Stereophile
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<p><img class="story_image" src="http://www.stereophile.com/images/110713-AudioElement-600.jpg" /></p> The long-anticipated opening of Brian Berdan’s high-performance audio store, <a href="http://www.audio-element.com">Audio Element</a>, took place on November 1 and 2 in Pasadena, CA. The store’s prime location in the heart of Pasadena’s retail- and restaurant-rich Oldtown helped sweeten the unveiling of America’s newest high-end emporium.
<p>
<img src="http://www.stereophile.com/images/110713-Brian_Tom-600.jpg" width="600" border="0" /></p><p>
Signaling the start of a new era for high-end dealerships in Southern California, Friday night’s catered “soft” opening for existing clients and Saturday’s six-hour public open house were attended by enough major manufacturers, designers and distributors to have made possible a mini-audio show. On Friday night, for example, I discovered Berdan (left) speaking with Tom Bierry (right), former General Manager at Warner Bros, who now runs an independent label that is signing with Sony Red. Among Saturday’s visitors were Manley Labs’ EveAnna Manley, her mastering engineer husband Dave Collins, and T.H.E. Show head honcho Richard Beers.
</p><p>
<img src="http://www.stereophile.com/images/110713-Gang-600.jpg" width="600" border="0" /></p><p>
Posing for a Saturday morning photograph, Jerron Marchant (Wilson Audio), Joe Wessling (Musical Surroundings, distributor of Musical Surroundings, Clearaudio, Fosgate, Aesthetix, AMG turntables, and Graham tonearms), David Carr (The Sound Organization, distributors of Rega and Quadraspire), Luke Manley (VTL Amplifiers), Raveen Bawa and John Quick (dCS), Jesse Luna (Sumiko, distributors of Sumiko, Sonus faber, Pro-Ject, and REL), Alex Brinkman (Ayre), and Jim White (designer of Aesthetix), joined Berdan and Matthew Payne of Audio Element in taking a deep breath before the day got underway. Absent from the shot, but arriving in time to greet visitors at the unstructured open house was Brian Von Bork (Cardas). Had representatives from Burmester, Transparent, Grado, and Grand Prix Audio been available, all of the store’s brands would have been represented.
</p><p>
Brian Berdan, 34, son of legendary audio retailer Brooks Berdan, has been surrounded by audio for virtually his entire life. During the three years preceding his father’s death in July 2011, when Brian ran Brooks Berdan Ltd. in nearby Monrovia, it became clear that he needed to eventually step out on his own.
</p><p>
“I always had more modern ideas,” Brian told <i>Stereophile</i> during Friday’s evening libations. “While I adhere to my father’s core values
[Source: http://www.stereophile.com/content/introducing-audio-element-pasadena]
<p>
<img src="http://www.stereophile.com/images/110713-Brian_Tom-600.jpg" width="600" border="0" /></p><p>
Signaling the start of a new era for high-end dealerships in Southern California, Friday night’s catered “soft” opening for existing clients and Saturday’s six-hour public open house were attended by enough major manufacturers, designers and distributors to have made possible a mini-audio show. On Friday night, for example, I discovered Berdan (left) speaking with Tom Bierry (right), former General Manager at Warner Bros, who now runs an independent label that is signing with Sony Red. Among Saturday’s visitors were Manley Labs’ EveAnna Manley, her mastering engineer husband Dave Collins, and T.H.E. Show head honcho Richard Beers.
</p><p>
<img src="http://www.stereophile.com/images/110713-Gang-600.jpg" width="600" border="0" /></p><p>
Posing for a Saturday morning photograph, Jerron Marchant (Wilson Audio), Joe Wessling (Musical Surroundings, distributor of Musical Surroundings, Clearaudio, Fosgate, Aesthetix, AMG turntables, and Graham tonearms), David Carr (The Sound Organization, distributors of Rega and Quadraspire), Luke Manley (VTL Amplifiers), Raveen Bawa and John Quick (dCS), Jesse Luna (Sumiko, distributors of Sumiko, Sonus faber, Pro-Ject, and REL), Alex Brinkman (Ayre), and Jim White (designer of Aesthetix), joined Berdan and Matthew Payne of Audio Element in taking a deep breath before the day got underway. Absent from the shot, but arriving in time to greet visitors at the unstructured open house was Brian Von Bork (Cardas). Had representatives from Burmester, Transparent, Grado, and Grand Prix Audio been available, all of the store’s brands would have been represented.
</p><p>
Brian Berdan, 34, son of legendary audio retailer Brooks Berdan, has been surrounded by audio for virtually his entire life. During the three years preceding his father’s death in July 2011, when Brian ran Brooks Berdan Ltd. in nearby Monrovia, it became clear that he needed to eventually step out on his own.
</p><p>
“I always had more modern ideas,” Brian told <i>Stereophile</i> during Friday’s evening libations. “While I adhere to my father’s core values
[Source: http://www.stereophile.com/content/introducing-audio-element-pasadena]