ISO top notch install shop in the GTA
Originally posted by Sphinx:
I visited a couple of these shops this weekend. All really nice people willing to take the time to talk about a potential install.
CHASE AUDIO: He demo'd the high end Focals for me...they sounded horrible! Then he let me listen to the Kaptions.. even worse!! Sure you can't compare the sound of speaker in a showroom to the sound in a car but the fact that he actually demo'd those speaker when they sounded that bad leads me to believe that:
1) he doesn't realize they sound bad and won't realize my car system sounds bad either
2) he knows they sound bad and wants to make them sound better but he doesn't know how
3) he knows they sound bad but doesn't care because he figures most people won't notice or care.
He's doing a install in his own vette and offered to let me hear it in about a month. I'll take him up on that offer.
20HZ: They do really nice looking work and they have a showroom full of SPL trophies. SQ wise, I'm not convinced. I asked to listen to one of their "best sounding" installs. They declined and said this would be futile because everyone wants a different sound. OK.. that could be true but I suspect all the SQ IASCA judges don't all have a different opinion of what good sound quality is. I asked more questions about achieving the best possible SQ. The answers to all were "yes we can do it". Kind of sounds like dealing with Asian suppliers...they never say they can't do anything.. except drop the price. Then they said they'll install it and let me make it sound the way I want!
Wait a sec...that's exactly what I need the shop to do. Otherwise, I'd get some newbie straight out of MD to throw the drivers in a try to figure out the tuning myself. I'm not saying this shop can't do it but nothing about my visit convinced me that they could.
BuffDaddy, Beggar's can't be choosers? Who said anything about right and cheap? I'm not an unemployed 16 y/o driving dad's car looking for a top quality sound system for $200. Within reason, this is a cost-no-object job. I've spent a month researching the project...time is not a factor either.
I visited a couple of these shops this weekend. All really nice people willing to take the time to talk about a potential install.
CHASE AUDIO: He demo'd the high end Focals for me...they sounded horrible! Then he let me listen to the Kaptions.. even worse!! Sure you can't compare the sound of speaker in a showroom to the sound in a car but the fact that he actually demo'd those speaker when they sounded that bad leads me to believe that:
1) he doesn't realize they sound bad and won't realize my car system sounds bad either
2) he knows they sound bad and wants to make them sound better but he doesn't know how
3) he knows they sound bad but doesn't care because he figures most people won't notice or care.
He's doing a install in his own vette and offered to let me hear it in about a month. I'll take him up on that offer.
20HZ: They do really nice looking work and they have a showroom full of SPL trophies. SQ wise, I'm not convinced. I asked to listen to one of their "best sounding" installs. They declined and said this would be futile because everyone wants a different sound. OK.. that could be true but I suspect all the SQ IASCA judges don't all have a different opinion of what good sound quality is. I asked more questions about achieving the best possible SQ. The answers to all were "yes we can do it". Kind of sounds like dealing with Asian suppliers...they never say they can't do anything.. except drop the price. Then they said they'll install it and let me make it sound the way I want!
Wait a sec...that's exactly what I need the shop to do. Otherwise, I'd get some newbie straight out of MD to throw the drivers in a try to figure out the tuning myself. I'm not saying this shop can't do it but nothing about my visit convinced me that they could.BuffDaddy, Beggar's can't be choosers? Who said anything about right and cheap? I'm not an unemployed 16 y/o driving dad's car looking for a top quality sound system for $200. Within reason, this is a cost-no-object job. I've spent a month researching the project...time is not a factor either.
Kriston
500 Watt CAFz'r
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 923
If two shops that were highly recommended by members here can not accomplish your system goals then maybe you have to do them yourself.
You said the Focals sounded "horrible" and the Kaptions "even worse". I find that hard to believe but it is your opinion thus you are "not incorrect". I don't sell them but they are amazing sounding speakers in just about any application.
You already have your own preconcieved notions of what sounds good so follow that up with designing and installing your own system.
You are a high maintenance type client that can only be satisfied if you do it yourself. So save yourself some money and frequent trips back and forth to a shop for tweaks and changes and do it yourself. You will only have yourself to thank or blame.
If you currently lack the skills to build the system then leave that in the hands of the shop. Trust them to build it correctly. Afterall they are the experts.... otherwise why bother starting the thread asking for top notch shops.
It's in their best interest to set up the system correctly. Although SQ is very subjective. They don't want you coming back over and over with a complaint of poor SQ. There is no product failure in poor SQ thus no warranty issues. Someone has to pay for the shop and installers time. Will you? Doubt it if your already not happy. SQ is biased to the listener....IASCA judges are not exempt.
I run a 12" L7,RF1000BD amp, 4" Alpine Type S Coaxials in front and 6.5" Type R Coaxials in back running off of CDA9835 HU power and do very well in USACi SQ. I personally think it sounds amazing but I guarantee you many people who look at the system in person or on paper will say it would sound like poo. A few after hearing it will still say it sounds like poo, either to save face or just simply don't like it. It doesn't matter to me because it sounds great and it's mine. If you don't like it then you don't need to ride with me.
