How to pick between two vendor shops?

[dennismv]

I have a local install shop where I live and a remote shop 30 miles away closer to my work.

local shop has

• a nice head unit and speaker display everything works
  
• they have "eye candy" to look at while at the store
  
• store front is very small
  
• store front is clean, i.e. you could bring foreign dignitaries in there if you like
  
• prices they charge are "set", so i.e. head unit install is exactly this much, amp install is that much
  

remote shop has

• 4-5 times as bigger customer area
  
• shop has overall more of a in-the-works feel to it - it's clean but not show-worthy
  
• pricing for installation is more labor based (i.e I'll charge you for X hours or labor)
  
• head unit and speaker display has holes in it where head units should be, it's working but "in the works"
  
• they share their space with a towing company
  

local shop's first opening to do install on my car is 2 weeks away.

remote shop can give me a spot within a few days.

All I want is a quality install and I can wait 2 weeks but why not enjoy the install sooner than later. But for example if local shop will do superior job I rather wait for them.

Given all this information, is one a clear winner? Is there enough information? Should I toss a coin?

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[big scott]

forget all that bull.

look at there installed.

that will tell YOU whats better.

 

[adulbrich 5,000+ posts]

Yeah, take a look at installs they've done and see if they back up their work with guarantees.

There are a couple shops in my area. One is really high-end and has a world-class installer. Their showroom is fantastic and clean. They charge a high price and are always booked/busy, but do good work.

Another shop in the area has bars on the windows, half the displays are partial or missing. Their best installs were when their main installer worked there. He since switched and is working at the shop I mentioned above^. They're cheaper, but the quality is sub-par.

I don't get audio work done by shops. If you're a handy type of person, you can learn a lot from this site and do things yourself. That way you don't have to pay other people to install things.

 

[dailyrider123]

read reviews by googling each shop and still its somewhat of a coin toss. Some shops not all, claim to have installed certain things within a picture that they really haven't so be careful just looking at shops portfolio .

 

[djr4x4]

Who cares how either place looks like.. Which one actually knows there stuff and is a good installer. That's your million dollar question for either 2 shops.

 

[Massive spl]

Where at in Michigan are you? Altimate automotive is the best shop around

 

[wew lad 5,000+ posts]

be prepared to pay for the correct work, if you want the cosmetics to be absolutely perfect, tell them, and ask them you're prepared to spend the extra money to do it perfect. I dont see how it would matter for a basic headunit and amp install as long as wires are hidden and terminated appropriately, they'll likely have the same in dash adapter and whatnot.

 

[dennismv]

Where at in Michigan are you? Altimate automotive is the best shop around

I cycle between Allen Park and Monroe MI. Altimate is 2 hours away from me

I am basically looking for Sound Quality-centric install. I suppose what I seek is HU, and mono and 4-channel amps installed. It's the very basics. I am probably going to be more concerned about how amps are tuned.

 

[hispls 5,000+ posts]

Any shop that's not a complete bunch of hacks should be able to do a head-pop 4 channel and door speakers. If you're looking to get custom mounting, fiberglass, custom box, or deadening done, best to see some of their work and get a feel for the quality.

Really most shops have some cars around showing off their work, or at least some photos.