Expanding our Horizons! :)

[Toone 10+ year member]

wow noone said memphis. if you go that route youll be the only way people can get there items with a warranty.

edit:i was beat to memph

 

[SicAudio 5,000+ posts]

alot of pawn shops are dealers for memphis here in Co

 

[soundstreamer 10+ year member]

1.) What other brands/products do you think are worth the money? (I'd rather get set up with Quality products, not just stuff that's cheap.)

JL is a good money maker. Diamond, Morel, DLS for the SQ people, Digital Designs and DC Audio for the SPL people.

2.) What brands of h/u is everyone running these days - which ones are good for SQ, which ones have all the gizmos, and which ones are just a good bang for the buck?

Pioneer, Alpine, and Eclipse have decks for every price range

3.) Do you think that Installing Car Alarms / Remote Starts is absolutely necessary at an Audio shop?

Remote start will keep you busy through winter.

4.) I'm highly interested in the In-Car PC systems, and want to know everyone's take on them - are you guys putting them in yet, and how well is the technology coming along? If you think there is a demand for this, what products have you used and had work well?

Most people aren't interested in going with PCs in their cars. None of the shops in my area do them, but I doubt they would bring much business...

 

 

I think if you keep your prices fair and back the work done in your install bay you'll do fine. Help inform the customers of what they are looking for to suit their needs and they'll tell a friend, mess up an install and tell the customer to get lost and they'll tell everyone. Sponsoring competitions every now and then will get people into your parking lot.

 

[theabunai 10+ year member]

AS you do more research you will come to understand price point and how it relates to a company like JL and a company like Sundown...

Soon (like shops i deal with) you will understand why kicker and JL are losing foot holds in smaller shops and products lik

Sundown

Ascendant Audio

DC Sounds

Incriminator Audio

etc etc

are becoming more and more feasible..

I would definitely look at these

Sundown Audio, Ascendant Audio, DC Sounds, Soundigital, German maestro (the original mb quart licensed under a new name), Rainbow audio, stetsom, Digital Designs, xs power, kinetik, Autopage (multiple ces innovations award winners), DEI alarms, RE Audio, US amps, second skin, DLS and Diamond audio...

Of course this should be along side you main stream brands like alpine, pioneer, kenwood and rockford...

Most of the above may not even have a booth at CES... mainly cause they don't need to necessarily push their poduct with flashing lights and a sales man.. they let the product and the people who use them be the real advertising... I notice a lot of shops in my hometown are switching over to the brands i listed above who have low overhead and can offer a good product for lesser money to which a dealer can make more money then if they went with a mainstream company...

We have local comps and the last time i saw a JL amp competing in the lanes was a very long time ago.... //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/cool.gif.3bcaf8f141236c00f8044d07150e34f7.gif

This is not to say that comps are the only reason people buy product.. but if a product does well in a local comp its a great way to back up what your selling

 

[SicAudio 5,000+ posts]

DLS is an awesome product i was stoaked when I was allowed to carry the Classic line.

 

[csu87 10+ year member]

i would be pretty happy to see a sundown or dd or fi dealer in colorado.

 

[x1le 10+ year member]

Yeah, that's what I kinda figured. 7-8 years ago when I was doing them, the integration into the newer vehicles sucked donkey balls to put it lightly. I certainly hope that the newer technology is better! I really am not looking forward to the Alarm/Remstart installs, but like you said, it's probably inevitable. Hopefully I am surprised by the new stuff //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif

remote starts will definitely be awakening. The bypass' have come a long way, and can be a p.i.t.a. lol. However, some are awesome. I love cars where all I have to do is hook up ignition wires and data wires, the door locks, alarm, trunk are all through data. it's pretty jazzy //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/cool.gif.3bcaf8f141236c00f8044d07150e34f7.gif

 

[TwiztedEng]

I think if you keep your prices fair and back the work done in your install bay you'll do fine. Help inform the customers of what they are looking for to suit their needs and they'll tell a friend, mess up an install and tell the customer to get lost and they'll tell everyone. Sponsoring competitions every now and then will get people into your parking lot.

