Dave has a great store. I've bought quite a bit of gear there over the last 25 to 30 years. A store doesn't stay around that long if they are not doing it right. Can some of his staff be a little uppity? You betcha, and here's the little secret: especially the ones who know much less about audio gear than they let on! It has happened to me more than once, but I just walk away from (usually a) him and find the knowledgeable guy or gal who understands that sales are driven by caring about making the audio experience a positive one for everybody, not just the ones with deep pockets (Dave Hafler, where are you know that we really need you?). As for riding a bike without hands, Dave, here's how it's done: http://mynorthwest.com/813/2311715/Man-without-arms-bikes-from-Miami-to-Spokane-to-raise-money-for-armless-boy read more

This is not Best Buy. Do not go here if you are not serious about audiophile gear. Do not expect them to explain why their goods are more expensive than Best Buy. If you don't already know, the chance of you shelling out the cash for high end audiophile gear is very low and it is not worth the time and energy tending to your needs. But if you are serious about audiophile gear, this is the place to go. They have everything and you can try it and consult with an expert before buying. These folks know their stuff. And yes, you can expect to pay a small premium for the services they provide. It's cool if you can't appreciate that, as long as you aren't also one of the folks lamenting the decline of brick & mortar retail. read more

My experience with Matt from Stereo exchange saved me close to $1,000. I had purchased a $5k system a month prior another hi end store in midtown, My old CD player had just lost a channel. I contacted the salesperson who sold me the $5K system at the other store, and he told me i should come in to audition other cd players to purchase-they were in the $1k range. I called up two other stores, who gave me the same pitch. When i called Stereo exchange and spoke to Matt, he told me that as my Amp had a DAC, I first first try and purchase a $30 digital input cable to run from my CD player to my Amp, which would bypass the DAC in my old CD player and use the DAC in the AMP. To my surprise, it worked. Matt explained that a CD player is basically a mechanical transport, and a DAC. He also said that when my CD player goes completely, i could save $$$ by purchasing a cheap CD player with a decent transport mechanism and use the same digital cable to connect it use the DAC to my AMP. . In discussing other items, he seemed to be the most the most informed salesperson i had yet spoken to, Matt at the Stereo Exchange is the only resource i would recommend for all audio ones audio needs! read more

I went in for a part. And, while they found it, they charged me 3 times the price anywhere else. It was a cheap part and I was in a bind, so i bought it anyways, but the fact that they feel they can get away with that is nauseating. Service is rude and slow, but they do know what they're talking about, so there's that. read more

I finally bought a home and was incredibly excited to buy some high-quality speakers to put in the living room. My nephew and I went into Stereo Exchange to check out a few speakers, and I could not believe my experience. Initially all of the sales people were huddled around the counter talking to one another, and no one even looked at us until I went over to ask for help. I told one of them I was interested in a pair of Martin Logan speakers and without skipping a beat, the salesman looked at me and told me those were $10,000 as if to say "you definitely can't afford to shop here". I then told him I was interested in adding a pair of speakers to a home entertainment system, and in an incredibly defensive tone, he said "look around! Do you see any televisions around here? We don't sell home theater systems!". I was getting frustrated but I tried to keep my cool... I turned to one of the other sales people and asked if they carried any Sonus Faber speakers. She told me they had a beautiful pair and that they were in the other room. At that point the first salesman turned to her and said "those are $35,000 speakers... I don't think he's looking for anything like that!". Trying to stay positive, I responded "true, but they sure are fun to listen to"... this obviously set him off, and with a raised voice, bordering on yelling said "I need people in here that will buy speakers and not just listen to them! People who just listen don't keep the lights on!". I've actually bought speakers from Stereo Exchange in the past as well as a couple pair of headphones. Needless to say I won't be returning. By all means, if you're looking to be publicly berated by incredibly rude, angry men, this is your place. Otherwise I'd suggest you shop elsewhere. read more

Hello, I'd like to spend a lot of money. Hello? Guy behind counter (think Comic Book Guy on The Simpsons) staring at computer screen. Please acknowledge me. Hello? Did I mention I want to actually purchase something? read more

