Music Lovers Audio has set me straight. This whole time I thought the pair of Shure earphones I got from the apple store were top of the line. I was wrong. So wrong. I knew very little about headphones and earphones but I knew that I wanted something that had "good" sound quality. I had heard about Grado and they were one of the few places that carried them and so I tried on a few. The man helping me was very nice and allowed me to sit down on the floor and listen to them. I put them on and the incredible happened. My ears had an eargasm. I stood up, threw my shure headphones on the ground, and did an interpretive free form tap dance that described my experience. I picked the cheaper of the two (in retrospect, i shouldve just sucked it up and got the more expensive one). The asian man was very enthusiastic about the music gear and offered to give me a demonstration of some of their expensive home audio stuff and also digital recordings. I would give this place 5 stars but two things bothered me. First, the cat that has free reign there. I have no issue with cats besides the fact they make me itch and have breathing issues. Couldve been bad. Second, no return policy. That kind of sucks. I started having issues with the right side of my headphones about a month in (which of course is Grado's issue and not Music Lovers Audio) and I asked them they'd be willing to take a look and see if they could just exchange them for me but they said they couldnt do anything for me....sucks. Now I have to ship them to grado directly and wait a while before I get them back. So be sure whatever you're buying is what you want or else you're stuck with it. Gotta find those shure headphones again.... read more

I have had many great experiences here and have spent over $4000 on equipmentover the years. Today i called to ask about getting assistance for getting one of my old turntables back in good working condition. I very rude man (Vince?) spoke to me like i was scum - and said unless you bought it here we wont help you. Terrible experience and now i will have to find a new store when i do the next upgrade to my system. read more

Well, like most high-end audio shops you learn a few things real fast. 1. Everything you own is crap. Your crap belongs out on the curb with a $10 bill taped to it. And you need to buy all new stuff. 2. Everything you think you know is crap. 3. Everything that they don't sell is crap. On the positive side. - You won't get ripped off. You'll pay an un-inflated price. - They don't sell any garbage. You'll go home with nice stuff. - They are pleasant, patient, honest and really try not to be snobs. - They are local. Forget about the internet. read more

What a wonderful store- to purchase TV/audio equipment, have it installed, and watch/listen with complete absorption and without any doubt that I had made the right decision to purchase! Will Kline is the store manager; his ability to customize information and answers to my (techno-reduced) level of understanding not only sealed my purchase of equipment that day, but also increased my confidence that I would be taken care of after the sale-an often touted benefit but not commonly experienced in other companies, at least not by me. Will is very professional, and tuned in to my particular needs, so part of what I "bought" is the service team's experience and the manager's assurance in my choice of systems. I have been a lover of high-end sound ever since I first arrived @ Berkeley in the early 70's with a low-end budget! I'm happy to report that Berkeley retains its magic in music, at Music Lovers on Blake Street! read more

I've decided to update my audio equipment, so I did a little research into what's happening in the audio world and did a Google search. That's how I found Music Lovers in Berkeley. It's a cool shop packed full of very high-end Audiophile-spec equipment. They have some "entry level" equipment too, but suffice it to say that it would be easy to spend $150K(+) on a system there. A salesman named Harry met me at the door. He was a friendly and welcoming enough guy, but within 30 seconds I felt annoyed by the way he talked down to me; like he typically deals with higher end clients, but - since it was slow - he'd make an exception and spend a little time with me showing me the world of high-end audio. It felt like I'd walked into a Bentley dealership after exiting my 2002 Ford Focus in clear view of the salesman. Harry is a classic old-school salesman who plied all the classic sales strategies, like continuously reassuring me that he wouldn't dream of selling me something I didn't need or want, complimenting my musical taste and great ear, assuring me that Music Lovers only sells the best equipment at each price point, and that if they didn't sell it, it probably isn't worth owning. All of that is typical sales banter, but Harry's demeanor was SO snarky and arrogant, so pompous, that it was all I could do to not excuse myself for the restroom and sneak away. But, despite deciding early on that I wouldn't spend any money with Harry, I decided to ignore his irritating personality and just sit back and enjoy the show. It was great theater and I got to listen to some great music on a really great sound system. But things went off the rails as soon as Harry asked me what equipment I currently owned. I own a $10K system that I like and most people consider great, but the expression on Harry's face was priceless, like I'd walked into Chez Panisse and ordered a bologna sandwich...to go. It was priceless, like "...dang dude, how do you listen to that crap." He made it pretty clear that all I'd have to do is give his $100K system a listen and I'd immediately trade up. It was pretty insulting. In fact, I listened to his system and concluded that it sounded better, cleaner, and more natural, but not $90K better. It didn't help my impression that Harry was so obnoxious. All told, I spent about an hour listening to Harry's syrupy-sweet, disingenuous, condescension before I left. I had a lot more to spend than I let on, but decided that I'm gonna find another shop to dance with. Sorry Harry. read more

