Audio Stores in the 70's
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JohnMichael
Super Member
In the mid to late 70's we had Tech Hi-Fi which was a chain audio store. Living in Dayton, OH at the time I would frequent Carlin Audio. If I were visiting home I would head to Columbus for StereoLab. We had a small audio store in my home town by the name of Threshold Audio. While at Threshold I listened to Apogee speakers and Meitner power amps. Bought some Sonus, Accutex and Nagaoka phono cartridges. Also a Harmon Kardon A402 integrated amp and later some ADS speakers.
stickman
Super Member
The Federated Group was definitely one of the cooler audio stores in Los Angeles back during the 1970's. The "Fred Rated" TV commercials featuring rock and roll DJ Shadoe Stevens were among the best ever to grace the small screen.
We had a Pacific Stereo right across the street which was a favorite hang out.
Others included Cal Stereo (prices are born here and raised elsewhere), Rogersound Labs (which started in the San Fernando Valley), University Stereo, and cool home appliance stores like Adrays.
Los Angeles had a real interesting small higher end audio scene back in the 1970's. In each Sunday Los Angeles Times the smaller boutique stores would put narratives on the latest cool products in classified ads in the Audio Equipment section which I considered a must read. Between the classified section and the "Calendar" entertainment section which was chock full of full page ads from all of the major stereo chains, I bought a Sunday Times every week just to keep up to date on the audio scene! (lol)
We had a Pacific Stereo right across the street which was a favorite hang out.
Others included Cal Stereo (prices are born here and raised elsewhere), Rogersound Labs (which started in the San Fernando Valley), University Stereo, and cool home appliance stores like Adrays.
Los Angeles had a real interesting small higher end audio scene back in the 1970's. In each Sunday Los Angeles Times the smaller boutique stores would put narratives on the latest cool products in classified ads in the Audio Equipment section which I considered a must read. Between the classified section and the "Calendar" entertainment section which was chock full of full page ads from all of the major stereo chains, I bought a Sunday Times every week just to keep up to date on the audio scene! (lol)
In Chicago we had Victor's (Quad, Decca, Fulton, Transcriptors, Audio Research, Paoli), MusicCraft (AR, JBL, Sansui, Altec, ESS, Marantz, Dynaco, Jensen) Paul Heath (Maggies, IMF, Levinson, Acoustat, Dahlquist, Audio Research) Hi-Fi Hutch (Klipsch, JBL, Crown, Mac, KLH, GAS, Dynaco), Gill's Custom House (EV, Altec, Janszen, Crown, Mac, Gale, RTR) and others. And of course Playbacks and Pacific Stereos. There was a place around 55th and the Belt Line that sold McIntosh and Bozak, I forget the name. And that Martroy guy at 63rd and Kedzie who has a pile of old JBL compression drivers and lenses about 5' tall; it's like the elephant's graveyard for JBLs.
Stickman mentioned appliance stores; Polk Brothers was a huge appliance place that sold lots of hi-fi gear. And of course every Chicago old timer remembers those Polk Brothers Santa Clauses that were all over the city.
Stickman mentioned appliance stores; Polk Brothers was a huge appliance place that sold lots of hi-fi gear. And of course every Chicago old timer remembers those Polk Brothers Santa Clauses that were all over the city.
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BankShot
A Work In Progress
One of my favorite haunts back in the 70s was Pacific Stereo where most of my components were purchased. But to oggle the really high gear I'd make the trek to Shelly's Audio or Jonas Miller and make sure to leave my wallet and credit cards in the car, and park at least two if not three blocks away to make the walk too long to go back and get it..........
mhardy6647
Lunatic Member
As far as I am concerned the best in Baltimore was (and probably still is) Soundscape on Cold Spring Lane (just a hoot 'n a holler from my alma mater). http://www.soundscapemd.com/ Soundscape descended from an old, old Baltimore hifi store called Park Radio downtown. Spent lots of quality time there when I was an UG. Bought Polk speakers, a Philips tt, and a Yamaha amp from them in 1978 and still have and use them all. Great folks (John Dorsey, his brothers, and others) there who sold good stuff, let the sound do most of the talking, and skipped all the pretension.
Gramophone is also still around in (near) B-more and was good, as well. Bought a pair of Dynaco A-25s (used) there for my parents in the early 1980s.