It's not so much that the salesperson was a slight bit pushy. It wasn't even that he was completely hung up some semantic term that even the manufacturer's literature had no reference to. Not even his insults about my musical taste or lack of knowledge of esoteric jazz bands kept me from making a purchase. It was the return policy, or rather, lack thereof. I assumed that at the very least I could exchange this product for something else if I wasn't happy with it. I was wrong, and I questioned the salesperson on this. The response amounted to me having to trust their expertise and knowledge. Well, no knowledge or expertise is going to make a giant showroom sound like my apartment. Why don't THEY trust their expertise and knowledge? So, I traveled further uptown and I bought it elsewhere. I love it, and I have no plans to return it. I guess he was right after all. read more

I understand that your store sells precious, precious high-end theater systems and please forgive me when I said I was looking for a basic home theater systems (I presumably should have used more jargon) and was nearly directed across the street to Best Buy. And thank you for describing my living room as 'small' and intimating I do not watch action movies (young female with money to burn through) and being talked about like I was not in the room and described as obnoxious when I was keeping quiet to keep all the frustration and rage inwards. Your tone-deaf customer service is tiresome and pretentious as well as your ridiculous Leave It to Beaver attitude. I do not love going into a store feeling like I am on defense. And why do you pipe in the cheapest sounding MP3 sample through your $30k speakers? Honestly, your 90's Enigma track sounded diluted, like your hype. read more

back in LA my boxer pups more or less ate the foam ear pads to my grado headphones. i just happened to stumble across this spot and not only did they have a great selection of grado headphones, which is in and of itself pretty impressive, they had my replacement pads in stock and i walked out a happy man. read more

They came up in my search for a Local store that sells Blu-Tack, a blue sticky material / reusable glue. I couldn't believe when I read in another review that they are selling it for $18! It's usually a $3-$4 product. That's, errr... 5 times the normal price! Still I gave them a call and it's true!! $18! Makes you wonder how much they will overcharge for other items... What a rip-off. Beware! read more

Poor service + crappy attitude +pretentious demeanor = Winning! Shittiest audio store of the year.

I purchased a pair of wireless headphones that the salesman helped me set up that didn't work as they should the second I walked out the door. While walking down the street, the music would skip repeatedly. This problem resolved when I was sitting still. When I brought the entire package back to the store to return/exchange them within 6 days (their exchange policy is within 7 days), the manager had little to no interest in hearing about the defective product they sold me, refusing even an exchange, expressing in mild disgust that they couldn't accept them because they had been in my ears. I think there's a reason why big box stores win out sometimes. read more

Would give zero stars if I could. Wandered in 6 weeks ago in search of a wireless system I'd seen reviewed in Wired. While they didn't have it, they did have the Naim Mu-So, a beautiful unit that sounded great. That first experience was a good one, the sales guy that helped me was young and helpful. Fast forward 6 weeks: I decided I wanted to buy the unit, and while I could have ordered online, I felt a pull to do right to the guys that showed it to me, so called in to reserve a unit and went in today to pick it up. Walked in the store today around 4:30pm. It was literally as if the employees were avoiding me. I asked one guy if he could help, he said 'I don't know' and stood there like he didn't work there. Later confirmed, he does (did? Jeez). After basically walking into the back of the store to ask a guy for help, he comes out to the front to where my girlfriend and I are trying to get the Bluetooth connected. He immediately tells me what I'm doing is wrong, looks at his phone, and announces that what he is doing is right, but that it's not working, and there's nothing he can do. This is the part where you're supposed to explain the issue to me and tell me why I wouldn't have the same issue at home. I have to prompt this - 'if it doesn't work here, why would I have confidence it would work at home?' 'I see your point' he says. I get angry. He says - I have a customer in back, I'm going to help him. I laugh and curse them out and cancel my order. Guess what? Apple sells the same unit now (dust free unlike Stereo Exchange) and the customer service is as usual brilliant. I bought it from Apple. No idea how or why these guys are still in business or why any of them bothered to get out of bed and go to work today. Please close. read more

They are a decent high-end audio store but they often criticize brands they do not carry. I find that very unprofessional. The Kimber Kables they will no doubt push on you prior to ringing you up are not worth the $$. I find myself now going in only when I know specifically what I want. I don't need a salesman to counter what almost every respected audiophile in this nation recommends either. read more

I too read the low reviews and I had a totally different experience. I walked into the store today and asked about a turntable. I dealt with Alan C who couldn't have been nicer. Gave me good advice ...The was NO HIGH PRESSURE at all and no rudeness.Maybe these other reviewers went into a different shop. Anyway the stuff sounds amazing but not cheap read more

