I walked into Sound by Singer twice. The first time, I had absolutely no idea that I was walking into a shrine of audio. That was in October 1998. I had just moved to NYC. I had a very limited budget of $1,000, and I was hosting a housewarming party the next day. I knew I was in the wrong store pretty much as soon as I walked in. However, Andy Singer was very patient and walked me through my options and I walked out with a CD player, an amp, and speakers from three different manufacturers that I had never heard of before. And he managed to make it work inside my budget of $1,000. A couple of months later, I was developing audiophile tendencies. The equipment I bought was that good, even within that budget, but the CD player just wasn't doing it for me. So I boxed it back up and returned to Sound by Singer. Amazingly, Andy didn't just take the CD player back. He sold me this beautiful alternative CD player made by an obscure English firm, for which all he asked me for was $200 and the return of the original CD player. The resultant combo kept me more than happy for 20 subsequent years. The amp eventually died, and the obscure firm in Jersey that made it had gone out of business, and it was not cost-effective to replace it. I ended up replacing everything. Although it's not an option for an audiophile, so I don't really qualify, I covered my home with Sonos speakers. I still have that CD player. I never play music on it anymore, but it was built with such love and care I have not been able to bring myself to part from it. Thank you, Andy. If you were the person many of the people posting negative reviews here say about you, you would have laughed me out of your store with my budget of $1,000. But instead, you made that $1,000 go so much further than I could possibly imagine. RIP Andy, and thank you for 20 plus years of beautiful music and helping turn my first New York apartment into my home. read more

I wish I could hive 0 stars. I bought an Esoteric SACD player years ago. It immediately had issues with the drawer getting stuck. I brought it in and after a few days they said there was nothing wrong with it. I got it home and the drawer stuck. I had to send it California to have it fixed under warranty but the shipping was expensive. Andy Singer was still alive then and when I spoke to him his solution was to sell me something else. read more

RIP Andy , thanks for recommending the Audionet Watt witch you sold me, still have it and love it . Just read you had a French mother and Jewish father, me too !!! read more

Sound By Singer - Home Theatre Installation Near Me - New York, New York

I am new to hifi and went to Sound by Singer looking to buy my first vinyl record player set up. I inquired about options in the $2k price range. Long story short, everything here is very high end - not a place to buy your first set up. BUT George sat me down and explained the basics of a vinyl set up, from turntables to amps to speakers. He even took some time to browse the internet with me an suggested a few components and online retailers to help get me going in the right direction. It was exactly the type of personal expert advice I needed. read more

I've been in this shop multiple times while visiting NY and have been treated badly every time. They may not be the most arrogant sales people I've ever seen, but I'm having a hard time thinking of any others that sink to their level. The merchandise tends heavily toward the over priced audio jewelry and away from value. But it's New York, and I suspect that there are enough arrogant affluent people here and passing through to keep them in business. If you're one of those, this may be the audio store for you. - Added after his comment I used to come to NY often for business and visited a number of stereo and camera stores, I'm now retired and back in the city for the first time in over two years. I looked on yelp to see which stereo shops were still in business. I saw that Singer was one of them, and that others reported similar negative experiences there, so I decided to add my review based on past visits. It took Andy about an hour to post his testy and immature reply. Imagine what it would be like to deal with people like this if there were any issues with your purchase. I've attended audio shows and spoken with exhibitors and vendors. Whenever Singer's name comes up, his obnoxious attitude is mentioned. His latest tirade supports that. read more

Andy is knowledgeable but will sell you what he wants to sell. I was naive and bought equipment many times before I understood. Many manufacturers will not let him access their equipment so there was no support when service was required. What does than imply? read more

Andy Singer has passed away. One of the last few great audio dealers in NYC is gone. Thank the Lord we still have Park Ave Audio; Audio Arts and some dealers of quality hi-end products in Brooklyn. Is Stereo Exchange still around? I don't know...I haven't been roaming around the City since I retired in 2018; and covid really put a damper on my explorations. Still if Stereo Exchange is still open, it is (in my experience) a fine brick and mortar store. But Andy Singer is gone now. I have stories of my early days in audio, going to Singer's on 17th Street and looking around with the kind of of awe others would have at the Louvre or Met Museum. But now the question is: who is going to carry all the fine gear that was part of Andy's enormous stable of manufacturers? He carried so much stuff! Audio can't survive without places people can go to hear equipment, and decide what to buy. I will miss Sound by Singer, even if I found Andy, at times, a little intimidating. Maybe even downright scary, but what can you expect from someone who looked and acted like Moses? read more

