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Sunday, November 22, 2009

Who Rates Best (& Worst) in the Seattle Area? Now You'll Know.

Audio Equipment--Selecting, Buying, and Repairing

Options to play music have exploded in the Digital Age. We'll summarize the different choices available, give the pros and cons of each, point you toward sources of advice, and tell you how to get a good price.

From Puget Sound Consumers' CHECKBOOK Magazine

Read our article and findings (available exclusively to CHECKBOOK subscribers)

Back to Puget Sound Consumers' CHECKBOOK Table of Contents.



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Name Number of ratings Checkbook's top rating () What percent of customers rated firm "superior" on our survey for "overall quality" Firm's price index score
for quality for price
1. Audio Connection
5621-A University Way NE
Seattle, WA
206-524-7251
Puget Sound Consumers' CHECKBOOK has ratings of 36 local audio equipment stores.
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2. Best Buy
All locations combined

303 ratings Puget Sound Consumers' CHECKBOOK has ratings of 36 local audio equipment stores.
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3. Best Buy
330 NE Northgate Way
Seattle, WA
206-306-7663
72 ratings Puget Sound Consumers' CHECKBOOK has ratings of 36 local audio equipment stores.
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4. Best Buy
17364 Southcenter Pkwy
Tukwila, WA
206-574-4617
63 ratings Puget Sound Consumers' CHECKBOOK has ratings of 36 local audio equipment stores.
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5. Best Buy
2214 S 48th St
Tacoma, WA
253-476-4871
17 ratings Puget Sound Consumers' CHECKBOOK has ratings of 36 local audio equipment stores.
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6. Best Buy
4102 S Meridian #A
Puyallup, WA
253-841-7008
Puget Sound Consumers' CHECKBOOK has ratings of 36 local audio equipment stores.
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7. Best Buy
31601 Pacific Hwy S
Federal Way, WA
253-945-0073
Puget Sound Consumers' CHECKBOOK has ratings of 36 local audio equipment stores.
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8. Best Buy
9551 Ridgetop Blvd NW
Silverdale, WA
360-698-1112
25 ratings Puget Sound Consumers' CHECKBOOK has ratings of 36 local audio equipment stores.
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9. Best Buy
457 120th Ave NE
Bellevue, WA
425-452-8060
34 ratings Puget Sound Consumers' CHECKBOOK has ratings of 36 local audio equipment stores.
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10. Best Buy
19225 Alderwood Mall Pkwy
Lynnwood, WA
425-670-2670
32 ratings Puget Sound Consumers' CHECKBOOK has ratings of 36 local audio equipment stores.
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11. Bose
600 Pine St #235
Seattle, WA
206-381-1510
17 ratings Puget Sound Consumers' CHECKBOOK has ratings of 36 local audio equipment stores.
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12. Car Toys
All locations combined

78 ratings Puget Sound Consumers' CHECKBOOK has ratings of 36 local audio equipment stores.
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13. Car Toys
12815 Aurora Ave N
Seattle, WA
206-364-5534
12 ratings Puget Sound Consumers' CHECKBOOK has ratings of 36 local audio equipment stores.
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14. Car Toys
16901 Southcenter Pkwy
Tukwila, WA
206-575-2818
15 ratings Puget Sound Consumers' CHECKBOOK has ratings of 36 local audio equipment stores.
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15. Car Toys
12020 Meridian Ave S
Puyallup, WA
253-435-0830
11 ratings Puget Sound Consumers' CHECKBOOK has ratings of 36 local audio equipment stores.
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16. Car Toys
5015 Tacoma Mall Blvd #A
Tacoma, WA
253-472-1994
Puget Sound Consumers' CHECKBOOK has ratings of 36 local audio equipment stores.
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17. Car Toys
410 SW Everett Mall Way
Everett, WA
425-356-2726
12 ratings Puget Sound Consumers' CHECKBOOK has ratings of 36 local audio equipment stores.
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18. Car Toys
13804 NE 20th St
Bellevue, WA
425-643-2726
10 ratings Puget Sound Consumers' CHECKBOOK has ratings of 36 local audio equipment stores.
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19. Car Toys
3910 196th St SW #A
Lynnwood, WA
425-778-2726
Puget Sound Consumers' CHECKBOOK has ratings of 36 local audio equipment stores.
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20. Costco
All locations combined

