History of Stereo in Buffalo (as I remember it)

I also thank you for the memories.
Bitten by the bug as I worked on the West Side, I patronized Transcendental Audio (the owner once left the keys of his very, very expensive car out front), Stereo Emporium (seemed to be 2 wild and crazy guys) and the Speaker Shop where I picked up KEF 104ABs.
The Record Theater on Main St. was the best.
 
merrill said:
anyone seen this before or know what it is?
did he do ads for stereo emporium or something?
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Jeez, I don't remember this at all. Probably just a promotion.

(RDecartridge - Record Theatre on Main is still the best! :thmbsp:)
 
Buffalo redux

Stereo Emporium was owned by Jerry Bennett and Mike Ortelano I think. Jerry was the smoothest talker I have ever met and a really nice guy. Mike passed away a few years back and ran a successful lawn care company called Lushlawn. I bought lots of stuff there and it was a fun place top hang out in.

In its heyday Record Theater on Main street had everything now I would be hesitant to go anywhere near the neighborhood. There is one in what is left of the University Plaza which I occasionally go to and it specialized in primarily used merchandise. I must admit I haven´t been there in at least 4 years and its easier to find stuff on Amazon.
 
Actually, that part of Lafayette at Main has undergone a lot of renovation and "gentrification" over the last couple of years. Maybe I wouldn't go for a solo walk at midnight but shopping at the Theater in broad daylight, no problem. You're doing yourself a disservice if you don't check it out sometime. It doesn't have the variety like back in the day but I think they have the best vinyl selection in the area, especially new.
 
merrill said:
anyone seen this before or know what it is?
did he do ads for stereo emporium or something?
igyxz4.jpg
Click to expand...
Lindy played for the Buffalo Sabres for a number of years in the 80's, and later coached them from 1997-2013. He's currently coaching the Dallas Stars.
 
born and raised in Bflo. (West Seneca) left for Alaska in 72. Boy I miss the food, thanks for the memories
 
Welcome to the forums & thanks for sharing w/ us your account of the retail audio scene @ Buffalo.
 
Hi Guys, Stereo Chamber is now gone, Gerry has retired. He may try to do a turntable clinique in his garage/ workspace. So Speaker Shop is the only audio store we have left outside of the Bigbox. Record Theatre is still a major player, with its 2 locations, plus several smaller vendors. So the music is still alive and well in Buffalo!
There is also a "Vinyl Mania" on April 2 at the Buffalo Iron Works, 4-9pm.
 
Buffalo had a slew of stores back in the days.
Purchase Radio is the one that was a Lafayette associate store. Radio Equipment aka Audio center. FM sound was at Main and North Hampton they carried Mcintosh not Marrantz. Purchase had Marrantz and many old lines like Altec Lansing,Fisher, Garrard to name a few. Then came Tech Hifi out of Boston ma. They were on Allen street one block from Delaware next to Gaberials gate resturant. They had Crown, Ohm, Revox Phase Linear b&o etc. About the same time (1973) Transendental and Stereo emporium opened. They were competitive with Bob Minnick @ Trans. speaker shop started by repairing speakers and grew. Stereo Chamber was also in the mix after Jerry left FM sound. Alltronics opened on Sheridan drive for a few years selling KEF and a few other weird brands. Stereo Plus was an old Radio shack store that grew into 3 stores and did quite well...they sold mid to some high end stuff. A trash type store called Stero for Less ( we called it Stereo for Laughs) was on N falls Blvd for a few years also. I may have missed some smaller ones and the BOX stores I don't count. Yes, I was in the business for 20 years.
 
When I was 14 or 15 my friends and I would constantly go into Purchase Radio on Niagara Falls Blvd and stare at the wonderful stuff we couldn't afford. I'm sure the staff must've hated to see us coming. I remember hearing a Led Zeppelin record blasting away on some Altec 19s there -- I'd heard that record a million times, but it had never sounded like that! All I ever actually bought there were blank cassettes, though.

For cheap stuff there was an Olson Electronics on Sheridan Drive; seems to me there was also a Lafayette Electronics maybe across the street on Sheridan Drive, too. Until I started working, those were the only places I could afford to buy anything.

Later on, I remember buying a nice JVC integrated amp at Stereo Plus in '74 (still have it, 42 years later), and some Altec Model 9s at Alltronics in '76 (still have them too). Got a Teac cassette deck at Stereo Advantage in '80 that I must have put a couple of million miles on before it finally died years later. I can't remember where I got the Pioneer turntable . . .

I remember when the Record Theatre first opened on Main Street -- easily the biggest and best record store in town at the time.
 
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hello everyone. Darren here. This is my first post, having just joined this amazing group no more than a week ago.