Monday, 2:30 pm. I place an order for a pair of used speakers (paradigm monitor 9v6) off their website. 10 minutes later I get an email from them acknowledging the order but saying not to come pick up the order until I get more details from them. Monday, 4:30 pm. Haven't heard anything so I call them. I am referred to Mark, who says they haven't even checked the web orders that day and he will call me right back. I don't hear back. Tuesday. Nothing. Wednesday, 3:30 pm. Still nothing, so I call them. I get Mark, who says the speakers I ordered and paid for on Monday were sold a couple weeks ago and they didn't update their website. Am offered an older, lower model speaker (paradigm monitor 7v3) as a replacement. But he doesn't know the price because it's a consignment. He then tries to sell me on the monitor 7v3 one as being basically the same as the 9v6, though having slightly less bass. He concludes with "let me call the owner of the speakers, cause they're on consignment, and find out the price and call you back." I'm quite annoyed by this, so when he calls back 15 minutes later I let it go to voicemail. The message is that I can either have the monitor 7v3 for $300 or they also have a pair of used monitor 9v7s (one generation newer than what I bought and paid for) for $800. So basically I can have half the speaker or pay double the price of what I bought and paid for. Oh, and he asked what speakers I currently have and then responded I should spend the money to get at least one really good pair of speakers, which is interesting since he never found out what I currently have. I guess "good" is whatever they are selling so it doesn't matter what currently I have. Update: When I called back and the conversation was literally: "Mark?" "Yeah?" "It's Mike, please just refund my money." "Ok, cool." Click. So why shop at a place like this? The point of going local in a hobby like this is to support a local resource that will be your partner in crime. What does that mean? They should make you feel welcome. These guys don't do that. Mark never once said "hey, sorry, man, our mistake." Instead he said we don't really do web orders, and acted like I was creating a huge hassle by asking when I could pick up something that they advertised and I bought and paid for. It also should mean they make you feel valued as a customer. These guys basically talked crap about the speakers I have (without even knowing what they were) and talked crap about what I was buying FROM THEM. Ok, so $450 is a tiny sale for them. But if you think what you're selling is interchangeable garbage, maybe sell something else? Does paradigm know what you're saying about their brand? And it should also mean they support the hobby. Guess what? There's an entire generation out there that thinks getting a bose for their phone is as good as it gets. Repair shops are closing (trust me, I've been trying to source a part for a 1970s Marantz receiver and a endcap for an old carver als-iii) at an alarming rate. Our hobby is in trouble and needs new blood. That's where local shops fit in. If the next generation don't have a place to listen to really good stuff, they're certainly not going to front a few grand to order something halfway decent from amazon to experience it for the first time. If places like this keep being such a bunch of elitist snobs, this hobby will die in a generation. Think about that, Mark and "Music Lovers Audio". Aspire to live up to your name! Otherwise there's no reason not go shop exclusively online.... read more

