An audiophile in Chicago .....

Audio Consultants
910 W. Randolph St... for gear

For records, I second the recommendation of Dusty Groove and Reckless. Dusty is better for soul, R&B, jazz and blues. Reckless will have more rock, indie, punk, metal, and recent stuff. The Milwaukee Ave Reckless is pretty close to Dusty Groove, and it is larger than the downtown Reckless.

Another option for gear is Decibel, on Milwaukee Ave. They carry Harbeth, KEF, Rogue and more. That Wicker Park neighborhood has lots of nice shops, and I prefer it to downtown for wandering aimlessly or shopping. Easy trip up the Blue Line.

May be trickier to get to via CTA, but Logan Hardware is also excellent. And on your receipt they give you a code that allows you to enter the game room in the back. Loads of old video game machines and pinball. Great spot!

Don't forget to eat at Kuma's for heavy metal burgers. They also sell vinyl.

Oh yeah, Kumas is incredible. Every burger is named after a metal band. So you have to balance your love for the burger ingredients and love for the band.

FWIW I love High on Fire, Lair of the Minotaur and Pantera.

Well, it was a beautiful day in Chicago. I found some great jazz on vinyl at Dusty Groove ..... after over an hour of browsing through their bins, I bought twelve used albums, all in "near mint" condition. Can't wait to get home and start spinning them ! Then, a two martini steak lunch at Gibson's and about four hours walking through this great city on a perfect early Spring day. Life is good !