Is my local car shop morons or just trying to sell me something??

[btdickey99 5,000+ posts]

didnt read the full thing, but they may be morons if they tell you that its ocmpletely useless for you to upgrade your wiring for alt...

My local shop is very professional and didnt know the the term "Big 3" un til I explained to them what it was...then they knew exactly what I was tlaking about and told me it was totally recommended

Click to read more...

 

[mlstrass 5,000+ posts]

LONG ass post.....short answer, 15" Q would make you very happy. Sales guy is a bag of douche...

 

[wu501 10+ year member]

lol..I don't even know where to start.

 

[dman4486 5,000+ posts]

First off. I get this system installed in my old Lincoln Mark 8 (Audiobahn 2300HCT and 2 Audiobahn 12" 1206). I totally don't add a 2nd battery or upgrade the big 3, or add a 2nd alternator. Within 2 months of the install, everything electrical went to **** and I had to get another car. Totally my fault for playing the car loud, even with lights dimming to total blackness. I'm guessing I put the car through low voltage?
Ok, so I get the same system put into my new car (2000 Grand Prix) at the same shop. To prevent this car from reaching low voltage, I'm adding a 2nd battery and doing the big 3 upgrade. I ask the shop about the big 3, they said they never heard of it. I printed out the big 3 install thread from this forum, and they said it would be useless. I told them I wanted to do it anyways and that I would pay for it, even though it would be "useless". They agreed.

The guy up front tells me that the reason that my lights are dimming is not because lack of upgrade to stock wiring or lack of a 2nd battery, but because the amp I have on my subs are highly inefficient. He's telling me that if I buy one of their Memphis class D amps, and add a 2nd battery, that the dimming would go away. It's a new salesman this time, one I haven't seen before and I just assume he's trying to sell me something for a commission.

I tell him that I've been thinking about giving this system to my girlfriend anyways, and that I've been thinking about an upgrade anyways (car audio so addictive, already want to upgrade and only had this system like 4 months). So I've been on this website for the past month just reading threads and what not trying to decide how to upgrade. I've already purchased a JL 1000/1 amp from a friend for 300$ (he was hurting for money and trying to help me out at the same time).

So I want to give my current system to my girlfriend, and then use the JL 1000/1 I already have, and maybe get a sub or 2 for myself. I don't know how much better 1 15" would be over 2 12". I can't decide really, but everyone on the forum thinks FI Q would be a good choice, and I listen to mostly rap and I'm thinking that a single 15 FI Q getting around 1k watts would be perfect for me. I take my spec sheet in for the FI Q 15" and I'm showing him what I've been thinking about after much research.

He immediately notices FI, and says "Those subs are a one note wonder, they're made for competitions, and aren't made for playing a full range of notes in a daily driver setup." I'm totally stunned, as I haven't heard anything really negative on these forums about those subs. He then says "How much is that sub, like $150-200? I used to own one of those Q's, I think it was a Q3 or Q4, it was seriously a 1 note wonder". The one I had picked out and was thinking of getting was the 15 Q with BP(i think? the extra cooling option), and it was 300$ total. He sees the $300 and says "Wow, that's expensive for that sub, you seriously don't want that."

And then he proceeds to show me a Memphis 15" that handles about 300 RMS. I like Memphis don't get me wrong, and I am a total noob at this, so I don't know if he's just telling me this to make a commission sale, or if he really just doesn't know about FI audio. So here I am asking you fellas. When he said he had a Q3 or Q4, I didn't even know they had versions like that, so that made me wonder if he ever really owned one.

And 2, I'm thinking I want to keep the same amount of trunk space that I currently have, and I'm thinking that running 2 15's would take up my entire trunk, whereas my current setup still gives me plenty of room. I don't know which subs to get for my JL 1000/1 and really would like help. Would getting 2 500RMS 15" Memphis be much boomier than getting 1 FI Q 15" that can handle the JL by itself?

Also, I'm thinking if I'm going with 2 subs, I'd rather get 2 12" so that I can keep the same trunk space that I have now.