Recently my speaker system failed, and I was referred to Music Lovers Audio by my son who had bought a Paradigm surround system from them about a year or so earlier. He introduced me to Grant, who arranged for several sessions in a listening room to hear Paradigm speakers I requested. Grant is very knowledgeable and I consider him an Expert! He patiently answered all my questions and made some excellent recommendations that have been very helpful. He never talked down to me like some audio experts do. He explained the various levels of speakers and their differences. His insights were very constructive and useful in helping me choose ultimately to purchase the Paradigm Prestige Speakers with the F75 for front speakers, the C55 for the center, the SW1000 for the subwoofer and the 25S for rear speakers. Installation was exceptional! Dan and Brett ran new cables (2 of which ran through the attic) added connectors, wall mounted the rear 25S speakers, labeled all the wires and cables into my receiver, and ran the Anthem Room Correction. Dan and Brett worked very hard to make everything perfect! They provided tips and useful information. They worked well together as a Team! Bottom line: Music Lovers Audio is a fantastic resource for high quality audio systems and speakers. The service is extraordinary! They far exceeded my expectations. If Yelp was a 10 star rating system, I'd give them a 10 Stars! Highly Recommended!!! Go see Grant!! read more

I went to music lovers with my teenager to buy him some high-quality Grado head phones (not a very large purchase I admit); I am trying to patronize local stores instead of ordering everything online. Well, no one greeted me even though there was no one else in the store; the 2 staff people were doing paperwork or on the phone and never even made eye contact with me. I just stood there for 15 minutes wondering if we were really in the middle of a recession.. In the end I walked out with my son and we ordered online. This place may have great products but they certainly haven't clue about basic customer service.... read more

This shop is a small, no, a medium-sized miracle. First, the architecture is unusual and worth a look even if you aren't shopping there. But if you are, and you're looking for an equipment replacement or upgrade, this is the place to be. There are a number of gentlemen working there, all of whom are quite pleasant, supremely knowledgeable, and generous with their time. They tested the equipment I brought in even though I wasn't there to make a purchase, then fixed me up with state-of-the-art speaker cables to replace my old frail ones, and, vive la difference! I now have sparkling sound from my Stanton turntable far better than I'd ever heard it before. They kept my amp overnight, and soldered the custom cable wires so they fit in its ports, at no extra charge. And they let me bring in my dog Jasper, and even let Jasper play with and ultimately have their own dog Leo's toy. (I thought Jasper was the world's laziest dog, then I met Leo!) Take advantage of this shop! It's the only one left in Berkeley, and possibly the East Bay. read more

All in all a great shop. The owner's the best one there, The best thing he told me is go listen to live music, it doesn't get any better. The best stuff in the house can't compare to the wide body of a cello, the bell of a horn, or a sound board on a piano. Lots of people have made great points here. @ Allan M, definitely re-tube, and the point is, that your LP's are the best source out there. Did you happen to listen to the LIVE Jazz at the Cheese board? And you damn well better tip them!! I'm so glad they don't know what tomato sauce is. Ryan is great. Graham is waaaay too patronizing( It always pisses me off when a guy can't remember my name after spending $2500). The first thing he told me was my stuff was crap. I've got much better crap now that I've spent some money here, but I've learned that this is not the place to go when I'm feeling compulsive about my sound. It's about the music, not the equipment. Let your ears be the guide. I brought my own speakers in to try out an amp. He told me they were crap until I told him how much they cost, then they were OK ( see patronizing). Talk to Ryan, he's the man, but, I'm the Go to Guy read more

These guys are great. I used to sell super-high end audio equipment and I can vouch for the quality of what they sell -- but it's the service that gets the 6th star from me. I bought a Hana cartridge from MLA a few months ago, and they did the whole set-up on my 40-year-old New AR table and Linn tonearm (an oldie but greatie combo) including extra work by Graham dealing with a grounding issue -- at no charge. More recently, I changed out the tonearm cables and inadvertently mucked up the vertical tracking angle; when I brought it in, Hugh (who has three AR tables himself) spent more than an hour using his incredible expertise to not only fix the initial problem but adjust the springs so that it's now in tip-top shape -- ALSO at no charge! I owe him and Oliver a pizza for lunch, and they'll get it. It doesn't get any better. Highest recommendations with no reservations!! read more

I was having an issue with my turntable, so I brought it in to MLA for inspection. Graham was super friendly and knowledgeable. He fixed it and gave me a lots of great advice about my set up. I will be back. read more

