These folks are terrific! Although Echo focuses on high-end components, they graciously work with and accommodate more modest budgets. Their customer service is second to none. Highly recommend! read more

Echo Audio deserves the acclaim it has earned from its customers. I brought them a vintage CD player that had a seemingly intractable problem. They solved the problem on time and charged a fair price when they could have inflated their invoice. I was deeply impressed by their integrity and level of expertise. I wholeheartedly recommend them as a new GOTO customer. read more

Fun place with cool mix of vintage and new stuff. I love their commitment to vinyl , and they had the new Hana Unami Blue waiting for me, and offered to install without charge on my table. They really seemed to know their gear too! read more

Echo Audio - Hana Unami blue - Electronics Near Me - Portland, Oregon

The best audio advice! I went in expecting to leave with a pair of speakers from a specific brand. After listening for a while, Tim paid attention to what I was looking for and felt was missing. He swapped them out for a different pair that completely blew me away. Be sure to ask for Tim! read more

I am so glad I went to Echo Audio to upgrade our home audio setup instead of Best Buy. I was helped right away! When I explained what we had -- a years old tuner/receiver we'd never fully mastered, a CD player that no longer works, & no way to stream music or podcasts aside from a tinny little speaker-- I was introduced to a pair of small but powerful British KEF wireless speakers that I could pair with my IPhone via Bluetooth to stream music & podcasts. Additionally, the speakers are now connected to our Smart TV for superior sound quality. My husband & I had some trouble figuring out how to get everything communicating, but 2 free home visits from the salesman who sold me the speakers got us up & running. We are so indebted to Matt for bringing us into the 21st century! We love our new audio system! read more

Hands down, the best place in the PNW for all hifi audio needs. They routinely get excellent used gear, carry some of the best brands in the business, offer competitive pricing, and have a great demo room. Kurt and Matt are both kind, patient, and generous with their time, truly a pleasure to work with. Hifi shops like this are a rare breed these days and Portland is very lucky to have one of the best. read more

Echo Audio - Demo room - Electronics Near Me - Portland, Oregon

Great staff, excellent service, fantastic gear and a great place to hang out. Doesn't get any better than this.

If I could give them zero stars I would. They made me an offer for a mint used item I was selling. I double checked to see how long the offer was good for. They said it was good for 30 days. I got back to them 15 days later and accepted the offer. The next day, Kurt, the owner, cancelled the offer, even though I had previously accepted the offer, because he saw one on sale for only a little more than the price they had offered. He apologized, but that is dishonest and very poor customer relations. I used to own an audio shop myself, and this is something I never and would have never done. Needless to say, I don't recommend doing business with them. read more

Incredible customer service and knowledgeable staff! Definitely will be my go-to for hifi audio needs. Highly recommended

Figured I'd write an update. I've purchased several McIntosh separates from Echo over the years. They are still my GOTO. Please support them. I recently decided to sell a pair of speakers, and had the thought of emailing them regarding possible consignment. The quick reply, and honest feedback of what I had, and what I could receive for it reminded me why I keep coming back to Echo. I went to leave a review on Yelp and looks like I already did, 11 years ago ;) read more

Echo Audio is the best. Function and sound are their top priorities. They are a business you can trust with great integrity. Buy your Audio equipment here, you will not be disappointed. They understand the meaning of customer service. 5+ stars. read more

Absolutely the best customer service possible for audio equipment. HONEST PEOPLE! read more

ass hats that don't listen or even try to reason with you, they just want the best price for their high-end fucking vinyl shit that Portland is way too over hyped over and also if you give them an option to sell your items a gun it's easier to make the decision read more

I've been to pretty much all the specialty audio places in town. Each has its advantages. What's been great about all of them is that I've never encountered snootiness. Cheers to Portland's hifi community for being geared to providing music-lovers with the tools they need to enjoy their passion. All that said, Echo is the place I've patronized the most. If you ask for help, you'll get it. If you just want to browse, they let you be. When it comes to used gear, they have the most robust selection of up-to-date equipment (Fred's wins out for a wider selection of vintage kit, so it all depends on your needs and desires). My old receiver had reached its end, and the new heart of my system came from them--I was able to get something that sounds great which I would never be able to afford new. Thanks Echo! They also have the most comfortable listening area to try out a very wide range of headphones, from those designed for casual listening on a shoestring budget, to stratospheric models for those with deep pockets and attentive ears. My biggest critique is that they don't have the number of listening rooms where you can test out gear with a minimum of noise intrusion that some other shops have. On the other hand (and like other places), they are good about letting you take gear home to try out in your own place. I think they give you a maximum of three days, so make sure you have sufficient free time to decide how stuff sounds in your place. I like this store and the staff is really great. Cheers and happy listening. read more

