Things have changed...

[R05Nismo 10+ year member]

What the hell is it with the car audio shops around these days??? When I was really into car audio years ago I had a local shop that sold some good brands, I bought all of my Phoenix Gold stuff from them way back when...they where really cool and honest about everything. Now that i'm getting back into things i've been doing most of my research online but I would really like to hear what i'm buying first. Well that shop closed along time ago...So my first stop Circuit City, guy comes over says ..how can I help you...well..i'm going to just stop with that one now. Next I looked up an old shop I remember and found out they expanded and thought ok this is cool i'll check it out. I remeber them having alot of top brands also. Walk in guy comes over I tell him i'm looking to hear some component sets, I ask about the Boston Pro's...he says (THEY ****!!! There JUNK) so we stopped dealing with them...I'm thinking to myself...wtf. He goes on and says about a few others that are JUNK also.. So I walk over to the car audio with him and all they had was JL. I do want to hear the C5 components but they didnt have them. He then told me that nothing compares to JL mostly with there subs and amps. Now is the funny part...10mins later after some of my questions he tells me this ( I dont really know what your talking about...I just know what I learned from working here and everyone around here using JL) So I left...

Last place was a small place with a JL sticker on the window so I stop in and ask if they had the C5 components. Guy looked at me like I was retarded.. He says ummm...im not sure..as he's looking at the subs and amps..So the owner walks over and says..what you looking for..I said the JL C5 component set...He's like...Speakers???? ya buddy...there speakers. Oh..well no I dont carry speakers just the amps and subs...OK...thanks see ya..

Anyone else have places like this or what????

So after all it looks like i'm going to either pick an older set that i've heard like the Boston Pro's or Just take some advise on here and pick a set.

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[azimuth 5,000+ posts]

yeah. i've found it difficult to actually listen to decent component sets here too. best place i've found here in denver is ultimate electronics, formerly soundtrack. the diamond audio sets sound nice btw. $$$$$$$$$$$$

 

[miker 5,000+ posts]

ultimate electronics carries good stuff?

 

[azimuth 5,000+ posts]

ultimate electronics carries good stuff?

they carry diamond, which is good stuff. they carry good head units, just like any other car audio shop here. subs and components are limited, diamond is really the higher quality stuff they carry. they carry a decent selection of amplifiers as well.

 

[kmanian 5,000+ posts]

I also am from the old school, and found the same thing basically. Hence my being on this fourm, I have found out alot has changed, brands that were great in the late 80's and 90's are now owned and run by the companies that you laughed at before, and there are some new companies that have taken their place. If you do some searching and get involved with some of the threads here you will pick it up pretty quick. There are some very smart individuals on here as well as some serious dumb azz'es, but you seem to know a thing or two so I am sure you will weed the good from the bad fairly quickly.

Welcome back.

 

[germanyt 10+ year member]

There are places like that everywhere. Around here there is Car Toys. They aren't too bad as far as equipment goes. The carry everything from the cheapie comps to Focal Utopias. Subs, i guess the best they have are the W7s and the JBL GT. They charge too mcuh though. Magnolia Audio/Video is the place to go for a 10,000 dollar install. The sell good stuff like Diamond, Pioneer, Nak, Rockford. They speciallize in home theater but do great car installs.

 

[97gmcsierra 10+ year member]

I wish I knew what the old school days were like.//content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/crying.gif.ec0ebefe590df0251476573bc49e46d8.gif These stupid audio shops and big time stores(CC,BB) make me feel and look like a genius about car audio and I know I'm far from it. I went into CC and asked what amp would be best out of Kicker to MTX and the guy told me they were made by the same company. He said they just had different cases. I never knew that......//content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/frown.gif.a3531fa0534503350665a1e957861287.gif Is that true? People are getting more ignorant everyday.//content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/crap.gif.7f4dd41e3e9b23fbd170a1ee6f65cecc.gif I dont even go to the local shops in the neighboring town anymore. One charges out the a$$ for stuff and the other guy opens his shop for about 4 hours a day and never has the items I need.

 

[JimJ 5,000+ posts]

Oh..well no I dont carry speakers just the amps and subs...OK...thanks see ya..Anyone else have places like this or what????

Look around on this forum, specifically, the ratio of posts in the Speakers section to the Subwoofers section. And then wonder why a set of $90 passive components are all the rage...//content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif

To many people, all you need for a "system" is subbass. So if a shop is marketing to the typical brain-dead consumer, that's all they're going to carry, unfortunately.

 

[Flipx99 5,000+ posts]

I propose a mandatory 2:1 ratio of the amt spent on front stage vs. "sub stage".

 

[atoz350 10+ year member]

I went into CC and asked what amp would be best out of Kicker to MTX and the guy told me they were made by the same company. He said they just had different cases. I never knew that......//content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/frown.gif.a3531fa0534503350665a1e957861287.gif Is that true?

No it's not true. He was talking out of his ***. Kicker is made by Stillwater Designs and MTX is made by Mitek Audio. Two totally different companies. Mitek, however, decided to copy Stillwater's heatsink design from their current ZX line of amplifiers, which probably confused the poor kid.

 

[IgnoreMe 5,000+ posts]

now darkness, the tables have turned!

 

[audioholic 5,000+ posts]

There have always been crappy car audio shops around. Consider yourself lucky you found a good one. Too bad it went under tho huh? Good places dive while the crappy places flourish, go figure. I guess it pays to sell junk and lie about it.

 

[97gmcsierra 10+ year member]

No it's not true. He was talking out of his ***. Kicker is made by Stillwater Designs and MTX is made by Mitek Audio. Two totally different companies. Mitek, however, decided to copy Stillwater's heatsink design from their current ZX line of amplifiers, which probably confused the poor kid.

That's what I thought. He was the head installer, too. I'm glad I know how to do my own stuff.