everal traditional hi-fi dealerships have shuttered in recent years: NYC’s Lyric Hi-Fi1 and Chicago’s Audio Consultants are prominent examples. A few new brick-and-mortar shops have opened, but it’s rare to see a next-generation owner breathe new life into a long-established dealership. Christopher Brewer is doing exactly that. New England Hi-Fi was founded as the New England Music Company by Derek R. Burt,2 in 1965—on the early side of hi-fi’s heyday. Back then, the store carried the 1965 KLH line and other pioneering products, with a self-proclaimed emphasis on customer service. Founded in downtown Portland, Maine, the dealership moved