Seems like a nice store. . .terrible service by Harry. I stopped in today to see if I wanted to get myself something nice for my birthday - other options being a nicer car or Hublot watch. Greeted by a guy named Harry - who was very condescending and unhelpful. He was poorly dressed, poorly spoken - so, tried to be nice and guide him to be helpful. . .in the end, the guy was worse than a used car salesman - no clue/perception, no manners and seemed to have a serious short man syndrome. It's shocking. . .place selling high end audio, comes with such poor service. Will never go again. read more

Great company, outstanding people, and the best in audio on display to audition! The owners are knowledgeable and engaging with their customers. You feel like family when you're there and well worth doing business with them. Sure, you might be able to find what your looking for a bit cheaper elsewhere, but it's not worth going through the brain damage and troubles. Hugh and Jae bend over backwards to assist, educate, and service their customers, which is not only rare today but something you'll never find at all buying online or from a big box store! read more

I once stepped into this store to inquire about a receiver I was interested in. I had kind of a funny feeling when I realized I was surrounded by 'audiophile' products. Upon hearing the brand of the receiver I was interested in, this young guy immediately told me with a slice of disdain that they didn't carry those kind of products here. I kind of already imagined what would follow but that day I was in a playful mood and decided to have a little 'fun' and asked him what he had for me. The dude ran me through several niche amplifiers, all of which were an order of magnitude more expensive than the kind of money I wanted to spend. They also looked kind of ridicule, usually presented in crafty aluminium boxes that felt cheap. But hey, their 'soundstage' and 'musicality' was well worth it. As he started to feel like a sale was not going to happen, he pulled that stupid usb stick from his pocket and proposed me a 'deal' for just under a couple benjamins. Turns out his thingy was actually a product from Audioquest - a well known company in the snake-oil business, those people sell 'audiophile' ethernet cables for a grand that sound amazing. His ultimate attempt for a sale failed again and I left the store. That was a lot of fun read more

Went here to get a dual channel stereo to listen to my vinyl collection. The guy I worked with (Grant) is A1. Honest dude, excellent customer service. Will answer your question no matter how silly. I was able to bring in some vinyl and audition a number of amp / speaker / turntable setups. Once I finally picked what I wanted, I actually ended up deciding to cross-shop for a few months. I did end up finding the amp for a bit cheaper elsewhere, but not the turntable or speakers that I wanted. Those were the same price pretty much everywhere else. In the end, I decided to buy everything from these guys, including the amp, just because of the customer service (which, to re-iterate, is excellent) 2 months later I returned to the store to finally make my purchase. Grant remembered all the equipment I wanted and was able to get me set up that same day. A couple additional notes: 1) This place is for audiophiles, expect expensive equipment. For the casual listener, you might want to go someone else. They don't carry anything bellow a certain tier. Not the right store to pick up the latest beats by dre or Bose headphones. I'm not taking a position on *what* you should buy, but you should know that this place will cost you a lot. The benefits of such equipment are subjective, and these guys are firmly on the "Hi-Fi" side of things. 2) 6 months later, I noticed an issue with the display on the amp I bought. Again, Grant took care of me. I didn't have to interact with Arcam (the OEM of the amp) at all. Grant called them on my behalf, figured out what the issue was, shipped my amp to them for me, and I had it back in about a week. Seriously, the service here is really good. Worth returning for this reason alone. 3) these guys have a great relationship with all their vendors, and a great trade-up policy. If you already know exactly what you want, you might want to call ahead and see if they carry that vendor in stock. They can probably order anything, but it might worth knowing in advance. Most of these OEMs have a website that you can use to look up dealers in your area. Overall, I love this place. They've got my business for life. read more

Took my turntable in for a stylus replacement on record store day and ended up getting an affordable new cartridge as well as proper installation and configuration free of charge. Will, the specialist on hand, answered all of my questions with enthusiasm and genuinely seemed to enjoy discussing music and audio equipment (can't say the same for most Bestbuy employees). I can safely say that I will be returning to Music Lovers Audio for most, if not all, of my audio needs. read more