I emailed Sound by Singer regarding some speakers I wanted to audition. The owner emailed that he had the speakers in stock and he suggested a time and date to hear them. I replied asking if I could make an appt. for the following Friday. My email bounced back to me, so I called and spoke to the owner. I made an appt. for 1:00 PM the following Friday. The owner asked me to send him a reminder email. I told him that my email to him had bounced back, so he gave me another email address to send the reminder. I sent the reminder to the new email, and it bounced back, so I sent it again to the first email. This time, it did not bounce back. The owner did not show up for the appt. the following Friday. I was there from 12:50 to 1:15 PM. I rang the buzzer several times. I called the business phone and his personal cell, where I left voice mails saying I was there for my 1:00 PM appointment. I went up to the 2nd floor, where the door to Sound by Singer was closed and locked, and rang the bell. I understand that things happen and people sometimes cannot make their appointments, however, the owner never called or emailed to apologize or explain. I never heard from him again. Update: three months after I wrote this review, the owner commented here, apologizing for missing our appointment. I appreciate that, and I've added one star to my rating. He wrote "i did attempt to get in touch with you to reschedule." I left voice mails with my phone # on his business phone and his personal cell, and we had previously emailed. It doesn't seem possible that he was unable to get in touch with me. read more

I have been to every high-end audio store in NYC, and have been an audio-enthusiast for about 10 years now. Before I came to Sound By Singer, I was looking to upgrade my speakers for a long time but couldn't find anything that seemed worthy of the price. Only Sound By Singer was able to offer me what I was looking for. I called up and described the type of sound I liked to Andy, and made an appointment to come in. He picked out several pairs of speakers ahead of time and had them set up in the listening room. Upon listening, I could tell that these were truly excellent speakers. And the more I listened, the more I liked them. The first pair he recommended came closer to what I had in mind than anything else I'd heard. I wound up purchasing that first pair of speakers, and after several months of research and listening, I am confident that it was the best choice I could have made. Andy was very straightforward with me, and I appreciated his honesty. As opposed to other audio dealers I've met, I could tell that Andy was genuine because my ears validated every claim he made. The quality of equipment that a dealer chooses to carry reflects a great deal about them. In this case, it was clear to me that by buying a pair of speakers from Andy, I would be obtaining the best possible sound quality for the money. And, something that would make me happy for years to come. For someone as picky as I am, this is no small feat. Never before has an audio dealer been able to instill this sort of confidence in me. I am extremely happy with my purchase. read more

The place has great stuff at the highest prices on earth. (I once checked out a unit that they had priced at $17,000. I purchased that unit on line for $12,500) It is the owner-Andrew Singer- that is the real problem at Sound by Singer. He's a boor, unfriendly and acts like he's doing you a favor. It all comes from the top and the atmosphere there is permeated with his attitude. read more

Andrew is an extremely knowledgeable person with all of his years of experience dealing with various types and brands of equipment and mixing and matching them. He asks for your objectives and takes into account your tastes, other equipment and budget to arrive at choices that are presented in his showrooms. If you're looking for new or an upgrade in equipment, Andy is someone who I can rely on because I believe he is truly looking to help you with his guidance/opinion. And while you may not agree with his taste in music, he does offer good insights that help you arrive at your own conclusion. read more

Andy has been great to me. I had an issue with a DAC under warranty and he followed up with the service company and manufacturer so I could get my product back quickly. I was copied on those communications so I know he was a bulldog for me. He also suggested a new product that has exceeded my expectations and brought my system to a new level - he didn't try to sales BS me and I appreciated that. I also needed a flexible payment plan which he didn't offer at that moment, but he made that happen for me rather quickly. I know where I'll go in the future. read more

Read his description of digital cables. Anyone that is so out of touch with how digital works with send acknowledgement protocols makes we wonder about his ethics. He wants to sell product over anything. "What ever it takes to make the sale" If one has a thirty thousand dollar plus system, yes, I agree one does not want dime store cables even though they will work the same. One wants cool cables, it is a hobby. He should explain it that way. Buy the cool looking cables. read more

One of the worst Audio places I've ever been to. First off, my husband and I called to set up an appointment. We arrived on time. The owner or salesman had other clients there. He then told us to wait for half an hour. So we did. We drove here from rhode island and parked our car in the hotel parking garage. As a result we left our CDs in the car. We asked to listen to one of his CDs and he questioned us about our car and if we were trying to "scam him." after assuring him we were looking for a piece of studio equipment (after having spoken to him on the phone) we listened to a piece of overpriced, esoteric equipment. We didn't like it but had more questions for him about his other pieces of equipment. He literally told us to get out because thats all he had to sell. Wouldn't go there again and will be posting on audio forums to steer anyone away from there. Not worth the time, headache, or money. read more

This shop is excellent. Their sales staff is helpful, not pushy. I bought a complete audio system from their old Union Square shop in 2009 and couldn't be happier (combination of Cambridge receiver and CD player, with Focal Chorus floor speakers and a Musical Fidelity V-DAC). My system has held up well for years and I couldn't recommend Sound by Singer more highly. read more

