World of Sound & Video

Great service and support and an excellent Mcintosh/​Bower & Wilkins dealer. I always work with Allen who knowledgeable and keeps me informed on the status of my orders. I also appreciate the fact that they take trade-​in gear on the purchase of new equipment. Iin my experience this is a rare service and their trade-​in offers are fair. An overall excellent high-​end audio store that keeps me coming back which in my case is a 250 mile roundtrip. Totally worth it.

Alan is a gem! He walked me through problem solving my crackling stereo in a language a novice could understand, made recommendations and I am thrilled with the new sound from my system! This took place with several calls over a few hours. Wow! THAT is what I call service! Solid knowledge and friendly helpful service! Top end equipment, but worth every nickel I spent! Highly recommended.

I have not been in their Marin store for a few years since I no longer live in Marin, but they do carry the pinnacle of high end audio components and stay in business because of their really outstanding customer service ethic. I was in desperate need of a replacement remote control for one of their MHT-​100 home theater controllers which had been discontinued some years back. When I called them to see if they could locate one for me, their enthusiasm to help me came as quite a surprise. With other McIntosh dealers in the area not so keen to help me because it would not be a big ticket item for them, World of sound not only located one direct from the manufacturer, they got it shipped next day air for me. In today’s world of people always wanting to do less for more, the attitude of World of Sound is quite the opposite. They know that good service and just plain getting it done goes a long way to creating a lasting impression on those that will comeback when they need new gear.
So I am writing this because too often now people are prone to write reviews to criticize or say when something makes them unhappy. Most people can’t bother to share their positive experiences with other potential customers of World of Sound in Mill Valley but they should. Main reason is it helps keeps World of Sound in business and I am grateful because they were there for me and good service, especially from a high end audio stores is not the norm today and is something all should experience.
I hope this will help other people looking for a good store with good products and good employees to stop by and have a look.

I came to here with a mid-​century turntable problem. They quickly diagnosed the issue and Peter their technician was able to source a replacement needle within a week. I’ll definitely be coming back for more advice and audio purchases.

They seem to have a lot of great equipment, but I went in to buy a $ 500 pair of headphones and got a lot of angry attitude from the person «helping» me. I guess they must be growing like crazy, as they have the luxury of offending new customers.

Very refreshing indeed!
Peter was very professional and super easy to deal with. He offered me competitive pricing and all time frame commitments met or exceeded.
Juan and Chris did an amazing job installing and programming several components in reference grade A/​V system, including a Samsung 4K UHD TV. They worked very cleanly (important to me) and left my home as clean as it was before they arrived.
Chris and Juan have been at World of Sound over 15 and 16 years respectively. VERY impressive and hard to find these days.
World of Sound met and exceeded all of my expectations… THANK YOU

This business is only concerned with sales. VERY slow on repairs and they do not want to work on other AV gear unless you purchased it there. I’m sure they are great if you buy their overpriced home theatre products.

These are the pros in a world of amateur retailers. They offer high quality products, detailed knowledge and expertise, and professional installation and ongoing support. It’s rare to find a store like this in today’s age of big box retailers. The prices are identical as well making the decision even easier given their subject matter expertise.
We purchased in-​wall and ceiling surround sound equipment including a new receiver, a media cabinet and ceiling speakers for additional rooms. The staff is incredibly knowledgable about system requirements as they not only offer expertise about the audio specs but also the presentation and aesthetics of the setup and installation.
The installation service is a first class operation unlike Geek Squad-​type services offered in the market. The team mounted the TV and media cabinet, installed ceiling and in-​wall speakers throughout the house and backyard and programmed and configured all of the media equipment for seamless ease of use. The team showed up on time as scheduled, worked efficiently and cleanup up prior to leaving. The service was as professional as it gets.
After the installation we decided to swap the center speaker for another model. There was no hassle with the exchange at all. The store is also special ordering some minor components to improve the usability of the system.
The breadth and depth of their knowledge comes out in any question or conversation. I’d give an unconditional recommendation to work with them.

