The idea of British hi-fi seems at once utterly natural and yet completely incongruous. Whereas once Britain led the way in the conception, design and manufacture of all things audio-related, our soggy little island feels increasingly dwarfed by the might of the economic superpowers in this ever-globalised, ever-homogenised world. To paraphrase a popular internet aphorism: “Being British seems to be about driving a German car to an Irish pub, then going home for an Indian curry to watch US shows on a Japanese TV”. Substitute “shows” for "music" and “TV” for “turntable”, and it would doubtless work just the same.
The true picture of Britain’s hi-fi scene though is, happily, a tad more complicated. There remain British-owned companies, though fewer in number than there used to be. You can count Chord Electronics, Fyne Audio, Linn, Rega, PMC and Wilson Benesch among them.
