1 sub or 2?

Justin from Detroit1 · Sat Jan 01, 2005 8:54 pm

71buickfreak wrote:

OR look into ARC Audio which recently beat Crossfire is a SQ competition with their lowest-end model

audiobass10 · Post by **audiobass10** » Sat Jan 01, 2005 9:02 pm

As far as buying online vs. in a retail store, come on people! do you really think you will get as good service on the internet than in a shop? Please! especially for a beginner, you need to go to a 12v specialist shop. where you can get a real warranty and service after the sale. $2000 might seem like a lot, but you will get the service you won't get online. 99.9% of all online bought goods carries no warranty. it is either refurbished or gray market goods. unless it is low-level equipment, most manufacturers don't allow their products to be sold on the internet. if it is, its used, or refurbished or like I said gray market meaning an authorized dealer sold it to another dealer who is putting on the internet illegally. seriously people, internet buying is not the best idea. ebay is ok because its usually used, but there is no warranty! if 2k is out of your range, buy it a little at a time and you will end up much happier than if you buy on the internet and have a problem. Shop around, you don't have to buy at the first shop you go to. as far as Kenwood is concerned, its great stuff, you have an excellent warranty because you bought it from an authorized dealer and it will sound awesome. the music keg is cool. The eclipse is good stuff. you might also look at the crossfire line. great gear, excellent warranty and it will be less expensive than the eclipse. where are you located? I can help you find a good shop in your area.

Sounds like you own a shop yourself eh? I would never discourage anyone to buy from a shop. They do offer warranties as you stated, but online does as well. Most any authorized dealers online sell warrantied products. As for buying refurbished..I'm a big fan of that. Take into consideration what refurbished actually means...you're basically getting a new product. Personally, I haven't heard of many people who have problems w/ their refurbs, but like i said even a lot of sites online offer warranties even on refurbished items(usually 90 day). I love ebay as well. Never been screwed or disapointed with them. If you're a smart ebayer and shopper you will likely find yourself a good deal and end up happy. I like looking for ebay stores, because most of the time they own a shop and have store hours in which you can reach them. If you have no knowledge of car audio I wouldn't suggest going to a shop to buy your first system. I would suggest researching more online until you get familiar with the basics and learn what will work best for you. Local shops are great to buy from for warranties and fast customer service, but honestly research before buying anything..that's the key. Many car audio shops will rip the consumer who is new to the car audio scene. That's how they make their money. However, you will find some shops that will steer you in the right direction.

71buickfreak · Post by **71buickfreak** » Sat Jan 01, 2005 9:21 pm

actually I used to be a 12v manager for a retail shop I am now a designer at the manufacturers level and a freelance writer for mobile Electronics magazine. I agree, refurbs can be good. I have a few refurbs in my system I am building now. I also agree to do your reseach, i never buy ANYTHING without researching it first. but I do disagree with your statement that most online companies offer a warranty. yes, most state they warranty their products, but they either have an in-house repair shop or they ignore you. it has appened to my friend several times (he never listens) unless the manufacturer states they authorize online sales, the product you buy won't be warrantied by the manufacturer. you need to check with the manuafacturer themsleselves to be sure the online dealer is legit. some are, alot are not.

71buickfreak · Post by **71buickfreak** » Sat Jan 01, 2005 9:26 pm

and yes there are alot of crappy shops out there, I have worked at those in the past, they suck. that's why I suggest you shop around and look for the shop that is willing to teach you and show you why you need what you need. I always showed my customers something they couldnt get anywhere else, like a wattage calculator or a real demo they couldn't see anywhere else.

71buickfreak · Post by **71buickfreak** » Sat Jan 01, 2005 9:29 pm

arc audio is good stuff. I have no problems with arc.

audiobass10 · Post by **audiobass10** » Sat Jan 01, 2005 11:09 pm

but I do disagree with your statement that most online companies offer a warranty. yes, most state they warranty their products, but they either have an in-house repair shop or they ignore you. it has appened to my friend several times (he never listens) unless the manufacturer states they authorize online sales, the product you buy won't be warrantied by the manufacturer. you need to check with the manuafacturer themsleselves to be sure the online dealer is legit. some are, alot are not.

