By Alex Brady

This month’s Dealer Spotlight focuses on one of the Netherlands’ leading audio stores, Audio21, and their new location, which, it’s safe to say, does not look like your typical hifi shop!

Mark van Braam opened his high end store, Audio21, in 2012, and until six months ago, it was based in the woods of the nature park, The Veluwe. Mark’s speciality is in advising his customers on how they compose their audio systems. He has been passionate about music for his entire life. He owned a turntable from an early age, and when he turned 16 he did not ask for what the typical 16 year old Dutch boy asked for – a moped. No, Mark simply asked for a bigger audio system! Unlike his friends, Mark continued using his bicycle for the school commute!

Whilst Audio21’s original location was in a beautiful setting, the continued success of the business meant that space was at a premium. This issue was exacerbated by the size of some of the components and speakers that Mark had on demonstration. As a result, Mark started to look for larger premises that had that sense of individuality for which Audio21 was synonymous – he was not interested in Audio 21 moving into ‘a typical shop front! Happily and surprisingly, it did not take Mark long to find the perfect location for Audio 21’s new home. An original City Hall located only a few villages away became available – Mark’s dream location! As the pictures illustrate, the building was full of character, charm, history and charisma. Crucially it also had the necessary space that Audio21 required for demonstration purposes. When Mark first viewed the property, it only took him a matter of seconds to say ‘YESSS!’ to the property. Mark has since spoken with a wry smile about ‘Audio21 Mk2’.

The new location has high ceilings and comes with old ornaments, antiques, chandeliers and exudes old fashioned but tasteful ‘chic’. The building was built in 1884 and was the first City Hall of the town of Heerde. The beautiful and large entrance area is perfect for showcasing Audio21’s audio collection. There are two listening rooms (35m2 and 48m2), the larger of which was the Council Chamber of the city council from 1884.

Regarding the audio brands that are showcased in this beautiful location, Mark and Audio21have always dared to think ‘outside the box’. You will find many well known brands but also some less well known brands, which can’t easily be found in other Dutch, Belgian, and German stores. Almost all the systems are connected with Nordost – yes, Mark loves quality! Besides Nordost, brands on demonstration include Davone, Trenner & Friedl, Gold Note, Jadis, Estelon, MasterSound, Termporal Coherence, Kuzma, Pathos, and Transroter. Mark was both proud and excited in 2019 to become an exclusive retailer for Gryphon.

Audio21 is open Monday through Saturday, but only by appointment on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. This way, Mark can ensure that he gives is clients full and personal attention. And do not be surprised to find Mark’s Moto Guzzi parked in one of the listening rooms!

The word ‘Epicurean’ is applicable to Mark. He loves music, sings in a jazz choir, and regularly attends live concerts. He also loves motorcycling and traveling across Europe with his beloved wife in their vintage campervan.

Audio21’s new Heerde location is centrally situated in the Netherlands and is easily one of the most beautiful audio shops in the Benelux region. Find out for yourself by paying a visit to Audio21, where Mark will treat you to great music and delicious coffee!

AUDIO21
Dorpsstraat 44
8181 HS  HEERDE – the Netherlands
www.audio21.eu
0031 6 260 48 506

  By Mike Marko

Since 1977 Quintessence Audio has been widely known for honest, high quality Hi-Fi in Chicago.  Their commitment to customer service, top quality products and demonstration has allowed what began as a part time home business to become Chicago’s premier hi-end audio retailer.

Led by Mick Survance, their knowledge of the audio industry has only been surpassed by the personal service and trust that they have engendered to generations of music lovers in the Midwest.  Located in the northern Chicago suburb of Morton Grove, they represent some of the best, most in demand products in the Hi-Fi industry.  Here you can find a full loom of Nordost Supreme Reference Series, Odin 2 as well as QRT audio enhancers in a reference system comprised of Audio Research and Sim Audio Moon amplifiers, dCS digital products, Sonus Faber and Wilson speakers and Clear Audio reference turntables.  Beautiful sounding and looking sound rooms in their shop put components in their best light for evaluation and comparison.

