Wonderful people to do business with. Bought a device here Very knowledgeable and wonderful stff read more

I had a superb experience with Decibel Audio. They were the only dealer of Kef speakers in the Chicago area, speakers that I had read stunning reviews of and wanted to test. I was referred to Adam at Decibel, who is an owner. He spent 3 hours with me on the day I went there to listen to the speakers, he recommended a specific speaker model suitable for my living space and listening tastes (all classical, mainly chamber), I had brought a couple of my cd's with me, he recommended a specific cd player which was so good it enhanced magnificently the very old cd recordings I deliberately brought with me (because I love them). Then, because I have a large LP collection, he recommended a specific turntable and stylus. He hooked up the cd player and then the turntable and I was blown away by their incredible, natural, precise, warm sounds. On top of that, he told me that various components were on sale, which was a nice plus. I had in my then home some old high-end equipment (B&W 801's, a custom made tube amp, custom made turntable, etc) which I asked if they would be interested in as a trade-in. He offered to look at them, I sent photos, he said he would move the equipment to his shop and then determine the value. The trade-in value he gave me, after his truly exhaustive research, was more than I expected, and even with respect to one piece for which he couldn't determine the value, he offered to sell it for me on consignment (I declined and simply wanted to donate it to him, but he insisted on giving me something for it). On top of that, they delivered and set up the system in my new abode, spent many hours doing that, training me, testing it, and then returned a week later to switch the speaker stands he recommended (which weren't in stock originally) which also were hugely discounted and he thought better than the loaner stands he gave me, retested all the equipment, and has left me with a concert hall quality sound system that is breathtakingly accurate and spacious, at an incredibly fair price. They are a pleasure to work with, no hard sell, no special fake listening room (just a normal, open space with stuff and people in it), very responsive and very, very honest. I cannot more highly recommend them, whatever your level of interest might be. (Incidentally, they have a large variety of equipment). (This review is entirely voluntary. I had to ask them where I could post a review.) John Stiefel Chicago, IL read more

The staff were super amazing and accommodating! I valued my experience there, as i am still a novice to the world of speakers / sound systems and learned a lot from the (super amazing) staff. I will defiantly be back! read more

This place is awesome. I was having some issues with my record player and was sent here through a friend. I knew I needed a needle but the first day I went I thought I had it with me and had forgotten it at home. The man I spoke to told me to bring it back in or that I could email him a picture of it and they would help me. Well since i'm on funemployment I went back and brought my player with me and it gave me a chance to check out the place. The service was top notch both times and the products they have are amazing (even if most are out of my budget). They were helpful in looking for me another quality needle and when they didn't have it they made sure that I had the best options to get the one I needed. They even looked up some options for me online. Stellar service amazing audio and tech products and the vintage sound systems and record players made me salivate. I have already picked out my next system and I cant wait to go back. They are cool and know their stuff! Thanks again Decibel and keep up the GREAT work! read more

Very knowledgeable and recommended a DAC AMP that I did not know existed. Did his research on what I needed and found it! New Cambridge audio Evo 150 read more

You would think that ANY hi-fi shop in the Chicago area would be happy just to keep it's doors open. Most have folded....not a huge market anymore, sadly. Then you have this place that looks down their noses at you your entire visit, and gets defensive when you try to negotiate a price on something with them. They advertise that John Cusack wore one of their t-shirts in the movie High Fidelity. A truth...makes perfect sense that he portrays an audio elitist in the film as that's pretty much what you have here. Cute in the movies....not when you're trying to spend money with a shop.... read more

I went to Decibel to pick up a Dual 1229 turntable. Long story short, the unit wasn't ready to leave the store. It had a number issues that I had addressed at a local stereo repair shop. Decibel worked out a satisfactory resolution. I'm happy with the turntable and happy with the way Decibel handled the situation. read more

As soon as The Rock stepped into the room, he smelled something cooking. What was cooking was the awful customer service he had received from some ass hat. The Rock knows what he wants and The Rock knows what he needs. The Rock knows he should've smacked the silly off of the jabronis face who was not willing to listen to The Great One. Who in the blue hell was this guy? Have you ever heard of the phrase, "you are what you eat?" Well this jabroni must have been eating pies out of Seth Rogans butt because that's what he looks like. There's nice vintage audio equipment here, let The Rock tell you that. Hell, some of the prices looked reasonable, but The Rock has had infinitely better service at other places. This jabroni has a superiority complex and The Rock would like to end in this note. See that technics turntable? Yea it's pretty isn't it? How about you take it, shine up it reaaaaaal nice. Now, turn it sideways..... and shove it up your candy ass. That's how you made The Rock feel. read more

