Very nice record store, they had a great selection. you will have sticker shock on some items however they did have some records at a lower cost than I have seen elsewhere.

Great classic record store with a bunch of vinyl and a smaller CD section.Our son who is autistic was treated very well and the staff was patient and helped him navigate the transaction by himself.Very appreciated.

Super friendly staff, prime location, great selection. I’ve been visiting for years & Ive always felt welcome, which is important to me.

Amazing selection of records, great atmosphere. Competitive prices on vinyl when compared to other shops. Definitely will check them out again if Im back in town!

Went here for Record Store Day 2021 Part 2. They kept the long line moving really well, and even though I only showed up half an hour til open, I was able to get (almost) everything I came for. Definitely would visit again, on Record Store Day or otherwise.

The store is very well organized. The staff is great. Selection is I would say a 4/5. When I went to the store it had records I haven’t seen at other stores. Which is great. The location is in a busy area. Only downfall is parking, but the store can’t control that. I could easily spend my whole check there. I live in the Tacoma area and will travel to their store for great finds.

Great selection. always fun to browse there

Absolutely fantastic store, great selection of music and amazing staff. Will for sure go back.

Great record store. Customer service is on point here. Friendly and pleasant staff. Great selection of music and miscellaneous items. I got some free stickers on my way out. Thanks Sonic Boom!

Always fun to browse the new arrivals. The staff are always extremely helpful to those who have questions or need help finding something. I love having this shop so nearby- but my wallet doesnt. Looking forward to when they can host events and concerts again!

They actually still sell CDs, although they only had the vinyl of the one I wanted. Sigh.

Cool record store, good hip hop selection plus lots of other good music.

Great place for new vinyl as well as old. Great organization. Its hard to leave this place empty handed

Had such a great experience here on RSD, cant wait to come back for the next one!

Big selection of vinyl, love it, friendly people, def will be back

Sonic Boom Records is amazing what a sweet place, stop by and check them out music is life #love . There right on the main street there very easy to find bring youre friends and family there lots of stuff to look at and buy if you like music you will like this place . Thank You Sonic Boom Records .

Great new and used record store. Extensive selection and helpful staff

Friendly staff and an excellent selection of used and new vinyl. I look forward to another visit.

Awesome record shop! Im from LA so Im used to going to Amoeba record store but sometimes even they dont have what Im looking for. I was able to find some rare stuff here which was cool and I really enjoyed how professional the staff was. They were able to look things up for me and walk me over to where the items were.

Music is not my passion its my SO passion and he was so happy when we were there. He said the music selection was on point.

Very good selection and prices. Was able to find stuff I couldnt get at my normal record store.

Nice atmosphere, nice workers, really good cassette tape selection! always worth the price

Gave me $13 for 2 records brand new with packaging. It wasn’t worth my time to go elsewhere, but I thought that was bad business.

Awesome...currently only 30 minutes to shop but more than enough time with their great selection and fair prices...they even offered a free tote bag or sonic boom tshirt which was fire. This place is legendary.

I liked it very much

Sonic Boom has some of most extensive collections of vinyl Ive seen. From old to new, contemporary to niche, there is definitely something in there for everyone.

Great friendly record store with great used selection

Great selection of new and used vinyl and CDs. Not strictly niche genres, but featuring a good variety with an adequate section of local artists. Fun finds if you dig, and they can probably get you what you want if its not in stock.

Very nice and friendly staff. Great selections for all types of genre.

Full service record store that appears to have weathered the pandemic. I keep returning to spend my money here so you should, too.

Locally owed, knowledgeable staff, fun place to shop and hang outNew, used, vintage finds to complete anyones music collectionThey host small, all ages, concerts (artists, bands who are releasing new albums) on a fabulous stage that drops down over a section of vinyls, ingenious

Great vinyl and CD selection along with great service. Will definitely come back!

Really cool record shop!have a great selection of new and used vinyl.the guy i talked with had great knowlege of inventory so speak with someone if you are looking for something specific.got some dinosaur jr and on sale quicksand today.walked out glowing.a must visit spot in ballard!

Good selection of new and used records

Great selection of records and CDs. The staff is extraordinarily helpful

Amazing selection of vinyl. Great place to grab a bite or drink in the area and then go crate digging

Probably one of the best local vinyl shops you will find. Great selection I even found a 10 year death can for cutie vinyl!

Great selection of new and used records for fair prices. Good social distancing policies in place that help with peace of mind while shopping/browsing. Im sure Ill be back soon!

Long time favorite, obviously a struggling business model in these days of unlimited streaming. But this is a shop with soul and a great selection of LP, CD, even cassettes for the fan of wow and flutter. Check out their fan mag and music book selection as well.If you miss the informed staff of record shops of yore look no further - if they dont have it theyll order it, if you like it theyll suggest other choices you might like.Good people.