After a brief introduction to Music Lovers in Berkeley a couple of years ago buying relatively inexpensive home theater equipment - yes, they have inexpensive gear, not dirt cheap but good quality at a fair price - plus a quality moving coil cartridge for my turntable, I decided to rebuild my aging two-channel stereo system that had pieces in it that were more than 20 years old. I went back to Music Lovers and reconnected with Graham Thomas, with whom I had worked the first time. Over the past several months, Graham has guided me through a complete replacement of my old system. It has not been cheap - I've put a lot of money into it, more than I care to admit - but it's still not anywhere close to the most expensive or exotic system one can buy at Music Lovers. What it is, however, is spectacular, it meets my needs perfectly, and though it's cost a lot of money, I can still call it a bargain considering the quality I achieved for the dollars I spent. Graham was simply excellent - he listened to me and understood what I was trying to accomplish, and why; he spent as much time with me as necessary before receiving a single order, and he never pushed me to place an order before I was ready; he steered me to components that would meet my needs and away from those that wouldn't; when appropriate he nudged me in the right direction to avoid being penny-wise and pound foolish, while on other occasions he found ways to save money while accomplishing 99% of what I was trying to do. He is extremely knowledgeable, attentive, communicative, and enthusiastic about equipment in service to the music, and everything he has said about sound, equipment and value has turned out to be 100% true. By the time we got to the last piece in this process - a pair of very long custom speaker cables that couldn't be auditioned in the store or at home - I was completely comfortable ordering them on his recommendation alone, and, not surprisingly, they are excellent too. He set everything up for me at our house and has volunteered to come back and fine tune the setup when all the pieces are fully broken in. He helped me price correctly some of the pieces that were being replaced and they sold on consignment at Music Lovers much faster than I expected them to. What may be the most telling example of Graham's commitment to customer service was his reaction to my decisions to acquire a couple of pieces of this system from other sources. He never once pressured me to refrain from doing that; instead, he was completely supportive, gave excellent advice, and volunteered even to help make them work better. Music Lovers is not a discount house. If you want big discounts, stick your fingers in your ears and go to Best Buy, or take your chances on the used market. There's an old adage that there are three values to consider when shopping, namely, quality, service, and price - and you can have two of them. I chose quality and service, and got them, beyond anything I was expecting when I got into this. Nevertheless, I still consider my new system to be quite a bargain for what it is - a world class system at a significant but less than world class cost. read more

I've visited many audio stores around the bay area in the past 10 years, and I can say without a doubt that Music Lovers Audio is the very best there is. Hifi stores are known for snobby attitudes, and many deserve the reputation, but not here. They give you the same VIP treatment whether you're buying the cheapest budget components or top of the line megabuck stuff -- I know because I've done both over the years, at both their Berkeley location and their San Francisco location. They have great dedicated listening rooms, where they will set up individual speakers (or other components) for you to audition with your own music. A quick call and they could have the speakers set up for when you arrive. This is rare at a time when many stores just have a bunch of speakers lined up against the wall, which is a suboptimal setup that does not allow you to clearly hear the speakers' subtle qualities. If you're visiting the SF store I can recommend Josh the assistant manager, who was very helpful on my last visit and purchase. read more

Thanks to Music Lovers we have a home theater/sound system that knocks everyones socks off.

I have tried twice to buy from this locally-owned, independent, blah-blah audio shop. First time was about 10 years ago when they were still in North Berkeley and the second time about one month ago in their new (to me) downtown Berkeley shop. In both occasions I was greeted with courtesy but as soon as I mentioned my budget (~$500 for a pair of speakers) I could see the disappointment on the sales rep face. 10 years ago the rep at least took the time to let me audition the two-tree options he had available, last month I was given a quick tour of the shop and disposed of as soon as basic courtesy would allow. I guess if you have a four or even better five digits budget this is a great shop. For the rest of us, thanks God there is internet: I ordered a pair of Wharfedale Diamonds from musicdirect.com and could not be happier with the speakers, and the customer service. read more

Great experience. Very high-end store. I went in for a fairly modest purchase and was so impressed that (1) they still gave me a ton of thoughtful attention, and (2) they never tried to sell me up to a more expensive option I didn't need. The person I worked with was Will and the yelp review I just spotted indicates that he's the manager. This wouldn't surprise me as he was particularly fantastic. But everyone I worked with there was quite good. When I'm ready to upgrade my system, this is where I'll go. (labelled this as pricey but not because the pricing isn't fair, only because they have an exceptional collection at the higher end.) read more

