M-Theory-what a great place to shop! Great selection of music in album and CD format, all categorized and labeled. The music is playing, people are shopping and calling about special events! The prices are great! Ask Mike to order selections not in store as I did. M-Theory collects the music you haven't listened to for a while and issues store credit, so bring your unwanted albums and CDs. I traded a few albums today for music I ordered in-store. See photo! Street, metered parking, bus, bicycle, walk. Store merch Fun times! read more

M-Theory Music - Trading music for music:) - Music & DVDs Near Me - San Diego, California

M-Theory Music is a not a mega music shop comparable to Amoeba in Hollywood but the collection of various music genres is great. The selection of vintage vinyl is impressive especially if you like classic rock and other music styles are available and make it valuable for some audio collectors. The one staffer was cool and nice and answered my questions. Worth your visit. Recommend. read more

See all

Great selection of records, both old and new. Then, when I was able to see Mariachi el Bronx do a few songs off their latest album, I became a huge fan of M-Theory Music. read more

Everything you ever wanted in a record store! Great vinyl selection, decent used CD selection, cassette tapes, accessories and more! The prices/value are comparable to prices on discogs. The guy working was super nice and welcoming. It was a great atmosphere to just brows and see what speaks to you. In a good location next to a nice coffee shop and restaurants etc read more

M-Theory Music - Music & DVDs Near Me - San Diego, California

Service , selection and prices. Easy location and plenty of parking around the area. Very friendly and accurate pricing.

TLDR -- Right off the bat, it's GREAT to have a superb neighborhood store, that is honest, fair priced and has a nice selection. (hint: the other local record shops are lacking in some or all of those three areas) The Low Down Nice selection, stellar corner location on Washington at Goldfinch, available street parking, nice daylight inside store. Mike (the owner?) was friendly, and when I asked if they sold graded (G, VG, NM, M) albums, he said yes but thru their online Discogs store. Mike also said he'd be happy to play any album over the store's speakers. Which I may do during my next purchase. My purchase Purchased some album inners. Looked thru their selection. Albums were decently priced and there's good selection. Whiile I didn't have enough time to shop and buy albums, I will definitely be back to purchase an ungraded album(s) and doing an in-store listen. The Wall I am decorating one wall of my living room with album cover art. So on my next visit to M-Theory Music I'll be shopping for albums with cool, unique, unusual, controversial, and/or artistic covers in VG or better condition. (not concerned with the condition of the vinyl record, as I'm buying these for album cover wall art) Pretty sure Mike can give me some good album suggestions. read more

M Theory is a decent-sized shop with a strong selection of records (new and used) across genres. These days, my record buying habits have slowed down quite a bit, but I still came out of M Theory with a great northern soul comp. Prices seemed reasonable across the board, though there were some 'rare' records upfront that may stretch your wallet a bit. The store just had one employee working when I was there (behind the counter), but they were friendly and helpful when my partner and I were ready to check out. If record shopping is on your list for a visit to San Diego, make sure M Theory is included! read more

me and my son came here cause we were on vacation and he's been lately purchasing records. I saw this place on the corner of the street nice signage pretty cool looking place and very inviting very well lit record store we pulled over there's really nowhere to park you have to be really cautious about where you can park. You don't want to get a ticket in local area authorities will give you tickets if you're parked anywhere in the area that you should not be.. upon approaching the store we were greeted. Staff is super friendly here and the prices seem pretty reasonable for most of the records very clean store. If I lived in the area, I would definitely be back. They seem to have a great amount of variety and I love the customer service that these guys provide here I even bought an M the Ory hat trucker hat was pretty cool 15 bucks. What a deal my son picked up a few records and really cool placement. Very chill love the way they have the store it's just the perfect store. Most record shops are shitty places you don't wanna ever really come back to but this place I would love to come back to great customer service. read more

