This place is great! Wonderful selection of equipment from mid-range to very high level audiophile. Eli was extremely helpful replacing a cartridge on our 1980s turntable as well as setting it up at no extra cost. Unlike some high-end audio stores around town, these guys are happy to work with you even if you're not spending megabucks on a new system. They're especially knowledgeable about vinyl including an impressive turntable selection, but worth checking out for any audio stuff you're considering. read more

Came in here on a Friday afternoon. There's a good amount of street parking depending on the day/time. The guys who helped me out were super friendly and helpful. I wish I would've known about this place sooner! read more

I've been o a famous place in Pomona only to be disappointed by the person in the store and Brian at Audio Element showed me an option that was just what I was looking for, patiently. Got a cup of coffee as I listened to Diana Krall and finding the speaker that suited my hearing. I didn't end up getting the speaker I heard because he asked me to come back and listened to another which I ended up buying with no regrets. They delivered and installed and that was measured to the tee. They just make buying comfortable and hassle free, no appointment it's ok they accommodated me. The store is small but has the options one needs. Thanks Brian and Ian. read more

Nice, clean place with lots of hi-fi equipment and repair options. No "junk/garage sale" vinyl to have to wade through, which I consider a huge bonus. Everything they have appears to be clean and relevant to their audience. read more

My partner and I have been here a dozen times trying to repair a vintage turntable. Each time they ignore our concerns and tell us to buy a new turntable because it would be cheaper than the repairs. We have gotten a second opinion and that is not the case at all. During our most recent trip, we went in for a new cartridge. They fully removed the old cartridge then told us there was nothing they could do nor did they put back on the old cartridge. We left unsatisfied and without our original cartridge. Again, they found a new problem with the turn table when all we went in for is a new cartridge. Dont come here unless you want to be talked down to and over sold on unnecessary products. read more

I'm not an audiophile, but I wanted a better turntable than my previous setup which was cobbled together from garage sale finds and hand-me-down gear. After seeing the other reviews I decided to take a look and see what they had. The staff was incredibly helpful. Even though most of their inventory was way out of my range they explained a lot to me. They ended up having a used Rega RP1 in great condition I was able to buy for a good price within my budget. They set it up with a new cartridge and I've been enjoying it for a few weeks. Just wanted to say if you're at all curious or need more information, they clearly know what they're doing and will explain things to you without condescension. read more

So glad I made the drive up from OC to pay this shop a visit. I called ahead to make certain they'd have time to evaluate my 80's era turntable and was taken a back when I walked in and both the Brian, owner, and Eli, sales/service greeted me and thanked me for making the trip up. Brian immediately began evaluating my turntable and unfortunately pronounced it dead beyond reasonable repair. Besides, he pointed out that a newer, modestly priced replacement would likely outperform my old relic. Normally I'm a very conservative shopper, reading reviews, scanning prices on internet sites, over-researching esoteric products reviews, but in the comfort of this store I just let Eli me guide me through the shopping process, took his advice and ended up with an ideal replacement for my audio setup (Rega Planar 1). The price was reasonable and within my budget and included the cartridge and setup. While waiting for Brian to complete the installation of the cartridge, Eli took me into audio room and and was gracious enough to demonstrate a VERY high-end audio system. Simply breathtaking! Highly recommended shop for expert advice on turntables and high end audio equipment. Awesome to experience a shopping experience where the entire team understands the value of outstanding customer service and is willing to spend time helping their customers select the appropriate equipment based on their budget and audio requirements. Great job, I'll definitely be back! read more

I needed a stylus replacement on my Audio Technica turntable and came across your business by watching your YouTube video. I called and spoke to Sean who was very professional and helpful. He informed me of my options and provided his recommendations. On my visit, I was impressed with the level of attentiveness and service by the staff especially Sean and Jonathan. Sean answered my questions and carefully worked on my turntable right away. Jonathan assisted with carrying the heavy equipment to and from my car, in the rain nonetheless. The store is also warm and inviting with a nice array of high-end audio equipment, new and used records, and comfortable lounge area. I would recommend Audio Element for turntable needs such as a cartridge upgrade, vinyl record or high-end sound equipment browsing. They are great! read more