Good point. There really is no way to be sure if the place you're dealing with will stand behind their warrantee. That is a risk you take when buying off ebay. Best thing to do is check their feedback. See what other customers have complained about. I usually only buy from sellers with 99% or better positive feedback. I guess you really couldn't guarantee a local shop owner will stand behind his guarantee because a warantee is only as good as the amount of time the shop stays open.

71buickfreak · Post by **71buickfreak** » Sun Jan 02, 2005 6:19 am

true. although I worked for one shop that has been open since 79 and it sucked. I worked for another that has been open the same amount of time and it was great! the biggest part of all of it is the manufacturer will guarantee the product even if the shop desn't because they are an authorized dealer. and if the shop won't heko you, they can lose the line if they deny you service. it helps keep them on their toes.

Ryan from Ohio · Post by **Ryan from Ohio** » Sun Jan 02, 2005 8:32 am

a 10" sub will produce in most instances

In most, but not always. You even say so yourself.

Thank you!

Online purchasing is good as long as you buy from reputable dealers online. The problem with online purchasing is the people who are so cheap they search out the absolute lowest price. Usually from an online place noone has heard of. THe price different usually is not to great, around 3-5% less than the known places on the net.

Buying from places like thezeb, mmxpress, etronics and such you KNOW you will be be taken care of properly. Many of us here use these places on a cinsitance basis and know their policies quite well. Furthermore these busines have been around for some time and have proper reputations.

IMHO as long as you pick out a place to buy from our FAQ section you will be in good shape.

71buickfreak · Post by **71buickfreak** » Sun Jan 02, 2005 8:48 am

ahh semantics. I was simply saying that it was not a false statement, it is generally accepted that 10 are more accurate than their respective 12" counterparts.

mac40kfan · Post by **mac40kfan** » Sun Jan 02, 2005 11:46 am

Okay folks, here's the deal. All prices listed are what I could find through eBay Stores and include shipping. All equipment is claimed to be NIB, not refurb, not previously returned, etc.

Eclipse PA5532 5-channel amp (50x4+200x1@4 ohms) $316.97
Eclipse SW9102 Titanium 10" sub $304.95
Alpine SPX-117R 6.5" Type X component speakers $244

That comes to $865.92
Add to that approx $62 for the sealed enclosure sub box and $114 for the q forms kick panels and we're up to $1041.92

The guy @ Car Tunes told me the Viper security system with remote start is $400 installed. I haven't shopped online for security systems since I don't know anything about brands/quality and it is something that I would definitely pay someone to install. However, Circuit City told me $350 installed for whatever brand alarm/remote start they are selling and it doesn't even have the glass breakage sensor. At least I've heard of Viper.

So, assume I get the guy at Car Tunes to put in the Viper and install the gear I buy myself, I'm up to $1441.92. The difference between the ballpark $2000 I was quoted and the $1441.92 figure is roughly $558. The question then is how much will the install run me if I buy the gear myself? I didn't get a price breakdown when I was at the store. Should I be concerned that he might charge more to install gear I bring him since he's losing the margin on the equipment sale?

I'm guessing I'd still save a couple hundred bucks buying the equipment myself. However, if I buy from Car Tunes I'd have a warranty and the shop is around the corner if there was ever a problem. Every major manufacturer's site that I've been to says they don't authorize their equipment for sale over the Internet and if you buy from anyone but an authorized dealer, you void the warranty. Some of the eBay stores carry their own warranty, but you have to remove the equipment, pay to ship it back, and are subject to their inspection/determination as to whether or not they will cover it. Most of the eBay stores that carry car audio seem to be located in CA and I'm in VA, so we're talking 3 hour time delay even assuming I have a contact number to call and cross-country shipping.

Of course, I could save even more by shopping for alternative equipment, but I wanted to get the apples to apples comparison done first. Then I have to consider the value of the store warranty versus the cost savings of buying gear online and the potential for something going wrong.