First impression is just they were a little over priced on their stuff. It sounded like the staff knew their stuff. But there was one employee that was helping me and this just kind of pissed me off.
I asked him if they had type R's so I could just get a feel like what they wanted for them and he said they didnt have them. Then he turned to his co-worker and laughed a little bit and said something like we dont sell garbage/crap. I was just like wow, and you want me to buy something from here...
They have a little sound pressure room with like 20 or so earthquakes in bass tubes and he cranked it up and it was loud as hell, im guessing hitting 140's and it was not up all the way, but thats with them hitting your face.
One last thing, these guys just think earthquakes are amazing and everyone should play a **** load of money to get one, they really dont believe in a good budget system (type r)
Their wire prices were ok, but since that ******* guy, im probably not going back there because they are kind of spendy.
So here I am checking Google to see if Audio Source had a website, and I run across this nonsense post. Enough so to actually make me register here and reply.
This is the way I see it.
#1 Apparently you didn't look all that hard at prices to even say that they are over priced. They are easily one of the best priced Audio shops I have ever come across in Oregon.
#2 They sell what they believe in and frankly if Jerry Krocker (Owner) believes in Earthquake it's for a **** good reason.
#3 You make Alpine Type-R's seem like some god send to the car audio world. Take you're little Type-R & your custom box into Audio Source and ask Jerry to put together a cheaper sub & box and compare how they sound/perform...
#4 None of them guys have ever been an ******* to me there, they have always been nice, courteous & willing to help. What they don't know Jerry will drop what he's doing and spend upwards of an HOUR with you just explaining how subs, amps etc..work..and then sit your happy ass down for his infamous box class. Which can be another 30 minutes of pure 100% learning.
#5 I believe Audio Source holds the Pacific Northwest record with ONLY 2 10" subs in a custom box, Audio Source is known pretty much anywhere, been featured is MANY audio magazines, Jerry is a personal friend to Alma Gates (if you even know who that is..if you don't then you really don't know a lot about car audio at all...)
#6 They don't believe in a budget system?...what do you think they're Pressure Room is? Them subs are only $25 each and I believe the EARTHQUAKE amp powering them was only like $300...sounds budget to me....BTW Earthquake I believe last year had the worlds most powerful consumer amplifier that was rated at 1300watts but bench tested at more than 14,000watts..I think the amp was only $800?.. D3 series I believe.
With all that said I think you should really consider taking back your quick judgment and go back there and talk with Jerry. The guy has been in this business longer than you have probably been alive. He was building 10,000 watt mono analog amps for competition himself when companies wouldn't, matter of fact there is one hanging on the wall in the shop, you may have seen it. I don't care who you are or how much you THINK you know about car audio, he will teach you something new.
As a side note - You seem to be the type who would/used to shop at places like CarToys, I'll admit I used to be a chain store sucker until I went to Audio Source and that changed my whole mindset, now I goto them for everything car audio related. Audio Source is the prime example; bigger is not always better, more power doesn't mean more bass and you don't have to spend an arm and a leg for a killer sound system.