Anyways the decision is always yours but remember a little faith in a shop goes a long way to building a strong business/client relationship.
You said the Focals sounded "horrible" and the Kaptions "even worse". I find that hard to believe but it is your opinion thus you are "not incorrect". I don't sell them but they are amazing sounding speakers in just about any application.
You already have your own preconcieved notions of what sounds good so follow that up with designing and installing your own system.
You are a high maintenance type client that can only be satisfied if you do it yourself. So save yourself some money and frequent trips back and forth to a shop for tweaks and changes and do it yourself. You will only have yourself to thank or blame.
If you currently lack the skills to build the system then leave that in the hands of the shop. Trust them to build it correctly. Afterall they are the experts.... otherwise why bother starting the thread asking for top notch shops.
It's in their best interest to set up the system correctly. Although SQ is very subjective. They don't want you coming back over and over with a complaint of poor SQ. There is no product failure in poor SQ thus no warranty issues. Someone has to pay for the shop and installers time. Will you? Doubt it if your already not happy. SQ is biased to the listener....IASCA judges are not exempt.
I run a 12" L7,RF1000BD amp, 4" Alpine Type S Coaxials in front and 6.5" Type R Coaxials in back running off of CDA9835 HU power and do very well in USACi SQ. I personally think it sounds amazing but I guarantee you many people who look at the system in person or on paper will say it would sound like poo. A few after hearing it will still say it sounds like poo, either to save face or just simply don't like it. It doesn't matter to me because it sounds great and it's mine. If you don't like it then you don't need to ride with me.
Anyways the decision is always yours but remember a little faith in a shop goes a long way to building a strong business/client relationship.
1000 Watt CAFz'r
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 1,770
i believe that everybody has an idea of what sounds good
so go out listen and buy what you like
i believe that this is the demise of sq contests
eveybody has diffenrent taste
what sounds good and what dosn't
with spl you stick a meter in the highest number wins
you can't argue that
so go out listen and buy what you like
i believe that this is the demise of sq contests
eveybody has diffenrent taste
what sounds good and what dosn't
with spl you stick a meter in the highest number wins
you can't argue that
1000 Watt CAFz'r
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 1,078
I never said you were a 'beggar'....but the topic of an IASCA SQ install has been broached on here repeatedly, and 99% of the time people immediately realize that a second mortgage to fine tune the string section of Led Zeppelin II is just not really in the cards for them.
If you want it done the way you come across as wanting it, you better be prepared to get into the 10,000 dollar range, by the time you pay someone to buy equipment, design it, image it, install it, and tune it to meet your obviously lofty expectations. Its your perogative, good luck.
If money is no object, PM Scott Buwalda or one of the other 'high profile' 'industry types' on the forum, and ask them where to get it done, I am sure they can recommend a bunch of people/places you can discuss with.
I was assuming you wanted to keep the cost UNDER 10 grand, but pardon me for that presumption.
Besides which, I was really referring to the entire notion of people wanting things done 'tomorrow', not necessarily YOU, but in general.
Anyhow, good luck, but no need to get pissy when people try to help you.
20hz, Perfect Tones, Burlington Radioactive, Chase, all have a fairly good reputation of doing quality work and are well-respected in the Ontario 'scene'. Obviously they all won't suit everyone's tastes or desires, but you asked for just that from us, and obviously our opinions met with ill favour, so now its up to you to find someplace that fits YOUR idea of a top-notch SQ shop, basically.
If none of these shops can satisfy you, you should try to continue your search by asking people that are 'SQ-wise' and have access to more info than we can offer, clearly.
Good Luck
If you want it done the way you come across as wanting it, you better be prepared to get into the 10,000 dollar range, by the time you pay someone to buy equipment, design it, image it, install it, and tune it to meet your obviously lofty expectations. Its your perogative, good luck.
If money is no object, PM Scott Buwalda or one of the other 'high profile' 'industry types' on the forum, and ask them where to get it done, I am sure they can recommend a bunch of people/places you can discuss with.
I was assuming you wanted to keep the cost UNDER 10 grand, but pardon me for that presumption.
Besides which, I was really referring to the entire notion of people wanting things done 'tomorrow', not necessarily YOU, but in general.
Anyhow, good luck, but no need to get pissy when people try to help you.
20hz, Perfect Tones, Burlington Radioactive, Chase, all have a fairly good reputation of doing quality work and are well-respected in the Ontario 'scene'. Obviously they all won't suit everyone's tastes or desires, but you asked for just that from us, and obviously our opinions met with ill favour, so now its up to you to find someplace that fits YOUR idea of a top-notch SQ shop, basically.
If none of these shops can satisfy you, you should try to continue your search by asking people that are 'SQ-wise' and have access to more info than we can offer, clearly.
Good Luck
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