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Brooks Berdan Ltd. Brooks is always knowledgeable and helpful. He stands behind everything he sells and there is never a pressure to buy.

Music For Pleasure in St. Louis, MO. The staff is very friendly, patient, and never pushy.

Hi-Fi Farm

Audio Emporium from Milwaukee, WI. Dave Holmes and his non-commisioned crew had to put up with me during my broke years when all I could do was come into their store and listen. After 5 years I was finally able to pay them back for their patience and respect. Incidently, I got bit by the bug when I was 23. I've also run into some of those shops run by snotty jerks who didn't look like they would've helped had I been shot! They are one of the biggest problems I see for the high end. I refuse to go to one of the closer high end shops in my neighborhood just for that reason.

Brooklyn Audio located in Nova Scotia, Canada. Allan Bhagan is very knowledgeable and honest. Excellent customer support!

By far the best dealer I've ever dealt with is AudioAdvice in Raleigh, NC. I've come in wanting to audition the newest pieces (say the Sony SCD-1 for example)and they are always friendly and willing to ablige. My first experience with them was equally nice when I came in their store as a teenager and one of their salesmen actually took the time to talk to me about what my music tastes were and hi-fi in general. Another store I've had good dealings with is Advanced Audio in Cary, NC. The owner will search for that perfect pair of used interconnects or let me rummage through his vinyl. I've recently started traveling more and I can say these two dealers are defintely the diamond in the rough. I've been to a few stores in south Florida that are anything but hospitable.

Spearit Audio Northampton Ma. Very Easy to deal with, No attitudes and don't try to steer you into their likes or dislikes, Just helpful, and informative.

tie: Dallas Audio Concepts and Sound Mind both in Dallas, Texas

Audio Advisor, for changing the way budget-minded audiophiles shop for high-end equipment. Thanks Wayne!

Soundworks, Rochester, NY

It has become cheaper and more convenient to buy from the Net. I feel sorry for local dealers, in that it is unfeasible for them to provide 30-day money -back gaurantee, like what the on-line stores provide. To me, that diminishes their competitiveness. Nowadays, the only instance when I'll buy from a dealer would be in the case of gigantic and expensive gear, on which the dealer can provide demonstrations and has good payment plan, like the GECAF. And even that is provisional. Also, in my experience, most on-line stores welcome your inquiries and generally provide very enthusiastic and detailed information about their products. Local dealers, some exceptions allowed, are always busy with customers who are there already auditioning before you arrive. Last not least, being an Asian, you don't always get the warm welcome other folks do. My last 2 purchases for the past 13 months, $2,200 horn speakers and $1,000 reclocking device, were all purchased on-line. Local dealers simply can't provide the one-on-one attention on-line stores can, when I wanted it. My local dealer didn't even return my inquiries. What more can I say ?

Ambrosia Audio/Video BelAir, CA

In the 70's: Audio Projects, Leeds, UK... David Rae, the owner, infected me for life with his passion for music and music reproduction. In the 80's: Len Wallace, Lane Cove, Sydney, Australia. In the 90's: Soundings and Cherry Creek Audio, both in Denver CO. In the 00's... absolutely NO ONE... I'm now in St. Augustine Florida, and there doesn't seem to be a high-end dealer within 3 hours drive... HELP!!!

Deetes Sound Room Carmichael, CA Deete's trys to stock audio equipment he finds to be affordable but sounds great. No biases toward tube or transistor electronics or electrostatic or dynamic speakers. Small store in the Sacramento area.

For almost 10 years, I was a steady customer at Sound By Singer. But after HiFi 96, the salesman I had been working with left. I went in one day to audtion a component prominently mentioned in their recent ads. I explained that it was a bit out of my price range, but I would be happy to save up for it if it was as good as they claimed. I was told to come back when i was ready to but. Bottom line, I just spent close to $6000 at another NYC dealer.

innovative audio (new york, new york)

RAF Hifi in Amsterdam, Netherlands fabulous service, kind people who know everything about audio and who are true music - lovers

g c galen

The Sound Lab in Palitine, IL

Harpes the Whore

Cloney Audion in Dublin Ireland!!

Music By Design San Raphael, CA

I have yet to find an audio dealer in NYC who doesn't totally SUCK. Either they provide NO value whatsoever or they over-charge to such a degree that it is aburd. When will dealers realize that we have a new economy?

Ron Fitzgerald of Summ Audio