Is my local car shop morons or just trying to sell me something??

[jadon087 10+ year member]

I love how you people go into shops expecting installers to know what your "internet lingo" is... I'm the youngest installer at my shop and frequent forums... yah I've had people ask me about big 3.. etc.. and I know what it is. They ask one of the guys that have been doing it for 15years... they won't know what big three is... but if you tell them exactly what it is they will completely understand.
Local shops could give two shits less about internet brands. You guys expect them to know what Fi, RE, IA, etc is... you know how many bull **** ebay brands probably come thru the doors? exactly. You say it's from online, ofcourse they are going to assume it's garbage.

I just love people that read forums and are suddenly "car audio experts". Sorry most installers don't have time to sit on the internet all day and read forums, theylearn from experience instead.

/end of rant.

Considering that the internet is supposedly goin to be the main source of shopping in the future i would suggest they give a few shits about internet brands and boards. Garbage or not internet sales seem to be rising and store sales well you probably know from the number bring in installs yall get.

 

[audioholic 5,000+ posts]

I dont think there are more crooks than before. I think the average car audio enthusiast is getting more educated, and these shady B&M's trying to sell voodoo dont like it one bit. Gone are the days of 300% mark-up without anyone noticing. Gone are the days of selling someone car audio snake oil with little to no chance of consequences. Gone are the days of idiots with no real education being labeled as a knowledgeable 'pro' simply because they get paid to install.

 

[dman4486 5,000+ posts]

Basically, the car ran beautifully for 6 months. I get this system installed into my Lincoln (it's a totally electrical car). I was a total noob at car audio and got the system for 400$, let them install it and didn't even know about upgrading anything or even adding a 2nd battery. The shop didn't tell me or suggest anything like that, other than a capacitor, but I had a friend tell me that a 2nd battery would be better so I didn't do it. Well, I pound the **** out of the system (it was dimming the lights so bad, almost to where they were turning off on hard bass notes) and within 2 months, all types of stuff went wrong with the car. First fuses were blowing (not audio fuses either, like car fuses. Then headlights were blowing. Then the traction control module burned out. Then the heater fan module burned up. My dumbass continued to bump my **** loud regardless. I ended up having to trade the car in (luckily it drove well enough for the salesman and they gave me 2k on it in trade, but it had over 4k worth of work needing done in just electrical stuff. a headlight for a 98 lincoln is 800$).
Anyways, I don't blame the shop, it was my fault, but I didn't realize that letting a car get low voltage could mess a car up that bad, but I learned my lesson.

fyi...it most likely wasn't the low voltage causing your issues, it was spikes...overvoltage from the regulator trying to keep up with the instantaneous load

 

[KINGDELL91 10+ year member]

Man forget that silly shop!! All the are concerned about is selling what they have so they can make money **** what u want!!! I say get a Fi Q 15, RE SX something like that. ( you will be very happy) Also i would not go to them to do anything they might try to stick it to you again!!! I say do it your self and check with the guys on the forum if you need help or have questions!!! Depending on where u live u can hook up with a local guy on the forum that know what he is doing and thy could help you with your install.

oh yeah do all the upgrades if you can afford it HO ALT, BIG 3, 2nd batt, and plenty of 1/0 your amp will thank you for it, and it will give you something to work with in case u want to upgrade again!!!

 

[IDSkoT 5,000+ posts]

Ok, that's what I thought. I mean I'm totally noob, but I've been reading you guys for about a month now and I think I'm learning alot. When he said he had a Q3 before and it was trash it made me wonder. Yah, he was saying how since it was only a 300$ speaker, that "you get what you pay for", and that was right after he said "oh 300$ for that sub? I remember those things being like 150$ They're crap".
Thanks for all the help though guys. I was thinking the single 15" FI Q would be perfect for that amp (and a cheap upgrade too) but he almost gave me exact opposite advice of everything I've read on this forum. I even had to argue with them about the big 3, and even when he agreed to do it, he said that only upgrading the alt to battery wire would even make a difference. He said the other 2 grounds were pointless, and the last one was especially pointless because the 2nd one was exactly the same as the 3rd (engine to chassi i think).

After that, I would've took my money and went somewhere else. Anyone who 1) Argues with a customer over a job the customer is adamant to get done and 2) Doesn't know that DC current flows through positive AND negative is an idiot.

If he was the "installer" I'd have a friend or someone take a closer look. Or even take pictures and show us. He probably did a sh*t job.

Most local shops are like that, money traps. I had a 600x1 Amp for my 250-RMSx2 Subs. The guy swore I was gunna blow my speakers right when I turned it up over like 25% volume.

3 months later, still bumps harder than their show van, and they're POS 10" JBLs.

 

[IDSkoT 5,000+ posts]

^^^ I think this is mostly it. The owner of the place seemed to know alot and was much friendlier and less full of it. The salesmen seemed to talk big but the one I talked to today said that memphis was better than JL. I said "You mean better for the money?" And he said "No, better overall". I have all memphis for my front stage (they talked me into it last time) and I am happy with them, but I'm pretty sure if I had a choice of a free sub, cost no object, I'd take a JL over a Memphis. But I'm noob and I'm glad I can ask you guys before I make a purchase and screw it up like the first time.

Haha, I'd def. chose JL over Memphis.

JL is high end.

Memphis is just in the middle. Neither really good, or really bad. JL is really f*cking good.

 

[Qbenjamin 10+ year member]

//content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/wow.gif.23d729408e9177caa2a0ed6a2ba6588e.gif at this thread.

Most shops don't know anything about the internet companies, but as another user pointed out, most local shops have to close down because of competition from the internet. I understand that most shops don't know anything about companies like FI, but to blatantly lie about having the equipment just to make a quick sale is disrespectful.

 

[lostdaytomorrow 10+ year member]

Don't ever step foot in that shop again. Unless you're getting ring terminals or ANL fuses.

 

[SilverSquared 10+ year member]

Same as the shops around here. EACH AND EVERY ONE TRIES TO SELL A JLW7. So, I tell them, straight up, "Dont even try to sell me a W7, I wont pay 1k for a single sub, ever" and they get pissed, and walk off.

 

[JLa Obsessed 10+ year member]

**** the audio shop and sell me your 1000/1!!!! Lol but yeah the q3 q4 thing that he said, ********. And the 1000 /1 does NOT put out only 750rms I lol'd when I read that. The people your bargaining with sound like complete morons...

 

[Flipx99 5,000+ posts]

I run the Q...I'd put my setup against anything that shop has in stock in terms of SQ.

 

[DejaWiz 5,000+ posts]

Fi Q would be a great choice for that 1000/1.

Thought about a pair of 12" Assassins at all? (don't let the published power handling sway you //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/wink.gif.608e3ea05f1a9f98611af0861652f8fb.gif )

 

[omgheyitskenny 10+ year member]

ok sorry that I'm a total noob but can somebody link me to where it talks about the big three or can somebody explain really quick on what it is

 

[BreakDaLaw 10+ year member]

stay away from BB,CC and that car audio shop...everything you need is right here. You may get flamed for stupid qestions, but **** it you learn as you go. I know I did. If I were you I'd do the following.

Buy the Fi Q (or what ever you want)

Get bjfish to design a box and build for you for around $150-$200

Make sure the Big 3 is done correctly and buy yourself a higher amperage Altnator for your car

Get a 0 GA amp wiring kit(kicker, knuknoceptz, streetwires)

hook all this up and be happy!

 

[JLa Obsessed 10+ year member]

your never gonna learn to do it yourself unless you start trying to. Everyone had to start somewhere