Buying car audio from BB, CC type places

[Fine Vol 10+ year member]

Lets say you buy a Alpine PDX from Best Buy and then you go to a respected car audio store and buy the same amp, is it the same quality? I thought if kicker makes 50000 amps for CC then mabey the quality is lessened because they are mass produced? What is the story?

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[lilmaniac2 5,000+ posts]

No, companies rarely change qc for companies, they normally will do a large run as a whole, and then distribute it as needed. although for walmart I honestly think Pioneer has cut QC on some of there lines as a whole.

 

[Fine Vol 10+ year member]

Yea I though QC would be lessoned for chains.

 

[01 S 10 10+ year member]

If is the same exact model, probably not. If its a slightly different model that your only seeing in BB, CC, then there is a possibility because of the mass production of it. same with Pioneer/JVC at Walmart.

 

[pawn man 10+ year member]

i think pioneer make a dif. mod. for walmart on the headunits.

 

[Haunz 10+ year member]

it's not uncommon to see this with HUs... same deck with a slightly diff model # and a cheaper price....

 

[xxBURT0Nxx 10+ year member]

Yeah, as long as model numbers are the same, I would say same quality.

 

[Ed Lester 10+ year member]

Walmart sells different model #s.

When a company produces an amp or sub that is the same general model # as everywhere else, they dont know who it will be shipped to. The customers (BB CC or mom and Pop) all get the same equipment.

They make the amp, it sits on a pallet, then an order is placed and that pallet goes out.

 

[Saint211 10+ year member]

You're acting like BB and CC sell flea-bay gear....

Last time I was in best buy I saw rockford, alpine and infinity.

To the average joe, thats top end gear.

 

[SRim23 5,000+ posts]

i dont know how close these two would be related but when i worked at a fastener factory (nuts and bolts) we had certain QC requirements for certain companies even though we were shipping them the same part. so i guess its possible. i wouldnt say that the amps are any different, but it may be more of a gamble buying one from the other if they are checked differently.

i know when i bought my dell laptop a representative from dell said if you buy from the site it is hand built and tested before its shipped to you, but if you buy a dell from BB they are checked at random and not all get tested before they are shipped. i didnt really care cause they all carry the same warranty so i saved a couple hundred bucks by buying it on sale at BB. 6 months and its working just fine.