Jerry Raskin’s Needle Doctor

I haven’t listened to my vinyl in a few years and am anxious to do so now. So I brought in my Kenwood turntable to have it checked over and get a new stylus. The guys showed me a few things that were wrong with it and suggested that it would not be worth it to have it repaired. The parts are obsolete and I’d probably have to pay $ 150 for a bench estimate. I believed them because while they were talking to me they clearly weren’t trying to sell me anything. They showed me a turntable that they thought I’d like and encouraged me to look around.
Later on I emailed them to ask the model number and they promptly replied. I priced the TT on Amazon, and Needle Doctor was offering it at the same price (that was unexpected) so I decided to buy it from them in case I had any problems down the road.
I stopped by the store on Saturday and was stunned to find they were closed. Their Facebook page said they were open on Saturday. I emailed them again and told them I went out of my way to drive over and was angry to see they were closed. On Monday morning, 5 minutes after the store opened the manager called me. He apologized and said they had switched to winter hours and he thought it had been changed on the FB page. For my inconvenience, he offered an upgrade at the same price. One of the other guys had replied to my email and also apologized.
Hey, mistakes happen. It’s the customer service follow up that really matters and these guys were golden. I went back in, made my purchase and left a happy customer. Five stars.

I went to Needle Dr today to purchase a replacement stylus for an older AT cartridge. They told me that they only had a generic replacement, part number PM2280DE, and told me it was 59.95. I was a bit shocked at the price, but went ahead and purchased it for a total of 64.31. After I left, I did a quick google search for the stylus sold to me, and saw it is commonly priced between 19.95 and 25.00, via EBay, Amazon, and Web HI-​FI dealers. I called and told them the price difference, they offered no match or apologies. This is basically a triple mark up price for a generic and common stylus. I felt duped to be perfectly honest. I have no issue paying a couple more bucks to support a local business, but this was an extreme price hike. Needless, or should I say NEEDLEless to say, I returned my purchase… Bums me out, as back in 1981 I had saved up all my hard earned 7^th grade money and bought my first receiver from them, when they were the legendary, Raskin’s Campus Audio… Times surely do change it seems.

Great service, even over mail order. Brad totally helped me out with what apparently was a defective Grado Green. (Well, I never!)

I’m a total vinyl novice. We bought an old portable turntable at a garage sale a couple weeks ago and the needle was completely shot. I also got my mom’s old turntable, which had no needle at all! I stopped into Needle Doctor after every single person I asked suggested it. I walked in and someone helped me right away. He asked me what I was looking for and I was obviously clueless. He helped me pick out the right needles and said that if they didn’t work I could just bring them back and they’d help me get something that worked.
I took the needles home, tried putting them on, and could NOT get the portable turntable to work. Back I went the next day! The same guy helped me, and remembered me, which was nice. It turns out that the first needle wasn’t quite right, so he spent a good 15 minutes going through needles and making absolutely sure I got the perfect one. Some were too quiet, some were just plain wrong, but we finally got one that worked!
Everyone at Needle Doctor was super friendly and helpful and not pretentious at all. I’m sure if you’re a record snob they can match your knowledge and passion, but they also know how to make a newbie feel comfortable. And now I have two working turntables! They do basically everything here, from little fixes like needles to huge restorations, and they also sell turntables. Needle Doctor is a one-​stop shop for all things turntables!

This is a review for their website/​phone service. I only WISH they had a branch in NYC!
I recently reclaimed my parents’ old turntable and realized that the needle likely hadn’t been replaced since they bought it… in 1983. I did a little research/​asked around but the different models of cartridges, needles, and so on was a little overwhelming.
I called the 800 number and spoke to Brian who set me up with exactly what I needed in about 15 seconds flat. He was also able and happy to give me a little more information about the difference between different kinds of needle and explain why I might want one or the other, which I appreciated because I recognized that I was probably asking very basic questions.
Unrelated to turntable paraphernalia, he also recommended that, since I live in Brooklyn, I check out the Minneapolis-​themed bar Lake Street in Greenpoint. I did and it’s great! And that is what I call great customer service. Thanks Brian!

Needle Doctor is the one and only place to go to buy high quality turntables, needles, and pre-​amps in the Twin Cities. Their staff is exceedingly knowledgeable and they have a great selection of stuff. They have a decent size showroom too. I bought a tube pre-​amp today. I bought it because I knew that if I didn’t like it for whatever reason, I could return it within 30 days for a full refund. Cool! I really appreciate that. Great store!
On the negative side, it took them ten minutes to acknowledge my existence when I arrived. Yes, they were busy, but they should have said «be right with you». Nope. Nothing. I loathe that. Once I got service, I was happy.

Superb experience. Had to make a return and the staff was extremely helpful and reasonable. Friendly service… I think some of the staff could be a bit more knowledgeable however. They will match prices too! Highly recommended.

Sales rep was extraordinarily helpful on multiple occasions. Promptly answered my questions, offered much-​needed advice in language that audio amateurs could understand, and patiently bore with my ignorance of the technical aspects of my record player. Prices also seemed reasonable, and shipping/​receipts/​tracking were all very straightforward.

Super fast response to my rookie turntable questions. Thanks guys.

If you are a turntable noob (or midlevel TT fetishist) then this is one place you can get sound advice. They will give you thoughtful recommendations on everything TT, even on something they don’t stock. Hard to beat that! Their prices are good. Now and then you find something cheaper online. But NeedleDoctor is the first place I go to assess my needs and obtain info. and ⁴⁄₅ times, to make a pocketbook-​friendly purchase.

Service I have received over the years from the Needle Doctor has been exceptional to say the least! Not only does product come promptly, packaged properly and safely, but invoices and charges are always correct as well — but most impressive is the EXTREMELY KNOWLEDGEABLE AND PERSONALIZED SERVICE that their staff offer! They take the time to answer every question and concern you have, and remember their frequent customers and what you have ordered in the past… they answer all your questions even if you aren’t placing an order with them right then… email or over the phone.
I don’t see how you could ask for any more from a business like theirs — absolutely upstanding! I will continue to be a faithful customer for years to come and would rather get guaranteed product and service than save a few dollars on a one time deal online any day!

In January, 2009 I purchased an amplifier from this retailer. Their website described it as a «demo» unit in «fantastic condition». They sold the unit to me at 50% of retail. Financially, this was a stretch purchase for me.
When the unit arrived, inside the box was paperwork that showed that, in fact, the unit had had a previous owner and had also made a trip to the repair shop. Imagine my disappointment!
The retailer expressed surprise at this «mistake» and promised to make things right. When I suggested a price adjustment to bring the unit’s price in line with what a used, repaired amplifier should sell for, the retailer ceased communications with me.
Bottom line, this retailer misrepresented (i.e., lied about) the condition of the unit, committed fraud by selling it as such, and may have committed an interstate felony by shipping it to me across state lines.
Buyer, beware.

This place is the empire of record player accessories, supplies and repairs. They must sell all over the midwest, because their website is extensive, and when I went there to get a new needle there were six people working, two of them cute vinyl-​loving boys. I just showed them my needle and they knew what I needed right away.
Later when I called to ask a question, the guy on the phone went into a long spiel about how to reduce gas usage by accelerating slower, ADD, and fast talkers. So helpful.

Very knowledgeable Turntable specialists. I like them a lot especially Brian he was very helpful and knew what he was talking about. :)
Not much for in store but they can order you almost anything.