Echo Audio

How we do business

Why Echo Audio Is Different — Really.

Anyone who’s spent even 10 minutes reading an audio magazine or talking with an audio salesman (funny how it’s rarely a woman, though) knows that high-end audio is short on perspective and long on attitude.

Just why this is so would make a nice little college thesis. But suffice it to say that Echo Audio is an attitude-free zone. We don’t believe that you’re just not living large unless you have a $10,000 CD player powered by some humongous amplifier that needs to be hooked up directly to Hoover Dam. Of course, we have sold such items, happily. We are in business, after all. And some of that ultra-gear can be pretty fabulous. But the truth is that a $700 system can sound as good as a 3K system if it's chosen well. That's where a good stereo shop comes in -- saving you from spending time and money on poor on-line purchases that simply don't benefit your system, or wallet.

The point is that Echo Audio is “real world”. We’re not going to tell you that a modest item from Onkyo is “just as good” as, say, a really fine product from Audio Research. The whole point of high-end audio is truth. Why else go to all the trouble of finding high-end equipment? But truth shouldn’t just come out of your speakers. It should be coming from us, too.

So that’s who we are. It’s how we think. It’s how we do business. We also do it by taking credit cards, of course. And by not charging sales tax because glorious Oregon doesn’t have one. But, really, we do business by being honest. The audio stuff is kind of a sideline.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. "How do you get such great equipment? Why would anyone sell you something like that?"
A. We get trade-ins, demos & discontinued inventory from a host of high-end retailers along the west coast as well as from you, our addicted audiophiles in search of that elusive perfect system.

Q. "What is your warranty on the used equipment? Should I buy new or used?

A. We thoroughly test all of our equipment and guarantee each piece that we own for 90 days. Some consignment items will not carry the same warranty but have been completely tested as well.

The choice to buy used or new is a matter of preference. And we think our friend, Galen Carol, has answered this question best so we'll defer to his article "new vs used".

“Everything that we've read about quality audiophile tables is true and we have spent our time rediscovering all of our records! Everything from classic country, mariachi, Iron Maiden and Bob Dylan sounds new, fresh and exciting (and I really don't like Dylan). Thank you for your patience, customer service and knowledge.”
- Aaron Ezell and Hannah Tracy