This is a great store for records both new and vintage, stereo gear, and audio porn in general. They pay good prices for used records. I mean, they pay GOOD prices for used records. Keep the customer satisfied. Everyone here is great, but I do miss Roscoe, RIP. read more

In Living Stereo - New designer bags! - Electronics Near Me - New York, New York

Five stars if you're a vinyl lover, one star if you run with digital... I'll focus on the digital bit, since others have already written about what a great place it is to buy vinyl and vinyl playback gear. The digital offerings here feel like a lazy add-on. I listened to $15k speakers paired with maybe $40k of fine Japanese amplification...and the digital bridge was a $500 Bluesound paired to a Chord DAC. Chord DACs are polarizing (not for everyone - I find them cold), and while the Bluesound is fine for an entry or background-listening system, it's more than a little bizarre to run in a $50k+ system. It sounded bad. Then we put on some vinyl, and I could hear the system shine. Digital can sound just as good if not better than vinyl. This is not the place to hear it. read more

Stopped by this morning to check out some headphones as I was planning on upgrading. Steve was super knowledgeable and incredibly helpful. I forgot the headphone converter for my phone and Steve was super quick to help and even arranged a set up JUST so I can try the headphones with my phone. He really didn't have to go out of his way to do that and it seriously made my day. The selection is really incredible. I'm a Grado person and from what I saw they had just about every version available! Definitely for people with an audiophile heart :) I'm from out of town but can't wait to be back soon to explore more of their set up! read more

Living studio is an amazing shop awesome selection of audeze and focal headphones, an amazing selection of stereo speakers and an amazing staff. Ohh before i forget to enter in living stereo you have to go through a coffee bar. Stop by have a coffe and walk into the musical paradise. It is almost impossible to leave the store without finding something awesome you just listen to in that space. The only con i have is , i wish the space was bigger for one to test everything they have. Awesome work guys. Btw still waitibg for a supply of some mr speaker headphones :) read more

Waited a long time to write this review, hoping a sober second thought or two might temper my deeply negative experience - but no. I have long admired the store website and it was on my list of places to visit in NYC last summer. The store carries many of the brands I own and admire so I thought it was a good opportunity to listen to some gear. There were two middle aged men in the store when I arrived. Neither introduced himself to me so I don't know if it was the owner or both staff members. It was clear neither was a customer and there were no other customers in the store. I said hello and asked a couple of questions. The staff were curt bordering on rude. They were pre-occupied as if I had interrupted them after hours, but no, this was mid-day. I went into one of the demo rooms and examined some of the gear. When I went to turn the volume knob on an integrated amp (That was not powered up) I was told not to touch the equipment! So why have a store if you don't want customers to touch the gear? Why not just sell online? And why have a swanky store front in Manhattan if you would prefer customers not walk-in? Bottom line - I own tens of thousands of dollars of gear, but I wouldn't spend a nickel with these folks. read more

I've had nothing but great experiences with In Living Stereo, now for about 10 years. I live in Michigan and my brother lives in NYC, and every time I go to visit him I stop in at the shop. I've bought a pair of speakers and amps there which are so good that I feel like I'm at a live performance. I understand what some of the people who give bad reviews are saying, but if I were listening to some of the equipment in the shop, thinking of upgrading from a pair of $8000 speakers to something $20,000 or more, I'd really want to be able to listen to and concentrate on how the more expensive speakers sound, I wouldn't want to be disturbed by people walking in and out of the room. I also know that some of the phono cartridges cost $5,000 or more, and some of the amps with tubes cost more than $10,000. They're alot easier to break than digital stuff or gear with transistors, so the owner has to be careful. read more

