Upscale Audio — Local services in La Verne

i was sent here for a cambridge audio turn table. after talking to bill he really educated me on the high volume, higher clarity options. i thought my spending budget was 500-700 dollars walking in(so the sarcastic joke is how much i ended up spending). i thought matching a 600 dollar turn table to a chi-fi amp would be a good entry route. i was wrong, and after being educated i immediately ended up ditching the previous plan and thank god not vesting into that hardware. testing bills recommendations in steps i ended up getting a ultra silent and high definition analog setup. pro-ject x series balanced upgraded package. primaluna tube dac. primaluna evo400 integrated. monitor audio speakers. highly suggest not buying into commercial units found at best buy or on the internet. you really can not find quality audio in any "dimensional" or surround, 5.1 or similar component systems. you can really only get quality audio from a decent two channel stereo and subwoofer combo that isnt using software to dissect and create spatial sound experiences to cover up low quality components and dissected signal prepossessing chains. youll end up ditching all of it and rebuying again. including the speakers. cry once and dont cry again. with this quality stereo component selection i was matched up with - for my wants and needs from bill. i listen to all movies, and music on computer, including pod casts with my primaluna dac unit. when listening to movies it sounds decades better for everything from action to detailed sounds. it even opens up the editing mistakes at times. i dont ever want to use a spacial component system for watching movies ever again. i cried knowing i missed out on movie sound all this time. when listening to music as well i can take my studio audio output and select the best khz stream and send it to the dac and it sounds amazing and buttery and rolled off. i put mullard select tubes in the rectifier and preamp section of the dac and it really sounds life like. when listening to podcasts it sounds like you are sitting right next to the people talking. when listening to music it sounds like you are standing in front of the bands amps, drums, and live playing. the primaluna dac opens up alot of dimension and makes you forget the digital signal it once was. the evo 400 amp is the best value you could get from any tube amp on the market. it is so loud its unbelievable youd think you were standing next to high voltage concert monitors at a show. the bonus is the amp has no noticeable breakup at high volume. its hard to explain how how loud and how clear this amp is, even with a added dac use. i really do thank and appreciate how bill handled this who experience. he absolutely didnt lie to me or embellish anything to make a sale. something you rarely see with any electronics salesmen. he didnt care about budgets or try and "feel me out" he literally just listened to my needs; and molded new expectations with options to allow me to make up my own mind. was not disappointed in the hardware. i was actually overly impressed as it over delivered based on even realistic expectations. each item arrived and performed better than expected and it gave me confidence to move onto the next purchase down the chain. highly recommend these guys if you need to get your feet wet and real world info. avoid the box stores with bogus overpriced hardware and put your money where it really matters on...

Title: Buyer Beware – My Upscale Audio Devialet Experience

I’m not even sure where to begin.

I ordered a Devialet Phantom I 103 dB speaker from UpscaleAudio.com, and the experience has been a complete nightmare. It started when I called to confirm they were an authorized dealer for Devialet. The first employee confirmed this, but then told me the unit does not come with a manufacturer’s warranty — major red flag #1. I called back and spoke to someone else who correctly stated that it does include the warranty. That inconsistency alone should have been enough to walk away.

Against my better judgment, I purchased the last unit in stock. Delivery was the next issue. Rather than delivering a high-value, fragile speaker to my door, they stuffed it into a parcel locker, which I consider reckless handling for an item of this cost and fragility.

When I finally unpacked it, the remote wouldn’t pair out of the box. Then I noticed the chrome grill on one side wasn’t seated properly—it had dislodged during shipping or came that way, and due to the radiator vibrations, it slid out further as music played. The other side was fixed properly, confirming it was not by design.

When I contacted Upscale, their response was slow and dismissive. They took hours to send me a basic PDF pairing guide that I had already found myself online. Customer service? Barely.

After multiple issues, I asked for a replacement and was met with radio silence. Only after filing a claim with my credit card company did they finally respond — suddenly now that payment was on the line, they started replying daily and arranged a courier pickup.

Then came the real circus.

The courier was scheduled between 3–4 PM on a holiday. No one showed until 7:50 PM. The person was in plain clothes, driving an unmarked, beat-up van with children inside, and could not provide any ID or paperwork. She didn’t even know what item she was supposed to pick up. When I expressed concern and asked for verification, she refused to contact her boss — then threatened to call the police on me.

I was sick with a high fever, trying to navigate this bizarre situation, and had to speak to actual law enforcement over returning a speaker I didn’t break or damage. Eventually, I managed to speak to her boss and verified she was legitimate. But the fact that I was put in this situation at all is beyond comprehension.

I’m not sure what Upscale Audio and Ken Davis were thinking by sending someone this unprofessional to pick up an item valued at over $3,000. Whatever they’re trying to pull here — threatening a customer with police for questioning a shady pickup — is something I’m now speaking to legal counsel about.

I’m holding Upscale Audio, Devialet, and the unlicensed logistics company accountable for this entire ordeal.

If you’re considering purchasing from Upscale Audio, I strongly suggest you go elsewhere. I’ve never experienced anything this unprofessional and borderline dangerous from any online retailer. You might end up with a defective product, poor service — or worse, being treated like a criminal for simply asking questions.

Just my two cents. Proceed...

I wish I could give this review 10 stars.

I am a longtime Upscale customer. What really made the difference for me right away was that Kat offered to work on my flimsy old turntable when my only investment was a modest entry-level cartridge. It was a big sink of her time for a pretty small purchase, but Kat was sure it would make a big difference for me, and she was right.

To me, this crystallizes Upscale Audio's approach. They want you to get the most out of your system, and they especially value the little guy - if you want evidence of that just look at all the videos they make about entry-level gear in comparison to the higher end. They don't try to steer you into something more expensive and they take their time in answering all your questions - whether it is related to a sale or not. I've worked with many people there and each one is devoted to helping you understand your system at whatever level you want to get into it, and think carefully through any move you might be pondering. I can think of more than a few times when I've been encouraged to buy something MUCH LESS expensive than what I had in mind going in - in order to get the best sound for my particular setup. And the Upscale staff are no less helpful after the sale.

I was a long time in planing a TT/Cartridge/Phonostage upgrade, but Kat worked with me patiently, really helped me think it all through. She's since had my table on her bench 3 more times for various tweaks! She helped me troubleshoot static and tonearm control issues, and I couldn't be happier with where I am with my setup now.

Kat has a strong sense of what her customers like and what's important to them in sound, so when it was time for me to make moves outside of the Analog Lab - to upgrade speakers, replace a CD player, get into DACs, or even go for cans - I knew I could count on Kat for amazing customer service and refreshing, thought-provoking perspectives. In addition to her massive analogue expertise, what I appreciate most about working with Kat is that she takes pleasure in learning the ins and outs of gear that is outside of her analog kingdom. Meanwhile the customer gets to take their time, feel under absolutely no pressure, and learn a ton about what makes sound transformative, and what they themselves enjoy most. Last week, I spent the second half of a total of 4 hours demo-ing headphones with Kat. I went home with a pair that wasn't even on my list coming in the door, but with the confidence that they are without question the best for me, for the way I appreciate sound, and a great match for my system. It wouldn't have happened without time and thoughtfulness that Kat put into the demos. And if you want to flip your wig, check out Meze Audio's planar magnetics...

Upscale Audio sets the bar for customer service, thought-provoking advice, and top quality staff who really seem to love...