The Hub: News, events, gossip - Sound by Singer to close


For the last quarter-century, there has been no high-end audio dealer in the world as well known as Andrew Singer, of Sound by Singer in Manhattan. From the junk-bond era through the last burst bubble of the markets, the megabuck systems sold by Andy Singer reflected not just the extremes and excesses of the high end, but of Wall Street itself.

On the 6th of August, Singer informed his vendors that "despite our best efforts, Sound by Singer has lost its lease and will be shutting down its showroom at 18 East 16th Street, New York, NY in mid-September." He did not state specifically that the company was going out of business, only that the company would "ponder our next move" after the completion of a clearance sale on August 21st.

Attorney Andrew Singer began his business more or less as a hobby in the late '70's, demoing systems in his mother's living room for a hardcore audiophile clientele. Singer left the practice of law in 1978 with the opening of the first Sound by Singer store on Lexington Avenue between 34th and 35th Street; his first employee was Steve Guttenberg, now well-known as an audio writer, reviewer and blogger.

From the '80's on, Singer's bearded visage became a common sight in full-page ads in audio magazines, most notably in Sterophile. Singer's advocacy contributed to the success of many brands, including Krell, JM Labs/Focal, and VTL. Perhaps more than any other well-known dealership, Sound by Singer was viewed as an extension of its owner, and that owner evoked strong reactions in those who knew him, and those who merely knew of him.

Singer's verbal facility, combative nature, intolerance of fools and imposing physical presence made him the subject of endless stories, some no doubt apocryphal. We may never know, for instance, if an amplifier really was shot full of holes following a dispute with its distributor.

The audiophile community is familiar with stories of Singer's alleged arrogance; the industry abounds with tales of hard-dealing and tough terms. Many who worked with and for Andy, though, are fiercely loyal.

"I think he was a great businessman," said Steve Guttenberg. "I was with him for sixteen or seventeen years, on and off, and always got along with him well.The thing most audiophiles don't realize is that retailing audio is hard work, and we worked hard there. The bulk of the time, I worked my ass off; every day was a race to get things done, and they just didn't all get done."

Guttenberg noted the changes in clientele that came as Sound by Singer grew from an audiophile hangout to a destination for the rich and famous: "in the early days, the customers really were exclusively audiophiles. In the last ten or fifteen years, I'm guessing three-fourths of the customers were rich people, not necessarily audiophiles."

John DeVore of DeVore Fidelity knew Andy Singer both as his boss and as one of his dealers. "I started in sales in '96, and worked there until about 2000, and tapered off as my company got up and running," DeVore said. "I always liked Andy, and still do. He was my biggest dealer, and when he called to tell me about the closing--well, that wasn't a conversation I wanted to have."

Strong opinions seem to follow most of Singer's actions, and they've followed the news of the closing of his store. Posts on an industry forum on CE Pro were less than kind; high-end legend and founder of The Absolute Sound Harry Pearson said the closing was "a fate richly earned and deserved."

What Andy Singer will do after the doors close for the last time at the familiar storefront on 16th Street, and he ponders his next move, remains to be seen. Some say that health issues and age mean retirement is likely; others speculate that Sound by Singer with adapt to the demands of the virtual marketplace and reappear as an online business. Efforts to talk with Singer have proven fruitless.

John DeVore offers a comment that will encourage some, and dismay others: "Hi-Fi is really in Andy's blood. I'd be surprised if he didn't come back."

Our next entry of The Hub will discuss still more changes in the world of audio retailing. In audio, as in the rest of the world, the only constant is change.


UPDATE

Sound By Singer has moved, and is not closed. Please see their new location here: SOUND BY SINGER,LTD. 242 WEST 27 STREET,SECOND FLOOR NEW YORK, NEW YORK 10001
audiogon_bill
I'm with Daveyf, every person is a perspective buyer.

Attitude has no business when someone is shelling out their cash, whether hard-earned, or given.

It takes years to establish a good reputation and less than a minute to lose it, there are other dealers.

Probably a good idea to live in a gated community with a security system for restful sleep.
Rule #1: View every person who walks in the door as a potential customer.

SBS did not follow rule #1. Even in NY city, this rule still applies!

Go to Goodwin's. I believe they really love audio there. I always felt they did everything possible to make my visit very positive.
I know Andy, I like Andy and I respect Andy.

If you were to look at the number of audio writers, importers and manufacturers who have worked with and for Andy (some for several years) you would find that, singularly, amazing.

Andy had a huge investment in audio product and expertise. The number of sales staff and support staff was at the very least double of any other North American audio store. I spent time with he and his wife and many of his customers (customers that could actually afford and did actually purchase audio products - what a thought) they also adored him for his customer service and attention to detail. His persona, to the public, was partially self-manufactured and believe me when I say that it was a good thing.

Andy was and is a businessman who made a huge investment in a city with the highest costs and survived through the toughest of times in the worst of markets and the most difficult of consumers. I know of no importer or audio maker that, in times good and bad, would not have begged to have been available in his store (and I did see one speaker maker beg, literally beg, to be there it wasn't pretty.)

He will always be Andy. I respect Andy.
as long as you're the exclusive purveyor of a desirable product, there's nothing intrinsically wrong or irrational with a no-discount/no-haggling policy. lexus and range rover built their brands this way (although they too have sucumbed to economic times and softened their pricing policies). however, to succeed with this approach, a retailier needs to be fanatical about customer care and service--look at lexus's consistently top rankings for buying experience. in audio, i firmly believe there will always be a place for fancy, full-price bricks and mortar stores--there's still a lot of moneyed people who prefer to shop that way--but i trust that these retailiers have never had to work harder and smarter to survive.
"however, to succeed with this approach, a retailier needs to be fanatical about customer care and service"

Bingo!