Audiophiles mourn the loss of Audiolight store, which will close its doors in the coming weeks

It is the end of a great adventure for the Audiolight company in Quebec, which will cease its activities in the coming weeks, after 59 years of history, due to lack of successors.

This institution on rue Marie-de-l’Incarnation in Quebec, which is considered the benchmark by fans of high-end audio equipment, is liquidating its stock before closing its doors.

For the owners, Michael Martel and Martin Roy, this means the end of a long business collaboration, between them, but also with their loyal customers, some of whom even shed a tear upon hearing the news.

Before deciding to close the business, the owners tried to find a buyer. Despite very advanced steps with a candidate, the transfer did not take place. The difficulties related to recruiting the workforce were added to the context.

“There is no succession. We put ads on specialized sites. We got a few responses, but nothing serious,” continued Martin, who took over Audiolight in 1991.

When Michael looks at the name of the sign on the front of the business, he can’t help but feel sad as he thinks about the end of this adventure that is coming. Nearly three-quarters of the inventory has been sold so far. The owners estimate that by the end of October, there will probably be nothing left. Even the building is for sale.

Repair is here to stay

The repair service, which is provided by the Audiotech Center, remains open. The business will be taken over by an employee, to the great delight of audiophiles for whom a small repair may one day become necessary.

“Cheap products are not repaired very much anymore. It’s due to planned obsolescence,” Michael laments.

“It’s never been as bad as it is now. It’s terrible,” adds his business partner.

“I’ve been in the repair business for over 50 years. Before, we changed cathode ray tubes on televisions. Today, with flat screens, if there’s a $500 repair to be done on them, the customer will buy another one,” Martin continued.

Audiolight’s clientele consisted of passionate audiophiles looking for quality sound, even if it meant spending $30,000 on speakers.

“We had a pair for $172,000 last year. It’s more marginal, but $300,000 cars sell. These are people for whom it’s a passion. It’s as much the pleasure of using it as owning the object. As I tell people, ‘you don’t buy a Rolex to check the time. You buy it because you want one,'” Michael emphasized.

Both men have been at the forefront of the digital evolution, even if they have never stopped selling record players, a market that has grown considerably in recent years, particularly among young people.