Michael and the crew at M-Theory are super nice and helpful. I've been going here for years and have bought and sold a ton of stuff to them over a decade. Serves to both the new and used record market, and cds and other music ephemera as well. Thanks for being a straight up solid dude Michael !! read more

Cool, clean, calm and inviting store in a great area. Organized! I was after a a record and Michael was willing to order and ship it to me in St. Paul, MN! It was all smooth, seamless and quick! All the stars for M-Theory in San Diego! read more

Pretty good selection, prices vary pretty heavily. Would recommend if you are looking for some weirder stuff, guy working the counter was pretty nice. Good store! read more

This is a great record shop located in Mission Hills! The space might be small, but don't let it deceive you because they honestly have had some of the best selection of vinyls I've seen at any local record store! Everytime I've stopped in they have at least 2-3 vinyls that I've been casually hunting for. I've found vinyls by amazing artists like Vince Staples, Lana Del Rey, Lorde, FKA Twigs, Charli XCX, SZA, etc. here. They also have a big selection of CD's and other music goodies. The staff here is super friendly and the store is really bright and well-organized. read more

Such a cute record store! The organization is great, easy to find the artist you are looking for. They definitely have more alternative than mainstream. The prices were about average for record stores. I was able to find a Good Luck, Babe! by Chappell Roan 7", which was an awesome find! The worker was very friendly. I definitely recommend coming here if you are in San Diego looking for a local record store! read more

Such a quaint and elegant establishment. Lovely little selection of round disc with tunes of the like. Pretty decent variety, plus the gentleman behind the counter said , "Hi."... Good times. Every now and then I'll pick me some Lana del Rey or an assortment of noise albums. Though I do wish they carried resealable sleeves . Also, prices are quite respectable. 5/5 Juice Cup read more

Great customer service! A lot of good records. Good selection to choose from and prices are decent.

Great selection and very organized! Owner is super friendly as well. Managed to cop a Biggie and Snoh album that I've been eyeing for months, but in vinyl record format during my most recent visit. Overall, I'm satisfied with my shopping/ browsing experience and will be back. :) read more

We've been really into Vinyl record collecting lately, so we've been hitting up local record stores. We stopped by M-Theory to check out their selection of vinyls. It was okay. We were able to find a items we were looking for at the time of our visit, but not quite the haul we usual find at other stores. It is still a store I'll check out time to time. There are some diamonds in the rough. The customer service, shopping experience was great nonetheless. It will be a regular spot when making rounds. read more

Absolutely awesome music store close to downtown San Diego. The staff is very helpful and knowledgeable they have a huge selection of every type of music. Along with other cool stuff like action figures books and puzzles. Highly Recommended !!!!!!!!! read more

They have such a good selection of music. I got some great Japanese psychedelic and hardcore. The sort of stuff you cannot get anywhere else in town read more

I wanted to visit Mission Hills because I wanted to visit an indie rock record store in San Diego. I found this one on Yelp. It was fun browsing the store, which has new and used CDs, vinyl, tapes, etc. It's got an interesting selection for indie rock enthusiasts. It's mainly for rock and popular rock music. They have heavy metal vinyl. It was a fun visit on Washington in Mission Hills. read more

See all

I have been coming to this place for years and have scored a lot if discs from them...However it seems that within the last 6 moths or so somebody has made the decision to overstuff the bins with inventory. Now browsing is next to impossible.. I have voiced my thoughts to people at the store with no real impact...I made it to the "D"s tonight before I got tired of fighting the inventory. Won't be back anytime soon. Being a disabled person my standing time is limited, so I need to spend more time browsing and less time fighting the inventory...for what it is worth. read more

Came here a week ago to do some shopping and found some great records for reasonable prices. I also asked about options for a turntable stand and they were able to order one for me. It came in ahead of schedule and was a great price! It was exactly what I was looking for. Excited to see what else I can discover! read more

M-Theory Music - Turntable stand with storage! - Music & DVDs Near Me - San Diego, California

