**A Transformation for My Ride: Advance Car Stereo on Central is the Real Deal!** I rarely write reviews, but my experience with Advance Car Stereo in Montclair was so outstanding, I felt compelled to share. From the moment I walked into their Central Avenue location, I knew I was in the right place. I wasn't just looking for a new stereo; I wanted a complete audio upgrade for my aging 2004 nissan quest The factory sound system was, to put it mildly, an embarrassment. **Expert Consultation & No Pressure:** What immediately impressed me was the team's knowledge and genuine interest in helping me find the *right* solution, not just the most expensive one. [Mention an employee by name if you remember it! Tom He listened patiently to my goals (better bass, clearer highs, smartphone integration) and my budget constraints. He then presented several options, explaining the pros and cons of each with incredible clarity. There was absolutely no pressure to upsell, which I greatly appreciated. They really know their stuff, patiently answering all my questions, including some pretty technical ones about impedance and signal processing! **Installation Excellence:** I decided on a [Brand] head unit, [Brand] speakers, and a small [Brand] subwoofer. The installation process was seamless. I dropped off my car in the morning, and it was ready by the afternoon as promised. What truly stood out was the meticulous attention to detail. The wiring was clean and organized, and everything was perfectly integrated into my car's dashboard. You can tell they take pride in their work. No rattles, no loose wires, just pure audio bliss. **The Sound:** Wow. Just wow. The difference is night and day. The clarity is astounding. I'm hearing details in my music that I never knew existed. The bass is deep and punchy without being overpowering. And the smartphone integration is flawless. I can now easily stream music, take calls hands-free, and use navigation apps. It has completely transformed my driving experience. **Beyond the Sale:** Even after the installation, the team at Advance Car Stereo continued to provide exceptional service. They followed up to make sure I was happy with the system and offered helpful tips on how to optimize the sound. This level of customer care is rare these days. **Overall:** Advance Car Stereo on Central is more than just a car audio shop; it's a place where passion for sound meets exceptional customer service. If you're looking to upgrade your car's audio system, look no further. They offer expert advice, quality products, and impeccable installation. I highly recommend them! Five stars all the way! **Highly recommended for:** * Expert advice * Quality products * Professional installation * Excellent customer service * Fair pricing **Tips for making it even better:** * **Be specific:** Mention the specific products you purchased, if you remember the models. * **Add personal details:** Include any anecdotes or specific interactions that made your experience memorable. * **Include photos (if possible):** A picture of your new stereo system can make your review even more impactful. * **Mention pricing (if comfortable):** Giving a general idea of the cost can be helpful for other potential customers read more

If I could be able to rate this company with zero stars.... i would. I don't know about the other chick who got her car done.... but we went to Advanced Car Stereo and what we thought was a good deal was not. They suck at customer service and at installation. Supposedly they have to go through special training.... uh i think not. They did such a horrible service i think if i would have installed it probably would have done it about the same... and that's without experience. They are a over charged and under experience company. I'm happy the Aimee was taken care of well but unfortunately we weren't. We had a alarm system installed. You know when u get something for your car that u love and take care, you want the best, correct. Well supposedly that's what we were gonna get, but when i actually find out and see the model of the system it was a cheap one that i could have gotten at a flea market. When the alarm was deactivated and while driving the lights of the dash board and from the head lights would be flashing.... now tell me can u call the special training. They had the car for about a couple of hours they had ample time to install it. They never gave us a courtesy call to let us know the car was ready and when we get there the actual installer had left so some guy who obvious did not know what he was doing had to come and see what was going on. He blamed it on the battery because did not want to start. Actually the battery was not even a month old. We had to take it else where to get it fix but with professional.... so if you are looking on getting some hookups... i honestly am telling you advance car is NOT the place.... read more

I was having issues with my sound system--no sound was coming from the entire driver's side. Since I'm new to Riverside, I used Yelp to find a local shop and ended up at Advanced Car Stereo. Out of four shops I checked, they seemed to have the best pricing, so I decided to give them a chance. I really wish I hadn't. From the start, I went in feeling vulnerable and unsure of what the actual issue was. I spoke with Dennis, one of the leads there, and explained what I thought might be wrong (possibly blown speakers). He took my car to the back, and about 10 minutes later, I was called into the work area. Dennis told me my entire system was supposedly wired incorrectly and that the only way to fix it was to completely rewire the LC7 or replace my door speakers .He quoted me $780 for that repair and even gave me other "options" that went up to $1,600. The problem is, this conclusion was reached after only about 10 minutes of looking at my car. For a moment, I almost believed him, but my gut told me not to move forward. Instead, I took my car to a trusted shop in Santa Ana (Harbor sound ). They quickly discovered the real issue: some corrosion on the connections. They charged me $135 to fix it and properly tune the system. My system works perfectly now. This shop tried to upsell me on unnecessary, overpriced work. In my opinion, they take advantage of customers who may not know much about car audio. If I could give 0 stars, I would--you can thank Dennis for this review. read more