As an update/bump to this, the only true stereo stores that work with vintage equipment are Vintage Audio on Delaware Road in the village of Kenmore. I have not gone into this shop, only having seen it driving down Delaware yesterday. There are other electronic repair service places (Electrolux, etc...) but they work on all sorts of electronics..... Dedicated stereo repair is a dying (if not dead) breed in our area. Stereo Chamber has sadly closed its doors some 2 years ago now, which is a tragic loss as Wayne was the best there was. he worked on both of my reel to reels and several other tape decks I had. They had THE BEST used audio showroom, bar none. Its sad because back a few years I would go into their shop just to chat and look over the equipment. now that I'm going thru a divorce and am in need of a stereo system in my basement, I would have lived at Stereo Chamber until the right component came in. Sadly, I'm a day late and a dollar short.

Stereo Advantage is more keen on speakers and digital streaming these days, and more into the Home Theater experience than the audio component mecca it once was throughout the 70s and 80s.

These days, in WNY (Buffalo and surrounding areas) if you're lucky, you will find vintage equipment primarily at estate sales, flea markets, and even garage sales if you're lucky.
 
BeppoMime said:
hello everyone. Darren here. This is my first post, having just joined this amazing group no more than a week ago.
the audio component mecca it once was throughout the 70s and 80s.
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Yes I really enjoyed it, living there from '78 to '83.
Welcome to AK, Darren.
 
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BeppoMime said:
hello everyone. Darren here. This is my first post, having just joined this amazing group no more than a week ago.

As an update/bump to this, the only true stereo stores that work with vintage equipment are Vintage Audio on Delaware Road in the village of Kenmore. I have not gone into this shop, only having seen it driving down Delaware yesterday. There are other electronic repair service places (Electrolux, etc...) but they work on all sorts of electronics..... Dedicated stereo repair is a dying (if not dead) breed in our area. Stereo Chamber has sadly closed its doors some 2 years ago now, which is a tragic loss as Wayne was the best there was. he worked on both of my reel to reels and several other tape decks I had. They had THE BEST used audio showroom, bar none. Its sad because back a few years I would go into their shop just to chat and look over the equipment. now that I'm going thru a divorce and am in need of a stereo system in my basement, I would have lived at Stereo Chamber until the right component came in. Sadly, I'm a day late and a dollar short.

Stereo Advantage is more keen on speakers and digital streaming these days, and more into the Home Theater experience than the audio component mecca it once was throughout the 70s and 80s.

These days, in WNY (Buffalo and surrounding areas) if you're lucky, you will find vintage equipment primarily at estate sales, flea markets, and even garage sales if you're lucky.
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Welcome Darren. Vintage Audio is a call for appointment, I know Jack, pm me for his number. He a great selection. There several locals, that are techs, and very good. And the report on Wayne is he is getting itchy in retirement and may surface somewhere. Seek and you shall find!
 
daveg3588 - I will definitely take that phone number for Jack. As a matter of fact, I might already have it but will need to compare the two.

I know Wayne lives near me in the north towns (Wheatfield, city of Tonawanda) because I saw him wandering through Budweys on Erie Blvd a few years back.

I REALLY hope he surfaces somewhere because he was my go to man for ANYTHING audio fix up related. I loved the set up they had to calibrate the tone arm for turntables.

Remember HiFi hospital? again, they sunk under the weight of their own mismanagement. Used to be a great repair shop, then they changed ownership and died a slow death not too long thereafter.
 
adding to the post as a former buffalo area resident- the stereo plus store on delaware was our main hangout and where myself and most of my friends bought our first systems. we bought mainly pioneer receivers and advent speakers- they had a good system package deals as well as a decent financing program. the sales people were very cool and often demoed stuff for us even though we were junior high dreamers who were not in the market to buy anything.
one friend bought a pioneer belt drive table with s-shaped tonearm but that thing was a feedback monster- even if in another room the table still fed back like a live mic.
i bought my first receiver at olson electronics, a teledyne unit that was a not very well made. I built my own speakers from parts at the radio shack on delaware- including 15" woofers with horn tweeters and home made crossovers. no internet back then but we had no trouble finding out how to build crossovers.
another friend bought his system at radio shack- realistic receiver, speakers and turntable. it sounded great!
i remember seeing the first advent projection TV there and the first baby advent speakers that were amazing with lots of power. Also the store on Niagara falls blvd carried the big altec voice of theatre speakers- they played 10cc "Im not in love" holy cow did it sound amazing.
record theatre was also incredible, a deep catalog selection that could not be beaten.
i was actually there last august when they were having their final sale before the store closed. so sad.
just recently visited the speaker shop, very nice people who really know their products and their industry- and is thriving!
 
There was an Olsen Electronics downtown also. I bought components (turntable, Rabco arm, speakers) from FM Sound in 1970. I pretty much bought electronic things, also from Summit Electronics, from the area close to downtown, where I worked in the Electric Building.
 
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