Really wonderful store with good people.
I have been to many audio video stores over the years, World of Sound is top notch. With their many years of experience it’s a world of difference between these guys and a big box store.
You pay the same price as BestBuy, but you get service and support from people who:
1. Are over 18 years old
2. Speak English
3. Have been selling and servicing audio video for like 30 years
4. Are very clever and know what works and what doesn’t
Do yourself a favor. Take a look. Also a great place to lust after some nicer audio gear, if that’s your fancy!

I have used World of Sound in the past many times and have been very happy to pay the high prices because of Paul who installs the equipment. Today, the sales person hung up on me because I question the cost of $ 250.00 to Program a universal remote that would take them 30 minutes. This was in addition to $ 299.00 I was paying to replace a remote that they sold me and installed. When I called back to speak to the owner he was not concerned with the action of the sales person nor concerned that I was a recurring customer. I would highly recommend Paul but not World of Sound.

I’ve had highly efficient phone call and in-​home service from these guys. I just tell them what I want and they make it work. Fortunately, in our plug/​play world with a nationwide Squad of Geeks auto-​avoiding appointments someone still takes the phone call, drives over, and can make the wires work. I believe local has a future.

World of Sound’s owner may sell top-​of-​the-​line equipment but he apparently has a penchant for insulting his customers and has nearly zero customer service skills. Historically I have been a long-​time customer of theirs and recently I purchased a mid-​range receiver/​amp from one of their sales people. During the installation I ran into several complications, some of which I was able to work past and one challenge that stopped me dead in my tracks. Now it is important to note that I am fairly comfortable around technology as I’ve been in the tech sector for 20 years and have installed virtually 100% of my video equipment, a complete whole-​house audio system, and a heavily customized home automation system that I can control from virtually anywhere at any time.
I reached out to the manufacturer to discuss the issue and they were unfortunately closed for the day so I thought I would call the folks back at World of Sound and see if they had any ideas. After explaining at length my problems, and expressing some modest frustration toward the unit’s manufacturer (not World of Sound), I proceeded to enter into an abyss of miss-​managed phone hand-​offs, condescending remarks, and a final crescendo of a completely senseless and inexplicable customer insult. Peter, the owner accused me of screaming at his technician which, patently false as I did no such thing. I immediately called him on the insult and said that I would be returning the product immediately and wanted my money back. I never swear at people in the services industry, nor do I scream, however after having to explain my problem to three separate people within the span of 3 minutes I was absolutely frustrated and there is no doubt that the frustration was evident in my voice. Having said this I submit that if someone in the customer service and sales industry is ill-​equipped to handle a dissatisfied customer — (particularly when the customer clearly indicated the source of frustration was with the product not the company selling it), they should not be in that line of work. Peter was rude, insulting, and condescending both on the phone and in person. When I returned the item I let him know that I felt his gross exaggeration and insults to me on the phone were in appropriate. His response? Hold up the installation CD, insult my intelligence some more and tell me that he doesn’t want the business of someone who could not follow simple instructions packaged on the afore mentioned CD. Unbelievable. And completely unfounded since the CD did not cover the problem I was having in the slightest.
I frankly hope that Peter goes bankrupt with that kind of customer service. After sharing my story with several others I have since found that he has quite a reputation in Marin for treating people like this. He may sell great equipment, but there are other places in the world where I can buy McIntosh, Marantz and B&W stereo equipment. You’re not the only game in town World of Sound, but with a little luck maybe someone else will be when you go out of business. My suggestion, take some classes in customer relations and conflict resolution. Not only have you lost my business, but you’ve made it so I will gladly advocate against anyone setting foot in your store.

We hired World of Sound as consultants to recommend the best AV system for us as we remodeled our house and rewired it in 2007 – 8. They charged us top dollar but weren’t as up on the latest technology trends as they should have been to justify the high prices.
In 2007 (when the walls were open) they installed analog AV wiring without putting in HDMI cabling, then sold us a TV in 2008 that does not have an HDMI jack. When I went to install Apple TV shortly after that, I realized I could not do so without buying a converter, so they charged another $ 300 to install a converter so that I could plug in the Apple TV. When I complained that I expected them to have installed the latest and greatest in 2007 – 8, so that I didn’t need to spend more money for this converter, they stated that «HDMI didn’t exist in 2007.» However, we bought a TV for another house earlier in 2007, off the shelf from Best Buy, that had HDMI – so I know from my own experience that HDMI was available then.
I would have expected these guys to be up on emerging trends and recommend the configuration with the best performance and greatest flexibility for the future, but they weren’t.
I could have forgiven their oversight in omitting the HDMI cable if they had apologized and offered us the HDMI converter as compensation, but I was offended at being told something factually incorrect (that HDMI did not exist in 2007), either in a deliberate attempt to mislead me with a false excuse, or out of ignorance in the very area they are supposed to be experts.

