I can't say enough good things about this place. The staff is so informative and helpful and you can definitely tell they love their jobs. They have great deals and awesome selections. amazing, amazing, amazing. Need a record player cleaned?... ask for Bess he's the best! read more

This place is one of those hidden Chicago gems. I wanted to upgrade my office entertainment system from an old GE clock radio to something 2013. I called and Roger was extremely helpful in dialing me in to equipment options. I showed up at their not store front and everyone was super helpful and friendly. I ended up with a Marantz M-CR610 Receiver, a set of Focal Dome 2.0 speakers (these are so cool in person) and some Audioquest bulk cable. After an easy set up process, the Marantz fired up and quickly linked to our home network and one two three I have real hi fi at my desk. Did I mention the pricing was great too? read more

Music Direct does a majority of its business online but they are remarkably inviting to walk-ins though you might have to wait a moment while someone completes a phone call. The store mostly carries audiophile-grade equipment, and if you are not familiar with these products, you will be inflicted with sticker shock. While at first not appearing like budget audio equipment, MusicDirect has a good selection of affordable brands like Marantz and Pro-ject. There are a few good sources for honest audiophile equipment in the city and Musicdirect ranks with Saturday Audio and Promusica as my favorites. Even though I was inexperienced, there was absolutely no condescension when I bought my turntable. read more

Ordered on-line on Sunday. Received package on Wednesday. Pretty much the same experience that I appreciate from Amazon Prime (but 1/2 the price). read more

I bought my Musical Fidelity system from their website and was perfectly happy with the product, and shipment. Before I ordered I called to ask questions and got a very helpful sales manager that answered everything. Got a killer price too. Will be back. read more

I've purchased audiophile vinyl from MD for many years. It is still my goto online store. I've read some of the 1 star reviews and can tell those people you get what you give. Being a business owner I deal with 1 star customers on a daily basis. Customers making a phone call and demanding satisfaction who cannot have a civil discussion over an issue can simply take there business elsewhere. I find that being direct and respectful will be dealt back in the same manner. read more

After writing a review for a terrific Veterinary Hospital, and having YELP hide my review because YELP's algorithim decided my review was too positive, I swore off of YELP, and decided to never write another review. However, having just done business with MusicDirect (over the phone, talking to Bes, who has worked there for 17 years), I am compelled to write, to say that it was a FABULOUS experience. To be sure, after 20 minutes of conversation, I bought a couple speakers that I saw on the Web site, and was the reason I called. But talking to Bes was like talking to your best friend--except better, and more fun! Here's the thing; in a discussion of stereo high-fidelity, I immediately got the feeling of trust. (I had recently gotten a sales call from a young sales person at ITsupplies--a fine company--but his youth, and inexperience were in sharp contrast to my conversation with Bes at MusicDirect. I should have him call MusicDirect so he could learn "how it's done!") Because MusicDirect is located right down the street from me (less than a mile away), I will get my speakers today. But my experience is such that I would (if I could afford it) be willing to pay more just to do business with these people! I never would have guessed from their (MusicDirect) Web site that the people were so warm, convivial, and informative. Frankly, the experience on the phone was FAR better than the very generic Web site would suggest! Thank you, MusicDirect! Thank you, Bes! (Now, I'm REALLY finished with Yelp. ...MAYBE!) read more

HORRIBLE customer service. My 1st purchase was a $30 + shipping LP that came badly warped. I had to send it back on my dime and ask them to please inspect the replacement. - OK, good - they sent a decent replacement. SO, now I think they made a simple mistake that will not happen again... Wrong! I purchased another $30 + shipping LP from a different artist and label. This one shows up with a glob of glue at the end of the best track! I asked them in the order to please inspect the LP before sending. So, I call customer service thinking they will be surprised and at least send me a prepaid return shipping label, right? WRONG, they expect me to pay for return shipping a second time in a row for their crappy product that I asked then to inspect. There are other businesses out there that sell the same products for less shipping and they will be getting all my future business. BEWARE of Music Directs customer service - they suck! read more

GREAT place to shop online for high end audio gear. Great 30 day return policy.

Truly as good as it gets. Music Direct has a fantastic selection of new audiophile grade vinyl music (and CD, but who cares about those, right?), audio accessories and equipment. The selection of equipment ranges from entry level to affordable, and--in my opinion--they have really nice brand and model offerings. Most of their picks get high marks in reviews and are excellent brands. Their service is fantastic and gets quirkier if you stop in. They have an option to pick up any merchandise rather than have it shipped, which is a thing of beauty. If you do stop by, you may want to go in knowing that your brain will have to reconcile the super organized and website with a warehouse with no real "showroom." Highly recommended if you're into hi fidelity audio. read more

