When Jeff Wharton was very young, his grandfather passed along to him a passion for music and sound. This beloved elder taught a young boy how to truly listen and to detect variances in sound even though he himself was nearly tone-deaf. This instruction sparked an intense desire in Jeff to learn all about the inner components of sound and what differentiates great quality, and an audiophile was born.

Wharton utilized and honed those listening skills as the years passed and decided to share that passion of sound with others by opening a company of his own. A few years prior to starting Sound Advice Audio, Wharton began researching which brands would pass his test for reliability and performance to determine which would be endorsed by his company and available in his inventory. That research continues to this day as he constantly reviews the company’s product line of over 25 brands and adds or subtracts based on sound quality, not name familiarity within the market.

As owner of Sound Advice Audio with his wife of seven years, Joan, Wharton has put his grandfather’s skill of listening to the forefront of their business. From the time a customer enters the showroom or places that phone call, he and Joan put all their energy into determining the customer’s needs and wants and delivering a quality system that exceeds expectations. Before each install, Wharton will review the overview of the space or visit the home or office to determine which equipment will work best, while keeping with the budget, décor and sound quality expectations of the customer. Plans are then drawn up and multiple options presented to the client for final consideration. Kevin Renshaw, Sound Advice project manager, will oversee the final installation and ensures that customer satisfaction is a No. 1 priority. With an experienced technical staff, Wharton says he has complete trust that his staff will do the job right and make clients happy. The technicians produce a superb result every time and know how to troubleshoot to fix any issue that may arise in the field. “We are truly blessed to have such a great team around us,” he says.

Sound Advice Audio specializes in the custom design and installation of high-end, high-performance home or office audio and video systems, as well as theater seating and media rooms. Sound Advice is not a retail store, but customers are welcome to purchase equipment from the company and install it on their own. Some equipment is showcased in the Sound Advice showroom.

With the opening of the showroom in 2007 in the back of the Shore Appliance Connection Building in the Twilley Centre in Salisbury, Sound Advice Audio has opened its doors to showcase the possibilities of what they can create for you. Just ask for a demo in their Oriental-themed home theater and step into a creation that does just what the Whartons intended. They say that with the right set up and equipment, you should feel as if the movie is not happening on the screen before you, but rather you are part of the movie. As well with the audio, a person should be able to feel the music surrounding them as if in a concert hall or at a live show. That was my experience the day I stopped in to visit with Jeff and Joan in their created oasis. The restful, relaxing feel of the room had all the desired effects.

If performance and sound quality are a priority for you, then call or visit Sound Advice Audio, where you won’t find just another commissioned salesperson trying to sell you the most expensive piece of equipment, but a true passion in Jeff Wharton’s eyes. He says that his zest and goal of their business is the “relentless pursuit of audio/video truth.” Jeff and Joan truly strive to educate consumers honestly and with integrity about quality and what will work best for them in the space they have.

Joan handles the business management and marketing side of the company and is just as passionate about customer satisfaction. Together, the two work closely overseeing the company and diligently pursue the goal of providing the entertainment area that their customers have always dreamed of. Jeff and Joan hope that they create spaces where families can come together to share quality time, friends are brought over for enjoyable evenings, and spouses can bond more closely with each other through the entertainment that Sound Advice Audio provides. And if each customer happens to catch some of that contagious passion for sound and music that Jeff and Joan exude, then they have done their job.