Incredible Universe

Serendipity
Serendipity Posts: 6,975
edited November 2007 in The Clubhouse
Anybody here remember the retail chain Incredible Universe? Takes me a trip down memory lane as IU was the store that really got me into audio. Was about 7 years old and IIRC they had a McDonald's inside the store.

Anyways, back then I remember the early Pioneer receivers, tower speakers, LaserDisc players, and HUGE CRT rear-projection TVs that were showing the latest movies on Laserdisc. They also had some nice audio demo rooms and I remember that's what sparked my interest in audio.

IU was what really got me into audio and I will never forget the place, even though it closed some 10 years ago.

Anybody else here have memories of Incredible Universe?
polkaudio RT35 Bookshelves
polkaudio 255c-RT Inwalls
polkaudio DSWPro550WI
polkaudio XRT12 XM Tuner
polkaudio RM6750 5.1

Front projection, 2 channel, car audio... life is good!
Post edited by Serendipity on
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Comments

  • daboyz
    daboyz Posts: 5,207
    edited November 2007
    Must have been a regional chain?
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  • McLoki
    McLoki Posts: 5,231
    edited November 2007
    I assume it was this....
    Mains.............Polk LSi15 (Cherry)
    Center............Polk LSiC (Crossover upgraded)
    Surrounds.......Polk LSi7 (Gloss Black - wood sides removed and crossovers upgraded)
    Subwoofers.....SVS 25-31 CS+ and PC+ (both 20hz tune)
    Pre\Pro...........NAD T163 (Modded with LM4562 opamps)
    Amplifier.........Cinepro 3k6 (6-channel, 500wpc@4ohms)
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  • Serendipity
    Serendipity Posts: 6,975
    edited November 2007
    They were a nationwide chain. First stores opened up in Texas and Oregon.

    Yes, it's that Incredible Universe.
    polkaudio RT35 Bookshelves
    polkaudio 255c-RT Inwalls
    polkaudio DSWPro550WI
    polkaudio XRT12 XM Tuner
    polkaudio RM6750 5.1

    Front projection, 2 channel, car audio... life is good!
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  • tonyb
    tonyb Posts: 32,950
    edited November 2007
    The only incredible universe I can remember was when I was 16....in the back seat of my buick riviera.
    HT SYSTEM-
    Sony 850c 4k
    Pioneer elite vhx 21
    Sony 4k BRP
    SVS SB-2000
    Polk Sig. 20's
    Polk FX500 surrounds

    Cables-
    Acoustic zen Satori speaker cables
    Acoustic zen Matrix 2 IC's
    Wireworld eclipse 7 ic's
    Audio metallurgy ga-o digital cable

    Kitchen

    Sonos zp90
    Grant Fidelity tube dac
    B&k 1420
    lsi 9's
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  • Serendipity
    Serendipity Posts: 6,975
    edited November 2007
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Incredible_Universe

    I went to the one in Westbury, Long Island (NY). It was near the famous Roosevelt Field mall, prime real estate, wonderful store. Man I miss those days...

    Oh yeah most of them are now Fry's electronics stores.
    polkaudio RT35 Bookshelves
    polkaudio 255c-RT Inwalls
    polkaudio DSWPro550WI
    polkaudio XRT12 XM Tuner
    polkaudio RM6750 5.1

    Front projection, 2 channel, car audio... life is good!
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  • sucks2beme
    sucks2beme Posts: 5,600
    edited November 2007
    There were two in Dallas area. More like 15 years ago. I went twice.
    Huge place. The grand opening was like a circus event. They had that
    early multiplayer VR helmet game, Dactyl dreams I think it was.
    The place was gone in two years. Fry's moved into one of the stores.
    The place didn't do much for me. Just a lot of hype. Poor service
    and other than the grand opening, poor prices.
    "The legitimate powers of government extend to such acts only as are injurious to others. But it does me no injury for my neighbour to say there are twenty gods, or no god. It neither picks my pocket nor breaks my leg." --Thomas Jefferson
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  • Rivrrat
    Rivrrat Posts: 2,101
    edited November 2007
    There was one not too far from whew I lived in Seattle, but the stores that got me into serious audio were Speakerlab, Difinitive Audio, and the original Magnolia Hi-Fi. All three were in a one block area in Seattle.

    I bought my 10b's from Speakerlab in 85.
    My equipment sig felt inadequate and deleted itself.
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  • kingtut
    kingtut Posts: 813
    edited November 2007
    Fry's bought it out in Southern Calif.
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  • bdaley6509
    bdaley6509 Posts: 1,167
    edited November 2007
    I think we had one here in Columbus, OH. That was a cool place to go. From what I remember, their prices were a bit high, but had a pretty good selection.
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  • brettw22
    brettw22 Posts: 7,624
    edited November 2007
    I was a fan of IU.......was sad to see them fold up.

    As much as I like that Fry's has the selection they do, they're a shoddily run business and dealing with them is more of a pain in the **** than it's worth IMO.....
    comment comment comment comment. bitchy.
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  • Serendipity
    Serendipity Posts: 6,975
    edited November 2007
    brettw22 wrote: »
    I was a fan of IU.......was sad to see them fold up.

    As much as I like that Fry's has the selection they do, they're a shoddily run business and dealing with them is more of a pain in the **** than it's worth IMO.....

    For some reason I was also a huge fan of IU. Maybe it was because as a 7 year old I liked the McDonald's IU had, but IU always intrigued me because it opened up my eyes to the Hi-Fi world. (Although most of the stuff they carried was mid-fi like receivers and stuff)...
    polkaudio RT35 Bookshelves
    polkaudio 255c-RT Inwalls
    polkaudio DSWPro550WI
    polkaudio XRT12 XM Tuner
    polkaudio RM6750 5.1

    Front projection, 2 channel, car audio... life is good!
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  • brettw22
    brettw22 Posts: 7,624
    edited November 2007
    What I liked about them is what I ultimately liked Fry's...........the selection. I think the only thing I ever bought there was a laser printer, but they had a lot of people to help out, were always very friendly, and their checkout system wasn't a massive pain in the ****.........NONE of which can be said about current day Fry's....
    comment comment comment comment. bitchy.
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  • WilliamM2
    WilliamM2 Posts: 4,771
    edited November 2007
    appadv wrote: »
    They were a nationwide chain. First stores opened up in Texas and Oregon.

    Yes, it's that Incredible Universe.

    17 stores is nation wide? I never even heard of them.
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  • Mike682
    Mike682 Posts: 2,074
    edited November 2007
    appadv wrote: »
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Incredible_Universe

    I went to the one in Westbury, Long Island (NY). It was near the famous Roosevelt Field mall, prime real estate, wonderful store. Man I miss those days...

    Oh yeah most of them are now Fry's electronics stores.

    I went to the same IU when it first opened, must have been in the early 90s. I actually have an IU keychain card somewhere...
    Receiver: harmankardon AVR235
    Mains: polk R30
    Center: polk CSi3
    Rear Surrounds: polk R20
    Subwoofer: polk PSW404
    DVD: Panasonic DVD-S29
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  • Serendipity
    Serendipity Posts: 6,975
    edited November 2007
    Mike682 wrote: »
    I went to the same IU when it first opened, must have been in the early 90s. I actually have an IU keychain card somewhere...

    I think I still have my IU membership card. :)
    polkaudio RT35 Bookshelves
    polkaudio 255c-RT Inwalls
    polkaudio DSWPro550WI
    polkaudio XRT12 XM Tuner
    polkaudio RM6750 5.1

    Front projection, 2 channel, car audio... life is good!
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