Located at 252 Schermerhorn Street at Ace Hotel Brooklyn, Finer Sounds is more than just another record store; it’s a carefully crafted listening room designed to welcome everyone, from seasoned collectors to curious newcomers.
Partners David Azzoni and Shota Iyobe created Finer Sounds with a clear mission: to flip the stereotypical record shop experience on its head. “We just kind of wanted a place to play music for people and encourage discovery and not be like the stereotypical record shop where you walk in, and if you’re not part of the club, nobody’s going to be nice to you,” Azzoni explains. “We wanted to flip that, and basically do the opposite.”
Shota Iyobe and David Azzoni
The vision
Finer Sounds positions itself around music with Azzoni describing himself as “an enthusiast rather than an expert.” This philosophy shapes everything from customer interactions to inventory selection. When a customer requests an album that the store doesn’t carry, the response isn’t dismissive, it’s an opportunity for discovery. “We’re like, oh, we don’t have that, but have you heard this because it’s kind of similar, or a member of that band has a solo project,” Azzoni says. “It’s kind of fun to be that human algorithm.”
Finding home in Downtown Brooklyn
Location selection began with a simple desire: Azzoni wanted a shop he could walk to from his Clinton Hill home. After expanding his search beyond his immediate neighborhood, he had a strategic revelation. “I was like, you know, I should look right around the Ace (Hotel) Brooklyn, because Ace is great at identifying areas that are gonna get a bunch of cool shops and things eventually,” he recalls.
When two retail spaces opened up at the hotel, Azzoni found what he was looking for: a small box that could be transformed into distinct zones. Rather than seeing the compact footprint as a limitation, he and his team worked with architecture firm Here & Their and millworker Shepard Co to create a space where everything feels thoughtfully designed for purpose. The shop’s custom sound system was designed by Nak Im of apartment_409, bringing his technical expertise to match the aesthetic vision.
The shop sells t-shirts in addition to records.
The Details matter
The name “Finer Sounds” itself reflects the store’s ethos. Azzoni chose the name to strike a balance; implying curation and quality while remaining welcoming rather than exclusionary. “I love how it’s suggesting something that’s a little more thoughtful and a little more selective, but not like ‘finest’ or ‘fine,’ which kind of feels a little exclusionary to me,” he explains. “Finer is kind of cool because it feels like there’s this version that anybody could do, and then here’s this version where the details are really paid attention to.”
The shop’s interior, complete with plant design courtesy of Leaf and June, aims to feel like someone’s personal listening room – cozy and welcoming rather than pretentious. The branding was developed with Gretel to capture the same ethos and the signage was hand-painted by Van Zee Sign Co. In the spirit of keeping things elevated, but distinctly connected to a human touch.
The Music
Finer Sounds focuses on curated selections, often using labels as guides. Azzoni is particularly excited about International Anthem Recording Company, the Chicago-based jazz label, and plans to host listening events with them. The shop also carries releases from Ghostly International and Mexican Summer, among others.
“My musical tastes change frequently,” Azzoni notes. “I don’t want to try to force enthusiasm about something just because we have a record shop. A lot of times I’m hearing new things and something just grabs me. And then it opens up these new avenues of what we might carry.”
What’s next
Although Finer Sounds opened just three months ago, the vision extends beyond records. Plans include bringing in select turntables and components, a frequent customer request—along with carefully chosen accessories. “A lot of people are coming in and they’re like, “I have a really crappy turntable. I got it at Best Buy or something a few years ago, but I really want to get a nicer one. Do you have any advice?” Azzoni says. “And we do have the advice, and we have the accounts set up – we’re just bringing the goods in as we are able.”
Future plans include bringing in turntables and components, a frequent customer request.
The team is also planning intimate listening events in the shop that will expand into Ace Hotel’s lobby for after-parties, where featured labels and artists can DJ or curate the music. “That’ll be really, really fun stuff for folks in the neighborhood, and hopefully some of the hotel guests will just stumble into something super cool that they didn’t know was going to happen,” Azzoni says.
For Azzoni, opening Finer Sounds represents a leap from supporting other people’s concepts to creating his own. “I had to ask myself, why can I dive so heavily into other people’s concepts and take so much ownership over them, but still be scared to try to do my own thing? And at the end of the day it is quite scary,” he reflects. “But then when I got over that thanks to a huge amount of support from friends & family and a great business partner to share in the vision, I found a way to push through. So far it’s been a really amazing start to this new journey.”
Visit Finer Sounds to discover your next favorite album and experience what a record shop can be when the details are designed for everyone.
