Wonderful costumer service and quality work. I had a pair of early 1960's AR3 loudspeakers that needed some love. Not only were the woofer surrounds refurbished (keeping the original cloth surrounds and paper cones), but the midrange drivers were rebuilt, and the tweeters had been recovered with the absorbing acoustic material. The crossover networks and pods were rebuilt from scratch, while maintaining access to the original speaker terminals in pristine condition. A true driver restoration and electronics upgrade. These newly refurbished loudspeakers took a few weeks to break in, but when they did, the soundstage was deeper and wider than before, the mids came alive in a sweet and clear way, making vocals more vivid and detailed but never harsh, and the bass became more refined and detailed with just enough bloom to make itself present but not overpower the presentation. The AR3 sound is not for everyone, and I go back and forth between these and other speakers. No loudspeakers is perfect, but my restored AR3 loudspeakers are wonderful and I enjoy them, worry-free of damaging my gear. read more

Chaotic, messy mess of a business if you want to call it that. Tech works nearly in the dark under a 40 watt bulb. The owners work area ‍‍ It's a big fat "NO" read more

Brought in both the rear speakers out of my 02' Trans Am which I thought had been blown, however, they were able to repair each. They did a phenomenal job, much better than I expected. The speakers sound good as new and saved me the trouble of having to look for something aftermarket. Would highly recommend this business! read more

Dropped off subwoofer today. Should be ready in a week, so won't know until then. Initial visit was very positive. read more

I believe John to be absolutely dishonest, as he ripped me off for repairs he never performed. He lied to my face, swearing that the amplifier I brought in was working perfectly. However, when I got it home it made no sound but a loud humming noise. Took it back to Van L and 5 days later again returned, after he assured me over the phone that the problem had been resolved. I should have known better after I asked if he could hook it up in the shop to demo it and he said there was no need. Finally took it to another shop and the technician there said there were damaged parts in my unit that were not from the factory. He also informed me that some of the new parts were not the proper specification and the unit could not possibly work correctly. I am completely without words to describe my disappointment with this shop. Terrible experience read more

The owner is so knowledgeable and a true craftsmen. Will never forget stopping in here.

I bought a pair of good floorstanding speakers from a guy for...a price I could not refuse...unfortnately one of the sub drivers was vibrating at certain frequencies. Had it fixed it here for a great price and it sounds incredible now. Got to hear the speakers that are made here and they sound truly unbelievable. read more

Had Van recone my Dahlquist speakers. What a craftsman. shop was busy when I picked up. had me wait in the listening room. all I can say is WOW. read more

John resuscitated a pair of 20 plus year old Snell speakers. He is responsive, easy to work with, timely, and does exceptional work at a fair price. What more could you ask for? Highly recommended! read more

I brought amp and cd player into Van L because one channel kept cutting out. Not being that technically savvy, I wasn't sure if it was the amp or CD player. I put my trust in the business. I was told all was fixed after 2-3 weeks, brought it home, and the channel started cutting out immediately. I hauled it back, and was told the "tech" would look at it again. I was of course charged for the first service. Weeks later, I had to pester VL, "when is my stereo going to be ready to be picked up"? Another week, I had to call again and finally it was ready. The fact I had to track this down wasn't too pleasing. Picked it up, and channel failed immediately. I was burned. Period. Brought it to a REAL pro, and he fixed it within 15 minutes. Free of charge. He was very mad at Van L, because after looking at it, he said there was not a damn thing that was done to it. It probably never left VL's shop and picked up by his "tech". I do not recommend this business to anyone. read more

I left some equipment at this shop and asked them to provide me with a quote to do basic maintenance on 2 turntables, and to test a mixer that wasn't providing audio output. After three weeks I had to call the shop and ask about my equipment, they told me they did no look at it yet. After another week I was told that I was being charged $40 to look at each piece of equipment and that one of the pieces was shot. I never asked them to do service on the turntables, just to provide a quote for basic maintenance. I was still charged. I'm giving one Star for poor communication and for charging me for services that I did not ask for. The turntables were working perfectly. The tech basically just plugged them in, confirmed they were working and turned them off. I didn't ask for them to check the turntables, just to provide a quite to clean them and do maintenance on them. I paid them and left. Again, poor communication and I feel like I walked out with nothing eleven though I paid them. I would recommend looking for a more professional place that won't rip you off. read more

