Hifi Records & Cafe

As a vinyl virgin, I did my best to do as much research as possible before making any purchases. I noticed Hi-​Fi one day and after seeing their great reviews I decided to pass by one day. I went in and talked to AJ, asked him a million questions, he was extremely knowledgable and helpful. I purchased a turntable and few LPs and now I could finally relax after a stressful day at work while listening to an album.

Excellent service and friendly staff. I just bought a turntable, amp, and speakers from them and am completely delighted by the products. I highly recommend this place to anyone who loves music.

Pretty sure this is the only vintage store I could walk into, admit that I know nothing about records and that my taste in music includes T-​Swift and J Biebs, and that I’m here because I got a record player courtesy of Target this Christmas and not have any shade thrown at me whatsoever.
I truthfully had no idea what I was looking for, I just wanted something to fill my new record player with, and the guy who helped me out was totally non-​judgmental and just super happy to talk about records and music with me.
I think the best thing about this place is their «mystery boxes,» where you get 5 records for 8 bucks and you don’t know what they are until you get home and open them. Mine had everything from Barbra Streisand to Bobby Bland.
If you’re not sold on a certain record, you can even listen to it before you decide to purchase it right there in the store.
HiFi Records is truly like walking into a time warp. It’s an excellent place to escape, learn some new stuff about music and uncover old school artists from decades ago.

Good to see Astoria have a record store. Pretty good selection, nice friendly staff. I’ll be back!

Great selection of both new, trendy records and used older jems. Staff is exceptionally friendly, helpful and passionate. One of the best crate-​digging experiences you’ll have in the NYC area outside of Rough Trade. Finally got listening stations too (combined with great coffee makes a phenomenal chill spot in Queens)!

Finally, Astoria has it’s own record store! The owner Javi is extremely helpful and patient answering any questions you may have. We bought a new U-​turn record player which is awesome. I also like that the store doesn’t have that too cool for school judgmental vibe that you can get in some other shops around the city.
While the shop is small, the selection is getting better and better every week: classic rock, indie, jazz, blues, 50s-​60s, and world. Good selection of newer music along with used records. I have no problems bringing records home with me every time I visit! Javi also recommends awesome stuff that I might not pick up on my own. I’m starting to build quite a nice little collection.
Hifi also hosts live music events about once or twice a month that I’m interested in attending once I get my act together. Very happy to have this shop in the community!

Will definitely be a regular here. They are just getting started, and already have brought such a great vibe to the neighborhood. Wonderful and attentive staff. Really can’t wait to go back for some of the live events they are doing.

Nice little record shop in Astoria. Due to its small size, the selection is not as vast as say, Rough Trade, but they do have lots of good stuff there. I saw some nice super-​rare records as well, which was really cool.

Hey Astoria, this place is awesome!
Right when you walk in someone is there saying ‘Hi’! The person running the store was super chill and was happy to answer my asinine questions about record players. And they always have some record playing on their system. It’s all very hipsterish, but STILL an awesome addition to the hood!
They sell U-​Turn record players, but only the $ 299 one for now. The selection of records seems small in comparison to other record stores I’ve been to. They do have a ton of good ones though from brand new music to old $ 1 records to add to your collection.
I did not get a chance to try the coffee, but they do serve drinks. And they have a small bar seating area near the window for about 3 people if you want to chill and listen to some music.

New selection is okay but limited. Used is pretty meh. Not much disco, the world section is mostly just Latin American… no African, Turkish, Middle Eastern etc.
New records are pricey here.
Happy that there’s a record store in my part of town but I don’t have a compelling reason to check in again any time soon.

A wonderful new record shop in Astoria right on Steinway in an upcoming neighborhood and much needed in the area.
Walking in feels like you’re back in the Village in the 90s with tightly curated stock to stacks to sift through used bargains. This friendly retro vibe make you feel welcomed and want to spend hours looking for the perfect find. You can sell old records, trade, and buy. The used stacks have color coded finds from $ 1 up to $ 10. Along the walls are new vintage finds and tried and true classics.
I went in not knowing what to expect. The music selection is varied and caters to different tastes, common enough for the everyday customer yet eclectic enough for the niche. Of course there are also record players for sale and record accessories. I think I need a new mat… There is also coffee that you can sip and people watch along the front windows.
This is definitely a place I see myself swinging by often just to see what’s new or be a great place to kill a few hours in.

How pleased am I that this lil record store slash café showed up in my hood? Very very pleased.
Collectors, aficionados, crate diggers and East Village ex-​pats will feel right at home here — not least because the owner Javi is a genuine dude who digs all kinds of music and is interested in what you like, what you’re looking for, and what you might be selling.
I dropped by on a Saturday evening (they’re open till 8 on Sats, which will hopefully lead to weekly live music/​djs). The collection is compact, with a lot of new 180-​gram represses for collectors. Some had no price tag, but all records were scannable and started at at around $ 20. The used bins were color-​coded, $ 1 to $ 10, and here’s where my interest was piqued — everything from film soundtracks to hair metal, both reasonably worn and priced.
I dig that they’re equipped with an espresso maker — perfect for sipping while digging! Javi got me a cup of plain joe, which was solid.
Their opening party last week was a success, judging by the photos, and I left dreaming of upcoming musical events and all the fun records I was going to find there.
Thanks for joining the neighborhood, HiFi! Stay as long as you like.