I sometimes receive e-mail blasts from this seller/retailer. This online retailer seem to handle many brands of various audio components, some with some name recognition, some with none. All products are advertised with screaming discounts and cable giveaways (is this a red flag?).
Some of the brands like GAS and LSA, seem to go back quite some years. I am trying to understand how this business works and whether it is reputable for selling solid gear. Or is this like some retailers that buy up old defunct trademarks then sources gear from cheap contract suppliers that make stuff at low cost, cutting corners with quality?
Would appreciate any insight or customer experiences. There are a number of items that could be of interest to me as I upgrade my two channel system but I can't help but be somewhat wary.
Bought a pair of Silverline Prelude Plus speakers from Underwood HiFi several years back. Great price. Product as described. Smooth transaction. Would do business again.
Walter is a veteran in the industry. I believe (could have things a bit garbled) he and Chris (Parts Connexion) were partners in developing/marketing Sonic Frontiers gear in the past.
I have not bought from him but I have talked to him a couple of times and he always returned my calls answered my questions and came across as a knowledgeable straight up person.
I bought a DSPeaker X4 from him a couple of years ago. His customer service and delivery were stellar. Great guy to talk to as well. Give him a chance!
I’ve been here 20 yrs and I don’t remember when he wasn’t here selling. He has a great reputation. I bought a Core Power 1800 from him so far. No need to hesitate. I won’t
Totally reputable company. Walter is an authorised dealer for many products. Even though some of his blowout sales resemble "Crazy Eddie," Underwood Wally is a standup guy. He often buys closeout products and offers them at low prices, the only negative is there are no refunds on these items, but there’s always a warranty. I purchased a pair of Gallo speakers and even though they were discontinued, I received warranty service from the factory. Very recently I bought the Core Power DeepCore 1800 on sale. Walter purchased and expanded the company with new products and a new design of the flagship power conditioner. I believe he’s an oldschool salesman and the customer always comes first.
He explains how his prices are set on his web site. I bought a headphone and some cables from him recently. I am now looking at his site when I look for new gear.
I've bought a few things from Walter over the years, he is someone you can trust ; whether or not he has the lines you are interested in is no different than any other dealer
LSA Wally owns or owns part of which is a very good value and is always getting better. I have bought from Wally for years and always stands behind the products he sells.
I bought my first high-end turntable from Wally back in 2005, a Music Hall MMF-7. It arrived with the tonearm out of the gimbals, and he took it back and exchanged with very quick service. Highly recommended.
Very serious and respected audiophile. I have done business with Walter several times. Outstanding service! Very knowledgeable guy. Will do business with him again!!!
He is a great guy. I spent some time on the phone with him and we reminisced about the old times. Very generous with his time, and I would not hesitate to buy from him.
You have a right to be suspicious. Especially in the times we live in. There are very few people out there you can trust, without reservation. Especially in a somewhat turbulent industry. A significant number of manufacturers and dealers are desperately trying to stay "afloat" ! Walter is far from a "FLIM FLAM, FLY BUY NIGHT" business man. Truthfully, I have never made a purchase from him but I am acquainted with several audiophiles who have. All of them have very good things to say about their dealings with Walter. Furthermore, I also realize that several of his product lines are not truly mainstream, which only tells me that a potential buyer need to due his due diligence before commiting to a purchase. I don't believe that Walter has ever taken on a new product line without having a strong commitment to the quality, performance, and value of the products. I have taken the time, upon several occasions, to look deeper into the quality and validity of a few of his products that have interested me. In no case, have I ever discovered that any claims or statements made by Walter, regarding his product lines, were inaccurate or misleading. As far as pricing is concerned, I can only say that I truly believe that Walter is trying to present his products in the best light, and in a way that hopefully more audiophiles can afford. Most people don't object to discounting, when purchasing an automobile. Why should this be any different. I've always felt there were two basic marketing approaches, when it comes to audio manufacturers and dealers. No.1 - Small scale, low volume manufacturing and marketing, with a huge markup, or #2. larger scale manufacturing, with a lower markup based upon larger volume, which helps build a more lasting reputation and image in the industry, and in turn, helps the average budgeted audiophile, get a little bigger bite of true high end sound.
