Sounds Unreal team
November 2019
Key points
- $60 a month for a turntable, amplifier, Bluetooth and speaker system worth $1,399.
- No contracts or credit checks - just pay monthly for as long as you want it.
- If you subscribe for a continuous 24 months, the system is yours to keep.
- An easy way to get into quality audio with a full stereo system.
If that's already convinced you, wow! I've done a good job. Otherwise, read on about our subscription hifi system.
The problem
I love the gear that we sell on this website. It lets me listen to music with amazing clarity and I get to enjoy my favourite tunes in ways that drag me away from the real world.
The elephant in the room? When I show my friends the products we sell, they sometimes think they're expensive. I'll happily debate this with them - a few hundred or even a few thousand dollars is really reasonable to get something you'll enjoy for hours a day, potentially for decades to come.
But most of my mates are coming from the earbuds supplied with their phone, or a small Bluetooth speaker. Spending a few hundred dollars can big a big jump. Even bigger when we're talking about a proper system with dedicated components and good stereo separation so it sounds, well, unreal 🙃
Anyone who's been to my place and heard my system comes away loving it. But they need to hear it before they're convinced. To ask someone brand new to hifi to buy a full system like this is a big ask. Chicken, meet egg.
We thought long and hard about the conundrum at Sounds Unreal HQ.
"How can I get a high quality hifi system in the hands of my friends, but without breaking the bank and without making them commit?"
The answer
Drum roll... a hifi subscription.
Just like my Spotify account has let me stop buying music for a really low price each month, what if we could do the same with a physical hifi system? So here it is, ready for you to sign up to.
The system itself is a Pro-Ject Juke Box HiFi Set. Pro-Ject is one of the biggest hifi brands in the world, and is famous for bringing the turntable back in the 1990s with wild colours and beautiful designs. The system normally retails for $1,399 (you can even buy it on this site), but on my little page here you can get it for $60 a month.
Yep, $60 a month.
You just click the subscribe button above. We take your credit card details (mwahaha), charge for the first month and send you the full system. Shipping is free for everyone in NZ.
Your pack includes a turntable which has an inbuilt amp and Bluetooth receiver, the stereo speakers, and the cable to hook it all up. Literally, all you need to add is music. Get to know your local record store and start collecting.
The pack will let you play records in amazing fidelity and stream Bluetooth from your phone or computer. If you want, you can even plug in an existing CD player or other source through the aux connection.
What's the catch?
I want to make this clear: there are no catches. No shipping fees, no set-up fees, no cancellation fees, no credit checks, no rubbish.
Just brilliant, unadulterated sound with no strings attached. We think it's the first hifi subscription service in the world. Hell yeah.
Because of our buying power, we get these hifi systems at good prices. This allows us to pass on maximum value to our customers with things like a subscription service. If you return the system before 24 months, we have channels to sell them as used items, so no skin off our necks/backs/noses/teeth.
What if it's not for me?
So let's say I've charmed you into starting your subscription. What happens if you don't want it after a month or more? Maybe you don't like the way it looks in your home (are you crazy? this thing's gorgeous) or you have to head overseas. Well, just contact us and we'll arrange free return postage.
Once we've received the kit and confirmed it's still in working condition without any major cosmetic damage, we'll stop charging your card. Yep. This is a no-judgment zone.
Do I own it?
If you stay subscribed for a continues 24 months, yes! We'll stop charging you after that time and the system is yours, no ifs or buts.
What's $60 x 24? $1,440, only a few more bucks compared to buying the system outright. For that, you've got no risk if you want to cancel the subscription, and if you end up keeping it, you've been able to spread your payments over 2 years.
Who are we for?
Music is a drug and it can be enjoyed through many delivery mechanisms (ok, sorry). If you're content listening to your tunes on the equipment you already have, maybe you don't need to change anything.
But we don't see many people who experience a proper hifi system for the first time without widened eyes and a smile on their face.
One thing's for sure - we want you to stay away from the suitcase audio/all-in-one systems you see online and in big box stores. They're pretty, and pretty cheap, but they're made with sub-par components that etch away at the delicate grooves of your records and sound like...well... arse.
As for Bluetooth speakers, they can range from downright crappy to pretty decent! I travel with one and swear by it. But the ultimate in music playback at home is still a traditional system with separate components and stereo speakers.
If you want to take that next in audio (without going crazy), this is a good solution.
How's the stock availability?
Not a bad question. As at 20 November when I write this, we have 7 of these turntable subscription packs sitting in our Auckland warehouse.
We'll probably ship all of our available stock by Christmas, so now's the perfect time to treat yourself or start a loved one off with a monthly subscription as a gift. If they want to keep the subscription going, we can transfer the payments from your credit card to theirs. If not, they can send it back and you'll stop getting charged.
To recap...
Our system has all the key elements of a proper hifi:
- At the centre of it is a turntable hand-made in Europe by Pro-Ject, one of the world's biggest and most awarded stereo brands.
- A precision Ortofon diamond-tipped stylus/needle made in Denmark. This extracts maximum detail from your record grooves and does it without damaging them.
- Stereo speakers to give you a 3D soundstage that recreates the positioning of each different band member during the recording. You were born with two ears, not one!
- A well-powered 2 x 50 watt amplifier which boosts the signal from the record into the speakers with great accuracy (and minimal nasties like noise and distortion - that's what you're hearing in smaller less engineered stuff).
- A remote control to alternate between records, Bluetooth and aux, as well as adjust volume and power on or off.
With our subscription, you can give it a go in your own home and the only risk is your first $60. I reckon it's a no-brainer.
Help me prove it to my bosses who said this was a wacky idea!
You guys say the system is good, but who else does?
Fair question, and don't take our word for it. What HiFi, the foremost authority in audio product reviews, gave the the Pro-Ject Juke Box E 5 stars in its review.
Here's also what some recent customers (real humans) said about the system:
There's a reason we chose this system for our subscription offer: it's fully-featured, sounds great and looks delicious. Now the only thing to figure out is where to put it in your home.
Warranty
As an authorised NZ dealer for Pro-Ject products, we provide a full manufacturer's warranty for the length of your subscription, which runs for up to 2 years.
While the warranty lasts 2 years, these things are designed to last. There are many people still using their decks first built by Pro-Ject in the early 1990s. Where will you be in 2050? Scary thought. They'll probably still have music then, right?
A parting note
Is this the end of buying hifi? Of course not - for those of us already in this scene, buying gear upfront is something we're comfortable doing because we know we want it. But if you're new to the world of high quality audio, or maybe not yet convinced, this is a great way to dip your toes.
And if you've got questions, we're here to help. Sounds Unreal is NZ-based with a warehouse in Auckland and real humans here to guide you through your hifi journey. Text or call us on (09) 242 0345, hit the livechat button below, or send a plain old email to us.
Above all, happy listening!
Gabi