Do you love records?! I do! This place had a great selection of alternative, rock and classic rock, as well as Indy music! Awesome staff, helpful, and very chill. Defiantly a great place to go and browse for some new music and records any given day. If your looking for hip hop I'd probably not pick this as your first stop... that selection is slim pickings, but they have a nice local band section as well as typical record store accessories. Great place to get gift certificates for people! All in all I stop by here at least once a month to see what new selection they have. Keep them coming!!! read more

One of several stores I checked out during a recent vacation. I consider them, along with Record City, the best in the area. Pro: - strong mix of new & used vinyl, sorted as such (my personal preference in a store - saves time!) - priced well. - great vibe in the store + friendly guy working the counter. - parking wasn't a hassle. Con: - wished there was more inventory (used) to sort through. I checked out virtually all the bins in 20 min. Would recommend this store to anyone. Happy to check them out again if I come back to SD. read more

M-Theory Music - Music & DVDs Near Me - San Diego, California

See all

I was able to find five cds and a case for my car! Fair prices on used ones too. Although the dude working the store was in the back for at least five mins when I arrived and he realized a customer was in the store. Didn't seem like a good move on his part leaving the front unattended for that long. read more

Could I give this 20 stars? This is theeee best record store in town, hands down. Go there to get: Fifty on their Heels (http://www.myspace.com/fiftyontheirheels) Pinback The Exfriends (Matt Curreri and Joanie too) Skydiver Ilya Ithaca Goodbye Blue Monday Via Satellite and Gregory Page for all your local needs. And for the L.A. Sound this is one I picked up there: Starlight Desperation, some dude put me onto that band from Gelato Vera Cafe, (love that place too) http://www.yelp.com/biz/8xFZuq8xvPCxN8zOxNFLvw The owner of this place always knows what I'm talking about as well, I'll be like, "Have you heard of a band called the ex-pals? Non-friends? blah blah blah" and he can take my drivel and make sense of it. "Do you mean The Exfriends?" http://www.myspace.com/theexfriends ...another one.... "I heard this band on 94.9 on Sunday night and I think it's like 50 heals or 5 on their heals? Something about numbers and heals....?" He always knows, he just knows, that deserverves a 20 star! KICK ASS!!! They sell Queen Bee Creations (record bags) from 'Buy Olympia' right in the store. http://www.buyolympia.com/queenbee/ For those other needs like used Modest Mouse, Clap your hands and say Yeah, Ladytron, Stereolab, Imports, Chk CHk CHk, they've got you covered. If you're like me and you like to check out new stuff peruse the suggestions and their listening stations, this is my favorite thing to do on a lonely Sunday afternoon. If I have friends in tow, I'll go straight to Whistle stop for a drink and movie as well. http://www.whistlestopbar.com/ This place is the music person's treat, and one of my MOST precious gems of San Diego. read more

Great music selection. Lots of new and used LPs and 45s. Went in just to take a peek. Found more than I hoped for

M-Theory is simply The Best! I caught a free Dramarama show there in the past and this weekend we went to meet Alan Wilder of Depeche Mode! Check out my photo to see the craziness there! The are even having a live performance from one of the members of Massive Attack the day before their big show next week. While hanging out, I even saw a vinyl copy of Manu Chao's latest album! read more

M-Theory Music - Depeche Mode fans waiting outside - Music & DVDs Near Me - San Diego, California

M-Theory, one of the last remaining record stores in all of San Diego. PROS: -Fantastic used selection of CDs and LPs -They seem to always have new releases. I think they backfill every time they make a sale -If they don't have something in stock, they can have it ordered for you -The employees are always friendly and helpful -Their new website is finally up -Jimmy Lavalle (the album leaf) was a guest cashier back on 2009's record store day CONS: -A bit cramped, not meant for more than 3-4 customers at a time -Parking f**king sucks! Not their fault but still a negative This place would've gotten a 4.5/5 if yelp allowed for half-stars. I still love this place and hope you guys support your local record stores read more