Great shop with friendly staff, warm atmosphere, and a solidly curated selection of music. Nice tape selection as well.

Love, love love this record store. The staff are super friendly and helpful. Great selection of used vinyl. Shop local!!!

Support your local music stores! We cannot afford to lose gems like this one.

A gem of a shop. Great new and used selection with a dedicated METAL section in both new and used. I love this spot and would go there every day if I could.

Sonic Boom has a great selection of vinyl at shockingly reasonable prices. I found records there that were $10 to $15 cheaper than records I purchased at Everyday Music in Capitol Hill the day before. Worth the trip to check out.

Great selection, great staff, and Kay has great recommendations!

The best overall record store in Seattle. Excellent mix of new and used records. If youre looking for something specific, chances are youll find it here. Staff has a diverse and expert knowledge base that will help you discover new music; just ask. Very fair pricing compared to other stores.

Awesome place, amazing staff. Great mix of artists and music styles. So glad to see a well succeed record store amongst a cruel streaming world. They have a giant $1 collection underneath the shelf in front of the showcase window. I could spend hours digging...

Good service, held item requested over the phone.

I usually come to Sonic Boom out of convenience since I live down the street, but after visiting other stores around the city, this one just doesnt impress me as much. They have a great selection of well known albums that came out over the past 5 years or so but looking for lesser known works is often met with little luck and, unlike other record stores nearby, employees who havent heard of and dont necessarily want to help you find them. Also this place is much more expensive than most, so even when I find what Im looking for it may be more beneficial to go to Cap Hill or the U district to save $5-10.

I mean, I got an Exposé record for 5 bucks. What else is there to say.

Kind of a classic old school record store. Cool employees fast to give on point recommendations, but not stuck up. Great selection of used vinyl, but not a huge selection. Records are graded very fairly for consumer. Pricing was surprisingly good on used records, the ones I bought were priced at or even slightly below market value.

One of my favorite places in Seattle.

A great place with a great selection. Not as big as some if the other places and so popular that they were out of 2/3 records i came in for. But the chick who worked there was helpful and knowledgeable. Will be back :))

This record store already has a great reputation and rightly so. If a store was going to be designed to my exact music taste then this would be it. Clearly laid out and easy to search through with a great mix of old and latest releases. Great prices and nice staff, loved it.

Very large record store with many selections as well aa cds and cassettes, please do come. Trotine

Good selection of modern rock/pop, some other categories but that is their main focus it seems. Fun shop to poke around in and possibly get a new record!

Well sorted record store, more on the indy / rock side, some electronic/hip hop. It’s Ballard after all. Decent selection of box sets / record store day specials. Also with a shelf full of tapes, some 7” as well.

My favorite record shop in the Seattle area. Whenever I go to Sonic Boom intending to purchase a specific record, I can often find another record or two that I want in their selection as well. I also enjoy that they have a video game soundtrack section.

An outstanding music media store. Very friendly staff.

Great people running this place. They have great selections of CDs and vinyl, and give good rates when buying used music.

I for one speak well to those willing to discuss and moment. Days good or depressed. Ive been here and maintaing a short termed memory allows me to. Be opened during a public discussion. If you see me I may be with others. I make sure to open even. Though we just like to discuss whichever comes open is good for us all on Phinney.

Decent selection of used vinyl but very limited at that. Way more new vinyl at higher prices. I dont think they spend much time cleaning or inspecting the condition of the used vinyl. Dollar bins were a mess with every genera to sort through so that kind of sucks. Staff was almost helpful but not really. Parking was difficult.Attracts hipsters who dont know better. I wish I would have found Bop Street records across the street before I spent unnecessary dollars here. I did find some decent priced vinyl for resale someday. Probably wont return unless it is out of extreme boredom....

The best record store in Seattle. Hands down. The staff are friendly and very knowledgeable, theres always treasures in the used new arrival section and if youre looking for something they dont have chances are they can order it for you!

Great selection of records at fair prices.

Support local record stores!Sonic Boom is the bomb!

Very friendly staff, awesome selection, and got to see one of my favorite bands live there!

Been here several times and love their used section and always have great deals. The layout of the shop is easy to navigate and nicely spread out. Look forward to popping in again when passing through Seattle.

Staff was friendly. Overall pretty good selection. Was looking for some things they didnt have unfortunately

One of my favorite record stores in Seattle. Have already bought a lot of my record collection from here. Great location and nice staff :)

Contrary to most record stores, Ive had great luck with Sonic Booms staff being friendly and helpful. Good selection of new releases and old classics. Never know what youll find in the used bins either.

Who knew this gem existed in Seattle. Records are organized well, I was able to find the album I was looking for. New vinyls are normal price, but prices for the used vinyls are dirt cheap!! $5 for 2 vinyl Nat King Cole LP. Great deal compared to the record store across the street.

