My vote for the best dealer award goes to Mario,owner of TOYS FROM THE ATTIC info@tfta.com This guy helped me break into analog.I made alot of mistakes because "Dave,you don't listen" Any way Mario was always to the rescue.He,over the phone has helped me build an awesome sounding stereo.He has always given me the Best price and I know he hasnt made much money from me.He calls me on occasion to see "whats up" I have never met the man or been to his shop because its over 300 miles away
Just want to say I am really glad there are still stores around and good people. My city really doesn't have anything other than the box stores. We used to have some boutique stores which were great. Additionally, I got started in this whole thing due to a guy who had a furniture store and sold audio on the side because he loved it. He loved to show me stuff and gave me great deals and passed along his love of audio to me.
Take 5 Audio. Kudos for their integrity and honesty.
Instead of going for the immediate sale, their salesman told me a new model was coming out and better to wait than be stuck with something going obsolete in a few months.
A quick check with the importer assured me no new model as coming out. Glad I listened to the local dealer because, sure enough, the new model came out a few months later.
Right about Chestnut Hill, Bifwynne; it's a beautiful area. Lots of good restaurants there of many stripes. I'm in Whitemarsh township, very close to there and where you were in Plymouth Meeting.
If you know the Shell gas station in Chestnut Hill, Community Audio is right across the street, just before Willow Grove Avenue. When you walk in, the more high-end audio part of the store is in the back (second) room. And, if you go through that back room, into the building behind that main building, you'll find the best stuff.
Hideaway Records, who carries new/used turntables and a bit of used kit, is across from the other gas station in Chestnut Hill, the Sunoco on Bethlehem Pike. Also there is the former Borders bookstore, the terminus of the SEPTA R8 Regional Rail line, and where the trolleys/buses turn around.
Trelja: Cool!! I can just about place it. Used live in NW Philly as a kid. Later, Plymouth Meeting area. Chestnut Hill was just a little down G-Town Pike. It's a gorgeous area. Valley Glen, Morris Arboretum, etc.
Bifwynne, most people confuse Community Audio with the defunct Jack Rubsinson's (still active in the industry - I think now with VPI?) Chestnut Hill Audio, which used to sit right below the Ben Franklin Bridge. Community Audio is located on Germantown Avenue in the Chestnut Hill section of Philadelphia. John Adams (owner) and Bill are normally there, and extremely welcoming. If you do make the trip, further up the hill is Hideaway Records, which I suggest you also visit.
Even when everyone else abandoned it, they stuck with both tubes and vinyl. Most of the brands they carry have been with them for a very, very long time - Cambridge, Gallo, JMLabs, Jolida, Linn, Music Hall, Naim, Rega, Rogue, and Totem. In the past, they've also had Cain & Cain, Electrocompaniet, Fried, JSE/Infinite Slope, NAD, Osborn, and Redgum.
Trelja, I live in the Philly area. I know Mike at STO. Real nice guy. Can't say I ever heard of Community Audio. Where are they located? Any nice tales to share about customer service or the types of gear they sell?
Two other great suggestions in the Philadelphia, PA area are Community Audio and TSTO (formerly, The Stereo Trading Outlet). Both stores have been around since the mid-80s, have fantastic owners/service, interesting and good sounding lineups, and are exactly the kind of establishments we all hope to do business with.
Jordan Acoustics in Scotland namely Paul who never fails to give sound advice and does not put profit before a customers wishes. A very knowledgeabl;e guy who understands what music and sound quality is about
Also, I forgot to mention Jeff Catalano of Highwater Sound in Manhattan. I bought a TW Akustic Raven One, Ortofon 12 inch tonearm, and Dynavector cartridge from him in 2009. He was fantastic to deal with, no pressure at all, let us listen to as many recorods as we wanted to. You know someone is a music lover first when you see 28,000 LP's lining the shelves he built for his loft! Curteous and knowledgeable, he even spent time with us showing us around his loft apartment where he did his own work building much of the interior of it. And get this: the only parking spot we could find on his block was an illegal one, so he had his girlfriend take the keys to the car and stand there next to it, reading a newspaper, in case the police drove by, so she could move it while we were listening to LP's!!!! Jeff gets my vote for dealer of the century.
