entry-​level (good) Hi-​Fi then BBR is great.

I bought an amazing set of headphones here and although they were pricey I’ve had them for nearly a decade and they get a lot of use. That being said, the BBR experience is not always the best. You’re virtually ignored most of the time by the staff unless they sense your well heeled and about to spend ten grand on a pair of speakers. I miss the old Ring Audio days.

«A good bet for the relatively inexperienced buyer or transformation of dyed-​in-​the –wool types on analogue systems before — good digital systems and digital wireless systems are quite complicated today — especially for those seeking something better than just ordinary and run of the mill. «
Audiophile systems are virtually dead but not completely. BBR is virtually the only high end place square downtown left other than 2 Queen East and Queen West competitors — Audio Oasis and Planet of Sound. There are other smaller shops outside of the core, but reputation varies. Thats it. BBR have went more or less maintstream with their product line and have a relatively good overall selection, price and inventory — but very little obscure product line. For that stuff you have to go to the US or even place of fabrication and know what you want. Brands have become so dealer specific and simply avoid Canada due to electrical certification, customs, low volume and credit/​account issues.
One thing for certain, I would strongly advise people to stay away from the big box stores, such as Best Buy etc., for anything othe than beer budget equipment and quality, especially when it comes to audio equipment. Perhaps they offer good sales on A/​V receivers and TV’s — IF — you tyruly know what you are buying. Yes, perhaps you might pay a bit more at BBR, however the quality of advice and service, return policies and warranty representation is worth the extra. And if you have a problem, they back up their products. Try that at the big box stores. As with everything else in life, you usually get what you pay for.
BBR have a knowledgeable and very helpful staff, and can get anybody up with a good system within your budget plus they offer in-​home set-​up service. Excellant service and warranty representation.
For the old dyed in the wool types on analog source or vintage or someone on a really tight budget try used; analog, phono, tube-​amp stuff or some newer equiipment there are a few good used places in town; Ring Audio, Audio Oasis to name a couple and of course web-​based
. You can get some very good deals here, and quality stuff too, primarliy analogue equipment. Speaker repairs and some used: the Speaker Shoppe, Toronto.
For specific higher end equipment, there are also web-​based retailers south of the border, but few will ship to Canada, but can to a US based shipping/​forwarding service. A good source is Needle Doctor
and hundreds of others. But this is for more experienced audio buffs that probably won’t be reading this review.
I digress and despite the many options I have provided. I buy the majority of my equipment from BBR because of its quality product line, location, good service, warranty, knowledge of digital systems and highly recommend them. A good bet for the relatively inexperienced buyer or transformation of dyed-​in-​the –wool types — good digital systems and digital wireless systems are quite complicated today — especially for those seeking something better than just ordinary and run of the mill. They also sell high-​end television systems and TV theatre systems. Also recommended as TVs are also confusing as to what to buy. All in all — spend your money wisely and talk to the experts. At least you will get your moneys worth and know what you are buying. R

I had gone through 4 – 5 different sets of cheaply priced (under $ 50) headphones over the past couple years, and decided it was time to spend the extra coin and get a quality pair that would last a while. I live in the area and decided to pop over to Bay Bloor to hopefully find a quality set.
I stood by the headphone section for approx. 5 minutes staring at the selection, and was approached by a salesperson. He offered his assistance in finding a pair — and did an excellent job. He asked my price range and provided a variety of models, allowing me to try each of them (while wiping them down with sanitizer prior which was appreciated), and explaining the pros/​cons of each. I made my selection on a nice set of Bose in the range I wanted and have been thoroughly satisfied with my purchase. Good customer service, good quality products. I would definitely go back for another electronics purchase

For the few of us who still love pure, simple stereo, these are not the best of times in Toronto. There are fewer and fewer shops to buy gear from. With Kromer’s now gone, this is last of the really big stores in the city. A lot of the higher end shops are gone too.
Sadly, stores like this have had to begin selling TVs, Bose and all kinds of other stuff in order to stay in business.
I have been in a couple of times but ultimately went elsewhere for a used tube integrated. Service was OK but overall this is not an ideal place to audition speakers/​players/​etc., at least not on a busy Saturday.
Selection is just OK too. They mostly have the big entry level audiophile brands you can get from many other places: Naim, Rega, NAD, Arcam, etc. It is too bad that they have virtually no tube based amplifiers – almost everything they sell is solid state.
Prices are good – about what you’d pay anywhere else. They often have sales though – at least once a year, you can take in any old pair of speakers to get a discount on a new pair.
I do not dislike this store but there are many better choices if you are willing to seek them out.

