I have a 1965 Zenith Circle of sound that needed a little repair. The wheel was dragging and it needed to be cleaned. I brought it to Salem HiFi and the man that owns it has horrible customer service. I was explaining what I "think" was wrong and he basically told me me he was the professional not me. I was supposed to get it back in a week. Three weeks went by and when I called him to see if it's ready, he became angry and said hurry up and pick it up. He fixed the the dragging problem but broke the arm stand and it now sounds like it has a loud humming sound and heavy bass. he charged me $100. I will never go back to him, or will I ever recommend him to anyone. read more

I brought my record player here he said he would fix it and get back to mein a couple days. two weeks went by i called him he said that he had the wrong part delivered and the correct part is not available. I said I'd like to come pick up my record player he said OK I would have to charge you the shipping fee for the part that I ordered. I went to pick up my record player he refused to give it to me without me paying him for the shipping of the wrong part. I called the Salem police and explained that he is extorting me the police officer agreed but it being a civil matter there was nothing he could really do about it. In the end I paid him $10 to get my record player back which is textbook extortion. Do not go here. read more

Joe @ Salem Hi-Fi was excellent. He fixed my vintage Realistic STA-820. There was no hassles, no gimmicks. A true professional and pioneer. Help direct, guide and educated me as I am new to the vintage HI-FI scene. Great guy- Thanks again Joe!!! read more

Fixed up my 50s Gibson tube amplifier that wasn't working on one channel. Didn't even need the service manual to figure it out! Took a few weeks but was worth the wait. Promptly answered my calls and emails. Price was very fair too. Highly recommended for any vintage electronics repairs. read more

Salem HI-FI restored my KLH Model 20 and a friends KLH Model 24. We received estimates on both systems with a complete explanation of what would be done the next day. Work was completed in one week as promised. Both systems and work was walked through on pickup. They sounded super! Got the Model 20 home and set it up. It sounds as good as new if not better. So happy with the quality of work and the experience! I highly recommend Salem HI-FI! I'm from Gloucester not San Fran where Yelp says. read more

Joe brought my receiver and turntable back from extinction. Great skill, knowledge, and advice. No nonsense. Reasonable fees. My system now sounds great again. read more

I bought a pioneer sx-1010 receiver, it was made in the 70's, the first amp with 100 watts power... I love it. It needed a little work after I plugged in my Ipod into the phono input (Be aware, onlly use the aux in or you will blow something up with an I pod.) I brought it to my local electronics repair shop (twice) and it never got repaired correctly and sounded like crap. I brought it to Salem Hi Fi and now it's like new! This guy is THE MAN. I you care at all about your vintage electronics, you must bring it to Salem Hi Fi read more

I had an old McIntosh that required service due to scratchy controls - pilot lights not working - and connections cutting in and out. I emailed the owner - he promptly responded - I brought my unit in - he said he would provide a quote the next day - he provided a quote for parts and said unit would be ready in two days. When I came to the shop it was plugged in driving speakers and I could test and hear the unit worked and sounded like new . He also cleaned all the contacts so they also looked like brand new. He knows his stuff and would bring my other audiophile equipment there with I worries. read more

This Guy is the biggest asshole.. I called to inquire about an AC power cord for an older HiFi Unit, and the guy was rude, and did not even give me the time of day to even listen to my inquiry, nor look up the model number of the unit I need a cord for, Like how long does it take to pull up google? 1 Second? Less? What a Jerk! I'm a business owner myself, and over 15 years of selling a luxury product, it's not all about what you are buying, it's even moreso the person you are buying from.. So have fun doing business with this guy.. read more

Owner is a little "quirky" (some would say grouchy!) and the business hours aren't that convenient but the work is top notch and the prices are very good. He worked for KLH back in the day and really knows his stuff. Look, it's not Bang and Olufsen on Newbury! But if you need your vintage stereo repaired, this is a the place to go. read more

