I spent $300 in like 30 seconds! That's a great thing. I was in the neighborhood and popped in just to see what Hungry Ear Records was about. I had zero intention to shop for music since I was visiting from Kauai. So much for intentions... I began browsing and knew I was in trouble. I immediately came upon some awesome used vinyl. Started thinking about transporting them home...oh well I guess I will have another carry on. I didn't have a whole lot of time to dig so I asked about a few titles / artists I really wanted to find. The gentleman at the counter couldn't have been more helpful. He walked me right over to where those discs were. He knew the inventory inside and out and knew just what section to lead me to. Stellar service! I will be back. Just warning my bank account. read more

Best place for records/music in Kakaako! I love their disco ball :) ideal for dancing. They also throw the best parties! Yelp has a super fun event in Kakaako and Hungry Ear had the best setup of everyone with the best music! I had fun dancing and partying with my Elite besties in the store and Aunty Mary and her husband run the best record place in Kakaako! Definitely go visit them! :) read more

Hungry Ear Records - Music & DVDs Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

I didn't know you guys moved to ward so I'm so happy to have found you again during Yelps Passport to SALT event! I love the nostalgia & the ambiance. Such a nice space! read more

So much fun here!! I wanted to start a CD collection again atmosphere was a total vibe! Great collection of all types of music to choose from, charity of formats. Loved it! read more

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I loved the vibe here the second I stepped through the door! The atmosphere is so nice and the music playing throughout the shop was lovely. They even had a live DJ spinning while I was browsing, who incredibly happened to be my tattoo artist! They have an amazing selection of vinyl records and CDs to dig through. Such a cool spot--highly recommend checking them out! read more

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Located on the 2nd floor of SALT. Lots of parking. Please be sure to scan the QR code when you park and scan again at the store to validate your parking. Great selection if you are into cds, vinyl albums etc. Good value for used cds and vinyl. Nice staff to help you if you have any questions. They sell stickers by the cashier. read more

Hungry Ear Records - Wowzers NIN! - Music & DVDs Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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Thanks to the wonderful people at Hungry Ear.. They were kind enough to get me out of the store before an hour .. Very professional and great energy. Mahalo PS . The parking lot is crazy, so be patient read more

Excellent record store! I was helping my mom offload a large number of vinyls she'd been holding onto for a long time. Located in SALT, it's easy to stop in. Hungry Ear is located right by the parking garage elevator and parking is free for the first hour. The staff was super friendly, even offering to help me carry my vinyls in. They were able to quickly assess my collection while I shopped in the store. They offer a larger amount back if you choose store credit. You can also request the money through a check. I opted for the store credit and got a Taylor Swift vinyl. They have such a great collection to choose from! Don't let my Swiftie choice sway you. Their selection is vast and they have a ton of new and used vinyls as well as a few CDs, cassettes and different other musical items. Definitely a very cool spot! read more

Holy nostalgia!!! Hungry Ear Records makes me understand how my dad felt as he was just so attached to his vinyls so much so he built a shelf just house them and I hold that piece of furniture so dearly which hold my craft items now making it a house to hold our treasured hobbies. Not just records you're able to find cassettes and CD's and even cool decor browsing here is just amazing with music of every kind including of course local loves. This time capsule gem is tucked in SALT of Kaka'ako second floor right beside the parking garage as our ears are constantly hungry for the playlist to feed our moods and daily grind Hungry Ear has definitely kept it fresh and alive!! Thank you! read more

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Lots of Hawaii Vocalists, great to browse, surprisingly good selections. Many may be new. LOTS of Elvis, too!

These guys absolutely crushed it for the RSD drops. The staff was amazing--giving clear directions, keeping the energy up, and managing the crowd like total pros. Their system was chef's kiss--super speedy and efficient. I had my records in hand and was checked out before I even had time to panic about missing a title! They had an amazing selection! And amazing prices on used records!!! Everyone working was cool af and chill, creating a vibe that made the early wake-up 100% worth it. And the store itself? Total gem. Can't wait to come back on a regular day and take it all in without the RSD hustle. Hungry Ear, you've got a new loyal fan! read more

Fantastic vintage record shop tucked away at Salt Kaka'ako. Do not miss this place! Huge variety of vinyls! read more

