We are AudioVision, a small owner-operated brick-and-mortar retail space celebrating over 20 years of serving the hi-fi community in the quest for the absolute best audio and video equipment available today! We have one of the largest collections of high-end equipment in the world, and all of our products are selected for their performance, both sonically and visually.
We offer numerous options for every need, with a knowledgeable and passionate staff available for however we may assist you, whether it be before, during, or after the sale! If you ever find yourself in the Bay Area, pay us a visit at 1628 California St., we'd love do show off our wonderful shop and line of products!
We offer numerous options for every need, with a knowledgeable and passionate staff available for however we may assist you, whether it be before, during, or after the sale! If you ever find yourself in the Bay Area, pay us a visit at 1628 California St., we'd love do show off our wonderful shop and line of products!
Services
Whether it be via this online portal or here in the shop, we always prioritize customer service and support and promise some of the most responsive and comprehensive assistance in the industry! With a combined experience of over 50 years between 3 of us, we do our best to offer the most comprehensive personal service.
Reviews (24)
Yunyi Zhang
Jan 25, 2022
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Raymond Zhang
Jan 20, 2022
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They force you to put down a $250 "consultation" fee if you want to try headphones that can only be put towards a purchase in 90 days. Effectively forces you to buy something if you want to try a product.
Not to mention how they're not doing returns "due to COVID-19" so you're just SoL if that thing you're forced to buy isn't as good as you thought. I'm not even sure if they're an authorized dealer for most of the brands they carry. So good luck if you have a problem.
Their pricing isn't even that good, at best matching or higher than elsewhere. There are other shops in the area less stuck up
Not to mention how they're not doing returns "due to COVID-19" so you're just SoL if that thing you're forced to buy isn't as good as you thought. I'm not even sure if they're an authorized dealer for most of the brands they carry. So good luck if you have a problem.
Their pricing isn't even that good, at best matching or higher than elsewhere. There are other shops in the area less stuck up
Igor G.
Dec 20, 2021
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I had a really great experience with Randolph today who helped me choose pair of bookshelf speakers. He almost insisted I should come with my own amp and listen the speakers through it and boy I'm glad I did! He was asking questions and based of off my answers - suggesting next set of speakers till the point where I was confident I've found what I was looking for! They have plenty of options to chose from in stock so I've spent almost 3 hours and feel like could have spent 3 more easily. When I unpacked and installed speakers at home I was simply blown away by how good they sound
Erik A. D.
Sep 15, 2021
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Fellow hi-fi enthusiasts out there know that shopping for gear can prove confusing and expensive. Thankfully, there are local, brick-and-mortar audio stores still in existence whose owners and staff share helpful expertise, take time to demo equipment, and go out of their way to provide excellent customer support. Such has been my experience at Audiovision, where recently, Randolph helped me resolve a frustrating issue with an amplifier I'd purchased at the store last winter. Randolph did not have to help me find a solution for this issue, and he could have simply referred me to the manufacturer
Dave T.
Sep 02, 2021
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Toby Mummert
Aug 12, 2021
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I was in very deep search for a Soundsmith Otello Cartridge. I contacted at least 20 other sites and no one had ANY! I was exhausted to say the least. Then I came upon Audio Visions and BOOM! They had more than one in stock!
They shipped it very quickly.
The associate I talked with was very knowledgeable and kind.
I made a new friend in the wonderful "Audiophile" world!
Thanks so much!
Toby
They shipped it very quickly.
The associate I talked with was very knowledgeable and kind.
I made a new friend in the wonderful "Audiophile" world!
Thanks so much!
Toby
Carlos A.
Jul 29, 2021
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Ben G.
Apr 08, 2021
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AVSF was recommended to me by a friend with a careful ear when we decided to take the plunge and invest in our first home record setup. We had already done tons of reading online and gathering reviews to make a decision. My expectation was to make my own selections and simply pick up the gear on site. What we got instead was extremely experienced guidance, and an opportunity to try out the sound of our selections in store. After making an appointment, Taylor was able to set up a listening room to try the turntable and speakers we were interested in, and in real-time make suggestions based on our
Jorge Bardina
Dec 25, 2020
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My vintage amp finally died so I spent the morning looking for a replacement. They had the Marantz receiver that I was looking for in stock when nobody else had it. I could have bought it online for more $ and waited 3 tortuous weeks. Taylor and Randolph were very nice and extremely helpful. I never felt rushed or pressured. It’s a really cool store with a lot of amazing equipment. I spent the entire day enjoying the receiver and sub. I’ll definitely be back to upgrade my speakers. Thank you!