I will start by saying that I am a new customer of Music Direct and have only ordered LPs, so that's all I can speak to. I had ordered from Soundstage Direct.com back in July and that turned out to be a nightmare experience - never did receive my order (I think they are still processing it - ha.) I finally disputed the charge with VISA, and was refunded the $150 spent on my order. All I'll say is Stay Away, Far Away! So, I did read a lot of reviews before deciding to order anything from Music Direct. There were both positive and negative reviews. Customer service seemed to be an area of concern for some people, but the issues seemed to center on component problems, so I really can't speak to those issues. As to my experience ordering LPs, I have only good things to say. The company has a great selection, and their LPs are competitively priced. I ordered on Friday, Oct. 12, late in the afternoon, and received an email order confirmation the same day. My order shipped on the following Monday, Oct. 15. Since I was eligible for free shipping (orders over $49) that's the choice I went with. The key is that Music Direct processed and shipped the order promptly. The free option was via USPS Media Mail; there are other options available for anyone who wants their order quicker, if you don't mind paying more. Okay, so USPS takes a bit longer, I still received my order on the 24th. It came packaged securely, and the records were new, and flawless - no marks, no mashed corners or torn inner or outer sleeves. I would/will definitely order from them again. Thanks Music Direct read more

I have purchased several items from Music Direct and have had the best experience. The folks there are knowledgeable, the selection is catered towards high-end audiophile, while the pricing is very competitive. The best part is the ultra fast shipping. I will continue to buy all my components from MD. read more

Sick of their delays in shipping. Ordered last week Thursday. Everything in stock. Received FedEx tracking Friday. Still has been scanned by FedEx. This is why I started moving most of my new vinyl purchases to ElusiveDisc. If it's in stock, I can count on it going out within 24 hours. read more

Danny Tompkins the sales rep that helped me was very unprofessional and showed no willingness to help. There are plenty other sellers online that deserve your business. read more

They offer great products, BUT like other reviewers have had problems both with returns that the substitutes proved defective or also damaged and had t o pay postage both ways. Just had a large order that I asked to ship all together. Instead broken into several separate shipments, and charged a mailing fee for each item. Any savings was lost in postage fees. There are several other mail order record stores that will only charge you a one time fee per order or the whole shipment is free. I whined on the phone and basically had not even "we're sorry" in return. Oh welll. read more

Order a new vinyl release about five months ago. The reason why I chose Music Direct was because they had labeled the item as "in Stock." Fast forward five months later and despite the cordiality of their customer representative assuring me that they have ordered it and estimated date of hipping was soon blah blah... the truth was that they never had the item in the first place. What was puzzling was that they couldn't order a new one in 5+ months time. Prospective customers be aware that whatever is labeled "In Stock" from their website might not be so. Secondly, beware of their lack of competence in not being able to solve their back order issue in five months time. Not recommenced, look elsewhere for buying vinyls. read more

This is no longer a brick and mortar store. It is catalog only. I was looking for a turntable and record shop but this place does not have an actual STORE. Despite my confusion they were friendly when I showed up and wondered where the shop was. Nope, just internet sales! read more

If you were to pass by music direct in this relatively anonymous part of downtown Chicago, you would not even know they were there. Known more for their website (http://www.musicdirect.com/), these folks are also a brick & mortar store. But there is no sign on the door, and no clue as to their location. But in fact, if you buzz the buzzer on the outside wall you will find yourself entering audiophile mecca. You can purchase very good audio equipment at this store/warehouse (I called ahead to make sure they had the music hall turntable in stock), but also, they have an amazing collection of great LPs and CDs (in fact, much of what they have online you can get in the store), and its tons of fun to browse. Prices are a bit expensive, but not more than any other place that sells quality music and hardware. And the people who work there *clearly* know what they're talking about. They're not the 'salesperson' type so keep that in mind -- not much face management to speak of. Worth a visit if you're in the area. I am not affiliated with this store in any way. read more

The nicest, most competent vendor in Chicago. I purchased $3K of high-end audio equipment. and was assured I could return it for any reason within 30 days (I didn't). I picked out my components from their excellent website and called the store to arrange local pickup. They did not have my DAC in stock in the basic black model, so sold me a cherrywood model for the same price although it retailed for $100 more. They asked me to call back in a few weeks to make sure I liked my system. I called a few weeks later - they remembered my order and were delighted to hear I was pleased. read more

these are some of the most rudest people on earth. i complained on one of them being rude to me, then all of them ganged up on me an black balled me an refused to sell me an item. they hung up on me everytime i called when i asked to speak with manager. they refused to let me speak with manager. they refused to tell me who the manager was. i was buying a 3000.00 item. i asked to speak with the new guy that seemed decent but he turned on me too. josh threatened me with police if i called back an asked for the manager. all they cared about was the money. i asked them questions about the item an they claimed i didnt ask them questions. all they were was money sucking leaches. i was going to buy the marantz 30n which has a 2100.00 markup an they wouldnt knock off 100.00. they greedy too. they want to talk about is the money. i couldnt get a word in with none of them when asking about product. run from these guys as fast as you can. they hard to deal with before the sale an i cant imagine how bad they be after the sale. read more