Super friendly helpful staff. Small store, great selection. Great prices. Come here if you are looking for something specific that you know you can't find at Target. So obscure music that is probably hot in the U.K. or the Indie college scene. If you like an artist like Santigold, they will recommend something to you that would be right up your alley. They have vinyl. A lot of limited edition box sets, or special issues. A large selection of nicely used stuff. read more

Good selection, the prices were pretty good too for being a brick-n-mortar store. I'll definitely come back next time without my son so I can explore more. read more

I really liked that they had the sound stations where you coils preview albums before purchasing if you're looking for new tunes. Small music election but it was a cute shop. A lot more of current popular music was seen on the shelves (vinyl and CDs) rather than a span over generations. But I'd expect that from a small music store. read more

M-Theory Music - Music & DVDs Near Me - San Diego, California

Love and miss all the old record stores I visited as a kid. This shop reminds me of those times. Great selection and knowledgeable staff.

This store reminds me of the record store I would go to in Winterthur, Switzerland. Now, my kids are getting into vinyl. The staff working at this store are very helpful. Their prices are good also! You can get new or used vinyl. Plus they got some fancy special release vinyl also. They also foun lots of interesting cd's Plus, there is a cool coffee store right next to it. If you are a music lover, you'll love this store. read more

What a cool little record store this is. Take note people, little local shops like this are the best places to buy physical music. Dropped by here on Record Store Day of all days. They had DJ's inside bumping music and a taco stand outside serving up some delicious eats. How awesome is that? I wasn't originally planning on shopping here, but after hearing the commotion from just walking by, I had to stop by and check them out. It's a small shop but they don't lack at all in selection. They've got that perfect balance of both newer and older stuff. Mostly everything was a pretty fair price as well. Definitely one of those stores that I'd be a local at if I lived in the area. For now, I'm just happy with the memories and the vinyls. Thanks guys. read more

Best business I've ever been to! Records were excellently organized. Not as many old or used selections as other shops but they offer record players. If you're new to the game go find Paul. He's a rockstar sales associate. He answered all my questions and then some when buying a turntable. I can't believe how helpful he was. It was a great experience. read more

Really nice and vintage looking record shop. The guy working there new everything about record players and was super helpful in finding me a good nirvana album! read more

Excellent shop. Good variety of new and used product. Found a couple of free jazz records here that surprised me. Definitely worth a stop.

M-theory had both of the brand new records on vinyl that I was seeking on release day. Not to mention, one of the albums was a limited edition release for a fair price. They even threw in some posters and t-shirt with the purchase. I was glad to have stopped by on a whim. Visit M-Theory for a relaxed shopping experience with all your CD and vinyl needs. I was glad I did. read more

I'm very sad to say that I will no longer be purchasing records from M-Theory. If a manager is going to tell me point-blank that he doesn't value his customers, then I'm afraid I can no longer patronize his business. I am so disappointed in M-Theory. I've been a loyal customer there for years. However, this year, Record Store Day fell during final exam week for me. So, unfortunately, I couldn't afford to make the trip out there without confirming that they had what I'm looking for. I called ahead and asked very nicely and politely if they had the record I was looking for. In response, I was treated extremely rudely and disrespectfully. The clerk laughed at me and told me that there were "a hundred people in here, brah" and he didn't have time to answer my question. Then he hung up on me. I called back and asked for a manager who told me that Record Store Day was "not about buying what you want" but about "coming out and supporting the record store." As a consumer, I seriously dispute this claim. I tried to explain that, because of finals, I just wasn't able to come out there for no reason. In return, the manager gave me a very condescending lecture about how record store day isn't about consumerism but an act of charity, buying whatever the record store happened to have left. In contrast, I believe Record Store Day is a two-way street that should benefit both the business and the consumer. I can't in good faith patronize a business that believes its customers have an obligation to buy whatever it offers whether you like it or not. To me, that idea seems completely out of touch with reality. Especially in this economy. read more