Get your ears in Tune at Belltown's audio boutique

The big stack of vinyl records that Connon Price keeps at Tune - Hi-Fi for Humans isn't just for show. While the owner of the Belltown audio boutique likes CD players and iPods (and owns both), they simply deliver music, and he believes that there is something to be said for the ritual of pulling a record out of its sleeve, putting it on the turntable and soaking up its deep, warm sound. Surely, there must be a word for it.

"We want to put the humanity back into hi-fi," says the affable, soft-spoken Price. "Music needs to be tuneful." Meaning: You need to feel it. "Otherwise it's just sound," says Price.

In this era of five-channel surround and the-louder-the-better, Price wants you to place your trust in your ears. He wants you to feel the music as opposed to the vibrations in the walls and floorboards. On that order, Tune will do something few other stereo dealers will do: They'll bring the equipment to your home to test it out.

There are dozens of variables to be accounted for -- the size of the room, the strength of the electrical current in your home and even the condition of your own ears -- and these things are kind of tough to establish in a demonstration room. "Even people with hearing damage can hear the difference between good sound and bad," says Price.

There's no hard sell. Price conversationally leads you into a discussion of your needs, at your own pace. What kind of music do you enjoy? Seen any good concerts lately? Where do you enjoy listening to music? If you've got firm ideas about what brands of equipment you've absolutely got to have, he gently suggests stronger alternatives.

All of this happens well before you get to the equipment. If ever you've experienced the noisy hell that is purchasing stereo equipment from a big-box retailer, Tune's engaging, no-pressure approach will be sweet music to your nerves. And if your ears would like to ask questions of the equipment itself, there's a tempting stack of LPs in the corner to help answer them.

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