I had a similar experience as Scott and Maxine. I had purchased a used amplifier on eBay last year and it needed a little tune up so I bought it in and was a bit put off by the owners lack of customer service. Picked it up a week later and got it home, hooked it up and it was fine. About a month ago all of a sudden there was no sound when I played vinyl so I bought it back in to have him check it out. After a few days he called and stated there was nothing wrong with it. Went in to pick it up and was treated like an imbecile that was clueless, he flatly stated that I didn't know how to hook it up. Really?? I've had turntables and vinyl since 1964! He suggested that I come back with the amp, turntable and speakers to diagnose the problem. FAT CHANCE! Complete lack of customer service, an air of superiority and indifference that doesn't deserve the business. Got the amp home, tried different cables and the amp played two songs of a record and then nothing. I guess I'm glad that some people have had success but I strongly suggest you think twice of subjecting yourself to this kind of treatment. Too bad, I'll have to bring the amp somewhere else, monumental inconvenience I'll never step in this place again and hell, I hate even driving by the damn place. Awful. read more

Joe was great. Brought in a vintage record player because the hydraulic lift for the arm wasn't working. He explained his rates and what he could do to have a look. He said within a certain range of issues he could just fix it right away, but would call if there were any parts needed or additional repairs outside of the scope. He followed up within 2 hours having made the repairs and cleaning the turntable. When I came back in to pick it up, he plugged it in to show me how it worked, played some records, and explained to me what he had done to fix it. I even asked if I would need to get it looked at/cleaned occasionally and his response was "not for another 30 years," so no taking advantage here. Overall he was friendly, helpful, and did a great job. My player sounds like new and I would happily go back to him with all my audio questions. I thought his rate was comparable to other places and he was more willing to explain things than other shops I've been to. Highly recommend. read more

Salem Hi Fi is a great little place full of retro equipment (some for sale), a workbench with lots of meters and task lamps, and a technician who knows what he is doing. I have brought two vintage turntables in to be serviced, a Phillips 212 and a Pioneer PL514. He didn't have replacement lamps for the 212, since they are hard to find, but I happened to have some salvaged from a Salvation Army find and he was happy to install them. He cleaned an lubed them and did a speed check. I also brought an older Yamaha receiver in to have the scratchy pots cleaned. Last time I was there I bought a used B&O TX turntable for a friend for a reasonable price that is still spinning disks just fine. Never had a problem. Everything was done well, quickly, and inexpensively. Don't expect lots of small-talk, or sales pitches, or much patience with geek-talk. It's a business, he does great work for a reasonable price, and that's as much as anyone can want. He'll get my business again. read more

Really helpful. Needed to get my Boise system worked on. Easy to find by looking at web page. When I brought my system in the owner told me only Boise fixed there own system and then he went out of his way to give me their toll free number. Really friendly. I would automatically go to him if I have any other electronic problems. read more

Fast service, reasonable rates. The proprietor is a character, no doubt but he knows what he's doing. If you're into repairing vs. replacing your audio equipment, he's worth the trip. read more

I was incredibly pumped that there was a Hi-Fi repair shop in Salem. It seemed like a great thing to have in town. Here's the story. My turntable's sound was cutting out a bit, so I looked at the Salem Hi-Fi website and the rate was $39. Went in there on a Thursday and he told me it was a complicated turntable and he would probably have to take apart the arm. The cost would be around $60, however, he took the turntable and was going to call me the next day to explain exactly what was wrong. Sounds good.... He never called back on Friday, so I called him on Saturday and he told me the tracking on the arm was off and he would have to take the arm apart. His new quote was around $80. I was cool with $60 but $80 was unexpected and I was unsure. He told me to think about it and give him a call back later in the day if I wanted to proceed. Right after the call, I looked online and discovered that to fix the tracking, all I had to do was balance the weight by turning the knob on the back, balance it, then set the tracking. It's a 5 minute fix. Because of that, I went back to the store later that day to pick it up. Unfortunately, he closed an hour early and put a sign on the door. He's not open Mondays, so I had to wait until Tuesday to pick it up. When Tuesday came around, I arrived right when he opened. I told him, I wasn't going ahead with the repair but didn't lead on as to why. Just wanted to get it and leave. He stated that I gave him the go ahead on Saturday. That never happened (Luckily, he didn't do the work yet). I asked if he could explain exactly what he was going to do to fix it. He then proceeded to pick up the turntable aggressively and said "I already told you on the phone and I hate it when I have to explain things twice". I told him, "I'm sorry you're upset that I don't want your services". He then started yelling at me saying "you completely screwed this turntable up and people like you shouldn't own expensive equipment". I told him, "see you on Yelp asshole" and walked out. Little did he know, I got this turntable at a yard sale for about $10 a week before I brought it in. When I brought it home, I fixed the tracking in 10 minutes, then sold it for $200. This guys is nuts so be careful, he won't tell you if something is a 5 minute fix. He'll try to take advantage of your knowledge of a product and charge you more. read more

