[_M2]

Are there any good stores to look for since I'm visiting San Francisco in a couple of days. I couldnt find anything in the search button after half an hour of searching...

I particularly want to try IEMs favorably over full sized, but I guess anything will do. I will be living about 5 minute walk away from Compusa and was there a deal with the SF5pro a few days ago? Is it still on for ~$100 now?

 

[65535]

Majority of stores I saw in the Part of SF I stayed a couple of weeks back had mostly cheap possibly stolen goods sold in shops with huge roll up doors.

 

[electro house]

Virgin Records near Market & 3rd (near Compusa) has Shure, V-Moda vibes (which I don't recommend because of cable problems), Marshmallows, and some others.

The Apple Store, across street from Virgin, has JBLs, Shures, V-moda, and some others.

Neither store will let you try the iems in the store, but they have 14 day return policies...you could buy the one you want to check out, listen for a couple days, return if you don't like.

 

[JimBob1971]

I got my SFPs from guitar city in San Francisco last year. Dunno if they are still selling them. Beware though. they sold me a set that had been opened and glued shut. I opened them outside the store and there was a tip missing and one of the phones had wax in it! They changed it pronto.

 

[spinali]

While the Apple Store has a nice selection of Bose phones, Guitar Center on Van Ness has been long regarded as the only place to find a few decent headphones on retail. But so far as headphone stores...not to my knowledge. I'd love to be disabused of my opinion.

 

[jilgiljongiljing]

If only you couldve attended the meet. You couldve auditioned pretty much any HP you can think of...

 

[electro house]

Quote:

Originally Posted by spinali /img/forum/go_quote.gif While the Apple Store has a nice selection of Bose phones, Guitar Center on Van Ness has been long regarded as the only place to find a few decent headphones on retail. But so far as headphone stores...not to my knowledge. I'd love to be disabused of my opinion.

Yes, I've went there a few times. Here's something odd: When I asked them what their return policy is like on headphones, they said they are not returnable (unless defective out of the box).

This I found kind of odd -- not even 2 weeks or 30 day return period? No other store I know of does this. The guy said something about people trashing too many headphones, then returning them.

I can understand that. But zero returns?

So, I listened to their nice selection of demos, then ordered online.

Don't worry, they make money off me in other ways.

 

[manhattanproj]

i've been looking as well for places to buy/try headphones in sf as well but no luck. there are some places that sell the lower end iems.

magnolia store in bestbuy has some senns, i bought a 595 from them. that's about all i could find. i even tried going to senn, akg, beyer...etc site to look for dealers, but most of those places sell equipments rather than phones.

what about in places like san jose, san mateo, in the larger part of the bay area, does anyone know?

 

[spinali]

Too bad you couldn't do the San Jose meet. I was car-challenged, so it's going to be another 340 days until next year....

 

[Forest Design]

i got in contact with a grado rep from the bay area a few months ago and she sent me store names for places carrying grados. here are a few:

Audible Arts
812 S. Winchester Blvd., #150
San Jose
408-248-1196

New Audible Difference
805 El Camino Real
Palo Alto
650-328-1081

Sound Perfection
700 El Camino Real, Ste. 180
Menlo Park
650-323-1000

Music Lovers
1995 El Dorado Ave.
Berekeley, CA
510-558-1000

Sound Well
1718 University Ave.
Berkeley, CA
510-549-2126

I've been to the Audible Arts store. It's small, but packed full of stereo goodies. In terms of headphones, they only carry Grados, but they had the whole line-up and the 225 and up for in-store testing out.

 

[manhattanproj]

Quote:

Originally Posted by spinali /img/forum/go_quote.gif Too bad you couldn't do the San Jose meet. I was car-challenged, so it's going to be another 340 days until next year....

so true. that would be an experience. next year, i must go.

is it going to be in san jose?

thx for list forest design.

 

[Marco2]

When I was in SF last year I had it all planned. I was coming back to the UK with some Grado's come hell or high water.

I discovered the following place on the internet before I set off to the US :

San Francisco Stereo and Theater Systems
2201 Market St
San Francisco, CA 94114
http://www.sfstereo.com/

Bit of a walk later in the pouring rain I arrived, they had the full compliment of the Grado range minus the GS-1000 at that point in time. I picked up a pair of RS-1's for what turned out to be approx £360. I was and still am well pleased, big, big savings on UK prices. The staff were friendly, epxerienced and knowledgable. No complaints.

 

[manhattanproj]

hmm, it has pretty high-end stuff but just grado as far as headphones go.

btw, marco2, how did you find out? did you email grado specifically?

 

[Forest Design]

when i e-mailed grado they were very quick in replying

 

[jay spec]

harmony audio video in SF also carries the complete line of grados...they're over in the sunset district (west portal).

http://www.harmonyaudiovideo.com/