The team at Echo Audio are excellent. Professional, knowledgeable and fair. They have a great shop and gave me top dollar for my McIntosh gear. I would definitely recommend them and use them again. read more

Great people and reasonable prices. I've purchased several pieces of used gear over the years and they were all in excellent condition with no issues. read more

Kurt and the rest of the guys at Echo are the BEST! I had them service a couple vintage amps and worked out a trade for a set of Kefs. The amps were brought back to life after collecting dust for years and I couldn't be happier with my "new" setup! Their communication, honesty and incredible work are second to none. I wasn't able to see the shop due to covid but peaking in you can tell it's a beautiful showroom. Don't think you could ask for a better audio shop! read more

Echo Audio - Small apartment so we had to compromise the placement but the sound is still unreal! - Electronics Near Me - Portland, Oregon

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Have been shopping here for years. Most trustworthy group on planet. Kurt is The "Dude" (Big Lebowski) of audio.

The folks at Echo Audio were so wildly helpful and friendly I cannot recommend them enough. I don't know a ton about stereos/audio stuff and they never once made me feel stupid or tried to upsell me. The solution that they finally came up with for my unique situation was better than I could have hoped for. I will absolutely be coming back. read more

I would recommend Echo Audio despite being an audio professional. I have a background in audio engineering, as in the science of it, not the "subjective science" of it. I brought some English speakers, an American amp and a Swiss turntable here, and they have served me well. I also sold a vintage McIntosh tube amp, beautiful, but a room heater, to them for a fair price in a very professional transaction. Perception of sound, especially music, has a heavy subjective factor. This fact has enabled an industry of hyperbolic claims that XYZ audio gear: iPod accessories, headphones, DAC's, headphones, turntables, vinyl phono needles, preamps, interconnects, speakers, amplifiers, vacuum tube equipment, even CD players, have superior, even transcendent, sound. For example, there is even one equipment maker that places new age crystals in their gear, claiming enhanced sound. Echo Audio is a fair place to buy used audio gear. Their advice is fair, especially when you clearly describe your background and objectives. They have their own in-house tech who is often there for a chat. But they will indulge your interests in the more mystical realm if you request, mythical - in my professional view. Taking all that into account, in Portland, Echo Audio is the only place in Portland to buy used, thoroughly checked and in great shape audio components at a fraction of the original price. They are also a great place to go if you have a grandparent with audio equipment estate items needing new homes. Echo is the only place in Portland in the area to buy vacuum tube gear - power hungry electronics made with hot glowing glass bottles, invented in 1909, the electronics before what we have today. In my opinion, backed by science, FET's are equivalent to tubes, but tubes look extremely cool and obscure - they will definitely impress your friends (and heat your room)! They have electrostatic speakers from time to time, large but extremely thin, like two inches, definitely conversation pieces and with a great clean sound. Turntables? They have some fancy turntables for playing vinyl that look sharp, including the Music Hall line, running between the low 100's to the low 1000's. They can talk cartridge sound too, and cartridges vary widely in tone. It's not the world for buyers of all-in-one audio systems, or purely headphone listeners of 128K MP3's. They definitely have 'plug your iPod into' systems, and you will love that sound with better sound files. But you will find you want the size of your audio files to grow after making the acquaintance with Echo. Echo Audio is a community of critical listeners and musicians who want components for a listening environment in the living room, especially approximating the recording studio environment. It is the only place in Portland to purchase audio gear that an audio insider with a critical ear would appreciate. Much of it sounds good too, take a close listen, bringing your own familiar recordings to test! read more

I like Echo Audio. Primarily I use the place like a museum - drop to check out their ever changing used gear. They have everything from McIntosh to Sony. Sometimes they get stuff I used to own, and I get all sentimental that I could have it again if I wanted - but I never do. A person who knew what they were doing could buy a very resectable vintage audio system for a very reasonable sum. The key is to know what your doing and don't rely on the sales staff. I wouldn't count on any refurbishment or service claims made regarding vintage gear. I brought them an older McIntosh tuner for repair - it drifted, had indicator lights out, and the station presets didn't work. It took months, and not everything they claimed to have fixed was actually fixed. I'm not complaining about it because they didn't charge much for the things they did fix. I'm just saying, I would assume that any vintage gear purchased at Echo is going to require a trip to a qualified repair shop, and factor that into the price negotiation. read more