Stopped in this past week from out-of-town just to check the store out. Walked around for a bit, then was helped by a friendly associate. He answered a lot of my questions, then when he wasn't sure of something, he directed me to a couple other gentleman who were also really helpful. Didn't end up purchasing anything this weekend, but will do so over the phone in the near future. There was no pressure to buy anything and everybody was really helpful. They have gear across all price ranges, so whatever you're looking for, you'll be satisfied. Highly recommended! read more

Graham and Jay were very welcoming and friendly. They have a great deal of very serious/expensive audio equipment and at least 3 rooms to demonstrate it. I was very impressed by Graham's knowledge and observations. They set up an amp for my audition that I was interested in. They offer a brief trial period of equipment. I saw a headphone room and an impressive used equipment room. It is very acessible and my experience was that this is a top notch stereo shop. Highly Recommended for audiophiles and others who simply love music. read more

Music Lovers is by far the best hifi stores I have ever visited! They not only super knowledgeable on hifi products, but also so much passion on music. The staff there are extremely nice and helpful. I highly recommend this place to everybody who cares about music! read more

Went in, worked with Graham. I told him that I wanted a room filling set of speakers and what my budget was. I was floored to not only not be treated condescendingly (for my admittedly low-budge av set-up) but also have him tell me that he could sell me something for a little more than half of what I wanted to spend...WHAT?! And then he proceeded to do just that. We spent an hour listening to music and i learned a ton about what i could do to really beef-up my system for not a lot of cash. With regard to the music, I was encouraged to blast it! I left with a goofy grin on my face and raced home to set up my system. Nirvana! Everything I threw on sounded amazing! I am the first one to look online for a bargain, but for my money, this place is absolutely worth the drive and maybe not saving a few bucks. FWIW, I did some research later and found that the price I paid was actually less since I saved the shipping cost. Short version: If you love music, this is the only way to go... read more

I worked with Graham who setup a demo on short notice of a nice pair of SF Cremona M speakers with a music fidelity M6 integrated amp. I did not end up purchasing the sysem from Music Lovers primarily because they were a bit too far away from my home near Sacramento and also because they did not carry one of the brands of gear that I decided to get. I am just writing this review because Graham was very knowledgeable and willing to answer any and all questions we had. Their music listening/demo room is one of the few places that I have been to where speakers are actually positioned in the room correctly. These guys are absolute experts on getting everything out of a high end system.. we even had a discussion on the pros and cons of JRiver vs iTunes and async DAC USB jitter issues. I won't hesitate to refer business to them in the future. read more

This is not a basic consumer electronics store. If the reviews here don't convince you then the $148,000 Wilson Alexandria X2 speakers by the door probably will. I however, did not order speakers that cost more than a Porsche Turbo...my purchases have been far more modest and all stayed well south of the five-figure mark. The selection at Music Lovers is geared towards how the product performs and generally, for audio gear, performance means big dollars (let us not argue about the differences between $10,000 speakers and $100,000 speakers...they all sound better than anything most people have heard). Still, just because the gear is pricey does not mean the staff at Music Lover's revels in snobbery. They were just as content to discuss a $$$$ Esoteric CD player (not a Porsche but easily a used Honda) as they were to discuss the little Bellari single-tube phono amplifier which is around $200. They were also very kind to order things that weren't in their regular stock and then sell them at an extremely thin margin; actually i'm not sure they made much money off my pre-amp at all. Sure, they will sell you interconnects that, as blind testing and science can ably demonstrate, do nothing that a good quality cable couldn't also do for 1/100th the price...but then you expect that in this type of shop and the people who swear by those cables would feel left out if they couldn't have their $1000 per foot AC power cord. read more