I hate to just add to the pile of reviews on his customer service skills, but I need to warn others; If you are interested in browsing and buying vintage audio equipment, don't waste your energy here, it's not the place. Not that he seems anything short of a master in his field, nor that he deals in less than excellent quality goods. Simply put, he ushers you out of his shop before you can even consider what he has "for sale". Quotation marks because a SALE obviously implies the customer looking around, deciding on an object, and completing a deal with the vendor. Twice I have walked in, hoping to look at what he has. He immediately assumes I know nothing about turntables (relative to his expertise, sure I suppose), and tells me I need to leave and do some research. The first time, I was new, and was hoping to look for myself and see what options are out there, etc. I came back today, almost a year later, having done research, experiencing several players first hand, and having a fairly clear idea of what I want. Auto to semi-auto instead of the fully manual player I have. Sticking with direct drive. Weight adjustment for the tone arm a must. VTA would be a nice bonus. Hopefully not a majority thin plastic body, aesthetically speaking. I know that new receivers don't often include a dedicated phono input; mine luckily does, and I know the phonostage/pre-amp work around anyway. When asked what I was looking for this time, I explained very politely my parameters and that I was happy to just look around and see if anything was up my alley. I was again told I need to do MORE research, ran through the very same belittling details I had already clarified some understanding of, and told I essentially needed to know the exact make and model of what I wanted to purchase from him first. The chances of him having an exact match seems a bit absurd, right? If I did have one in mind, I would likely know where to get it as well. I'm not a confrontational person, even on my worst day. And I still wasn't through it all. I easily bite my tongue, and would have been happy to take it on the chin if I could JUST LOOK AROUND without him feeling like I was a burden. Ignoring me would even be preferential. Instead he continues to berate me for what he feels I do not know, physically blocks me from browsing at multiple turns, and says he doesn't know how to help me (ad nauseam) until he has me forced out the door. I likely would have bought something regardless, be it a turntable, or speakers or an amp, all of which I am in the market for. The glimpses I was barely able to get had me intrigued, I just was not allowed to continue the shopping process. Do I look too young and inexperienced for you, stuck up or something? Not the right shade, or clean shaven enough? Did I give you the impression I expected you to be a free mentor in audio equipment? Or at all? Maybe you are a great repairman, and knowledgeable beyond most in audio equipment. But why waste your time and mine by pretending to sell things then? read more

I just returned from another visit to this place. I had dropped my noisy 1972 Pioneer SX 1010 stereo receiver off a few weeks ago to be restored and brought back to factory specs. I have to tell you, the results are fantastic. I am blown away by the clarity and power that has been restored to this 43 year old puppy. He was even able to replace the 8 lights for the faceplate with the original Pioneer light blue colored bulbs. (the previous owner had replaced them with a dark blue Macintosh look- very cool but not original). The price was very fair for the results achieved and I highly recommend Salem HIFI for your audio repairs. I have 2- Dual 1229Q turntables on his bench as we speak and hopefully I will be bragging about the restoration of them as well after he works a little more magic. Thank you Salem HiFi. read more