Another recommendation for Walter here. None lately, but have done numerous transactions over the years. He's in sales, as the website indicates, but he's a straight shooter, and value oriented -- I've heard far less of "this megabuck interconnect reverses aging" from him than many other dealers and manufacturers. Pristine logistics and shipping, very smooth transactions. Also a smart and knowledgeable guy, good to talk to, and very generous with his time. If he has kit you ate interested in, I'd have no hesitation, and I'd certainly be willing to give one of his more off brand closeouts a try, if it were something I needed.
I've had several business transactions and phone conversations with Walter. A good guy that stands behind his products. Give him a call and judge for yourself. I recommend Walter if he has what you are looking for.
To all who replied, many thanks for your input. Also appreciated those who sent me messages by DM. I understand your various experiences, positive and negative. It is really a nice group of knowledgeable people here with an excellent base of experience.
I was looking for floor standing speakers that I could place within two feet of the wall. Was looking at LSAs and other offerings he had and he talked me out of them. I asked him about transmission line offerings and [while he didn't carry them] he did support that might allow me to meet my goals.
Recently, looking to get back into records, I purchased his lower end LSA turntable. We negotiated a deal on cables and all came within about 10 days with the cartridge mounted at the factory before being shipped. I can't be more happy with my purchase.
Way back when I joined this forum he was really well known for modding gear. Unison was one brand that he would completely overhaul. I called him with a question about an amp a couple years ago had a great conversation about global exchange rates, real estate, inventory management, etc. He told me about his early passion for modding gear but just had too much going on with the business or businesses. Seems like a hard working guy.
Walter is a great resource. I’m very happy with my LSA-10 speakers. My sense is his business model is based on selling (or owning) product lines he personally views as solid, and cutting retailing, advertising and, for some products, manufacturing costs to provide excellent value.
His new line of Audio GD ,this new totally upgraded line up especially digital for spring 2021 the mk2 line is special only R2R dacs. I bought the R8- MK2 with only 1/2 way runin already beat several products that were more money I own,or owned and very well known from Schiit Audio, Denafrips and Holo springs for just under $2k and compete with anything well known at $3 k especially in bass dynamics and realism ,and being a R2R dac and have 5 true user adjustment controls to Taylor to your Audi system, the others donot,And their amps, preamps are exceptional buys new to the U.S but have a big following in Europe ,Underwood Wally is now the distributor and service center for North America.
Carl, My guess is The Man can list 500 products. When a customer calls and wants something. The Man just calls the maker. Maker then ships it off to customer. But Do what ever you can to Dodge shipping back anything to the man with the 500 item's
Walter is a wonderful old school salesman. What I mean by that is that he is honest and he has integrity. In other words if he describes a product as having specific characteristics it does. I contacted him a few years ago when i was doing some CD reviews for PBS and asked him for a educational discount. He was such a gentleman and said of course. I would not hesitate to purchase any gear form him. One point aside he is also fun to talk to about audio history!!!!
I'm sorry, this subject goes through my head every night in bed. It isn't Underwood HiFi you need worry about, it's some of these vultures right here on Agon. Mid to late 2000's, purchased a Bel Canto DAC that I had spoken to Wally about. I don't even know if he still does his mod's, but back then he thought a lot of that little Bel Canto piece and had 4 levels of upgrades. So I bought it and sent it to Wally. Sent it back ASAP and WOW, this was a different piece of equipment.... Well done! So that was during a buy, sell, buy period; so I listed it here on Agon for I think a whopping $400. Guy buys it and contacts me and says did you open this at anytime.... there is a screw loose and I'm letting you know before I open it. Long story short, there was a loose screw, and he railed at me... Do you know what could happen????? I offered his money back, but he just acted like I had purposely sent him a Dirty Bomb???? I told him I apologized and told him I was refunding his money AND he could keep the DAC as well. Conclusion? Don't believe all you read here.
Walter is a veteran in the high-end audio business and a completely stand-up guy who offers excellent value across the board. His Internet sales model is clearly a success. He responds quickly to emails. I have purchased a number of items from him and his support system is second to none. My most recent purchase: I'm awaiting delivery on a Black Ice Audio Fusion F22 tube integrated.
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