End of an era - Lyric Hi-FI closing after 60+ years

[ahofer]

Yup but that one was on 2nd Avenue, later relocated to a side street and, finally, gone.

Sounds right. I guess you got around the same neighborhood. Ever visit Atlantis Sound on 3rd near 80th? In 1977-78 when I was a ”go-fer” there?

I was working for equipment. Did installations, hefted boxes around, got yelled at by the manager.

 

[Zensō]

I’m sorry for whatever personal loss that might be involved, but in the context of old school snobby audio, good riddance.

 

[Kal Rubinson]

I guess you got around the same neighborhood.

I live there now.

Ever visit Atlantis Sound on 3rd near 80th? In 1977-78 when I was a ”go-fer” there?

News to me. I now live on 3rd between 79th and 80th but I have no recollection of that shop but I moved in a decade later than that.

 

[ahofer]

I live there now.

News to me. I now live on 3rd between 79th and 80th but I have no recollection of that shop but I moved in a decade later than that.

There’s a bicycle shop where it used to be. The retail entrance is below street level - recessed.

Too bad, Manager there was…colorful, to say the least. I heard form his former colleagues that he backed a truck up to the place in 1979 and stole most of the inventory. I could tell you some stories. I also knew the staff down on 46th (45th?) street back then, because he would ‘loan’ me to them.

I got some huuuge (by my standards then) tips doing installs, which was fun.

 

[Harmonie]

Sad,
I bought their cheapest Wadia Dac, back in the nineties; still 1500$ though.

 

[tvrgeek]

I was much more beer-budget when I was living on the east coast, buying most of my gear at Dixie HiFi and other such warehouse stores. High end dealers would have likely ejected me because they didn't like my looks. The thing is, they'd probably be right.

Good old Dixie. I lived up in Laurel at the time. If I'm not mistaken, didn't they become Circuit City?

 

[jsrtheta]

Places like that would typically keep me out by playing smooth jazz - the sound of every Hi-Fi shop I ever wandered into.

I remember hearing Donald Fagen's Nightfly. A lot.

 

[Kal Rubinson]

There’s a bicycle shop where it used to be. The retail entrance is below street level - recessed.

Ah. I can see that now but in the 1970s I lived elsewhere.

 

[Krusty09]

The worst one in the city was EarsNova. That guy was a jackass.

Stereo Exchange wasn't that bad wasn't that good either but I could at least deal with them until Andy Singer showed up there for a little while then they thought they were to cool for school.

 

[ahofer]

The worst one in the city was EarsNova. That guy was a jackass.

Stereo Exchange wasn't that bad wasn't that good either but I could at least deal with them until Andy Singer showed up there for a little while then they thought they were to cool for school.

I bought my Harbeths from Andy. He was quite nice on my second visit and around my purchase, but the first time I showed up he was really abrasive and dismissive. I wanted to audition Harbeths, so I pushed through the nonsense, but I noticed. I really don’t know how it serves any of these guys to play the “are you worthy of this place” card, but I guess it must work more than it fails.

I also worked with a dealer out in NJ, Audio Doctor (Dave Lalin). Dave was really welcoming and nice. He buys into every word of the ‘audiophoolery’ we talk about here, so that ultimately became a bit of a sticking point (he kept wanting me to buy an amp with “synergies”), but he was far more pleasant and non-elitist than any of the NY folks. He apparently used to work for Andy Singer, and appears to have something of a bone to pick with him.

 

[MakeMineVinyl]

I really don’t know how it serves any of these guys to play the “are you worthy of this place” card, but I guess it must work more than it fails.

When I was looking for a professional 8 track 1" tape machine for the studio I was building, I went to one of the pro dealers in Hollywood. I wanted to look at the Ampex AG440-8, but the minute I asked to look at the one they had on the floor, the salesman pulled the 'not worthy' bullshit on me. I went back and forth with him until I just walked out is disgust.

The thing is, I already knew that I wanted that machine, and I had my checkbook in my pocket, ready to pay for the thing in cash on the spot. This creep lost an instant sale worth something like $8000. I ultimately purchased an Otari machine, which cost significantly less to boot.

So no, I have less than zero sympathy for the snooty attitude for high end audio salesmen (or any dealers for that matter).

 

[pseudoid]

Thread CPR time:
Does anyone remember CrazyEddie's in the '70s/'80s around the greater NYC area?
Yeah, of course, we would all dive for the car-radio preset buttons when his commercials aired on WNEW-FM but they truly did beat everyone else's prices on everything.
We did a lot of business @CrazyEddie's. We used to take advantage of their gullible salesmen, while we were taking them to the cleaners...

"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season..." but it was not the 1850s!

 

[jsrtheta]

The one retail failure that I miss to this day is not a hardware outlet, but the big Tower Records annex on Sunset in Hollywood. My favorite Saturday afternoons in the 1970's and 1980's were spent in the record bins there. I live on the east coast and don't read Stereophile now, but back in the day they had some great record reviews, and I'd scarf those up and go to Tower. We have more choice now, by far, right from our homes; but back then, those big LP record bins seemed like a special form of urban luxury. Actually, I guess Tower is back, or still around, but it must be a fulfillment by mail outlet??

In Chicago, Tower Records was right at the end of my block. Plus they had
Q magazine, which was essentially my buying guide for the month.

 

[jsrtheta]

(Sorry. My laptop decided that it would post my comment without any intervention from me, so I'll just conclude...)

...Plus they had Q magazine, which was essentially my buying guide for the month.

 

[pseudoid]

Our local TowerRecords turned into a Wallgreens!
I get it: Wine, women and music turns into sedatives, couch and TV!

 

[Pelleas]

I purchased a rather elaborate system from Lyric HiFi in 2011. Now it needs a bit of attention, and possibly an upgrade considering how technology has advanced. Would anyone have a recommendation for a company in New York who can handle this sort of thing? I dread calling the Geek Squad.
Thanks!

 

[Krusty09]

Handle what? I live in New York.

 

[Kal Rubinson]

I purchased a rather elaborate system from Lyric HiFi in 2011. Now it needs a bit of attention, and possibly an upgrade considering how technology has advanced. Would anyone have a recommendation for a company in New York who can handle this sort of thing? I dread calling the Geek Squad.
Thanks!

Innovative Audio is not far from Lyric's site and cover the same range of products.

 

[Lyric_Custom]

Just a quick update on this, with out going into too much detail. We are in. the process of reviving the Legendary Lyric Hi-Fi. Lyric is back in buisness, we no longer have a store front, we are under new management, and are offering even more

 

[anmpr1]

...Lyric is back in buisness, we no longer have a store front, we are under new management, and are offering even more

Even more what? Arrogance? Ability to demo gear at your no longer storefront? Ability to spell and punctuate?

What a strange little post. In any case, best wishes for your continued soon to be success.