I've been to this place three times mostly browsing admittedly. I feel fine and fair leaving a 1 star review after three pretty terrible visits. Go to PARK AVE AUDIO for friendlier service where you don't have to feel bad about browsing. It's either the owner... Or whomever sits in the speaker/source/amp room, well he's QUITE cold, cagey and unfriendly... Every single time I've been. 4.5 stars says that my experience is obviously very different from others. Maybe there's a reason. I have no idea, but I wonder... I could not help but feel that this a~hole was totally judging a book by its cover. Why? He followed me around most of the time I was there. I gotta say as a younger black guy, I hate to be quick to this judgment but one in my position can't help but feel what you know I'm getting at and suspicious of. I just can't help it. Rather than follow me around, be salesy and friendly by simply telling me to ask you if I need any help or to come to you if i want to hear something. There's a way to say "don't touch". Don't worry bro, I have the means to be in your shop and buy should I feel inspired ($7500 gear at home in the city and and a $70,000 set-up at the family home in Atlanta - a pair of 802D's and McIntosh stack...) I was actually afraid of asking this guy questions and I wouldn't DARE ask him to allow me to listen to anything for fear of whatever negative and icey cold response he was almost guaranteed give me. Is that the kind of atmosphere one should have in any retail space. I've also never been KICKED OUT of a listening room just because another guy walks in to listen claiming he's in the market for something (also mentioned that he was there two months ago and didn't buy anything then... Needless to say... The man I was ask to leave for, so he could have the room privately, did not look like "me"). Those issues aside, if you own a shop and are in sales, be friendly. Obviously. If hi-FI audio is to grow and survive, these guys need to be friendly and learn to embrace and welcome more people. 2 stars for the VERY unpleasant experience cut to 1 star for actually getting kicked out of a listening room when most other shops have allowed me to stay when even if someone else is listening. Visit Park Ave Audio (29th & Park) for extremely friendly service. "Stereo Exchange" is between these guys and Park Ave but they're generally unfriendly too.... PARK AVE AUDIO is a spot where EVERYONE can come and explore the world of Hi-Fi audio without being afraid of browsing and/or asking questions. You can tell them you won't buy anything and they'll still help you out, chat you up and turn their most expensive stuff on for you. Now compared to this place and SE, I'm enamored with Park Ave. read more

So I was in the market for a tube amplifier for my home stereo system. I did some research online and read some reviews about a few different brands. This was the third "high end" audio store I walked into and found that the guys in here were the most down to earth. Some salesmen can be a bit on the pretentious side when you are dealing with audiophile equipment, but not at this store. I walked in and talked one of the salesman, Steve, and explained to him what I was looking for. I sat down with him, and he took some notes about my current stereo system to make sure that everything would work with what he was about to sell to me. I was very impressed by this. At the other two stores I went to I told the sales staff how much I was looking to spend on a tube amplifier and they gave me a funny look and said something like... "Oh, well that price is a little low for anything we carry in here" "An entry level amp is about $2,500. I did my research and know how much I'm willing to spend. I looked at your website and saw you carry brand x and brand y. Do you offer their entry level models?" "Yes, but we don't sell too many of them" After chatting with Steve about the specifics of my system he brought me into the listening room and asked me a few questions about what I usually listen to. He told me to get comfortable on the couch and would be right back. He came back with about a dozen records and asked me to flip through them. I sat in that listening room for about two hours enjoying every tune that I listened to. If you are looking for great customer service and quality stereo products this is the place to go to. Just as another reviewer wrote, "the stereo systems sold here won't be easy on your wallet", but in the audiophile world what you pay for is what you get. This retailer receives five stars from me. I only wish that I could give them six. Thanks again Steve C. for pointing me in the right direction, I truly appreciate it. read more

This is a great place. I was able to talk to staff about equipment and music without being pressured into buying. They are beyond friendly and actually passionate about music and not just high end stereo. They have a large variety of high end stuff to choose from, lots of vintage designs that are historic too. The layout of the listening rooms are comfortable. I also enjoy the fact they have a record shop! The vibes this place gives off is excellent. I hope they stick around for a few decades. A must stop for a music lover in NYC. read more

In terms of its vinyl selection, this is a hidden gem. It's not a vinyl shop, per se, but well curated and a real good mix of new-used vinyl. A very diverse selection that includes rock, jazz, blues, country-folk, and experimental. The man at the counter helped me out picking out a blues comp, and he couldn't have been any more helpful and friendly than he already was. Now, if I could save up enough to afford audiophile equipment, this will be my go-to place! read more

just bought a good pair of headphones for a very reasonable price. they only carry grado but they are really knowledgable and they let you try on even the pricier ones to show a difference, nice guy as well, had a friendly conversation. list of headphones: 100, 200, 300, 400 600, 1000. solid place. On another note, excellent record selection and the other people are nice. read more

