Dealer Worth the Drive: High Water Sound, New York City

This is the second post in our series on Dealers Worth the Drive. High Water Sound is worth the visit for several reasons, but first of all, because there’s just something about records! If you love to listen to them and you’re at an audio show, head to the High Water Sound room. Jeffery Catalano, the owner of High Water Sound, plays nothing but vinyl. He brings hundreds of albums with him, and he usually buys a few more while he’s there. But don’t worry; Jeff is just as willing to talk about gear as he is to spin tunes. 

In fact, thinking about it, it’s hard to decide what’s best about visiting with Jeff. Yes, you will probably find something new to add to your vinyl collection. Then there’s Jeff’s product line, which is mostly imported from Europe and not something you’ll see every day. But, it’s the sound, which is always some of the best at any show that keeps us coming back for more than one visit during the weekend.

But you don’t have to wait for an audio show. If you live anywhere near New York City or plan a trip there, a visit with Jeff is definitely worth the drive, or maybe, in this case, a train ride.

About High Water Sound

Jeff’s business, open by appointment only, is a loft that doubles as his home.  Located in Lower Manhattan, it’s right below the Brooklyn Bridge and just before the Financial Center. If you are familiar with the city, you may recognize it as the South Street Seaport area. Even if you are a stranger to the Big Apple, Jeff’s place is easy to get to. “Every train comes downtown, so whether or not you are going to the Financial Center or the seaport, I’m easily accessible. Everyone wants to walk across the Brooklyn Bridge,” he says. In fact, this iconic bridge is part of the logo for his business. You can contact him here.

And since Jeff’s product lines are primarily imported from Europe, he’s right when he says that if you want to see and hear this gear, “It’s much easier to come to New York City than to go to a small town in Germany, or in the UK or Northern Denmark.” 

What to Expect

Jeff says people walk into his loft and are stunned. “The place is basically floor to ceiling records, and they are all over the floor and everywhere.” He also adds that their puppy, an Old English sheepdog, may quickly wind up in your lap.

And about those records, Jeff describes his musical taste as EVERYTHING. “I’ve always been a music fan. I’ve always been around music. Everything in my life has somehow been hallmarked by a musical event. I’m complex on one hand and very simple on the other. If something is good, it’s good. You can’t have them [albums] all, you can only try,” he says with a smile. Although he doesn’t sell records, there’s a good chance that Jeff will have and can play what you are looking for. He told us he spent right at a thousand dollars on records at T.H.E. Show the day we interviewed him, and while that’s not an everyday thing, it’s not unusual for him.

“With me, there’s no BS anyway. People know that about me, and that’s extremely apparent when you walk into our place.” Customers primarily come to see the imported products first-hand and to pick his brain. “It’s a bespoke store, and I have very sincere and very learned knowledge to share.”

Jeff’s Audio History

Jeff claims he came into the audio business through the back door more as a hobby than as a business. He admits he likes making things, and he built speakers, mainly horns, and tube amplifiers, from the mid-60s’ on because he couldn’t afford anything else and most of the other things that were out there didn’t sound that good. He also says that he was living in New York City, and he felt that no matter how much money he had, he couldn’t go out and buy a system that he wanted to hear.

“I learned a lot by spending money on the wrong equipment. It was me not knowing what I wanted was the sound of a single-ended, or at least low-powered tube amplifiers, and high-efficiency speakers.” He says no one, at least no one in New York City, was doing that combination when he started High Water Sound. So that’s ultimately why he got into selling and importing.

Brand Selection

Jeff says there’s always a good selection of brands in the store, but sometimes it’s overflowing. Inventory is dependent on what’s been sold and what’s been ordered. These days, it also depends on what’s being held up in Customs, which is a major problem for all importers today.

Generally, you will find Horning Hybrid and Cessaro speakers in stock along with TRON Electric amplifiers and TW-Acoustics turntables. He’s also a dealer for  Miyajima Labs cartridges, and Furutech cables. Jeff says, “Whatever line I import, they need to be reliable and trouble-free as well as sound amazing.”

We did this interview in mid-June at T.H.E. Show in California. Everything in his system there except for the turntables was different from the system he had at AXPONA back in April. Still, the sound of the room was one of the two or three most musical rooms at either show and at any price point. You can read what we said about this room here.

When we asked him how he chooses product lines to carry, he said, “Brands come to me. I don’t take things on trial. A lot of it is intuition. There are a lot of products, and we’ve paid for a lot of products that you will never know that we had. I can’t remember ever buying something that was junk. I want everyone to be happy.”

Customer Service

Jeff says his philosophy has always been that anything he sells he stands behind like he would expect a seller to do even if he wasn’t in the industry. “I have never bought anything just to make money. That’s almost antithetical of who I am. I buy something because I love it, and I hope to share it with others and hope they love it too. Luckily that’s been a pretty successful combination.”

Jeff also says he will do whatever he can to try and get people what they want or at least get them on the path to what they want. This includes product installation. “If someone needs me to come, I will come. I’ve gone all over the country setting up turntables. If it’s somewhere where I know someone who can do it, I will arrange for them to go.” For larger speakers, Jeff will make the trip to personally set them up. For Cessaros, Ralph Krebs, founder of Cessaro Horn Acoustics, will come over from Germany, and they will go to the customer’s location together.

So, if you’re planning a trip to New York City, contact Jeff, and set up an appointment for a really informative and entertaining education on some rarely seen gear imported from Europe. Or, maybe you are a music aficionado and would like to explore some vinyl that’s a bit off of the beaten path. We promise it will be well worth your time.

Note: You can read about other Dealers Worth the Drive. Take a look here! And, be sure to suggest dealers you think should be on our list.