John built a completely new speaker out of my existing B&W 640's.... New custom crossovers he designed...new Scan Speak Tweeters....All new wire internally... I brought them back for adjustments as I got the speakers set up...wanted a bit more mid bass the first visit back....a bit more 14k and above the second time...now they are AMAZING!!! I used to work at Audio Consultants so I know Hi End Speakers...I would take these over the B&W 803 Diamonds now...so....these are better than a $10,000 pair of speakers in ALL ways...better soundstage, imaging....the bottom end is thunderous when needed, and full of finesse when needed as well... Masterful work...and charged me NOTHING for all the adjustments and turned them around FAST!!!! He even checked in with me to make sure I was satisfied!!!! Who does that??? John does!!!! It is a shame he is not outselling Wilson and the other boutique speaker guys...his custom speakers he builds are Magnificent!!!!! Go see John!!!! read more

Here is an update. I received a refund of $110.00 from VanL. So I paid 310.00 for the work. Still $100.00 more than what it says on their website. He did extend the warranty on his work for 10 years even though the original surrounds lasted over 20 years! Bottom line is extending the warranty doesn't put what I over paid back into my bank account! Again I would like to mention that the incorrect foam surrounds were installed when the factory correct original replacements are still available! read more

I bought a pair of Souilletts 10 years ago. They were GREAT then, and are GREAT now! John is the absolute best! Totally honest, no pressure. They offer great products at great prices given what you're getting (pretty high end stuff). Would I do it again? In a heartbeat! John is the BEST!!! read more

Well I tracked John down but this time in his new location near Rosemont. John did some work to my speakers back in 2010 which turned out fantastic, but this time I ran across a pair of 45 year old speakers which are the AR 2ax from Acoustic Research and I new they needed some TLC so who better to perform this job. Needles to say I gave him the green light to work his magic and I just received them back after a few weeks and they sound outstanding. He really does amazing work and he's also a pleasure to deal with. Highly recommended. read more

Van L Speakerworks - AR 2ax - Electronics Near Me - Norridge, Illinois

See all

It's interesting to see the glowing reviews about Speakerworks and to have had such an unspeakably bad experience. Looking at these reviews, maybe it helps to be male and buying several thousand dollars of speaker equipment. Came in for a headphone repair, was told it would take 2 days. 3 months, 4 in store visits, and 12 phone calls later, I finally gave up and retrieved the pieces of my unfixed headphones. Every inquiry resulted in John doing one of the following: a. Apologizing profusely b. Offering to ship them to me when they'd inevitably be done "in 2 days" c. Promising to call me when they were finished d. Claiming he was ordering the new part my headphones now needed. None of these results ever happened. What did happen was a steady stream of sexual harassment each time I went to the store. Apparently John was so busy telling me I sounded pretty over the phone and promising he wouldn't overcharge "a cute young girl," he couldn't fix my headphones. tl;dr: 2 day repair didn't happen after 3 months, plenty of unwanted attention did. Cheers. read more

Came in for a simple headphone repair. Was treated to a tour and an incredible listening experience while waiting from some of his custom speakers. He definitely knows his stuff, and I've never heard music like I heard it there. You may not want to come in if you are in a hurry, but if you have some time it's definitely a treat. read more

This guy builds some seriously amazing speakers himself. He offered to give me a demo of all his gear. He had his speakers hooked up to a tube amp, and it was some of the best sound I've ever heard. I went to his old location to repair some 30 year old Phase Tech speakers that I picked up for $100. They were sounding pretty crappy, with broken woofers, but I knew Phase Tech's are really good speakers and they just needed to be rebuilt. John offered me a fair price for the repair, it took a week or so. When I hooked them back up at home, they sounded amazing! Probably better than new, since this guy is a master speaker builder himself. That was about 4 years ago, and they still sound amazing! This guy is why I love Chicago so much! If I had the money, I would seriously consider buying his own speakers too. read more

