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Pacific Stereo History

I wanted to bump this thread, as reading through it brought back so many memories. There really was a 'golden age' of stereo in LA in the mid 70's.

I spent way too much time at the Pacific Stereo and Recycled Stereo stores in North Hollywood. For reasons lost on me now, I already had a pair of Wharfdale W-60's in my possession, and went to Pacific to get a decent receiver. After a lot of listening, I shied away from the in-house brands, wandered next door to Recycled Stereo, and ended up buying a Harmon-Kardon A50K with a weak channel, that I traded back to them for a Fisher 500t. That worked out OK.

A couple years later, I sold it all and bought my McIntosh MC30's and C20 at Shelly's Audio in Santa Monica. I had a friend who worked at the Infinity factory in Chatsworth, and struck a deal where I had to go there and pick up a pair of 1001A 'seconds'. My college room-mate still has them. I gravitated to RogerSound Lab studio monitors, which my wife made me sell in the mid 90's.

Anyway, a great reminder of how it all started. Thanks.
 
Cochster said:
I wanted to bump this thread, as reading through it brought back so many memories. There really was a 'golden age' of stereo in LA in the mid 70's.

I spent way too much time at the Pacific Stereo and Recycled Stereo stores in North Hollywood. For reasons lost on me now, I already had a pair of Wharfdale W-60's in my possession, and went to Pacific to get a decent receiver. After a lot of listening, I shied away from the in-house brands, wandered next door to Recycled Stereo, and ended up buying a Harmon-Kardon A50K with a weak channel, that I traded back to them for a Fisher 500t. That worked out OK.

A couple years later, I sold it all and bought my McIntosh MC30's and C20 at Shelly's Audio in Santa Monica. I had a friend who worked at the Infinity factory in Chatsworth, and struck a deal where I had to go there and pick up a pair of 1001A 'seconds'. My college room-mate still has them. I gravitated to RogerSound Lab studio monitors, which my wife made me sell in the mid 90's.

Anyway, a great reminder of how it all started. Thanks.
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Having grown up in Santa Monica I remember Shelly's Audio on Wilshire Blvd. Federated Electronics was in an old super market building just up the street if I recall.
 
Old Ears too said:
Having grown up in Santa Monica I remember Shelly's Audio on Wilshire Blvd. Federated Electronics was in an old super market building just up the street if I recall.
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I worked at Music Odyssey, the record store just up the street from Federated. My college room-mate worked at Federated and had some interesting stories of life on commission.
 
Old Ears too said:
Having grown up in Santa Monica I remember Shelly's Audio on Wilshire Blvd. Federated Electronics was in an old super market building just up the street if I recall.
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Wow -small world. I graduated from Samohi in 1968 and did some part time work at Pacific in 1970 between college drop outs. I also remember Bob Pilot's stereo in Santa Monica and Olsen electronics in Inglewood.
 
sregor said:
Wow -small world. I graduated from Samohi in 1968 and did some part time work at Pacific in 1970 between college drop outs. I also remember Bob Pilot's stereo in Santa Monica and Olsen electronics in Inglewood.
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I'm gonna bet your picture is on pg.153 of the year book.
 
1968-1972 was in grade school Los Feliz Elementary.

This past January got a Sansui TU-517 (been wanting one of these), from a gentleman in Palm Springs, who purchased it new in 1976 at Pacific Stereo in Santa Monica. Edit: 9/1978
 
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Hello, I believe I have the engineering prototypes of the Concept CE -1's made by ESS for Pacific Stereo. I grew up with these speakers, my Dad recently gifted them to me along with a Phase Linear 400 amp and 3000 preamp. The speakers are labeled Engr. 001 and 002 on the serial number plaque. They still sound amazing! My Dad says he bought them from an ex ESS employee in the early 80's. What do you all think I have? Screen Shot 2021-08-08 at 8.52.01 AM.png Screen Shot 2021-08-08 at 8.46.30 AM.png Screen Shot 2021-08-08 at 8.46.41 AM.png
 
spicer said:
Hi Plowking. No, I'm not Brad or Tim. You were there a bit earlier than me, I think. Ken... you mean in service? The name Ken sounds familiar, I'm thinking he left soon after I arrived. The store was completely remodeled while I was there.
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I was there in 1976 in Service dept . Ken M. Was svs manager, Tim and I had benches .
Store was old A store . On Indian hill I think .
I can't remember where I went next . I do remember working in Covina, Hollywood, Inglewood, Downey , filled in at Santa Monica, Brea . Great old memories working there
 
While cleaning out my father-in-laws house about 8 years ago, I found his Sherwood S-7100A from 1970 along with the original manuals and Pacific Stereo (Walnut Creek) invoice plus the Five Year Guarantee certificate. I've attached both. What a blast from the past. I wish they would have listed the individual prices rather than showing the bundled price that includes speakers and turntable. The turntable and speakers are long gone. I'm not too concerned about the personal information on the invoice since my father-in-law passed some time ago and the family no longer lives at the address listed. Sadly my wife and I need to downsize and its time for this to go to an appreciative home. It is currently being offered on eBay:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/185275824281

Enjoy!
Craig Pacific Stereo Guarantee.jpg Pacific Stereo Receipt.jpg
 
Fattner said:
Wow all this talk brings a tear to my eyes. ,,, sad I miss those day , does anyone remember Cal stereo on venture blvd,woodland hills ca ( I think) another one of the places you could bring your little tax return check and spend it there !!! Buying marantz receiver and cerwin vega speakers and a bic TT !
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I’m pretty sure Cal Stereo was actually on Sherman way near Canoga. I worked at University Stereo on Topanga in the same building as the theater that showed Rocky Horror Picture Show. Across the wash was the Schwinn store and Pacific Stereo and there was Arby’s from which I bought many Jamocha shakes.It was a magical time when a stereo ws as desirable as a smartphone is today.

I’m sure the guy who sold you the Quadraflex system was stoked cuz he got lots if dpiffs on tip of commission. We had our own house brands just like Quadraflex. Pacific Stereo had the centerfold of the Times Calendar section most of the time, but when we got it, a photographer came to our store for pictures.

we went into the high-end room and smoked a bunch of parfait bong hits from our 4 footer and then the photographer asked me to pose leaning against the big Acoustic Control Speakers, high AF, long hair and grinning at the camera with my blazing eyes.
We always blew the tweeters in those.
 
Apex in San Fernando? I haven't been there in years, got my first GAS Thaedra and Son of Ampzilla there. I've heard it's been sold and not what it used to be.

Craig
 
Definitely didn't want to be there during an earthquake, so much crap piled so high. I even found some old radar antenna parts from an F4 like in my avatar.
 
Coachster said:
I worked at Music Odyssey, the record store just up the street from Federated. My college room-mate worked at Federated and had some interesting stories of life on commission.
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Oh it’s a magical day. the memory of Music Odyssey (later just Odyssey iirc) is always in my head when I look at gear on AK.

I’m transported back to being an adolescent, pedaling a 10 speed (couldn’t reach the ground, had to hop off to stop) up and down wilshire, stopping at every record and stereo shop.

the times have changed, but the gear fetish remains.

I went from being innocent to depraved by hitting odyssey throughout my youth/adolescence. It had an arcade and an 18+ section!
 
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