Took my girlfriend's early-80s turntable in because the needle needed replacing, and this place…read moreabsolutely blew me away. It's tucked away, but once you step inside, you're surrounded by some of the most incredible sound systems and turntables--it honestly feels like a hidden gem for audio lovers. The staff couldn't have been nicer. They checked out the turntable and let me know the needle was just dirty, then cleaned it for free. No upselling, just genuine help. They did recommend upgrading the turntable down the line, which I'm definitely considering after my trip. If you're even remotely into stereo gear, this spot is a must-visit. It's basically the Amoeba Records of high-end audio. 10/10.

This place is nothing short of heaven. The gear is all next level, sure, but it's the friendliness…read moreof the staff and the way the place feels that has me coming around. From getting educated on different amp/speaker pairings to their listening sessions that raise money for LAUSD ... I just might need to move in.

Very cool looking spot. I will say we came right after opening to grab some food before a lakers…read moregame so it was pretty empty and it looked like they were maybe setting up for the night. We got the wings, miso mac and cheese, and steak/filet bites. These were all on happy hour. The wings were really good. Small portion and small (little baby) wings but the sauces (yuzu something, and siracha honey) were super tasty! I had suchhhhh high hopes for the miso Mac and cheese but I wouldn't get it again. It's not very miso heavy and the cheese mostly on top. The inside/bottom part of the noodles were bland and needed cheese or cheese sauce. The steak bites were good but small. I guess normal size for a happy hour plate. Separately, the happy hour menu on their website is bigger than the actual one. So they need to change that asap. No curry on the HH menu currently :( The drinksssss were FANTASTIC. We got the purple haze and no name. Love the names LOL. I would do 3 orders of drinks to try all the interesting stuff they had if we had time. Soooo I won't rush back here but it was decent. Highlight was the drinks. Also happy to support a black-owned (I think) business!

Came here with a group of 4 and we got a reservation online…read more Good - Each dish was so good! We even got a free biscuit and honey dish from the chef that was amazing, good flakey texture - Miso mac n cheese was so good - never had a dish like it before and we devoured it quickly - My dish was the chicken curry katsu - it was ok, I think 6/10 but I liked how it was clean and had a lot of healthy ingredients like veggies - I liked the shrimp n grits since they had a unique asian twist Bad: - The wait time was insane between dishes - we needed to wait about 30 min for our first dish, then another 30 min after to get our entree, so it was a lot of waiting between eating - Loud DJ playing in the back so you need to yell a bit to hear people Overall this was a cool vibe and a fun atmosphere and I think the food is worth going back for.

This is another follow-up review on both the Legacy Focus SE speakers that I have had for about a…read morehear now, but also how outstanding James has been on being helpful on a few technical questions that have come along since my purchase in Oct, 2019. First, the speakers. They are awesome; like no other, with an amazing soundstage. I just marvel at the stage where the music I enjoy is coming from the center filling the "stage" on each side (Yello anyone?). I have had new listeners compliment me on how great my center channel is (Legacy Marquis XD), and after they have listened for awhile and complimented me again on the great center side, I love telling them that it is not playing- that is the amazing sound stage of the Focus SEs. You have to listen to the Focus towers (mine are the SEs) to get it. If you decide you love them, then make sure James sets them up for the maximum sound stage benefit. And also be sure and get the optional additional feet as they made a big difference- and the cost was so small I forgot how much. Plus, I almost forgot the CODA electronics which are amazing and well worth it- and substantially less than many "names" you see in the high end stereo mags. Then I want to say just how helpful James is with follow-up questions after the initial installation, which he did. I have reached out to him three times, twice due to Cox Cable gear that was performing poorly and he gave me an approach to improve it. Then when I had to move my gear for repositioning, I forgot to measure the locations, separation, and angle. He knew immediately and guided me through it as I wanted to restore what he did. Want to dazzle your friends? After you get a pair of Legacy tower speakers, model will not matter and only get better up the price curve, don't tell them that your center is off. Great fun to see the expression on their faces. Then sit back and just love live music.

James at Destination was a pleasure to work with. Very generous with information and his time…read more Great place to audition Legacy speakers. Altogether a great experience.