Echo Audio - Electronics Near Me - Portland, Oregon

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I got some wireless Sony headphones here recently and was very impressed with my experience. They made ordering online and getting curbside pickup smooth and easy, the price was competitive with other places I'd seen the same product, and the product itself is amazing! I've recommend them to several friends already. read more

Jason is AMAZING. Our living room has a tricky layout for a big TV + sound bar, and Jason helped us both virtually and then via an in-home visit to come up with a creative solution. His solution is so much better than our original vision, AND it was significantly cheaper. Jason's work is flawless, and he was so helpful and patient throughout the whole project. He really knows his stuff. We can't wait to work with him on our next project! read more

Not much to say about this place other than that I had a great experience here. I came in looking for some studio headphones. They had just the right thing and we're very helpful and patient helping me. Big selection, and it's in a good place downtown. read more

I bought a Pro-Ject turntable from Echo several years ago. When I decided to change out the cartridge, Echo mounted and aligned it for me, and did a great job. I recently decided sell it and upgrade to a higher end turntable, but I realized that I had lost the original box. I called Echo, and they provided me with a spare Pro-Ject shipping box that perfectly fits my model. They charged me zero dollars for this. Thanks guys! The "just arrived" used gear section of their website is great. Echo is the best!! read more

A great hi-fi store with a huge selection of headphone brands like Sennheiser, Grado, Audeze and more. I headed down to Portland from Seattle to try out and buy an HD800s since for some reason there are no dealers up in Washington (plus no sales tax). The staff was helpful and I found the headphone demo area setup quite nicely. It was fun to try out the entire line of Audeze Headphones even the TOTL LCD-4. Some of their audio adapters were flaky though so those could be replaced (specifically the 1/4" to 3.5mm was causing some issues). All in all a great place for an audiophile to spend some time and perhaps some (or a lot) of money. read more

I had an amazing experience at Echo Audio. I am from out of town and visiting my son and daughter-in-law. I gifted them some old stereo equipment and my son and I went to EA to get ideas on how best to piece together a system. The passion for music was immediately obvious. We told stories, listened to fabulous music systems, got great advice and bought a pair of speakers and a day later we were listening to my old record collection. Great experience and outcome! read more

Echo Audio is the only stereo store I go to in Portland. I've been to snobby hifi stores and I don't get that vibe at all in Echo. I've always felt like they went out of the way to meet me where I am, without judgment, and with enthusiasm. We've bought several items for our home from them and they've designed and installed the sound system in our retail business two times actually, because we relocated. We've always been happy with the prices, the service, the customer service, and the products. We're not audiophiles. I mean, I'd like to be... I love music, and I love great audio, but our budgets aren't huge. Our home system is a Sonos Playbar and a Sub along with a Sonos Connect for in-ceiling speakers upstairs. What I love about Echo is that they'll be excited to set you up with something like this, work with your budget to make you happy with a lower priced pair of rad powered USB speakers, or pull out some stops and go all-out for you. Highly recommended. read more

It's been a year from my initial review, and I've become a regular at Echo Audio. I've done some upgrades to my initial setup, including a pair of wonderful speakers, a tube phone amp and some other pieces of gear. They've even thrown some freebies, including a first press of Miles Davis' "Sketches of Spain" in mint condition. I've always enjoyed my experience at Echo, and I've always received top notch treatment. This time however the owner, Kurt, surprised me by going far above and beyond to what I could have expected. I decided to upgrade my turntable cartridge. Kurt recommended to try the Sumiko Blue Point 2. He actually invited me to step into the back room to watch how a cartridge is installed and aligned, and he explained what he was doing step by step. I took the new cartridge back home to audition it for a week. I decided I wanted to try something different, with a better defined midrange, so I returned next Saturday, and Kurt mounted a Denon DL-103 on my turntable. Sadly, when I got home I found that there was no signal on one of the channels coming from my turntable. It was 5:10 PM. I called the store. I got the voice mail. They don't open on Sundays. I really can't make it to the store on the week. I panicked. Badly. I wrote an email. Kurt, my turntable doesn't work. I'm going to be left without my music for a full week. I don't think I can survive. Heeeelp! A few minutes later Kurt answered my email, offering to meet me on Sunday -mind you, the store is closed on Sundays. So the next day we met, and with his legendary patience, unwavering good disposition and kind attitude, he fixed the problem. He took an hour of his own personal time on a beautiful Sunday to help me. He didn't have to. He did it because that's the kind of person he is, and because that is how customers are treated at Echo Audio. When people are truly passionate about what they do, it shows, and it's so refreshing that I hope they will be in business for a very, very long time. Thank you, Echo Audio! read more

