Best Chicago area HIFI shop?

ProMusica is indeed a Linn/Naim shop. But the gear they sold me and advised me to get has, almost without exception, given me great pleasure and satisfaction. And they have been very good to me over the years, despite the fact that I have abused their customer service by calling for advice, help, attention long after I moved away from the Chicogo area and stopped actually giving them business. And I never gave them much, as I was a grad student while there. They have nevertheless been patient, helpful, and accomodating at every turn. Give 'em a shot.

Richard

Holm is very good but beware they are about 1 hour southeast of Chicago

Pro Musica has been around forever and are indeed downtown Chicago

enjoy

Promusica is ok however they are BIG on Naim audio components, too big actually. They play down other good brands such as Rega, Cambridge, Tube gear etc etc etc however they swear that solid state is far better sounding than tubes, I beg to differ with them even though I auditioned some of their speakers.

Van L Speakerworks
Holms audio
decibel audio
saturday audio exchange

and finally a good search on the web! Good luck

Essential Audio -- the owner, Brian Walsh, is definitely one of the "good guys" in the business. By appointment.
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"Promusica is ok however they are BIG on Naim audio components, too big actually. They play down other good brands such as Rega, Cambridge, Tube gear etc etc etc"

I'm not surprised that they would play up Naim over Rega and Cambridge. Naim had best sound a lot better given that you can buy an entire top of the line Rega system for less than the cost of some of Naim's power supplies alone. For what it is worth I really like Rega, but it occupies an entirely different segment of the market then Naim.