When the people behind record stores and hi-fi shops leave work at the end of the day, what kinds of hi-fi systems are they going home to? And what music are they playing? That’s exactly what we set out to uncover in Hi-Fi at Home.
Javi Velazquez is the owner of HiFi Records & Café, a record shop located in the Queens neighborhood of Astoria in New York City. It opened just a few years ago, in 2015, and offers customers a unique experience; while browsing the 500-square-foot shop that’s home to over 20,000 new and used records, they can grab a coffee (Nicoletti Coffee, to be specific) at the little cafe located in the back of the shop.
“My current system has been with me since the late ’80s, early ’90s and has been pretty much unchanged, besides some re-capping of the amp and a new turntable which I upgraded to about a year ago,” explained Velazquez. “I love its musicality and how it manages to get out of the way and lets me connect with my music in an emotional way. I’m not into huge speakers or equipment that overpowers a room and makes it all about the hi-fi. Don’t get me wrong I enjoy them at the shop or at an audio show; but when I come home, I want [it] to be a space where the music takes center stage.”
Speakers: Shahinian Super Elf
Year: late 80s, early 90s
Price: Learn More (Dejavu Audio, Shahinian Acoustics)
“Dick Shahinian was an excellent engineer, a true music lover and loudspeaker designer in a class all to his own. His designs were unconventional and rarely crowd-pleasers, but no one could ever deny that he built his loudspeakers for music lovers. My pair of his diminutive Super Elfs still play a lovely, pure sound which is great in reproducing natural instruments and highly refined. They are still fun to listen to after more than 30 years. I remember saying “I will keep them forever” when I first purchased them. Well, they say “the taste of the pudding is in the eating”, and here we are at the dinner table. Maybe one day, when I have more space I’ll buy another Shahinian speaker.”
