Audio Vision San Francisco

I have been going to Audio Vision for many years now and wanted to share my last experience witch reflect why I am a dedicated patron and why you how it to yourself to check it out. I've been waiting to jump in the computer audio for awhile now. So, I decided to get a DAC. My budget : $ 1500 Max. Antonio sat down with me and gave me is expert opinion about asynchronous usb converter. (interesting) and DAC option knowing my test in music and sound. The result was outstanding. Way better than I tough possible at that budget. Rega DAC,+ Bel Canto mlink,+ $ 1375 (sans cable) .using JRiver player $50.00. I wanted to say think you to the guy's at Audio Vision, It is so rare to be able to get this level of trust, service and knowledge all in one place.! more

Great selection, knowledgeable staff, top of the line quality at reasonable prices, and one sweet buying experience. Highly recommended. Thanks again Randy! more

The people at Audio Vision of San Francisco are the most knowledgeable a team as one could hope for in the realm of high-end audio-video equipment. I've been using Audio Vision for five years and had chosen them against competitors because of their selection. Audio Vision helped me put together three different audio hi-fi equipment accommodations. They're extremely knowledgeable, fairly priced, and are willing to provide detailed-level service to make sure of the best possible accommodations of equipment. They're fantastic and I'd be happy to recommend Audio Vision to anyone who is looking for great stereo equipment. more

I did a lot of research on the internet about audio stores and products. I selected this store because they had speakers, tuner and cd player I had marked within my $1500 budget. So, I basically listened to the system, asked some questions, and purchased it. My one minor surprise was the cost of connecting cables which came to over $300. The sales rep was very knowledgable and low pressure. Most of their gear is high end, but the sales rep was happy to help and interested in finding out my listening habits and budget. Let me alone to listen to the cds I had brought. more

Prior to discovering AudioVision, I had purchased audio equipment both online and from some of AudioVision's local competitors. I can therefore attest to the fact that AudioVision is in great likelihood superior to anywhere else you might consider purchasing high-end audio equipment. AudioVision's customer service is unparalleled, and there are ample opportunities for bargain buys. The staff are friendly, knowledgeable, and attentive to detail. Thanks to their expert input, my system has never sounded better. My highest recommendation. more

I have made a few purchases from AudioVision and each visit was enjoyable. All of the staff are friendly and knowledgable about the large inventory they have instore for you to listen to. I am pretty specific about what i am looking for, but very open to the staffs recommendations. There is nothing like listening to compare different companies product to make sure your buying what you want to hear. Marlen has been particularly helpful in building my system within my budget and making me realize maybe my ears can still hear fairly well. more

I stumbled across Audio Vision 2-1/2 years ago by luck when I was looking for a particular dealer for a product that they sold. At that time, I was not looking to purchase the product or any gear from Audio Vision. Antonio, one of the owners, was aware of this, and still spent 45 minutes on the phone with me explaining conceptually what I needed to learn about gear I had bought elsewhere. The fact that he simply shared his expertise with me without any notion of looking to sell me gear was most remarkable. I ended up purchasing a small, inexpensive product from them to make my situation more user-friendly. I later stopped in to their shop in San Francisco and realized just how knowledgeable their team is. They saw the potential for me to make huge and positive changes in my life in the way that I enjoy and engage in music. Antonio made himself available to me and was a supportive, fellow music lover sharing his enthusiasm with me, never driven by his desire to sell me audio gear. I never felt pressure or salesmanship...it was more about an exchange of information and knowledge-building. Once I became more educated, it became obvious what I wanted to do and how Audio Vision could help me. The way that my system has evolved in the last 3 years has been led by education and learning on my end, and finding the gear that Audio Vision could offer me to facilitate that learning experience and increase my enjoyment. One of the things that has impressed me about Audio Vision is that they have incredible high-end gear but they are also experts at helping people on a tighter budget put together moderately priced, really great stuff. When I was in there recently, they showed me some very cool pieces that were both affordable and cutting-edge in terms of technology. When people have looked to me for advice on upgrading their system, I recommend Audio Vision. They are as much a resource for a college student on a budget as they are for a professional looking to spend more money on high-end equipment. more