Unlike a lot of the reviews here, I am a real person, and I agree with sohail s. who also reviewed the place. I consider myself to be their prime audience. 40+, not dressed too shabbily etc. There is more that one Steve there, and the one I got was an absolute dud. I had some simple questions which he just dismissed and treated me like a fool. Then I dared to have a look at one of the pieces of equipment, moved it an inch, and he went through the roof saying that I was going to scratch the equipment. Then I told him again what I was trying to do, and he want on a rant about wifi. To the point where my wife had to walk out. I was prepared to drop decent cheddar if need be on a completely new setup, but ended u walking out. It was actually the worst "service" I have ever had. So a message to the dud Steve. Stop being miserable and maybe you will have a happier life. And a message to the manager, the dud Steve, and I am sure you know which one it is, is costing you sales every day. I would never go back, and there are plenty of other audiophile stores in NYC. read more

This place and the people who work there are incredible. I walked in looking to find a replacement for my bookshelf speakers. I gave them my price range which happens to be the lowest they really offer. Steve took me in, gave me his recommendation, played music very diagnostic of speakers, and sat with me in the room discussing musical taste and what I want from my system for about 2 hours. I felt no pressure. I felt no discomfort. This is the place to go in NYC if you have niche taste in audio. The equipment they carry is both top notch and, forgive me, but also far from the mainstream super-high-end names. Here you will find the coolest stuff that will really open your ears and staff that really know and love what they're talking about. They are passionate about their trade; not merely trying to push their stock. read more

Total Pro's. I went in knowing I was going to be dropping some coin. I knew what I wanted and it wasn't going to be cheap. Steve, the owner, listened to me and told me that I didn't need to spend as much on cables and instead to spend a little more on speakers. It wasn't an up-sell at all. We listened to various types of music on what my set-up would be. I pulled the trigger. He told me the speakers and amp would take a few weeks to "warm up" so when I first got home and set everything up I thought something was a little off with the sound, but that it would get better. After a few weeks I knew it was missing some "umph" so I called the store and got the other Steve, who talked to me for about an hour trying to trouble shoot the situation. We couldn't figure it out, so he offered to come out to my place (in BK) to look into it. He came over and assessed that the amp was the issue. I got a lemon. He assured me it was no issue and to bring it back in and they would give me a new one. I now just got home and plugged in the new one and it's straight BUTTER! Love it. Great experience. Way to turn a not so great situation into a total win. I will be recommending IN LIVING STEREO to anyone I know looking to get into this hobby or looking to upgrade. Total F'in Pro's. read more

I was in the market for a relatively simple system for general music listening as well as to hook my TV up to, and what I found at most electronic stores was subpar, tacky and artificial sounding ... I did not want to hook up a soundbar to my TV and play music through it. Even though I wasn't looking to spend more than $1,500-$2,000 (and there is a lot of junk out there at that price point), Steve was as helpful as he would be with anyone who entered the store and spent over an hour showing me more entry-level equipment they carried. I got to sit back in one of the two listening rooms and try out different combinations, as well as hooking up my iPhone to it to see how lower quality recordings would play back. Fast forward a few months later and I have nothing bad to say about my purchase. Didn't break the bank and have an investment I'm happy with and can expand upon over time. If only my walls weren't paper thin and I could fully experience my amp and speakers... read more

Tried to set an appointment to see the store but they did not pick up. Then tried to get in with a friend and was greeted with an attitude and asked if my purchase was "serious". I left since I felt judged and offended with that question. Not sure if it was my foreign accent, the fact that I was with a person of color or the man just didn't want to do his job. Either way, don't waste your time with these snobs. read more

