In the News: Oswaldsmill Audio & Audioarts

The OMA Imperia loudspeaker at the Oswaldsmill Audio showroom in DUMBO, Brooklyn, NY. Photo: Oswaldsmill Audio.

Jonathan Weiss’ fabulous Oswaldsmill Audio Dumbo showroom was featured in a recent episode of “The Blueprint” on Jay-Z’s Life+Times.

Art Dudley visited the showroom back in May 2012, and I hope to visit sometime this year.

***

Zellaton loudspeakers can be heard at Audioarts, in NYC's Flatiron District.

A second NYC boutique audio salon, Gideon Schwartz's Audioarts, was recently featured in the Wall Street Journal. Read "Money's No Object for His Stereo Types" here. It's a good piece.

You may notice interesting similarities between OMA and Audioarts: Neither wants to be seen as the "typical" hi-fi shop; both seem devoted to the highest possible quality of sound reproduction, without regard to cost; both place strong emphasis on design; and both seem interested in promoting an image and lifestyle of absolute luxury.

Art Dudley and I visited the original Audioarts location, down on Astor Place, prior to Art's review of the Voxativ Ampeggio loudspeaker. I hope to visit the new Audioarts showroom sometime this year.

COMMENTS
volvic's picture

Always wanted to visit Oswald Mills but never wanted to trouble the man by waltzing around his beautiful showroom pretending I could afford any of that gear.  This is definitely the place where craftsmanship, art and hi-fi meet.  Stunning gear.  Thanks for sharing. 

Nick 

nirodha's picture

Have you ever reviewed an OMA big loudspeaker and how do they compare to the "regular"  stuff?

Wim

sourceofdenial's picture

OMA makes gorgeous equipment, and if I had the type of disposable income needed to purchase such a system, I would love to go the store to see what their gear sounds like.

What bothered me was the tone of the WSJ article. It paints people who enjoy hifi as out of touch, wealthy, and simply trying to buy what is the most expensive. It's statements from the store owner like this: "The more you spend, the closer you get to musical truth" that are dissapointing to someone who enjoys music--and someone who can get enjoyment from a song whether its on FM radio, ipod, or my home reference system.

I don't see a linear relationship betwee cost and enjoyment. Enjoyment from music comes from the material you are listening to, the place you are listening in, the people you are listening with, etc. To state that in order to enjoy something you have to be closest to the musical truth, and in turn spend the most money, makes me feel bad for the buyers who believe the statement.

X