I bought some equipment from Decibel recently through their online store. I found the staff (Adam, Matt, Sol and Tucker) to be communicative and helpful. They answered multiple emails about the equipment in a timely fashion and were accommodating at pick up. All in all, a really nice shop. read more

Ridiculous. I walked in looking for a turntable belt. I've had some trouble ordering things online lately, mostly because someone in my building has been stealing packages from everyone, and so after two "missing" belts (which cost me about 3 bucks each) I decided to go to a physical store and see if someone could steal from me there. Yup. I was fucking robbed. I tell the guy the size and tell him I want 4 belts. I never wanted to have to buy another one again. I figure, the place looks like it sells mostly high end stuff and it's in Wicker "Mark Up" Park, so maybe they'll be, say, 5 or 6 dollars each. The guy, an all time criminal, H.H. Holmes casual delivery, tells me my total comes to 60 dollars. ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME?!?!?! 15 dollars each. For a big rubber band. For a thin ass little strip of black rubber shorter than a shoelace. I bought one. One, because I had a stack of new records at home I'd been dying to hear. One, because I was a desperate fool, caught with his pants down. As I handed him my debit card I swear my head turned into a donkey's head ala Looney Tunes and the word SUCKER manifested itself above my brow. I went home, put my new belt in, put a new record on, and got into the shower. A hot shower. A scalding shower. With my clothes on. Lying at the bottom of the tub, crying softly, I lost what little self respect I had left. Unfuckingbelievable. read more

I love browsing around and looking at the equipment they have -- speakers that look like jet engines, bubble-shaped turntables from the future, and the like. Like other reviewers note, it's expensive. On my most recent visit I wasn't just browsing; I went in for a turntable belt, and $15 later (sixteen-something with tax) I was out of there. That is an expensive rubberband. I could have gotten it cheaper online, but here's the deal: I don't know much about turntables, and this old Technics from my dad was probably a laugher to a guy who routinely spins up $1500 machines. But he showed me how to install the belt, took a look at my machine, hooked it up and let it play for a while, and gave the cartridge and stylus an approving evaluation. There was no attempt to sell a noob like myself anything beyond what I went in for, and he encouraged me to come back if I had any problems with the belt. Nice. What a cool place. read more

I had purchased a new rubber belt for my turntable here. It still doesn't work well as it stops on it's own after several hours of use. Called Decibel to bring it in... I was told it takes up to two weeks to fix my turntable.... I just think that's way too long for a company that specializes in audio..... I'm looking around for a more on the ball repair shop..... read more

Sorry I gotta bring down the ratings like that, but for my purposes, I could do wayyyy better at another audio store. My purpose at an audio store is usually to purchase needles for my 1200s. I would've gone to another place but I needed a new cartridge asap and this is the closest place to where I live. So I walk up to the guy behind the counter and ask what they've got for 1200s and he pauses and goes, "Is this for you, or someone else?" I'm sorry, but WTF? Never in my 11 years of buying needles have I been asked a question like that. I figure it's because I'm female because I cannot think of why else this guy would ask me that. A Christmas present for someone?? It was a few days after Christmas. The next issue is selection-- they had no Stantons, a pretty common brand and the one I've stuck with for the most part. In fact, all they had of DJ quality were the kind of needles you have to attach to a headshell and I've purposefully avoided the trouble of all that. Granted, they will order you whatever kind of Ortofon all-in-ones you want and that is very nice, but as I said, I prefer Stanton and time was of the essence as I was playing somewhere the next day. The guy was nice enough to show me how to set the thing up, but the hard part is not understanding what to do, the hard part is getting those microscopic nuts and bolts and wires attached. (It took me hours.) The other nice thing was that I told him I only had $80 to spend and the price should have been over $100, but he was able to discount everything enough so that it came to 80 and change. That's why I'm giving it 2 stars and not 1. Would I go back there to buy other sorts of audio equipment (Is it for me? Or someone else? Haha!)? Yeah, I guess I would because the prices looked good. And if I do so and have a good experience, I will update this review. Would I go back for needles? Hells naw. read more

I am a very amateur audio person, but I do like collecting vinyl. I did a complete overhaul of my audio system, and was considering just going to Best Buy and getting a sound bar and any decent record player. I'm so glad I didn't. Adam walked me through all of my options, why they were different than the "stuff" (he used a different word) at Best Buy, and everything was actually a lot cheaper than had I gone that route. I also got a pretty decent record player and set it up wrong, so when I had to come back in the next week to get it set up right, Tucker was amazingly patient and walked me through setting it up. Everything sounds beautifully, and my vinyl has never sounded so amazing for such a cheap price. Well worth the time and energy to go here vs just buy a crappy sound bar online. And don't feel intimidated if you know nothing about audio - Tucker and Adam (and as far as I can tell, the rest of the staff) won't snob their nose down at you, they will explain everything in laymen's terms. read more