I can't thank these guys enough and here's why: I inherited some hifi equipment that obliged me to build out my stereo in this way. Although I appreciate good audio, I would not have sought this level of equipment out, way out of my price range. Steve Cohen heard out my situation and was so helpful in talking me through the right purchases and making it all affordable i.e. what's worth putting money into now versus what can be skimped on and upgraded down-the-line. With my lack of $, I assumed I was going to get brushed off but he treated me like any other client and was happy to be my personal guide through the world of analog music listening. In turn, I'm happy to be here. Additionally, with some of the equipment I inherited (not what I purchased from In Living Stereo) I had an annoying hum that was infecting the whole sound quality and seemingly impossible to diagnose. Steve was incredibly patient and went above-and-beyond to help pin-point the issue over the course of a several month investigation. WE GOT IT AND IT SOUNDS SO GOOD NOW. Thanks again Steve. I highly recommend this place to anybody resolved to go hifi or just curious -- go in there, talk to them and let them spin you a record. read more

I dont get the reviews on Yelp vis a vis Stereo Exchange. In my experience its been the exact opposite. I'm currently looking to build a hifi stereo system from scratch (I've been previously been focused head-fi). I have a budget for an amp+loudspeakers and cables of ~$15-20,000. While i know a few audio snobs that may consider that entry level or mid range, its a fair bit of change for a hobby! Anyway, I've been doing my research online via Audiogon but I felt I was at the level of research where I'd want to start demoing equipment. I went both to Stereo Exchange and In Living Stereo 2 weeks ago looking to demo product. I felt like the salesperson at In Living Stereo thought my fiancee and I were going to rob him. The general enthusiasm, interest, and amenability to having a discussion was simply not there. Every answer was curt and completely devoid of explanation. It was actually a very uncomfortable experience. I felt like he wanted me out of the store so he could go in the backroom and listen to some vinyls or something! It's too bad because the store looked like it carried some interesting kit. I went to stereo exchange afterwards and spent an hour and a half demoing a pair of ML Summit X's and a Rogers EFH-200/MK2. I was floored by the time the sales person there spent discussing the pros and cons of the various tube and solid state amps they sold, and the various speakers they carried. I would like to add this was AFTER i told the sales person I was most likely going to make a decision around Christmas time (bonus time for my profession). Maybe I should have not worn a hat, a pair of jeans and a tank top that weekend. I might have gotten better service at ILS if I shaved. I don't know and really dont care! You can't judge a book by its cover! read more

The owner of In Living Stereo has zero interest or concept in good customer service once the sale has been completed. Before that he has a veiled approach to customer service. The store has an alluring visual quality which is what drew me in initially. They also let customers try out equipment, which is nice. However they do not have the customers back when something goes wrong with the product. I have never in all my life been talked to more rudely and with more disturbing disrespect than my dealings with In Living Stereo. read more

These guys are amazing. Why is Stereo Exchange still in business when these guys are around the corner and so down to earth and want to help you get what's best for your needs?! Stereo Exchange has been around since I was in High School and they were a******s back then too. I don't deal in stereos! They do, so they should want to answer questions so I can then give them my business , right? Back to In Living Stereo. I haven't even purchased anything yet!!! But I'm on my way. I spoke to Matt, I believe his name was for 30 minutes about what I was looking for, and in just chatting about audio possibilities with him, we together realized something else would better suit my needs, a discovery I came to only because this music loving man took time to talk about connections, sounds, wireless, the works! He left me in total peace in the listening room, with a stack of vinyl on the floor, and I proceeded to try the speakers we had uncovered as the ones to suite my needs, with some Hendrix, Kraftwerk, Tribe Called Quest, Spirit...the works. Being a jaded New Yorker, thinking everyone is gonna give you attitude, I couldn't believe how nice this man was. Bravo! You got my business for sure, hopefully in 1 or 2 weeks I'll be heading down to hand them my $ for some Dynaudio gear. Nice! read more

Went to get my headphones fixed (4 y/o Sennheiser Momentums) without really knowing what was wrong with them. All I knew was that the right speaker was no longer working. The shop owner took his time to troubleshoot, as he patiently unplugged and plugged the cord back in, asking me to listen and to let him know if it was working. He tested one of his cords and suddenly the speaker was working again-- turns out the issue was the cord, not the speaker. This discovery saved me hundreds of dollars as I was prepared to buy new headphones if need be, and he seemed genuinely happy to help me-- free of charge, even after I asked how much I owed him. Cannot thank him enough for his time and generosity. read more

