Gene returned my call after his vacation. I didn't think he'd want this job but he came over and patiently connected broken electric connections by saudering the chair's wiring. These were 3 electric breaks in the cords I had left unrepaired for 8 years! I initially found Gene on Yelp looking for a stereo repair. Then I got an idea to also ask for his help with the chair. He did a wonderful job for a reasonable price. I highly recommend Gene for repairs like this. Did a great job! read more

Gene's Sound Service - Massage Lounge Chair - Home Theatre Installation Near Me - San Francisco, California

Worked quickly and knowledgeable Quick turnaround Highly recommended 50 year old technics turntable now works perfectly read more

Gene is amazing. Hands down. I brought Gene my Technics 1200MK2 turntable that I thought needed rewiring -- started experiencing sudden bursts of static and feedback out of nowhere. Gene diagnosed the issue and made the repair within 24 hours. Incredibly knowledgeable, friendly, and fast. Sounds amazing once again. Highly recommend him. read more

Gene has repaired my Harmon Kardon reciever and other stereo components over the years when he was a mobile repair guy. Now, I cn come to him. read more

I have a Nakamichi CD deck I bought on e-Bay thinking everything is alright. I noticed the sound wasn't coming out of one speaker. By chance, I pressed down on the top back of the CD deck and the sound came on and as well as I touched the aux cable. I wondered will there be anybody out there to repair stereo systems out there these days? I called up one guy that specializes only in repairing turntables and he referred me to Gene. I called Gene up and he called me that night. I told him my trouble and he said he'll look at it tomorrow. I dropped it off the following day and I would say within an hour he fixed it. I was surprised how quick he could work his magic! Now my Nakamichi CD player is working perfectly---Thank you Gene! read more

Can't say enough good things about Gene! The tray on my Onkyo DX-7555 CD player would not open or close. I purchased it in 2008 in silver with the matching amp. Solid, good value pieces that (to me) also look nice. I don't use very often, but I like the sound and that they are a matched set. I was bummed that I was going to have to replace with a non-matching CD player. Looked at Rotel options because they offer something that performs and looks similar, but still bothered me that the pieces wouldn't match. I'm in Fremont, so started calling HiFi stores in the East and South Bay asking if they do repairs. A couple of stores made recommendations to repair shops but when I contacted those shops, they were uninterested in repairing or said it would be 2-3 months to repair. I expanded my search to the City, and was eventually referred to Gene. Called Gene and left a message. He returned my call the next day. Said it was within the scope of work he does, but he has a backlog of about 2-3 weeks, and he would call me when he was caught up. Honestly I didn't think I'd hear back from him, but sure enough, Gene called me the following week asking me if I still needed the repair. I was pleasantly surprised! From what I gathered Gene mostly does house calls, and Fremont was beyond his service area, but I offered to drop off. He was fine with that, so we arranged a time and met as planed. He advised he'd needed about about a week depending on troubleshooting and parts availability. That was fine with me. He called the next day saying he diagnosed the problem and gave me a fair quote. He had the CD player up and running in 2 days and even loaded it my wife's car when I had a meeting come up and couldn't pick up myself. Really solid guy! Couple things to mention about Gene is that he is an older Gentleman. His voice does sound like an elderly person, which might take some people back (I'm handing over my beloved audio equipment to someone who sounds like my grandpa!). But when it comes to repairing audio equipment, this guy is sharp as a tack! He knows his stuff, does honest work, with fair prices. I would go back to him in a heartbeat and recommend him to anyone. Thanks Gene! DX-7555 https://www.stereophile.com/cdplayers/108onk/ Amp: A-9555 https://www.stereophile.com/integratedamps/907onk read more

