In Living Stereo — Local services in New York

With no shortage of opinions, brands, and franchises out there, finding my way through the audiophile jungle can quickly become overwhelming.

And before I discovered In Living Stereo, the thing in short supply was accessible expertise.

On popular forums, one person will swear by a product that another calls overpriced junk, or worse. Big box stores seem to try to sell me whatever they have in stock, which itself is dictated by trendy products and profit margins.

On line, brand after brand peddle their product as, "hitting well above its weight class", or one that will magically "lift a veil" to expose audio content of mythical proportions.

What I've found at In Living Stereo are a couple of extraordinarily knowledgeable Steves (Steve Cohen and Steve Mishoe) who know how to deliver what I personally believe to be the key to a really great sound reproduction: System symmetry!

Knowing what equipment does and does not work with other equipment is more important than dumping untold sums of money that inevitably leave the audiophile like myself disappointed. And if you do happen to have that kind of big money to spend on a sound system, they can certainly provide you with an astonishingly good set-up which you could pass on to your children after you are long dead and gone (if they deserve it).

The Steves have always answered all of my questions, no matter how ridiculous or intelligent (in my opinion) they may have been. Never once have they pushed a product on me or pressured me to buy something. They've always listened carefully when I'm explaining what I'm looking for and what my budget is. Then they show me what could work well for me within those cnstraints.

They've provided me with lengthy product demos in their beautiful listening rooms time after time and have given me the space to let my ears do the deciding.

For me, In Living Stereo is an invaluable resource which has helped me turn my LP collection into something that sounds better than I ever could have imagined possible. Where listening to my music is no longer just an activity, or ambient sound playing softly in the background when I have guests over, but rather an experience that is intimate and emotionally involving. The way music is supposed to be. The way HiFi is meant to sound.

-Josh...

I walked into their headphone annex and asked to listen to a pair of Audeze LCD-X, which I’m genuinely interested in buying. I was one of two customers in the entire store. The only employee was sitting behind a desk browsing his computer. Immediately I was treated with automatic contempt and was basically told that he wouldn’t set them up unless I was actually going to buy. Little did he know that I am serious about upgrading my headphones and am actively saving for high-end pair of Audeze LCDs, I’m just not sure whether the 2, 3, or X are right for me. I live in NYC (recently moved) and I’m a guaranteed future sale to someone who is willing to answer my questions. I do a ton of research on my own and I’m serious about this hobby.

I’m relatively young so I’m used to many audiophiles being surprised about my interest in higher-end audio gear. But this was a whole other level. At first he refused to set them up, saying it would take “10 minutes”. Eventually he conceded and the 10 minute setup was actually him grabbing a dac and plugging it into an amp which was already on and warm. Maybe 60 seconds, top. I listened to a few songs but he had no interest in speaking to me and after a few minutes I left because he clearly didn’t want me in the store.

I will probably buy the LCD-X soon, but I will be ordering them online because several websites have already written back to me with far more helpful advice and better customer service. People often lament the death of brick-and-mortar audio stores, but frankly, why the hell would someone young like me walk into a store with a grumpy employee when everything can be found online and there are enthusiastic audio reviewers on YouTube and across forums willing to offer a lot more advice? They lost a sale that day and all future sales. I plan to continue working hard, advancing my career, and spending my disposable income on audio gear for years to come ......

I have been a faithful customer of In Living Stereo for over the last ten years and believe it is a must-visit even if you are not a hardcore audiophile.

First, hands down, the store has the best audio equipment in terms of sound realism, price, durability, and aesthetics. (Note that they don't carry video equipment.)

Second, the store is owned and operated personally by Steve M., whose knowledge and attention to detail are unmatched. Steve gives you personal attention, helping you select the best equipment in your price range that meshes and achieves the best collective sound possible. Importantly, Steve doesn't skimp on the details and matches, for example, speaker wires, interconnects, and sound conditioners to complement cartridges to turn tables.

Finally, Steve is an extremely nice and honest individual, singularly focused on making sure you're happy with your purchases for years to come.

As an added bonus, he listens to all types of music -- and is happy to audition the equipment with any...