My daughter is never disappointed after coming in here. Soundtracks, comedy, cassettes, and great atmosphere.

One of my favorote record shops in Seattle. A chill vibe, good selection of used vinyl, and features local artists. The in-store concerts are awesome too!

A well rounded selection of albums and other music items - cds,and cassettes. You will find all genres, old vinyl & new. Do not look for things like band shirts, books/magazines or posters...they have very little.Parking is terrible here - busy street parking or expensive, tight lots.

Solid record store! Helpful staff, great selection and reasonable prices. No complaints!

Great selection of past and current music on vinyl! Love it!

Fantastic selection of new and used vinyl, CDs, and cassettes. Wonderful staff. Great prices. Love coming here!

I really like this record store, but it feels a little less special because of the standard prices. Maybe its just me, but I like shopping for old, interesting 2nd hand records. I have bought several records here, no complaints on quality.

The best record store there is

One the best record stores in Seattle. They are my go to for new releases

Cute, hipster vibes record store with popular selections.

Very helpful and friendly staff. I would highly recommend stopping by.

Huge selection of new and used music. If youre looking for popular music that came out in the last 20 years youll find it but they dont play test alot of the used records so buyer beware. But at 1$ for a used record who really cares?

Some really cool rare Hip Hop finds and love that they are open later.

Sonic Boom is the closest record shop to me, within walking distance, so naturally I visit here quite often. Im usually able to find at least one used LP I want, and they stock a good amount of new releases & reissues too. They have a decent selection for their size although I can think of smaller shops nearby that have a better selection. The used & new are separate which is kind of annoying sometimes. They seem to favor indie rock & local artists which is not something Im into so that part of the shop is wasted on me. The new jazz section is good, clearly the person who stocks is a jazz fan. The metal section is ok but if suggest going to Zions Gate if youre specifically looking for metal vinyl.The main thing about Sonic Boom that I dislike is the fact that all sales are final on used LPs. Youd better inspect the records carefully for scratches and imperfections because they will not take anything back. Usually what I find is in good shape, but a couple times I got something that sounded a lot more worn than it looked and it kind of felt like a burn.The thing I really like about them is that they pre-clean all the used records. This is something I have not seen another shop do. Every used LP Ive bought here has been very clean. It saves me some time, as I always remove all dust from records before I play them.The staff is always friendly and helpful, no complaints there. Definitely a shop I like to check in with on occasion. Just be sure to look at what youre buying, and know what to look for.

Really poor business practices. I bought a brand new record last Saturday, took it home and it skipped terribly right in the first track. We took it back 1 week later and the guy listens to it in headphones and “couldn’t prove” that there was anything wrong with it so he would only give us $10 store credit/cash for the $25.99 record I bought literally one week ago. They told me it was my record player, MY FAULT, and I just needed to buy a better record player, even though the hundreds of other records I have play perfectly. I will never shop here again. There are many other more reputable records stores in Seattle. Go across the street to Bop Street records for way better service.

I didnt know music shops like this still existed. Im glad they do and this is one of the best. Sometimes featuring live music.

Gave me a good deal when I sold some old records here

Very cool environment great staff and awesome music!!

Great selection of music and love the environment here.

Got my first records here. They have something for everyone

Awesome as always.

Great deals on used vinyl, regular special discount events, and amazing in-store free concerts.

Great selection of new vinyl, lots of Alt Rock and Hip-Hop. They have a weird No Pictures policy though that kinda makes you feel unwelcome. (-1 Star)

Great selection. Good prices. Helpful staff.

Good variety of new LPs. Their selection of used vinyl is weak though. Disappointing, considering how this store rates. Friendlier and better places to shop elsewhere.

I had called this place to get a CD they had it he put it on hold for me and then I came and picked it up very reliable awesome place for music

The woman in the store in Ballard asked me to take my stuff away because she couldn’t give me a dollar more. She asked me to go to a different store. Very rude. You don’t treat your customer like that. if you don’t agree with the price, you need to be patient with the customer. She has no breeding the way she treated me.

Deals.Came in after checking the store across the way. Walked away with 15 good finds.I do wish the selection was more to speak of - very limited used soul and used jazz but pricing was fair and accurate (unlike a nearby store), staff was friendly as hell and they tossed in canvas bag with my purchase.

Been to several record stores across US and this one is in the top 10%. There is a wide selection of young and old, new and used, vinyl and cds. Pretty cool the doors are always open during open hours and that they play music to give life to market street. Staff is pretty knowledgeable and friendly.Think some of the album prices should be marked down for return customers. Also, think owner should modernize the store with something like a music recording booth similar to what they have at MoPop. Perhaps, they should consider allowing some people to play some sets live on a front or back stage while people search for music.Otherwise, very good music store. I recommend.