Have to agree about John Rutan of Audio Connections in Verona NJ. I've bought mostly accessories from him but when my Wadia CD player had a problem with the drawer getting stuck, he agreed to send it to Wadia even though I had told him it wasnt under warantee as I was the 2nd owner (having bought it from a fellow 'Goner). One of the class acts even though he goes a little overboard at times on Vandersteen, lol.
I live in the middle of nowhere Kentucky so I don't have the luxury of any local dealers so if I want certain brands I have to talk with dealers over the phone and via e-mail.
Not too far away in Louisville, KY there is a Home Based dealer that always treated me well and helped me quite a bit. Norvel at Music Images of Kentucky. I have bought a bunch of gear from him over the years and would recommend that anyone in Louisville looking for a dealer should look him up.
But when it comes to dealing with dealers who do online sales, I would recommend Walter at Underwood HiFi. Great guy who I have worked with many times. He will give you a great deal on great products and even tho you can't audition what he sells his recommendations for me have been spot on.
One dealer I can not say enough good things about is Larry at Hollywood Sound in Hollywood Florida. He really went out of his way to make a deal work out. He is very intelligent, understanding, and considerate. He has always been honest and his prices fair. Highly recommend this dealer, especially if you live in the Hollywood, Florida Area.
I have also delt with Don from Don Better Audio, very informative and easy going, had no problem spending the time talking with me about a product I was interested in and eventually purchased.
I have also had good experiences with Galen Carol, he took very good care of me.
I've known John Rutan for years and he & I have had great discussions on everything from Bose to pros. We don't always agree but he is by far the best "High End" salesman out there who really & truly cares about his customer's needs. He never tries to rip you off. He always tries to save you money.
John and I have sat down with some really great gear and have experienced some amazing auditions together over the past twenty plus years! Vandersteen 2Ce SII and Belles...B&W Nautillus 802's....Kimber 4PR...Vandersteen 7's...Holy Smokes....what fun and Audio Connection Of Verona is the only High End store I trust. John sold me my first baby step into the High End....a Parasound HCA 800-II amp designed by John Curl that left other competitors in the dust!
Jeffery Catalano at High Water Sound in NYC. I'm newish (2 yrs) to this, he spent lots of time explaining things to me and even read me a mag review of a product i was considering. He is an asset to the audio world.
Steve Davis, at HI FI FARM is one guy I consistantly return to. He is extremely knowledgable and is always available and happy to answer questions. It is rare that his prices can be beat and he usually has a big inventory of choice used and demo products. Been dealing with him for almost 10 years and recommend him highly. By they way, I've never met him, just dealt with him via the internet. Hope to go down to his shop some day.
John Rutan, Audio Connection. John loves music and gear, and it shows. Easy to work with and flexible; if you are going to buy something new, he is the one to see.
I counted a few posts that recommended John Rutan of Audio Connection in Verona NJ, so I would like to add my own. John is honest sincere and extremely knowledgable in the field of high end audio. He will work with you to obtain the best possible system in your budget. I also asked him about an upgrade which I'm sure he would recieve a small fee for the transaction. He did not think it necessary and told me to stay clear. I would recommend John to anybody who was serious about high end audio.
Systems Design Group in Redondo Beach (Christian Yohe) and Brooks Berdan LTD in Monrovia get my vote! Christian is the easiest person to deal with. Great products and service. What can I say about Brooks Berdan! The knowledge about analog audio is uncomparable!
John from Van L Speakerworks,Topsonic,(Tom),Duke Lejeune (Audiokinesis)very humble and patient,I would like to add Brian from Essential Audio.Tim from Luminous audio.