As of this posting, this business is listed as closed - but it's definitely not closed. Gene is fantastic. I have a 35 year old Toshiba receiver which was working fine as the central unit of my TV and stereo setup, but the front panel display lights were dead, and it wasn't tuning in to radio stations past a certain point on the dial. When we spoke on the phone, he directed me to someone who could provide the lights I would need, and later helped me sort out the options that person presented me with. He showed up on time on the day we scheduled, and was totally self-sufficient. I keep the receiver on a low shelf under my TV, so you have to get down on the floor to disconnect it from the TV and other stereo components. The power cable for the receiver also runs up through a hole in the back of the shelf above it, behind the TV. I thought I would have to disconnect it all for him, but it was immediately clear that he had it under control. He fixed the lights, and told me the tuning issue was because of a part that needed to be cleaned. The cleaning solution he would use needed to dry and evaporate overnight, and then the tuner would need to be adjusted for accuracy. He put the receiver back on the low shelf under the TV, and reconnected everything so I could continue to use it while I waited for him to come back and finish. Between his schedule and mine, he wasn't able to return for several days, but when he did he tuned the tuner and made sure everything was back in place. I found the price very reasonable, particularly for someone who makes house calls. And not only did he make a house call - he came back to make sure the job was finished properly. He's very busy, so it may take a few efforts to get in touch with him, but don't be discouraged, it's well worth the effort. I would recommend him for any stereo repair, old or new. read more

Gene's Sound Service - Home Theatre Installation Near Me - San Francisco, California

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I recently had a Technics turntable serviced by Gene. It was repaired and now works beautifully. And in record time. Highly recommend using Gene's service. Gérard read more

Gene arrived on time and stayed more than 3 hours examining, tinkering, and testing the equipment, all with taking caution with the pieces. He was able to get the system up and running beautifully after it had been idle for 2 years. He gets a gold star!! I don't hesitate a moment in recommending him to anyone who needs help with their sound system . read more

My Thoren's turntable was having some problems that simple things like a new belt would not cure. But Gene did a fantastic job in bringing everything up to speed! He is super nice and does meticulous work. I would suggest you go to hi for any audio concerns. read more

I can't recommend Gene highly enough. I had actually brought my turntable down to Harmony Audio Video in West Portal. They quoted me $225. Gene came to my house and fixed my Music Hall MMF5 turntable for only $85! Regretfully, I'm out a $50 "quote fee" from Harmony. From now on, I'm using Gene for all my stereo repair. Here's why: *He makes house calls. *He has a passion for what he does * He works diligently and quickly. *Did I mention he makes house calls? read more

Gene's Sound Service - Gene makes house calls! - Home Theatre Installation Near Me - San Francisco, California

This is the second time I've called Gene for a little help with my at-home Vinyl set-up. Not only is he super amenable to working with your schedule, but he's so fast, affordable and truly invested in his work. Visiting him feels like visiting a last remaining piece of San Francisco. Thank you Gene! read more

One can tell Gene is not about a job, He is passionated what he do. I called him when I brought back my 17 years old amplifier that was in storage for 8 years. I found one of the channel wasn't working and one of speakers ' twitter cone got dented. I solved the amplifier before he called back. He offered great support and advices on how one can fix the dent and offered a great referral if I don't feel like DYI. read more

Gene completely fixed several pieces of audio equipment in my home, quickly and thoroughly- excellent service. Highest recommendation.

Gene is an amazing technician and obviously cares for the machines he repairs. He was careful, kind, and up front about how to continue care. His prices are clearly listed and he doesn't upsell or charge for anything out of the ordinary. The only reason for the 4/5 was that it took me all summer of playing phone tag to reach him. I wish he had an email address. But the wait and the effort was well worth the work he did. read more

I'll keep this short. Gene is the man! He's a good guy, honest, and hard working. If your equipment can be fixed, he can most likely do it. I called him to fix 2 issues with my vintage Pioneer. He fixed the first right away, but the other required a part that I needed to order from ebay. Once it came in, he came back, only to learn that the part I ordered was a dud. He stayed for a few hours trying to fix the part at no extra cost. I ordered a second part, and he came back a third time, and this time it worked right away. During all this time, a turntable broke and he helped me fix that too (in 5 mins) at no extra charge. In my experience he's usually booked ~2 weeks out, and he only makes house calls. read more

He is very good. Electronics become obsolete so fast so he provides a great service for those of us interested in repair as opposed to replace. You might not hear from him right away, but when your turn comes up, he will call and schedule a visit. His prices are very very reasonable. He is a treasure not easily replicated. read more

Gene is magic. My beautiful 50+-year-old walnut-cased Pioneer receiver works so smoothly now it's like new. He's worth gold!