I heard of Hungry Ear Records awhile ago. They close pretty early so I've never had an opportunity to go. They close at 6 and by the time I finish work, go home, get cleaned up and ready to leave, they're close to closing. I live fairly far away. I had gotten home early one day and took care of what I needed to and left for kakaako at 5p. Got to HER by 5:30. If you're not sure where to go, they are upstairs by the elevator. Kind of tucked away. I got there with a little help from my friends. The store is pretty big. They don't just have records but cds and some old school cassette tapes. They also have music memorabilia to purchase as well. If you're a music head, this is the place for you. The guy who worked there (apologies, I did not get their name), was really nice. He helped us out when we had questions and didn't try to push us out despite being close to closing time. They had some good older and newer albums. I was impressed by their collection. My friend ended buying quite a few albums. I bought a sticker. I would for sure come back again! Did you catch the song references? read more

On this trip, I was helping my parents clean out their house. My dad had a collection of records that he didn't want any more, so I called Hungry Ear and spoke with Josh. He said to bring them in. I have been to SALT many times, but didn't know there was a record shop on the second floor! It is a cool little shop and they have used records and cds. I spoke with Jack, and he said to leave the records and he'll go through them, and it would take 30-45 minutes. He looks at the condition of the vinyl and maybe even titles. But I got a call and when I went back, he made an offer for the ones he chose. He also said he'd dispose of the ones he didn't buy, which made my life easier. This is a great place to come to! Especially if you want to sell them your records. Mahalo Hungry Ear! read more

Hungry Ear Records - Music & DVDs Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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Since 0 stars is not an option, I'm giving them a 1 star. I was up early and super excited to be 10th in line at Hungry Ear Records for the Black Friday record store day release for the Role Model vinyl. When I got into the store I immediately asked the older salesman where the vinyl was located. He was not wanting to help me and refused to tell me if they were sold out or not. Another salesperson was going to check if any were left, but that older salesman kept telling me he would help me but NEVER did. He would walk away pretending to check but NEVER came back to me to confirm if there were any left. The other salespersons said they are able to check the system, but the older salesman kept telling them not to help me. It was obvious he was gate keeping this vinyl because I saw others in the store with the vinyl. I have supported this store because I believed they were an upstanding local business. Unfortunately, one rotten egg in the basket can ruin everything. I don't believe in resellers selling merchandise at 5-10 times the retail price so now I'm very sad that I will not get to add this vinyl to my collection because of the greed of this one old man that did not want me to have it. I am very disappointed that Hungry Ear Records already handpicked who was able to receive the Role Model Black Friday vinyl. My relationship with this store has changed from supporting a local business that brought joy to me whenever I was there because I thought they truly cared about their loyal customers to a transactional store that I have lost all Aloha for. read more

A pretty good collection! Weirdly enough, the Jazz and Hip Hop section is filled with some pretty choice picks, maybe the best New Pressing Jazz/Hip Hop collection I've seen at any store? There's a big variety and I'm always tempted to look at the Hawaiian section. Workers are friendly and will strike up a conversation. read more

Love to check out this store when I'm in town but way too many people in the store at one time during RSD Black Friday and not everything kept in one location. It's impossible to check out the wall and then the bins which are in another section of the store. By the time you are done looking at one section the person behind you could have went to the other section to score something which you were looking for. Either do a check box system and have employees pull titles or single file system to see everything on display. No point in forming a line when you are going to let everyone in at once. Way too chaotic and everyone is in panic mode. Also, I think you would sell more titles with a check box system. I left empty handed today but probably would have bought stuff I really wasn't interested in if I was handed a list to check off. read more

I went down to Hungry Ear Records in SALT. The oldest record store in Hawaii...I believe it. I am old enough to have bought vinyl records on the reg and wished I had kept my Technics turntable and record collection. The have lots of used and new records, even some cassette tapes. Who knew cassettes would make a comeback? So, why go to a record store when I don't even own a turntable? CD's. I have gotten accustomed to streaming and downloads but I have an older vehicle...so I need CD's for the old SUV. Unfortunately, I did not find anything this afternoon. But it is always cool browsing a record/CD store. They have videos, books, and merch in their good sized store. Nicely air-conditioned - they allow 10 customers in at a time...check temperatures...provide sanitizer. Friendly customer service, who will answer and open the entrance door upon ringing their door bell. Parking is available in the adjacent structure. read more