I am really surprised by the flack this place has gotten, but I do trust fellow Yelpers, especially those who are more well-versed in audio technics. I wanted to treat myself to a pair of serious headphones, but I was on a student budget. I walked in knowing I didn't want to spend more than $150 for a pair. The place is really for audio snobs, and it was a little intimidating, but Michael was really nice in assisting me and gave me recommendations right off the bat as well as introducing me to more expensive products to compare the sound. I didn't end up buying anything the first time I walked in so I could do some more research online, but ended up finding out that the Grado S60 headphones Michael originally recommended to me were pretty legit. I also appreciated that this place carried the Grado brand, which is made in Brooklyn...gotta love local businesses. This place doesn't carry Dr. Dre Beats, or any other mass-produced made-in-China products. It seems like a real boutique audiophile's store, so it's a little more highbrow and pretentious. But I did not feel maltreated. Staff was patient and friendly and knew their stuff. With a Best Buy literally across the street from this place, I know it's important to support these kind of places, which are trying to preserve the genuine quality and integrity of audio equipment. read more

What a joke! Served by a rude arrogant sales assistant. Michael. Who not only dismissed my enquiry telling me I should email him pictures as he couldn't be bothered to listen, he was also extremely aggressive. This guy should NOT be working in customer service. Do not waste your time here. read more

As people have said, rude. There are too many other hifi stores with great products and salespeople who actually like talking to customers to go to this place. read more

This is the second time I have made a big purchase at Stereo Exchange - specifically, the new McIntosh MA352 integrated amplifier. Aside from the fact that I absolutely love this new amp (sound, look, quality, etc... I could really go on forever), my experience at Stereo Exchange has been nothing but sublime. Once again, Glenn and Evan helped me out tremendously; we did demos (on different speakers to get a sense of how the system would sound at my home), they were both patient and responsive to all of my (often pestering) questions. And they're all super friendly and super cool, so just going to the place and discussing audio equipment and music in general is an absolute pleasure. While I intend on keeping the MA352 for hopefully forever, one never really knows, and if I need anything audio related again, Stereo Exchange is 10000% my spot. So, don't listen to negative reviews. read more

They told me not to touch anything in the store, except for the headphones. Even Ferrari of Orange County allowed me to sit in their cars. Audio equipment is meant to be felt and listened to, not worshipped or feared. read more

A third star for nostalgia, even though it doesn't really deserve it. Over the years, I've gotten great stuff at great prices from really knowledgeable salesmen, but, at least when I went there on a recent Sunday, it seemed to have taken a nosedive. The still have the gigabuck equipment, and I guess if you have $40,000 to spend, you can get a great system. But the place looked dusty and tired. I went in to try out a $350 pair of headphones that had gotten a rave in the NY Times and brought along several of my favorite SACDs. Nope. They had no way to play them. Just low quality MP3s. I asked to hear one of the SACDs through their high-end system, but the salesman couldn't figure out how to operate it. Downer. read more

Stereo Exchange is frustratingly hit-or-miss. I've been there a few times, purchased some odds and ends. Never really had issues, but wasn't blown away. Walked in a couple weeks ago ready to upgrade a bunch of components but wasn't asked once by an employee if I needed any help. Frankly I didn't need any help but I was the only customer on the floor with three employees just standing around, talking amongst themselves. I left empty handed and walked up the street to In Living Stereo. Won't look back. read more

These guys are ridiculous. Terribly condescending and only marginally helpful, and that's only if you can wade through the disdain and keep asking your foolish, uninformed questions long enough for them to answer you. Bear in mind, though, that they will answer you only to prove how stupid you are, not to share knowledge. On the other hand, if you simply want to give someone a budget and let them decide what's right for you, this could be your place! read more

After seeing all the low star reviews I was skeptical about this place to say the least. My experience couldn't have been better. Michael Toto was amazing. He really listened to what I was after and then proceeded to give me option after option. I listened for over an hour and learnt a lot. I didn't buy anything this time but with customer service like this I can see they'd have customers for life. Their demo stock on hand is incredible, and I may even buy from them and ship to LA (where I live) just because I really want to support such a great organization. read more