58 ratings Puget Sound Consumers' CHECKBOOK has ratings of 36 local audio equipment stores.
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21. Costco Wholesale
2219 S 37th St
Tacoma, WA
253-475-2093
Puget Sound Consumers' CHECKBOOK has ratings of 36 local audio equipment stores.
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22. Costco Wholesale
10000 Mickelberry Rd NW
Silverdale, WA
360-692-1140
Puget Sound Consumers' CHECKBOOK has ratings of 36 local audio equipment stores.
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23. Costco Wholesale
8629 120th Ave NE
Kirkland, WA
425-827-1693
Puget Sound Consumers' CHECKBOOK has ratings of 36 local audio equipment stores.
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24. Definitive Audio
6206 Roosevelt Way NE
Seattle, WA
206-524-6633
31 ratings Puget Sound Consumers' CHECKBOOK has ratings of 36 local audio equipment stores.
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25. Definitive Audio
14405 NE 20th St
Bellevue, WA
425-746-3188
31 ratings Puget Sound Consumers' CHECKBOOK has ratings of 36 local audio equipment stores.
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26. Fry's Electronics
800 Garden Ave N
Renton, WA
425-525-0200
19 ratings Puget Sound Consumers' CHECKBOOK has ratings of 36 local audio equipment stores.
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27. Hawthorne Stereo
6303 Roosevelt Way NE
Seattle, WA
206-522-9609
25 ratings Puget Sound Consumers' CHECKBOOK has ratings of 36 local audio equipment stores.
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28. Magnolia Audio Video
All locations combined

897 ratings Puget Sound Consumers' CHECKBOOK has ratings of 36 local audio equipment stores.
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29. Magnolia Audio Video
6308 Roosevelt Way NE
Seattle, WA
206-525-1961
281 ratings Puget Sound Consumers' CHECKBOOK has ratings of 36 local audio equipment stores.
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30. Magnolia Audio Video
16600 Southcenter Pkwy
Seattle, WA
206-575-0851
81 ratings Puget Sound Consumers' CHECKBOOK has ratings of 36 local audio equipment stores.
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31. Magnolia Audio Video
6053 Tacoma Mall Blvd
Tacoma, WA
253-475-2330
78 ratings Puget Sound Consumers' CHECKBOOK has ratings of 36 local audio equipment stores.
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32. Magnolia Audio Video
3126 NW Randall Way
Silverdale, WA
360-698-8584
35 ratings Puget Sound Consumers' CHECKBOOK has ratings of 36 local audio equipment stores.
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33. Magnolia Audio Video
725 SE Everett Mall Way
Everett, WA
425-513-2565
62 ratings Puget Sound Consumers' CHECKBOOK has ratings of 36 local audio equipment stores.
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34. Magnolia Audio Video
14404 NE 20th St
Bellevue, WA
425-747-0850
236 ratings Puget Sound Consumers' CHECKBOOK has ratings of 36 local audio equipment stores.
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35. Magnolia Audio Video
4201 196th St SW #B
Lynnwood, WA
425-775-7288
93 ratings Puget Sound Consumers' CHECKBOOK has ratings of 36 local audio equipment stores.
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36. Nuts About Hi-Fi
10100 Silverdale Way
Silverdale, WA
360-698-1348
11 ratings Puget Sound Consumers' CHECKBOOK has ratings of 36 local audio equipment stores.
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37. Speakerlab
6220 Roosevelt Way NE
Seattle, WA
206-523-2269
14 ratings Puget Sound Consumers' CHECKBOOK has ratings of 36 local audio equipment stores.
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38. Stereo Warehouse
13728 Aurora Ave N
Seattle, WA
206-365-5622
10 ratings Puget Sound Consumers' CHECKBOOK has ratings of 36 local audio equipment stores.
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39. Video Only
All locations combined

263 ratings Puget Sound Consumers' CHECKBOOK has ratings of 36 local audio equipment stores.
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40. Video Only
290 Andover Park E
Tukwila, WA
206-444-1650
73 ratings Puget Sound Consumers' CHECKBOOK has ratings of 36 local audio equipment stores.
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41. Video Only
1643 S 352nd St
Federal Way, WA
253-661-7700
25 ratings Puget Sound Consumers' CHECKBOOK has ratings of 36 local audio equipment stores.
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42. Video Only
2218 S 41st St
Tacoma, WA
253-671-0737
44 ratings Puget Sound Consumers' CHECKBOOK has ratings of 36 local audio equipment stores.
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43. Video Only
14339 NE 20th St Fl 1
Bellevue, WA
425-644-9400
55 ratings Puget Sound Consumers' CHECKBOOK has ratings of 36 local audio equipment stores.
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44. Video Only
19220 Alderwood Mall Pkwy
Lynnwood, WA
425-776-5900
50 ratings Puget Sound Consumers' CHECKBOOK has ratings of 36 local audio equipment stores.
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Seattle audio equipment stores by neighborhood
WA
Audio Equipment Stores in Bellevue, WA Audio Equipment Stores in Everett, WA Audio Equipment Stores in Federal Way, WA
Audio Equipment Stores in Kirkland, WA Audio Equipment Stores in Lynnwood, WA Audio Equipment Stores in Puyallup, WA
Audio Equipment Stores in Renton, WA Audio Equipment Stores in Seattle, WA Audio Equipment Stores in Silverdale, WA
Audio Equipment Stores in Tacoma, WA Audio Equipment Stores in Tukwila, WA

Subscriber Comments/Reviews
CHECKBOOK provides subscriber comments on their experiences with the firms they use. Please remember that individual subscriber comments are informal. Subscriber comments may give you insight into the types of features and problems that exist in a service field, but are not the best basis for selecting or rejecting a specific firm. To assess the quality of a firm's performance, we recommend that you give more weight to the percentages of favorable ratings. Those percentages are generally based on much larger numbers of consumers' ratings (the number of consumer ratings is noted above).