Great place to go for audio equipment. They have a great selection of super high end stuff as well as refurbed stuff more in the mid-range. They also have a large selection of speakers, cables, and accessories and they do repairs as well. I picked up a nice dual-deck Onkyo tape deck for $80 that they had fixed up into like-new condition. The staff is very knowledgeable and not pushy at all. If you are looking for some audio equipment and have a little cash to spend then you should check out Decibel. read more

Excellence Personified! Sometimes it simply takes passion and commitment to helping customers that make the difference between average and outstanding service. I took my classic Dual 1209 turntable (vintage 1970's) in to see if it could work again like new. This is after I was literately turned away from two other -- so called "best audio shops in Chicago" The team at Decibel took on the challenge and were not at all hesitant to do so. They were persistent to get in right, and although it really was a challenge, they stayed the course. My turntable is now PERFECT like new and my record collection has it's old friend back! A special thanks to Toni for his personal commitment. Decibel Audio is truly unbeatable for any of your real audio needs. Highly recommended! read more

Helpful and knowledgable sales staff with prices that beat amazon?! Amazing. Just walked out with a new set of headphones and a preamp and I do not regret a dime I spent. read more

I had low pressure, genuinely nice sales help here. No up-sales, and certainly not pretentious or condescending, which may be a concern for a first time mid to high-end audio buyer such as myself. Two guys stayed late, happily demo'd the equipment, waited patiently for me to make a decision, and then came up with a fair price for everything. I am very satisfied with my experience at decibel. You can take anything back for up to six months for full trade-in value if you want to upgrade, and I'm confident if I ran into any problems, they would gladly help me out. Well done fellas. read more

Let me preface this by saying that I've never set foot in this place. However, I ordered a pair of Grado SR80 headphones from this store online. I wanted to make sure that I bought my phones from an authorized Grado dealer so the full warranty would apply. Their online store was easy to use and even though I placed my order late in the day, they packed everything up and shipped it same day. I'd order from these guys again in a second, and if I ever make it to Chicago, I'll look forward to dropping in. read more

Great staff, great inventory and great prices! If you're looking for Grado headphones or other audiophile equipment then look no further. read more

Bought/ordered a piece of equipment there last week and was glad to do it at a non-big box store. My hope was that their knowledge of audio equipment outweighed their charm and sales skills (which were pretty weak). Let's face it, when you spend over $1,500 on anything you want to feel GOOD about it. Waited the requisite number of days to hear about delivery. Nothing, I called...they said Friday. I called Saturday and the person that answered the phone simply could not be bothered I explained that I travel and was trying to nail down a date to come and pick it up, he said he was "slammed" with customers -- no offer to call me back, no offer to find someone else to help...he said ..."I'll do what I can"...(didn't even take my name). I will now ask for a refund and order it online to save the sales tax. And businesses wonder why Amazon has consumed the market. read more

I have purchased three different pieces of used equipment from them over the past two years or so. I have had problems with every one of them, but fortunately I've been able to fix most of the problems myself. I bought a used preamp off the shelf there, but when I got it home, I noticed that the back rear corner was badly dented. I didn't notice it while in the store. It had been dropped somewhere along the line. It developed a bad 60hz buzz, turns out the circuit bd had a hairline crack, no doubt from when it was dropped. At least I was able to make the repair myself. I wish they would do a better job of checking out the used gear before they resell it. I also think their prices for the older vintage equipment is way out of line. They aren't willing to bargain too much, so I'm not going back. read more

I was in town for a visit and walked by this place. I have been looking for a bunch of gear to put together and build a system. This place was just my speed. The guys were nice and patient. They didn't pressure me at all or sell me stuff I didn't need. They agreed to ship it to me and their prices were great. This place is a gem. I hope that you folks in Chicago support this great store. I ended up buying a beat up set of used fronts, a used rec. and a new turntable. These guys were totally nice and positive about the combination. I highly recommend this place. read more

My wife and I wanted to upgrade our turntable. Mike spent a lot of time setting up a number of different turntables for us to listen to, cross comparing the sound and explaining the pros and cons of each. After a couple hours we purchased one, opting for a unit that was a bit more high end because of the really great sound and detail it delivered. When we got it home it didn't sound as it did in the stores\ so took it back and also brought our amp. Mike, Tucker and Tony patiently tested the setup, there was a preset on the amp that was not properly set and they also gave us some better direction to check our wiring schematic. The system sounds amazing, I'm hearing details I've never heard before on albums we've been listening to for decades. Couldn't be happier that we worked with the pros at DeciBel Audio. read more

