After a lifelong career in all things audio – starting as a 16-year-old kid working at Sam Goody – Dave Levitan is finally making good on his “parallel dream” of owning his own record store.
The long-time Audiolab owner will officially open Vinyl Lab, a vinyl, CD and cassette tape hub featuring a diverse collection of more than 15,000 records, 12,000 CDs and numerous cassettes on Aug. 23, 2025 as part of a daylong grand opening that will also include manufacturer demonstrations, live music, food trucks, raffles and more.
“Wherever I go, I to go to record stores,” said Levitan, who has owned Audiolab since 1997. “I love the vibe. I love the grittiness.”
Since relocating the former 3,500-square-foot Audiolab from 492 Lincoln Highway in 2022 to its current 23,000-square-foot space at 925 Lincoln Highway, Levitan has been “bootstrapping” the reimagining of the space, which includes creating a lounge space for low-key sound listening, outfitting a home theater, and building out the onsite record store, equipped with a stage for live performances, band T-shirts, rare vinyl pressings and autographed band memorabilia, including a signed Pantera record, which features an autograph from the late guitarist “Dimebag Darrell.” He purchased the building in partnership with his wife, Angela, who has been supportive of Audiolab’s expansion into Vinyl Lab.
He chipped in the bulk of his personal 8,000-record collection to get the store rolling – and quickly discovered that customers sought more.
“We see more traffic in there then we’ll see in Audiolab in a month or a month and a half,” he said. “It’s actually well exceeded anything I thought.”
And it all started with a vision.
“I sell hi-fi stereos, turntables …” Levitan said. “Why make them go somewhere else for records?”
Levitan employs devoted music enthusiasts in Vinyl Lab who can easily determine the value of collections that customers bring in to sell or trade. Items purchased via in-store credit receive approximately 20 percent more than those purchased outright for cash, he said. Regardless, Levitan prides himself on offering customers a fair amount for their items.
“We try to carry a little bit of everything,” Levitan said, standing amid Britney Spears, Taylor Swift and Wu-Tang Clan records. “We try to find out what people want.”
At the moment, he said customers ask for hip-hop and metal. And while the store has some rare Ozzy Osbourne and Black Sabbath records, Audiolab is selective about who they will sell them to as Levitan has come across some who seek to profit from the recent death of Osbourne.
Since Audiolab began in 1958, the center has prided itself on dedicated customer service at the core of its full-service stereo, HD TV, projector and custom installation business. That remains at the core of the business.
“This is all I’ve ever done,” Levitan said. “There’s not a ton of business acumen. I’ve gained business insight through real-world experience. I’ve been doing this my whole life.”
Describing himself as “like a kid in a candy store,” Levitan enjoys regularly changing up the surround sound equipment and home theater viewing and listening experiences in the show rooms. Decked out with comfy chairs and couches, as well as headphones and top-of-the-line speakers, amplifiers and other audio components, the rooms bring to life the look and feel of the various audio equipment.
While much of the merchandise in-store is top-of-the-line, Audiolab offers goods for every budget.
“Our goal is, without a question, best bang for the buck,” Levitan said. “We’ve always been value-oriented and value-based.”
The store stocks audio and video equipment from over 100 brands.
“We’re giving our customers choices,” Levitan said.
In addition to brand choices and installation service for its equipment, Audiolab technicians integrate lighting control, as well as garage door openers and smart thermostats into customers’ systems.
“They want everything to integrate,” he said.
At a time when big box audio stores are struggling, Audiolab is growing. The business, which began humbly with only two employees, now employs 20.
“It comes down to the customer experience,” he said. “Customers walk in here. We know the questions to ask. Everybody here is knowledgeable and friendly.”
Audiolab offers lifetime technical support and handles manufacturer warranties on behalf of its customers.
“They get us with the purchase,” he said. “Absolute 100 percent satisfaction is our goal.”
To make sure new equipment will work with a customer’s existing systems, Levitan said Audiolab lends out equipment prior to purchase. In some instances, the store’s employees visit a customer’s home to find a “synergy” between the equipment and the home.
“It’s a puzzle,” he said. “You have to match things up.”
To learn more
Audiolab is located at 925 Lincoln Highway in Fairless Hills. The audio showroom is open Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Tuesday and Thursday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Saturday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.; and Sunday from noon to 5 p.m. For more information, visit the Audiolab Website at http://www.audiolab.com/ or call 800-513-8555.