Hungry Ear Records - A previous purchase. - Music & DVDs Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Such a chill space here! There's a huge variety of music on different modalities (vinyl, cd etc.), dvds, merch, and more. So many genres with very specific sub-genres, making discovering new music really easy. They seriously have a bit of everything for everyone! Staff was very welcoming and knowledgable of everything in the store. They definitely helped set the atmosphere by asking us our own music preferences and putting it on so we were comfortable as we perused around. Awesome experience here! read more

Hungry Ear Records - Vinyls for days - Music & DVDs Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

If you're my age, when you hear "Hungry Ear Records", it throws you back to the 90's when the local bands were aplenty, the clubs and bars (i.e., Pink Cadillac, The Wave, Moose's, Anna Bananas) and SO.MUCH.CONCERTS (i.e., Pearl Jam, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Metallica, Jane's Addiction). Hungry Ear Records is now located on Auahi in Kakaako. If you're trying to picture where (if you haven't been to their new location) AND if you're 45+ and into the grunge/alternative scene in the 90's, it's where CD cafe used to be located. Am I showing my age? Of course, proudly. Now, why did I go there? For vinyl records I wish I didn't throw away any of my records especially with record players making a comeback. However, this is why I ended up at Hungry Ear Records. It's clean They have used and new vinyl They have collectors vinyl too It's a retro millennial feel It's an option to check out if you don't find anything from Ideas Books and Music (aka Jelly's) Overview Clean: Masks are required before you enter the store and you must sanitize your hands before browsing Prices: Deals to "It's that much?!" Recommend: Yes read more

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Stopped by for a little over an hour in the afternoon before a dinner with extended family. The selection was well-organized, shop was a pretty decent size and clean. Prices were excellent (especially on used) and even in the short time I was there, I spotted a number of albums I wouldn't usually find back on the mainland, including a rack dedicated to JP imports and some albums by lesser-known British artists like Arlo Parks and Corinne Bailey Rae. Even some more well-known groups had stuff you wouldn't always expect, like the Beatles rack having a new copy of Past Masters. Nice shirt designs in a corner, & the owner was very helpful; gave me a shipper and sealed everything up for air transport at bag price (50 cents) instead of the normal $3. Would absolutely come back again. read more

One of the best record shops on the island! Even with the ongoing pandemic, this vendor ensures safety precautions. Someone checks your wrist temperature when you walk in and advise you to sanitize your hands before roaming the store. Their customer service is great, employees are always offering a helping hand in relation to all questions or any concerns. Their LP and CD stock is vast, from multiple crates filled with all types of music for all types of listening. With most records in tiptop shape, Hungry Ear Records is not only a home for various vinyl, but it's home to all customers that walk in! read more

Hungry Ear Records - Music & DVDs Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

This place is dope. Upon entering you will be greeted by the sparkling lights of the disco ball hanging up above. Along the right wall is a collection of vinyl featuring rarities and classics. I saw a Record Store Day vinyl single of Wu-Tang Clan's "Protect Ya Neck." This place has it all for music lovers and collectors. Vinyl bins stretch from wall to wall. The staff is friendly and will answer any questions you may have. They also have CDs and tapes, I didn't get a chance to check those out. Eventually, I found a rare Bone Thugs n Harmony bootleg vinyl. These are the kind of goodies we collectors search for. There is more than Hip Hop here, that is just my kinda jam. They have everything, I saw many rock classics in my digs. One thing to note, they do know their prices. You won't find a rare vinyl for a cheap price. That said, you get what you pay for, and they have good stuff. Thanks, Hungry Ear Records! read more

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Wide selection, great service, I wish that I bought something! I didn't find the specific CD I was looking for, but I'm definitely coming back to browse. read more

Located on the second floor at Salt. They have a parking structure with an elevator door directly across theres. Nice to see somebody selling vinyls and CDs. Lots of hard to find items. Brings back memories. Awesome Hungry Ear for keeping it alive. read more