I haven't bought a system for myself in a long time. I used to be well informed but I would not feel confident ordering anything like that now. I just wanted to see what people were putting g in their cars now, so i visited Advanced Car Stereo in Montclair . A few sales people working, but luckily I was helped by Shantill, a stunning redhead with an intoxicating smile. She saw I was overwhelmed with all the choices and didn't even let me make a fool of myself . Right away, she asked what type of music did i enjoy and did i prefer it with a heavy beat or more of a crisp clean sound . After those 2 simple questions , I felt the stress start to lessen and I knew i was gonna be ok. She wrote up an order for me that was very reasonably priced and told me she would have my car ready in 2 days. When I went to get it, they had installed what I can only describe as, the most clear , amazing sound system to ever come from any car I have ever driven or been a passenger in. You need to go there and you can ask for anyone's help, the staff is all on point and will answer any qs you have , but if you see a tall red head moving amongst the fray , say " Hi Shantill, could you help me with my car stereo needs?" It is as simple as that. Thank you Advanced Car Stereo Jay Anthony read more

I've gone to a few different stereo shop with my car but was never really happy with them just because they didn't really intract with me and we're really small I'm a pretty average built kind of guy and I was having to turn sideways just to get to the desk but this place was very spacious and I could walk right to the desk big plus I told Dennis the guy that help me what I wanted and he knew exactly what I wanted right off the back and hooked it up. He told me that the install was going to take about 4 or 5 hours witch was no big deal other then I didn't have a ride home but after about 15 min of them taking my car to the back they started right away with it they installed 4 tweeters 4 new speakers and to subs with box in about 2 hours and 30 min and I have to say that it is the best that my car has ever sounded. Another thing that was really nice was that while they were doing the install they made me feel more at home by offering me full on water bottles and a place to watch TV while I waited. This place was the real deal super happy with the work my car looks stock which is a big plus because I don't like it when it looks after market so if u are looking to get a good stereo with good prices and friendly service I would recommend you going here u won't be disappointed. read more

I recently went to Advanced Stereo to have a Nav system put into my 2002 Avalanche chevy truck. I explained to Sam that since my truck was 12 years old that I did not wish to have a name brand installed. Sam suggested a jenseon unit. I agreed on the price and they installed the unit. I also have small grandkids that love to watch video's so I inquired about that as well. Again, Sam gave me a killer price on a nice unit. The following day after the install, my son and I were trying to get the DVR unit to work but we failed. I went back to see them and their tech explained 'how to make it function;. The Tech also explained that in order to work the back unit work indepently of the front unit that we needed to purchase head phones. We agreed and again Sam gave us a nice price. We also noticed the left read door speaker not working. The Tech checked it out and reported that it was blown. Again, Sam gave us a great price on a set of speakers which the Tech installed in both rear doors. The grandkids love their headsets and they think that they are really cool. They can't wiat to ride in the truck at every opportunity. The Jensen Nav unit works very nicely and we are very pleased. My advice. If you want a great unit, see Sam and you will never be happier. read more

I have known business Owner Sam, and his General Manager Dennis for well over 14 years. And because of the integrity on how this location is run I would NEVER go anywhere else! A few years ago I purchased some amazing Hertz speakers, an amp and sub and had them installed in my car fully loved my purchase. Recently I bought another car and I did have a new Kenwood head unit installed shortly after purchase with front dashcam, I dont know if any of you have ever had a dash cam before but they are life savers! Originally I made fun of the idea when Dennis suggested it, but he explained "just wait eventually you will love it" and Man was he right the dashcam caught a license plate of a hit and run driver who rear ended my 2013 Camry while my wife was driving home from work. This past Saturday I decide that its time to get rid of the older car I'm not using anymore, but I wanted my audio equipment moved to the newer Camry. I called Dennis he gave me an amazing experience having the speakers and amp and everything else transferred over to the new Camry and it was a seamless transition/ install. Sam & Dennis, thank you guys for everything over all the years. I will see you guys on the next one and whenever I can I will send you customers. read more