Took my sick Rega TT which had the left channel out. Ian quickly had it on the bench putting it through testing. Determined it was a faulty cartridge and I asked for recommendations. He gave me a few options, but I had my heart set on a certain brand and style I did not see. A quick look in the back and Ian came out with exactly what I was looking for! He mentioned it was a great choice. He installed the cartridge right away and went above and beyond lining everything up. My TT now has never sounded so good! Thank you Ian and team, I will be be back often! read more

I'm not a big reviewer on Yelp but felt inclined to write a review of the great customer service at Audio Element. Stopped by their shop not knowing much about hi-fi vinyl setups and Eli was very helpful in giving me a rundown of the basics and their package options (they have some curated setups that seem to do a good job in balancing value/quality). Given that this was going to be a big purchase and being skeptical at the markups a brick-and-mortar might have on their products, I went home and checked their prices against online retailers. I'm okay with paying a reasonable premium for buying at a brick-and-mortar but I found that their prices were very fair and either the same price as online or only a couple dollars more. Their fair pricing combined with the fact that there was zero sales pressure (and before I stepped into the shop I had prepared myself for sales pressure given the nature of the business) made it an easy decision to buyer from Audio Element. Will definitely return when I'm ready to expand my system. read more

Placed a phone order because I live in an extremely remote area and the service was wonderful! My order arrived quickly! Eli answered all my questions and when it came to set up, he talked me through the process. I'm sitting here listening to Dave Brubeck and the sound is amazing! I would definitely recommend this place to anyone interested in purchasing a new sound system! read more

Audio Element - Electronics Near Me - Pasadena, California

Audio Element is great, and they're the audio experts I trust. They have set up my turntables, and they've always done great work. They have deep knowledge, and they work fast. The staff have always been friendly, and the showroom is full of interesting equipment - some of which can seem like props from a sci fi film. Eye-opening experiences await those who only think they know about audio. The selection of vinyl for sale is small - but come on. You didn't come in here for records. They focus on what they're most excellent at. Sales and service of great audio equipment for home listening. Thanks, everyone at Audio Element, for filling our home with music. read more

Love this place if you want top of the line audio equipment and maintenance this is the way to go.

Upgraded my DAC quickly and timely. Had some control issues due to the upgrade, The Team came to my home and worked intensely to get the issue fixed. First rate! read more

This place is legit ! Cool layout . Friendly expert service . Reasonable pricing . Bring your equipment here first .... I do read more

Audio Element - Chillin' at Audio Element is a cool experience .they working on my turntable . Nice couches to lounge on while groovin' to some cool jamz ~ - Electronics Near Me - Pasadena, California

Never in my life have I wanted to live in a store more than I do now. The people at Audio Element have created such a nice and inviting store that I wish I could just sit in there all day and test out all of their equipment. Even though they would probably let me, I think my wife would frown upon that. We recently caught the vinyl bug and decided to stop by and see what they had to offer. They were so nice and knowledgeable. They even helped me out with a turntable problem I was having without any hassle! Great customer service! I cannot recommend them enough. Can't wait to make our next turntable and sound system purchase from them. Even if you don't have the desire to improve your own audio experience, you should stop on by. You might discover you're a secret audiophile! read more

Could not make it in due to Covid, they held on to my record player for months. I appreciate very much that they worked with me on this and were considerate. read more