Obviously the pricing is for serious music makers or music lovers or audiophiles or whatever you want to call it. Either way, the selection and customer service is unparalleled and vastly superior to the next best audio store in the area (i.e. Best Buy, Guitar Center, etc). The pricing is very reasonable and negligible compared to the next best option(s) in the area. Support your local, and independent businesses! Seriously, these guys without a doubt warrant such a statement. read more

absolutely the best high end audio shop ever. this place breaks all boundaries-- friendly, approachable staff that are actually passionate about what they do. this place is awesome for someone starting out, or building up their system. don't be fooled though, there is some very high end audiophile gear in this shop. i'm definitely going to be buying all my equipment from music lovers. go once, and you'll be hooked. believe me. tip - call ahead and let them know if you want to hear something in particular and they'll have it all set up when you get there. also, feel fring to bring a movie or music of your choice and enjoy listening to it with some dream components. read more

I was looking to upgrade the cart on my rega p1. And suggested the sumiko pearl, I had seen many good reviews of it, and decided to get one. He installed it, and aligned my table rather quickly. And am completely satisfied with the product and great customer experience. read more

Great. If you're an audiophile and you know what you want, come here. If you love great sound but know the equipment or how it fits together or what you need or How components should be matched, or what you need for your space come here. They've paid their dues n they'll set you up. read more

The salesmen here were extremely accommodating even though I had expressed that my only intention for coming through was to demo speakers. They entertained my request to hear 3-sets of speakers with reference songs of my choosing over the course of 90 minutes. Each pair required some reconfiguration of their listening room and Mark took a lot of care in setting up each one for optimal performance. While waiting for them to set up speakers, I noticed they also had a giant selection of headphones. I left with an appreciation forParadigm speakers and I will heavily consider them when I am due for an upgrade. read more

I worked with Harry Ngo last year to audition Revel Performa3 F208 speakers. Harry was very helpful in setting up the demo and we communicated a few time by email before I visited them. I was looking to compare these speakers with Bowers and Wilkins and Vandersteen models. Harry is very knowledgeable about h-fi audio and products and asked the right questions to get the background info and my requirements. Besides trying my own CD tracks, Harry demonstrated a few of his own selections to show specific features of the speakers. Highly recommended. read more

They stock Grado (which are uber comfy, durable, and have amazing fidelity) as well as Sennheiser, and the guy i talked to was knowledgeable and smart, and didn't try to sell me any monster cable products. read more

I went into this store knowing what I wanted to get, which I wrongly assumed they would carry at a reasonable price, and walked out with the wrong equipment due to incredible dishonest and pressure by the salesman. Not only were they not content to sell me only the part of my intended bundle that they could actually supply, and needed instead to resort to double-talk and lies about what equipment they were showing me did what and why the equipment I was asking for was not suitable, but they were incredibly unpleasant despite the fact I was ready to make a purchase of over 1000 dollars, and made it clear how small they considered my spending limit and were in general either tasteless hi-fi snobs by nature or more likely in the habit of resorting to the tactic of humiliating to draw out the dollars. Over the next few days, I discovered through various hints that the sound I had obtained was not as good as I had thought and gradually discovered the reason; the piece of equipment that they convinced me to purchase on top of the suitable equipment was the cause. I did not however find out until much later that the equipment sold to me as an amplifier was not in fact fully an amplifier, at which point a return was not possible. The sole advantage of this sort of store, which sells audio equipment at the top of the range of actual likely price, is that you can listen to the equipment and supposedly be advised about solutions you hadn't thought of or introduced to new products. Frankly, the worth of the second function being negative the way that these people go about their business, one is better off doing research online and buying there at an often cheaper price. The savings more than compensate for having to substitute reviews for actual listening. read more

I have visited both locations and each visit was very pleasant. The staff is very knowledgeable, friendly, and let me browse at my leisure. They were happy to demo systems for me and discuss gear, with no pressure to buy anything. Music Lovers Audio stocks very high-end products in a comfortable and relaxed environment. If you're into audio at all, make sure and stop in. read more

I've been a client of Music Lovers Audio over two years and wouldn't hesitate to recommend their services. In terms of quality of equipment, service and installations, they are second to none. Their staff are not only experienced and experts in their fields, but they have a passion for their work and as audiophiles themselves, a love for what they do. When in the store, one never feels like there is "hard sell" nor pressure in any way whatsoever to buy. Rather, they take extra measures to demonstrate their gear providing accurate explanations and offering advice on a multitude of levels ultimately allowing the customers to make their own informed choices based on their needs and budgets. My one complaint, and it's a very minor one, is that they won't loan me a pair of Wilson Sasha speakers for a year or two on a try before I buy basis. =) read more