I couldn't be more impressed with my experience at Advanced Car Stereo. Dennis and his team did an exceptional job with my 2016 Mazda 6, installing a new infotainment system and tweeters with incredible attention to detail. What really sets this shop apart is their professionalism and customer service. When they realized I was missing a crucial wiring part (completely my fault), they reassembled everything so I could drive my car while waiting for the part. Most impressively, they didn't charge any extra for having to take apart and reassemble the center console twice. The installation itself was technically challenging with limited documentation available, but they handled it flawlessly. Their expertise was evident in how they navigated the complexities of the modern car entertainment system integration. Every connection was secure, every panel perfectly aligned, and the final result exceeded my expectations. The new system works beautifully, and the sound quality from the tweeters is fantastic. If you're looking for a car audio shop that combines technical expertise with outstanding customer service, I strongly recommend Advanced Car Stereo. They've earned every star of this five-star review. read more

Walked in with little knowledge of car sound systems and what to look for, other than wanting to be budget conscious and keep my car as close to stock as possible. Dennis was super nice and made me feel at ease, he laid out the information for me and told me I would need to spend a little bit to get something I would be happy with. I wanted to maintain the stock head unit (since it features CarPlay and a Backup camera that I didn't want to mess with). We settled on Kenwood eXcelon door speaker and tweeter setup with a Kicker HS10 Sub under the seat. I paid a little under 1800 for it all. After I pointed out that I was charged the wrong amount of sales tax, Dennis was super apologetic and refunded me the difference, making sure I was paying the right amount. After paying, I waited around for about 2 hours before being told my car was ready. Super pleased with how it sounds, miles better than the factory sound system in my 2022 Civic Hatchback. All the usual features work with the factory head unit, like voice navigation, volume control, and there's no low humming noise when there is no audio played through the speakers. Thank you Dennis and the team for your quick and quality work! read more

Read the 1 star reviews, they might be more reliable than the 5. My radio wasn't working, kinda glitchy. Asked to have it looked out, assumed I needed a new radio. Instead of looking at it (I didn't know what they should just look at, just assumed there would be some sort of diagnostic), Dennis told me I needed a new radio after looking through the closed window at my radio (I guess to humor me). I waited for them to install. Left with a new radio. Came back 1 hr later since it wasn't working. That's when they realized it was just a loose wire on the rear speaker. Instead of apologizing, Dennis told me I could buy speakers now or take the new radio out. Then he left with me standing there so I could decide what to do. The guy in the back was sympathetic and quietly told me he could just super glue the wire and it would be fine. Very nice guy. He did, and it worked for quite a while. Now it's broken again, I asked them to superglue it or show me how, I guess that isn't an option anymore. They offered me new speakers again. Overall bad experience I hope to never have to return there or give them more business read more

Advance stereo and stuff are awesome i want thank Chris for hooking me up yesterday and helping me get my stereo installed with the right equipment and sounding good after a month or so of going back an forth with AutoZone Walmart ect with trying to get right in dash pocket for for my 2000 Avalon after all the running around i called the AutoZone across the street street from advance stereo they let Me know they had the right kit i needed so i go and purchase it to find after trying install it that it was the wrong one so i go back to return it to find out that they wouldn't give me a refund because the kit was open so i explain that an employee from the store told i me it was in fact the right one so i had no reason Believe otherwise until now have the kit In the trunk of my car with no use for it.. So i felt like i got screwed for someone else's mistake but after sharing this horrible experience with Chris and get great deal i couldn't pleased with my experience so if anyone is in my place just head over and ask for Chris i guarantee you won't regret it read more

I needed to upgrade my harley street glide radio. I called advanced car stereo cause my usual place wasnt open. Upon speaking with one of their associates I told him what I needed and the vehicle I was installing it in. He told me " oh we do Harley's we have 2 street glides that were doing radios and speakers on now...when I got to the store he sold me completely the wrong item and didnt have the necessary faceplate he knew I would need ( being that he has 2 street glides hes doing now )and then tried to sell me on speakers that didnt sound as good as what i already have. Then when I ordered the right unit completely ready to plug n play from FATHEAD CYCLES...advanced wouldnt do a return on the crap they sold me. That is deceptive and very shiesty to me. Tell ur customers you dont do returns,,,ask them what they need and make sure u sell them the right equipment but make sure u have it all in stock to install instead of just taking peoples money. I WOULD NEVER RECOMEND THIS SHADY PLACE TO ANYONE EVER !!!! U ARE WARNED. read more