PETER TYSON MARKS 60TH ANNIVERSARY AS A UK INDEPENDENT HIFI AND AV RETAILER
UK independent audio and AV retailer Peter Tyson is celebrating its 60th anniversary in 2026.
Founded in Carlisle in 1966 as a television shop, the family-owned business has grown into one of the UK’s largest independent HiFi and AV specialists, with showrooms in Carlisle, Workington and Newcastle upon Tyne, alongside its national online and telesales operation.
PETER TYSON CELEBRATES 60 YEARS IN HIFI RETAIL
The company employs more than 75 people and is one of the world’s leading dealers for Linn and Naim Audio. In some years, it has been the world’s largest dealer for both brands and is regularly among the top three worldwide for McIntosh.
FROM TELEVISION RETAILER TO HIFI SPECIALIST
Peter Tyson began selling HiFi equipment in the early 1970s, initially stocking Japanese brands including Kenwood, National Panasonic and Technics, before developing relationships with British manufacturers such as Arcam and Linn.
Around the turn of the millennium, the company launched its website, becoming one of the first UK HiFi retailers to sell online. In 2017, it moved into a purpose-built showroom and distribution centre covering approximately 30,000 sq ft in Carlisle. A new 5,000 sq ft showroom opened in Workington in July 2025, while its Newcastle premises have also undergone significant improvements.
PETER TYSON HIFI DEMONSTRATION FACILITIES
The retailer has dedicated listening rooms across its three showrooms, allowing customers to compare equipment from different manufacturers. Its stock includes products available for immediate delivery as well as demonstration systems, enabling visitors to compare brands such as Linn and Naim, or Bowers & Wilkins and Sonus faber, during the same visit.
The range covers everything from entry-level systems to high-end installations costing several hundred thousand pounds.
“You can go to high-end HiFi shops or you can go to entry-level HiFi shops; there are very few places that can take you from the top of the market to the bottom and back again, and let you hear the difference for yourself.”
Luke Tyson, Director and HiFi Brand Manager
LUXURY HIFI AND ENTRY-LEVEL SYSTEMS
In 2026, Peter Tyson introduced a dedicated luxury HiFi section on its website, bringing together around 16 brands, including Linn, Naim, McIntosh, Sonus faber, Bowers & Wilkins, Focal, KEF, Luxman, Chord Electronics, Bang & Olufsen, Marantz and REL.
The company also caters for customers starting out in HiFi, offering pre-matched system bundles featuring brands such as Arcam, Audiolab, Bluesound, Denon, Leak, Musical Fidelity, Quad, Ruark and Yamaha. Its own British-made brand, Fell Audio, is inspired by the Cumbrian landscape.
The retailer also reports that the renewed interest in vinyl is bringing younger music enthusiasts into its showrooms.
“In the world of HiFi, vinyl never really left. What’s been fantastic about the resurgence, though, is that it’s bringing newer generations of music lovers into our showrooms. People buy a record, and then they want to come in and hear it properly.”
NEWCASTLE SHOWROOM UPGRADES
Peter Tyson upgraded its Newcastle showroom’s demonstration facilities in 2024, adding several dedicated listening rooms featuring its high-end brands. The premises also include a Focal Powered by Naim store-in-store and a dedicated Bowers & Wilkins listening room, alongside facilities to demonstrate flagship Linn, Naim and McIntosh systems.
A FAMILY-RUN BUSINESS
The company is now run by the second and third generations of the Tyson family. All six of founder Peter Tyson’s children have worked in the business, with grandchildren, nieces and nephews also involved. Some employees have been with the retailer for 30 years.
Its founder’s motto, “The name you can trust”, continues to guide the company’s approach to customer service, both in its showrooms and online.
“My grandfather set a precedent for how customers should be looked after, and every decision we’ve made since has been guided by this principle: the people we hire, the showrooms we build, the brands we work with. Buying a television or a hi-fi system should be a pleasure; it isn’t like replacing your boiler! We want every step of it to be enjoyable, from visiting our showrooms to playing a first record at home.”
PETER TYSON LOOKS TO THE FUTURE
Alongside its audio and AV business, Peter Tyson also sells televisions, kitchen appliances and home electronics, with a national online operation through Peter Tyson Electricals.
The company offers nationwide installation by trained, brand-authorised installers, a trade-in scheme and 36-month interest-free finance.
Looking ahead, Luke Tyson says the retailer wants to introduce its range of products and demonstration facilities to a wider audience over the next five years.
“HiFi can be seen from the outside as a bit of a thing of the past, but it really isn’t. Whether it’s a turntable or an all-in-one streaming system, beautiful Italian loudspeakers or slim aluminium Danish wireless speakers, we have the products, the expertise and the showrooms. Over the next five years we want to take that to a much wider audience and show people just what’s possible.”
HiFi PiG says:A very happy 60th anniversary to Peter Tyson!
