I have to say for the short time I have been on this website I have been treated respectfully and EVERY transaction I have had here has gone extremely well.
I am going to give you a small back of background information about me prior to the intention of my post in an effort to gain some credibility.
I am 40 years old and have never married. I have been to over 3500 sets of music in my life starting as a 3 year old child when my father promoted concerts. My first concert was Alice Cooper and my parents took me to the 1978 KISS Love Gun tour including a backstage experience with the band(as a 6 YO that was pretty incredible, I loved KISS!) I absolutely love music, especially live and have TONS of crazy concert stories but don't want to bore you with that. I have acquired an extensive collection of high quality gear starting with my parents buying me a set of American Monitor Speakers in the early 80s and a tube amp to run them with. Clearly I have graduated from that setup but it was a pretty good start. I already had my fathers old reel to reel and his old LP player. In the late 80s I began recording concerts. I purchased Schoeps microphones and pre amps. Currently I still record EVERY concert I go to and make incredible recordings. I love audio....
Fast forward to today....
I have biochemistry degree and I sell Hematology and Chemistry analyzers. I have been on the top of my game for 11 years. Negotiations are all know how to do. Most importantly, I have earned the respect of many doctors who constantly refer me to other hospitals.
I spent the last 1.5 years purchasing the equipment for 2 stereos both I believe to be really fun and exciting SQ builds.
I am going to ask for advice today on build #1 and how I have been treated by a local dealer. Additionally, I would like some constructive criticism if you feel I am the problem here.
My local shop is an Audison dealer. In the last year I have purchased a lot of Elettromedia equipment not all from this shop but a lot. I purchase a full set of MLK3 speakers in the suitcase with the Ribbon Midrange from them. I purchased a $1000 alarm system. 2 Head units. $500 in cables. And over $2500 in installation fees in other stereos BEFORE I decided to do the overhaul of equipment I had.
Prior to giving car to them 9 weeks ago I had installed the MLK3's with custom pillar work not done to my specifications that the manager was supposed to fix on this build. that front stage was being run by an audison VRX 4.300 passive. I had a diamond d6 sub being run by a phoenix gold zx500. The stereo was really fun, but not to my specifications yet because I was researching and purchasing the amps.
I negotiated the shop to do a full buildout of my maxima. built in ML2500s in the trunk totally trimmed out with my amps recessed mounted to the box with no wires showing. They were to install 3 amps the VRX 4.300, a VRX 1.500, and a VRX 2.400. All the amps were to have BTX2s run to them 3 of which were already installed he needed to install 1 more for all of the channels I needed. The bitone was to be installed in the glove box and the BTX2s as well so the unbalanced cable runs were as short as possible.
I added a pair of ML1600s to the kick panels as well for an 8 channel front stage with 2 subs in the trunk.
The WHOLE car has been sound deadened to the extreme.
So I dropped it off 9 weeks ago tomorrow and it is not done. I have been going to this shop for over a year planning this with the manager. He told me it would take 5 days. When I dropped off the car he said it would take 2 weeks because he was short staffed. I have a second car but I am in the middle of refinishing the interior/exterior of the vehicle and it is 1996 nissan hardbody, not exactly the car a sales rep for a billion $ company should be driving around in.
I have been uber patient. I have sent the shop lunch 3 times and taken the manager out to dinner and drinks on multiple occasions. During every one of those conversations I empathized with what was happening at his business and he made promises to me regarding delivery.
Last week he promised me the car today and he did not deliver. In fact he told me that he was done with this project and would show me what he has done so far (which was nothing 2 weeks ago) and that he does not want to do the project any longer. I gave them a $500 deposit on a $1700 installation fee.
I didn't give all the information here but I can't type anymore.
What do I do? I am picking up car tomorrow and I don't have anywhere to take it to be finished. I live in Philadelphia and I am very anal about how correct this build is and I need to have my second build done on my truck. This guy is such an idiot, I was sending him other business from my friends and I had another custom build I was going to have him do.
Can anyone help me to find a really good custom shop near Philly? I'm willing to drive as much as 3 hours for the right quality.
thanks for reading, sorry for drama....
