Gold Sound

Very helpful and knowledgeable. They aligned the cartridge on my turntable and talked to me about an acrylic platter. I decided to take their advice and boy am I glad that I did! It’s like I have a whole new system. They take the time to explain things to even the most novice customer.

We drove our record collection here from Buffalo, NY, and once settled in we wanted to upgrade a few pieces of equipment that were damaged in the move. Gold Sound was really our only close option so I checked it out one afternoon.
Much like a good comic book store, this place is a relic of a bygone age where people took their hobbies seriously. Just walking into the place is like stepping back thirty-​five years in time: the carpet is a shade of chartreuse/​yellow that hasn’t been in style while I have been alive, the walls are lined with restored vintage auto-​equipment or wood paneling, the staff look like they fondly remember rotary phones, and it smells eerily similar to my grandfather’s fallout shelter. It’s also quite small, consisting of one long room of receivers and speakers, and two rooms for showcasing turntables and listening to equipment. To some people these things will be turn offs: large corporate stores have led people into wanting expansive selection of new products displayed in a sterile manner. But in terms of vintage home audio (especially for record collectors) these are all signs that the people operating this store do so out a passion for music and a dedication to preserving a format that is coming back after years in limbo.
I can understand how some younger people today are put off by this experience. Many people just getting into records aren’t prepared for the learning curve or the price tag, and just want something that’s going to work for under $ 200. If you’re looking for just something that is going to play records and you don’t really care about sound quality or damaging your records then you really won’t appreciate this store. But if you’ve put enough money into your collection that you are thinking of upgrading to your first really good turntable, receiver, or speakers then this is hands down the place to go. The staff are knowledgeable and will take the time to show you what’s available and give you advice. Moreover they are stocked with pretty much every decent entry range turntable (new from $ 179 and up), and you don’t have to worry about shipping and handling increasing the cost or damaging your equipment.
Gold Sound also doesn’t do everything: it’s a specialty store for vintage hi-​fi and vinyl enthusiast. You won’t find any cheap or glitzy audio equipment, you won’t find home theatre equipment (from this millennia), and you won’t find anything to do with car stereos. But it does what it set out to do exceedingly well and you won’t find a place like it without looking very hard for one. Cheap turntables can be picked up from thrift stores and Urban Outfitters. Decent entry level turntables can also be purchased straight from many of Denver’s record stores, but you’ll hardly get the ambiance and expertise available at Gold Sound. And that’s what Gold Sound is all about: reintroducing people to an era of audio that was forgotten by all but collectors and audiophiles.

I have been to Gold Sound many times over the last year or so. I purchased a fine pair of AR2ax speakers there, even though I was familiar with the virtues of the vintage AR speaker, Ron took the time to review them with me while Eric hooked them up so I could give them a listen. I also purchased a phono cartridge there and Eric took the time to install the cartridge and adjust the turntable. This place is an audiophile’s wet dream. Lots to look at. As stated by others, avoid the Friday-​weekend hours as they get very busy guaranteeing your customer experience will be a disappointment.
That reminds me, I am looking for another pair of speakers…

I brought in my Yamaha P-​550 turntable, a couple of headshells, and a Denon DL-​110 cartridge to have them mount and align it. He even hooked it up to the big boy system afterwards to have a listen and make sure there was no distortion and it sounded right. I would recommend anybody to go to Gold Sound for anything audio related. Great ownership that can talk audio for hours. If you’re looking to get taken care of the second you walk in the door by somebody that doesn’t know anything other than what is written on the outside of the box, go to Best Buy. If you have some time and want to be taken care of by guys that know their stuff, go to Gold Sound.

Eric Watson gave me a good deal and really hooked me up in a pinch. I’ll definitely be back at Christmas time when I upgrade my system.

Gold Sound is top notch in service and knowledge. Eric and Ron are both experts in audiophile equipment from the oldest vintage to the newest technology. They go above and beyond by giving immediate customer service that would take weeks and hundreds of dollars at any other store of this type. if you need advice on getting something fixed or what to buy brand new this is your spot.