I've been a customer of Sound by Singer for 15 years, and have appreciated the patient, attentive, expert service I've received. On one occasion, when a highly regarded company was spending an excessive amount of time addressing a warranty issue, I complained to Andy Singer who intervened on my behalf. He wasn't satisfied with the response, and offered me a store credit, and I bought something better. He DIDN'T have to do this. I'm awaiting delivery of a line stage preamp, purchased from S. by S. When making a considerable investment, both as a consumer and as a music lover, it's important to know you've a top-notch dealership behind you. read more

I am responding to the comment by Mr. Singer as to what I would do if I had the situation he describes with customers looking at a set price point on a Sat. What Mr. Singer lacks is the ability to see the pattern that is critical of him and how he comes across to the public. He does not realize that most of us work 5 days a week and have only the weekend to shop etc. He needs to realize that customers drive his business and after reading these reviews I will not shop at his store even though I can afford his products. read more

Andrew was nice on the phone and was equally nice in person. I had heard some negative reviews on yelp, but i don't judge people based on what other people say. Andrew gave me a nice deal and was the first person to be honest about some equipment that is getting tons of hype online as just that.. hype. Andrew didn't try to up sell me but instead gave me an honest answer. if you are used to dealing with a real NY'er without all the fluff this is a nice place. After wards we listened to music on his personal system. i would recommend Andrew to anyone who knows what they want and has done the research necessary in advance which to me is really. i called a few other places and got 10x more attitude and half of them were just plain rude. For example, i called park ave audio and the sales guy didn't even know what dac chip the dac he was selling had. he told me to look it up on my own! Since getting into audiophile gear i have encountered just two places where i have had good experiences in nyc and this is one of them. read more

I've bought almost all my stereo equipment here for thirty years, first at the retail store and more recently by phone and email. Andy's advice is always excellent. Every piece of equipment that he has recommended has fit perfectly with my system, does exactly what he said, and sounds great. After my last two moves I had staff members connect up my equipment in the new apartment and it was money very well spent. Frankly, at this point Andy can pick better equipment for me than I can pick for myself, and, if you give him your budget, he will always work within it. read more

I've been to all of the high-end audio stores in NYC and have been an "audio enthusiast" for about 10 years now. I had been looking to upgrade my speakers for a long time but hit a plateau and couldn't find a replacement that seemed worthy of the increase in price. Only Sound By Singer was able to offer me exactly what I was looking for. My experience dealing with Sound By Singer, and specifically Andy Singer, has been excellent. I trust his taste in audio more than anyone else in the business. When I came to Sound by Singer, I had almost lost hope in finding a pair of speakers that I would really love. At that point I wasn't thrilled with anything I heard at other audio shops around the city, and I wasn't sure if the sound I was looking for even existed in my price range. This isn't a cheap hobby by any means, so being very picky isn't unreasonable. In retrospect, I am glad that I held out for so long. If I hadn't waited until getting in touch with Andy, I probably would have wasted my money on something inferior. Dealing with Andy was great. I explained my tastes to him over the phone and then made an appointment to come in. He picked out a pair of speakers for me ahead of time and had them set up in the listening room. Upon hearing them, I immediately knew that they were a notch above everything else I had heard. And, the more I listened, the more I liked them. The sound was the closest thing I'd heard to what I had in mind. I've had them for several months now, and I am confident that buying them was the absolute best I could have done. Andy was very straightforward and I appreciated his honesty. As opposed to other audio dealers I've met, I could tell that Andy was genuine because my ears validated every claim he made. That, and the quality of the equipment he stocked reflected a great deal about his taste/experience to me. Above all else, one thing became very clear to me after my visit to the store--I felt confident that if I gave this man my money, I would wind up with something awesome. Not just awesome, but something that I'd be happy with. For someone as picky as I am, this is no small feat. This has been the only time an audio dealer has been able to instill that sort of confidence in me. read more

I am responding to the the rebuttal that sound by singer wrote in response to my review on 3-17-2016. Mr. Singer stated that it is troublesome to move around speakers for an audition but it is not so to sell them. He expects for me to come to the store, listen and buy just like that, this is absurd the arrogance of him. Further more he states that he has had the privilege of hiring Black people so i guess it should be a privilege for me to spend my money with white people, shame on you. Your reputation proceeds you along with your long time competitor Lyric hi fi who also share some similarities. As vice president of a small and growing audio club of 78 members this experience was shared with them as I can control who they spend their money with I can however be very persuasive. Also I will never buy any product that fidelis av distributes in the US and encourage my members to do so. We will find and alternative there is always one. By the way I made my decision I purchased the focal sopra 3 loudspeakers which happen to be 3 times the amount of the spendor d7s. read more