A few reasons I think, but I’m told that our reputation for integrity, professionalism and our trusted approach play a significant part.

The short answer:

Liquid Audio is an ethical, specialist small business, preserving classic hi-fi stereo equipment, in an industry of ‘recappers’, shotgun parts replacers and few genuinely respected technicians. For perspective, people around the world express how they appreciate our unique approach and wish we were nearer. This is what I aimed for when starting this business, and it summarises my answer to this FAQ:

We do things a little differently, and I’m fortunate that decent, intelligent people appreciate what we do, how we do it and why.

The longer answer:

Reputation

I’m honoured to assist customers around Australia, and beyond, proud to have the hi-fi community’s respect, and thrilled to be entrusted with so much beautiful equipment. Some of Perth’s best hi-fi retailers and most discerning customers recommend/use Liquid Audio, and we’ve been offered several prestige service partnerships. *

Liquid Audio is widely respected for what we do: attention to detail, professionalism, consumer advocacy outing terrible workmanship and contributions to the hi-fi community. A reputation like this can’t just be ‘crafted’ though; it must be earned, something we’ve done with hard work, original thinking and dedication to excellence for over 15 years.

We are also respected for what we don’t do. NOT accumulating terrible reviews, court cases, multiple business name changes, a long list of destroyed equipment, not ranting at people, stealing content, claiming to work miracles, spewing nonsense, not using low-grade parts, ‘tagging’ appliances or being barely literate certainly all help Liquid Audio stand out.

Authenticity

Our unique and respected approach is frequently emulated. I’ve spotted my designs/words/repairs/style in many places over the years, sometimes directly lifted from my site. Some of the most egregious copying happens locally, and you’ve likely come across various examples without realising it.

Designing and maintaining a large website, doing the technical work, taking the photographs, writing what now amounts to over 650,000 words and handling the admin —basically, creating and doing everything yourself —is challenging. BUT, it’s also uniquely authentic, and that can’t be copied.

Integrity

As a youngster, I longed for a hi-fi repair specialist with an owner who knew his stuff and deeply cared about proper hi-fi gear. So, fuelled by my passion for hi-fi, electronics, all things technical and my unhealthy obsession with detail, I set about creating that business.

Fast-forward 15 years of steady growth, and I’m amazed to be regularly at capacity with local and interstate work. Our strong customer engagement and loyalty demonstrate how much people appreciate what we’re doing. This site was visited nearly 400,000 times in 2024 alone, which is ridiculous, and we have over five million combined views, numbers a large business would be proud of!

Perhaps most importantly, this small business is founded on honesty and integrity. I will always stand up for what’s right, support my customers and charge fairly. Work is never farmed out, as one notorious Perth repairer does. Everything here is created, managed and completed by me the old-fashioned way: hands-on, with care, honesty and attention to detail.

I’m proud of what we’ve achieved, and a huge thank you to all who support my work, but we don’t please everyone. Not trying to is part of the secret 🙂

Best Practice

• Our mantra is to create, inform, add value and never harm
• We are dedicated to technical excellence and champion integrity, professionalism, quality
• We inspect equipment rather than guess its condition/faults
• We advise when equipment is damaged or not viable to repair
• We recycle dead hi-fi equipment to be enjoyed again
• We care only for hi-fi stereo equipment
• We have fixed rates for Akai to Accuphase, Kenwood to Krell
• We specialise in component-level diagnosis and repair
• We advocate for consumers and improved industry standards
• We build long-term relationships with customers, colleagues and distributors
• We created a unique, free 650,000+ word, 650+ article and video resource to educate and inform
• Liquid Audio is uniquely powered by an honours degree and career teaching Science and a lifetime immersion in all things technical, including electronics, hi-fi and music

Doing things the way we do means we will always be busy, and I apologise for any delays this may cause. I’m human, I do my best, but I cannot help everyone. I genuinely appreciate your interest in our services and encourage you to use our booking status table. Don’t hesitate to reach out if you have questions.

* I’ve declined these offers to avoid warranty work and remain independent, though one famous UK brand repair partnership was very tempting!