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I truly enjoy going into this great part of Hawaii's Music Scene. It is nice to see that irregardless of the location this Great Music joint is a solid Rock-N-Roll Rock that is on the Rock you live on (Oahu). A lot of the things Hungry Ear Records does is straight up cool too: - like stocking local musicians music in their bins, or take a DJs mixtapes, such as DJ G-Spot and others and put them on sale on consignment. - like being a independent ticket outlet for independent venues and independent promoters from everything from; Jazz & Blues promoters to Rave promotions, to Hawaii Punk Rock gigs to local promoters. - like putting up independent Hawaii promoters posters - like having a place for independent Hawaii Promotions info fliers - like more then more then you know I am blessed to be successful in the music industry and they have always been helpful and a part of my career and success. I am thankful for that and them. It's an odd cool feeling but I always feel good about spending money at Hungry Ear Records read more

Hungry Ear Records - Music & DVDs Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

You'll find this hidden gem located on the second floor of SALT in Kaka'ako. The staff are ALWAYS super welcoming and create such a great vibe here. Definitely make it a point to check it out if you're looking to add to your Vinyl / CD collection! The staff keeps everything in such great condition, you can tell how much they value quality here. Over the last year or so we've found great finds, and on our last visit we got these. I was super stoked to find this Steely Dan vinyl because this was their album I was named after. Definitely will be coming back sometime soon! read more

Hungry Ear Records - Boston, Hall & Oates (greatest hits), Journey, Steely Dan & the cutest tote!!! - Music & DVDs Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Excellent shop with a massive selection of anything you could want, had a nice chat with the owner, very knowledgeable and helpful, highly recommended a visit. read more

Great vibe. Found this place by accident, and I'm glad we did. As a vinyl lover, the Island is a little light with stores that offer reasonably priced vinyl. There's no one pushing you to buy anything. There's great music playing. And the prices for new and used records are good to go. What more can you ask for? I know my Wife dug it because they even had a tab for Sade, which we came to learn is very popular to buy, and sell out quick. A section of note is their local Hawaiian section which was quite robust, and I thought that was cool. Next time I am there, I plan on really delving into some of the great local artists that we have here. As for my favorite forms of music....Jazz and Blues...I wish the selection was broader, but the quality of what they had was awesome. As for my next choices of music, good old rock n roll...you can't beat it. I plan on being a consistent customer here. read more

Hungry Ear Records - Music & DVDs Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

The first time I went here I had such a great experience, I'm not sure if the owner was the one helping me but he was as excited as I was, super helpful, and this second time I went, I was very disappointed. I walked in and I'm assuming what was their shipment came in so 2 guys were working on that. I was not greeted; I spent about 20 minutes just browsing by myself and no one offered to help or asked if I was looking for something in particular (which I was). I continued to browse a third person came from the back, passed by me, still no words were exchanged to me. As I left, they looked up but didn't even say thank you. I worked in retail/customer service for 10+ years and even if I didn't buy something or get what I was looking for, great customer service would've gotten me to make some type of purchase or them taking down my info for what I was looking for might have brought me back for a positive future sale. I still would love to come back because it's such a nice well-kept store, but show a little more Aloha guys, especially to your local customers! read more

What a hidden gem. As a record collector from Seattle I made a special trip to get some island reggae. Christian went above and beyond. Please support this local spot. read more

Love Hungry Ear! Been going here since I was a kid (Wahiawa location) and they haven't lost an ounce of cool. Check it out if/when you can.

I've finally started my lifelong dream of having a record collection. I really didn't know where to begin, especially since my parents didn't want me touching their vinyl stock because they had precious memories to them. I went through the thrift shops, while bin diving there is cheap it's very rare you'll find anything other than classical music. My taste is a little more pickier, which sent me in search of a shop. I didn't even know record shops were still a thing until I came up on Hungry Ear. The aesthetic of the shop is just brilliant. Very vintage with the disco balls. The vibe you get in here is magical, the customer service is always 100% as they always know what they're talking about which is a major plus for a newbie and I never leave here empty handed. I've been back multiple times and never can get tired of being here. Keep you're vision under one hour if you don't want to pay for parking, but it's a $1 per hour (DON'T forget to validate!) and it's very easy to get lost in the old records here. Since the beginning my collection has really grown thanks to this little shop. **While you're here, keep an eye out for Q-Tip! He's the cutest ever and will definitely make your visit 20 times better! read more