My stereo system isn't anything fancy. It's one of those shelf cd/cassette/radio combos from the 90's. My friends laughed when I said I needed to find someone to fix the cassette component, which was playing the cassettes at what sounded like half speed. Fortunately, Gene not only didn't laugh when I told him what I wanted fixed, but I was able to get an appointment within the week. (I love that he makes house calls.) The repair itself took a while since his thoroughness had him chasing down and attempting to fix a separate issue which turned out to not be an issue after all. However, when he was all done, my stereo was back to sounding great! I'm grateful to have regained the "option" to play cassettes if I so choose. read more

Created a Yelp account just to share this. Gene is absolutely fantastic. If you have vintage stereo equipment, reach out to Gene to get your machine tuned up today! I have a mid seventies Marantz 2250b receiver that had a bad power switch and a lot of burned out tuner and display lamps that I wanted to replace with LEDs. Beyond that I just wanted to have a professional give it a thorough once over. After scheduling a consultation, Gene came to my apartment and diagnosed the issues. I order parts and he returned to repair the switch and install the LED bulbs. What's great about Gene: - Friendly, passionate and knowledgeable. - On time and easy to get ahold of - Great and thorough service - Followed up with me to ensure everything was working well - Very reasonable rates - In home service - Motorcyclist read more

Gene is one of those original workmen who cares deeply about his work and has rock solid skills to back it up. I called Gene to take a look at my Klipsch speakers that were mostly broken due to some sort of cable or connection problem. I'd talked with the manufacturer directly and they dismissed me out of hand, so I was happy that Gene said he could solve the problem. Gene scheduled a house call for a Saturday evening, so it was completely hassle-free for me. He came over for a couple hours, methodically disassembled my speakers and pinpointed the problem as a break in some of the wires in the main cable. He said he could get a replacement sleeve for the end of the cable and route around the break. I told him I wasn't in a big hurry, so we left it at that. A week or so later, he called me up and said he had the part and could come fix the speakers. We scheduled another evening house call, he showed up and expertly repaired the cable. I now have a completely working speaker system again for far less than it would have cost to buy a new system. Gene's prices are very reasonable and his demeanor is honest, straightforward and brief. I heartily recommend Gene to anyone with stereo or related problems. I am very happy that I found him and used his services. read more

Gene was great! I own a 25 year old Carver receiver that I was very happy with, but over time one channel went out. I decided to call him after seeing his name on a few HiFi blogs about audio repair. Gene was friendly, professional, and arrived on time. He started working immediately and was able to diagnose and fixed the problem in 2 hours. His prices are also very fair and reasonable for the services he provides. Pertinent information: - Leave a message if you call the number and he doesn't answer. He will call you back to schedule an appointment (despite what another reviewer wrote). - Gene's fee is easily half of what any other repairman would charge. In my case, he saved me $300 from another quote that I received. - As far as I know, he only does house calls. He brings all of his equipment with him in a backpack and needs a decent size table to set up on. read more

Seriously, Gene is it - if you love your hi-end equipment and run into the occasional metaphysical anomalies (stuff gets screwy!), turn to someone who is ready/willing/able/happy to help and who educates you along the way. He's got a great range of understanding, is extremely calm and focused and just an utter pleasure to work with. I had asked him to redo a botched rewiring job on my swing-arm (my own handiwork) and he went on to further identify and address grounding issues, offer advice on where I went wrong and how to correct my course next time, and he does it all with total grace and dignity. Gene makes house calls, so it's key to set aside a bit of space where he can get into the project at hand and have the ability to move around whatever unit he's working on (example: he was helping me align my TT cartridge and that requires being able to look at things from multiple angles). I will always seek Gene's services for my electronic needs! read more

All my wife wanted for her birthday was a way to enjoy our vinyl again. We had a terrible need for turntable repair for our nice (but very old) Pro-ject turntable, but everyone I called in San Francisco and Berkeley wouldn't touch it. The second shop trying to talk us into buying a new (or used) turntable from them finally sent me to Gene after I insisted on repair instead of a replacement: "Well then, Gene in the City can fix it for you." And they were quite correct. Not only did Gene fix our main turntable issue (a platter that was scraping and terrible warped sounds from our LPs), but he cleaned the needle, reset the balance on the arm, and caught issues that AudioVision caused when soldering the connections in the cartridge we bought from them. And he re-soldered three of those connections. The Pro-ject sounded so great that I had him look over the rest of our system. He swapped out our speaker cables for a larger gauge set he had on hand, lubricated the dials and replaced three dead lights in the display of our Harman/Kardon 330c, and after considerable effort because of the mechanical challenged involved, repaired the troublesome CD door in our '87 dbx DX5 CD player. Gene had all of the extra parts and tools he needed with him, and did all the work in our home. He was very supportive and instructive about further care and treatment of my system, and worked his art openly and transparently. His fee for his whole job on all three components was very reasonable--and a fraction of what it would have cost to replace our turntable. Our stereo has never sounded as good as it does now after Gene's visit. He's clearly a master at what he does, and I would recommend him for any turntable repair job you might have. Thanks again Gene for coming out to Sausalito just in time for my wife's birthday! read more