There was another place on Hartford Rd near the city line that sold excellent stuff but had a pretty snooty staff - I won't mention the place's name
-- but AFAIK it's also long gone.
The funkiest store in Baltimore was a little shop on 25th St called (IIRC) Custom Music. Full of fantastic vintage gear in the 1970s - wish I knew then what I know now; I'd have bought one of those Marantz 8Bs they had! I did buy my first good tt there, used, ca. 1976 - a Philips GA-308. It served me, and later my parents, well or decades.
There was another funky place downtown - EDIT: I believe it was called High Fidelity Centre - that sold a unique mixture of junk and wonderful stuff. The proprietor was a guy I'd met on the CB radio He introduced me to the Transcriptor Skeletal turntable, Grado cartridges, and the Shahinian Obelisk speakers. Note that JA Michell (a descendant of Transcriptors), Grado & Shahinian are still alive and well -- heck, Shahinian still makes the Obelisks, AFAIK.
Myer-EMCO in the DC metro area is, sadly, no longer with us.
I did occasionally venture into - and even, less occasionally, buy stuff, from the local Stereo Discounters storefronts around the city (more often at their big annual hifi "show and sale" at the Timonium fairgrounds) -- but I am not necessarily proud of that
There was another chain in the Baltimore area which later became (or merged with?) Bryn Mawr and ultimately got sucked up into Tweeter. I am blanking on the name. I remember listening to big Infinity speakers there and covering my ears in defense of the shrillness thereof (playing a Mannheim Steamroller LP, no less)!
Another interesting but short-lived stereo store in the B-more area was opened by Gordon Miller Music in the late 1970s. They also sold records - good selection and very good prices, as I recall. I only remember buying records from them (which is probably part of the reason they didn't last too long).
Gramophone is also still around in (near) B-more and was good, as well. Bought a pair of Dynaco A-25s (used) there for my parents in the early 1980s.
There was another place on Hartford Rd near the city line that sold excellent stuff but had a pretty snooty staff - I won't mention the place's name
-- but AFAIK it's also long gone.The funkiest store in Baltimore was a little shop on 25th St called (IIRC) Custom Music. Full of fantastic vintage gear in the 1970s - wish I knew then what I know now; I'd have bought one of those Marantz 8Bs they had! I did buy my first good tt there, used, ca. 1976 - a Philips GA-308. It served me, and later my parents, well or decades.
There was another funky place downtown - EDIT: I believe it was called High Fidelity Centre - that sold a unique mixture of junk and wonderful stuff. The proprietor was a guy I'd met on the CB radio
He introduced me to the Transcriptor Skeletal turntable, Grado cartridges, and the Shahinian Obelisk speakers. Note that JA Michell (a descendant of Transcriptors), Grado & Shahinian are still alive and well -- heck, Shahinian still makes the Obelisks, AFAIK.Myer-EMCO in the DC metro area is, sadly, no longer with us.
I did occasionally venture into - and even, less occasionally, buy stuff, from the local Stereo Discounters storefronts around the city (more often at their big annual hifi "show and sale" at the Timonium fairgrounds) -- but I am not necessarily proud of that
There was another chain in the Baltimore area which later became (or merged with?) Bryn Mawr and ultimately got sucked up into Tweeter. I am blanking on the name. I remember listening to big Infinity speakers there and covering my ears in defense of the shrillness thereof (playing a Mannheim Steamroller LP, no less)!
Another interesting but short-lived stereo store in the B-more area was opened by Gordon Miller Music in the late 1970s. They also sold records - good selection and very good prices, as I recall. I only remember buying records from them (which is probably part of the reason they didn't last too long).
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Was it Sassafras audio by any chance? We had that chain here and they went through all of those same changes.
I remember some nice independent shops like House of Hi-Fi on Olden Ave. in Trenton NJ (Ed Pyontek was the owner, very nice guy and a pleasure to deal with).
There was Hal's on Rt. 1 in Lawrence NJ, great high end shop that featured a killer sidewalk sale once a year. People used to camp out overnight just to be first in line and scoop up all the bargains on good used gear (got a few items there myself back then).
Absolute Sound on Spring St. in Princeton, they were down below the street level there. Lots of decent new mid-fi, some high end and plenty of good used gear from Princeton University students going back home. He was a big EPI distributor, I remember.