I was pretty confident I was making a good choice with the FI Q 15" when I walked in there, but now he's got me thinking that the FI is a cheap one note wonder sub that isn't good for full range music. Is that true? Would a Memphis be better?

Also, when I suggested that I'd almost rather have 1 15" rather than 2, he pointed me toward a Memphis MOJO (he quoted me $750) and the one he showed me handles 800RMS. He told me that would be perfect for my amp because you only want to have the gains up about 3/4th of the way on the JL 1000/1 before it starts to distort, saying that with that amp, to prevent distortion, I'd only really be getting about 750 RMS out of it anyways, and that's why the MOJO would be a better choice than the FI Q.

Please help I don't know what to choose. I'm almost happy with my current system, as I don't need it too much louder, but my girlfriend is needing a system anyways, and I have this JL just sitting around, so I was planning on upgrading anyways, but I don't need to upgrade too far. So with the FI Q 15", it would cost me around 300$ shipped, plus 200$ for the box, leaving my upgrade at only about 500$. If I go with his MOJO suggestion, I'll be paying 750$ + 200$ making the upgrade around 1000$.

I don't know if he's just trying to make a sale, or if he's really right. What would you guys do? Sorry for this being so long I just wanted to explain everything. Thanks for any help in advance. Flames also welcome.

ok...i read the whole thing and here's the summary for everyone else..in bold

edit: had to bold the last statement

 

[tommyk90 5,000+ posts]

The guy is trying to sell you ****, just like every car audio salesman.

The Q is not a one note wonder, and there is no such thing as a Q3 or Q4, he's lying to you. The 15" Q would make a good match with your amp.

As for the space concerns, 2 12's or 1 15" will need pretty close to the same space depending on if you wanted it sealed or ported.

 

[dman4486 5,000+ posts]

you ask me, and he doesn't know sh!t about car audio...go with the q and then show off at that shop...//content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/laugh.gif.48439b2acf2cfca21620f01e7f77d1e4.gif

edit: and the big 3 is a very good decision before doing anything else...

 

[goodstuff 10+ year member]

I don't know if he's just trying to make a sale, or if he's really right.

He owns a shop. He's trying to sell you his products. It's a standard thing they do. What do you mean by electrical went to ****?

 

[Supergumby5000 5,000+ posts]

bahahahaha

 

[audioholic 5,000+ posts]

No such model as a "Q3" or a "Q4" from Fi. They dont do model numbers that way. An obvious lie on the salesman's part.

Secondly, he's owned them before? Riiiight. Fi has been around what, a year and a half now, hardly any locals know about them, and this bonehead has purchased some "Q3" a while ago, determined it was a 'one note wonder', and then sold it. Maybe aliens from Mars riding unicorns bought it off him.

The best part was when he said $300 was alot for a Fi Q, and then recommended a MOJO instead... for $750. How do these people sleep at night?

 

[Shyne151 10+ year member]

I love how you people go into shops expecting installers to know what your "internet lingo" is... I'm the youngest installer at my shop and frequent forums... yah I've had people ask me about big 3.. etc.. and I know what it is. They ask one of the guys that have been doing it for 15years... they won't know what big three is... but if you tell them exactly what it is they will completely understand.

Local shops could give two shits less about internet brands. You guys expect them to know what Fi, RE, IA, etc is... you know how many bull **** ebay brands probably come thru the doors? exactly. You say it's from online, ofcourse they are going to assume it's garbage.

I just love people that read forums and are suddenly "car audio experts". Sorry most installers don't have time to sit on the internet all day and read forums, theylearn from experience instead.

/end of rant.

 

[97gp 5,000+ posts]

Go back and tell him you want that stuff installed. If he reccomends something else say your a jackass and go somewhere else.