Awesome place, eric fixed my dual turntable and took the time to point out to me what i get at the different price points and we figured out a price that fit my budget and helped me get the best possible sound. im definitely sold on this place

So I’m going to start by saying that the service, if you’re not accustomed to the audiophile industry, will suck. You may not get a smiling face, fancy marketing, a glamorous receptionist at the door, or an eye-​popping showroom. And you may actually feel offended by the seemingly rude service. But as you look deeper, you’ll see that this is the place to be if you’re an audio enthusiast or audiophile. These guys speak in ohms, and for the uninitiated, I’m not referring to the sound made when meditating. These guys are audio geeks, and you need to get past the seemingly unnatural, compulsive, ADD-​like behavior of the staff/​ownership. They are passionate about what they do, and they know their stuff. Furthermore, they align your objectives and budget with the right products, never upselling.
If you want a good retail experience, go to a big box store, but be warned that you still might not get one. If you want good audio guidance and good audio gear at a very fair price, go see Ron or Eric at Gold Sound and be guaranteed to speak to someone that’s knowledgable, as quirky as the conversation might be.
Note 1: These guys get slammed on Friday afternoons/​evenings and on Saturday. Do yourself and them a favor by taking a couple of hours during the week to speak to them about your dream system. Reserve Fridays and Saturdays for the small stuff, like a new phono cartridge or one component (not two, not three, but one component).
Note 2: You can build an outstanding dream system for under $ 12k, one that will last you 20 – 30 years. You might get slightly better sound by spending more, but the returns are logarithmic. But don’t take my word for it. Speak to Gold Sound and do your own research. You might also find that paying more than 30 cents per foot for speaker wire makes you a sucker. ;)

It took me way to long to write this post given the outstanding customer service I received at this store.
If you are looking to get into vinyl and need a player, I could not more highly recommend at least referencing the folks at Gold Sound before you purchase.
It could have been considered information overload in regards to the sales tactics of the people that run the place, but I talk to people for a living and the gentleman I was dealing with was merely giving me all the information I needed to best help me make the right purchase for my audio needs.
I’m not saying these guys are the end all be all for your record player needs, but if you are interested in purchasing a new or used player, or fixing a vintage one — talk to these guys first!

Gold Sound has great equipment and knowledgeable personnel; however, if you have any issue with something you purchased there be prepared to be treated rudely and told they will not help you. Better to shop somewhere where the company stands behind what they sell.
I took this sub to another JBL dealer close by and they repaired it in a timely fashion, so sub is working well now.

This has to be one of the best/​strangest stores I have ever step foot in, and I feel compelled to back these guys up with a good review, and here’s why. There is a sub-​genre of stereo geek that is seeking a specific size tube for his/​her vintage amplifier that this place will have in stock for you. Why not order it online you ask? Because this sub-​genre of stereo geek needs immediate gratification so that he can listen to his new original issue, not re-​released mind you, rare Smiths single on his impeccably tuned hi-​fi system at home. Because these people exist, a place like Gold Sound is a necessity.
I was unfortunate enough to find myself accompanying my audiophile friend in his search for a pre-​amp one afternoon and we went into Gold Sound on the hunt. Let me be very clear that the folks that run this place are very nice and knowledgeable, but are a bit socially awkward, and not the best sales people/​customer service folks you will ever meet. They weren’t meant to be. They are there because they know everything there is to know about audio, stereo, mono, and beyond. They are the über-​geeks in a world of Best-​Buy Geek Squad-​geeks who think they know audio. Well sir, let me be the first to tell you, they don’t know squat. These folks DO. If you are looking for the used car salesman experience that will give you the extra slap and tickle, you won’t find it here, these guys are strictly business, and don’t be surprised if you get into a debate on why the model of receiver you are bringing in is worthless, and you need to upgrade to something worthy of mention.
We ended up not buying here, although we came in twice, and it was only because they didn’t have a model within our budget, which was somewhat low. Hopefully we will be able to save up and come back. All that said, these guys are really nice, they have a great store, and they are there to help you. Don’t be afraid to go in and ask them questions. Audiophiles love nothing more than talking shop with each other, and boy howdy can these guys talk. ;)

I went here to pickup a new turntable. I showed up as the owner was walking to his car and he opened the store back up to let me look around. Extremely helpful and knowledgeable staff. Stores like this are hard to find these days.