Gene does house calls. He was available within a week the first time a used him and came the next day the second time. He definitely knows what he is doing and fixed my gear within an hour each time. He is genuinely sweet and cares about his craft. read more

So I waited a bit on this review. I wanted to be sure I didn't have any reoccurring problems with the repair before writing it. Its been over six months now and I have NOT. There is a local repair shop literally less than a mile from my house in the East Bay, but after reading the terrible reviews it got on Yelp, there was NO WAY I could go there and feel comfortable. I have a vintage receiver that I love, but it wouldn't stay powered on. I found the problem, I just couldn't fix it myself. Gene was flexible and arranged for me to drop it off as I was in no hurry. I described the problem and what was causing it and he didn't treat me like a complete idiot - That's always a plus in my book. Gene checked it out and my diagnosis was correct and he fixed it. He also gave the whole thing a check and pointed out another issue with the display (which was legit) but no pressure for me to fix it. All in all a very good experience. The only negative was that it was a little pricey, but I knew that going in and he charged me his listed rate so I can't complain. Thanks Gene! read more

Having read stellar reviews here on Yelp about Gene - I called him to help me set up my vpi Scout turntable. As it is - I'm pretty dense when it comes to turntables and cartridges and such. And these vpi Turntables seem even more complicated. Not much out there on the web about set up - not even from vpi. So I called Gene to see if he could help. He was prompt in returning my call and we immediately set up an appointment. The day came and Gene arrived. A little less than two hours and I'm now enjoying my turntable to it's fullest extent. Gene is very thorough - pointing out that I needed to have the turntable balanced - so he worked on getting that right and then proceeded to set up the turntable, adjust tracking for the cartridge, etc. Gene is a GEM!!! A real FIND!!! and am glad to have found him to address any electronic audio needs. The guy is brilliant and focused. And completely trustworthy. Will not hesitate to contact Gene in the future should any further audio needs arise. A++++++++ read more

Gene fixed my old Boom Box, within a day, and I'm thrilled to have it working again! I couldn't find another company in San Francisco to work on a 1980s Boom Box, so Gene saved the day for me. I like to fix/restore old things instead of buying new, so having a cassette player and good working stereo again made me very happy. I recommend him highly for your electronics repair. He's the man! read more

I got Gene's name from the Sound Well in Berkeley. They told me he was their go-to guy for fixing older (80's) hi-fi stuff like amplifiers and receivers. I think he only does house calls. I spoke to him on the fone, told him about the broken Kenwood amp i had and he knew it back to front. So i made an appointment he showed up on time. He took the amp apart and was able to open the switching mechanism that was bust, He was able to fixed it perfectly and also gave me some great tips about wiring and how to best use the amp. He was all over it. Super polite, super-reasonable rates. And he's a total expert. Cant say enough. If you've got older hi-fi gear you need repaired, Gene is the guy. read more

Gene's Sound Service - Gene fixed this Kenwood amp for me. It works like new and sounds killer. Thanks Gene! - Home Theatre Installation Near Me - San Francisco, California

Gene is a legend. He listens to a turntable through the handle of a screwdriver. That says about everything. In 2014 he came by to give my Garrard Lab 80 life. He did, and so when he came by this time, it wasn't surprising to learn that the turntable didn't need much to get it in prime working order. I think it's a testament to his excellence that the only non-5-star reviews are for those unable to get a hold of him. Anyway, the guy is a legend, and he uses a screwdriver as a stethoscope. read more

Gene's Sound Service - I think the heavenly glow from the lights is an appropriate representation of his skills - Home Theatre Installation Near Me - San Francisco, California

Gene showed up promptly on time and serviced 2 of my Technics SL1200's with care and detail. Gene knows his stuff about these turntables, so if you have some from the old days, I highly recommend you contact him for any servicing needs. Thanks Gene! read more