I live in OC and there is no hi-fi audio store around. This was the closest thing to me which was still a 45 min drive, let me tell you that drive was worth it. My current set up is a Chord Mojo & Shure SE846. I wanted to look for a full sized headphone for home use but didn't know how to compare all the high end headphones out there. When I walked in so was greeted by the workers and they were all really nice and helpful. They explained all the different headphones they carried and said I was free to try them out. They even have a really comfortable sofa for you to sit on while you audition the audio bliss of high end open back headphones. They didn't carry any closed back headphone at the time of this review except for the Audeze-XC. I very interested in the HD800S but wanted to audition them first. I grabbed them off the shelf, sat down on the sofa, and plugged them into my Mojo with ALAC files off my iPhone. I hit play and not even 5 seconds into the song I started giggling. OMG these things are amazing. Not only are they as clear and detailed as my SE846, they create this unreal soundstage I have never heard from using IEMs. Welp, time to save up more money :/ This place is an audiophile's dream. Super friendly staff and lots of audio equipment you can audition. At the time of this review, the few headphones I could recognize on the audition shelf were the: HD800S, EL-8, PS500e & 1000e, Nighthawks, LCD-2 & XC. read more

Audio Element - HD800S available for audition. Yes, they are amazing. - Electronics Near Me - Pasadena, California

These guys are great.! Took in my Music Hall 2.2 turntable to be checked and setup correctly, Eli helped me out with che king it in and then answered a few question I had about upgrading to a Hiend turntable. A few days later I was called telling me my table was ready great. Got home and hooked it up and spin a couple of records and WOW this now sounds really GREAT. I can not tell you have much better the table sounds but I'm in awe. Brain and the crew at Audio Elements and fabulous and very knowledgeable about the gear they sell. I love my MMF2.2 but now I'm looking at the Clearaudio Concept wood and can't wait for them together on on the floor to listen too. Again these guys a great I highly recommend Audio Elements!! read more

A terrific audio shop with a range of toys that would flip the lid off most audiophiles heads! My beloved turntable decided to finally give out on me after many many years of dedicated service and I looked to yelp to help me find a place that might be able to fix it up. I went in mid afternoon and told the gentleman behind the counter, Brenden, that I thought my record player needed a belt... he took the time to oil the machine and see if that helped. Once he opened the table I could tell that the belt looked raggedy and definitely was a contributing factor to its death. He told me the motor was more than likely about to go out and it'd only be a matter of time before I had to replace something else. For the cost I could get something new that would last awhile. I opted to skip the fixes and asked a billion questions about which tables they had available. Brenden patiently answered all my questions and made great recommendations. I decided to go with a new music hall audio mmf-1.5 in cherry. I had doubts about the cherry color, as I despise the color red. However, when he opened the box and he let me compare the color to others I decided it would look pretty damn good in my living room. I usually house my turntable in a cabinet I modified, but damn this music hall is gorgeous and too awesome looking to hide away. I walked away with a great new table at a great price, and really wish my son hadn't skipped his nap that afternoon so I could have browsed through the records they have for sale. I look forward to returning for speakers when my others finally crap out, or we move and install a whole house system. These guys know what they're doing and they're damn good at it. Don't hesitate to make this your one and only stop for all your home audio needs! read more

I read the positive reviews for Audio Element and decided to pay them a visit. I'm pleased to report that they did not disappoint. Right when I walked through the door I was helped by Ian (apologies if I got your name wrong). I told Ian I wanted to upgrade from my Crosley turntable, and he was more than happy to recommend a few setups for different budgets. I never felt rushed or pressured, and Ian was kind enough to set up a turntable/speaker combo so I can actually hear what it would sound like. I ended up purchasing that setup, by the way. When all was said and done, I was very satisfied with my experience at Audio Element. The staff are very knowledgeable about the listening experience and are friendly and happy to help you find what you're looking for. I'll be returning for all my audio needs from now on and I definitely recommend checking them out. read more

Awesome guys! Great store! Beautiful record players. Super helpful in answering my questions about an old record player I wanted them to look at. Super pleasant experience. read more

I've been adding to my stereo system for over ten years through Audio-Element. Brian and Ian just recently set up,with great care new Wilson loudspeakers to great effect. My go to audio store. read more