Subscriber from EDMONDS, WA wrote about MAGNOLIA AUDIO VIDEO, Lynnwood, WA on 08/31/09
The best of all the Magnolia Stores for knowledge of product and service, but they..........
Subscriber from EDMONDS, WA wrote about BEST BUY, Lynnwood, WA on 08/31/09
don't really know their products. check out/paying is a long process and not real friendly,..........
Subscriber from SEATTLE, WA wrote about BEST BUY, Seattle, WA on 08/19/09
Basically you need to know what you want before you go in........
Subscriber from VASHON, WA wrote about DEFINITIVE AUDIO, Seattle, WA on 08/11/09
Very knowledgeable and helpful advice on choosing a pair of speakers........
Subscriber from KIRKLAND, WA wrote about FRY'S ELECTRONICS, Renton, WA on 08/04/09
If Fry's has it, the price will be excellent........
Subscriber from TACOMA, WA wrote about MAGNOLIA AUDIO VIDEO, Seattle, WA on 06/29/09
They are gone, and there ain't no one comparable. Tragedy for sound addicts........
Subscriber from BELLEVUE, WA wrote about MAGNOLIA AUDIO VIDEO, Bellevue, WA on 09/12/08
Excellent products, knowledge of products, and service........
Subscriber from MERCER ISLAND, WA wrote about MAGNOLIA AUDIO VIDEO, Seattle, WA on 08/18/08
Have found experience is not consistent at all Magnolia stores........
Subscriber from SEATTLE, WA wrote about MAGNOLIA AUDIO VIDEO, Seattle, WA on 08/13/08
Our sales rep, Derrick, was awesome! He even came to our house after the TV..........
Subscriber from SEATTLE, WA wrote about MAGNOLIA AUDIO VIDEO, Seattle, WA on 08/12/08
Internet research on headphones showed that the model I was interested in could be had..........
Subscriber from REDMOND, WA wrote about DEFINITIVE AUDIO, Bellevue, WA on 07/30/08
A touch snobby, eh, sirrah?.......
Subscriber from SHORELINE, WA wrote about BEST BUY, Seattle, WA on 07/14/08
This area of the store can be confusing, is not well laid out........
Subscriber from BELLEVUE, WA wrote about MAGNOLIA AUDIO VIDEO, Seattle, WA on 01/08/08
I purchased a new HD plasma TV and components for a surround sound system at..........
Subscriber from SEATTLE, WA wrote about HAWTHORNE STEREO, Seattle, WA on 10/01/07
Robert Levin and his staff run a wonderful store that stands behind its products and..........
Subscriber from SEATTLE, WA wrote about BEST BUY, Seattle, WA on 09/26/07
Sometimes there is a good variety of product, sometimes the place looks empty of product...........
Subscriber from SEATTLE, WA wrote about DEFINITIVE AUDIO, Bellevue, WA on 08/26/07
Really high prices but excellent quality gear. Staff is pretty arrogant and doesn't spend much..........
Subscriber from SEATTLE, WA wrote about MAGNOLIA AUDIO VIDEO, Seattle, WA on 08/21/07
Working with the design center has been a positive experience, as well as the purchasing..........
Subscriber from SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, CA wrote about BEST BUY, Seattle, WA on 05/23/07
Beware of their return policy. They love to charge re-stocking fees........
Subscriber from SEATTLE, WA wrote about CAR TOYS, Seattle, WA on 10/19/06
didn't have the product demonstrated. Works only OK. bought on recommendation of staff. 2 day..........
Subscriber from CARNATION, WA wrote about BEST BUY, Bellevue, WA on 10/13/06
Takes a long time to check out once you decide to make a major purchase........
Subscriber from SEATTLE, WA wrote about BEST BUY, Seattle, WA on 10/12/06
Typical Big Box store. Great for generic needs.......
Subscriber from SEATTLE, WA wrote about VIDEO ONLY, Bellevue, WA on 10/12/06
My store of choice for mainsteam electronics.......
Subscriber from SEATTLE, WA wrote about CAR TOYS, Seattle, WA on 09/26/06
I've had mixed experience. One purchase went very smoothly. On another, the staff attitude was..........
Subscriber from SEATTLE, WA wrote about MAGNOLIA AUDIO VIDEO, Seattle, WA on 09/26/06
Excellent service and quality products over many years........
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