I would have to agree with some of the reviews below, but probably not as bad for me. I wasn’t treated as rude on the phone, however I did feel like I was an idiot for asking the questions I did. I still went to the store and I was pushed into much more expensive equipment then I wanted to buy so I left with nothing. Everything seemed a bit pricey for me as well but maybe I’m just out of tune… :)

First off, if you want run of the mill audio service, there are many box stores happy to sell you perfectly fine run of the mill stuff all over the metro area. Likewise, if you have a beat up turntable you want patched instead of just starting with a brand new one for $ 50, you might want to try elsewhere.
However, if like me, you have been building up savings toward a legitimate high fidelity sound system assembled from individual components, and you have a day to hang out and pick Eric’s brain, check out the sound on many different systems and then make a fairly sizeable purchase, I think this place is hard to beat. I spent about 6 hours here on a friday and was able to fully explore, cross reference on my phone, ask strategic questions, then piece together a system and test it out before acquiring.
I did not feel upsold in the slightest — on the contrary I feel like Eric went out of his way to work to identify my goals, my relative budget, my interests and point out some good deals. They don’t work on commission, so there is no incentive to give a bunch of faux service. These guys are obviously doing this for the passion, not the profit. Throughout my time in the store there was a steady trickle of regulars cruising the gear, testing out the new high end speakers and just checking in — an interesting community. Similarly, there was a steady trickle of people coming in that really misjudged this store and, I imagine, leaving disappointed.
Eric went way, way out of the way to help me meet a set of goals I have been incubating for over twenty years and as I sit here now two months later bathing in the soundwaves of this long deferred system of vintage components that work together seamlessly, I could not have asked for a better experience.
PS– even though the price tag is a bit steep, I recommend acquiring the Cambridge DAC Magic to fully and truly hear your CDs and digital music through an analogue system — it is like I have an entirely new music collection. Truly the best of both worlds. Who knows, maybe on my next promotion I may become a tube amp guy!

I LOVE Gold Sound… Eric is a great guy!.. very knowledgeable and fun to talk to about equipment… i recently bought a Onkyo integrated amp that had not yet been properly serviced and before I took it home Eric made sure he took care of it… Above and beyond in my opinion… also Al is very knowledgeable as well… If you are looking to buy some quality used equipment by a friendly knowledgeable staff then this is the place… toNy Martinez

These guys know their way around audio equipment. What’s the problem then? One word… Pretentious. I’ve visited Gold Sound on multiple occasions and perused their gear without incident. BUT, if you call and get the same guy on the phone that I’ve encountered several times… prepare to be frustrated.
It’s no coincidence that multiple reviews below mention rude behavior when calling the store. On more than one occasion I’ve called with a question about a piece of equipment they carry (that I fully intend to buy from them rather than get the info I need and buy online) or a repair I’d like to have done, and all I get from the employee (maybe owner? Eek! let’s hope not) is an earful about how my gear is garbage and I should replace it or that I am hopelessly ignorant about audio equipment and what I need. Maybe if you have thousands to spend on stereo equipment and take his word on everything then this guy will be kinder to you.
On first visit I thought «This place is awesome! I’ll gladly make more trips from Ft Collins.» After dealing with this unknown employee over the phone I wouldn’t go there if it were down the street. You can be the smartest jerk in the world… but that doesn’t make you any less of a jerk.

I’ve been going to Gold Sound for about 6 months now for my home audio needs. They had come highly recommended from one of the guys at a local record shop, and being a local, old-​school, brick-​and-​mortar audio shop, I was happy to support a Denver business.
About 4 – 5 months ago I bought a new system from Ron… turntable, solid-​state amplifier and a speaker set and was really blown away by his passion for the hobby. We spent a few hours over the course of 2 days talking audio, features, specs… with him showing me a range of equipment from entry level all the way up to flagship audiophile.
Just last week I brought by turntable in to troubleshoot a channel issue I was having, and after discovering the cartridge had to be replaced, even though it was covered under warranty I decided to upgrade to an Ortofon 2M Red… which is what prompted me to write this review.
Eric was more than helpful… spending a good deal of time discussing some possible solutions, checking over my TT fully for any other issues, and ultimately servicing the TT as well as install and align my new cartridge, all the while really ensuring that I was going to be happy with my decision. He went above and beyond what I was expecting, and even offered assistance on servicing my amplifier (replacing caps, cleaning pots, etc…)

