shop owners

[DARKHART 10+ year member]

If only. I tell the shop here I run IA, Sundown, or AB and want to find something comparable in quality and they look at me like wtf is that? Then proceed try to push power acoustik or audiopipe on me. I ask for higher end stuff and they point me to Kenwood or RF. Not even the excelon line. smh

What people that mostly buy online have to understand is that SOOOOOO many brick and mortar shops and their owners are set in their ways and honestly have no clue as to any of the net brands. Most of these shops don't even attend or sponsor shows anymore thus they don't really see what's actually going on the audio community, all they see is what's being sold in their market or what their rep is pushing. So when that "obnoxious little net brand" shopper comes in they get the blow off, which is not the correct way to do business but it is a fact of life. Yes I did also say OBNOXIOUS because I've dealt with so many that have come in and yes most believe that they know more than I do and in some cases they may be about certain things but it's very rare that they do but yes it gets very annoying. Most tend to calm down and come off their high horse when they realize that I know more about most of the net brands than they do, it's kind of like watching a deer caught in headlights lol....

I try to keep up with most net brands but honestly there is a new one every week and it gets redundant....

 

[d77543020 10+ year member]

If only. I tell the shop here I run IA, Sundown, or AB and want to find something comparable in quality and they look at me like wtf is that? Then proceed try to push power acoustik or audiopipe on me. I ask for higher end stuff and they point me to Kenwood or RF. Not even the excelon line. smh

I have a lot of shops in my area that also sell a lot of the lower end stuff and it's just because you get these guys who don't want to spend any money so they're kind of forced to Carrie junk and make some money or carry high end stuff and go broke

 

[cfox10 10+ year member]

What people that mostly buy online have to understand is that SOOOOOO many brick and mortar shops and their owners are set in their ways and honestly have no clue as to any of the net brands. Most of these shops don't even attend or sponsor shows anymore thus they don't really see what's actually going on the audio community, all they see is what's being sold in their market or what their rep is pushing. So when that "obnoxious little net brand" shopper comes in they get the blow off, which is not the correct way to do business but it is a fact of life. Yes I did also say OBNOXIOUS because I've dealt with so many that have come in and yes most believe that they know more than I do and in some cases they may be about certain things but it's very rare that they do but yes it gets very annoying. Most tend to calm down and come off their high horse when they realize that I know more about most of the net brands than they do, it's kind of like watching a deer caught in headlights lol....I try to keep up with most net brands but honestly there is a new one every week and it gets redundant....

I understand that completely but when I have a team member who is simultaneiously sponsored by this local shop and they sponsor him with dc alts, digital designs subs, as well as amps. and try to push power acoustik stuff on me, it pisses me off. They shouldn't sell someone something else because they don't think they know the difference. They should sell quality products and carry a few low end stuff for people asking for it. I specifically asked for something that would handle 1k tuned in the mid 30's in roughly 2-3 cubes. They asked what I was running at the time (a single ported sa 10) and pointed me to some chit product.

 

[cfox10 10+ year member]

I have a lot of shops in my area that also sell a lot of the lower end stuff and it's just because you get these guys who don't want to spend any money so they're kind of forced to Carrie junk and make some money or carry high end stuff and go broke

I have no problem with them carrying lower lines, but when I specifically ask for something that will handle 1k daily and is comparable to something like sundown don't point me to some shitt[y product, know what I mean? Another shop in town tried selling me a soundstream double din for 800 bucks. Touting off some stuff about exo on youtube runs this and he's big in the game like meade and it's a competition headunit blah blah blah... it had 2v preouts and a slow/shit ui

 

[DARKHART 10+ year member]

I have a lot of shops in my area that also sell a lot of the lower end stuff and it's just because you get these guys who don't want to spend any money so they're kind of forced to Carrie junk and make some money or carry high end stuff and go broke

I get what you are saying but honestly there are just some brands that I don't want my name or the shop I work for associated with, we get people all the time that are just going to be CHEAP period and I generally let them walk without wasting too much time. There two shops around the corner from us and they are literally within throwing distance from one another, but they carry BOSS, AUDIOPIPE, TView and the likes and more power to them but that is what THEIR customers want or is happy with. My customer is not the boss, audiopipe, tview customer and I don't try very hard to change the ones that are because they are the people that buy only on price, they want the cheapest, the "hookup" deal. My least expensive 12" subwoofer is $109.99 and to my customers that's a great value, if you want something cheaper than that then you need to go around the corner.....

 

[DARKHART 10+ year member]

I understand that completely but when I have a team member who is simultaneiously sponsored by this local shop and they sponsor him with dc alts, digital designs subs, as well as amps. and try to push power acoustik stuff on me, it pisses me off. They shouldn't sell someone something else because they don't think they know the difference. They should sell quality products and carry a few low end stuff for people asking for it. I specifically asked for something that would handle 1k tuned in the mid 30's in roughly 2-3 cubes. They asked what I was running at the time (a single ported sa 10) and pointed me to some chit product.

