Nowhere to hear speakers and amps anymore!

@aldermine 

@hchilcoat 

Thanks for posting that. I am two hours west of Richmond. I will definitely check out that place next time I’m in the area.

The disappearance of retail stores has been supplemented with the emergence of a vibrant online used market.  Do your research and buy used smartly, and if it doesn’t work out turn around and sell it for little/no loss.  In some ways it’s almost better because you get to hear a piece of equipment in your own room/system that’s often not possible through a traditional dealer, and you often get a 50% discount for your trouble.  I’ve had much success doing this, but it obviously works less well with things like large/heavy speakers.  

In RIchmond, VA, we are very fortunate to have a beautiful new audio store, Carytown Sound (carytownsound.com), which just opened this fall. It has a nice range of equipment and an enthusiastic owner and staff who are very low pressure. Really a gem at this time when brick and mortar stores are disappearing. 

I have a buddy about a brisk 5 minute walk away from our Seattle home who runs a fantastic appointment only business. Think Dohman, CH, Kuzma, Magico, Wadax, Consternation, IDEON, Aurender…. etc…. 

Another appointment only dealer close to me in winter paradise in San Diego….

Seek them out in your neighborhood 

@bjesien Ive seen this also. In fact, some of the suggestions made above are home-based. 

I always come across guys running small enterprises out of their homes. Most have made their money elsewhere and do this on the side to support the hobby and write off a portion of their home. 

@simonmoon - House of Music, on Harriet St, is gone... Not sure about Elite Audio, but says Appt Only on their website.

By far the biggest in San Francisco are Music Lovers and Audio Vision (they have a pretty huge selection of all kinds of high-end gear). 

I used to live in Boston, and there was ONE high end audio store downtown, and a few in the suburbs.

Lechmere, CircuitCity, BestBuy were selling some high end stuff as well and as we know they are all gone. (BestBuy is hanging on by a thread)

I think today's landscape is similar, very few high end shops. Yes, if you live in a city of over 2 million, you will find probably 5-10 stores. But it will exponentially diminish with size. 

Thanks again, @simonmoon! You guys will have me driving everywhere this month! 

Thank you, @ellajeanelle. I’ll go in to Best Buy! 

Last time I was in San Francisco (about 4.5 years ago), visiting my fellow audiophile cousin, we spent a day going to several audiophile stores in the bay area.

And it looks like they are still there.

I see:

Tone of Audio

Music Lovers

AudioVision

Future Sound

House of Music

Elite Audio

Audio Federation

While I am sure that list pales by comparison to the 70’s or 80’s, it is still pretty reasonable.

Thank you, @larsman!  I appreciate that. I was searching for such shops that carried Rotel Mitchi and Accuphase and while Music Lovers doesn’t carry those brands, they do have an excellent assortment of speakers (including many out of my price range!). Again, thanks for the suggestion. Now I just need to make a 100 mile round trip! 

The greater LA area is a beacon of hope…. but you got excellent advice from @larsman …. follow it and also consider appointment only dealers… 

@aldermine - Audio desert? I've lived in San Francisco since 1973 and just a few months ago auditioned (along with a few others) Marten speakers at Audio Vision in San Francisco. There is also Music Lovers Audio in both San Francisco and Berkeley. If you just do a google search, these and a few others will come up. 

aldermine OP: I could have easily spent tens of thousands in there yesterday on just one or two components.  What they're selling now is that high in caliber, but I already have more components than I know what to do with and have reached "audio contentment", but the temptation was definitely there!

 I guess they bought Magnolia Audio several years ago, but then I heard they dumbed/down the equipment to consumer stuff. 
 

Some Best Buys’ have the Magnolia section, but it’s not universal. I feel like Magnolia has been reduced - the selection and quality is nowhere near what it was at the University or Bellevue location. The level of knowledge of the salesperson is also very different from what we may have been accustomed to in the original stores. Still worth the time if you happen to be in a Best Buy that has a Magnolia section, but definitely not the same. 

Right. But geez, what a hassle! 

The internet contributed to the near-death of the Brick and Mortar audio shop that you and I remember from the 70's.  If you want to actually hear and see a wide range of different high end gear, go attend one of the larger audio shows.  I am sure there is something not too far away from you, in LA or Vegas or somewhere else near the west coast, that somebody here could recommend.  Also, with the direct to buyer model adopted by some manufacturers there are greater opportunities to try stuff in your own home/system that you could return (sometimes with a restocking fee) if it doesn't work out for you.

Thanks. I guess they bought Magnolia Audio several years ago, but then I heard they dumbed/down the equipment to consumer stuff. Nice to hear of your experience. I’ll try it. 

They are getting very difficult to find unless you are in a large metropolitan area such as LA or New York. Coincidentally, just yesterday I stepped into a Best Buy store to buy an iPad for a Christmas gift. I had not set foot in a Best Buy in many years. While in there I could not resist the temptation to walk over to the stereo area. To my surprise they had 3 separate listening rooms with much higher caliber components than I had even seen in a Best Buy before. Before, they only sold run of the mill stuff. They have stepped up their game it seems. The listening rooms were very private and very well done.  I don't know if all Best Buy stores have undergone this renovation/change though. You may want to give them a try.