Absolutely top flight audio and video. Not that I am concerned with Video, but as a passionate audio person, this place is awesome. The service is top notch. The prices maybe higher than normal, but this is the cost of such perfection. I would rather spend a bit more to use a small high end shop such as this. The staff is extremely knowledgeable and very helpful. You can bring your own vinyl in and give it a spin on some epic equipement!

The reason I spend money here is because I don’t want to see this type of store disappear. They specialize in high-​end audio equipment but they don’t cop an attitude like some stores. They are very knowledgable, friendly and know how to listen and respond appropriately without pushing to make a sale right away. They clearly enjoy their craft and like talking all aspects of equipment and music. Big box stores serve a purpose that is quite different from what you get from a place like World of Sound. Talk with Peter sometime. I think he’s the owner. If he’s not, he acts like he is in the pride he shows in the store. They don’t talk down to anyone no matter how simplistic the question might be. It’s refreshing to deal with them and you’ll enjoy the experience and feel like your hard earned money has been well spent.

First off, I’m neither an audiophile nor home theatre zombi. We’ve got two kids under 4 and our home theatre needs seem to consist of animated films for now. That being said, I’ve bought two systems for separate rooms here at different times. The staff are knowledgeable, and while they sell mostly high-​end gear, they have products and systems that fit most budgets. You’ll pay less on the internet through grey market shops, but you won’t get the service or the now how that comes with World of Sound. We need shops like these in the local area. Take pride in their careers and love what they do.

I took my 1970’s McIntosh here for service. According to the McIntosh website, this was the closest authorized service center to my house.
Turnaround was about two weeks. I was pleased with the work done, as well as the detailed explanation given to me on what my options were for servicing the amp.
Their showroom was very impressive. KEF, Monitor Audio, McIntosh… an audiophile’s heaven.

Have purchased only a few NAD components from them, but the service is always good and the product lines they have are topnotch. When I say the service is good, I mean they know when to leave you alone and let you check out the equipment without the skeezy sales talk. They know when a customer is there for a reason, and that I can find them when I need something. Though they are one of the more high end audio shops in Marin, the staff doesn’t come off as being pretentious or snooty. if I had more play money, I would be more than happy to shop there more often.

Everyone at World of Sound were amazingly friendly. A very knowledgeable crew, great selection of speakers. I went in knowing what I wanted. So as I looked around I told them what I was looking for. They showed me around to other options. There was no pressure into a buy. Which made me really happy. So if you are in ever need of high quality speakers. Give World of Sound a try.

I am writing this review because there are becoming less and less full service audio and video stores that are being replaced by airhead-​big-​box stores like Best Buy. Sorry Best Buy, no offence, but you are what you are. «World Of Sound» located in Strawberry Village in Mill Valley is just that kind of store where the people know what they are talking about, older folks, committed to their craft, know what the hell they are talking about, and just have it together. They only sell specialized high end equipment and as I said, they know what they are talking about. They are the geeks of sound and video. I love them. I went in and purchased a NAD stereo system with British speakers «Monitor Audio» and a dock for my iPod. My God does this system sound real. Hugh stage experience. Clear separate mid tones, highs, and resonating bass. They make their own cables for particular systems and service is what they specialize in, and they actually know what they are talking about in nines.
If you are to go there, it’s just off the freeway, (HWY101) in Strawberry which is an actual town, but is incorporated into Mill Valley, you will find the best of the best and people who give a damn.
I mean they sell «McIntosh» amplifiers, (not the computers, though they are good too), and you can’t get better than that can you now?
I would give them a 6 if there were one