If you’re searching for mainstream, affordable consumer audio, the standard online marketplaces of Amazon and John Lewis are likely to be your first ports of call, with more specialised retailers such as Richer Sounds, Peter Tyson and Sevenoaks also on hand to service your hi-fi needs. They’re established, popular and, by and large, extremely reputable outlets, so unless you were planning on fitting your house out with built-in underfloor surround sound or seeking out some $700,000 Magico Ultimate III, why would you shop anywhere else?
The answer is, naturally, money. The great motivator for most of humanity’s decisions (right, guys?), the prospect of saving a few quid on some cut-price tech proves alluring to even the most burnt-fingered buyer. Enter Temu, the Chinese marketplace that’s seen an explosion in popularity with Western buyers as a sort of cut-price Amazon alternative. They stock everything from deckchairs to dog collars, plant pots to pencil cases. Oh, and headphones.
