Axiom Home Page Forums General Discussion Technical Questions Hello, new Axiom owner with a question

Best Buy acquired Magnolia a while back. It is not the same any more.

My experience was at a Best Buy: Magnolia store.

So Magnolia existed as a stand-alone store before Best Buy? I thought it was just something the Best Buy marketing-drones invented. Learn something new every day!

Oh, yeah, Peter. It was glorious.

Magnolia Hi-Fi was started in 1954 in Seattle by Len Tweten. They operated in the Puget Sound area (and other areas like PDX, Spokane, etc.) for years as an independent, family-owned business. Great stores, with smart people and an actual in-house service department. The kind of place where you could build relationships. Yet, they had enough scale to be competitive price-wise.

It seems there are no more Hi-Fi shops (I've always liked the term "hi-fi" so much better than the more modern variants). Now, there are only big box stores, internet-direct, or boutiques. Pity. I liked the passion of those people. I guess part of my affinity for the Axiom boards is the ongoing inability to make new friends around this topic locally.

Here in Portland we still have Fred's Sound of Music and a couple others. Magnolia was a great place "back in the day."

I could be wrong, but I don't think Best Buy bought out Magnolia. I think they've agreed to have a "store within a store" deal at some Best Buy locations. Here in my area we've got a Best Buy with a Magnolia in it, as well as a stand alone Magnolia store.

Craig, I know they are still operating in both "formats", but according to the Magnolia website...

Quote:

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In December 2000, Magnolia Audio Video was acquired by Best Buy as an independently operated, wholly-owned subsidiary.

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Mark, I like the look of Fred's. I'm going there next time I'm in the Rose City. Come to think of it, I could use a beer, er, Road Trip about now.

Ah...nice place to demo stuff. Easy to find better prices elsewhere though.

PDXGuy, have you called Axiom yet ? They seem to have more influence with the shippers than we do. I would call them as early as possible.

'e said 'e was talking to Axiom, dinnit 'e?

I went to Fred's Sound of Music a while ago to listen to the Anthony Gallo Reference 3s. It was a fun trip.