I would like some help choosing an Amp
05-18-2006, 02:43 PM
#21
50 Watt CAFz'r
Join Date: Apr 2006
Posts: 151
What's wrong with Re-furb'ed amplifiers?
Originally Posted by Smartass
Iam going to say nothing on this but this. Feel free to make your purchases from ebay and be prepaired to get screwed. Just in case you didnt notice the MA and Sondstream are Re-furb's.
05-18-2006, 02:55 PM
#23
50 Watt CAFz'r
Join Date: Apr 2006
Posts: 151
I have never had a problem with Ebay, $100-200 for support and warranty? Well isn't that cheap. If its dies and they have no warranty he still has $200 to have it repaired, and that's just he only buys that one amp. 90% of my system is from Ebay and I have saved an easy $3000, How is that for a warranty?
Originally Posted by Smartass
But thats what we are saying. Mine and the other Sponsor's stuff is brand new not re-furb, stolen, demo, broken, and/or used. That MA audio amp is $100 under the DEALER cost which means its being dumped. You will get what you pay for. EBAY is full of scammers. In the end dude its your money and it's roughly going to cost you $450 bucks canadian to get that peice to your door all said and done. Sometimes it comes cheaper and sometimes its more depending on how the paperwork is done. And if its worth it to you not to spend the extra $100-200 for support and warranty then so be it. But if its dies and they have no warranty, to buy a second one to replace it, now your over the Canadian cost. Not to mention that you also have to pay for shipping back if you try to get warranty and sometimes they charge you all the good duties and brokerage and so on again if the paperwork is not right again. End of the day its your choice and your money and nothing is going to change your mind. Im sure when I speak for all the vendors when we hate to see board members get taken. Thats all. And BTW you said your not spending the extra couple of hundred dollars to say you bought is from a sponsor. Its for the support, warranty, and buying factory fresh brand new equipment.
05-18-2006, 02:58 PM
#24
ebay is for experienced buyers such as myself, that require no warranty, service, or any extra help from local dealers. If you need all those services, then I suggest you shop locally. There are great deals on ebay if you know what you are doing. Also, note that local shops don't always give good service, one of my main reasons for starting to shop online. As for warranty, many of the manufacturers (ALpine for example) will not honour a warranty unless it is installed by an Alpine dealer in Canada(stated in bold letters on their warranty card). This is a problem for people like me who do their own installs, some shops may stamp your receipt(which is actually fraud on the part of the retailer), but many will not. This negates the warranty benefit of purchasing locally, and actually can cost you more, since you have to pay for installation. We've had this discussion many times here, and I'm not here to put down dealers, they have a segment to serve, but they should also recognize that not everyone is interested in all the "extras" that they provide. Money is money, and we all make decisions everyday as to our priority in spending it. If I can save a few dollars by purchasing on ebay, and it suits my service level, then that's good for me, and that's what I'm interested in...my bank account!
Another issue that is directed to the owner of this board:
IS THIS BOARD FOR CAR AUDIO ENTHUSIASTS, OR IS IT JUST FOR THOSE WHO SUPPORT LOCAL DEALERS? PLEASE CLARIFY, AS I DON'T WANT TO DISRESPECT ANY DEALERS IF THAT'S THE CASE. IF NOT, THEN ANYONE WITH A LEGITIMATE QUESTION, CONCERN, COMMENT, OR WHATEVER CONCERNING CAR AUDIO, SHOULD HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO VOICE THOSE ON THIS BOARD. OTHERWISE, PLEASE STATE THAT IT IS A SPECIFIC TYPE OF CAR AUDIO BOARD THAT CATERS TO PRO RETAIL CONSUMERS ONLY. I DON'T THINK IT'S FAIR TO TELL MEMBERS THAT THEY CAN EXPECT LITTLE OR NO HELP FROM ANYONE ON THIS BOARD IF THEY DON'T BUY LOCALLY. THERE ARE QUITE A FEW MEMBERS, LIKE MYSELF, WHO BUY FROM MANY DIFFERENT SOURCES, FOR MANY DIFFERENT REASONS, THAT ARE MORE THAN WILLING TO HELP OUT ANY MEMBER IF AND WHEN WE CAN REGARDLESS OF WHERE THEY SHOP. I LIKE CAR AUDIO, IT'S A PASTIME, HOBBY, AND SOMETIMES OBSESSION, BUT MOST OF ALL IT'S FUN. I'D LIKE TO THINK THAT WE ARE ALL ON THIS BOARD FOR THE SAME REASON; TO SHARE OUR PASSION FOR CAR AUDIO. the end
Another issue that is directed to the owner of this board:
IS THIS BOARD FOR CAR AUDIO ENTHUSIASTS, OR IS IT JUST FOR THOSE WHO SUPPORT LOCAL DEALERS? PLEASE CLARIFY, AS I DON'T WANT TO DISRESPECT ANY DEALERS IF THAT'S THE CASE. IF NOT, THEN ANYONE WITH A LEGITIMATE QUESTION, CONCERN, COMMENT, OR WHATEVER CONCERNING CAR AUDIO, SHOULD HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO VOICE THOSE ON THIS BOARD. OTHERWISE, PLEASE STATE THAT IT IS A SPECIFIC TYPE OF CAR AUDIO BOARD THAT CATERS TO PRO RETAIL CONSUMERS ONLY. I DON'T THINK IT'S FAIR TO TELL MEMBERS THAT THEY CAN EXPECT LITTLE OR NO HELP FROM ANYONE ON THIS BOARD IF THEY DON'T BUY LOCALLY. THERE ARE QUITE A FEW MEMBERS, LIKE MYSELF, WHO BUY FROM MANY DIFFERENT SOURCES, FOR MANY DIFFERENT REASONS, THAT ARE MORE THAN WILLING TO HELP OUT ANY MEMBER IF AND WHEN WE CAN REGARDLESS OF WHERE THEY SHOP. I LIKE CAR AUDIO, IT'S A PASTIME, HOBBY, AND SOMETIMES OBSESSION, BUT MOST OF ALL IT'S FUN. I'D LIKE TO THINK THAT WE ARE ALL ON THIS BOARD FOR THE SAME REASON; TO SHARE OUR PASSION FOR CAR AUDIO. the end
Last edited by veeman; 05-18-2006 at 03:00 PM.
