Ok,
So I went to this Audio place in Boca today... The guy quoted me $2300 and I have never worked with audio before so Im not really sure if thats low or high... He said that they would be changing out all the lows and highs in the car with JL Audio C5 Speakers... Adding a 5 channel amp to power the speakers and the 12'' sub they would also be adding in the trunk. He's gonna be custom building a box in the trunk for the sub to make it look like it belongs.

Basically, ill be getting the following:
8 JL Audio C5 Speakers
1 5 Channel JL Audio Amp
1 12'' JL Audio Sub
1 Custom Box in the trunk
And all the labor to install for $2300... Is this guy raping me or is this reasonable?

 

IMHO not really raped but a little high.

But, the mobile audio arena is very biased depending upon location. You said the shop was in Boca? Boca Raton FL? If so, I'm pretty sure that is a rather affluent area thereby resulting on the price. ie: Mercedes Car, Mercedes Pricing.

Here in Jersey that job would be roughly $1500-$1800. Plus that would be with a custom built box and not a generic JL enclosure.

 

Very biased.... lets put it this way... The guy was installing audio on a ferrari, range rover, and a bmw m6 while i was there... lol

 

what were the models for the audio equipment, the amp and sub if you are getting a HD amp the 900/5 and a 12w6 then the price is fair C5 are not cheap plus custom labor sound like a good deal.

 

Yeah. Then it sounds like their pricing is based on the clientel. Do some shopping but also try to find customers that went to those shops to see how the work came out.

 

Methinks you skimmed when reading... I think the pricing is a bit high, even for top shelf. I'd be more inclined to see $2K as the price.

Agreed - higher end vehicles = clientele who believe that they will get what they pay for and are willing to pay when they trust someone with those vehicles. I'd definitely ask for some references - preferably some that have had their system for more than 6 months.

Big Mack

 

I was quoted $1800 just for a JL amp, 12" sub, enclosure and install to replace the blown ML sub in my car so honestly that doesn't sound too far out there considering they're doing all the component speakers as well. Depending on the JL amp/sub, that could vary the price considerably. Check out crutchfield.com and verify the pricing for whatever speakers/amp they are quoting you and then figure for yourself if the box/install is worth the extra on top of that.

 

I'd look at Crutchfield as well. That way you can know what you're getting. You could also buy the equipment from Crutchfield tax free. I have JL Audio stuff and it's great quality. I have the HD amps, and hopefully that's what you're getting. The C5's are awesome too.

 

I had similar quotes from the local audio shops too and I decided to look around , explore on the web and look for best options rather than going with the FOCALs that they were recommending. I'd share my experiences - hopefully it'll be useful to you.
Disclaimer : I'm JBL/HK fan - I like their little brighter sound.

1. Despite common recommendation to replace OEM speakers first, I thought that the OEM speakers were fine and the amp was of poor quality. I bought JBL MS-8 (MSRP 799 but you can find it cheaper in the web). Spent $15 at Toyota's Technical Information System for a 2-day subscription to figure the connections out. Took it to local Best Buy. Explained everything in detail to the tech. He was very helpful. Another $150 for installation and the the system sounded perfect! MS-8 calibration compensated for all the issues - whether it was factory amp or the OEM speakers.
   However, due to MS-8 summing signal from all channels first, I lost the ability to fade the sound from front to rear, or balance from left to right using the factory head unit. Although I never used that, I still didn't like to idea of losing a functionality.
2. Due to me tinkering around with the connections at home, I think I shorted out the factory amp. Got it replaced at Lexus dealer. This time, I decided to not install MS-8. Bought 2 pairs for JBL 6.5" component speakers for little over $100 (clearance at Harmanaudio.com). Got them installed again at Best Buy - $220 for installation - it already sounds perfect. I can't tell you how crappy the factory speakers were. The rear ones had a 1 inch diameter magnet! The new JBL speakers have a higher efficiency too (> 90db) and the sound is not only clearer, it even louder than before.
3. I've MS-8 sitting in my basement - I don't know what to do with it.
4. In the meantime, I bought two JBL GTO504 amps (50W RMSx4). (I need 4 channel + 1 for center + 2 for dual coil woofer). I'll get these installed sometime too - the JBL speakers are rated for 70W RMS - they'll be fine. I'll need to replace the factory woofer though - I've 2 8" ones sitting in my basement - bought it again from harmanaudio on clearance for less than $90 - I'll also need to replace center channel - not sure what I'll do).

So now, if I ever have to upgrade sound system is any car in future (my other car is Acura MDX with DVD-A system - it is already perfect), I'd start with upgrading the speakers first. If that doesn't bring quality sound, JBL MS-8 will definitely be second in line. (note: MS-8 only does 18W RMS per channel into 4 ohm speakers, 30W RMS into 2 ohm speakers though). However, if the sound (or quality of music reproduced) is good but it just not loud enough, I'll avoid MS-8 and go straight to external amps.