Audio Element — Local services in Pasadena

I had an excellent experience with the team at Audio Element and would highly recommend their service for anyone interested in serious, high-end audio equipment. I had not purchased a new system in more than 15 years and so, was uninformed as to the latest technology and brand options when I decided to upgrade my system. During my first visit, I had nothing but questions and spent over an hour and a half listening to various component combinations. Sean and the staff were very patient and informative, pointing out the pros and cons of different component combinations and explaining the relevant features and price trade-offs of the individual components. I never felt pressured, spoken down to, or that I was being lured to higher-priced equipment. They understood my needs and respected the overall budget I had in mind. I left that first visit with a list of component alternatives and pricing that I took home to research. I was pleased to find good reviews on all of them and returned two months later with a short list of the components I wanted to purchase. Eli assisted me on that occasion and set me up to listen to my choices one more time before making my final decision. It turned out that he speakers with the color/finish I wanted would have to be ordered, which they felt would come in in time for an event I was planning. I received a call from Sean a few days later informing me that the supplier had sent the wrong color. They were concerned that the correct speakers wouldn’t arrive in time for the event and very kindly offered me the use of other speakers in case they didn’t. In the meantime, we worked out an arrangement that would provide the best chance for them to arrive on time. Fortunately, that worked out and I had my complete system set up for my event. I was very impressed by the consideration they demonstrated for the time constraint I was facing and the effort they made to accommodate my needs - this was first-rate service. And most importantly, I am very happy with the system...

Man what a treat it was coming in here as a first time visitor.

Before finding this place, I called a bunch of home audio stores asking about cartridge replacement services for my 7 year old record player before settling on Audio Element.

From my initial phone call to the whole experience in store, I was helped by Jesus, who is the reason for my review. From the very beginning, Jesus was very welcoming, caring, and professional. And although they didn't have the exact cartridge I was looking for, Jesus explained the pros and cons of each of the cartridges that they did have in stock which helped me make an informed decision.

Not only that, but when I told Jesus I lived about 30 miles away, he went out of his way to move my record player cartridge replacement service to the top of his queue and completed the job within 2 hours, knowing I didn't want to waste another hour of my time driving home and back to the store to pick up my record player.

When it was time to pick up the player, he spun a Norah Jones record that he considers to be a great test record for determining whether the cartridge replacement was successful. He pointed out certain parts of the song where Norah would raise her pitch, or when the piano played a certain way, which he would use as a benchmark to determine whether the cartridge sound quality is up to par. Not only was it informative, but it was great to know that Jesus was a noticeably more detail oriented than I would have initially expected.

This whole experience made me a huge fan of the store and I look forward to introducing my friends to Jesus and Audio Elements in the...

I've been to many high-end record shops throughout Los Angeles. This is by far the best of all of them. There is no high-fidelity /vinyl shop that has someone with the knowledge and passion that Brian Berdan has. (Brian is Brooks Berdan's son, a store that still exist in Monrovia that get's it's business based on the reputation of his father while he was running it). If Brian lived four hours away from me I would feel lucky that someone of his level of expertise lives a drivable difference. Brian isn't someone who will try to sell you gear for the sake of the sale.He is passionate about music and wants to give the customer the absolute best equipment and set-up possible to suit their musical needs. I recently had my table set up sat at another high-audio shop and was happy. I needed a minor tweak and Brian spent hours setting up my turntable, also giving me a very formative education.I felt like I received a $5000 upgrade based on his adjustments. Whether you are looking to get the best sound from headphones, speakers, turntables, or tube amps,etc within your budget this is the place to go. Anyone looking into getting better audio equip(from entry level to very high end), or or set-ups, there is no one else who compares. The shop is beautiful as well. For all Audiophiles in LA we are very fortunate to have someone of the expertise of...