Truly a family business, Mick’s son Patrick has been a fixture at the shop since he was a child and now helps his father serve aspiring music lovers to get the performance desired.  In home set-up is crucial to giving customers the best sound and they do not disappoint.  Their room tuning expertise and knowledge of setting up compatible systems based upon the customers’ taste is incomparable.  They also know that sometimes hearing components in the customer’s own home system is the best way to understand if a new product or accessory is right for them.  That’s why they encourage people to take new products home and audition them.

Give them a call or stop by when in the area for an experience you will not soon forget.

Quintessence Audio Ltd.

5701 Dempster Street

Morton Grove, IL 60053

847-966-4434

www.quintessenceaudio.com

For nearly 30 years, Nordost has been sharing transformative, high-end audio products with music lovers. In that time, we have expanded our reach throughout North America and to over 80 countries, worldwide. Today, Nordost is recognized within the hifi community as the premier manufacturer of hifi audio cables and accessories in the consumer electronics industry. However, this glowing reputation, notoriety, and global reach was not achieved alone. There is no question that the longevity and respect that we have enjoyed within this industry has been made possible, in part, by the strong partnerships that we have cultivated over the years with an exemplary group of dedicated distributors and dealers.

Now, at the beginning of 2020, we want to take the time to thank all of our partners around the world, for all that they have done for us, and for introducing Nordost products into a countless number of hifi systems over the years. We would also like to officially welcome all of the retailers that have joined the Nordost team throughout 2019. We are so happy that you have chosen to represent our brand, and we look forward to an exciting future together.

Here is our newest crop of dedicated Nordost dealers and distributors:

Audio 88

SINGAPORE

www.audio88.net

Bending Wave USA

Davie, Florida USA

www.bendingwaveusa.com

Command Performance AV, LLC

Falls Church, Virginia USA

www.commandav.com

Element Acoustics

Richmond, British Columbia CANADA

www.element-acoustics.com

Elusive Disc

Anderson, Indiana USA

www.elusivedisc.com

Headfoneshop

Toronto, Ontario

www.headfoneshop.com   

Headphone Bar

Vancouver, British Columbia CANADA

www.headphonebar.com

Liquid Sound, Inc

Vancouver, British Columbia CANADA

www.liquidsound.ca

Mount Rose Music

Reno, Nevada USA

www.mountrosemusic.com

Planete Haute-Fidelite Inc.

Repentigny, Québec CANADA

www.planetehautefidelite.com

Productos Exitosos SA de CV

Delegoción Cuauhtémoc, Mexico City MEXICO

www.productosexitosos.com

Québec Acoustique

Blainville, Québec CANADA

www.quebecacoustic.com

Rich AV Design

www.richavdesign.com

Show & Tell AV Solutions

Bountiful, Utah

www.sntav.com

Sonic Artistry

Aurora, Ontario

 www.sonicartistry.ca  

Sound Video

McGregor, Minnesota USA

www.soundvideo.com

Speaker Shop Inc.

Amherst, New York USA

www.speakershop.com

Stereo Planet

Bucharest ROMANIA

www.stereoplanet.ro

The Cable Company

New Hope, Pennsylvania USA

www.thecableco.com

Xact Audio

Boise, Idaho USA

www.xactaudio.com

For a complete list of Nordost Dealers and Distributors see the WHERE TO BUY section of the Nordost website.

   By Dennis Bonotto

On the right bank of the river Seine, between the bohemian Le Marais and the large Bercy park, the Quinze-Vingts neighborhood in Paris has seen the Bastille fall and is to this day home to many great authentic French spots. It was here that Audio Synthèse settled a couple of decades ago to become the largest and most respected hifi shop in France.

Twice a year, at the beginning of the summer and at the beginning of winter, Audio Synthèse hosts a 3-day Nordost-exclusive event to an engaging audience.

Several sessions per day allow customers and hifi enthusiasts to check out for themselves both the new products and the fundamental concepts of putting together an audio system from the ground up. This year of course we focused on the new QSOURCE and QPOINT which were an immediate hit in France.

If you really needed any new reason to visit Paris, make sure to catch us next time at Audio Synthèse. Frédéric Vedel and the team will make sure you have a great time, and if you’re lucky you might even meet Michel Roger, our local distributor who seems to hang out there all the time and is an expert in the local delicatessen.