Didn’t go into the store, but when I called to learn a little more about turntable repair the guy I spoke to was rude. He seemed uninterested in repairing my turntable (which is a very nice table, just old) and much more concerned with selling me a new one. When he finally asked me what was wrong with my record player I started off by saying «oh, you know…» and he immediately interrupted me by saying «no, I don’ know,» before I had a chance to explain the actual problem. What is that?
At the end of the call he just told me repairs cost $ 70 per hour and that getting an estimate has the same hourly rate.
These folks clearly have no interest in restoring classic equipment, they just want to push their products.
I will take my business elsewhere!

I had recently come across Gold Sound via a dealer locator for the Pro-​ject series of turntables; however, my budget didn’t allow for me to purchase the turntable of my near future today.
Instead, I was coming in to do some repairs to my cheap JC Penny turntable that was purchased for $ 1 and passed to me. First, I stupidly yanked my head-​shell off (which has a soldered open ground in this case). Second, I was concerned about the OEM cartridge and stylus from the 80’s touching any worthwhile vinyl.
Like some of the other reviewers, I was recommended to Eric for service whom I found very knowledgeable and honest regarding his advice on turntables in general; not just regarding mine in particular. He was very upfront about the fact that replacing my cartridge may cost in parts alone more than the turntable was worth (as I expected for any part in excess of $ 1).
I told him I was considering the Ortofon 2M Red, but he quickly identified that my head-​shell would not be compatible. He recommended one of the more cost-​efficient Grado cartridges and we agreed that a mid-​range solution would be plenty effective for the turntable.
There were a couple difficulties with my head-​shell in particular for reasons well explained; so we both went for lunch and came back (traffic in the store was much slower afterward). We talked a bit about some of my other equipment (by my mentioning) and some ideas I had about a future decently large investment into a proper audiophile turntable.
In the end, $ 111 after tax, a couple hours poking in and out of the store with some knowledgable conversation — I’ll be a repeat customer and am looking forward to launching a new hobby with knowledge from this experienced staff.
I’ll post back with my future experiences, and hopefully make them shorter. =P

Ok, I’ve read the negative reviews on this place, and I get it, but you have to know what you’re getting in to when you go in to a shop with 2 older gents who’ve been in the audiophile biz for 40+ years. I was shopping for a new turntable set up on craigslist and saw an add for this place, so I went it. First time in was quite, no one in there but Ron (owner) and some guy tinkering with electronics in the back. I let Ron know my budget and what I was thinking and he spent close to 2 hours educating me on turntables, needles, receivers, speakers, etc. After listening to some music on a few different set ups I was sold, and came back in a few days later to get my $ 900 set up (lower end, for most audiophiles). Ron even threw in a few free records for me, which was nice.
After a week at home with my new Marantz TT42, I wasn’t happy, the pitch was all over the place so I took it in. This time I mostly dealt with Eric, as Ron was in the back and the few times he popped his head out, seemed to be having a bad day. Eric plugged up my Marantz and we listened to a few records and talked about what we were hearing. I get it, if you’re going to be picky about sound, a $ 329 turntable probably isn’t going to do. After listening to multiple tables, with different cartridge/​needle/​platter combinations I decided I should have gone with the Pro-​Ject Debut Carbon in the first place. I hadn’t even brought my receipt in but Eric dug up their copy of my original purchase and easily switched out my Marantz for the Pro-​Ject.
So yes, this little «mom and pop» home stereo store is a bit musty, cluttered with old gear, and it’s employees might be a bit pretentious. But I’d rather have someone who really knows what they’re talking about and who’s passionate about music and sound sell me home stereo equipment. Both Ron and Eric, on separate occasions took the time to work with me and educate me.
I have a feeling those who’ve reviewed this place negatively aren’t good listeners. Go in, shut up, and learn something. It’s SO much nicer having a set up at home knowing I bought it locally instead of online, and I can go in for repairs, service, education, or just good olé’ geeky conversation any time.