Frequently Asked Questions
How does buying a console work?
We have a selection of consoles to chose from both in our Vintage Source showroom as well as Vintage Source’s on-site storage room. We can also work on your own console if that’s the case.
- Pick a console you love (provide your own or let us know what you’re looking for).
- We’ll take a 50% deposit, with the remaining balance due upon completion, before we schedule your delivery. Prices do vary, since every console is a unique piece of functional art.
- Vintage Source’s restoration & repair shop gets to work on your console as Acvstica Audio plans componentry and starts building your custom amplifier using the control panel in your console.
- Upgrades are offered if and when they present themselves (this may include additional inputs, components, such as a CD player or Sonos integration), line-outputs or stylus options for your turntable.
- Once your console is nearing completion, your home network information is requested to code it into the consoles firmware (don’t worry, this can be changed in the future easily). If you’d rather not share this information, that’s okay also. We can guide you into configurating your console once we deliver it.
- An instructional video is created, showcasing the basic operations and how-tos of your particular console.
- A delivery is scheduled and the remaining balance is collected.
- You receive your Acvstica Audio console and enjoy actually listening to music again.
Vintage Source takes cash, checks, credit or debit cards, as well as Venmo. There is financing offered through Affirm. The whole process can take up to 4 months, averaging 6 to 10 weeks.
Not interested in the wait? Check out our sister company, Relikcs Furniture, which has built a stereo console from scratch to be mass produced.
How much do Acvstica Audio consoles sell for?
That’s a tough question, and due to the fact that each console is developed independently of the others, each unit is different.
We take pride in making the best possible decisions on how to refinish each of our consoles and what components to use. There isn’t a one-size-fits-all formula here. You are getting a bespoke piece of functional furniture that will provide great joy for many years.
However, we understand the importance of knowing what it is you’re getting into, so we can safely say, our consoles sell between $6,500 and $10,500. All new equipment/electronics come with a one year warranty and we carry replacement parts for your console that may need replacing.
What kind of payments do you take?
Our retailer, Vintage Source, takes cash, checks, credit or debit cards, as well as Venmo. There is financing offered through Affirm.
Is there any warranty?
All of the new electronics as well as the labor have a full one year limited warranty for manufacturing defects and normal use directly with us. Consider if you’re an out of state owner, there may be travelling costs associated to your warranty claim.
Is shipping available?
We can arrange shipping to all continental US at the buyers expense. Costs to ship to any of the 48 contiguous states (excluding Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico and any and all other U.S. territories) are estimated between $400 and $800.
I already own a stereo console, can it be retro-engineered?
Short answer: Yes!
Long answer: Also yes! Not all stereo consoles are restorable, so this requires a conversation to be had, we’ll have to make sure there’s no structural damage to the cabinet and other considerations. As well as make sure we understand what your expectations for the unit are. Our objective is always to create a one-of-a-kind heirloom stereo console.
What record player do you use?
Each console is unique, and thus, is treated and built differently. Most consoles have very limited physical space for the turntable therefore we can’t fit in any modern turntable in. This means we build our own. Each console we develop is analyzed thoroughly in order for us to pick the best turntable for the available space, always maintaining our high quality and fidelity standards.
We look to use turntables with adjustable tracking force, removable/replaceable cartridge, upgradeable stylus, low noise motor and low mass tonearm. Adjustable anti-skate is a good-to-have if the space and format allows for it.
The manufacturers we typically buy the parts (tonearm, spindle and platter, motor and pulley, belt, speed control, etc…) include Pro-Ject, Elac and U-Turn to name a few.
What speakers do you use?
The same restrictions as those to the record players exist in that there is usually a space limitation. Each console has it’s own space designed to house speakers, we analyze this space to make proper decisions as to what speakers to put in. Often times we end up testing multiple sets until we find the best sounding speaker for that particular console.
We are known to use speakers from Monoprice, JBL, Martin Logan, KEF, OSD Audio, Sonance, Polk Audio, Elac and more.
What about the amplifier?
You may have noticed a pattern here. Each console is unique.
