High Fidelity audio is a journey. We all start somewhere, not knowing really where we are, with some random gear and then slowly you start looking for more advice along the way. Hawthorne Stereo is THE SHOP to help you, as they have generously helped me on my audio journey. They have helped me with kindness and grace for over a decade now and the employees here have been guides to me and for this help, I am grateful. Hawthorne is a shop that has been holding space for people on their audio quest, if you are also on such a quest, I couldn't recommend them enough. read more

If there was a way to praise this business more than 5 stars, I would! I live in Texas and I was looking to give a family member a record playing system. I asked a relative up in Washington for help. She ended up at Hawthorne. Huy was able to assist her with selecting a system that best fit the needs of our family member. Huy was able to ship the whole system from Seattle to Texas. There were many complications with shipping (thanks to the shipping company). Huy, however, handled these complications with ease and was very adaptable. I absolutely recommend this shop, even from Texas, and could not thank Huy enough for everything he did to help! read more

I recently brought my Marantz 2238B receiver into Hawthorne because of persistent noise in the left channel. The staff immediately understood the issue and took great care with it right from the start. They were incredibly friendly, empathetic, and genuinely passionate about getting working perfectly again--something that's hard to find these days.After the initial repair, I took it home and unfortunately still heard some issues. No hesitation, they took it back twice, dug in deeper, and fixed it completely. The receiver is now dead silent and sounds beautiful. Best of all? They didn't charge me a single extra dollar beyond the original repair fee. That's real dedication to customer satisfaction and standing behind their work. Thank you! read more

I brought in a turntable to repair. A gentleman walks over, eyes the turntable and tells me everything that can "possible" wrong with and even told me it was a made in Europe. Well, after another employee plugs it in, the other guy changes his tune to tell me another load of crap and he didn't even notice the turntable was made in the USA. The turntable tech was too busy to even bother w me dropping it off for later repairs. Whatever. read more

Hawthorne Stereo is not just a nice place, it's a national treasure. I bought my first turntable and stereo system from their used room for a couple hundred bucks 15-20 years ago. I've been back infrequently but consistently since then for all manner of repairs and upgrades. Every time I walk through the door (or call or email) I am treated with the utmost care, patience, respect and the desire to do the right thing for me regardless of the price range I'm shopping in. Truly lovely people. I will shed a tear the day this business closes its doors. read more

What a great neighborhood store. Nice selection and great staff. I did a one hour (reservation recommended) listening demo there and the team brought in various speakers and subs for me to try out with different amplification. Super helpful. Highly recommend. read more

I went because my partner and I were having issues w/ the stylus of our Fluance turn-table. I'm in a wheelchair and they offered to take it to the car for us, extremely knowledgeable and kind. Dude fixed it and the sound is amazing, they were awesome. Great place to go for your Hi-FI needs read more

I gave them my vintage stereo to sell on consignment. I was surprised when a check arrived in the mail exceeding what they originally quoted. It might have taken a few months, but my equipment was only sitting in storage at my house . Now I turned it into cash, thanks to Hawthorn. read more

Hawthorne agreed to take in some of my "Vintage" equipment on Consignment. The process was very smooth and I'm very glad that someone now has a chance to enjoy the components. I'm impressed and grateful. Thanks, Hawthorne! read more

Hawthorne Stereo has always been a place to check when the upgrade bug hits. Their used equipment section is unparalleled and a source of great value. Have picked up some gems over the years. Recently I was looking for new speakers. Went in and tested a couple pairs, landed on one and decided to bring my existing speakers in for trade. Hooked up my speakers and the pair I liked to compare, out of curiosity. Turned out the other pair wasn't very different from what I already had, so I ended up passing on them. Still, the experience was top notch. Huy was my salesman and couldn't have been nicer and more accommodating. He was super knowledgable about music and selected some fantastic tracks for comparison. Now that I'm happy with my speakers, thinking about upgrading my amp. If I decide to move forward, I know where I'll start. Thanks, Hawthorne Stereo! read more

The pre-owned amp that I originally purchased from Hawthorne Stereo back in 2018 suddenly stopped functioning and I brought it back into their shop for repair. The amp was serviced in an extremely reasonable period of time at an extremely reasonable price and I have been very satisfied with both of my experiences with this store. read more

Took my cheap knockoff turntable in for diagnosis/repair, curious if it would even be worth their time. It was not! But they were cool about it and took a look and were able to tell me the plate was spinning slow. I re-greased the sucker and it works like new. I'll be back when I'm ready for the real deal. Thank you!! read more

Amazing service, no pressure sales, great used and new products. Knowledgeable and made it simple for a newbie to walk away and setup same day. Couldn't be happier. read more