Boy, isn't that the truth!!! A good deed gets one or two leads, a screw up ruins an unmentionable number of them!! I am pretty proud to say that my shop already has a pretty good reputation, and I hope to keep that up continuing into this market! I certainly try very hard to make sure everyone remains happy with the product I produce. As far as competitions - do you think DB comps are the only thing that would be attended or do you think some SQ comps would also go over well?

AS you do more research you will come to understand price point and how it relates to a company like JL and a company like Sundown...

Boy, I saw some of the JL pricing that I will be getting, and I was surprised at how reasonable it was.... Of course I'm used to the markups associated with a different type of automotive product, so my views might be a little skewed. OR, maybe JL (their dealer programs are all-new for this year) has realized that they were losing business and has made some changes?!?! I hope for the latter because JL seems to have a good name around here in terms of my existing customers.

remote starts will definitely be awakening. The bypass' have come a long way, and can be a p.i.t.a. lol. However, some are awesome. I love cars where all I have to do is hook up ignition wires and data wires, the door locks, alarm, trunk are all through data. it's pretty jazzy //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/cool.gif.3bcaf8f141236c00f8044d07150e34f7.gif

Hey, now that's some of the best news I've heard in a while! That sort of install almost makes me want to do it //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif

-I know that I didn't quote ALL of everyone's post above but please don't think that the rest of your posts weren't appreciated! Thanks to everyone for posting up their knowledge! Keep it coming!! //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/cool.gif.3bcaf8f141236c00f8044d07150e34f7.gif

-Darren

 

[theabunai 10+ year member]

yups darren exactly (in reagrds to JL) I've seen JL dealer lists and even there incentive programs I work for a shop that sells JL amongst other brands. Then you compare it to a pricelist like sundown audio who has lower price point and a reputation for quality that is growing like a brushfire due to customer service and strong showing at events..

In fact we are only 1 of 2 JL dealers in my state yet sundown gets asked more about then JL.. we stock and move more sundown then JL.. this is not to say JL is not good (i've ran them myself) but to see with your own eyes in regards to efficiency (with a clamp meter) and db score on a TL when you swap a JL 1000 watt amp out with an sundown 1000 watt amp that is 75 dollars less and has better efficiency and increase in the DB score almost .7db how easy it is to sell the sundown amp...

I'm like you probably been in the car audio business for over 16 years and seen brands come and go..

and if there was one thing i learned (now that i am a rep and still work part time installing) you gotta go with what's hot even thought they are not mainstream (since these will be the brands that make the store unique) while at the same time have those mainstream brands that last through time to be a successful business..

These internet or proven internet brands like sundown Ascendant audio etc etc not only shows that your store is "up to date" wth the car audio scene but they are also what sets your sore apart from the othe shop carrying JL or rockford...

These brands are what may tell a customer who lives hour away from you but 20 minutes away from your competing store that carries JL to make the trip to your store instead.. "I should head over to twizted store to check out that Ascendant audio sub i saw on the interwebz and if i don't like it they got the old tried and true JL anyways"

 

[Bumpin' Goalie 10+ year member]

I think what comps you attend can directly be associated with what you sell. If most of your inventory is geared towards spl, go to spl comps. and visa versa. go to where there are the most potential buyers for your product.

Also, i know its been said. but remote start and alarms will keep you afloat in winter whereas audio and that genre will run through summer.

Also, try to have a different inventory than the other shops around. which for you i believe is Drive-In and CarToys. That way prices dont have to be laterally matched. gives you more room to wiggle financially and also can help you keep clients while peaking curiosity of leads.