Hungry Ear LIIIIIIIIIVES! It was a super bummer when they closed down and demolished the old Hungry Ear in Kailua. This new location at Salt at Our Kaka'ako is just the right vibe. Ward and Jim value quality over quantity of product, so if you're a collector and are looking for pristine stuff, this is the place. It's almost like starting over again so they've been trying to catch up. To restart they have a lot of Record Day stuff and some newer vinyl. I spoke to Jim and he's trying to do more orders to make up for the lost time. You can also put your name down for stuff that might come in as resales. Hungry Ear has always cleaned their records before reselling so the better condition your records are in, the better. Catch the elevator or use the stairs to 2R otherwise you'll end up in the parking garage. I'm not to sure about validation there but park on the street if you can find it. There are lots of windows looking down on Auahi St and other small local shops and restaurants to peruse. Some of those other shops DO validate if you patronise them. read more

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Cool little record store in the Salt restaurant/shopping plaza. Everyone was friendly and the COVID protocol was very strict, which we appreciated. They had a great selection, and some rare finds as well. I ended up getting a Richard Pryor comedy record and Boyz II Men's first album, and my husband got a rare Nipsey Hussle record. Great place! read more

A very clean store with friendly staff and a huge selection of vinyl! There's new and used, plus some big bargain bins definitely will be coming back here to check stock from time to time! read more

Were on vacation and hunted this shop down! Love the disco balls and the vibe here! Found a few records for our collection! read more

Hungry Ear Records - On vacation and hunted this shop down! Love all the disco balls and vibe! - Music & DVDs Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

I play in a local band that has had the fortune of playing shows across the country but Hungry Ear Records was one of the first local establishments to let us throw a show in their space. They've always shown tons of love and support for the local music community and are a bastion for musicians and music-enthusiasts to gather and talk story at! read more

This place was amazing!! They had such a huge selection of vinyls - even more popular ones that are hard to find - they were reasonably priced, and the workers there were so kind and helpful! There was an older man who was very kind and helped me look for vinyls that I was interested in, and there was a person with an awesome mohawk at the register that was also super nice! read more

Hungry Ear Records - Outside wall art and entrance. You ring a doorbell to the left before you enter and they will let you in! - Music & DVDs Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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There's nothing negative I can say about these guys. Everyone who works here is a music lover with a vast knowledge of the music they carry in the store. If you ask ANYTHING, they will know what you're talking about. From vague to contemporary, they will try to find something for you. We've revived our love of vinyl by bringing some of our old collection out of retirement (storage) and want to add to it slowly, and Hungry Ear makes it all to easy to add to our collection. Jim is probably one of the nicest people I've ever met. The first time I came in, I had a lot of requests for vague reggae artists or albums and he did his best to point me to some dope compilations. His recommendations were well met at home. The next time I came in, he remembered me right away. He tries to remember everyone's names and faces. I think that's a GREAT quality in a sales person, especially if you become a regular patron. The rest of the store staff are also pretty dang awesome. And the store has a mascot (dog) named Q-tip. Q-TIP! There's a Phife Dog at their friend's store, Public Pet. Genius. The store is clean and well organized in an intuitive way. They have a crazy selection. You can tell that the staff are curators of quality and total music heads. While there are some selections of newer and more mainstream music, you're going to find classics to sh*t your pants over in most of the bins. But I think the jewel on the crown here is the $5 bargain bins. I spent a good half hour going through just the A-D bins and found over 8 amazing records in pristine condition. I shudder to think how much I will fork over once I get to the next couple of letters, because there are so many good finds in these bins. And then there's the regular bins separated alphabetically by genre. Bowie, Beatles and Beach Boys all have their own tabs... Naturally, I will never get past the first few letters of the alphabet. And... I still need to find my 70s funk/disco and 80s new wave and punk vinyls. My wallet is going to hate me. Basically, if you love music and not just the stuff you hear on the radio, you're going to spend a lovely few hours in Hungry Ear. FYI: If you park at Salt, 1st hour is free, but it's only $1/hour up until 3:59 if you validate. Hungry Ear validates. So yeah. You're welcome. To get there: park at Salt, take the stairs to 2, walk down 1 more flight and it's basically right above ground level, next door to Tree House camera store (also a place where you can drop a pretty penny on analog stuff...). read more