05-18-2006, 03:00 PM
#25
50 Watt CAFz'r
Join Date: Apr 2006
Posts: 151
My hats off to ya, very well said 
Originally Posted by veeman
ebay is for experienced buyers such as myself, that require no warranty, service, or any extra help from local dealers. If you need all those services, then I suggest you shop locally. There are great deals on ebay if you know what you are doing. Also, note that local shops don't always give good service, one of my main reasons for starting to shop online. As for warranty, many of the manufacturers (ALpine for example) will not honour a warranty unless it is installed by an Alpine dealer in Canada(stated in bold letters on their warranty card). This is a problem for people like me who do their own installs, some shops may stamp your receipt(which is actually fraud on the part of the retailer), but many will not. This negates the warranty benefit of purchasing locally, and actually can cost you more, since you have to pay for installation. We've had this discussion many times here, and I'm not here to put down dealers, they have a segment to serve, but they should also recognize that not everyone is interested in all the "extras" that they provide. Money is money, and we all make decisions everyday as to our priority in spending it. If I can save a few dollars by purchasing on ebay, and it suits my service level, then that's good for me, and that's what I'm interested in...my bank account!
Another issue that is directed to the owner of this board:
IS THIS BOARD FOR CAR AUDIO ENTHUSIASTS, OR IS IT JUST FOR THOSE WHO SUPPOR. LOCAL DEALERS? PLEASE CLARIFY, AS I DON'T WANT TO DISRESPECT ANY DEALERS IF THAT'S THE CASE. IF NOT, THEN ANYONE WITH A LEGITIMATE QUESTION, CONCERN, COMMENT, OR WHATEVER CONCERNING CAR AUDIO, SHOULD HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO VOICE THOSE ON THIS BOARD. OTHERWISE, PLEASE STATE THAT IT IS A SPECIFIC TYPE OF CAR AUDIO BOARD THAT CATERS TO PRO RETAIL CONSUMERS ONLY. I DON'T THINK IT'S FAIR TO TELL MEMBERS THAT THEY CAN EXPECT LITTLE OR NO HELP FROM ANYONE ON THIS BOARD IF THEY DON'T BUY LOCALLY. THERE ARE QUITE A FEW MEMBERS, LIKE MYSELF, WHO BUY FROM MANY DIFFERENT SOURCES, FOR MANY DIFFERENT REASONS, THAT ARE MORE THAN WILLING TO HELP OUT ANY MEMBER IF AND WHEN WE CAN REGARDLESS OF WHERE THEY SHOP. I LIKE CAR AUDIO, IT'S A PASTIME, HOBBY, AND SOMETIMES OBSESSION, BUT MOST OF ALL IT'S FUN. I'D LIKE TO THINK THAT WE ARE ALL ON THIS BOARD FOR THE SAME REASON; TO SHARE OUR PASSION FOR CAR AUDIO. the end
Another issue that is directed to the owner of this board:
IS THIS BOARD FOR CAR AUDIO ENTHUSIASTS, OR IS IT JUST FOR THOSE WHO SUPPOR. LOCAL DEALERS? PLEASE CLARIFY, AS I DON'T WANT TO DISRESPECT ANY DEALERS IF THAT'S THE CASE. IF NOT, THEN ANYONE WITH A LEGITIMATE QUESTION, CONCERN, COMMENT, OR WHATEVER CONCERNING CAR AUDIO, SHOULD HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO VOICE THOSE ON THIS BOARD. OTHERWISE, PLEASE STATE THAT IT IS A SPECIFIC TYPE OF CAR AUDIO BOARD THAT CATERS TO PRO RETAIL CONSUMERS ONLY. I DON'T THINK IT'S FAIR TO TELL MEMBERS THAT THEY CAN EXPECT LITTLE OR NO HELP FROM ANYONE ON THIS BOARD IF THEY DON'T BUY LOCALLY. THERE ARE QUITE A FEW MEMBERS, LIKE MYSELF, WHO BUY FROM MANY DIFFERENT SOURCES, FOR MANY DIFFERENT REASONS, THAT ARE MORE THAN WILLING TO HELP OUT ANY MEMBER IF AND WHEN WE CAN REGARDLESS OF WHERE THEY SHOP. I LIKE CAR AUDIO, IT'S A PASTIME, HOBBY, AND SOMETIMES OBSESSION, BUT MOST OF ALL IT'S FUN. I'D LIKE TO THINK THAT WE ARE ALL ON THIS BOARD FOR THE SAME REASON; TO SHARE OUR PASSION FOR CAR AUDIO. the end
05-18-2006, 03:12 PM
#27
Consider this please. Who is more likely to provide an educated and informed decision. A retailer with many lines at his disposal and in the case of most of us, 20+ years of experience to back it up or a person who is just starting into car audio that might be 14 years old and is already a "pro" because he is on a forum? You have no real idea as to who it is you are asking for opinions here. At least buying from a retailer you are protected. At least buying from a retailer, you can ask us questions that we will gladly answer. So, ask E-bay your questions and see how far it gets you.
