We recently had Musicar install a security system in our Camper Van. Great experience. They were very good at communication, and although they thoroughly explained all available options they didn't try to upsell anything. They got started a bit behind schedule, but ultimately got things completed early. So far so good with the product and the install. No complaints, great service, would definitely recommend. read more

Musicar Northwest - Musicar Northwest - Car Stereo Installation Near Me - Portland, Oregon

Musicar Northwest I had a stereo installed by Musicar Northwest in my 2023 Porsche Macan. I live very closeby in Portland, OR. Products: Musicar does custom car stereo installs for many brands of cars. They have some pre-engineered solutions for some Porsche models. They have a solution for my Macan. This includes choosing suitable components like amps, speakers, digital processors, soundproofing. It includes their installation process, the tools, and all the tips and tricks they learned - see the YouTube videos. They even "re-brand" some of the individual components from Audio Fischer and Morel to Musicar. Note: these are Best of Class components. Planning: Musicar offers several options for the Macan. For instance, they can use a Digital DSP (NAV-TV ZEN-V) for better signal quality (I opted), upgrade the rear speakers (I declined), add a center channel and speaker (I opted), and a custom constructed subwoofer box (I declined and asked for a pre-built JL CS110LG-TW3). I asked Musicar to install 2 x plastic handles on the sub, use some Velcro straps to affix it to some tie down straps in the Macan, and to use Speakon twist and lock speaker cable connectors. If you are local, they are glad to have you in to tour the office/workshop and listed to some sample installs. Execution: Musicar took the car on a Monday and returned it on a Friday. However, unbeknownst to me, my Macan had water soaking the passenger footwell carpet. Nick/Musicar contacted me about this and had kindly dried the carpet while working on other areas of the car to stay on schedule. The system looks 100% stock - the subwoofer/tune selecter controller was installed perfectly inside the armreset console and the speaker grills remain stock. Exception: the removeable JL sub box sits in the covered cargo area behind the read seat, exactly as I preferred, and is affixed by velcro straps with a secure and removable Speakon connector. Follow Up: There was one follow up visit to 1) adjust the gain higher on the subwoofer, 2) extend the subwoofer speaker cable for more slack and option to move the box around. Conclusion: Musicar was by far my BEST EXPERIENCE with custom stereo upgrades so far - I had at least 3 done - and I am 100% SATISFIED. Their AMAZING DESIGN of the system - including going up to 9" woofers in the door where the stock system has 8" most others go down to 7" or 6.5" - results in superb bass response from the doors. The consultation process was great - Nick is a wonderful host, knows his stereo and music, and gives great guidance on how to achieve your goals in a system. And addressing the unexpencted water intrusion issue as part of the install process - that is EXCEPTIONAL serivce. The tune made by Nick was almost exactly what I was looking for - and adjusting Bass/Treble a bit in the head unit, and increasing sub gain a bit made it perfect. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND Nick and the Musicar Team for your car stereo install/upgrade. Website: https://musicarnw.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/musicarnw read more

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Poor Customer Service. Sent an e mail on the last week of MAY to make an appointment for June to have a conversation on installing a new audio system for my car. Waited for a reply to no avail. Sent another e mail for request a week later, and still no reply. It takes just a minute to reply if they did not want my business. Perhaps they were extremely busy, out on vacation, or simply can't do what I needed. NOT responding is just poor customer service. I will definitely inform my friends and family NOT to do business here. read more

I didn't want to replace my 2013 Mini Cooper because it wouldn't connect to my phone and only played am radio. I was thrilled to find out Musicar Northwest could give me a real Carplay stereo AND they offered to add a backup camera. I am not interested in learning to do electrical work on my car- especially after hearing Mini's are difficult. It took the team a day and a half to complete the work and I am thrilled. This is a small business. They are good at what they do. It sometimes takes some time to get them to answer the phone or return an email (they don't have a reception person). Sean was super helpful and made sure I understood how to use my stereo and and new camera. I guess they normally do super fancy cars, but getting an upgrade on my beloved Mini made a big difference to me. read more

Amazing work from the best in the industry. They have immense knowledge and can help you get perfect results from any project, big or small. They can do stealthy OEM integration or wild custom builds and anything in between. They always treat my vehicle with the utmost care and I'm blown away by the results each time. read more

