Pacific Stereo History
- Thread starter SoCal Sam
- Start date
Milwaukee
Worked for their competitors (independent retailers) in the Milwaukee area. They hit the stereo retail scene here like a bomb. They had lines that either weren't represented in the area at all or had a single dealer who'd order it for you and Pacific had in store stock of this stuff.
They had the buying muscle to get house lines created for their exclusive use.At one time they were the biggest Infinity speaker dealer by a large margin. Their buyers were able to go to Infinity and tell them they liked the product - but the 40% margin was a little thin. Infinity came back with some significantly higher margin speakers for them. This led to the somewhat odd situation where two Infinity's would be sitting next to each other -one retailed for 349 -the other for 419 - the "cheaper" speaker just smoked the more expensive one because the cheaper model was quit a bit more expensive at wholesale and simply had much better drivers and crossovers in it.And Pacific sold a ton of the more expensive house brand speakers -'cause they could sale price 'em and still make money on 'em.
Anybody know what happened to Todd K. - store name Kukla J. Mochas ?
Worked for their competitors (independent retailers) in the Milwaukee area. They hit the stereo retail scene here like a bomb. They had lines that either weren't represented in the area at all or had a single dealer who'd order it for you and Pacific had in store stock of this stuff.
They had the buying muscle to get house lines created for their exclusive use.At one time they were the biggest Infinity speaker dealer by a large margin. Their buyers were able to go to Infinity and tell them they liked the product - but the 40% margin was a little thin. Infinity came back with some significantly higher margin speakers for them. This led to the somewhat odd situation where two Infinity's would be sitting next to each other -one retailed for 349 -the other for 419 - the "cheaper" speaker just smoked the more expensive one because the cheaper model was quit a bit more expensive at wholesale and simply had much better drivers and crossovers in it.And Pacific sold a ton of the more expensive house brand speakers -'cause they could sale price 'em and still make money on 'em.
Anybody know what happened to Todd K. - store name Kukla J. Mochas ?
I bought my JBL 4311B's there during one of their going out of business sales. Still using them in my main system. Always liked to go to PS and Flanner & Hafsus to audition equipment.
My Pioneer SX 727 receiver was purchased at Allied. Still have that also, but it's not used on a daily basis now.
My Pioneer SX 727 receiver was purchased at Allied. Still have that also, but it's not used on a daily basis now.
mikey3117
Victory is mine!
I used to visit the Pacific Stereo in Mountain View, CA as a kid. I loved to walk around and see all the equipment on display. The items on sale in various stacks on the floor around the showroom. The only store today that remotely reminds of the feeling of walking through Pacific Stereo is Guitar Center...
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Pacific Stereo.
I remember "sensory overload" when I first went in a PS store. Too many choices. Bought my first "system" at the Pomona store on Indian Hill Blvd in '78-'79. All Concept. A 6.5 receiver (wanted the 16.5; not enough bucks), 2QD turntable, ELC1 cassette deck, CE-2 speakers. Still have everything but the speakers. Foam rotted on the radiators and then the drivers. Had no idea they rebuilt those back then. If I remember correctly, the Heil Air Motion Transformers had issues as well.
Now I have two 16.5s, two 11.0s, two 6.5s and three 4.5s! Guess I took revenge on my former poverty, eh?
I remember "sensory overload" when I first went in a PS store. Too many choices. Bought my first "system" at the Pomona store on Indian Hill Blvd in '78-'79. All Concept. A 6.5 receiver (wanted the 16.5; not enough bucks), 2QD turntable, ELC1 cassette deck, CE-2 speakers. Still have everything but the speakers. Foam rotted on the radiators and then the drivers. Had no idea they rebuilt those back then. If I remember correctly, the Heil Air Motion Transformers had issues as well.
Now I have two 16.5s, two 11.0s, two 6.5s and three 4.5s! Guess I took revenge on my former poverty, eh?
PacificStereo
Super Member
Heh. I emptied the Pomona store to the bare walls. A couple of years ago, I was living (during the week) right down the street from the store on Indian Hill, as I was working nearby.
