Audio Consultants

We contacted to set up a home consultation, never heard back to book the appointment. WE were setting up home, condo and offices. Guess they don’t need the money. We went with another company

They run the gamut of HI-​FI, but for the entirely uninitiated, that means a super ‘basic’ setup will cost a grand, and a mid-​level will run 3,000, a solid system will be 10K and at the upper end… 20K+ speakers, 5K pre-​amps, all connected with mega-​cables — the kind of $ 3000 power cord that is both scoffable and will blow your mind. And in the end everything is awesome, but some is more awesome than others. Look and listen.
If you’re looking to ‘graduate’ from Best Buy, Bose or whatnot, the staff can really be helpful, even if you don’t know your impedance from your wattage. That’s the trouble with HI-​FI — you can go in and say «I have 5K budget –go!» and walk out with an awesome setup, but as soon as someone starts actually talking about it (harmonic distortion, crossover frequency…) my eyes glaze over.
Have some idea of what you want, have a budget, ask a few questions, listen, don’t fret too much, shop around a little and get yourself awesome equipment.
Know that some of the stuff they sell is beautiful, which means you will pay a bit more for the sonics vs ugly stuff. Worth it? I’d say so.
They deal in stuff that is not widely distributed — high end stuff that goes to specific dealers, much of which you cannot get on the net. Prices are relatively standard. Service is very good.
Nonetheless– awesome stuff.

This is a very, very good shop. Initially, I thought it would deserve 5 stars if it carried a bit more selection. I believe the Evanston location has more on the floor. By the end of this review, I changed it to 5 stars.
With that out of the way…
The store is multi-​leveled and roomed, with the areas generally delineated by budget and taste. I believe it gets more expensive as you walk higher. In my personal opinion, the store is loudspeaker focused and has a great selection on that end. Plenty of «reasonable» audiophile brands, including B&W, Thiel, etc. The digital stuff is well selected for you: you’ll find about 5 – 7 cd players at different price points. I think it is about the same for amplifiers. The store could certainly shore up the price range on turntables, which only included a $ 400 deck and a $ 2500 deck (what about those of us between these extremes?). Again, I believe that (a) Evanston branch may have more and (b) this is a trend with analog despite its growing popularity.
The staff is very knowledgeable and is not pushy at all. I’ve had one salesperson direct me that I’d be better off buying used to get the sound I desired as the store didn’t stock products that would get me what I was after. Very nice.
Overall, I think this store’s strong suit is its loudspeakers. And, I think it’s the equivalent to having a good wine merchant – she/​he can handpick great offerings at different levels and tastes, which makes your life much easier.
I should note that I have not had any issues with any products purchased from this store but my friend received excellent follow-​up service in connection with a failing speaker driver. The store conveys a sense that they want your long term business.
I just changed my review to a full 5 stars because I realized that the store is «as good as it gets.» While I may want more to be on the floor, I think you can make a strong argument that this is the best brick and mortar audio shop in the city.

This is what I like in an audio store… nice guys, no pressure whatsoever… people who are trying to match you to the best sound you can afford. You have a question, go see Carl… he will hook you up. Nice store too.