I have purchased many items with David and his staff at Stereo Exchange. I was surprised to read complaints here on Yelp. All the complaints were that the sales staff wasn't attentive enough. This has never been a problem for me. I probably spent more than a $100,000 with Stereo Exchange over the years. So far all the items I have purchased have been great. They have always stood by what they sell and if any issues arrive they have been quick to take care of it. They are honest and have very fair prices. I had a couple of warranty issues come up and they were quickly taken care of without any problems. I would recommend them to anyone. read more

This place is/was a joke and im glad to hear it's going out of business. Pretty much everything wrong with the hobby is exemplified by this location. Snoody staff, "I know better than you" attitude when trying stuff out, and when you mention anything about your budget they dont like the interest drops. read more

They do have a great selection of high end equipment and the staff is knowledgeable about it. This is where the pros end! First off the prices are extremely high. The sales people are sharks. When you walk out of the place you feel dirty and ripped off. They practice the trickle down system of rudeness. From the ownership down sales. I came in there to buy some speaker wires. Knowing exactly what I wanted was a big mistake. The sales person kept on trying to up sell me. When he notices he was failing he switched to being condescending and tried to question my judgement. When he finally realized it wasn't going to work he simply got on the phone to the stock room and asked for the cables I wanted, but also threw in "yeah the CHEAP ones" in the request. With the work CHEAP emphasized. There are a lot of stereo stores in Manhattan and unless you are on the corner of Broadway and Houston St with a bomb that will go off in 5 minutes and the only thing that will stop it is an over priced tube amp go to Stereo Exchange, otherwise I'd go somewhere else. If your bomb has 6 minutes on in take the chance go somewhere else! read more

I took my friend here to shop for his first real system. The guy who helped us was friendly, and identified our needs right away. He didn't try to push anything on us, and he gave us all the time we needed to make an educated decision on what we liked. Truly, Stereo Exchange has earned their title as NY's Best. read more

Money laundering operation? I came in looking for a set of B&W speakers and the salesman (Michael Toto) told me that 'that was like buying a car by looking at the tires'. That I needed to buy a $10,000 amplifier and a $2,000 set of cables, so if I wasn't 'looking to spend $17,000, I was in the wrong place'. I told him that I didn't think that analogy was fair, and he interrupted me and told me they were about to close (it was 7.10pm and I know the close at 7.30) so he basically kicked me out of the store. After looking at all other negative and similar reviews, I came to think that this place must be a front for money laundering. there's no other explanation of how this place could still be in business given how rude they are to customers. It would also explain why they have this attitude, they are probably not interested in making any real sales, it would leave less room for bad money to launder. read more

I went in yesterday asking about speakers for an old turntable that I recently bought. Stereo Exchange was above the range of what I'm currently looking for. However, the way in which the salesman tried to let me know that it might not be the right place for me was passive-aggressive and condescending from start to finish, to say the least. One of the first things I mentioned was that I'm not very knowledgeable in regards to audio equipment so I was in the need of some recommendations. What struck me is these people not realizing that this kind of treatment will make a lot of people like me turn away from the store, even if I decided to purchase a high end system. I could've even been 'talked into' buying higher-end equipment if I had received a good, respectful treatment and recommendations, but this was not the case. Every single thing that the salesman said, if expressed respectfully ("unlike you, I have 25 years of experience in this and have installed thousands of systems" definitely won't get me anywhere) could have been used to convince me of why I should buy something that they have, because they actually have very good stock. Stereo Exchange make you feel like they don't want your business. And let me tell you: it works. Terrible customer service and attitude. read more

In town for a few hours and bought a pair of headphones. I get back to my hotel and the the ear guards were wrong. Unbelievably they sent an employee to my hotel to switch them out. I was very pleased with the promptness and professionalism of each person I dealt with. Anybody can be good when things are going well but their response to my issue was awesome. Now I have what I want and they will see me again when I'm back in town. This is how to treat a customer. Thanks Mike, Ann and the gentleman who dropped off the right guards. Can't wait for my flight so I can enjoy my music on some killer headphones! read more

Good luck to anyone seeking to audition speakers and amps here in Manhattan. In my recent tour of high-end salons and mass-market establishments, both provided more than their share of disinformation and poor acoustic environments. I can at least state that Stereo Exchange seemed to have the largest stock and most sound rooms of the high-end establishments. They also proved much friendlier than many of these reviews suggest. So if the prospect of dropping some serious coin doesn't frighten you, you will certainly find good equipment here. More fortunate buyers will simply hear a good-sounding system at a friend's house and buy the same equipment for less wampum online. read more