The Short: One of the best, if not THE, best retail experiences in my life. I will never buy a piece of gear from anywhere else. If you are at all serious about great sound or video, these are your guys. They single handedly brought me back to the transcendent experience of serious music listening. Stop reading this review and go there now. The Long: I've fancied myself a wannabe Audiophile most of my life. My experience with stereo salespeople has always been the same: incompetence, intimidation, indifference - especially if you're on a budget. Having recently bought a Superbowl hyper-discounted Sony Flatscreen from Best Buy, I'd received a Amy Winehouse sized dose of all three. As I was setting up the new TV/home theater, I vacuumed out the foam surrounds of my 15 year old Infinity speakers. A week later, while my cat was eating the bits of mangled foam during my all-day DIY replacement project, a thought occurred to me: hey jackass - go buy some decent speakers, you've had these long enough. I wanted nothing to do with the big blue nightmare ever again. And didn't really fancy a trip to it's slightly better looking older sister, Magnolia. Then a flashbulb memory: walking past Music Lovers a few years ago and peering inside... It looked like that scene in Star Wars when the Jawas roll up to Uncle Owen's - speakers that look like droids lined up against the walls. Surely, this place was so high-end, I couldn't afford anything. I wanted to buy local, so looked them up online anyway. Noticed the bargains section on the site, hmm. Noticed a pair of speakers in my price range, hmm. I knew enough about audio to know a pair of used, or floor model high-end speakers, would be better than brand new BB specials. So I called them up. Ryan A. answered, "sure come on down and 'audition' them." Audition, really? You mean you're not going to lead me to the rejects closet to make sure there aren't rats living inside of the enclosures? Nope, audition them. And that's what I did. Although they were busy with lots of customers, he still took the time to set up the speakers, sat me in a room all by myself, and let me listen for a good 20 minutes until an Emmy Lou tune came on and I was sold. Now you have to realize something: They have clients who will spend your twin's college education in gear. But they treat everyone with the same courtesy and respect. If I was spending double the money on speakers in a lower-end store, I wouldn't have gotten the same level of attention. I have since gone back to buy the amp I originally heard the speakers on, plus a turntable and a bunch of related gear. The whole way, getting great service, guidance, lots of free tweaks from Toan and Graham - both were extremely helpful in steering me in the right direction. I was having a slight distortion problem with my turntable after I bought it. They had me bring it back in and had three different people troubleshoot it over the course of an hour. Turns out it had a bum cartridge, and needed a new one - which they replaced. But think about that experience in terms of going to a big box store or other "specialty" shops. Would you ever get that kind of service AFTER a sale? These guys are pros, they want you to be happy with your music and they will work with you to get you the best system for your budget. I look forward to getting my next piece there. read more

I had a fantastic experience with Music Lovers. Will was attentive and spoke to me as though I had a fluent vocabulary in audio equipment, which I appreciated. It is all too common to enter a place and feel condescension cascaded on you by employees--especially if you're inquiring about entry level systems. Not so at Sound Lovers--Will spent a solid 40 minutes with me talking about my transition into speakers and analog systems. He sat with me in their amazing sound sampling room and played some Coltrane and awesome local musicians. The equipment really shone, and I was sold in no time. I'm happy to say that the equipment has been consistent since I set up at home, too--the room we auditioned the system in was treated well but not excessively. Will didn't try pulling any crazy sale tricks from his sleeves and I felt no pressure to buy all the accoutrements under the sun. I will underscore that there is a no-return policy, so it is crucial to make certain you want what you're buying. Will helped me load my car up, but in making the numerous trips he forgot to load the anti-static brush I'd bought. When I realized the omission at home a few hours later I called in and Will was quick to admit he may have forgotten the brush and he had it on the counter and good to go for me when I got there 20 minutes later. What's more reassuring is that he immediately asked where I lived, and was willing to ship the brush on his dime if I had not lived close. You get what you pay for, which is excellent high-end audio equipment, but what the old platitude doesn't mention is that at places like Music Lovers you get meaningful attention, too. Eat your heart out, Fry's. read more