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is it to have something installed at a Best Buy location? I'm thinking about having one or two 10" subs & amp installed in my trunk and the few "mom and pop" car stereo shops in my area have closed down, so naturally, Best Buy is one of my only options available. Any good positive or horror stories out there about getting something installed stereowise at BB?

thanks

I recently went to a local Stereo shop and was told to measure the impedance of the OEM speaker by using an ohm meter.
It's no wonder the little stores are closing down. They have stupid people working there.

Why not do it yourself. there are plenty of people here who have done it who can help you, and it's not all that difficult.

Best buy is going to charge you an insane amount of money to install, and for the subs/box/amp/etc. Not to mention best buy has idiots working there just like the mom and pop stores.

Get your stuff online and save a bunch of money, and then install it yourself and save more money.

Joven, there also is a few nicer places out on Ogden Ave. in Downers Grove. I don't remember what they're called, but take a drive out there and you can find something.

Crutchfield also has an "install card" that you can purchase with your equipment and use it locally without getting overcharged.

jovan, i told you to just post your questions on here... geez maybe its time to stop seeing you

by Ogden Ave, are you referring to "Sounds Deluxe". I haven't gone there yet to check them out.

I am an idiot by nature and really don't work too well coordinating brain and hands when its comes to this general type of work (install, under the hood stuff).
That's why I was looking to see if there was a reputable shop out there somewhere to do the install.

My original aftermarket stuff (which I have yet to post on my sig, sorry) was from Tweeter, but now that they've "bit the dust" I was just looking for a different opinion, that's all.

watch it Juan, or else.............................................................

I dont remember where on Ogden, but I know there are shops in Downers who will do it.

Maybe call crutchfield, and see who they have listed as installers in the area?

I had my 2 12" Rockfords installed at Best Buy. Had them in my car for about 2 1/2 to 3 years before the constant thump finally drove me mad. Since I bought the subs, box, amp, and conversion kit all at the store the install was free . I was pleasantly surprised at the job they did and had absolutely no problems with my system while it was in the car. But I'm sure there are going to be horror stories as well, different people, different places

I'm not saying they are all dumb, but I do know that the guys at the best buy at 75th and lemont, close to where Joven and I live, they are complete idiots. I know people who have had to go back multiple times for different reasons.

They have spliced together pieces of power wire underneath the running boards, and even forgot a fuse on one of my friends cars.

i'm surprised, stupid um i mean circuit city wouldn't touch it because i had the evil bose system


i figure best buy will do ok, but their price on equipment stuff is far from the "best"

swampthing wrote:i figure best buy will do ok, but their price on equipment stuff is far from the "best"

I agree, my buddy's hard drive failed on his computer a couple days ago and we went to the BB here in Tallahassee to get a new one and have them copy some important info he saved on his old hd to the new hd. They wanted to charge him $130 to install a new os, $120 to copy the files, and I believe $80-$100 to stick the new hd into his computer case. All these charges would be applied AFTER he actually bought a new os and hd. Vista costs $200, and he wanted to get a 10,000rpm Velociraptor which costs another $300. In the end I installed his os and hd for free!

Ive got 2 cents about this as I am an installer at Futureshop. You can't generalize among all FS/best buys. They are all separate bays with different crews working in them. Ive had a lot of sloppy and good work come in from other futureshops, best buys, independents and *cringe* the DIY crowd. I would talk to the installers. The fork and spoon operators (aka salesmen) are not a good thing to judge the bay by. See what kind of vibe you get. Talk to customers who have had work done there. If they refuse to touch youre system because its not a basic factory system system, RUN AWAY! A good shop will have a solution or will be able to explain to you what will and will not work for your system.

And in response to the comment about testing impedance with an ohmmeter, They probably meant resistance. Most customers see 'impedance' on speaker ratings, and do not know what DC resistance is. Sometimes you gotta keep things simple so people understand.

To get the best deals, look for clearance items. They are sometimes sold at or below cost. Wiring kits have high markup so use them to bargain. I wouldnt try to get them to discount the labour. Installers are sorely underpaid as it is.

I would say do the work yourself. If you have a buddy who has some experience you do it together, have some beers, get to know your car a little better and get the pride of knowing you did it yourself.

As a customer of 2 stereo installs at Best Buy. They were *gasp* GOOD.

First install was at my local BB in Rockford. While they're installing it I watched the Bears beat the eagles to go the Super Bowl :D It was perfect. Only thing was since my 90 Buick Regal had an awkward positioned radio they had to move it meant more wiring. Which costs an extra $10 on top of the $50 to install. Yes I saw the installer use all the extra wire .

other time was in the 93 at the BB in Beloit. Went perfectly. Even alerted me of the tranny fluid leak. (well a puddle of pink fluid was obvious though)

I hate best buy audio, they've failed me about 2-3 times, and done a good job once. The one in madison did my brother's HU install great. The one in janesville f'ed up my friends HU install in a 92 century, they put the panel screws in really tight so it was almost impossible to go in there and correct their screw-up. They were also kind of rude to him about it.
Then they charged my ex g/f $90 to install 2 speakers in the rear of her lesabre. They told her they'd have to remove the doors and the seats to do it. They put them in using self-tapping screws, half of which have fallen out already.

Do it yourself! If bollingbrook isn't too far from where i am, i'll help you. Isn't the battery in your car behind the back seat? that'll make the install like 30x easier

edit: okay, it is kinda far from me, but there's tons of knowledge on this forum, we could all help you

I have to agree with Lewis26.
Research what you want and get it online somewhere like ebay or some other audio site that is priced similarily -you won't find Crutchfield with prices as low as ebay.
Get the equipment on ebay and bring the goods along to MWBF and I'll help with the install -it's been a couple years since I've done wiring, but plug-n-play is a cinch as long as panels and trim aren't a pain to remove or reinstall, but Andrew will be there so he'll know how everything is removed and installed properly on 2000+ Bonnevilles.

My dad had Best Buy install a aftermarket CD player and speakers into his truck about 7 years ago and did a good job and still work great. Only took about 1 hour to get everything installed and even cleaned the interior of the truck when finished. But likes other have said maybe one crew at a different store is a lot better/worse than other crew.