It's too bad so many folks don't realize that surrounds can be replaced. A lot of great speakers have gone to their demise for no reason other than this.
It's too bad so many folks don't realize that surrounds can be replaced. A lot of great speakers have gone to their demise for no reason other than this.
Was the store near Indian Hill and Holt or closer to the 10 Freeway? I work in Pomona and sometimes go past that area, sad to see how much it has changed. Same for the Inglewood Store where I used to run around.
I have fond memory's of Pacific Stereo.Reading all these posts bring all those great old memory`s flooding back.I started at P.S. in 1976 and left in 1985.Worked at Pomona,North Hollywood,Glendale,Covina,Downey,Inglewood,Brea,Santa Monica and Pasadena stores.Thanks for the Memory`s. Still have my JBL`L 100`s.,2 Sansui 9090db`s,Old Kenwood KA9600 160watt Receiver.Wish I had kept my AR 9`s( the 1st generation with 2-12" woofers per cabinet and d500 amp.
BankShot
A Work In Progress
Hey plowking - You say you worked at the Pomona Store. Did you by any remote chance know Jim Wallace? He managed that store for a period during the mid 70s and might have been there when you were? I purchased quite a few Phase Linear components from him along with an SAE MKVI tuner that had been upgraded by SAE to MKVIB specs. Best tuner I ever owned, sadly I sold it some years back. I remember Jim being into Ford Cobras and Panteras and in fact he bought one from some old gent while he was in Las Vegas with his wife Cheryl. Anyway, just had to ask if you knew him.............
Regards, Terry
:thmbsp:
mfrench
Addicted Member
Hey, it only takes me a half of a year to answer sometimes,....
sorry, but I just saw your question, today.
My local store was the Torrance store at Hawthorne and Sepulveda blvd's.
Flanked,....
The store was surrounded by the record stores. Flanked, as in sharing a common wall,... I do not remember exactly, as its like 35++years now. But, as I recall, they were all within the same strip mall, and, arranged with the Licorice Pizza store being to the east, the Wherehouse Records to the west, and the Pac Stereo store being between them. Memory wants to tell me that they were common-wall connected businesses, but,.... memory fading. They were in a mall front that consisted of probably 8 or 10 stores. There was also an electronics supply store to the west, in the same mall, that you could build any audio device at. I bought the parts to build my color organ there (now landfill fodder).
There was also a smaller mall directly behind the PacStereo/LicPizza/Wherehouse front, to the south on Hawthorne Blvd. There was a bowling alley in this mall, and a RadioShack/Tandy business there, that was essentially directly behind the other stores. This was when RS actually was a factor in the audio world.
dr*audio
Fish fingers and custard!
I lived in L.A. for 7 years. I shopped at the Santa Monica store. There were many great audio stores in the 1980's, when I lived there. Remember Stereo Hi Fi Center, on Sepulveda? That was one of my favorites. Is Paris Audio still there? That was my all time favorite store. Remember Rogersoundlabs? Is Beverly Stereo still there? Remember when Belair Camera used to sell stereo equipment?
basbol13
Active Member
What A Deal
6/11/1978 went to Pacific Stereo on east Roosevelt Road in Lombard Il and purchased a concept 5.5 receiver, 2 JBl 50's and a Dual turntable all for the low price of $1140.00 plus tax. What a deal! I've used the speakers and receiver daily ever since, around 1988 I replaced the Dual with a Bang Olufsen. At the time, I felt I was paying big bucks for this system as I was still in school, but I'll tell you one thing I got my money's worth and them some out of these items.
6/11/1978 went to Pacific Stereo on east Roosevelt Road in Lombard Il and purchased a concept 5.5 receiver, 2 JBl 50's and a Dual turntable all for the low price of $1140.00 plus tax. What a deal! I've used the speakers and receiver daily ever since, around 1988 I replaced the Dual with a Bang Olufsen. At the time, I felt I was paying big bucks for this system as I was still in school, but I'll tell you one thing I got my money's worth and them some out of these items.
PacificStereo
Super Member
Mfrench: Ah, yes, the Torrance store. I remember now. I liquidated THAT store, too.