John is the real deal!! If you have speakers in need of repair...this is the place to bring them. I brought a pair of Infinity bookshelf speakers to John. One speaker just needed to a new surround, as the original surround was starting to crumble. The second speaker was a mess, as I bought on online kit and tried to put a new surround on the speaker myself - and it didn't turn out well. It ended up sounding like someone put a blanket over the speaker. I took it to John and he fixed it up like new. These 25 year old speakers now sound as good as the day I bought them new from United Audio Center. Thanks John!! read more

They brought life back to my 20+ year Velodyne sub. It sounds as good as the day I brought it home in 1996! It took around 12 week days or so but that didnt bother me as I didnt need it right away. I actually told him to take their time as I just wanted it fixed correctly not quickly and they did a great job! John's a good guy to do business with. I'll be back! read more

Van L Speakerworks - My new surround replaced by Van L. They brought new life to my 19 year old Velodyne sub. - Electronics Near Me - Norridge, Illinois

I mistakenly gave this 4 stars on my initial review. All apologies to Van L. This is a hi-fi store gem. read more

We had our Boston Acoustic speakers for 25+years. For quite a while we hadn't liked the sound - fuzziness ruled. The surrounds were shredding, torn, etc. I emailed a stereo repair shop near me, but he didn't handle speakers, but he did recommend John on Irving Park Rd at VanL. Gave him a call and was told to bring them in. What a shop - John specializes in speakers. He had ours ready to go in less than a week. Price was great - way less than I expected. Why did we wait so long listening to static, fuzzy sound? I don't know. The sound is terrific. Might even be better than when they were new. read more

John at Van L. kicks ass!!! If you're in the market for speakers, go to Best Buy and buy some off the shelf crap from Bose or Polk or go to Van L. and listen to some stunning options and get the real deal. Simple. read more

I bought a Integra DTR 9.9 reciever through Van L. at his old location a few years ago which I am still enjoying and I have to tell you all, John is a genius when it comes to speakers and audio equipment he demonstrated his speakers he built and they sounded so good that I was really impressed with his service and patience in letting me audition his craftsmenship and love for sound. It was a great experience and I highly recommend going to Van L. Speaker Works. I have to check out his new location soon. read more

this guy is a joke. after reading all the great reviews i decided to take a pair of jbl 128h woofers that need repair to this guy. he told me they would be ready in 2 weeks. 2 weeks came and i called and john informed me that he didnt get to them and was apologetic. hey no problem. i called 3 weeks later same story. called 30 days later same story. the guy never called me with any updates i had to chase him. 2 months later i give him a call and he tells me i would be better off buying some different ones off ebay as he dont think he can repair mine. i think he repaired them and re sold them. this guy is incompetent. the mess you see as you walk in his store should have been a red flag to me. read more

I took my KEF' 104/2 MTM panels in for service a couple of weeks ago for service after my autistic son pushed in the dust caps. Ordinarily I'd have fixed these myself, but in the process of trying I damaged the "plastiflex" coating on the midranges and I don't have the stuff. I also chose to have the tweeters looked at to check the ferro-fluid and to my astonishment they are fine. I enjoyed meeting John. He did a fabulous job for me and he is a first class gentleman. I wish they were all so honest. I wasn't charged a ridiculous amount of cash and the work was done in a timely fashion. I highly recommend Van L Speakerworks if you have a need for repairs to your hi-fi gear! Thank-you, John! read more

Let me tell you a story. 25 years ago I was in a stereo store shopping for a CD player. Suddenly, I heard the most amazing speakers. I had to find out what they were. When I asked the price, I was told $2000.00 each. The next week, I opened a savings account at the local credit union and started saving from every pay check. Four years later, I owned those speakers. Jump forward to today. The surround on the woofers were virtually gone and the life had gone out of the speakers. I auditioned several speakers and actually found two different speakers that I enjoyed, but again about $4500 for a pair. Hey, I have discriminating taste. Upon further research I found Speakerworks. Well, let me tell you, my speakers may actually sound better than when new. The surround on the woofers was replaced and all the electronics were replaced with top tier components. Was it cheap? No! But it was the best money I have ever spent for my system. OMG these speakers sound good!!! read more