But our standard amplification and preamplifier stack include a Solid State 100-watt amplifier with our own custom-tuned DSP to match the console and its speakers.
Some of our higher-end builds have included a Bang & Olufsen ICEPower 300-watt set of monoblock amplifiers, for which we also recommend upgrading speakers to match.
What about the control panel?
One of the most important aspects to our approach is the ability for the end user to interface with the original control panel in the console. There is just nothing like those big, often loud, buttons and switches found in these consoles today. So, whenever possible, we’ll repurpose the original knobs and switches to perform their respective tasks. Volume (often labeled “loudness”) will still control your consoles’ volume output, the on/off switch will still do that, more often than not, the “function” knob will control the new turntable and it’s speed, and so on.
You also get a remote control with most of our consoles. It won’t help skipping tracks on a record, but it will come in handy if streaming from Spotify or controlling volume from across the room.
What feature set does the standard console have?
Our standard console has the following built-in features:
- WiFi
- Spotify Connect.
- Apple Airplay.
- Amazon Music, Pandora, Deezer, Tidal, Tune-In Radio and many more services.
- WiFi connectivity also allows for multiple devices to be grouped and play in sync for a whole-home listening experience.
- Bluetooth 5.0
- While Wi-Fi provides a more seamless use and audio quality, bluetooth remains a convenient, quick and easy way to play music on your console.
- Record Player
- Optical-Input
- TV-Ready toslink connector usually in the back of the console.
- CD players and most gaming consoles are also fully compatible.
- Remote Control
- Most of our consoles include a remote control.
- EQ
- A basic treble and bass control are available both from the remote control and a third-party app.
- Other optional upgrades may include:
- Sonos integration.
- Wiim integration.
- An additional line-input or Aux-In for expandability.
- Line-out for a subwoofer.
- USB-A for playing MP3s in a memory stick.
- Upgrade to a higher-output amplifier unit (we usually suggest upgrading speakers as well).
What other components can you use?
The possibilities are truly endless. We’ve incorporated wireless phone chargers into our consoles, CD players, Sonos, tape decks, 8-track players, or Amazon Alexa / Google Home.
If you can think of a component you’d like to incorporate, odds are, we can. So far, there’s been nothing we can’t figure out a way to incorporate into a console. The possibilities are endless and your vision is something we aim to bring to life.
Can you use my own turntable/amp/speakers?
We typically need to build a turntable into a custom plinth, which means if you wanted us to use your own, this would require us fully disassembling your record player and putting it back together in our own plinth. Due to the inherent risks involved here, we would say no. The same goes for the speakers. As far as the amplifier goes, our custom amplifier has our pre-amp and all the feature set built-in so we would also say no to that one. We can, however, offer an upgraded amplifier.
What other components can you use?
The possibilities are truly endless. We’ve incorporated wireless phone chargers into our consoles, CD players, Sonos, tape decks, 8-track players, or Amazon Alexa / Google Home.
If you can think of a component you’d like to incorporate, odds are, we can. So far, there’s been nothing we can’t figure out a way to incorporate into a console. The possibilities are endless and your vision is something we aim to bring to life.
Our higher-end pieces have been upgraded to a Bang & Olufsen ICEPower 300-watt set of monoblock amplifiers, for which we also recommend upgrading speakers to match.
Where are you located?
We’re located inside the Vintage Source facilities in the West Bottoms neighborhood in Kansas City. Come say hello!
Let’s talk! Visit Vintage Source in Kansas City.
Do you do house visits?
We can. We can do custom in-home tunning for Acvstica and Relikcs Furniture console owners, as well as whole home audio integration in some cases.
Each of our consoles is unique and can take several months to complete. We take the time required to do it right, to an exquisitely high standard. From the expert restoration and refinishing work at Vintage Source to restoring knobs and switches to repurpose to perform their modern-day equivalent and ensure the magic of tactility is not lost and used to control the consoles basic functionality.
If you’re interested in getting your own, feel free to contact us, or visit us at Vintage Source and ask for our available consoles for retro-engineering.
Any more questions you may have feel free to call us at (913) 243 5913 or visit our shop at Vintage Source where we’re always happy to talk audio and show you around.