Hey Steve, I'm going to echo Cecil's experience walking in to your store but with me I never made it pass your attitude to actually get into the listening room. You'll remember that this Monday (President's Day) I came in with my daughter and wife when you were in the middle of helping a couple. I took it upon myself, after you awkwardly failed to say anything, "shall I wait why you finish helping these people". A good proprietor would at the very least suggest a place to wait, but no, I was left to just sit in your cramped waiting room like an idiot until I suggested if I should go into one of your rooms, at which point you rolled your eyes. Now, I am appreciative that it's hard to serve multiple customers in a store with expensive equipment by yourself, but I did ask if you'd like me to come back latet. You were just rude. I'm a veteran. A jazz festival producer, a record producer, and a lover and owner of good audio equipment. I was prepared to spend $10K+ but I have limited days to shop. This was the day for me. My only expectation was to be treated kindly and with respect. Sure you've heard the tale of the Cadillac salesmen who didn't pay Elvis any mind so he proceeded to go a mile down the road to buy 10 cars. So, my offer....if you want to earn my business, find me...it won't be hard. Lance Goler. read more

Really great spot. Well-curated headphone selection, great people, nice space to try stuff out.

Steve Cohen is a great guy and helped us demo an amp I was interested in - we didn't end up buying it but I highly recommend this store. They carry some amazing gear. Make an appointment! read more

Really nicely curated selection of vinyl. Staff is always friendly and helpful. Great store. They also sell high end audio gear which isn't my thing so can't really comment on that. read more

Excellent store for building a hi-fi system or listening to headphones. They let you listen everything and will set you up in the listening room so you can get the full experience. I purchased my amp, speakers and speaker stands from them. All great quality and the combo sounds awesome. Steve C. was amazing at meeting me at my level of knowledge and imparting some of his knowledge and experience. He suggested components that he knew sounded great together. When I'm ready to move into a Rega turntable I will certainly go back to them. read more

I went in here hoping to buy a new high fi set up and the owner was incredibly rude to me. He was barely taking me seriously when I was asking a few questions about speakers. I was about to drop over ten grand and I could not give me the time of day. They really need to work on their customer service. Go to Stereo Exchange instead. They are a nice mom and pop business with friendly service. read more

Extremely nice and friendly. Excellent ecuipmen they have carry. I have enjoyed out conversation about politics and learned from him. He makes you feel like you are at home and very honest person. You can sit with them and enjoy the music for hour. Definitely a place to wisit. read more

Loved this place, got some good vinyl, clerk was great and pointed me to some other decent record stores. I will make this a must stop everytime in NYC read more

I was looking to buy speakers for my one bedroom apartment (so nothing too extravagant or fancy) and I was very intimidated by a lot of the hoity-toity, pretentious customer service I had encountered in many audio/speaker shops. In light of those not-so-positive experiences, I am so happy I found Steve C. at In Living Stereo! He was extremely friendly, informative, honest, and not judgmental in the slightest about my complete lack of knowledge surrounding anything hi-fi/stereo/audio related. I gave him my budget, told him about the type of music I listened to, how loud I usually cranked up my speakers, etc. and he gave me two wonderful recommendations (the Dynaudio Xeo 2 and Naim Mu-so). I had such a difficult time choosing between the two, that he let me spend as much time as I wanted in their listening room -- over the course of TWO days! -- before I settled on the Naim. He even made me a cup of coffee and showed me what music played from a record player + amp sounded like (because I was curious) even though it was very much out of my budget. Overall, a very lovely experience! I highly recommend stopping by for a visit if you are looking for headphones, stereos, amps, etc. and don't want to deal with snooty, judgmental audiophiles. read more