Update: I went back to update my speakers. I was promptly greeted when I arrived. I didn’t have
Update: I went back to update my speakers. I was promptly greeted when I arrived. I didn’t have
Jack K.
Dec 09, 2020
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Hmm, I can see why this place receive many negative reviews. If you know what you want, this is the place to go cause they carry a lot of different high end brand. However, if you are planning to just go in there, test a few equipment, and/or ask for some recommendations, I highly recommend you go elsewhere. They will help you out for sure but more likely than not they will make you feel like an idiot.
Dave W.
Jul 28, 2020
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I usually love supporting brick and mortar local business. If nothing else, it's a great chance to get to know the local community. These guys are just downright mean and condescending. The worst experience I have ever had in a retail store. Taylor treated me like dirt for taking interest in something that wasn't expensive enough, then cursed at me and told me to leave. Hope these guys go out of business, making room for a local business that is a positive member of the community.
Jackson Button
Jun 04, 2020
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Taylor was spectacularly helpful in purchasing my Meze Empyreans/Woo Audio amp. I was able to try out a wide variety of amps and headphone pairings before landing on this selection. Taylor even took the time to set up some comparison products I might like/gain insight from. I have purchased from audiovisionsf before when I bought my Hifiman headphones and Audeze LCD-3s roughly 7 years ago and I will most definitely return for any repairs/upgrades in the future.
Dirt M.
May 16, 2020
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This is the go to audio shop in SF. They specialize in high end equipment, but they also have high end "entry level" components. The amount of knowledge they have is so much more useful than hours of searching online and reading posts. They really know their stuff. I had a humming issue with my Rega P1 turntable, that I purchased from Audi Vision and they contacted Rega, got replacement parts, and fixed me up. Taylor was especially great to work with!
Gareth K.
Dec 18, 2019
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Incredibly helpful, friendly, patient and knowledgeable staff with a great range of products.
Went in with an incredibly broad brief for a new amp and speakers for my Technics turntable and they were brilliant in understanding the needs of my system and room and recommending a few options to test and walking me through the pros and cons. But also had the patience to let my ears make the choice.
Highly recommend.
Went in with an incredibly broad brief for a new amp and speakers for my Technics turntable and they were brilliant in understanding the needs of my system and room and recommending a few options to test and walking me through the pros and cons. But also had the patience to let my ears make the choice.
Highly recommend.
James D.
Dec 14, 2019
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My search for an entry-level/mid-level turntable setup is over, thanks to Antonio and his team at Audio Vision. I have been wanting to give vinyl a try for years and after attending a concert where the artist sold his album at the merch table, I decided to buy his vinyl and finally buy my analog setup.
This led to countless hours of google searching, which ended up turning fruitless. For a basic budget system (talking less than $500) there are ample recommendations for a full system. But for anything past that, there is a void of good information. That, along with audio equipment being very subjective
This led to countless hours of google searching, which ended up turning fruitless. For a basic budget system (talking less than $500) there are ample recommendations for a full system. But for anything past that, there is a void of good information. That, along with audio equipment being very subjective
Tyler Law
Aug 16, 2019
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I had a great experience with Audio Vision. Both Randolph and Taylor were incredibly helpful in assisting me to pick up my first HiFi speakers ever. When there were some technical issues they handled everything like a boss and convinced the manufacturer to send me an upgraded model from the one I purchased! Super cool, very excited to give them more of my business in the future.
Tim McDonough
Aug 09, 2019
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Beware - owner forces you to pay to shop. Yes, that's right. If you want to spend more than 20 minutes in the store listening to gear you are forced to pay a $250 consultation fee which you can apply to a purchase. No one can make an expensive purchase in less than 20 minutes. If you pay the fee and then don't find what you want, you're stuck.
The owner explained he instituted the fee because people shopped there and then bought online. No surprise with service like this. I entered the store wanting to "buy local." I left wanting to buy local, but somewhere else. Try Music Lovers, their service
The owner explained he instituted the fee because people shopped there and then bought online. No surprise with service like this. I entered the store wanting to "buy local." I left wanting to buy local, but somewhere else. Try Music Lovers, their service
Justin P.
Jun 24, 2019
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Dear lord, I feel like I need a shower to wash off this experience.
I initially called to find out whether they carried several different headphones I was interested in. It turns out they have a pretty incredible selection in-store and I was psyched to make a trip to the city, listen and get geeky with fellow audio-nerd brethren.
My initial phone call was the first sign of trouble. After an initially nice chat with Randolph, I said "sounds great, I'll be in later today!" to which he replied "woah, woah woah! We only do appointments," and proceeded to ask me questions
I initially called to find out whether they carried several different headphones I was interested in. It turns out they have a pretty incredible selection in-store and I was psyched to make a trip to the city, listen and get geeky with fellow audio-nerd brethren.
