176:, a leading publication in the music industry, in a profile written by Chris Morris for the Aug. 17, 2002, issue titled "Audiophile Labels Put a New Spin On Vinyl." In 2004, Acoustic Sounds moved from their 6,000-square-foot warehouse to an 18,000-square-foot former grocery store. At the time, the space seemed big enough to allow for as much growth as could possibly be foreseen. But just six years later, in 2010, Acoustic Sounds had once again outgrown its space. Kassem then purchased three buildings. All of the inventory was moved to a 28,000-square-foot warehouse. The office workers were moved to a 20,000-square-foot office building. The third building – 21,000 square feet – was used to launch the latest Acoustic Sounds venture,
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87:. LPs stacked in the living room, the bedrooms, the closets, the kitchen and finally even the bathroom. A small apartment shrunk to only a few pathways — one from the listening position to the kitchen; another from the listening room to the bathroom; and one to each of the bedrooms. Orders grew and Acoustic Sounds was born.
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soon controlled the living room and bedroom. This time the bathrooms were spared, but little else in Kassem’s workplace and home escaped the vinyl. He hired more employees for a shrinking workspace. Finally, when 18-wheelers started pulling up to Kassem’s residential address to deliver pallets, it was time to move.
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In 1991, Kassem scouted out a 3,500-square-foot former dance studio in this mid-sized Kansas downtown. At first the space was a dream. There was room for shelves to stock inventory. There was a conventional shipping-and-receiving area. But
Acoustic Sounds continued to grow. In 1992, Kassem launched
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That was 1988, and Kassem’s budding success allowed him to purchase a four-bedroom, ranch-styled house. Initially, it even looked like a home. But soon came more records. They devoured the basement, where Kassem’s now full-time business had added a few employees. They started climbing the stairs and
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of choice recordings. He then had those titles remastered and pressed on a superior grade of vinyl and then offered the finished product for sale through his
Acoustic Sounds catalog and to wholesale accounts around the world. Analogue Productions now has more than 450 titles in print. Also during
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By 1994, Acoustic Sounds had again outgrown its space. Kassem found a warehouse with enough room for his growing inventory and plenty of office space. There was a loading dock for the shipping. There was a large basement for overstock. The building was perfect for about eight years. But finally,
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to the presses so that they will cycle based on temperature rather than the less accurate cycling by time. All of the
Analogue Productions reissues and the APO Records titles are now pressed at QRP and the pressing plant also handles the jobs of several other record labels.
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were, Kassem decided to outfit it as a state-of-the-art recording studio. After a significant financial investment, including completely new electrical service, the building of a control room and the outfitting of the church with modern recording equipment and
134:, accessories and the like had to compete with the LPs and CDs for the limited space. So, after 10 years in the warehouse, it was time to move. In the meantime, Acoustic Sounds further branched into new musical endeavors with the addition of
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records began to stack on and around employees’ desks, across the floor of what was supposed to be the shipping and receiving area and in every single corner of the building. Plus, Acoustic Sounds started to sell more equipment, which meant
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artists assembled. Blue Heaven also became the home of APO Records and is where all of the APO titles have been recorded since 1998. The studio is also available for anyone to book session time and additionally is available for weddings.
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this time, in 1993, Kassem began APO Records (Analogue
Productions Originals), an original record label focused on recording the most authentic and legendary blues artists still living. APO’s first title –
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Kassem started
Acoustic Sounds in 1986, initially running it solo out of a two-bedroom apartment. Precisely when CDs were being introduced to the public and people were dumping their
217:. On December 31, 2020, the decision was made to shutdown Acoustic Sounds Super HiRez digital downloads service after seven years due to streaming continuing to eclipse downloading.