Is your right to get accurate information not worth anything to you? What if you do receive the wrong info from someone here and head out and purchase the wrong equipment. You are to blame or the guy that recommended to you is? Some of the people on this site have built relationships with their local dealers over the years and get some great service and pricing from them. Consider this as well as part of your buying decison. If I had to take a hit on something to ensure my customers get the right equipment for their hard earned dollar, so be it. (matter of fact I did this not 10 minutes ago on a MTX Thunderform enclosure). I, like you, work hard for my paycheque, as here I am fighting for business that I will probably not get. Would you work for free? You have lots of options to choose from, why limit your options based solely on the $.
Here is an educated and informed opinion on Soundstream. What was once a proud handcrafted US line is now owned by Power Acoustic. It is well documented that some of the soundstream amps used the same boards as the power acoustic amps, yet the price is way higher. WHY? When I looked at the lines offerings, the quality control (or lack thereof) was totally conclusive for me, I wasted a entire day out of my busy schedule to look at a line for 3 minutes to decide that there is no way that I would retail it to my customers. If things change in the QC dept., maybe I will reconsider. My point is that I am a customer just like you. I shop for lines to retail based on many things. A good retailer does not just push his stuff, he knows about it and what it can do for the right application.
Is your right to get accurate information not worth anything to you? What if you do receive the wrong info from someone here and head out and purchase the wrong equipment. You are to blame or the guy that recommended to you is? Some of the people on this site have built relationships with their local dealers over the years and get some great service and pricing from them. Consider this as well as part of your buying decison. If I had to take a hit on something to ensure my customers get the right equipment for their hard earned dollar, so be it. (matter of fact I did this not 10 minutes ago on a MTX Thunderform enclosure). I, like you, work hard for my paycheque, as here I am fighting for business that I will probably not get. Would you work for free? You have lots of options to choose from, why limit your options based solely on the $.
Here is an educated and informed opinion on Soundstream. What was once a proud handcrafted US line is now owned by Power Acoustic. It is well documented that some of the soundstream amps used the same boards as the power acoustic amps, yet the price is way higher. WHY? When I looked at the lines offerings, the quality control (or lack thereof) was totally conclusive for me, I wasted a entire day out of my busy schedule to look at a line for 3 minutes to decide that there is no way that I would retail it to my customers. If things change in the QC dept., maybe I will reconsider. My point is that I am a customer just like you. I shop for lines to retail based on many things. A good retailer does not just push his stuff, he knows about it and what it can do for the right application.
05-18-2006, 03:27 PM
#29
MR2NR, seems to be a very good dealer, and should you or anyone else require the services he provides, then he deserves your business. Consumers need to decide what they want, need and are willing to pay for. Sometimes the right choice is a brick and mortar, sometimes it's VEEMAN'S used equipment, which by the way will be in the FOR SALE section soon.
05-18-2006, 03:34 PM
#30
Nope, I had one but it sucked **** (and I mean really sucked ****). One will be built when time allows that is commensurate with the changing ways of doing business. For me to conduct business, I look at each individuals customers needs and applications as all customers are different. Thus what may be good for you might not be good for the next. A website cannot distinguish that for you. I would like to have the opportunity to earn your business, my business operates 100% off of referrals alone. No flyers, no radio ads, no newspaper clippings, just word of mouth for over 10 years now. That is how I prefer to do my business. What is new this year, I am a sponsor on this great site and will happily divulge copious amounts of information to the people that are not here to waste my time. What else will be new, a website when time allows. For now, e-mail, MSN or PM is a great way to go to answer direct questions.