Great selection and great products/​brands are what this store have going for it. They also have a decent return/​exchange policy on most items and their prices are usually fair.
Things fall apart though when it comes to the sales people who are either not helpful or at times downright dishonest.
One example is one of their sales guys selling me a pair of their headphones as new and instead giving me their demo floor model without telling me. If it was an accident, I would understand but this was done deliberately.
A great place to shop but beware of the sales staff and make sure you do your home work before making a purchase.

Well over a year or two ago, I bought two sets of Danon headphones here. That experience was in and of itself average and uneventful. Bay/​Bloor was having a great sale on them, I researched the brand and make appropriately, and purchased them. Nothing to write home about.
Recently, one of my pairs’ headband/​slider components broke. Obviously I was no longer under warranty, but I figured I would come in anyway and just ask whether I could order the part online and fix it myself. I went to the Repairs desk, and the gentleman working listened to my dilemma, and my request, and told me to wait a second. He went into the back room and returned holding a new headband component. He attached it in (no exaggeration) under a minute. I asked him what I owed, and he said no charge, and went back to work, selflessly turning around even as I was thanking him.
He went above and beyond (I did explain I would happily repair myself) and while I rarely need an update to my current pairs, I don’t imagine I will ever shop anywhere else for headphones. This is the kind of service that builds strong customer relationships.

I have had two great shopping experiences at Bay Bloor Radio. Although you might be able to find some of their electronics (or their equivalents) for cheaper at more big box style stores, the service and experience you get here is totally worth the extra money!
Both of my purchases have been of the sound variety. I really like that the sales people take the time to talk with you about all the options and do not pressure you into overspending and are helpful with all the specs.
My most recent purchase (that I do not want to disclose too much about because it is a Christmas gift) was reasonable priced for the sound quality and versatility of the item.
Also, even when you are just browsing the sales people are more than happy to help and provide you with their card. You never feel like they want to leave you to chase another sale.
Customer service at its finest!

Update!
I recently took my 20 YEAR OLD speakers, purchased when I was 20 to the Speaker Shop on Eglinton (see my other review) to have the rubber around the speakers replaced. (It typically needs replacing as it tends to crack and dry out after a number of years.) I wasn’t sure if the speakers were too old to be bothering with, but the gentleman assured me they would cost about $ 600-​$ 800 to replace if I bought new ones!!! How is that for value! If you remember — I paid $ 799 for the whole system in 1992.
I heart Bay Bloor Radio.

My wallet… and my wife become unhappy when I visit this store. I have lot’s to say so let’s go with bullet format:
— Amazing service — they put the customer first.
— No high pressure sales pitch
— Great brands, from the low end to high end. You can get a system for $ 1000 all the way to $ 50,000
— They will deliver and install the equipment in your house. Also position the equipment for best sound.
— Amazing head phones selection. I-​pod buds are very low end, invest $ 100 — $ 200 and you will get much better sound.
— they are an official Bose Dealer
— You can listen to the systems before you buy.
I sometimes here the comment that the store is expensive but that would apply to the higher end brands which are certainly more expense but do sound a lot better. They carry a complete range for all budgets.
A great place to browse if your into audio /​video equipment but fair warning, if you do not have will power (I don’t) you can easily leave with some expensive boxes.

I’m a bit torn in my review.
They have very nice stuff, and it’s a great place if you can afford their products — but you can get better prices on some of the stuff they carry elsewhere.
And I guess one of the things that still grate on my nerves, is, I bought a «display» receiver and took it home and spent 10 hours trying to get it working. My problem was I had NEVER used a receiver before, and I didn’t have a clue about what I might be doing wrong — so I spent days reading through the manual and trying this and that — and everything else. Many wasted hours only to find out that the thing was DOA.
Somebody in the store blew the thing up and it stayed on the shelf and went home with an unsuspecting custome — me !
And something else just kinda bugs me at an unconscious level about this place. There seems to be a subtle tendency of the staff to look down on you if you are not wearing a suit. Just my feeling. But — of course — if you’re not wearing an expensive suit — then you probably can’t afford their better stuff.