Sorry to post so negative, but I'd give zero stars if possible. This man has zero interpersonal skills, & loves to berate his customers. I have used him on two previous occasions: one repair worked out OK, the other worked out for a while. What I did learn was that you need to walk on eggs when talking to this man; sometimes' even then, he will go off on you, depending on his mood. I also want to clarify by saying that I am NOT one of those arrogant customers who acts like they know more than the professional they are working with. That used to happen to me from time to time in my career, so I am very sensitive not to be like that. Here's the story of my last transaction: I bought two pieces of vintage audio equipment from Salem HiFi. It was explained to me, and written on the slip, that he would demonstrate the equipment, but it was sold "as-is". I got that. These were not the first pieces of vintage audio I have bought. It's always a gamble. I figured that at least with these, If they needed repair down the road, I could bring them back for repair (at my expense, of course). Long story short, a simple test on one of the components (an amplifier) proved that while it was working & sounded fine, there was a serious problem with it that would certainly damage speakers. I knew I had to have the problem corrected, & assumed that it would be at my expense. Knowing the owner's terrible attitude with customers. Still, I made the call to Salem HiFi, treading even more lightly with him than I normally do. Once I told him that I had done the DC offset test, he immediately flipped out, saying thing like "why are you doing this to me", "do you know who you're talking to?I'm practically an engineer", & "you did the test wrong. People like you shouldn't touch this stuff". What I did not tell him is that, while I do not have his expertise in the field of stereo repair, I did work as an electronic technician, & can certainly put meter probes on terminals & read voltage. I proceeded as nicely as possible to insist that I was not questioning his expertise or ethics, but that I simply wanted him to repair the piece at my expense. He continued on his tirade, then finally said he could not talk, & hung up. Long story short: I took the amp to another shop. With me there, they tested it. There findings were the same as mine, & they told me that I did perform the test correctly. $250.00 later, the unit was repaired, & is now fine. I wonder why Salem HiFi would give up business just to berate a customer. Doesn't seem logical to me. One final note: the other piece I purchased was a preamp to mate to the amp. After the amp was finally repaired, I unpacked the preamp. I found that the AC power cord was fixed with electrical tape in six places! Definitely not safe. Surprising that the shop would release it in this condition. I feel that it definitely speaks to his professionalism. I have replaced the cord, & now all is fine. Lastly, I did not pay bargain basement price for these items. I feel that his prices were right on par with like items on EBay. I, like several others who have reviewed him, do not understand his attitude, nor do I have time to deal with it. I will never do business with him again, & certainly would not recommend him. read more

A word of advice. If you are bringing in a turntable that has stopped working check to see if there is a stand-by switch between 33 rpm and 45 rpm. If you have cleaned the turntable you may have inadvertently moved that switch a smidgen without realizing it. Otherwise if you bring it in for repair he will simply move the switch and expect $29. I would put that under the heading of gouging. Brought a receiver in last year for repair and was charged around $80. Fair enough, I guess. I have nothing to compare it to. But to charge a return customer anything to flip a switch is no way to run a business. He also glued on a rubber foot which I did not ask him to do. It came off on the journey to the shop and I left it with the turntable so it could be balanced. That was his rationalization for charging what got reduced to $25. Guess he feels as though he has plenty of business so to hell with you if you expect a little common courtesy. read more

I would give this place no stars if I could. I just went here for a little advise on a good place or catalog to get parts or get the part I needed. The owner was some what of a jerk. He just kept telling me his repair rate after each question, got impatient with me then hushed me away as if I didn't matter. He kept saying try Google which I already did. I was only there for not even five minutes. His repair rate was a bit too high. With this persons attitude like that I don't think I would trust him with repairing anything. Customer service should always be a priority over other work. It brings in work and spreads the word about who you are. It seems that his attitude did change a bit when I mentioned YELP.com and would leave a detailed review. He then reluctantly helped me with a parts catalog he had but I did not get enough info to help me at all. I would go elsewhere for service and definitely not for parts. Read other FILTERED reviews below. I am not the only one who dislikes this place. read more