That's very odd because if they carrying DD, DC and the likes then they know something of the popular net brands and honestly they simply didn't do their job when qualifying you and your needs....

 

[Jeffdachef 5,000+ posts]

I have no problem with them carrying lower lines, but when I specifically ask for something that will handle 1k daily and is comparable to something like sundown don't point me to some shitt[y product, know what I mean? Another shop in town tried selling me a soundstream double din for 800 bucks. Touting off some stuff about exo on youtube runs this and he's big in the game like meade and it's a competition headunit blah blah blah... it had 2v preouts and a slow/shit ui

you have some pretty shoddy luck with the shops in your town man lol. I've had luck with shops in my city, while the run of the mill shops will carry kenwood pioneer alpine kicker rockford and JL, I have local Digital Designs, audison, morel, hertz, focal, powerbass, shok industries, audio control, Skam audio, soundstream and hifonics dealers. Most of these shops do pretty good labor from what i've heard about them, soldering all connections, oscilloscopes and DD-1s, proper baffles etc. The only downside is its hella expensive.

even the most run down shops say they will never carry boss, lanzar or Power accoustik

there is several shops that actually almost matches internet prices. What costs 67 on amazon will cost you 74 at the shop, so thats normally my go to shop for medium grade equipment for friends and family.

 

[Beatin' 10+ year member]

blah blah blah the bad internet blah blah blah

If it wasn't for distributor prices, I wouldn't be into car audio, and car audio equipment manufacturers wouldn't have made money off of me.

I ain't spending $500 on an amp when I can get it for $230. Fuck that......

This is capitalism baby, get used to it.

 

[d77543020 10+ year member]

I have no problem with them carrying lower lines, but when I specifically ask for something that will handle 1k daily and is comparable to something like sundown don't point me to some shitt[y product, know what I mean? Another shop in town tried selling me a soundstream double din for 800 bucks. Touting off some stuff about exo on youtube runs this and he's big in the game like meade and it's a competition headunit blah blah blah... it had 2v preouts and a slow/shit ui

I have also seen a lot of thisgoing to different shops selling crap for high prices and those are the guys I like pulling out the phone and show them the internet price

 

[trumpet 5,000+ posts]

I have to comment on RE Audio since we can buy it from a distributor. I was interested in it as another known brand when I found out they had picked up RE, until I found out just how bad it is with Internet sales. Take a look at RE's web site for their list of authorized distributors. Sonic Electronix is one of their distributors. They're selling RE for less than we can buy it for. **** that. RE Audio would be a massive mistake for any brick and mortar store to sell.

 

[d77543020 10+ year member]

I have to comment on RE Audio since we can buy it from a distributor. I was interested in it as another known brand when I found out they had picked up RE, until I found out just how bad it is with Internet sales. Take a look at RE's web site for their list of authorized distributors. Sonic Electronix is one of their distributors. They're selling RE for less than we can buy it for. **** that. RE Audio would be a massive mistake for any brick and mortar store to sell.

if sonic is one of your dealers then there is no chance to compete if your a smaller dealer

 

[blobb454 10+ year member]

That's very odd because if they carrying DD, DC and the likes then they know something of the popular net brands and honestly they simply didn't do their job when qualifying you and your needs....

Wish you were around here man... We dont have **** here except for like Best Buy...

 

[neo_styles 10+ year member]

Wish you were around here man... We dont have **** here except for like Best Buy...

We HAD Soundman, but their pricing was full retail with no wiggle room. Seems all the Amplified fame got to their heads after a while, Allyn left, and the shop couldn't keep up. Now the remaining guys are working out of some small garage trying to make ends meet. Never found out if Doug moved back to the midwest or not, though.

I guess things are different here in LA, but we really don't have anyone who carries brands like Incriminator, DC, or Sundown that I've seen. Image Dynamics? Of course. But they have to compete with Woofers Etc, too.

 

[trumpet 5,000+ posts]

We HAD Soundman, but their pricing was full retail with no wiggle room. Seems all the Amplified fame got to their heads after a while, Allyn left, and the shop couldn't keep up. Now the remaining guys are working out of some small garage trying to make ends meet. Never found out if Doug moved back to the midwest or not, though.

If you want to know about Soundman it's all online. About contact I don't know why you made it seem so mysterious. Doug has a smaller location where he can focus on building iPad dashes. He's said on Amplified that the usual grind was getting old and he wasn't enjoying it anymore. I personally wish Spoon, Allyn and Johnny were still around but things change.

 

[neo_styles 10+ year member]

If you want to know about Soundman it's all online. About contact I don't know why you made it seem so mysterious. Doug has a smaller location where he can focus on building iPad dashes. He's said on Amplified that the usual grind was getting old and he wasn't enjoying it anymore. I personally wish Spoon, Allyn and Johnny were still around but things change.

Allyn's still around, but he works R&D for Sonic and NVX as well as does installs at their shop. I've talked to him a few times when I've had to pick up small parts from their Will Call. I haven't been on the site in a while, so I apologize if anything sounded mysterious and wasn't aware they were still maintaining the site.