09/10/09

Fast Service, Great Price

by THEASSMAN

I brought my Dynaco SCA-35 (stereo integrated tube amplifier) in for service on a Wednesday night just before closing time. I was a little skeptical when they told me it would take at least two weeks before I heard anything, and the $50 deposit was higher than I expected. Turns out there was nothing to worry about. I got a call a week later first thing Thursday morning saying it was done.

Labor was $85 (only $35 after deposit) which is very low considering the work that was done (resoldering over 100 points, tube testing, cleaning and full diagnostic). They also recommended a full set of new tubes, which I priced out online before approval. They were able to provide me with a full set of matched NOS vintage tubes (American and German) for less than I would have spent for the cheapest (Russian) tubes available online.

When was the last time you bought something locally for less than online?

I will bring them all of my vintage audio from now on.

• Pros: Fast, Cheap
• Cons: None

01/05/09

Great one-of-a-kind gem

by AlanBruce

I've been putting together some old audio components and needed a new stylus for a vintage turntable. I couldn't have been treated better by Mitch and Ursula at 20th Century. I also picked up some speaker wire (they cut the ends for me) and cable. Very reasonable prices. But the best part was looking at the equipment on the shelves -- from reel-to-reel to new receivers. It's like a toy store for aging baby boomers like myself who remembers handing around Musicraft for hours. Great service, great people. I'll be going back often.

• Pros: Service, selection, atmosphere
• Cons: None I can think of ... 25 cents for parking meter out front

11/29/08

Mayberry USA Run Amok

by ChicagoJourno

20th Century looks like a quaint storefront repair shop, and the elderly couple who run it know how to fix pretty much anything. But the cons here far outweigh the pros. You'll wait six to eight weeks for any word that your equipment is being serviced. The prices on new gear are exorbitant. And don't even think about returning something. I tried to do it once with an unopened box of speakers, and even though the copy on the receipt stated the receipt had to accompany returns, Mitch, the owner, looked at me like I was about to rob the place when I came back the next day. He told me he didn't need customers like me, swore at me, and his wife accused me of lying. He pointed to a sign, "All Sales Final," way up in the corner of one wall. Amid all the clutter, you'd never see it, and he'd never explained the policy to begin with. I'd taken my stuff to him a few times before for repairs, and had told many friends about the shop, so I was shocked by their behavior. I guess they're terrified at the prospect of becoming extinct in an e-commerce world, but that ain't the way to earn anyone's respect. I felt absolutely ambushed.

• Pros: Independently owned, repairs on older equipment
• Cons: Hostile attitude toward customers, long wait for repairs, high prices