Super nice guys with some really fun toys in their store. Called looking for an obscure part. They happened to have it and did not gouge me for it. The store is clean and well organized and it looks like they know their stuff. Finally, the part I was buying was for a fun but piece of junk old stereo that they could easily have looked down their nose at. They were actually encouraging and fun about it. Great experience. Look forward to buying more from them. read more

I love this shop! I actually don't know why I didn't write this years ago. If you are going to buy a stereo, and I mean a real stereo not some surround sound in a box, but for actually listening to music this is the only place you need to go, in fact you should go here! From a budget used entry amp to a complete HiFi (and yes I do mean HiFi) top of the line system made by people who want you to still be using the same equipment when your kids are out of the house. This is the place for you. Over the last decade I have slowly upgraded my home stereo, and are now beyond happy with it, although I was pretty happy when I started the process as well. The staff not only remembers your name, but it's likely they remember what equipment you have at home. They aren't going to use any special terms and are happy to spend the time letting you actually listen to the equipment so you know what you are buying. I don't plan on buying any stereo equipment from anywhere else... EVER! read more

Yesterday I took an ailing Hitachi turntable into Hawthorne Stereo in the hope that it would be 1) fixable and 2) fixable at an affordable price. I had the good fortune to meet Dominic who could not have been more helpful. He wired the turntable up to their system and quickly discovered that the stylus needed to be replaced and that the left channel was not working. He indicated that the repair would not be an expensive one. I left smiling. I got a call this afternoon (~24 hours later) saying that the turntable was ready to be picked up. The cost was very, very reasonable. Am I a fan of Hawthorne? Absolutely. These people are great to work with. read more

I've bought a couple items and done one consignment sale with Hawthorne Stereo - all have been good experiences. Hawthorne's main appeal is the abundance of good deals that can be found on used equipment. They actively maintain an online listing of their available used equipment - so you can check to see what's offered before going in to demo any equipment. They also carry new components from a number of reputable brands - including several brands like ProAc, ATC, and Harbeth that aren't widely distributed in the area. I would especially recommend this store for those who are just beginning their journey in the world of high fidelity equipment. This recommendation is made not simply because of their used audio equipment selection, but also because their overall philosophy seems to be very down to earth. At no point do you get the sense that you need to sink outrageous sums of money to get good sound. Moreover, many of the brands they carry have high quality mini-monitor speakers - which can be a great way to get maximum bang for your buck if you're a newcomer to the hobby. read more

i have been an audio guy for over 40 years and this place is perhaps my favorite shop ever they have a ton of used stuff and a lot of it is very very desirable and hard to find they do ask top dollar but the prices are absolutely fair it would be easy to assemble six or seven $1500 systems from their used stuff that would beat a $10k system comprised of new stuff- the staff was very professional and not intimidating or snobby like so many other places high end audio is a dying business and there are very few good places left this one is to be recommended very highly read more

Hawthorne Stereo is the place you want to buy your gear from. Period. Knowledgeable, laid back staff. Will give you advise but no hard sell. They have a great room of used gear. They have helped me over the phone countless times. They are just the best. read more

Terrific support today as I considered a few second hand turntables. No one tried to up-sell me or judge my lack of detailed knowledge. Ended up with a fantastic sounding Thorens that makes a great match to the rest of my kit. read more

Hands down the best stereo shop in Seattle. No pressure sales and they all know their stuff too. They genuinely care about their customers and don't want you to have a bad experience. You will spend just as much as you want in here but you will leave wanting to spend so much more. My vinyl game has never been better and I owe it all to these guys. read more

Another wonderful experience at Hawthorne Stereo, the first time I went in it was just for record stylus. The staff was very helpful and even sold me on a cheaper, more durable stylus than the one I used to use. The store is full of equipment and nostalgia! After that experience I told as many of my fellow record collecting friends about it as I could. I have recently been trying to get better sound out of my current system but know very little about stereo systems. I'm in it for the music not the electronics. When I went in the place was bustling with business and all sales associates were busy but greeted me immediately, so I looked at some stuff for a few minutes and was then quickly helped. John did a great job listening to my novice explanation of my system and said that I was really close to having a great sound. He didn't try to sell me on a bunch of high tech stuff I didn't need which was really appreciated. I bought some great speakers at a great price and this is my testimony to another GREAT EXPERIENCE AT HAWTHORNE STEREO! Thank you guys again and I will be a lifelong customer. read more