Venus Hifi.....Bloomington, Indiana. Excellent service when I purchased my Final Music 5 and Music 6 preamp and amps. What a nice guy.
Sound and Mind Audio...Austin, Texas...excellent upgrade and returns policy. Last bought my DNA 225 from him (forgot his name...took in a AR complete that was having electronic problems...without any problems.)
PKM audio...Mel, nice guy. Bought all of my 47 Labs stuff from him. Great man.
Toys from the Attic....went there once, never returned. Had advertised items on sale, VPI Junior....service was pathetic. Salesperson was not even interested in showing me the demo stuff....no interested on sales. Then, after I returned home, I got a call from the owner, asking whether I was interested in some demo stuff(I had left a message in the morning before I went...) I did not bother to explain anything. They have no clue of what is happening there.
I recommend three: Kevin Deal from Upscale, Jimmy and Mario fro Toys From the Attic, and Dan from Dedicated Audio. These guys are all terrific and have helped me get the sound I want without pressure. They are all a pleasure to deal with.
My vote would be for Richard Bird of Rives Audio. The room is as much a component, and as big a part of the system, as any other. I am currently working with him on a redesign of my room. He is knowlegable, professional, listens to your needs, and creates a room to be proud of. Not only will my room sound great when he is done with it, it is going to look great as well. He knows sound and he knows aesthetics. Judging from the concept plan we went over today, my room is going to look a lot better than it does now, and sound better exponentialy.
John Rutan of Audio Connection. A true artist in mixing and macthing components. Has had many opportunities to sell me equipment on an upgrade path, but he has steared me away from many of these so called "upgrades" feeling they would offer no real improvment. He has been on the money when I have bought based on his recommendation. The comment above regarding John's "rudeness" about a certain brand of speakers is possible, but it is likely that it was John's honest opinion. By the way, I drive 200+ miles to get his opinion and recommendations, although there are a lot of dealers in between.
Aberdeen Components! I won a product on an auction and when I talked to them on the phone, I wound up buying several other items. Usually with audio stores, they are to lazy to research a product that they represent, because they do not have it in stock or they will not make enough money on the sale to bother with it or they just don't care about what is best for the customer, just the transfer of "Green Backs". Also I do not like to deal with sales people who just like to trash products because they do not carry them. Onto the good stuff, I talked on the phone for 20 minutes and never felt rushed or pushed into a sale and what I really liked was the fact they would make me a fair deal on their products, whether I bought today or down the road. They informed me about products which they did not carry, with out bashing. I just got the feeling that it was all about the customer. That is nice for a change!
John Rutan, Audio Connection,Verona,NJ. John is a totally committed audio pro. Knows his stuff. Puts up with the nuts and goofs that would drive any sane man or woman overboard. John is the saint of audio!
ABSOLUTELY HAS GOT TO BE QUINTESSENCE AUDIO IN MORTON GROVE ILLINOIS. The salesman's name is Mick and he's always thinking in terms of what is best for your system.
In the Toronto area,Alternative Audio Mike Oddie,High-End Audio Arthur Salvatore,Alternative for new,High-End for used gear.Two class acts that most so called high end dealers can take lessons from.