I walked in knowing next to nothing about hi-fi systems, but knowing I wanted a new listening experience for hip hop albums. This was my first and last stop. I went in asking about a turntable, and left with a fantastic step-up-from-starter used/new system. They are so knowledgeable and helpful, gave me a good walkthrough, sampled some equipment mixes and ultimately we landed on some great speakers, a good receiver, and turntable that ended up working very well in my large space and came in right at my budget point, and given my propensity for throwing out my budgets when I see the shiny thing this was huge. Huy was something else, was very good at asking questions and listening to you about your needs and space and made the whole experience a ton of fun. Hawthorne's fantastic used equipment (as well as shiny new stuff) and local shop feel have me coming back for my add-ons, but Huy made me a loyal customer for life. read more

Coming from someone with no audio equipment knowledge. They set me up with some High quality stuff at a good price, great service, and followed up on phone when I had questions. Really nice guys read more

This place is freaking awesome. Everything they have is quality, even the used stuff, and you can trust that it has all been tested, repaired properly, and works just like it should. They carry some incredibly high end gear, and could easily spend 5 figures here if you've got that kind of change. Even if you don't, it's really fun for nerds like me to walk through and check out insanely cool tube amplifiers and multi-thousand-dollar turntables and speakers. One day... But they also have more budget-friendly options for scrubs like me, and while the staff really knows their stuff, you won't encounter the stuffy pretentiousness of almost every other high end stereo store I've ever been in. If you're in the market for audio gear, I can't recommend these guys enough! read more

Can't possibly say enough good things about this place. They're very invested in you ending up with the right system to fit what you want and your budget. They don't have any problem taking the time to explain and demo different systems. Amazing selection of different levels of gear for different styles and budgets. Soto was fantastic to work with. I'll be a repeat customer for quite some time. read more

I've been a discerning and satisfied customer of Hawthorne Stereo for many years. The entire staff is wonderful to deal with and I'm always made welcome even if just to come by to shoot the breeze. Whether you're a long time audiophile or making your first foray into the world of high end audio, you owe it to yourself to check Hawthorne Stereo. You will not be disappointed. Picked up a rare gem this afternoon at a great price. As always the team was real accommodating and professional. Enjoying the Esoteric SACD player. read more

One employee Mark was helpful professional Others were not . Last visit the person was rude! read more

I've bought several stereo components over the past 4 decades here and have never been disappointed. All were expertly recommended at the time by the staff. Over the years these included an industrial-strength Thorens turntable for my extensive vinyl collection, Nakamichi cassette player and Marantz CD5005. All thrive today. A new Marantz receiver amp has made my half-century old AR Pi-10 speakers never pop better. These guys understand budget and analog preferences, and how important it is for customers to enjoy music in their homes. Puget Sounders are really lucky to have this trusted audio source in northeast Seattle. read more

Having blown a tube in my Primaluna EVO 400 int amp I was desperate to find a replacement tube. Upscale audio now refuses to sell replacement tubes unless you purchased the equipment from them. On a Sunday afternoon I was googling looking for a replacement tube and found Hawthorne Stereo, emailed them on Sunday not expecting as response until Monday at the earliest. Low and behold I got a response in less than an hour. In less than 2 hours on a Sunday they sent an invoice for the tube, I paid it and Monday morning got a shipping confirmation and Wednesday had the tube at home. WELL DONE Hawthorne Stereo. read more

Always friendly and great advice! Only place I got for my HiFi needs, highly recommended

10/10 experience. Available to ask questions. Had refurbished products available at healthy discounts. Came to ask questions, left with some hardware. A joy of an experience. read more

Can't say enough good things about the service at Hawthorne. Brought in a vintage Marantz receiver for service and came back with some issues eventually it powering on. They took full responsibility and went above and beyond to get the receiver to tip top shape. If you have any stereo electronic you cherish, Hawthorne is the place to go. read more

I have been a long time customer but no longer. Called to make an appointment to come in to listen to gear today and it seemed like I was asking for too much. The person on the phone was rude to me and when I went in the store I was also treated rudely. When I come to spend my money in your business I expect to be treated a little better. Your store was empty when I came in and you still acted like you were so busy. I will take my money to a place that is welcoming. This business is not. read more

Bought a used Sony carousel CD player from Hawthorne Stereo. It arrived quickly and works perfectly, just as expected. Thank you, Hawthorne. read more

