Audio Installer - Houston

[Solanab]

Does anyone have anyone reasonable they can recommend for stereo install in the Houston area? I took my stuff to one company in Conroe area, but they were INSANELY expensive. Need someone that is knowledgable, and reasonable. Appreciate any help or guidance that can be given.

[distinguishedmotorsports]

Lakeside audio does great work. Possibly who you went to the first time that is expensive. You get what you pay for on install work. I could help if you are ever up in the austin area.

[Solanab]

Yeah I didn't want to use name, but.... I only needed 4 speakers and an equalizer installed. The quote was over $2K. I am sure they do great work and probably would be the best option, but I just couldn't justify the price.

[dhmcfadin]

Buy your desired gear and come to Austin. Installing four speakers and an eq is worth a couple hundred and a burger at Crown and Anchor. Wouldn't take more than a couple hours.

[bturner]

Did that include the components as well as the installation? As a reference 2 pair of JL cockpit speakers can run you anywhere between $400 to $1000 depending on the model and a Wet Sounds WS 420 is $400 list. So with materials and labor while still expensive its still not crazy bad.

Now if you're just swapping out existing speakers and adding an EQ without the price of the components, that's crazy high. If you showed up with the gear and just wanted it installed I would venture to guess that they didn't want the business and basically told you that in the quote.

Lastly, I've bought several used boats that had "professionally installed" sound systems installed by local shops. By and large the quality of the materials used (crimp connectors, wire, cables, etc.) has been sub par, has not been marine rated and in some cases near dangerous. Things like direct runs to the battery instead of bus bars, car audio fuses instead of breakers, wiring not properly routed or supported are far too common from budget shops employing high school kids as installers. Finding a good shop that does proper marine rated installations with professional installers is difficult and these shops that do the work correctly tend to be pricey.

[distinguishedmotorsports]

Did that include the components as well as the installation? As a reference 2 pair of JL cockpit speakers can run you anywhere between $400 to $1000 depending on the model and a Wet Sounds WS 420 is $400 list. So with materials and labor while still expensive its still not crazy bad.

Now if you're just swapping out existing speakers and adding an EQ without the price of the components, that's crazy high. If you showed up with the gear and just wanted it installed I would venture to guess that they didn't want the business and basically told you that in the quote.

Lastly, I've bought several used boats that had "professionally installed" sound systems installed by local shops. By and large the quality of the materials used (crimp connectors, wire, cables, etc.) has been sub par, has not been marine rated and in some cases near dangerous. Things like direct runs to the battery instead of bus bars, car audio fuses instead of breakers, wiring not properly routed or supported are far too common from budget shops employing high school kids as installers. Finding a good shop that does proper marine rated installations with professional installers is difficult and these shops that do the work correctly tend to be pricey.

This exactly. Install examples like BTurner is talking about is why my company only does Marina Stereo installations, we don't touch 99% of cars. The amount of additional materials and higher quality materials required to do a marine install right is something you just are not going to find in a place that employs the high school kids or charges $60/hr.

Depending on the EQ and speaker product code, i could see $2k being reasonable installed price with speakers at retail prices. JL m6-650 times two and 1 ws eq would be $1,280. Labor at $720 is not bad, given that equipment and labor should be pretty close in price on most installs.

edit: and that wouldn't even cover the install kit for the ws 420 eq! which runs 180 for the port kit (source on port side, eq on starboard side)

[bturner]

Preach brother, I hear you.

Seriously, you get what you pay for.

Edit - Got to thinking about this last night and found a picture of the advertised $2000 "Professional" stereo installation from my last boat. It included a Pioneer car amp, 4 - Wet Sounds tower speakers and a battery power switch. Below is a picture of the battery end of the professional instillation. What you can't see is that they mounted the battery switch with aluminum wood screws to the battery box that had started to dig into the battery. After tearing out all the wiring I also discovered that all 4 speakers were tied to the tower lighting wiring and were all on a bridged single channel of the amp.

The second picture is the "after" picture of my dual battery set up in the same boat.

[distinguishedmotorsports]

Preach brother, I hear you.

Seriously, you get what you pay for.

Edit - Got to thinking about this last night and found a picture of the advertised $2000 "Professional" stereo installation from my last boat. It included a Pioneer car amp, 4 - Wet Sounds tower speakers and a battery power switch. Below is a picture of the battery end of the professional instillation. What you can't see is that they mounted the battery switch with aluminum wood screws to the battery box that had started to dig into the battery. After tearing out all the wiring I also discovered that all 4 speakers were tied to the tower lighting wiring and were all on a bridged single channel of the amp.

The second picture is the "after" picture of my dual battery set up in the same boat.

That first picture is criminal! Lol. That second picture is very nice, great work, that how it should be. Even got the nice battery tie downs too. Every screw on a boat should be stainless with very few exceptions. Black steel wood screws have no place here.

[bturner]

The funny part is that the OP was very proud of the installation, said a friend owned the shop that did the work. Just bit my tongue, closed the deal and put it on the list of corrections that would need to be completed. Everything the PO touched was jaked. I was lucky to pick the boat up from him after only 2 seasons.