 

[iamamp3pimp 5,000+ posts]

I love how you people go into shops expecting installers to know what your "internet lingo" is... I'm the youngest installer at my shop and frequent forums... yah I've had people ask me about big 3.. etc.. and I know what it is. They ask one of the guys that have been doing it for 15years... they won't know what big three is... but if you tell them exactly what it is they will completely understand.
Local shops could give two shits less about internet brands. You guys expect them to know what Fi, RE, IA, etc is... you know how many bull **** ebay brands probably come thru the doors? exactly. You say it's from online, ofcourse they are going to assume it's garbage.

I just love people that read forums and are suddenly "car audio experts". Sorry most installers don't have time to sit on the internet all day and read forums, theylearn from experience instead.

/end of rant.

maybe you should hold a convention and tell them that they are losing out to internet sites and to get with the new crowd then....

ranter

 

[dman4486 5,000+ posts]

I love how you people go into shops expecting installers to know what your "internet lingo" is... I'm the youngest installer at my shop and frequent forums... yah I've had people ask me about big 3.. etc.. and I know what it is. They ask one of the guys that have been doing it for 15years... they won't know what big three is... but if you tell them exactly what it is they will completely understand.
Local shops could give two shits less about internet brands. You guys expect them to know what Fi, RE, IA, etc is... you know how many bull **** ebay brands probably come thru the doors? exactly. You say it's from online, ofcourse they are going to assume it's garbage.

I just love people that read forums and are suddenly "car audio experts". Sorry most installers don't have time to sit on the internet all day and read forums, theylearn from experience instead.

/end of rant.

usually it is not the installers that give you ****...it is the salesman who honestly doesn't know anything and pretends too

 

[hoxie08 5,000+ posts]

I love how you people go into shops expecting installers to know what your "internet lingo" is... I'm the youngest installer at my shop and frequent forums... yah I've had people ask me about big 3.. etc.. and I know what it is. They ask one of the guys that have been doing it for 15years... they won't know what big three is... but if you tell them exactly what it is they will completely understand.
Local shops could give two shits less about internet brands. You guys expect them to know what Fi, RE, IA, etc is... you know how many bull **** ebay brands probably come thru the doors? exactly. You say it's from online, ofcourse they are going to assume it's garbage.

I just love people that read forums and are suddenly "car audio experts". Sorry most installers don't have time to sit on the internet all day and read forums, theylearn from experience instead.

/end of rant.

the fact of the matter was he was lying about owning one of the Fi Q's. Obviously he is shady and just trying to make a sale. I wouldn't buy from him just for that reason.

 

[audioholic 5,000+ posts]

I love how you people go into shops expecting installers to know what your "internet lingo" is... I'm the youngest installer at my shop and frequent forums... yah I've had people ask me about big 3.. etc.. and I know what it is. They ask one of the guys that have been doing it for 15years... they won't know what big three is... but if you tell them exactly what it is they will completely understand.
Local shops could give two shits less about internet brands. You guys expect them to know what Fi, RE, IA, etc is... you know how many bull **** ebay brands probably come thru the doors? exactly. You say it's from online, ofcourse they are going to assume it's garbage.

I just love people that read forums and are suddenly "car audio experts". Sorry most installers don't have time to sit on the internet all day and read forums, theylearn from experience instead.

/end of rant.

Your reading comprehension *****. This 'professional' said the big 3, once explained to him, was worthless. We doont bash a 'pro' for not knowing the lingo "big 3", we bash them if they dismiss the idea. A pro should know better.
If you have customers come in once ina while asking about the "big 3", is it so hard for these veteran installers to remember what the term means?

Any 'pro' who assumes a brand is junk because it was purchased off the internet is simply lazy and/or ignorant. How many 'internet-only' brands are there that are junk? Pyle? Pyramid? Boss? The majority of junk brands are mass-marketed flea market stuff. Purchasing from the internet does not increase the chances of the product being junk versus buying a product locally. And assuming the brand is junk because they have never heard of it before shows their ego is bigger than their will to learn about their own industry they chose to make a career of.

I love guys that install speakers in doors all day long, and all the sudden that makes them 'experts' in all things car audio.