Audio Classics in New Brunswick was another local one, also Worldwide Stereo in Pennsy.
Sam Goody sold audio gear too, used to be one in Lawrenceville Shopping Center in NJ (right across from Hal's).
Then of course there was Lafayette on Rt. 1 in Lawrence, Tech Hi-Fi and the many Radio Shack stores everywhere.
Seems like a lot of "used to be" stores, not much of anything now.
mhardy6647
Lunatic Member
The place I couldn't think of earlier was Stansbury Stereo (or Stansbury Hifi). I went to one out in Dundalk or Middle River or some other equally unlikely place east of the city...
I bought a copy of Fresh Aire III from 'em, though...
I bought a copy of Fresh Aire III from 'em, though...
audiomagnate
Addicted Member
In Pittsburgh we had Opus One right downtown on Smithfield street. It was owned by Tasso Spanos, and it was more than a stereo store. It was a gathering place for audiophiles with something special going on on a frequent basis. Not just McIntosh clinics, but visits from Saul Marantz, John Dahlquist, Stan Getz etc. I bought tons of used tube equipment back then when I was still in high school. You could pick up a Citation V for around $80 or a pair of MC30s for about the same price.
I worked at Audio Warehouse, not as elegant, but we sold some great stuff. Irving "Bud" Fried stopped by a few times, and always put on a good show. I'll never forget when he whipped out a pocket knife and cut out the woofer cone of our TLS-50s to show us how delicate the voice coil wiring was on the B200 (his assistant repaired it later in the day). Some of his great quotes that I remember, "I can get you 16 Hz in a phone booth" and "Designing a tweeter you can't blow is like designing a fender you can't dent." I think audio peaked in 1979.
I worked at Audio Warehouse, not as elegant, but we sold some great stuff. Irving "Bud" Fried stopped by a few times, and always put on a good show. I'll never forget when he whipped out a pocket knife and cut out the woofer cone of our TLS-50s to show us how delicate the voice coil wiring was on the B200 (his assistant repaired it later in the day). Some of his great quotes that I remember, "I can get you 16 Hz in a phone booth" and "Designing a tweeter you can't blow is like designing a fender you can't dent." I think audio peaked in 1979.
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Copa1934
My ears are bleeding
James Caan in "The Gambler", talk about dated. Wow. Look at them auto's lined up. I think I spy a GTO. Love those twin lights.In Chicago we had Victor's (Quad, Decca, Fulton, Transcriptors, Audio Research, Paoli), MusicCraft (AR, JBL, Sansui, Altec, ESS, Marantz, Dynaco, Jensen) Paul Heath (Maggies, IMF, Levinson, Acoustat, Dahlquist, Audio Research) Hi-Fi Hutch (Klipsch, JBL, Crown, Mac, KLH, GAS, Dynaco), Gill's Custom House (EV, Altec, Janszen, Crown, Mac, Gale, RTR) and others. And of course Playbacks and Pacific Stereos. There was a place around 55th and the Belt Line that sold McIntosh and Bozak, I forget the name. And that Martroy guy at 63rd and Kedzie who has a pile of old JBL compression drivers and lenses about 5' tall; it's like the elephant's graveyard for JBLs.
Stickman mentioned appliance stores; Polk Brothers was a huge appliance place that sold lots of hi-fi gear. And of course every Chicago old timer remembers those Polk Brothers Santa Clauses that were all over the city.
Copa1934
My ears are bleeding
There's these mac and cheese ads with a guy that reminds me of Shadow, mostly the way he delivers his lines. Boy those were fun days (years?). I remember now Cal Stereo and University. Don't recall if I haunted Rogers though. Rick Dees was right on the heels of all this, and still around!
In Minnesota back in the day, for audio, we had these:
Audio King
Schaak Electronics
Team Electronics
Retro
Audio King
Schaak Electronics
Team Electronics
Retro
J English
Super Member
I'd love to be able and find the juicy Los Angeles Times Sunday fold-out ads Rogersound Labs submited back in the seventies and eighties.
Crude black and white paste up photo of an Ortofon MC-20 w/MCA-75 Transformer for $110. for example
Oooh, I remember those! I used to drool over Rogersound Labs ads. Wish I still had my RSL speakers. I remember them as pretty darned good. Great store, knowledgeable sales people, wide selection. I spent a lot of hours there and I wish I could go back...