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On August 28, 2013, Acoustic Sounds launched SuperHiRez.com, an
Internet site selling mainstream title high-resolution album downloads from major record labels, produced using
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in downtown Salina. He initially planned to use the space for storage for
Acoustic Sounds’ overflow inventory. But after recognizing how incredible the church’s natural
155:. In August 1997, Jimmy Rogers performed the first concert at Blue Heaven. Beginning in 1998, Blue Heaven began hosting an annual two-night concert series called the
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audio formats. Uncompressed DSD technology results in music as close to the master recording as possible and is the same technology employed in the manufacture of
180:(QRP), a modern record pressing plant. QRP operates three different kinds of record presses and has equipped each with pioneering modifications, including adding
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in favor of CDs, Kassem was purchasing collectible high-quality LPs and then reselling them via buy-sell-and-trade advertisements in various record collector and
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205:. Kassem said publicly he expected the service to offer as many as 500 titles by year-end. On September 4, 2013, Acoustic Sounds announced an agreement with
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151:, Blue Heaven was born. Kassem also left the original pew and balcony seats in the church sanctuary and so the space doubles as a
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117:/Blue Bird – won the 1995 W.C. Handy Traditional Blues Album of the Year. APO Records as of 2011 had 43 titles available.
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to provide the company's new digital download service with albums that have been produced or remastered in
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Acoustic Sounds: We’re All Grown Up – Fresh off our move to 70,000 square feet, we live to tell the story…
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338:"The Audio Beat - Vinyl's Home Office; Chad Kassem, Acoustic Sounds and Quality Record Pressings"
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67:. The business is owned and operated by Chad Kassem and as of 2016 employed 98 people.
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magazines. Kassem's record collection grew until he literally lived in a field of
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A sign welcomes visitors to the offices of
Acoustic Sounds in Salina, Kansas
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Robert Baird, "Kansas
Crossroads: Chad Kassem Brings The Blues To Salina",
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Mail-order business moves into former
Tractor Supply Co. building
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Analog Corner: Quality Record Pressings' Quest to Press the Best
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is a mail-order business specializing in the sale of audiophile
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format. The deal followed an earlier agreement reached with
399:"Kansas firm raises bar on high-res music downloads"
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The front entrance to the offices of Acoustic Sounds
311:, Acoustic Sounds catalog, Volume 7.4, Summer 2005
272:, Acoustic Sounds catalog, Volume 6, March 1999
443:Salina record-maker revels in vinyl’s comeback
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298:, Salina Journal newspaper, March 17, 2005
283:Audiophile Labels Put A New Spin On Vinyl
189:SuperHiRez DSD/PCM download site launched
172:Kassem was photographed for the cover of
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121:Recording studio in Gothic-style church
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464:Music retailers of the United States
358:, Stereophile magazine, August 2011
285:, Billboard magazine, Aug. 17, 2002
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157:Blues Masters at the Crossroads
168:Record pressing plant launched
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474:1986 establishments in Kansas
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469:Companies based in Kansas
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270:It's All Coming Together
237:Quality Record Pressings
207:Sony Music Entertainment
178:Quality Record Pressings
100:a reissue label called
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59:equipment. Located in
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259:magazine January 2012
215:Universal Music Group
211:Direct Stream Digital
195:Direct Stream Digital
41:Direct Stream Digital
33:Acoustic Sounds, Inc.
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459:Mail-order retailers
342:www.theaudiobeat.com
227:Analogue Productions
102:Analogue Productions
445:- The Wichita Eagle
369:"Account Suspended"
309:Movin’ To The Music
232:Blue Heaven Studios
140:Gothic-style church
136:Blue Heaven Studios
174:Billboard magazine
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373:www.marketnews.ca
197:(DSD) as well as
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153:concert hall
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110:master tapes
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417:"Home Page"
257:Stereophile
149:microphones
453:Categories
383:2021-05-27
243:References
132:CD players
128:turntables
81:audiophile
77:LP records
53:DVD-Audios
403:USA TODAY
144:acoustics
37:vinyl LPs
221:See also
203:SACDs
161:Blues
49:SACDs
199:PCM
45:PCM
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