Dr: Funny thing about the Santa Monica location. I was getting that store ready to have our "Going out of business" sale, when some guy walked up to me and asked me what I was doing. When I explained that we were having a GOOB sale, he asked me if I had a permit. A permit? For what? I need a permit to go out of business? "Yes," the man said. He then proceeded to tell me that I needed to apply to the City of Santa Monica for a permit, pay a fee (I can't remember what it was, but it wasn't cheap!), and report gross sales so that the city could lop off a 2% cut.
I stared at him in sheer amazement. I then walked him into the store with me, and shouted very loudly to everyone in the store, "Hey everyone- change of plans! No GOOB sale here, corporate says to move all this inventory to Torrance and have the sale there." I then turned to the guy and quietly said, "Not only will the City of Santa Monica not be getting its fee or its 2% cut of my funeral, it also won't be getting any sales tax revenue from me, either."
He was not happy.
I salvaged the wrought-iron "Carter P" (our old logo) from Santa Monica's attic. I still have it in my garage!
Dr: Funny thing about the Santa Monica location. I was getting that store ready to have our "Going out of business" sale, when some guy walked up to me and asked me what I was doing. When I explained that we were having a GOOB sale, he asked me if I had a permit. A permit? For what? I need a permit to go out of business? "Yes," the man said. He then proceeded to tell me that I needed to apply to the City of Santa Monica for a permit, pay a fee (I can't remember what it was, but it wasn't cheap!), and report gross sales so that the city could lop off a 2% cut.
I stared at him in sheer amazement. I then walked him into the store with me, and shouted very loudly to everyone in the store, "Hey everyone- change of plans! No GOOB sale here, corporate says to move all this inventory to Torrance and have the sale there." I then turned to the guy and quietly said, "Not only will the City of Santa Monica not be getting its fee or its 2% cut of my funeral, it also won't be getting any sales tax revenue from me, either."
He was not happy.
I salvaged the wrought-iron "Carter P" (our old logo) from Santa Monica's attic. I still have it in my garage!
JimInLhc
Active Member
I worked in the Sunnyvale store for a while, then transferred 400 miles to the Pasadena store. There's nothing like Pacific Stereo today... or University.. or even Roger Sound Labs, and that's to bad.
I'd love to see a resurgence in affordable audio equipment and retailers.
I'd love to see a resurgence in affordable audio equipment and retailers.
Hey plowking - You say you worked at the Pomona Store. Did you by any remote chance know Jim Wallace? He managed that store for a period during the mid 70s and might have been there when you were? I purchased quite a few Phase Linear components from him along with an SAE MKVI tuner that had been upgraded by SAE to MKVIB specs. Best tuner I ever owned, sadly I sold it some years back. I remember Jim being into Ford Cobras and Panteras and in fact he bought one from some old gent while he was in Las Vegas with his wife Cheryl. Anyway, just had to ask if you knew him.............
Regards, Terry
I do remember Jim. I believe he or his second in command left to become a Regional manager at University Stereo.I started at Pomona in 1976. Peoples Names are beginning to fade, but I can still see their faces.
copterske2
Active Member
A friend and I used to frequent the PS in Long Beach. I think it was on Bellflower off the Los Coyotes Diagonal. My first cassette deck was a TransAudio i purchased there for $70. I still have recordings I made with it and they sound great.
I too purchased the BIC 940, they always had great deals on that turntable. $50 with the Shure cart.
One of our tests (as 14-year olds) for the quality of receivers/tuners was to see how far the tuning knob would glide with a single spin. I tried it on a receiver in "Our Very Best Room" (is that what it was called?) and it happened to be the source for the music playing throughout the showroom...oops! We were glared at but not asked to leave.
I too purchased the BIC 940, they always had great deals on that turntable. $50 with the Shure cart.
One of our tests (as 14-year olds) for the quality of receivers/tuners was to see how far the tuning knob would glide with a single spin. I tried it on a receiver in "Our Very Best Room" (is that what it was called?) and it happened to be the source for the music playing throughout the showroom...oops! We were glared at but not asked to leave.
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