Just a 45-minute drive SE of Los Angeles will bring you to one of the world’s great record stores, a vinyl haven with over 50,000 LPs in stock, including some 10,000 classical titles – all of it in beautiful condition.
www.audiophileusa.com
sales@audiophileusa.com
Tel: 657-298-3003
Mark Hoover, Owner & Proprietor
AudiophileUSA might add to the above definition a profound love of music, all music, for that is what drives and inspires their business. Their story begins more than 30 years ago, as a small mail order company in England. In the late 1990s, the owners crossed the Atlantic for the sunny climes of California, USA. Until 2019, the business had been an entirely online affair, but in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, the new owners – Mark and Alison Hoover – decided not only to re-locate from northern California to Los Alamitos (just south of LA), but also to open a shopfront for the local public, which has proven very successful. This also allowed the newly re-christened AudiophileUSA to price some of their stock a bit cheaper than other strictly online retailers, a distinct advantage in a competitive marketplace.
Music has always been an integral part of Mark Hoover’s life and as a youth he loved tinkering with his family’s Hi-Fi system and LPs. As he got older, Mark built his own at-home studio where he could spin LPs and make custom audio tapes. This led to work in radio, DJ’ing for 95.5 KCSC in Chico, CA, still on air today. Mark had already been an avid collector since the early 70s, but the exciting transformation of the music world that characterized the 1980s – the rise of electronic dance music and new wave, also known as Modern Rock – led him to new artists and down new musical paths.
Most sales come from USA customers, followed by Europe and then Asia a somewhat surprisingly distant third. In addition to their online sales, AudiophileUSA has worked hard to foster a local client base, establishing its own biannual record sales. These are held in June and November and are a big draw – collectors can find thousands of titles at half off and there are dollar bins as well. Mark has been happy to see younger collectors searching through the bins, getting a feel for music on vinyl and discovering a diverse array of musical artistry.
AudiophileUSA is constantly adding to its inventory, sometimes traveling significant distances to obtain an interesting collection – for example, a 16-hour drive to Oregon to buy the 10,000-LP collection of the late actor David Ogden Stiers of M*A*S*H fame (he played Major Charles Emerson Winchester III).
Unlike many other dealers, Mark has a strong appreciation for Japanese pressings and one can find many interesting titles in the AudiophileUSA inventory. Rarities occasionally surface, the most notable being the legendary “Mozart à Paris” 7LP box set on Pathé (DTX 191-197).
Classical music accounts for about 20% of AudiophileUSA’s business, though this is increasing. Jazz is another of their strong suits, with at least 10,000 LPs in stock.
Mark himself has always enjoyed particularly the music of Tchaikovsky, Stravinsky and Beethoven, though of late he’s been getting into Gospel and Old Blues music. There’s no shortage of things to listen to!
Final analysis: An amazing shop – highest recommendation!
- Aside from the amazing selection, first and foremost must be the extremely careful and conservative grading. Records that don’t meet their high standards are donated or offered deeply discounted at their biannual LP fairs.
- Their website is elegantly laid out, easy-to-use and boasts a powerful search engine. One can also browse and both methods allow for very useful filtering. There are “New Arrivals” and “Deals” sections where one can quickly find the latest offerings and bargains.
- Orders are always impeccably packaged for safety, usually with slightly oversize mailers and internal padding to protect the LPs during their transit around the world.
- An extremely knowledgeable, friendly and helpful staff who shares your passion for music.
More photos and maps and information in Issue 5 – available in your subscriber account – on page 103