I ordered one thing, they sent another. Then they wouldn't pay for shipping either direction. Then they tried to tell me that I really did have what I ordered even though the invoice said one thing and the product and packaging said another. read more

I love this place. Chris has helped me out on several purchases and is very knowledgeable on turntables and all other things I needed. Many of the other guys seem cool as well but Chris is my guy and he always treats me with respect. On rare occasion he doesn't know something but he admits it and doesn't act like Mr. Perfect Audio guy . I buy almost everything here and have friends who also love it. You don't get treated like a dirt bag just because you don't buy super expensive stuff. read more

I ordered speakers from Music Direct via Amazon Marketplace. Speakers were shipped in factory cartons with no other packaging and arrived with boxes gouged and filthy and speakers knocking around loose in boxes. One 6-inch hole in the box left nothing between speakers and outside world but a plastic bag. These are $600/pair speakers. I left a two-star review on Amazon which Music Direct managed to immediately get Amazon to simply delete. So their 100% rating on Amazon Marketplace is a total lie. I am docking them another star here for being not only unresponsive to criticism but actively dismissive of it. Music Direct: package your merchandise better! Buyers: beware! read more

Music Direct has no peer for online sales and post sales service. They are super friendly and quite a bit more knowledgeable than the staff at other online audio equipment retailers. Bess in particular is one of the most knowledgeable audiophiles out there. He loves what he does and NEVER PRESSURE SELLS. I have nothing but accolades for this company. Most other online retailers are most concerned with their bottom line. Not so with the staff at Music Direct. Thanks for providing audiophiles, like myself, that local brick and mortar feel in the online arena. read more

Worst Audiophile purchase in my 30 years in this hobby purchased turntable #1, Had to return defective motor pulley received turntable #2, had to return again, bad built in interconnect, received turntable #3, again bad noisy motor pulley called up music direct about 3rd defective turntable, I was treated like a common stray DOG!!! SHAME on music direct.. They basically did not want to even have a conversation with me. when I asked what they were going to do about this situation, they said we get back with you. guess what happened ? they never call back, I then make repeated calls to nothing but answering machines. then I get a call from the sound organization, obviously, Music-Direct the business that I purchased the turntable from has NO interest in solving this ongoing problem. highly unlikely u get 3 bad turntables in a row, but this happened. this is no fault of my own, but obviously this unnamed turntable manufactuer has some quality control issues. And Music-Direct, leaves me holding a defective turntable, is a travesty... SHAME ON YOU MUSIC DIRECT!!!!! read more

Amazing Hidden GEM, if you love music you gotta check it out!

Zero communication from staff despite submitting a query on their web site. Item took entirely too long to ship compared to other reputable record shops in the US. I'd look elsewhere for your music buying needs read more

3rd time I order audio equipment, and vinyl, every time it was a disaster, the first time I order a $ 1,000 VPI tone arm, was told it would ship next week for 6 months, the last order I placed was for 4 180 g pieces of vinyl that were listed as in stock, recived one piece 3 weeks latter and told other 3 were back ordered, Adiran is a true POS , and so is his boss, DO NOT DUE BUSINESS WITH THIS COMPANY!!!!! read more

I just read all the reviews and noticed a theme vinyl buyers seemed disappointed, HOG WASH. I have been a audio file for a long time, before cd's, and the only defective records are from the record labels and pressed in and are not under warranty, now my review. I traded in for an integrated amp. The staff knows hi end equipment. All my questions were answered honestly and as I expected. My trade in was sent in after I received my order my card was credited the amount I was quoted with no attempt to reduce the amount VERRY HONEST. I plan on continuing to buy all my audio equipment from Music Direct. The company name is all inclusive but I think their main business is direct sales of quality audio equipment. Any one looking for a great sound system should start here. Music Direct carries more high end equipment for a reasonable price than most. Highly recommended for all of us with and without deep pockets. Finally, those that complained about shipping charges should not be given any credibility, shipping is free for orders over $49.00, no membership required. read more

I hope this updated review helps another customer who might buy vinyl records from Music Direct. I called Music Direct (7/7/17) and advised them that I sent them back the defective vinyl record with their prepaid shipping label on 7/6/17 and asked for my credit card to be reimbursed for the purchase price when they receive the defective record. I explained that I do not want them to send me another copy. The customer service representative explained to me that I was fortunate to get a return prepaid shipping label (they do not pay for defective return shipping) and I would have to accept in store credit for the defective record. I told the rep that I do not want to buy anything from Music Direct ever again and that I request to have my money back for the defective record. The rep said she would give me back my money when they receive back the defective record because I said that I will never buy anything from them ever again. She advised me that it is not Music Direct company policy to pay for return shipping or reimburse credit cards for defective vinyl records and "to have a good one". I think I was just fortunate to get a prepaid return shipping label and my credit card reimbursed. Buyer beware if you purchase and receive defective vinyl records from Music Direct. I do not like Music Direct's defective record returns company policy. I will not buy any thing from them again. read more