I've been ignoring the fact that I've had to get my Technics 1200 turntables fixed for quite some time. I think this has been due to fear of how much it would cost. After reading the yelp reviews, I know Gene was the man I needed to fix my turntables. He diagnosed the problem in a few minutes and gave me a deal to fix my second turntable for $5 since the problem was something that wasn't too complicated. I highly recommend Gene with any issues you might have with your sound equipment or electronics!. He's a fair and honest guy that you can trust! read more

I discovered Gene through Yelp and recommend him highly. He came to my home in Marin and refurbished a 1950's record player/radio from the UK. It was my father's (purchased with his demob money from the RAF) and I have very find memories of playing Glen Miller, Beatles and other vinyls as a child. My father passed away in 2006 and I'd always wanted the player. My mother gave it to me earlier this year and i carried back to CA. Hearing the tuner and listening to the radio was so heartwarming. Gene also got the automatic turntable mechanism to work (although unfortunately, it's a 50z unit so he could not calibrate it on 60z US power). Gene helped me order a new needle and helped me find a site online to ask for assistance with the power issues. Gene is incredible knowledgeable, patient and detail oriented. He painstakingly took apart the player, cleaned, lubricated and tested everything to ensure it was all working. I am so grateful to have the player back in working condition and look forward to solving the power challenges so I can again play records and recall those special memories with my father. Thank you Gene! read more

Gene is the man! Call this guy before you call anyone else. Personable, affordable and experienced. He came out to service my old 75' receiver and turntable in Berkeley and got me shaped up in a few hours. Good guy, highly recommended. read more

What can I say that hasn't been said by Yelpsters before me? Just another 5 STAR review. Gene worked on my beloved 1978 Yamaha CR 2020. The left Chanel would drop out intermittently. Like a Surgeon examining his patient, Gene thoroughly examined all of the likely culprits and in the end it was a dirty switch. He does have a complete shop on his back! My receiver has no dirty switches now The blanket of dust was carefully removed. The receiver was masterfully cleaned and tested and returned to service in good time. I didn't pay much attention to time. I appreciated the way Gene worked. A cloud has been lifted from my head. There is someplace to have ones beloved old equipment serviced and repaired in a world without "RESISTANCE REPAIR", the Berkeley legend now closed. Even better than "Resistance", you don't loose your equipment into the Que for a month or more. Gene works in real time and does it right. Now, about the cost, Gene tells you very clearly how much he charges right up front. His price is very reasonable and his quality is worth twice the price. Can't thank-you enough Gene. Look forward to seeing you again someday. Like at a movie theater or record store. Should the time come that I need stereo service, I will be beyond glad to see you at my place! By the way, if I had new equipment he would care for that too. read more

Gene returned my call promptly and showed up on time for the appointment I made. He diagnosed and fixed the main problem with my turntable in about 20 minutes but then spent another hour or so looking it over and getting it into perfect working order. He really knows his stuff, and I learned a lot by watching him work. Best hundred bucks I've spent in a long time. read more

While it took awhile to schedule a house call, Gene showed up promptly and fixed my VPI turntable in minutes. However he also noted the platter wasn't sitting properly, so he disconnected it and reset it, as the motor was rubbing against the board, which might have caused the initial issue of the motor binding. Then we found a third issue, which he fixed. I'm playing LPs again. Highly recommended. I know he can be difficult to reach, which is frustrating, but he's a pro and doesn't overcharge. read more

Gene came to my home in the East Bay this month, which save me from lugging my heavy vintage stereo gear to the city for repair. Gene replaced the cueing belt on my Phase Linear 8000 turntable. My Teac X10R reel to reel recorder's capstans also wouldn't engage. He replaced the main drive belt and cleaned/lubricated the unit. This took several hours, however, his cost was 1/3rd less than L&M quote in Daly City. Gene's satisfaction ratings are also outstanding, and I was very pleased with both his demeanor and professionalism. read more

Gene time traveled back to 1982, brought back parts and made and made my Sharp GF-777 boom box bump like fools were still jacking' for sheep skins and Cazals! He took my busted ghetto blaster from death to def! In short, if Gene can fix my electronic antique he can definitely fix your overpriced sound system! Word is bond. read more

One of the only people I could find to repair the mini-connector cord on my computer speakers, Gene came to my house and fixed 'em right up. I can't complain about the fee because I couldn't find anyone else to bother with such a trivial and tricky job, but such high quality and customer service would make more sense to those with nice equipment. read more