These guys are far and away the best place to buy stereo equipment, especially anything to do with a turntable. I bought an entry level starter turntable here about two years ago and got a very fair deal on a quality piece of hardware and came back again to upgrade. My wife, who doesn't know a lot about this stuff, came here to buy me a Christmas present and they gave her a great deal on a turntable that was significantly better than what I asked. They also loaned her a bunch of stuff so I could set it up and play it right away and then come back and pay for the extra stuff if I liked it. Well...I liked it a lot and was able to get a legitimate audiophile setup for a very great price. They also service, support and setup pretty much everything they sell, which is a big deal with this stuff. Whether you're spending $500 or $5000 they show respect for your investment and want you to get the most out of your gear. Great place! read more

Sean, Thank you so much for your help selecting our new Pro-Ject Debut Carbon turntable and Rega phono pre-amp. We have it home and hooked up and I just can't believe how sonically brilliant our music is now. I matched a CD against one of our records and it wasn't even close. The record blew the CD away and our streaming songs felt somehow less full to it as well. The 180gm remastered versions were even more astonishing. My kids loved the whole process of putting a record on so it was a great family event, too. Great investment and you were a big part of making it a no hassle experience in choosing the right one for the music we like. Music just got exciting again. It's time to haunt some record stores now. Thank you, again! Sean Miller read more

Another great review here for Audio Element. Brian, Ian and Eli did an outstanding job patiently working with me to build an excellent system for my home. They are great about staying in one's budget, maximizing the quality for the price. Plus, they are simply great people to work with. I visited several high-end audio stores in the LA area, and Audio Element clearly stood above the rest. Highly recommend them. read more

Very knowledgeable staff and non judgmental about wanting a nice turntable on a semi small budget. I wasn't discarded and in fact was explained the intricacies of every model and WHY you pay so much for them. I ended getting the Music Hall which is fully assembled and about the same price online but you don't have to worry about it being shipped or damaged in transit. Also they kindly let you A/B different rigs with records. Thanks guys! read more

This place is absolutely amazing. I want to shout out Brian specifically for helping me out with my old Sony Turntable and helping me get set up with a new Rega P2. All I will say is the circumstances with my Sony were...unique, and Brian helped me out with probably the best customer service anyone could under the circumstances. Audio Element has a customer for life now, and I will be going back for any tune ups, repairs, or upgrades. Thanks so much guys! read more

I absolutely love this place! The people working there are so kind and helpful. This place is fifteen miles away from my house but it is well-worth the train ride. I was greeted kindly by the employees, and I was assisted immediately by a newer employee who was still very helpful (I am sorry, but I do not remember the guy's name (I am bad with names)). I was a bit intimidated by all the high-end audio equipment, but the atmosphere was very relaxing and warm which was great for me. I came here to first see how the place was and how it was managed. I thought this place looked great and very neat. Did I mentioned that the employees were (or are) extremely helpful? I cannot stress that enough! One of the employees even offered to play one of my LP's on their high-end setup. He gave me a chair and gave me the controller, I was a bit confused as I have never experienced such great treatment in a store (I am sure that good customer service is stressed by their manager or boss). I emailed them beforehand about a few questions I had regarding cartridges, and they responded almost immediately. I came in, bought a few records and their cleaning solution, and I got a new cartridge which they offered to install to my turntable. I will certainly be coming back and (if my wallet allows it) hopefully become a regular here. read more

My record player was moved and I could tell the counter weight was off. Called Audio Element and they calibrated it for FREE! Good, helpful knowledgeable staff! read more

My turntable had died, so I brought it in to Audio Element for an evaluation. Brian hooked it up, gave me the pros and cons of a repair, and I decided to look at a new turntable. They have a pretty good selection of units, covering a cross section of prices for beginning audiophiles to the more discerning listener. Brian had me listen to a number of turntable and cartridge combinations and I made my selection based on sound and price. Brian is very good at his job, knows turntable repair and doesn't push any one unit over another. I highly recommend coming to Audio Element for your repairs or purchasing new audio equipment. read more