My initial phone call was the first sign of trouble. After an initially nice chat with Randolph, I said "sounds great, I'll be in later today!" to which he replied "woah, woah woah! We only do appointments," and proceeded to ask me questions
Andreas K.
Mar 28, 2019
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This place is a joke. Good selection of products but I literally cancelled my appointment to listen to some speakers and pre-amp because of the negative interactions I had both times I went in there. There's a little mustached hipster named Taylor that enjoys trying to make you feel like you know nothing. The pony tailed owner kept telling me he's been doing this for 25 years and sells systems for a quarter million dollars, blah blah blah. I got an email from him basically admonishing me that I looked at products online and that he needs to charge a premium "because he is a professional
Ron F.
Dec 29, 2018
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Was hoping the customer service improved since last time I was there. It hasn't.
I was looking for a new phono cartridge or a re-tip for my Benz Micro which I brought into the store with me. He told me twice my handmade Swiss cartridge was sh*t and if I traded it in, they would give me $50 off a used Ortofon (which is mass produced and less than 1/10th the price when new). Why all the deceit when prices can easily be confirmed? Not a good idea to be antagonistic or attempt to deceive customers. Never again.
I was looking for a new phono cartridge or a re-tip for my Benz Micro which I brought into the store with me. He told me twice my handmade Swiss cartridge was sh*t and if I traded it in, they would give me $50 off a used Ortofon (which is mass produced and less than 1/10th the price when new). Why all the deceit when prices can easily be confirmed? Not a good idea to be antagonistic or attempt to deceive customers. Never again.
Corbin C.
Dec 06, 2018
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Live in the neighborhood and decided to stop in because I'm in the market for high end headphones (budget less than $2000). Spent a while auditioning a couple of pairs while receiving a few backhanded comments about me not knowing what I'm doing. Fine, I'm familiar with the audiophile community and take it in stride, you guys know what you're doing.
Finish up with 2 pair and ask to see another in a similar price range so I can compare. Dude responds with, "Are you buying today?" I said no, but I have time to get through a few pair today...I wanted to break up the
Finish up with 2 pair and ask to see another in a similar price range so I can compare. Dude responds with, "Are you buying today?" I said no, but I have time to get through a few pair today...I wanted to break up the
JaW DiN
Jul 29, 2017
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The value of being able to walk into a store and having the option of trying out 30+ pairs of high end headphones can't be overstated. The staff can come off as a bit condescending but they know what they're talking about and will hook you up with something appropriate to your situation... No hard sells for more expensive gear outside your range or interests. If you're thinking about spending more than 200 on a set of cans head in and hear the difference instead of reading a bunch of Internet reviews and trying to imagine what you want.
James L.
Jul 12, 2017
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"F*** OFF AND DIE IN A DITCH"
-- Taylor, Audio Vision SF Salesman
I recently became interested in hi-fi audio and stopped in the store on 12/9/17 after finding this place on Yelp. I was interested in spending around $2000 on a starter system to start easing into this world.
I should have read the reviews in more detail, as many 1-star reviews have documented a pattern of a hostile environment with condescending and dismissive salespeople. This would have saved me some time on this Saturday.
I walked in and introduced myself to the gentleman seated behind the sales desk - a poorly kempt bro
-- Taylor, Audio Vision SF Salesman
I recently became interested in hi-fi audio and stopped in the store on 12/9/17 after finding this place on Yelp. I was interested in spending around $2000 on a starter system to start easing into this world.
I should have read the reviews in more detail, as many 1-star reviews have documented a pattern of a hostile environment with condescending and dismissive salespeople. This would have saved me some time on this Saturday.
I walked in and introduced myself to the gentleman seated behind the sales desk - a poorly kempt bro
Casey S.
Jan 17, 2017
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I'm quickly falling into the rabbit hole that is audiophile equipment. The moment I heard quality speakers like the KEF LS50s or the Dynaudio X14s, I knew it was time to upgrade.
The folks at AudioVision were real helpful. I explained what I was looking for, and they suggested a number of different options. They gave us free reign of the systems and their collection of CDs, and then came back after a period of time to answer our questions. Though I didn't leave with anything (this time), I had a great experience.
The folks at AudioVision were real helpful. I explained what I was looking for, and they suggested a number of different options. They gave us free reign of the systems and their collection of CDs, and then came back after a period of time to answer our questions. Though I didn't leave with anything (this time), I had a great experience.