If you're into vintage audio you are going to need a really solid tech that you can trust to get your gear fixed up correctly. I'd been trying out different local techs for a while and although there are guys I trust to get it done right, there are times when I don't want my gear at a shop for 4 or 5 months. I took an aging power amp and preamp that I love to joe and he gave me a ballpark on the price immediately, this was on a saturday, within a few days he had called me with his diagnosis and for the go ahead, by the next saturday I was picking up my gear. The preamp had wooden "sideburns" on it that had loose/missing screws and plenty of road rash on the top of the case, not only did he fix the electronics, he found replacement screws, freshened up the wood sides and spray painted the top of the preamp so it looks really nice. It was a good sounding eyesore before that, to say the least I was pretty shocked. When I picked up the gear, he had it hooked up and running. Just as his slogan says, his cost was reasonable and I feel like my gear has been given a new lease on life. I would not hesitate to use salem HIFI again and he also has quite a bit of cool vintage gear for sale in his shop, I'm not talking junk either, he has some units that are really top notch, they're not priced at Craigslist giveaway prices but then again the ones on Craigslist haven't been gone through by a master tech. read more

The proprietor of this shop was extremely rude to me when I called to ask for directions to his shop. When I got there, he ordered me to put my stereo turntable that I had brought in for repair on the floor. He did not greet me with a "Hello,how can I help you today?" or any such civilized greeting. All he did was mumble in a grumpy tone, put it on the floor. When I said something to him about his rude attitude, he accused me of having "anger issues" and refused to do the repairs on my turntable. I cannot remember experiencing such rudeness from anyone else, much less someone I was about to pay for their services. I would recommend that no one use this business. Unless, of course, you enjoy being abused. read more

One star because zero star is not possible. Joe, who owns and operates this shop, has a serious psychosis. When he perceives disagreement, real or imagined, he quickly launches into a tirade--how dare anyone question his insight! He will use profanity. He will demand customers who ask even fair questions, such as are you sure that's the issue, leave his shop. I dropped off a component for repair. He suggested it would be 2-3 weeks. Several months later, still no repair. He claimed he was waiting on parts. Then, after he installed the parts, he blew up when asked why it had taken so long, even though at that point the unit was still not repaired. He insisted he will return the unit--only after he disassebled the repairs already applied! There is a distinct possibility he uses this attitude to intimidate customers into abandoning their equipment so he can then built a base of parts or other. Otherwise, his attitude is so unreasonably belligerent, I filed a police report. Avoid this person at all costs. read more

I made the mistake of assuming that because this guy was obviously antisocial, had terrible manners and treated new customers worse than rats, he was good at what he does. Not so. Let's see, first I stopped by and asked permission to bring in my tape deck to have the belt replaced. I told him the make and model and he agreed to do it for $50. I brought it in along with the replacement belt. Oh I say I asked permission because I had been here before and was familiar with his "I wish you hadn't walked into my business establishment offering me work" attitude. Anyway he tells me he'll try to get it done quick and bring down the quote. He say he'll call me the next day. He calls two days later and quotes me $100. I hesitate and he says "you know what, I don't even want to do this. It's complicated work." Later he tells me he was going to take the whole thing apart to get at the belt. This is not true. I am an amateur at fixing electronics and was able to get at the belt in like 10 minutes. When I came to get the machine he did not apologize at all he basically told me to take my machine and get the hell out of his shop. Never again will I enter that miserable man's shop full of really awesome vintage electronics. I don't know how this guy stays in business or what you have to do to feel welcome in his shop. Stay away, he will ruin your day! read more

worst place i've ever been to. had to bring back my speaker for warrenty work and the owner gives me an attitude like its my fault. then he tells me he prob wont be able to fix it. called back at the end of the week and i was nice and polite but was asking questions and he starts swearing at me. will never go back there. the speakers look like crap and wont trust him with any other work. find another place. dont go here read more