I was looking for a specific audio system and drove from Redwood City to San Francisco to go to Audio Vision. They are really the only game in town for what I wanted. Almost no where else you can go and listen to the actual equipment that you want to buy and try different things. They are quite open to providing you with whatever time and services you need at the store to make sure that you get the system you like. Audio Vision provides personalized service, which is unique in the industry. My experience working with Randy has been great. He recommended the installation company that is going to install the system that I bought. Audio Vision's excellent recommendations and expertise are definitely a big benefit to using their service. I am new to high-end audio, and having a coach like Randy was really good for me. He was very patient...I think he spent 3 or 4 hours with me the first time I went in. The best thing about Audio Vision is the range of equipment that they carry and the fact that they have it at the store for you to listen to. If you are going to spend a good amount of money on audio equipment, I think it is really important to be able to listen to the system for a long time before buying it. more

I've shopped at Audio Vision over the last 10 years or so and bought around 15K worth of kit there. I'd agree with most of the reviews below --- both the good and bad. Cris and Randy are cool to work with - decent guys who pretty are pretty straight up and know there stuff. But Antonio, the owner, is just a piece of work. He is incurably arrogant and opinionated -- sort of a parody of a bad hi fi salesman who takes his opinion on the inherently subjective subject of hi fi gear just a wee bit too seriously. I suppose I could deal with that, but I feel like I was sort of treated shabby to boot. For example, after big upgrades several times on some gear over a period of less than I year, he gave me a serious, serious haircut each time on my trade in -- contrast this with places like Music Lovers which will give you up to 100% trade in if you buy something twice the price. The difference is that Music Lovers want you to become a long term customer, whereas Antonio really just focuses on the business on a transaction by transaction basis. I also had trouble getting Antonio to demo stuff. I recall one time I wanted to demo a couple of turntables and he was constantly poking in the room trying to hustle me along even though there was only one other customer in the place. Another time I wanted to demo a couple of speakers and he made some snide remark about how he was hoping I wouldn't do "that side by side comparison thing". But when I returned a couple of weeks later to do just that and give them a good listen, he was impatient with me listening for more than half an hour in total even though the store was once again virtually empty. Bottom line is that I do everything I can to avoid shopping there -- I always walk away with the feeling like I've just spent time with a used car salesman. I will now only buy stuff there that I feel I can't get anywhere else. more

I stopped into Audio Vision last week unannounced and was greeted warmly by Randy Johnson. I explained that I was from out of town, currently owned a number of speakers including Quad 57's, had never heard 2805's or 2905's, and saw his shop listed in the Quad dealer directory. He replied that he had 2805's in his main listening room, and that I was welcome to hear them as soon as another demo in that room was finished. I wandered around the store for 20 minutes. While there I witnessed a first time visitor audition an inexpensive integrated amp. The sales consultant was courteous and informative. Randy hooked up the Quads (I brought my own cd's), handed me the remote to the cd player, and left me alone to listen to the speakers to my heart's content. Very, very impressive sound. During the 35 minutes I spent in the listening room, the employees told my wife, who was sitting elsewhere in the shop, that they were ordering lunch and asked her if she wanted anything to eat. more

I started reading reviews above and had to respond. I've bought a few items from Antonio (the owner) and have always been treated with respect and treated fairly. I've been in some other salons in the bay area where their noses were so far up their _____ that I wouldn't buy from them if they were giving their stuff away. Furthermore Antonio has the largest selection of really good stuff that I've seen assembled in one place. With the cost of overhead in SF, it's not surprising that they are not able to give every customer what they want when and how they want it! Two days ago I asked Antonio to special order an item for me. He called the distributor, didn't even ask me for a deposit and the next day the distributor called me directly to let me know the item is being shipped. So...get over it! more

Good selection of high end components, but I won't go back. I had a bad experience at the store. Pros: Wide selection of high end components; decent listening rooms Cons: Arrogant owner/staff more