This is the real deal. The crew at Musicar has been with me throughout my 911's journey and did some incredible work on my car. I had the upgraded Morel and Mosconi audio package done to my 2015 911 GTS, AL Priority Laser Jammers, and a CarPlay retrofit. The audio sounds AMAZING, looks totally OEM, and and laser install was incredibly stealthy. If you have a high performance vehicle/supercar that needs audio, radar, etc, done on it your be dumb not going to these guys. This is top of the line work. Will definitely be a customer for life. read more

To be clear the folks here have received rave reviews yet after obtaining a quote I decided NOT to move forward with them doing the work as the quote they provided was so expensive it literally caused me to laugh. Although they are busy "Nick" was responsive. I explained the details of what I wanted for the stereo upgrade and trunk enclosure, the car alarm, and the build of a center console for my 69' Mustang. I made it very clear I'm not an audiophile and that the Mustang is loud, thus I want "middle of the road" components, not high end, and that includes the alarm. I'd be using my existing Kenwood Bluetooth Receiver and upgrade the other components with brands like Kenwood, Pioneer, Kicker, Rockford Fosgate... Anyway I'll cut to the chase.... the quote Nick gave with was $27,000 to $28,000. Uhhh, choke, stammer, and then laugh. Based on my experience with this company they appear to be a great choice if money is not an option for you. I budgeted around $15k for this project and the $27k estimate from Nick wasn't realistic for me. read more

After scouring reviews of audio shops in the Pacific Northwest I was happy to find out that one of the best operations in the country was located right here in my hometown. What's more, they had a sterling reputation for doing Porsche installs, which was exactly what I was looking for. I reached out to Nick Akin, their Porsche Audio specialist, for some options. I would like to address the fact that these guys can be challenging at times to get ahold of. This is true. Sometimes that can be an indicator of a sloppy operation or one where they don't really care about the customer. That is anything but the case here. I would advise anyone who wants a top quality install to just be persistent. I had better luck calling than I did by email, which is usually my preferred means of communication. Nick presented me with three standard tiers for upgrading my stock system, as well as ways to customize the system further. I was interested in the top tier with a few further modifications. Despite making a few plan changes close to my scheduled appointment the shop did everything in their power to accommodate me and make sure I was confident and happy with the direction the install was going. And the finished product was nothing short of spectacular. The sound is truly phenomenal. It's rare for me to have a service experience where I feel like I got exactly what was planned and paid for, on time, without compromises. Nick and his staff were all extremely friendly and genuinely love cars and what they do with them. These guys will be my go to shop for all future car audio purchases for the rest of the vehicles in my household. read more

Great work and high quality customer service, I would recommend this shop for audio instillation work.

Outstanding service, quality and personnel. I have been going to Musicar for over seven years. Originally because of a blown amp and speakers, which they replaced with a marine amp and Morel speakers in my 06 Jeep Wrangler LJ. The stereo they installed is the best stereo I have ever heard in a car. Two of my tweeters wore out and Nick went out of his way to have them replaced at no charge to me even though warranty really didn't cover it. Today I went and had TJ adjust my stereo as the setting were lost because of a loss of power, and this is done at no charge. There really is nowhere else in Portland I would go for superior audio car equipment and custom installations. You really have to see their work to appreciate how excellent it is. The people who work at Musicar are true craftspeople who really care and love what they do. Experience true excellence and have Musicar install the stereo system of your dreams. read more

Hands down, the best car audio shop in the PNW. I started talking with them about my in June. We installed a level II in September. These guys only want to work with customers who want the best for their vehicles. Yes they work on Ferraris and Lamborghinis, but they also worked on my Chrysler Pacifica. Yes; it was well worth the wait. read more

Retrofitted Apple CarPlay into a 2010 AudiS5. I used the Unique Auto Development kit, which was new to MusicarNW. MusicarNW/Sean was very accommodating and helpful during the install. They did a fantastic job, and the system works without issues. I would definitely recommend them. read more

I LOVE THIS PLACE. A few years ago they put a system in my Mercedes SLK 350. The flow was so excellent it did not ruin the ergonomics of my Mercedes cabin; it enhanced it. It beat the pants off the integrated installation done in Stuttgart. It sounded like was designed in heaven. I now have a BMW 328i and made the mistake of figuring out the specs for my new entertainment, navigation, back up camera, blind spot sensor and dash cam myself. I ended up with a terrible, touch screen that was almost impossible to use. Made in China like everything else although it was very expensive I had no help from the manufacturers or Zendesk. When I called Nick (the Manager) I thought he would just say, it serves you right. But instead he was wonderful and said "we will see what we can do to help you out". So I am going to to bring it in tomorrow....TO BE CONTINUED! read more

Bass package and Apple CarPlay install was done expertly. I would definitely recommend!