Audio Synthèse

8 Rue de Prague

75012 Paris

+33 01 43 07 07 01

https://www.audio-synthese.fr

 By Bruno de Lorimier

Quebec Acoustique’s history goes back to 2001 when the owner, Richard Desjardins, an audio enthusiast with a computer programming background, asked himself, ‘’Why not turn my main hobby into my everyday job?’’ So, with that in mind, out of his own home in Blainville (just north of Montreal), Quebec Acoustique was founded. At the beginning, Richard’s business focus was mainly on Home Theater. He was one of the first to develop an online business selling projectors, AV receivers, speakers, and projector screens across Canada. With its growing success, office space and warehouse capacity became an issue, so the company moved to a larger location with a bigger warehouse in an industrial area.  As a result, shipping logistics and efficiency were greatly improved. Furthermore, there was now room for a small showroom as well!  Richard would now need some help. Luckily for him, he met Martin Pelletier, who had a strong background in Home Automation— a welcomed attribute in filling the new position. Not long after, William, Richard’s son, having a strong interest in Hi-Fi audio as well, joined the company. With his addition to the team, Quebec Acoustique’s fields of expertise now covered Home Theater, Home Automation, and Hi-Fi stereo systems!

A couple of years later, Quebec Acoustique’s team moved again into another new space, still in Blainville, with a much larger warehouse for stocking a large quantity of home automation gear.  Thanks to this move, Quebec Acoustique is now able to offer multiple sound rooms that can offer more diverse demo possibilities.  Today, Quebec Acoustique is composed of a team of seven awesome guys and consummate sales and installation professionals, whose dedication is to offer the best possible personal experience, customer service, and satisfaction.

Over the past 3 to 4 years, Quebec Acoustique has brought in many well-known audio and video brands including Nordost, Naim, Rega, Dynaudio, NAD Master, Monitor Audio, SVS and many more, offering a wide price range for their customers to choose from. The staff is conscious that every home theater, home automation, and hi-fi system requires good cabling. Before adding Nordost to their offerings, I was told that everyone on the Quebec Acoustique team was familiar with Nordost’s great reputation around the world, and was excited at the prospect of carrying such a prestigious brand of cables and accessories.

Here’s what Richard, the owner said: ‘’We believe that great business comes from both the dealer and the manufacturer, and with Nordost’s incredible professionalism and knowledge, we can’t wait to introduce their products to our beloved customers! We’re looking forward on having a great relationship with Nordost!’’ … And the feeling is mutual!

The whole team at Nordost is very pleased to welcome Quebec Acoustique to the family, and we look forward to a long-lasting relationship.

  By Amy Hansen

What does Steve Dobbins, owner of Xact Audio, do for fun?  Why, work of course, which includes listening to and sharing his love of music. Nestled amongst striking scenery in Boise, Idaho, the showroom at Xact Audio is as impressive as the stunning views of the mountains surrounding this fast-growing community.

Steve’s love of music across many genres is evident by his extensive record collection and his passion for serving it on a silver platter to anyone who wants to listen.  I was one of those lucky and willing guests treated to a goosebump inducing music performance, not quite like any other I’ve heard.

With Rockport Speakers, top of the line CH Precision electronics, a Kodo turntable with Schröder Linear-Tracking Tonearm (much more on these two below), and Nordost’s Odin 2 cabling, this world class showroom has all the right ingredients for experiencing music at its best…but these are all just components.  The key element is not something you can purchase.  It takes a passionate and knowledgeable master like Steve to know how to best marry them all together with a tweak here and a tweak there to achieve the best sound.

From design to construction, Steve also crafts his very own Kodo “The Beat” turntables and Schröder Linear-Tracking Tonearm.  Steve’s unique design philosophy for these two products is the result of knowledge that he started accumulating as early as 6 years old, when he received his first record player. Reviews have been nothing but glowing— one of which can be found HERE.

positive-feedback.com

To most people’s ears, his system would seem to have no room for improvement, and yet Steve is always looking for ways to incorporate new components or make adjustments towards reaching perfection.  Maybe that is why so many of his customers from all over the country value his dedication to them when they ask him to set up their own systems.

Steve is far from a one-dimensional man.  Aside from the high art of music and its accurate reproduction, he has an array of other interests.  He and his wife Polly enjoy touring on their Harley all over the West. He also restores classic cars, and has been fascinated with anything powered by a motor since before Van Halen was cool. To quote Steve, “I’d hotrod a sewing machine if asked.”

