As for locating a trustworthy retailer, this is often a matter of relationships. The communication skills of many outstanding installation technicians are usually weak. The installer may know your vehicle inside and out (usually the case), but does not make you feel confident of his competence. As for retailers promoting product, they will usually become dealers for brands that they trust. I have found that there is no bad product on the market; there are only poor applications of good products and good products bought for the wrong reason. Search out an installer by talking to his past customers and viewing past installations. Once you have found a quality installer, you can usually be sure he works for a comparable retailer. Clearly outline what you want from your installer and then trust him to deliver, after a bit of fine-tuning.
A very common approach is to upgrade your speakers, upgrade the installation and add some amplification. Live with the system for several weeks to determine if your factory head unit should be allowed to remain. Then make the decision. Mobile electronics is about building a superior system over time, not trying to get it right on the first try with a huge budget. Airon Ayala, guest tech editor for the month, answers your questions.
Q First off I just want to say how much I enjoy your magazine; it's always giving me ideas, but I don't know if that's a good or bad thing. Anyway, I have a 2000 Ford Mustang convertible that I would like to put an amp in. The trouble is I'm not sure of the best way to go about it since there are already factory amps for the 460 degree sound system; and the factory CD does not have RCA outputs. First, I thought maybe I should use line converters to change speaker lines to RCA outputs, but if I went that route there would be a lot more tearing apart which is sort of tricky in these new cars. Second, I thought instead of tearing the car apart I could tap into the speaker wires that go into the factory amps, but they are not marked so I don't know what wire is what. My third idea was probably the best, ask someone who knows; and that's where you come in.Thanks,Jessy MateerMontezuma,IA