I very rarely feel inspired enough to log on yelp and write a review but these guys deserve it. I took my turntable in to get a new cartridge and needle. I dropped it off with Evan (who remembered my name even though we only met briefly once before). The work was done later that day. When I went back in to pickup my turntable I was expecting to have a new needle and cartridge on it. What I got was a completely cleaned, calibrated, lubricated (buttons were sticking before I took it in) and glued (a little piece was sticking up) turntable back. I feel that saying Evan went above and beyond is a vast understatement. These guys are extremely professional, efficient, and friendly. I have no hesitation recommending them to anyone. read more

When a merchant gives honest advise I am always in his debt. This happened recently at Echo Audio when I entered the store believing I needed to purchase new speakers. I explained what I had (Bose 901 Series IV) and what the problem was. I also told the guy I wasn't someone who knew much about speakers or the current innovations. He recommended that I repair the speakers - not a service the shop provided - and referred me to another store (JaMac Products). I understand that these old speakers, even if repaired, are not that great when judged by current standards. I very much appreciated the guy's (correct) assessment that I was not a person who needed the latest or greatest. This episode speaks to the integrity of Echo Audio. read more

I have been dealing with Echo Audio for a decade, both buying and selling, and have had nothing but positive experiences. As the other reviewer stated, this is a place for audiophiles. This means that if you don't know what a tube amp is, you probably won't recognize many of the brand names of the products being sold. However, that should not stop you from perusing the selection as the employees are more than happy to let you demo the gear with no pressure to buy. I highly recommend bringing a few CD's (or LP's) of music that you listen to regularly to help you make the best choice. One set of speakers may be more suitable for jazz, and another more suitable for rock. As they deal mostly with second-hand gear, their inventory changes constantly. They keep an updated list on their website, and it is worth coming in from time to time. Audiophiles tend to keep immaculate care of their equipment and change equipment frequently. Buying used allows you to upgrade your system frequently to satisfy your insatiable audiophile hobby without taking the big hit on resale each time. If you have high-end audio gear to sell, they will either buy it off of you directly or consign it for a 20% commission. I consigned a set of high end speakers and amplifier earlier this year, and both were sold within six weeks. Even after commission, I got just as much from the sale as I would have received on Ebay - without the risk, shipping hassle or Paypal fees. Kurt, the owner, knows his stuff and is more than happy to share his knowledge. My recommendation is to ignore magazine reviews and spend the time to demo different speaker and amplifier combos with your own material to find the best fit for your ears. read more

I guess for me to best summarize Echo Audio, is to let the world know I have them as a Bookmark, as in on my bookmark bar. In my digital world that is like the difference between kissing your mother and French kissing your girlfriend. The bookmark is like the Mix-tape, you don't just give a mix-tape to any girl, or it is like the T-Mobile Fave5, or it is like a player on your fantasy team. to take it up another notch, I live 14 hours away from Echo Audio---I have never even seen, touched or met Kurt. but have though spent well over $3500 here, all over emails. each time the item was shipped promptly, packaged to survive an impact with a freight train, and best of all, priced very fairly, even below what is considered to be the going used market value. Echo even charges true and fair shipping charges---other audio places tend to stick you with outrageous shipping costs. they get in very unique items, top notch high-end gear and cables and price them often for 25 cents on the dollar. If i ever move to Portland, Echo would be one of those places I would have on my regular shopping route----pick up milk, eggs and bread at the grocert store, then head over to Echo. in all seriousness, out of all the audio stores who sell used gear on-line, I can confidently say Echo Audio is one of the best in the US. read more

My husband and I just became instant fans of Echo Audio. He bought some pretty fancy equipment (a turntable, amplifier, and headphones, with the help and guidance from the helpful and expert staff) but I'll talk only of my experience. I had been looking for good, not too expensive headphones for a few months. I wanted over-the-ear headphones with good sound that were comfortable (to be used from 4 to 8 hours straight) and not more expensive than $300. I read reviews, I bought some 'good ones' from a big-box kind of store, got home and tried them... and got a headache in less than 10 minutes. They were the most uncomfortable headphones I've ever had the misfortune of using. Back to the store they went. My husband took me to Echo Audio. Upon entering, I found row after row of headphones that I could actually try on (maybe 20 or more different models, of different brands, ranging in price from $30 to $1500 maybe). The staff very quickly asked me what kind of music I usually listened to, so that they could find an appropriate CD to play while I tried the different models. I was also able to test the headphones with the music on my phone. In short, this store was my dream come true. I found the perfect headphones with the sound that I wanted to listen to the music that I like, that were the most comfortable of the lot, and yes, for less than $300 - I even got a 10% Yelp discount after I checked in. Seriously, if you have any audio equipment needs, just drop by Echo Audio. read more