If you’re looking for the best components money can buy, along with unmatched knowledge and service in putting together your own audio system, look no further than Steve Dobbins at Xact Audio.

You can learn more about Steve here:  More about Steve Dobbins in his own words.

  By Bruno de Lorimier

Close to the University of British Columbia and located in West Point Grey, Liquid Sound is a must for those looking for a unique audio and video experience.  Whether you are a local, or are just visiting scenic Vancouver, Liquid Sound is worth the visit.

The store, which opened its doors to the public about six years ago, is owned and operated by debonair gentleman, Daniel Mendes.  Other members of the team are Philip Meyburgh and Lorenzo Sever, who both have a ton of experience and A/V knowledge, each having been in the industry for nearly forty years.

At Liquid Sound, it’s all about the experience.  Daniel and the staff want to make sure you won’t forget your visit at the store. The emphasis is on providing the most efficient environment for proper demonstrations, so that one can fully appreciate the nuances and strengths of all the wonderful products they have to offer. The store has been purposefully laid out to allow easy and unrushed demos of multiple systems, most of which are wired with Nordost.  Clients are encouraged to bring in their own LPs and/or reference CDs. The main goal at Liquid Sound is to provide a musically friendly and relaxed atmosphere to its clientele, combined with true, expert advice. The staff will take the time to get to know you before putting forth any recommendations on equipment.  Tell them what sound you’re looking for and they’ll do their best to make sure you get it!

Liquid Sound is also a great place to shop for Home Theatre, offering dedicated custom fitted home theaters from M&K Atmos Surround for a true movie theater experience one can enjoy in their own home.  Sit down and strap in for a sensory overload in the home theatre demo room, while the team explains and demonstrates what a home theater can, and should be.

As soon as you walk in the store, you can tell these guys are serious about Hi-Fi, with brands like Magico, Lygndorf, Musical Fidelity, Monitor Audio Silver, Rogue, and Anthem, just to name a few. Some include microphone room correction to tweak the sound for your home setup.  But that’s not all they do, they are also smart home (custom install) specialists.

Liquid Sound has been a true believer in Nordost cables and accessories for many years.  In Daniel’s own words “Nordost is by far the best upgrade anyone can do to improve an Audio/Video system.  The results are remarkable!!  We have transformed many of our clients’ systems by simply upgrading power cables, proper grounding solutions, and updating speaker cables.”

For Daniel and the team, it’s still not enough to provide outstanding products and expert advice.  Educational and informative special events are held after hours, and on a regular basis, where industry specialists will come in to entertain and educate customers by doing demos or holding seminars, and even do new product introductions.

Coincidently, such an event is happening today, on Wednesday May 29^th at 6:00pm, featuring Nordost.  Liquid Sound and I would love to see you there!

We are very proud to count Liquid Sound as a Nordost team member and wish them continued success!

By Steve Greene

Looking for the recipe for a world class hifi store? Set up shop in a highly visible, heavily traveled location. Fill that store with numerous sound rooms, each furnished with the best sounding and performing audio/video brands available. Staff it with a knowledgeable and personable sales team. Natural Sound in Framingham, Massachusetts, has been diligently following that recipe for over 40 years, and can attest to its success! So, audiophile friends, next time you find yourself on the busy Route 9 between Boston and Worcester, pull over and avail yourself of the warm, friendly environment to see, hear, touch, and learn about today’s best 2-channel audio and home theater gear from the most experienced salespeople in New England.

Natural Sound was a company founded by audiophiles, for audiophiles in 1975. Since its establishment, one of the original founders has left the company to pursue new endeavors within the audio industry, as did his replacement, and both have gone on to become well-known engineers and product designers in the field. Meanwhile, original co-founder and current owner, Jim Lackey, is consistently sought after by various manufacturers to lend his extensive expertise to both develop new products and revive older ones. Nearly all of Natural Sound’s employees have worked for Jim and General Manager, Larry Goldberg, for many, many years— some for decades!  That longevity in the industry means that each of Natural Sound’s sales associates (Peter, Mark, Lewis, and Dave) has years of extensive experience and product knowledge to ensure that they will be able help improve your current home audio system or build a new system from entry level, all the way up to super high-end.  Natural Sound even has an amazing integration team, headed by Paul, who intimately knows just about every quality piece of audio/video gear on the market, including all Nordost products.