This place makes hubby grow a chubby in his pants, seriously!!! If you need to keep your man occupied while you’re up to no good in the Yorkville area, just dump his ass here for an hour or so and he’ll be fine, he won’t even ask about the $ 400 shoes you just bought really, it’ll be fine… He’ll be too consumed by the aural pleasures offered by the $ 12,000 Totem speakers to notice!
I did buy a Tivoli radio here for my mum’s Xmas present a couple years back and the service was efficiently nice. There was even a little gift wrapping station where my present to mum was all gussied up too! Admittedly I think the sales rep assumed I was a daft girl who knew shit-​all about audio equipment and kept rhyming off product knowledge repetitively, but once I started finishing his sentences, he knew to back off and let me decide which Tivoli was best for myself. The selection at Bay Bloor Radio is vast and you’ll find more high brow quality AV brands here that simply make audiophiles like my hubby salivate.
There you go Bay Bloor Radio… it’s like a baby sitter but for adult men…

I’m about as far from audiohilia as one can get. Tone deaf and lacking in rhythm, I proudly announce that my favourite song is whatever’s playing on the radio (the sonic equivalent of when being asked «what’s your favourite book» answering «I read a lot of magazines»).
That said, even I know that once my stereo equipment starts snapping, crackling and popping like a bowl of breakfast cereal, it’s time for an upgrade.
I used to buy sound equipment at department stores, when such retail dinosaurs ruled the earth. Mainstream selection and lack of product knowledge among the rent-​a-​staffers did that in. I flirted briefly with the big electronics chains, but between high pressure tactics, useless add-​on warranties and punitive return policies, I decided to look elsewhere.
Enter Bay Bloor Radio.
As an acute sufferer of buyers’ remorse, it says something that I have never returned anything purchased from BBR. I chalk this up to knowledgeable, engaged staff who would rather see you walk out empty-​handed but fully informed, than make the quickest buck. My tastes may be pedestrian, but I get consistently good advice, and that’s worth a few extra bucks.

Never having spent more than $ 30 on earphone before, in May of 2010 I bought a pair of $ 70 Sennheiser earbuds. Up until this week I had absolutely no problems with them, but for whatever reason one of the sides blew. I called the store to see if by some miracle they had an in-​store warranty and if I could replace them or repair them, and they did! Since they took my contact info when I bought them, I was able to exchange them for a new pair without a receipt, no questions (beyond «whats wrong with them?») asked.

Pretty decent selection of headphones but unfortunately they run through a wall and receiver with maybe around 50 other headphones. I think this may affect the audio quality. They recently upgraded their headphone wall setup though but I haven’t checked it out.
Quite lacking in terms of speakers I can use with my computer. They only carry about 3 sets and none of them sound that good, even though one is priced at over $ 500.
Service is friendly and helpful.

I am absolutely not comfortable in stores that sell electronics. I’d generally prefer to get in and out as quickly as I can without being noticed. If I’m spotted, inevitably salespeople start asking me questions I don’t know the answers to and I feel like the awkward electro-​moron that I am.
Lucky for me, someone directed me to Bay Bloor Radio when I told them I was in the market for some new headphones. The store itself is clean and bright, though walking through displays of electronic things and past the special rooms for listening to speakers was intimidating (that’s my issue, not theirs).
The staff (and I say staff instead of salespeople because I didn’t feel at all like I was being sold to — I felt like I was being helped to find the things that I wanted) were friendly and casual. They steered me in the right direction but also allowed me time to just stand around and listen to headphones without hovering over me. They answered all of my (unsophisticated) questions and helped me find headphones that I am completely in love with for exactly the amount of money I told them I wanted to spend.

After being a loyal customer of Bay Bloor Radio for the past 10 years, I am dismayed to rate the store with the poorest rating available to me.
I learned that they’re great during the sales process: Great consultation, attentive sales attention, and tons of patience. However, I also recently learned that they give you the converse experience when you go in for service.
I walked in because my recent purchase is defective. Upon hearing that it’s not a sales opportunity, the salesperson who welcomed me immediately became abrupt and sent me to their «shipping» desk in the back of the store. It goes downhill from there. I spoke to the manager, and the bottom-​line is they can’t help me and I have to go directly to the manufacturer. In his words, «there is absolutely nothing I can or want to do». They claim that the manufacturer won’t allow them to exchange or service the product.
In summary, they’re great when they want your money. Once they have it, you’re on your own.
I am dismayed to conclude that Bay and Bloor is unsatisfactory and you’re better off going somewhere else. Or, make your purchase here and hope and pray that nothing goes wrong.

Now its not often that im in places like thisit has a lot to do with being a penniless student. However, a friend of mine just received some money and felt it was time to invest in a high end stereo system. You talk to any one in Toronto and they will tell you that Bay Bloor is the place to go. And i have to agree. Lets just say now that when dealing with these kind of product, you can never use the term affordable, but their prices were extremely competitive. However, the thing that sets this place apart from you regular radio shack or what have you is the services. We spent almost two hours with a whole range of expert staff, making sure that the best possible package was attained.
I highly recommend buying any of your home entertainment equipment from herewell that is if you ever a couple grand laying around.