|
Review content:
Hello. I am really big into the car audio world. I have done lots of buisness (close to 2k worth) with Frankie at 201 motoring and today was the last time I will deal with them.
I see lots of happy customer reviews here on this site. Yes, they do do good work depending on who the installer is, but for car audio they dont even own the correct tools to tune an amplifier properly.
The tools I am talking about are either a multimeter (least professional) or an oscilloscope ( most professional and most accurate.) Let me just say real quick if it was my shop, I would invest in an oscilloscope so I knew I wasn't damaging peoples expensive subwoofers. The reason it needs to be tuned is so the amplifier doesn't clip(send "dirty/choppy" signals to the subwoofers which will damage them.) So all that Brian did to "tune" my system was play with the gain and low pass(which I could've done myself) and set the head unit up for me which I could've also done. In fact I "tuned" it better because I set the head units cross over myself. He left it alone and said it was unnessecary. After setting the crossover the signal to the door speakers was a lot more clearer and sounded better. All of this took a total of ~20 minutes at MOST.
Frankie told me he would tune my amplifiers for $100. Not sure if he knew that I completely understood amplifier tuning. So I said alright. All that the shop manager, brian, did was play with the adjustments on the amp (gain, low pass). I asked him what subsonic is and he told me he doesnt know and he just leaves it. Later I told his boss, Frankie, that he didnt know (infront of brian)and Brian told me that he never said that infront of me and his boss... :/ . They never tuned my amp with a multimeter and they don't even own an oscilloscope.
If you do not believe me about amplifier tuning educate yourself and do a quick google search "how to tune car audio amplifier". This is what I came up with real quickly:
Setting the gain by ear is the worst way possible. (which is what 201 does)
The purpose of the gain is to match the signal volts RMS coming from the source (CD player, etc.) to the input of the amp to prevent clipping (damage by over powering).
Here is a guide that will help you set the gain correctly http://www.box.net/shared/uchv4dbk88
You'll need a multi-meter (AC voltmeter, $15 from Radio$hack), Microsoft Excel and a way to burn an audio CD from an MP3.
If you don't have Excel, use this link http://www.box.net/shared/nkkw1dhk4g
Set the LPF (Low Pass Filter) to just below the highest range of the frequency response of the subs. Example, if the subs are 20-200Hz set the LPF to about 180Hz.
See my site for more info http://spkrbox1.spaces.live.com
Source(s):
A.A.S. degree in Electronics/Industrial Electronics with 25 years in the mobile audio/consumer electronics field
Lots of other complaints:
(1) They shouldn't call themselves audio experts if they don't even tune amplifiers with a multimeter or oscilloscope
(2) Way too overpriced. He tried to rob me today and that is why I will never do buisness with him again. He tried charging me $600!!!! for a regular ported box tuned to 32 hz, which I gave him the dimensions for. He tried sweet talking me saying that its not a normal box, when I interupted him explaining how it was a normal box except for the fact that the front uses 2 sheets of 3/4" mdf instead of one sheet. He said it was 5 hours of labor at $100 an hour. :/
(3) I've seen him rob other customers. This guy wanted a head unit. He asked if he matched online prices. He said no because his work is guarenteed blah blah blah. Well wouldnt you charge for the guarentee in the install price and not raising prices on parts ALSO. People also asking why is it so much more money here than online, he always has some salesman answer.
Times he's over charged me:
(1)I bought 2 Rockford fosgate 12" T1 subwoofers. He charged me $700. ($350 a piece.) I knew it was over priced but wanted them for a road trip that up coming weekend. I looked online. At sonic they cost $225 a piece. And sonic makes profit of course. So he gets it for even cheaper than $225 a piece. So he made $350 MINIMUM if he bought the subwoofers from sonic electronix, but hes a rockford dealer so he gets them cheaper.
(2) Frankie charged me $600 (with the amazing tune) for a $250 head unit (which was over priced after checking online),installed my front door speakers, rear deck speakers. install 1 tweeter in each door (components), screw the speakers into the pre fab box I bought, and wire the subs to the amp that was already installed and "re tune" the amp. I'm not 100 sure if thats all he did, but he didnt do much. I can do all this myself, I just needed to buy a 1" drill bit, but I was being lazy and if he messed up, he would fix it for free. All the work took 4 hours max. I had my previous system installed Real clean at east hanover best buy, work done by Dave. He took 6 hours and installed the big 3 for me, which was a pain and only charged me $325. It was an extremely good install and he took more pride in his work than the people here at 201.
(3) He charged me $200 to cut the holes bigger in my pre fab box and to install a second amp in the trunk. The trunk already had a 2nd battery in it so the length of wires was less than 3-4 feet each. And I had the correct battery terminal ect.
Basically all the times hes overcharged me and every customer that walks through there. I felt bad for some of them, but it's just buisness right. I mean come on guys, know what you want BEFORE you go there and look up prices online at reputable dealers (sonic, crutchfield ect.) There is no reason he should charge more for the parts, maybe just charge more for his labor and or guarentee.
I'm upset if you can't tell. I told him I was "angry" and he said, no the word your looking for is disappointed. NO I am "angry" maybe also disapointed. I know how I'm feeling. lol. This place is a crazy rip off.
He owns a house in Costa Rica since 10 years ago. All paid for by ripping you and me off.
|