Speaking of products, this veritable old soundhaus is teeming with tempting hifi kits.  We’re talking esteemed brands like McIntosh, Wilson Audio, Magnepan, Ayre Acoustics, Revel, Naim Audio, Focal, Bryston, Bowers and Wilkins, Rogers High Fidelity, and more! There are a lot of nice turntables to choose from too, such as Rega Research, Pro-Ject, Oracle, Clearaudio and TechDas Air Force.  Are headphones more your style? Natural Sound carries superb models from Audeze, Focal, Beyer, and Sennheiser, amongst others!  Whichever component you are in the market for, Natural Sound can make them all sound even more rich and resolving with Nordost cables.  The shop is always well-stocked with Nordost demo cables and gear, so that you can compare various models in your own home system, from our entry level White Lightning cables, all the way up to Valhalla 2. You can even get a demo of our powerful, new QKORE grounding system, Sort Kones, and other resonant control and power products.

So next time you are in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, take some quality time to visit our friends at Natural Sound. And, if you are a Red Sox fan, you might be lucky enough to say hello to GM Larry, who is personally my favorite Red Sox mentor and fan!

  By Michael Taylor

I first met Steve Kennedy and his brother Dave, the current owners of JS Audio, a few years ago while visiting the store.  Steve, who now runs the day to day operations, had worked for over 8 years with the former owner, Joe Stromick, who also became his mentor.  For over 32 years Joe owned JS Audio and maintained its reputation as the premier High End Audio store in the Washington DC area. It still holds that title today. Joe passed away this February and Steve and Dave took the wheel and haven’t looked back.

JS Audio, located in Bethesda MD, is truly a gem.  It’s a small store, but the old adage about good things coming in small packages couldn’t be more true than in this case.  As soon as you open the door, you know you’ve found something special.

One of the first things you see when you walk in is a wide array of Nordost hanging on the wall.  But Nordost is just the beginning— the next treat comes when you turn your head and see Audio Research and Wilson Audio greeting you.  Walk down the long hallway and peek into the other rooms and you’re transported to hi-fi heaven:  You see more Wilson Audio speakers, more Audio Research, DCS, McIntosh, Dynaudio, D’Agostino, Boulder, HRS, and SME— all wired with Nordost, from Blue Heaven all the way to Odin 2.

Until you walk in that front door you would have no idea that the best of the best reside here.

Steve is continuing the same course that Joe found so successful over the years, while adding a splash of his own taste.  He keeps a focus on partnerships with select brands, but has also plunged deeper into vinyl than the store has previously.  Industry trends are important to notice, and Steve keeps his finger on the pulse of what is happening.  Weekend events with manufacturers still happen here every 2-3 months, with only the best wine and appetizers served.  I think the manufacturers enjoy it as much as Steve’s clients do!

    By Mike Marko

In today’s world of online shopping, with brick and mortar shops closing at an alarming rate, it is refreshing to experience what a proper retail environment can do to help you select the system just right for you.

Audio Video Integration in Marin County is just such a place. Their 9000 square foot showroom, including four top-flight sound and video rooms, is filled with many top brands.  In fact, they are one of the few Nordost dealers in the world to carry our Supreme Reference line of cables, Odin 2.

AVI Marin is helmed by Tony Probst, who has operated this family owned and run business since 1985. Tony is a master certified ISF calibrator with many years of specialized training.  He uses sophisticated instruments to produce the finest video and audio experience for his customers. Along with his three sons, and an excellent sales and support staff, Tony has the specialized skills and tools to calibrate, properly place, and install systems that deliver the best experience imaginable.

The next time you’re up north of the Golden Gate Bridge in wine country, stop by and experience the best in audio and video. While you’re there take a moment to view Tony’s exclusive collection of artifacts from the Titanic and The Bounty. Yes, THAT Titanic and The Bounty! On display are original photos, canon balls, fine china, jewelry, and original memorabilia— some actually retrieved from the shipwreck by Tony himself!

AVI Marin

647 Francisco Blvd East

San Rafael California

(415) 526-0070

www.avimarin.com