An evening at Pro Musica Audio in Chicago
halo
Posts: 5,616
I stopped by the Pro Musica Audio Specialists store since they are close to my school and I happened to be in the area. Yelp! indicated that they are wheelchair accessible but they are not (there are two very large steps to get onto the main floor and two more large steps in the back to get into the third listening room).
Nonplused, John & Ken grabbed some boards from their stockroom, laid them down over the steps, and helped to get me into the store. Later, I realized that this is a heck of a sales tactic as I couldn't get back out of the store without their assistance (the grade of the makeshift ramp is way too steep) so they could have forced me to stay in there until I bought something. lol.
These two guys are very knowledgeable and passionate about audio. They demoed all the speakers I wanted to hear, made suggestions & recommendations, and offered to bring whatever gear I wanted to hear in my home so I could hear it in my environment.
After listening to a few different pieces of equipment along with a bunch of different speakers, I know now what I would buy if I won the lottery...lol. I know that a lot of folks here cannot afford to buy high-end gear new and it can be pricey but, in my humble opinion, sometimes the cost is justified. Don't get me wrong, I don't believe that the more it costs = the better it sounds. There are exceptions to every rule and sometimes things prove why they cost a little more. I do like to support local businesses whenever possible, especially when they are run by good people.
If you find yourself in the Chicago area, more specifically in the Lincoln Park neighborhood, drop in to see the Pro Musica Audio Specialists and spend some time with John & Ken. It will definitely be time well spent for people who appreciate this hobby, good music, good conversations, and very nice sounding gear.
promusicaaudio.com/
As far as what I heard & liked, they say a picture is worth a thousand words....
Nonplused, John & Ken grabbed some boards from their stockroom, laid them down over the steps, and helped to get me into the store. Later, I realized that this is a heck of a sales tactic as I couldn't get back out of the store without their assistance (the grade of the makeshift ramp is way too steep) so they could have forced me to stay in there until I bought something. lol.
These two guys are very knowledgeable and passionate about audio. They demoed all the speakers I wanted to hear, made suggestions & recommendations, and offered to bring whatever gear I wanted to hear in my home so I could hear it in my environment.
After listening to a few different pieces of equipment along with a bunch of different speakers, I know now what I would buy if I won the lottery...lol. I know that a lot of folks here cannot afford to buy high-end gear new and it can be pricey but, in my humble opinion, sometimes the cost is justified. Don't get me wrong, I don't believe that the more it costs = the better it sounds. There are exceptions to every rule and sometimes things prove why they cost a little more. I do like to support local businesses whenever possible, especially when they are run by good people.
If you find yourself in the Chicago area, more specifically in the Lincoln Park neighborhood, drop in to see the Pro Musica Audio Specialists and spend some time with John & Ken. It will definitely be time well spent for people who appreciate this hobby, good music, good conversations, and very nice sounding gear.
promusicaaudio.com/
As far as what I heard & liked, they say a picture is worth a thousand words....
Audio: Polk S15 * Polk S35 * Polk S10 * SVS SB-1000 Pro
HT: Samsung QN90B * Marantz NR1510 * Panasonic DMP-BDT220 * Roku Ultra LT * APC H10
HT: Samsung QN90B * Marantz NR1510 * Panasonic DMP-BDT220 * Roku Ultra LT * APC H10
Comments
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Wow, thanks Halo ,next spring will find me there, nothing but the big boxes here in Atlanta, The Chicago land area was a treasure trove for hi fi back in the day.Some final words,
"If you keep banging your head against the wall,
you're going to have headaches."
Warren -
Decibel Audio used to be pretty cool but they’re carrying different stuff these days. I’m not a huge fan.
Saturday Audio Exchange is a great place with excellent staff. Great selections of new and used equipment.
Many people buy from Music Direct as well.
Thankfully, there are still many audio stores in ChicagoAudio: Polk S15 * Polk S35 * Polk S10 * SVS SB-1000 Pro
HT: Samsung QN90B * Marantz NR1510 * Panasonic DMP-BDT220 * Roku Ultra LT * APC H10 -
Did they have any Dyn's in the store?
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Yes! They are an authorized Dynaudio dealer.Mike Reeter wrote: »Did they have any Dyn's in the store?
Audio: Polk S15 * Polk S35 * Polk S10 * SVS SB-1000 Pro
HT: Samsung QN90B * Marantz NR1510 * Panasonic DMP-BDT220 * Roku Ultra LT * APC H10 -
Did you hear any of the new Contour line?
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No. They said they have a few models but they aren’t fully broken in yet. They also weren’t terribly impressed by them so far but will re-evaluate after they’re fully broken in.Audio: Polk S15 * Polk S35 * Polk S10 * SVS SB-1000 Pro
HT: Samsung QN90B * Marantz NR1510 * Panasonic DMP-BDT220 * Roku Ultra LT * APC H10 -
Those guys must have some pretty high Standards!
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Yup. I have to agree with that. I was very impressed by the speakers and gear that they recommended.Mike Reeter wrote: »Those guys must have some pretty high Standards!
Audio: Polk S15 * Polk S35 * Polk S10 * SVS SB-1000 Pro
HT: Samsung QN90B * Marantz NR1510 * Panasonic DMP-BDT220 * Roku Ultra LT * APC H10 -
I purchased my Dyn's from Next Level A.V. located in Wayne, Ill. excellent folks to deal with.Post edited by Mike Reeter on
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Very cool that you have a shop local to you that is friendly and welcoming. Far too often high end audio shops are pretentious and arrogant, at least that has been my experience with the few I've visited around where I live.
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I agree that Saturday Audio Exchange has a very friendly and knowledgeable staff, plus, they usually have a lot of cool pre owned gear from several eras.