Chris was awesome! I called about an issue with my receiver. He explained over the phone that i…read moreshould first check for a blown fuse. I opened it up and he was right. Replaced the fuse for $4 and fixed it myself. I really appreciate that he helped me figure it out without him coming out. I'll definitely be calling Chris again with any more audio equipment issues. thanks!

I recently got an 80's Sanyo stereo system, knowing nothing about it but needing help getting the…read moretable to turn, sound to work, and needle replaced. Chris stayed on the phone with me for 2 hours (I am not local) and was able to guide me through set-up, care for my system, and even noticed that the red cap from the needle broke off and needed to be removed (pictured). He gave me recommendations on how to get it out, waited for me to try them, and sent me a link for the correct needle replacement. Im able to listen to the radio and my tapes now, just waiting for the needle and I can finally play my records. His ability to walk me through the set-up and minor repairs, without even touching the system, is a true testament to his knowledge and skill. Thank you!

Outstanding Service and Support at Ahead Stereo…read more I purchased my McIntosh turntable from Ahead Stereo and recently ran into an issue with my stylus. I reached out to Brian, and he immediately went above and beyond--contacting McIntosh on my behalf, walking me through the options, and ultimately helping me get back up and running. What stood out most wasn't just the solution, but the care and integrity Brian showed throughout the process. He didn't treat me like just another transaction, he treated me like a valued customer. That kind of support is rare, and it's exactly why I'll keep coming back to Ahead Stereo. If you're into high-end audio and want a dealer who stands by their customers, this is the place. Highly recommend.

It's is increasingly difficult to find retail operations that give the time to customers looking…read morefor guidance. Today during my visit to ahead stereo I was looking for an education in creating a future home stereo system, I'm not up to date on all the options, but have a general idea of what I'm trying to achieve. These folks seemed interested in selling me a consultation for a couple hundred dollars rather than trust helping me and winning my trust, it seemed they were concerned if the helped me understand what would be a good solution I would leave the store and buy online. That was not the plan and once I figure out what I'm looking for I'll probably be back to buy local, as I'm a big supporter of that concept. My suggestion in the future is customer comes first, build the trust and loyalty will follow.

I called to ask about a repair on a portable Bose speaker. While they were unable to help with this…read moreparticular task, Jason kindly pointed me in the right direction by referring me to another place that might be able to help. Jason's honesty, kindness, and willingness to help were especially notable. If I have any issues with my home audio in the future, I'd definitely come here.

Load of tech- from in home setups to IE earbuds and headphones, all of which were great to test…read more It's known for having many of these devices for a reason, and the workers were generally pretty nice aside from making you feel that you don't know as much as you do when you go there. But that's their job and I had an enjoyable experience testing their audio- Will definitely look into visiting again.

Shocked this place is still around. Their prices are terrible and the staff are really pretentious…read moreand unfriendly. They should be on Portlandia! Go somewhere else, there's plenty of other shops with friendly peeps and nice prices around the area. I tried y'all.

Big fan of this little spot! The pricing is fair for a brick and mortar, and the selection is…read morefantastic! I've never had a problem with records I purchase here, and only wish it were closer to me. Also appreciate the owner trying to track down Kate Bush records for me some years back when they were wildly out of print! It is a point in favor of the store for me forever. Thanks!!

Ladies and gentlemen of the jury - *sigh* - I'm just a boomer. Your modern Home Theater systems…read morefrighten and confuse me. I come from a simpler time with simpler equipment. Multiple remotes accessing multiple menus and sub-menus cause me to hyperventilate and yearn for my plug-n-play 2-channel days. Thankfully, Larry was able to come to my place and, within a minute, solve the problem of my two (and only two) speakers playing the side channels of whatever movie I'd be trying to watch on this newfangled audio-video system. Now, if I could just find a good set of rabbit ears for this whatchacallit flat screen tv...

I was looking for new KEF speakers and found Monaco through KEF's list of authorized dealers. Ian…read moreand Larry were very knowledgeable and friendly. They gave me a great deal on a speaker/stand/amplifier combo. Even though orders were delayed due to the COVID semiconductor shortage, Ian kept me up-to-date on my order. After I received my equipment, Ian gave me tips for getting the most out of them. Will definitely go back for whatever audio equipment I need in the future!