I met John of Audio Connection several years back at a Stereophile show in Miami. He seemed very knowlegable, congenial and friendly. We spent some time together going to different exhibits. I got his card since I was in the market for (whatever it was at the time, its always something, right?). I subsequently gave him a call. I live in Florida but not close to a good Hi-end dealer. He never called back. Called again, he never called back. Forgot about John until this past March when I was looking for cables, Harmonic Technology Truthlink. Audio Connection was listed as a dealer. I called Audio Connection first and finally reached John. Explanined that I was interested in the HT cables. He asked me what type of speakers and gear I was using. When I explained to him my system he became quite rude (with specific reference to the speakers), that it really didn't make any difference what cables I used with those speakers it wasn't going to eliminate the peaks in the upper midrange and all the other intrinsic problems from tonal anomalities to build quality. Also that these speakers didn't compare with the Vandersteen 2ce's (a competitor in price) and if I really wanted to make an improvement etc. etc. etc. you get the picture. Now I don't have a personal ax to grind with John. The reason I called him in the 1st place was BECAUSE he seemed congenial, knowlegable and I liked him. Bottom line is he was either so honest with his unsolicited opinion concerning my speakers or he was just being rude. I took it to be the latter as at the end of our phone conversation he ended it rather abruptly. For that experience and the 2 unreturned phone calls (he isn't the only one on that count) I will never do business with John of Audio Connection, he lost out on a lot of potential business from me, not too smart. Audio dealers beware, if you are having a bad day don't take it out on a prospective customer, don't insult the system of a prospective customer, don't bad mouth a manufacturer or a competitor. Present you product for its merits, it is unnecessary to do negative comparisons. Let me make up my OWN mind, thank you. I will NEVER do business with anyone who does any of the above. Why should I, there are too many dealers that won't because it's smart business not to.
In Philadelphia, and within this region, the best is John Adams, of Community Audio. He is the owner, and doesn't have more than 1 or 2 people with him. He carries brands that are not found in the other area stores. He is great with discounts, auditions, home trials. You can tell he is there for love, not money. He does not get rich from this, but does have MANY friends who really admire him. He's not only a great audio dealer, but a great guy.
BEST SALESPERSON LENNY FROM LYRIC HI-FI HANDS DOWN!!!!!LET'S CLONE LENNY.My vote goes to Lenny from Lyric Hi-FI in NYC. I stumbled into his shop with my skateboard at age 14 with a ripped t-shirt dirty jeans with some Doors records. He took me seriously as a customer even though I bought nothing from him the first day. Then later I was shopping for a tape deck and went in comparing a Dual c-830 from Borgers Audio on 2nd ave. vs Lyric's entry level Nakamichi. Lenny told me to get the Nak or a Tandberg he had used. I should have listened to him. The Dual was in the shop more than it was in my system. Then I bought a Mitsubish receiver and Infinity Speakers from Borgers. System blew up due to low impedance Infinity speakers the 2nd day. It was in and out of the shop for months blowing up after getting it back a few days later each time. I made Borgers take back the Mitsubishi and Bought a used Bryston 4B from Lenny for $1000. Lenny told me I wouldn't lose money on the Bryston.... he was right -many many years later I sold it for $1850. Lenny also sold me a used Apt Holman which I sold many years later for what I got it for. I never have been steered wrong by Lenny. He never sold me anything bad... his service was impeccable. He is a man of his word. The only thing I regret is hearing a set of speakers at his shop and later buying them used instead of from him. Still the speakers have served me well for 20 years... and that is a debt I feeel I owe Lenny. He makes sure his systems produce real magic. I have been to lots of other High end dealers who use the most expensive stuff out there in super fancy listening rooms that are actually courted by manufacturers who can not produce any magic with their systems. One other nice dealer is on Thayer st. In Providence. real magic- real cheap -good simple systems and service haven't bought anything from them but I think they are one of the better shops in New England. But in terms of a person taking you seriously, remembering your system after many years, and what you spoke about and what you listened to last Lenny is the Master Salesperson. My feeling is that all these negative posts on the web about audio wouldn't exist if we could clone Lenny from Lyric. LEnny is realistic about the audio business he knows he has to please your ears first before he can make a sale, and will not try and intimidate you or belittle you into a purchase like some others. Nor will he try to "guilt" you into making a purchase or whine about time spent with you. He also won't waste your time with small talk or try and sell you on the technology rather than the sound, or the "designer pedigree" of a product. He will please your ears, wallet and visual senses and treat all of his customers with respect.
I agree with Gino's 3/00 post. John Barnes, Audio Unlimited in Denver is reputable, knowledgable, and customer oriented with at great line of high end gear at excellent prices. John sets you up with demos delivered to your location and if you get to his showroom in Denver will give you his expert attention during auditioning with no pressure.
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