Still has my Subwoofer from 5 years ago. Went to pick up to take to someone else and it was in pieces, told me he would finish it and his comment to me was "take my word I will take care of you" We did a handshake and I had this silly thought he was going to fix it. The reason this is so late I was doing a search of speaker repairs and he pops up, can't believe still in business. read more

John does knows about speakers but as a Electronic Technician he trully sucks. Took my Jolida Tube amp (FX10) that needed a minor repair the 3.5mm jack came out of place. Instead of replacing the part with an original part from Jolida John decided to epoxy the 3.5mm jack into place. I mean seriously WTH!! I mean the 3.5mm cost less than $5 directly from Jolida! That experience cost me $60!!!!! Yup, $60 and I could of done that myself! I finally sent my FX10 out to Mitch Singerman out of California, he informed me that whomever worked on my FX10 was a lousy tech, mediocre because of what was done. So Mitch charged me $20 to fully repair my beloved amp and with an original Jolida part... Lesson learn never again will I take my electronics to John. However, John is a good man, awesome speaker builder and a guru but please do yourself a favor, don't come here unless you are buying speakers or want them custom built, other than that stay away! read more

I had a chance to sit and talk to John last night. We sat there till 9pm listening to la villa strongiato by Rush on his new line of speakers. These were the first time, they were on the floor. We talked "shop" as electronics and sound have always been an interest of mine...... This man is the pinnacle of design. I learned so much from him. I now have many different ideas and methods that I will incorporate in my own designs. Chances are I will never be able to afford anything other than the parts I had bought yesterday. I dont want to wear out my welcome, but John is someone I would give up my current career to learn his craft. I made the statement, knowing his daughter just got married, that I hope he has a grandson, to make him more knowledgeable, than he is. He is also an accomplished artist, and drawer ( is that right? he draws). He has Jethro Tull works in his listening room. I dont want this to be his biography, based on a few hours of talk. BUT this man is definitely someone I will remember for the rest of my life. Its amazing how someone can just blow you away . I was hit by an h bomb here read more

They told me they could repair the cord that one of my students cut to the speakers I connect to to my laptop and Ipod. I brought the speakers in, they quoted me a price, and it was done exactly when they said it would be! They're open late too! read more

They do a great job repairing audio components, with fair prices. I highly recommend them.

I love my Van L Quartets! These speakers are amazing. The acoustics in the room they are set up in are junk but these speakers still present a soundstage and are doing there best to produce a holographic listening experience. John helped me pick out a tube amp that was in my price range ( Jolida 102b) and told me that it would be 90 percent as good as the $8,000 amp that he uses to demonstrate his speakers. I was skeptical but sure enough it was pretty much true except I would say that my system sounds 95 percent as good. I am very impressed and I would encourage anyone to give them an audition after they hear a pair of $10,000 speakers. You would be hard pressed to think the "higher" end speaker was better. John, you should be extremely proud of your creation. read more

If you're a fan of talking cartoon mice and would like to meet Walt Disney, you are out of luck. Walt is dead. However, if you're an audiophile and would like to meet a wizard of sound reproduction, just drive down Irving Park Road (near Rolling Stones Records) and open the door to Van L Speakerworks. John Van curates a wondrous treasure of high-end speakers and amplifiers disguised as your weird neighbor's garage sale. All I wanted was a quality repair on my Cerwin Vega D-7 woofers and no attitude. What I got was a demo of Steely Dan on a $12,000 stereo and a fascinating discussion of speaker design. I haven't picked up my repaired woofers and upgraded crossovers yet, but I have already gotten my money's worth. Skip the Museum of Science and Industry and ask John about the 7-foot tall electrostatic speakers in his storefront shop. read more