For over a year I was looking far and wide for a good, reasonably priced (under $250), in good working condition, reel to reel tape deck with no success. Then one day I called and spoke to Tom. He sold me a beautiful Wollensak deck for such a reasonable price that I am embarrassed to reveal the amount for fear of looking like I took advantage of him. The Wollensak didn't have a power cord so Tom made one for me on the spot! God bless this man and his shop. Bishop Christodoulos (from New York) read more

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Tons of amazing vintage audio equipment!! Tom is very friendly and very knowledgeable on his items! Have been in here twice, and have never been disappointed! If you're looking for quality stereo systems, Tom is your guy! And don't forget to say hi to Victor! read more

This place is OLD SCHOOL. I used to frequent it when it was run out of the owner's house in Berwyn. He repaired my old record player that I thought was a goner. Tom, the owner, is incredible, with a heart of gold and he takes care of his customers like they were family. He used to have a pot of soup going for any customer's who cared to stay long enough to talk music or whatever else was on their mind. If you are a shop-local minded person in the Berwyn/Chicagoland area- check this out. He also has an old-school website, if you want to shop from home: http://www.upscale.net/ and a generous 90 day trade back policy so you can test out equipment in your own home. I gave a gift certificate & a vinyl from this place to a bride who had a broken record player and she said it was the best gift she had gotten. read more

I found out about Upscale Audio while endlessly scrolling CL ads for audio gear and I'm so happy I (finally) discovered this place. Tom greeted me warmly after I walked in and was browsing the racks of gear. I'm a bit of a vintage audio gear head and noticed their website listed a few stereo graphic equalizers I've been looking for in the wild for about a year now. Tom and I got to talking. The man is pure audio knowledge and I had such an amazing conversation about his business, what they do in-house, and all about audio gear. My quick stop in turned into me browsing an endless amount of receivers, speakers, cassette decks, records, etc. for over an hour. Upscale specializes in 80s to 90s era audio equipment. Yes, there's stuff that's a bit older (including some 70s Marantz, H/K, Pioneers) currently being serviced or out in the showroom. Prices are super fair and reasonable. Oddly enough, Upscale is competitively priced to what you can find on CL (always a gamble in condition) and eBay (shipping costs). More importantly, any gear that you are looking at has been tested, cleaned, and repaired (if it was necessary) AND there is a 90-day warranty/satisfaction guarantee. For real. You won't find that anywhere else. The audio gear is pristine and being given some love. After wandering around in a daze, I finally got around to reason I came there and after a lot of internal debate between two equalizers, I went purchased a Technics SH-8044. Tom kindly knocked off $15 bucks on the sticker price. As a guy who's been looking specifically at this unit for almost a year on eBay, I got a deal well below what I would have paid on eBay (+shipping). It's beautiful and works perfectly after I fired it up at home. Thanks Tom! I will be returning soon because a receiver or two caught my eye. read more

This is a great place to get re-started in better audio gear. I went in having bought the turntable new elsewhere, but I needed receiver, speakers to get fully set up at home and move off the tiny Bose Bluetooth BS setup I'd settled on for too long. I planned to make a quick decision and purchase and go, but that didn't work. Allow an hour. Tom had a dozen speaker setups to try and there's a fair amount of thinking to do when you're a novice. Tom guided the process like a guy who's done it forever and still really loved it. He loooooves explaining your choices and why they matter and his enthusiasm is infectious, gets you caring about and committed to thoughtful choices in the gear. Then, we make our choices, he bids against himself to talk down the price, throws in a DVD player and a power strip and the wire and cuts 25% off the records we bought. THEN he offered to set up my turntable so it would be right, so we left for Costco, came back in a hour, paid and left with a sense we experienced our own Christmas miracle. If you're thinking about getting back into vinyl and aren't sure where to start, head to Berwyn for Upscale Audio on a Saturday and enjoy. Unpretentious, enthusiastic, informative help and super-fair prices are waiting. read more

This is a review of the vinyl record collection offered at this shop. The selection of records here--especially jazz and classical--is wonderful. Most of the vinyl selections I checked out were in excellent condition, and they were very, very clean (thanks to the fact that the guy who runs the place cleaning them on a nitty gritty). The guy who runs the place is very friendly and also very knowledgeable, which is another plus.The prices were a little high versus other nearby places in the Chicagoland area* (e.g., Reckless, Oak Park Records, The Old School), which is the only negative I have to note about my experience with the shop. (This is why I only give it 4 stars.) Well, other than location. Depending on where you are coming from, you may have some interesting locations to drive through to get there... [Note 1: Currently this shop is only open to the public on Thursdays and Saturdays. Hours are posted on their Web site.] [Note 2: * See my other reviews for the comparative net I am casting here for other stores in the city [and beyond]. I have currently reviewed 60 stores in the Chicagoland area. In most cases, I have visited the seller several times, at least, to ensure I'm reviewing based on a consistency of experiences on several occasions.] read more

This is Mecca for audiophiles! Tom is a great guy with a passion for music and a true obsession with turntables and anything that makes music sound great. If you are going to spend a penny on music/equipment, buy from Tom. With Upscale Audio Exchange, you get a free serving of Tom's extensive knowledge with every purchase. Why you're there, why not pick up one of his slick vintage bikes? read more

This is easily my favorite place to go for any electronics.... turntables, records, speakers, any service on electronics, and also bikes! Tom the owner is a great guy and extremely knowledgeable. (Also has a witty sense of humor). He repairs and refurbishes stereo equipment and bikes and sends them back out into the world. He also stocks new equipment. He always gives me a great deal and usually throws in some goodies with whatever I buy. Look out for his seasonal "garage sale". I found him initially through this article/video. Check it out: http://www.mysuburbanlife.com/berwyn/multimedia/x194393544/PHOTO-SLIDESHOW-Tom-Vikoras-Restorations read more

I stopped by Upscale Audio to have Tom look at a Fisher Price turntable that I had got my nephew for his birthday. Tom was amazing. He helped clean up both that record player and a Philco one I had in my car and didn't charge me a dime. He got a customer for life today and I plan on him being my audio guy from now on as I move to the western suburbs. Thanks Tom for the jokes and great service! read more

Went there to get a headset, it was my first time there. This place is great! Very friendly, knowledgeable and helpful. He has a great selection of vintage A/V equipment , albums, turntables and more. I went in for a headset and left with headsets, several CD's and great deal on a Sony 400 capacity CD player. I highly recommend Upscale Audio! read more

I needed a birth day gift for my 10 yr. old daughter who asked for a record player. I called Upscale, talked to Tom, he accomedated me during my lunch break, he said he had a used system that migh be a good starter. He gave me a lot of good info over the phone, but when I got to the shop, he gave me a mini-record player seminar which I really enjoyed, he showed me a $30 unit, he told me all about it, and I agreed this would be perfect for a little kid, he didnt try to up sale me at all, in fact he said it was on sale for $20!? He also had a couple used SONY speakers that sound pretty good, he thew them in for like $10 bucks, I mentioned the review about the soup, and guess what? He had stew, I laughed and thank him for that too, Best shoping experience I have ever had. Cant wait until I get my record player there. read more

This place is a joke. Everything I asked about was overpriced. I had repairs done where he took a $125.00 cartridge which was a little over a year old out of my turntable, which he claims was worn and replaced it with a $20.00 shure cartridge, and needless to say did not give my old cartridge back. When I got the turntable back I had the same problem. I would not waste my time at this place. This guy is a no-it -all who knows nothing. read more