I've frequented "specialty" audio shops in the Bay Area, Los Angeles and Chicago over the past few years, and AVSF is my clear favorite. If you're the type of audio consumer who's focused on finding the the lowest price or going someplace where the customer is always right and contrary opinions or strong personalities from store staff aren't appreciated, this is not the place for you. That being said, what's the point of blowing large and potentially obscene amounts of money on stereo components if you're looking for a Best Buy sort of experience? AVSF is about selection and expertise. more

Interesting reviews. The trouble is, you normally only hear from the disgruntled when reading something like this. If a customer is happy, they usually go on their happy way and you don't hear from them again. Pros: beautiful store, large selection, down to earth staff, nice range of equipment for all budgets Cons: parking more

I am really suprised that there can be any negative reviews of this store. I have been going to Audio Vision for many years. I've worked with one of the owners going back to when he ran his shop out of a furniture store. He is extremely knowledgeable and helpful and friendly, he has never steered me wrong and the one time I had a problem with something he replaced it no questions asked. He really values his customers. He upgraded components for me and bought back equipment at more than a fair price. I've worked with one other salesman who is also friendly and extremely knowledgeable. The owners of this store are serious about music and audio equipment, I can't speak to the video side of things. They provide systems to their customers that are extraordinary values because they can truly help pick the right components that match to produce the best possible sound at any price point. My system can easily compete with systems that run more than twice the price and the only reason I have such a system is because of the knowledge of the owner, these are not components one finds at big box stores or reads about on CNET, but they are often not any more expensive and they are generally much better. If you want the best equipment at any price point and components that are difficult if not impossible to find elsewhere, combined with owners who really know what they are talking about, no BS whatsoever, then go here. I've been to almost every other audio store in the area, and some are good stores, but they are not in the same league as this place. And, yes, I am a real customer! more

going into audio vision for the first time was amazing. they have so many things to choose from; all quality gear well worth the price. the experience was like no other. everyone that works there seems to have a wealth of knowledge and are very helpful; especially the owners. they spent time with me and helped me pick out a system that suit my needs without over-selling. if you are a movie and music lover, i encourage you to check them out! Pros: service, selection Cons: expensive; but worth it! more

Glad I didn't read the previous reviews before going. The main difference cited in the reviews is the difference in customer service between Chris and the owner. My wife and I were fortunate to audition speakers with Chris, who was patient, experienced and well-informed, and showed us a broad selection of speakers in our price range. Granted the store wasn't busy most of the time, but it's still extraordinary that he worked with us for over 4 hours (spread over 2 days) until we identified a speaker we fell in love with. Overall, it was the best retail experience I've had with any product, period. And we ended up buying a pair of speakers from him, and will probably buy other products. So if you're going (and they have a fine selection of audio gear to choose from), just make sure you work with Chris. Pros: excellent service, high quality products Cons: retail prices more

A good product selection and helpful, engaged sales staff were not enough to offset the complete lack of tact, business sense and customer service shown by the owner. I had stopped by during a speaker shopping trip, hoping to buy from a neighborhood merchant. The owner asked me what other equipment I had - I mentioned a (well regarded) tube amp I would be using. He asked me if had bought it used because "if I was they type of person to by used" he was not going to bother demoing speakers for me. Hard to believe this guy is still in business but I suppose if you don't have the unfortunately experience of encountering the owner your point of view could be different. Many other options to choose from before patronizing this shop. Pros: good selection, helpful sales staff Cons: owner's attitude, owner's approach, owner's arrogance more

After making an appointment to listen to loudspeakers (in the $10k range), I show up at the shop and the dealer actually *refused* to audition the speakers for me, and told me to come back in six months when I was ready to buy. He said "it takes a good 20 minutes to set up the speakers for you to listen to, and I'm very busy". Well guess who else has a busy schedule, and doesn't appreciate taking time off from his work day to travel across town and be treated with rudeness? Pros: lots of gear Cons: rude, arrogant, insulting more

Based on some other reviews I read, I felt the need to add my experience. Pros: post 30 days followup, individual attention, Good for mid-to-high Cons: Not cheap more