It has been just over three months since this story started. In April I purchased a Rega Apollo from Hawthorne. Took it home and it was DOA. 18 seconds into a CD it freaks out and starts skipping. I return it within 2 hours of purchasing it. Within 30 seconds of my arrival they were formulating a customer service strategy. One gentleman almost immediately when to get a loaner unit in case I needed one. The salesman that sold me the unit went to work generating the shipping information to get it repaired. Many unsolicited apologies.i was told three, maybe four weeks. I was good with that. Just a shade over two weeks I receive a call telling me it was ready to pickup. They replaced the transport and the electronic board. Since that time I have been listening to CD's at a quality level approaching vinyl. Shopping for a quality used piece of stereo gear. Hawthorne is the place to go. The service is excellent. Very fair value for trade ins. Traded some stuff in for the Rega. Interesting selection. Just a great place to do business. John R. read more

I had been there before to get a new needle for my turntable and they were able to change it out while I waited. Today I brought the turntable in because the right channel wasn't working. They said I'd have it back by Monday but they called a couple hours later at it was fixed! Awesome I had it back the same day! I was so pleased to find them since I've had this turntable for more than 30 years and it's a good one so I'm happy to find a place that can fix it. These guys know their stuff and do a great job. read more

Nice Prices on High end Stereo Gear. I've been going there for over 10 years. They have a great selection of used stereo gear. The staff is very helpful and knowledgable. read more

I walked into Hawthorne at about 3:50 pm on 10/6 of this year and said, "Good afternoon", as soon as I hit the first step inside the door. Three men were behind the counter, two of them in their late 20's to early 30's, and one in his late 50's to early 60's. The two younger men looked at me with their eyes, but didn't even turn their heads, let alone say anything back to me. The older one (who happened to be closest to the door) didn't even act like anyone had entered this empty shop. I shrugged my shoulders and decided to look around a bit, until I heard some whispering behind me. I turned and saw the elder man shaking his head in disgust, and one of the younger men nodding his head and saying, "I know, I know." Were they irritated that I was there in the store? It wasn't even close to closing time. I shrugged and said, "Whatever", and left. I was ready to spend some money for my wife's birthday present, but not at this store. I'm not really sure how anyone stays in business being that uptight and rude. I typically give new places a second chance if the first experience doesn't go well, but I'm not going back. Three employees in an empty store, and not one of them could muster up a hello. read more

I've been a customer of Hawthorne Stereo for 11 years. I needed to replace my Music Hall 2.1 turntable that I bought from them awhile back, so I decided to pay them a visit. Within 3-5 minutes in the door HS employee Dominic asked me if I needed assistance. I appreciated his attention because I needed to check out some turntables. I wanted to look at REGAs or Project. Dominic setup their cool listening room with my different options and at my leisure I listened. I appreciated his non pressure style and enthusiasm for vinyl. When it came down to two final choices for me I chose the REGA P-1 with the Upgrade (REGA Bias cartridge and better belt, etc.) Wonderful. Dominic carried the turntable to my car and shook my hand. Hawthorne still has that "touch" that the big box stores do not have. I went home and put on the vinyl album YES 90125 and was blown away (that's a Robert Ludwig recording Dominic:)) I clapped with joy (to my cats confusion). Thanks Hawthorne! read more

This place is a great store! My experience with them is from some years back, but still worth recounting. We had a pair of very nice, but old speakers, and they finally stopped working well. Every other store we went to showed us new speakers that would replace the quality of our old speakers. Hawthorne was the last place we stopped at. After listening carefully to our situation, they recommended that they rejuvenate our speakers, and that we spend the money we were planning to spend on new speakers on a high quality CD player and amp to replace the moderate quality ones we had. We were quite skeptical that they could bring back the quality of our old speakers, but amazingly they were exactly right. Not only were the speakers as good as new when they were done with them, but the new CD player and amp made the sound quality from the speakers much better than we had ever heard from them before. I often think of this experience when listening to the speakers. read more