Great customer service and an adequate product usually leads towards success

 

[TwiztedEng]

yups darren exactly (in reagrds to JL) I've seen JL dealer lists and even there incentive programs I work for a shop that sells JL amongst other brands. Then you compare it to a pricelist like sundown audio who has lower price point and a reputation for quality that is growing like a brushfire due to customer service and strong showing at events..
In fact we are only 1 of 2 JL dealers in my state yet sundown gets asked more about then JL.. we stock and move more sundown then JL.. this is not to say JL is not good (i've ran them myself) but to see with your own eyes in regards to efficiency (with a clamp meter) and db score on a TL when you swap a JL 1000 watt amp out with an sundown 1000 watt amp that is 75 dollars less and has better efficiency and increase in the DB score almost .7db how easy it is to sell the sundown amp...

I'm like you probably been in the car audio business for over 16 years and seen brands come and go..

and if there was one thing i learned (now that i am a rep and still work part time installing) you gotta go with what's hot even thought they are not mainstream (since these will be the brands that make the store unique) while at the same time have those mainstream brands that last through time to be a successful business..

These internet or proven internet brands like sundown Ascendant audio etc etc not only shows that your store is "up to date" wth the car audio scene but they are also what sets your sore apart from the othe shop carrying JL or rockford...

These brands are what may tell a customer who lives hour away from you but 20 minutes away from your competing store that carries JL to make the trip to your store instead.. "I should head over to twizted store to check out that Ascendant audio sub i saw on the interwebz and if i don't like it they got the old tried and true JL anyways"

Totally! I am planning on carrying JL and Rockford Fosgate as my two mainstream manufacturers - the rest is still up for grabs, and there are a select few that keep coming up in this thread, so I will be paying the most attention to them if they are at CES. If they aren't, I will certainly do some serious fighting to get them into my shop //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif I'm really glad to hear that companies like Sundown exist now, and am excited to see (and hear of course) their products!

I think what comps you attend can directly be associated with what you sell. If most of your inventory is geared towards spl' date=' go to spl comps. and visa versa. go to where there are the most potential buyers for your product.
Also, i know its been said. but remote start and alarms will keep you afloat in winter whereas audio and that genre will run through summer.

Also, try to have a different inventory than the other shops around. which for you i believe is Drive-In and CarToys. That way prices dont have to be laterally matched. gives you more room to wiggle financially and also can help you keep clients while peaking curiosity of leads.

Great customer service and an adequate product usually leads towards success[/quote']

I am personally more of an SQ guy myself, but also see the desire for SPL. If I had the choice, I'd carry more of the higher-end SQ products, but in this economy I'm not sure that would be the right move. I think that getting the right combo of products into my shop right now will be difficult, as I cannot "read" the local buyers very well. I think that a lot of bass in a vehicle will always sell, whereas a very expensive but amazing sounding system might not. My main local competition is Car Toys, and even they are quite a ways away - and their prices are sky-high too. So really I should have no competition in my direct area. There are definitely some good custom shops a little further away, so they are really going to be my competition I think.

And yes, I will be looking at Alarms/Remstarts at the show too - I will be carrying them also! *sigh* Haha

-Darren

 

[Bumpin' Goalie 10+ year member]

CarToys is a pretty cookie-cutter store. Looks nice, decent service, but quite pricey for anything worthwhile. (my first few systems came from them in the Springs, shhhh!)

And i agree, groundpounding will always be in style to a majority people. whereas SQ builds are quite harder to sell due to most people being reluctant to spend the adequate amount of money and time.

 

[murilo 10+ year member]

We are in the process of placing a build house for the smaller amplifiers in the USA, we expect to bring down the price of those amplifiers.

 

[SicAudio 5,000+ posts]

W00T for SD baby !!!!

you go Murilo

 

[TnT_Sounds 10+ year member]

i would be pretty happy to see a sundown or dd or fi dealer in colorado.

There's a dd dealer in Denver. Fi is only direct so AA is the next choice for Dealer.

Would be nice to have more quality shops in CO with good product like Sundown or DC. None of the RF/Kicker stuff thats slinged everywhere. Although the Kicker Hyperflex is good shit, I get it practicaly a $1 a ft.