I have been going here for years. This is the best audio equipment store in the area. They will never try to sell you more than you need. Their goal is to help the individual customer to the best of their ability to find what he or she is looking for, whether it is a simple starter system or something high end. There is none of the snobbishness that is sometimes associated with the audiophile world. They are extremely knowledgeable and they clearly love what they do. Be patient if you walk into the store during a busy peak- you will not regret it. read more

I had one of the best experiences in my life as a customer over at Echo Audio. My quest for expanding my Sonos home setup led me to Echo Audio as they are an authorized retailer for that audio company. My first contact was via email and within 15 minutes I had a very friendly response back from the owner encouraging me to come on in to discuss pricing in more detail. Now usually that's a tactic used by car salesmen but the truth was he just wanted to make sure I wasn't going to be purchasing to resell. Entering this store, you're met with some massive speakers, a wall of top of the line headphones (Sennheiser, AKG, Grado, Audeze) that are all available to test out. The owner, Kurt, came out and greeted me along with one of his extremely friendly sales guys and said to me "Please feel free to look around, if you want to test anything out or have any questions, let us know". That is the perfect way to let a customer know that they can play without being hounded. I ended up purchasing a Sonos Playbar, Sub, 2 x Play 3's and after listening to some Sennheiser Momentum, a pair of those headphones. Kurt even cut me a little bit of a discount and I've been back there ever since to purchase more Sonos equipment. If you're into vintage audio or some really high end amplifiers (Tube Amps), they have some of the nicest used equipment in town. read more

I've bought and sold a few dozen items with Kurt and the guys at Echo Audio and couldn't be happier. Their inventory and prices are top notch, and they really know their stuff. They have a very easy to use website to browse their most recent acquisitions but you really have to go there to truly appreciate their selection and service. I keep coming back and recommending them to friends and family again and again. read more

I saw this place on our RV trip a few weeks ago. The sales person sold me a set of nice Grado cans and a DAC so I could listen to iPad while on vacation. I got great customers service, knowledge and solid price point. I am currently sending the DAC back for a warranty repair. I will post again after dealing with them on the back side if the sakes process. Thanks guys. I just got my DAC back! The team at ECHO is top notch. Thanks guys! See you on my next trip! read more

Echo Audio is a pretty awesome way to accidentally kill several hours - if you're an audiophile you will be quite excited at the level of high end gear here, playing with it is half the fun. They actually have quite a few levels of prices depending on what you're looking for and the staff was very very helpful when I shopped there recently. I have over time stocked my house with a Sonos hifi system (that makes me feel like I live in a Star Trek world) and plan on continuing to return to Echo for upgrades and additions over time! read more

This is one of my favorite audio shops. I've come to Echo to buy, sell, demo (both in-store and at home). They also service/repair equipment and stand by their work.The people here have been a true pleasure to work with and I recommend this shop wholeheartedly. The most unique and beneficial aspect of Echo Audio is the used gear. There is tons of used gear -- both modern and vintage -- and new products come in literally every day. I'm one of many who check the website every day to see what new goodies have arrived. Their website says, "we get great equipment because we pay fair prices". That statement is right on. This is the perfect place to pick up your first HiFi system and enter the world of high-end audio. Their product range is very well rounded so there is plenty on offer for those who are ready to step up into the mid-level or even top-shelf. "She will be mine. Oh yes, she will be mine". Though I've had many positive experiences in this store, I want to mention one specific example. I was looking to buy a subwoofer to augment my bookshelf speakers so one of the staff lugged around and set up a range of not one, not two, but three different sized subwoofers for me to audition. Subs can be tricky to dial in especially when you're hovering over the thing so he called for a colleague to help him out by giving feedback from a different position in the listening room as he tweaked the crossover and volume knobs. TWO guys were helping me at the same time. It was a gratifying and enlightening experience as I not only became acquainted with a few subwoofer models, but also learned some tips on proper equipment calibration. This is the sort of service that engenders loyalty. These guys are super likeable, extremely kind and helpful. They make an effort to remember you and work to accommodate your budget and level of knowledge. I am a customer for life. read more