If you're into good audio, this is the place. I've visited here at least three times before yesterday, window shopping. They have a pretty good selection of Hi-Fi audio components for different budgets --- amps, speakers, subs, headphones, affordable and not so affordable lol. After having done some research, I've narrowed down my options to a single setup but I wanted to listen in-person, if possible, first before buying. Luckily, Decibel is a seller of the amp and speakers. They gave me a chance to listen to the amp and speakers in their listening zone. That alone was a cool experience. So, in the end, I walked out with the amp! I said goodbye to my old AVR this morning and installed the new stereo integrated. Night and day. This new amp from Cambridge Audio breathed new life into my speakers. Even my wife noticed the upgrade and she isn't really into audio. Overall, I'm extremely happy with everything --- the in store experience and product. I will go back when I'm ready to pull the trigger on some speakers. read more

I finally broke down, decided I needed to grow up and purchase a turntable. A causal Yelp search for the highest rated stereo stores in Chicago (back in the spring of '10) brought up Decibel and I was heading to Myopic anyway. I am a complete stereo novice and I told my story to a gentleman there. He was polite and didn't make me feel like an idiot (which I am when it comes to record players). He set me up with some baseline equipment because quote "I wouldn't be able to hear the difference between it and more expensive stuff." He was correct without being patronizing and even though the store was hopping and I was in all likelihood a low priority, he gave me his undivided attention. I appreciated his honesty and not trying to force something flashier on me. I will definitely be coming back to upgrade my sorry-ass speakers later this Summer because of the customer service alone. With Reckless right down the street I finished that day a happy man and have been listening to records 2 or 3 hours every day since if not more. Decibel rocks. read more

The service I got from Decibel is legendary. I can't recommend enough. It's truly the best place to demo and buy Audio.

I've experienced much, much better. If you cannot get helped from the staff what good is your selection, knowledge, and store location? I had to beg the staff for help on enough occasions that their lack of responsiveness and disinterest appears to be their protocol. Recently, I wanted to give a Cary integrated amplifier a run through its paces and talk to the staff about changing out my Totems for something more suitable (more efficient) for the integrated. We are not talking chump change here--at least to me (likely $3-7k in potential purchase(s)). After making numerous laps of the store, receiving a 1-minute sign and gesture twice from a staff member, and asking for help, I decided my time is too valuable. I waited around for about 30 minutes. There was one (1) customer auditioning loudspeakers...one (1) and several blokes who clearly worked there. Did I mention the free time the staff had while the solo customer listened to the single set of loudspeakers? This occasion was frustrating for sure. On my way home I thought that I might call and see if it would be best to schedule an audition. I came to the conclusion that this shop was too much work. Very frustrating experiences. Guys, if you read these reviews, I have a bit of business advice for you: when your business is a boutique, cottage industry that targets a small segment of the population--who must have substantial disposable income and a keen interest in an esoteric and arguably dwindling hobby (high end hi fidelity when digital, portable, and microsystems are the zeitgeist), you must appreciate the scarcity and necessity of your customer base. PS As a side note, on one visit I overheard a staff member telling a customer that "Krell makes garbage product" and then push him into a product the store carries as one of its new equipment lines. I pretty much heard the entire conversation and its context. Couldn't such an opinion be couched in different terms? I thought, gee, so much of this hobby is a subjective perspective thing that such a strong opinion about a respected manufacturer's product may not be the best thing for sales and understanding a customer's tastes. Opinion is not a matter of fact. Hyperbolic statements of belief are not useful or fair to the customer. Silliness and verbal diarrhea. read more

Walked into their store hoping to buy a turntable as well as some advice. Walked out after being passed over by two people that came in after me. I was even standing at the cash register waiting in line. When one of the sales people was free they went straight to the person behind me. read more

I have not given these guys any money for over 4 years. Over time, I had bought peices to create a decent vintage system. Meaning.... i piece-mealed equipment over time, about 6 months... overall i spent over 1,500 dollars.... Their pricing was along the lines of ebay/audiogon, but having stuff in your hands with money to spend makes a sale. I am pleased with the equipment I bought from them for the most part. (2 times sold me a dead cd player, which they replaced both times). I decided to bring my business elsewhere because of service. Keep in mind its been a while..... But.... I never felt they wanted my return business. Perhaps I didn't spend enough cash in there? Asked too many questions? Not as rich as the other guy in the shop at the time? Snobby, better than thou attitude is a big turn off.... Hopefully they have since changed.... but hey, yelp wasn't around at the time! My mind was made up a long time ago. read more