An excellent shop for used vintage gear who stands behind their product. They have a broad selection of hi-fi equipment spanning price ranges from budget to pretentious. Used product comes with a 7 day return policy ( for any reason) and 30 day trade in plus 30 day warranty. Everything sold apparently is checked by their techs for full functionality. Pricing is pretty much consistent with what's on eBay, which is a good value considering their warranty and such. It's a mom & pop retailer so you may need to wait around to get some attention. But with a lot of stock and eye candy to look at it's no big. Clerks are helpful and knowledgeable. read more

Audio shops like this are getting harder to find. Hawthorne reminds me of Audio Consultants in Evanston IL, the store l bought my components over the years until they closed recently. Hawthorne has a great selection of new and used gear and were very helpful when l came in to audition a few pieces even without an appointment. Seattle is lucky to have this shop! read more

The gentlemen at Hawthorne stereo once again not disappointing - gave me a very honest, reasonable trade-in value for my used components. Love this place. read more

I love shopping here. Been going to the shop for years; this place is a class act. The way shopping for audio equipment should be. They have always an interesting and wide selection of great reconditioned and new audio equipment and speakers. The salespeople are always patient and helpful, and, frankly fun to work with as they love audio as much, if not way more, than we do. I do like to make appointments, as this is better for them when they are busy and also assures you have time in one of their two listening rooms. Bought a pair of amazing speakers, had a little issue and they were right on it. There's simply no place like this. read more

So I am setting up a basic stereo system at my house and bought a cheap receiver on Amazon. It buzzed and sounded terrible, even to my untrained ear. I returned it and decided to google local music shops and went to check out Hawthorne's instead of getting burned online a second time. The people there were very helpful and let me test out equipment before I bought it. They got me stereo components that are MUCH better and actually cost less money (good, tested, used components are much better than untested, new, crappy ones). I will definitely come back when it's time to upgrade my speakers read more

This review is strictly about the repair department, and I cannot speak to their sales (which all seems to have great reviews!). I'm giving a four star review to split my review between two very different repair experiences: 1) 3*: Speaker repair was somewhat frustrating. Brought them in and was initially told a week to complete, called after a week and was told they'd be ready the following Monday or Tuesday, called on that Tuesday to be told the guy was not in and they wouldn't be ready for another week. I understand timelines can change, but would've appreciated some information or upfront discussion about this. The repair itself was great, however. 2) 5*: Turntable repair was excellent. Brought in an old turntable I wanted to get working again, and got a call later that day (or perhaps the next) explaining what the issue was, and giving tips on additions I could make to help with my listening experience. I could pick it up (repaired) a day later, and worked great! All said, I'd use them again as I love to support local specialty shops, and given the other reviews I think I'm the exception to the rule (on the speakers). read more

These guys take the time to explain everything and help make excellent choices from their vast inventory. Whatever your budget is you'll end up leaving with tv he best for your money. Their used room gives you a chance to own that system you always wanted at a fraction of the original cost. They have a great selection of new, high quality equipment as well. Everyone in there really knows what they are talking about. A great place to buy or just stop in and look around and listen to some pretty great equipment. read more

Very nice and welcoming. Some times hard to find in the world of Hifi. Have a great selection of new and used pieces. Worth checking out

After doing a lot of research, I was looking to hear some mid-to-high end turntable and cartridge options for my "Retirement Stereo". John was GREAT in setting up the options in their listening room, allowing my wife and I to sit and listen to the options, switching between different pieces of equipment without any complaints or attitude. They get it!! When you are looking at $1000+ pieces of stereo gear, you NEED to hear it. All the research you do is NOT an alternative to actually listening to the gear! THANK YOU!! WELL DONE!! read more

GREAT! above average customer service and knowledge. I was total impressed with how well i was treated and spoken with plus great the equipment was and how easy it was to get a great deal. great overall experience. worth a visit anytime !! read more

Came in to buy a home stereo system with a turntable after being referred here by friends. Alden was super knowledgeable and patient and got me setup with a great system. I highly recommend Hawthorne. read more

I came in to see about getting a receiver and CD player repaired. The place was busy. so I waited my turn. Some guy finally walked up and asked if I needed help He had also been standing there doing nothing. I tried to explain what I had. A receiver and a CD player that I wanted looked at and or repaired I had no idea what was wrong with them, I had just bought them. He could not seem to move past asking me what was wrong with them to give me an idea of what it would cost me to have them looked at. I also did not know that no one looks at or repairs CD players. I still have at least a hundred CD's that I happen to like. Very poor service read more

I love these guys. So helpful and knowledgeable, and none of the snobby attitude you get at other audio places. I just had my turntable serviced, and they did a great job at a really great price. Even if it weren't for all that, I would still go to their shop whenever I could--their used room is my happy place. read more

The absolute best in town. Dialed my receiver in perfectly and had great advice. Top notch