People are really helpful here. Ive been wondering about vinyl and if it's really any better than a hi-res audio file and all of that. The dude working gave me a quick A/B test and I really appreciated all that effort doing it. We also had a good discussion and he explained to me why he thinks the format is better. This is a great place to come and check out if you ever wonder about hi quality audio listening and all that stuff. Its pretty cool. They also have my favorite pair of headphones which is the Grado RS1e, you should peep that for yourself when you go because it will really be revealing of all the details in any of your favorite songs. read more

This place has a lot of nice audiophile gear. Really high end stuff. It's a GEAR store. But their record collection and the bros that work there completely devalue the whole shop. BE FOREWARNED, you will be made foolish by the dudes that work there. I went in to spend $100 on the cheapest cartridge they carry and was actively put down for not knowing as much as the guy behind the counter. I went in to ask questions and was laughed at. Not kidding. Then he's going on and on grilling me about the value of my system and what I want out of my listening experience and why I'm making a huge mistake by not spending $3k on a new system. What's hilarious is he's talking and talking in this really condescending tone and the whole time I'm just looking at this FRAMED Korn poster hanging right above him. Thinking, so you listen to that on THAT!? How can I trust you on audio quality?? Then I looked thru the collection and it was made perfectly clear these men have no taste or even know where to begin. They have nice audiophile equipment but have no idea what records they have, how to price or what's even good. It's a shop full of dollar records marked for $20 or more. If you live in Pasadena and need a new record player right this second, then this is the place to go! Just expect to hear something along the lines, "yeah Technics are ok, but they don't really give enough of the low ends. Which is imperative when you listen to artists like Sublime." My head hurts Ciao. read more

Everything a small business should be...knowledgable, personable, friendly, etc. I'm a frequent visitor for relatively small things (e.g., turntable accessories, record cleaning supplies, LPs) and I always get treated as well as the customers that purchase their jaw-dropping high-end audiophile devices. Sean in particular is always very accommodating, and he recently did a SUPERB setup on a newly acquired but used turntable...and again, he gave it the same attention he'd give one of their own brand-new devices. TIP: Parking can occasionally be found on the street, but bring quarters...otherwise, there's a reasonably parking deck on Union two blocks east of the store. read more

I feel silly deducting a star earlier because of the price. Hobbies cost money, this is no exception. I guess what really compelled me to update my review was my recent encounter. Flashback to a long time ago, I bought this hard-to-find record that I really enjoy listening to. Upon inspection, the record looked like it was in really good condition! A few scuff marks but nothing my record player couldn't handle, I thought. I was wrong, and very disappointed. The thing skipped around and sounded pretty horrible. I was worried I got a shitty press. I tried on another friends record player and it would sound the same way. Every time I heard it, a part of myself died. I took it to the Sam Ash audio department and the guys there were clueless. So I sadly held on to my precious vinyl, despite the fact that I couldn't enjoy listening to it. Watched it gather dust. Fast forward to recently, I brought my record in to test it on their nice equipment. They told me to clean the vinyl first before using their systems, so I purchased their vinyl cleaning solution. At first, I thought that was pricey...but it includes access to all the fancy cleaning equipment that I obviously don't have at home. They let you leave your bottle of solution in the store, so you can just pick it up and use it when you bring your records in. You pretty much scrub the vinyl down on a turntable which vacuums it dry. Very thorough cleaning! Sean walked my clumsy ass through it, so I don't break anything. After cleaning, I played it on their turntable, and the record I worried was defective sounded great on their high end equipment! It's like a weight has been lifted...I was relieved. After I've saved enough money, I'm definitely coming back for a consultation on a proper record playing system. Brian was super helpful in checking out my current turntable and enlightened me on why my records haven't been playing correctly. I appreciate his honesty and not being too pushy about selling me a new system...seeing as it is quite the investment, but I think I am ready for an upgrade (once funds are available). I recommend this place to all audiophiles, they clearly know their stuff here!! read more

went in with no idea what I wanted and left with a new player after getting to sample several (their in-store setup is BEYOND - i never really understood how good records could sound!). driving home, i immediately panicked, thinking I must have been swindled - how could they be so nice and how could the process be so easy? so i checked internet price for what I got and it was the exact same price - no markup at all (which is unheard of when you're trying to "support independent businesses")! I can't recommend this place highly enough. read more