I can't speak highly enough about my recent shopping experience at In Living Stereo. I was in the market for new speakers. I wanted something decent that was within my preset budget and had a few ideas of models and specific questions. I had checked out a few other stores and had either been flat out ignored by the sales people, strongly pushed to go above my budget, or had my questions simply shot down for no reason. Finally I stepped into In Living Stereo. Steve C. was the sales person who I sat down with and from there I was in good hands. He asked me many questions about my setup, room size, and music taste. Then listened to every single question I had. Afterwards he patiently listened to me rattle off every single model I was curious about and explained why each one would or wouldn't be a good match for my setup. Since I'm a beginner at stereos he patiently explained everything and patiently answered every single question I had during the process. He then brought me into the listening rooms selected a few albums that fit my collection and set up a number of speakers we could listen to. As I mentioned before I was blown away by the attention and patience I received, and furthermore was not bullied into buying something because it was big or expensive. I truly believe I bought a great value and something I will be using for a while. I have no problem returning to In Living Stereo for all of my stereo needs and will recommend Steve C. and the store to anyone who is interested in finding the right gear. Kudos to you. Good to know a store like this exists still! read more

I was going to buy online but impatience led me to this store. Although I was just buying a pair of (relatively) inexpensive bookshelf speakers, I got a very high level of service. I was able to hear the speakers and feel good about my decision. Just talking audio and tubes with Steve was fun and educational. I'm glad I didn't buy online because this was a really enjoyable experience. read more

The stereo systems sold here won't be easy on your wallet, but the outstanding curation of vinyl for sale is very reasonably-priced and well presented. read more

I purchased a very high quality system here, Devore speakers and Leben amp. (I highly recommend this combo.) It is my prized possession. I felt that the owner gave me expert advice; he was not at all pushy, rather, we shared our love of music, and I spent many visits in the listening room (I brought some of my own LPs as well) before making my final decision. (I should note that I had initially gone to Stereo Exchange and got such rude and obnoxious service that I actually left the store angry. It was the worst in-store experience I've ever had...ever.) Park Ave Audio might be worth a visit to hear other brands. But to me they felt a little more corporate. I ended up loving the Devore speakers at In Living Stereo, and the vibe there was more my speed anyway: low-key and chill. And I think the selection is very well curated. read more

I have nothing but good things to say about this place. Not intimidating to newbies. Nothing but great service starting with Steve M and continuing (even months later) with Steve C. I went in 3 times before I finally got the system of my dreams. I had plenty of time since I was doing a renovation and didn't need it immediately. Every single visit the guys were professional and took plenty of time to explain and answer any questions I had. I spent a lot of money for a better than entry level system and am thoroughly satisfied with my equipment. Steve C has been so gracious and generous with his time even now. I needed a few things rectified and he has been all over it. If you want a basic setup or the sickest setup money can buy, you can get it here. If you want to save a few bucks and not get the exemplary service even after the purchase go online. I do not recommend the latter option. read more

In Living Stereo - Dynaudio excite x34 speakers, Line Magnetic tube amp, Rega RP1 TT and amp. - Electronics Near Me - New York, New York

Went for headphones. Sell only Grado which is an excellent headphone. They are knowledgeable, courteous and accommodating.

My wife & I were in from out of town and met with Steve at In Living Stereo and found him to be gracious and accommodating. Although we told him up front that we have invested over $60,000 in our final keeper stereo system, were very satisfied, and were not seriously interested in purchasing additional gear, he spent over an hour demonstrating his systems. We enjoyed the music and premium Shindo/Devore combination. Steve was a genuinely nice person and knowledgeable audiophile. If anyone is in the market for a top quality stereo, or wants to hear what a premium system can do, I heartily recommend this shop. read more

Rich is the man. Hope he's there when you swing by! So helpful and down to earth.

I am from out of town, and both Steves treeated me with all seriousness and respect. Both gave me plenty of time to listen to Shindo equipment through the model of speakers I had previously purchased from them. They have been a pleasure to deal with and have helped me with the Shindo journey. read more

I worked with a salesperson here that was just great to deal with (Steve). Friendly and down to earth. These types of stores can be intimidating, especially when you're looking at entry level gear (compared to most of what they carry) as I was. Not the case at ILS. I was taken as seriously as any customer and am very happy with the guidance he provided. Post sales support is turning out to be just as good since I'm having a potential problem with one piece of equipment. They've made a loyal customer out of me, and I'd highly recommend ILS to anyone looking for stereo equipment of this ilk! read more