Really helpful fixing my Bowers & Wilkins speaker. Was missing a small connecting part that was offered for free and off I went happy not to have to invest in a new tweeter or lengthy service. Very kind and genuine. Thank you Stereo exchange! read more

Was it a mid-life crisis? A need to buy some toys? The last time I had a great audio system was back in the 70s, so probably all of the above. I had a definite price point in my head for a pair of speakers. Wanting to hear some in optimum conditions meant an audio salon rather an electronics chain store. I've known of Stereo Exchange for ages--went there once with a friend when he was buying new gear--and knew they provided a high-end audition process. My issue was price, I thought I was way below what they offer. I had a nice chat with the owner Dave and he mentioned some items that were in my range, including a pair of used Bowers & Wilkins CM7s. I went in and Glenn brought out some options. Listened by selecting music from a hi-end streaming service. Outstanding experience. Both hearing music through great speakers and the no hard-sell sales experience. Glenn was going to let me sit and sample music to my heart's content. I decided on a pair of speakers, which had to be shipped from the manufacturer, and I was good to go. Evan handled the payment transaction and he was flawless. They all made me feel as valued as the customer who pays 10x as much as I do for gear. read more

I had recommended this place to my friends and my father, and boy do I feel like a jerk! Their service is inattentive, and useless when you do get someone's attention, more focused on upselling you on cables than finding you a good piece of equipment. My father was looking for a home theater receiver and was told repeatedly by the sales person to get an Integra DTR 50, which broke in about a year. It has taken a month to be repaired and now, after being told it would be shipped back to his apartment he is told they don't do deliveries or shipment and he would have to pay a 3rd party. I'm sorry but you sell large, heavy pieces of equipment, do you expect everyone to come down to your store and throw heavy, expensive equipment in a cab? I will never reccomend this place again, especially when there are so many other choices, very disappointed. read more

Unlike some reviewers here, I actually made a recent transaction at Stereo Exchange. For full disclosure, I do not work for this business nor any of its competitors. I have never set foot in the store, nor do I personally know the owner or any of his employees. All of my correspondence was over the phone and numerous emails. It was a complicated sight unseen purchase involving large, pricey, out-of production, pre-owned loudspeakers that required servicing from the manufacturer before a long distance shipment via common freight carrier. I have nothing but praise for how this transaction was conducted. In addition to just selling me the speakers, this business went the extra mile. The store owner: 1. Provided almost daily updates on the progress of the sale, repair, and shipment of the speakers. 2. Drop-shipped new speaker cables to me from the manufacturer. 3. Brokered correspondences with the manufacturer to service speakers that were not even purchased at Stereo Exchange. 4. Presented me with different large package shipping options and price quotes. 5. Boxed professionally, shipped insured, and secured on pallet. It took 30 days to complete the sale and I'm sure, with all the time and effort they expended, their profit approached nil. This satisfied customer highly recommends shopping at Stereo Exchange. read more

I have been trading audio equipment for the last 15 years and have experienced stores with the air of snobbishness. Stereo Exchange is the epitome of that which gives the hobby the bad name. Worst of all with my experience was they quoted me a lower price on email and they upped it when I was in store after I drove from 200 miles. read more

Staff could not be bothered to interact with mud, even after walking up to them and asking for help. Mafia front?

I really wanted to like this place and support an independent stereo shop. And I've never written a negative review of anything I don't think! But the staff (management?) here resulted in two miserable retail experiences. The 15 minutes you'll wait (if you're lucky) before someone helps you isn't even the start. Nor is their rudeness, arrogance and pushiness. It's the deceptive, crooked business practices that were the most maddening. Expect an up-sell and don't plan on returning anything. read more

I had a fantastic experience with Stereo Exchange, I interacted with Dave who was very knowledgeable and helpful. They were having a moving sale and I was able to turn some of my audiophile dreams into reality with a pair of LCD-X's. Had some trouble with the product but Dave made sure the problem was corrected, and that I was satisfied. Thank you Dave, and Stereo Exchange! I'll be sure to check with you next time I'm looking for some Hi-Fi audio gear. read more