It's been a few years since I was last there but I can highly recommend Stereotypes Audio, https://stereotypesaudio.com/. They have one of the largest, most interesting lineups of high-quality gear I've ever seen. I walked in on a demo of big Harbeth speakers driven by Simaudio separates and was astonished by what I was hearing. It was one of the reasons I began buying Simaudio gear. |
Echo Audio. They sell both new and used gear. The owner Kurt is one of the most ethical people I've met. He's talked me down from buying something that wouldn't improve my system more than once. |
Two great suggestions— Thank you! I knew this was the right place to ask! |
And I agree with big_greg. I didn't remember the name of Echo Audio but I also had a very good experience there. |
+3 Echo Audio, talk to Kurt or his son. Great people, great shop! |
I have always read excellent reviews on Echo Audio. |
Echo Audio , great neighborhood , 2 blocks from Powell's books and great food carts , Voodoo donuts and Don and Louis Oysters .
Fred's house of Music has a couple of listening rooms ,
also great neighborhood .
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Hey now, let's keep Echo a little on the down low so that when they post cool "new" stuff on their web site it won't be gone before I get a chance to look! |
Echo is one of the best shops in the country. |
I have been buying gear from Echo Audio for 20yrs. Great place. Pearl Audio is another one I would check out. |
Sad that you didn’t ask where to buy great music. The town is littered with great music stores. The gulf between audiophiles and music collectors is wide and deep.
At least, while you are here, enjoy a nice adult beverage at the Whiskey Library.
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The posters above have it right: Echo Audio and its neighborhood (esp. Powell's) would be a great area to spend some time; Kurt's terrific, and there are a ton of good places to eat nearby and in the adjacent Pearl and West End districts. Stereotypes is also very good, and it's next door to Nostrana which serves very good Italian food. Out in Beaverton, there's Chelsea Audio & Visual, where you can listen to your heart's content. You'll need a car to get there, but what Gertrude Stein once said about Oakland is also true for that part of Beaverton: there's no there there. Fred's House of Stereo on Hawthorne has been there a long time and is also in a fun locale.
And if all your listening gives rise to a temptation to buy, remember that there's no sales tax in Oregon. Enjoy your trip!
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there are 3 good used / new Vinyl shops walking distance from Fred’s which has an eclectic mix of new and used gear, tube, SS, tonearms, electronic xovers....etc.
ditto for echo....do I hear an echo for echo ?
stumptown Java, Oregon Pinot, springer salmon..yum
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there is also a killer used / new CD store about 3 blocks from Vodoo donuts....cant remember the name, but I always hit that....rivals but does not surpass Silver Platters in Seattle. |
That would be Fred’s Sound of Music on Hawthorne, not House of Stereo. BTW it’s Dungeness crab season right now. IMHO our crab is the best in the world. |
Eat a well cared for Dungy and you will turn up you nose to the lowly Blue.... just saying...
IMO the only good use for a Blue is quartered on a circle hook fishing for Redfish....
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Thanks for the catch about Fred's, Viridian. And speaking of catch, and not to hijack the thread, but Alaska King Crab is the best, which it had better be for the price, INMNSHO.
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Jim, to each, his own. Some folks like VPI turntables as well. No accounting for taste! ;) |
I'll echo the vote for Echo. Kurt is both nice and knowledgeable. Fred's (on Hawthorne) has the vibe of a vintage stereo shop (circa 1960s) but a more limited selection compared to Stereotypes. Fred's is an authorized dealer for many high-end brands, but oftentimes doesn't stock "uncommon" components: Stereotypes does. Echo has the best used equipment, followed by Fred's. Regardless, all 3 are well worth a visit.
No audiophile trip to Portland is complete without a visit to Music Millenium on Burnside: it's a Portland institution. There are several other records stores of note scattered throughout the city and I'd not overlook the chain, Everyday Music, as that store (on Sandy) has a huge selection of used CDs (whereas MM has a better vinyl selection).
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I’ll agree with Echo, Stereotypes and Fred’s. I’ve spent hundreds if not thousands at all of them and I can vouch for their quality. As for vinyl, not only are Everyday and Music Millenium wonderful stores, but there are also smaller shops scattered throughout town worth visiting. And the wine? Oh, the wine!🥰🍷 |
Expand your world view:
Portland Victoria Australia
Portland New South Wales Australia
Portland Ontario Canada
Portland County Tipperary Ireland
Portland New Zealand
Portland Arkansas
Portland Fremont County Colorado
Portland Ouray County Colorado
Portland Connecticut
Portland Georgia
Portland Illinois
Portland Indiana
Portland Township Cerro Gordo County Iowa
Portland Iowa census-designated place in Portland Township
Portland Kansas
Portland Kentucky
Portland Louisville Kentucky
Portland Maine
New Portland Maine
Portland Michigan
Portland Missouri
Portland New York
Portland North Dakota
Portland Ohio
Portland Pennsylvania
Portland Tennessee
Portland Texas
Portland Dodge County Wisconsin
Portland Monroe County Wisconsin
and down the road a piece, Chelsea Audio in Beaverton, Oregon
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+5 on Echo Audio — fantastic shop, great experience. Thanks all for your recommendations!
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I agree, ieales. That question was asked as if there was only one Portland. LOL. |
Well, yes, but, Portland, OR is the largest Portland in the world so it's a logical default. |
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Entering Music Millennium in Portland Oregon is a trip; it feels like a time machine has taken you back to 1969 (the year it opened), patchouli oil and all. Some of the clerks look like they’ve been there since ’69 ;-) . MM is now selling turntables, all of them save the entry-level Music Hall junk. Lots of LPs, unfortunately all overpriced. All genres, but not much depth (only the new release of cult-level artists, not their complete catalog). Okay for a brick & mortar, but it’s sure no Amoeba (Los Angeles, San Francisco, Berkeley). |