I can't even begin to tell you how amazing their service is. But I'll try. I purchased a Rega P6 about 3-4 weeks ago - my intention was to buy it from Audio Element but they were closed (at the time) due to Covid-19 and I ended up getting one from another company, online. I'd seen the YouTube video from TooManyRecords and when I managed somehow to break the tonearm lifter this afternoon, I knew that Audio Element was where I'd be taking it for repairs. I was blown-away by their service. They fixed it right there, on-the-spot, and even though I didn't purchase the turntable from them, they're submitting this as a warranty repair, back to Rega. Thanks again for the extraordinary service - you made a bad situation super easy. read more

This is a fantastic shop. They have a well-curated selection of high end audio equipment and vinyl records. The place itself is immaculate and the staff is very friendly. More importantly, they have a wide assortment of nice turntables and other equipment for you to demo. I was able to listen to my own vinyl on a few models before deciding to buy a new Rega. Brian worked with me to make sure I was happy with what I bought and took the time to call me back when I had questions about something with my new deck. You might find cheaper equipment online, but I can promise you that you won't get the same level of customer service. It's great when you can support a small local business who is dedicated to making sure their customers are happy. If you have an old table, I suggest you let Brian take a look at it. Before I upgraded to a new rig, I took my old table in because I thought that I needed a better/new cartridge. Brian took a look at it, made some adjustments to the alignment and told me it was good to go. I took it home and was pleasantly surprised to hear how much better the old cartridge sounded. I watched Brian work on my table and it was obvious that he knows what he's doing. He will take the time to make sure that everything is done right. Finally, take a look at their record collection. While it's small, they have a great selection of used and new pressings. Plus, their prices are pretty good. For example, they had an album that was $5 less than what Amazon was charging. Thanks to Brian and Sean for the great shopping experience. read more

Having purchased gear from many (if not most) hi-fi dealers in the LA area, I feel I can say without reservation that Audio Element is among the very best. Although the shop may seem small in comparison to some, the quality of products combined with their stellar service sets them a part from many dealers with larger showrooms. In fact, I would describe working with Audio Element akin to a luxury boutique experience. After being in the hobby for some years, I have a bit of a jaundiced eye when it comes to dealers. Many will try and up-sell you, whether you are a first-time customer or have bought from them in the past. Not only did this not happen with the AE guys, they actually saved me money by carefully evaluating my system needs (both of my two-channel systems) for maximum bang for the buck. As an example, when I was considering an upgrade for one of my phono stages, they showed me the value of upgrading my cables and rack instead. After comparing the difference between the two, I can unequivocally say their recommendation was spot on the bigger difference maker. Also, if you don't know already, Brian Berdan's vast experience with hi-fi is practically second nature. His father, Brooks, was one of the most-respected men in the business. This hi-fi legacy was what brought me into the shop in the first place. Just like his Dad, Brian is a straight shooter with a golden ear. If you're serious about your gear, you won't go wrong putting your trust in Audio Element. read more

I drive 65 miles to visit this store. They are fair, extremely talented and knowledgeable. Ian and the other guys (I forget names easily) are willing to explain and coach us in the tech that would best suit my husband and me. For someone with almost 3,000 LP,s I want people who know what they are talking about. If they are uncertain they go to Brian. In other words they don't just give you any answer. They really seem to want to be helpful. Easy 5 stars! read more