Audio Lab

I don’t like to write bad reviews. But in this case, it warrants one. I had purchased an used turntable that Tom listed on Audiogon back in July 2014 for $ 3,750. He is the authorized dealer in Honolulu. After a few communications, I sent my payment via PayPal. But a month had gone by and I had not received the item nor communication from Tom. I contacted PayPal to hold payment as well as Audiogon to initiate an inquiry. That was when Tom finally responded and promised he would ship me the item right away. It took him another month and 3 separate shipments before I finally got MOST parts of the turntable. It turned out the motor was not working properly, and I was missing a belt. Tom promised to send me a new motor plus belt, and he would throw in an arm board that I was considering purchasing for all the troubles. At that time, we spoke on the phone, and Tom promised the item would arrive in 2 weeks. He asked me to release the payment and I complied on good faith. Well, it’s been 8 months. I get the usual ‘2-​weeks” answer whenever I called or e-​mailed and Tom actually decided to pick up the phone or reply to my emails.
I’ve documented every exchange on Audiogon. Unfortunately, I just checked there, and Audiogon has conveniently «deleted» the transaction completely. Fortunately, I have documented the entire transaction with PayPal, BBB (Honolulu), as well as file a complaint with the Consumer Protection Agency of Hawaii. You can request to see the documentation with either entity.
The last communication I had received was an email dated 1÷22÷15, in which Tom stated that his distributor had just received these items and will be shipping them out to me within two days. I know for fact that the distributor had these items since September or October last year and they’ve been waiting for Tom to make payment to «claim them». I’ve spoken to the distributor a few times regarding this matter as well.
I’ve exhausted all my avenues to try to get Tom to finalize this transaction to no avail. I’ve since got the power supply (controlling the motor) fixed on my own dime and told Tom that I would only require him to send me the belt and the arm board and call it a day. But he has not replied. Short of filing a suit at the small claims court, I am posting this here as a warning to others before dealing with this outfit. You might think dealing with a brick-​and-​mortar store is safer than internet transactions. But beware…

Been purchasing various audio equipment from Tom for many years now and he is extremely knowledgeable and passionate about high end audio. His storefront has multiple listening rooms all equipped with the latest audio/​video equipment which is very impressive considering this is a small local business. On occasion, he is difficult to get a hold of but I believe it’s because he is basically a one-​man shop and dedicates his time to the customer in front of him. Tom repaired one of my speakers within a few days so I haven’t had an issue with that part of his business. With regards to purchasing, since this is all high-​end equipment, I found it is much easier and quicker to just purchase the items he has in inventory or on display.

He set up our system and there is no follow up. Finally got someone back to house and they hooked up the wrong cable box. He is unreliable. Schedules appointments and then no shows. This happened twice so far. His phone has an answering machine but will not take a message. He never answers his phone.
Would never recommend this guy at all.

I’ve passed by this business many times over the years, when it was located at it’s former location on Ala Moana Blvd (across the Gold Bond Bldg), only once stopping inside. As far as I remember, I’ve always thought of the place as an audio/​visual installation company until one day through a chance meeting with the store owner’s classmate; he recommended that I check-​out «Audio Lab». When I did, boy was I in for a surprise! It was no installation company!
The store is owned by Tom Choy, who is a very intelligible and helpful when assisting in making decisions regarding HiFi equipment. This place has it all, from the affordable to the outlandishly expensive. If you have the time, Tom is more than willing to demo any one of the equipment for sale.
Note: The location of the store has moved to a little strip-​mall just off of Ward Ave.
If you’re in the market for a new home stereo (including A/​V) or just wanted to see some of the best that money can buy, check this place out!
Highly recommended!

The previous review is spot on. Tom is, indeed, knowledgeable, patient, and will let you sit and listen to gear as long as you want. For purchasing, this is a good store (and, admittedly, the only high-​end store around).
When it come to repairs, however, that is a different matter. I dropped off an expensive CD player for repairs in May 2009. It is now almost June 2010 and it still is not fixed. I have called repeatedly. Tom rarely returns calls. If I am lucky enough to talk to him about the problem, he promises to call back the next day with an update, but has never done so. I have refrained from filing a report with the Better Business Bureau, but am about to do that.

When you pass all the car dealerships on Ala Moana Boulevard, you wouldn’t know that there’s a high-​end audio store nestled between them. But in a generic building near the now-​bankrupt CompUSA is Audio Lab Hawaii. While Audio Directions Ltd. is purely Stewart Ono’s personality, Audio Lab is closer to how the mainland high-​end audio stores are set up.
Owner Tom Choy carries lots and lots of brands. He has always been patient and friendly. The good thing is, he always gives you plenty of time to audition stuff. The store is dark, and when you escape from the outdoor’s oppressive heat, that darkness indoors sometimes puts you to sleep. Not to worry, Tom never ever rushes you. I’ve never felt pressured at Audio Lab.
While Tom does leave it up to you to decide, the flip side is, he’s not definitive. He will not come out and say, «Product 1 does A, B, and C right, but does D, E, and F wrong. Product 2 does G, H, and I right, but you don’t care about G, H, and I, so forget about it. Product 3 does do J, K, and L, which you did ask about, so therefore, you should seriously consider Product 3, and see how it compares to Product 1.»
When I was living in Honolulu, I lamented the lack of high-​end audio stores, and thus the utter lack of product availability. Though I spent whole summers in Hawaii, I would often just wait ’til I got back to the mainland, to do my high-​end audio shopping. Well, with Audio Lab carrying a plethora of brands, you no longer have to make that trip to the mainland.