sound at the record store

Hi Lowrider where have you been?

Gramophone did an article about the best record store. This dealt in some post hoc way with the slow demise of big chains like HMV, Tower, Virgin, etc...

Anyway, there is a store in Reykjavik, Iceland which provides a good system and compact disks for customers to hear before they buy. There is a cafe in the front of the store so that you can order an espresso and a snack and the staff will then bring it to you while you're in lounging in front of the stereo. The hope is that you will buy recordings but there is never any pressure.

Given the option to buy records at this store in Reykjavik or the dives in my town, I'd choose the Reykjavik store hands down.

Hi Lowrider,
I'm not sure what folks do in Iceland since I've never been there but there's no American football so that's very appealing in and of itself.
I would guess that fish is in abundance. That's it, some freshly caught fish while sampling the latest classical releases.
Can I get fries with that?

I just wish that more record stores could offer record cleaning services. The likelihood is that Billy Bo Jangles used Windex and a paper towel once or twice in the entire 15 years that he had that record.

I personally won't use Windex or a paper towel but I've yet to find a used record that doesn't come with noise due to mold and dirt being buried in the grooves. Strictly from my experience, even if a record is being played with a decent tonearm and cartridge, it still isn't the optimal or desired playback.
I think I've visited one record store that cleaned their used vinyl but that was in Paris where everything is expensive anyway.