I wish there were more stores like this one....selling great new and used gear for people who appreciate hi-fi and knowledgeable customer service. I've been a customer for 10 years and have bought and traded a great deal of gear here...have also had them do custom work on my full house and full office audio systems. Anyone who can tolerate an average Best Buy or Abt system shouldn't come here....and wouldn't anyway. Great service and attention to detail. Thanks read more

I walked in and all I knew was that I needed speakers and cables. Tucker walked me through every component and its importance and even down-sold me. I had about a $1,000 budget and he initially showed me some used equipment that would be good for a vinyl beginner such as myself and then when I said I wanted something nicer he put together a system for me for about $700. Outside of his honesty, the guy knows EVERYTHING. I got tips on how to install everything, and he gave me 20% off everything for seemingly just being nice. Oh, and did I mention that my system sounds like the Metro in my house now? No matter if you're trying to spend $20,000 or $20, Decibel will take the time to make sure you get exactly what you need. read more

Sold some Equipment to Geoff (one of the owners) They were checking out my equipment prior to buying it (understandable) our transaction which was supposed to be a couple of days turned into a few weeks, now a Month plus... Each time I tried to get Geoff on the telephone I was told that he had stepped out or had left for the day etc. I left messages for him to call me back.. Never happened, not even once.. seriously, One of the Worst businessman EVER. I told him how unprofessional he was on two occasions (second time I was beyond pissed off and my conversation was quite colorful) It was thrown back at me with a @#%* OFF ! ... touché ! but not an appropriate reply when the customer has a valid complaint ! I would give them a star for some of the nice equipment they have, a minus 5 for my experience .. I've been into higher end equipment for over 40 years, the business has always had it's share of pompous Assholes... (granted I can be an Asshole myself) this has been (and continues to be) a different experience altogether Good Luck Randy B read more

Speaking just to customer service: Was on the verge of tears after calling over a dozen other terse, uninterested electronic repair businesses looking for someone to fix my headphones. Though Decibel didn't do the service I needed and served to gain nothing from my business, the rep I talked to gave me a list of other locations, as well as their phone numbers and staff contacts. Kind, polite, and efficient. It improved my day immensely. read more

People in this store are incredibly nice and helpful. I asked them to demo a pair of high end Grado headphones which they had in stock but not on display. They went and got them from the back and opened up a box of them for me to demo. First class place with a nice selection of used speakers. They're also the only store where I've ever seen the Specimen audio horns for sale. Very neat selection. read more

Wow im suprised this place has so little reviews. I heart decibel! I own a buisness not too far from there and for the past few years i always go there for my audio needs. I've only bought used there(cause i'm cheap). I've bought turn tables, speakers and receivers, and they've always worked well for being used. I strayed once and went to ABT electronics and got a shitty sony turn table. They were nice enough and let me trade it in for a better one. I did have one problem with a turn table that i had purchased, but they were nice enough to come out to my store and fix it for me for no charge. They have great custom service and i would suggest anyone to go there for new and used audio equipment. read more

The turntables in the window peeked my interest! I was in the market for a full surround sound system so I went in to ask about receivers and the like. To my surprise they didn't have very many in stock with wifi or Bluetooth features which I think should be standard nowadays. The gentleman helping me was super nice and thoughtful though. He told me about the option to add a wifi signal to a non-wifi receiver (but I'm like why would I do that when I know there are receivers that have it built in?), and he also went online and showed me a few options that would suit my needs. Helpful yes, but not what I was looking for and certainly not in my price range. It's a cool audio store in Wicker Park though. read more

I felt like a kid in a candy store. they have so much incredible high-end audio gear here. The staff were super friendly and knowledgeable. I I tried out some awesome headphones and picked up a turntable mat that is making my records sound awesome. read more

The service wasn't overwhelmingly prompt, but the people were really personable and helpful. Tucker, who sold me a used record player, was enthusiastic about sound and was patient in explaining hifi audio to me without being condescending or pretentious. But the best thing about Decibel is that you can exchange or upgrade used record players for up to six months after your purchase. For a record enthusiasts looking to get more into quality audio equipment, used record players are a great way to get a quality machine at a great price, and Decibel is a great place for used record players. read more

i decided to buy a record player for my husband's bday and NO idea what i was looking for. decibel gave me some great advice and high quality options within my price range. my husband decided he wanted something different and they were once again really helpful with him and had no problem exchanging his gift. some of their stuff is pricier than it would be elsewhere, but they hooked us up and did a price match on an accessory. my husband's really happy with his record player and we would definitely go back to decibel. read more