I am going to give you a small back of background information about me prior to the intention of my post in an effort to gain some credibility.
I am 40 years old and have never married. I have been to over 3500 sets of music in my life starting as a 3 year old child when my father promoted concerts. My first concert was Alice Cooper and my parents took me to the 1978 KISS Love Gun tour including a backstage experience with the band(as a 6 YO that was pretty incredible, I loved KISS!) I absolutely love music, especially live and have TONS of crazy concert stories but don't want to bore you with that. I have acquired an extensive collection of high quality gear starting with my parents buying me a set of American Monitor Speakers in the early 80s and a tube amp to run them with. Clearly I have graduated from that setup but it was a pretty good start. I already had my fathers old reel to reel and his old LP player. In the late 80s I began recording concerts. I purchased Schoeps microphones and pre amps. Currently I still record EVERY concert I go to and make incredible recordings. I love audio....
Fast forward to today....
I have biochemistry degree and I sell Hematology and Chemistry analyzers. I have been on the top of my game for 11 years. Negotiations are all know how to do. Most importantly, I have earned the respect of many doctors who constantly refer me to other hospitals.
I spent the last 1.5 years purchasing the equipment for 2 stereos both I believe to be really fun and exciting SQ builds.
I am going to ask for advice today on build #1 and how I have been treated by a local dealer. Additionally, I would like some constructive criticism if you feel I am the problem here.
My local shop is an Audison dealer. In the last year I have purchased a lot of Elettromedia equipment not all from this shop but a lot. I purchase a full set of MLK3 speakers in the suitcase with the Ribbon Midrange from them. I purchased a $1000 alarm system. 2 Head units. $500 in cables. And over $2500 in installation fees in other stereos BEFORE I decided to do the overhaul of equipment I had.
Prior to giving car to them 9 weeks ago I had installed the MLK3's with custom pillar work not done to my specifications that the manager was supposed to fix on this build. that front stage was being run by an audison VRX 4.300 passive. I had a diamond d6 sub being run by a phoenix gold zx500. The stereo was really fun, but not to my specifications yet because I was researching and purchasing the amps.
I negotiated the shop to do a full buildout of my maxima. built in ML2500s in the trunk totally trimmed out with my amps recessed mounted to the box with no wires showing. They were to install 3 amps the VRX 4.300, a VRX 1.500, and a VRX 2.400. All the amps were to have BTX2s run to them 3 of which were already installed he needed to install 1 more for all of the channels I needed. The bitone was to be installed in the glove box and the BTX2s as well so the unbalanced cable runs were as short as possible.
I added a pair of ML1600s to the kick panels as well for an 8 channel front stage with 2 subs in the trunk.
The WHOLE car has been sound deadened to the extreme.
So I dropped it off 9 weeks ago tomorrow and it is not done. I have been going to this shop for over a year planning this with the manager. He told me it would take 5 days. When I dropped off the car he said it would take 2 weeks because he was short staffed. I have a second car but I am in the middle of refinishing the interior/exterior of the vehicle and it is 1996 nissan hardbody, not exactly the car a sales rep for a billion $ company should be driving around in.
I have been uber patient. I have sent the shop lunch 3 times and taken the manager out to dinner and drinks on multiple occasions. During every one of those conversations I empathized with what was happening at his business and he made promises to me regarding delivery.
Last week he promised me the car today and he did not deliver. In fact he told me that he was done with this project and would show me what he has done so far (which was nothing 2 weeks ago) and that he does not want to do the project any longer. I gave them a $500 deposit on a $1700 installation fee.
I didn't give all the information here but I can't type anymore.
What do I do? I am picking up car tomorrow and I don't have anywhere to take it to be finished. I live in Philadelphia and I am very anal about how correct this build is and I need to have my second build done on my truck. This guy is such an idiot, I was sending him other business from my friends and I had another custom build I was going to have him do.
Can anyone help me to find a really good custom shop near Philly? I'm willing to drive as much as 3 hours for the right quality.
thanks for reading, sorry for drama....