This place is amazing! I called to ask if they can install a front and backup camera with Apple CarPlay on my wife's 991.1. They walked me through what is available for my model, scheduled a time for installation, and worked out a plan for drop off and pickup. They were flexible with my schedule. Sean showed me around the shop and saw they do really good clean work. I was not disappointed at pick up. He walked me through using the cameras and Apple CarPlay. My wife was really thrilled with the upgrades. I would not hesitate recommending Musicar NW. Thank you Sean! read more

Not only did Musicar Northwest deliver quality service when they installed my newly purchased Rennline ExactFit Magnetic Phone Mount but they also were prompt with their correspondence (via email), COVID-19 safe (their location was immaculate!), informative, accommodated my schedule, and were friendly throughout the entire process. I'll definitely return when I feel a need to fix/boost my sound system! read more

So I will not be your typical Musicar NW customer but I am more than happy to write them an excellent review. I was having some car alarm trouble with an older 4Runner so I sent Nick a message hoping for some guidance. We talked briefly on the phone and he was very gracious and willing to help me resolve my issue. He set aside some time to take a look at my alarm. The friendly guys at Musicar helped me resolve my issue and told me what I needed to do in order to get the right equipment for my vehicle to address any future problems. While in the shop they showed me some of the projects they were working on, and I was truly impressed. Simply put, It would be difficult for me to imagine a higher quality of work. The attention to detail, the quality of products, and their willingness to go out of their way to give their customers exactly what they want with no compromises was astounding. Whether you want the best possible audio system for your Lamborghini or you are just some dude having some trouble with his old 4Runner they will make it happen for you. All the best to the musicar team! -Allen read more

Update from my last review - if only it counts as 10 stars. I had an issue with the USB port for my phone's connection to the stereo...yes, the old Civic is still trucking along. Anyway, I wasn't sure if it was my fault (quite possible) or something with the original install since it had been a long time since it was put in. Worth mentioning that I love the stereo that they put in...have not once regretted it. Anyway, I called them to set up an appt to have a look at it and they actually remembered me. I promise I'm not that memorable. Anyway, they assessed it and said that the original USB connection could have been done better so they improved on it. In and out in a short period of time and no charge. Without a doubt for any future car stereo needs they have my 100% loyalty. read more

Honestly, the customer service is unreal. Sean emailed back within 48 hours after I sent an initial email requesting an appt to upgrade my stereo to Car Play. I had reached out to multiple companies throughout the Seattle/Tacoma and Portland area and I got one response a few weeks later from one company. Not only was Sean responsive, he broke down cost, equipment, and we set a date for me to bring in my car. Nick was there when I dropped it off and again, great vibe and excellent customer service. My car was completed same day and Nick walked me through how to use the new stereo and gave me his card in case I have any additional questions. The cost was around $1k; not cheap. I would do it again in a heartbeat. I love the sound, the ease of use and overall, recommend these guys! You won't be disappointed. :) read more

I have left a couple of voicemails and spoke to someone over the phone over the last 2 weeks, but nobody seems to call me back regarding a quote on an audio package. Maybe they don't want my business for some reason? read more

I interacted with several employees and each guy was very pleasant, respectful, helpful and very knowledgeable. I am terrible with names, but I believe it was Nick who stepped in to make a recommendation for a really nice stereo, which was less expensive than the one I thought I wanted. The installation was top-notch and the price I paid came in lower than the estimated price I was quoted. I admittedly showed up without an appointment (website recommends an appt.), but was treated very well and respectfully. I went to Musicar because another shop in town was overly aggressive with sales pitches, and I felt too much pressure to buy a really high-end deck when I just wanted a simple set-up. I recommend Musicar 100%. read more

Diligent workers. The legwork that goes into these new vehicles is a lengthy process but it's good to know people down at Musicar are up to the task. read more

This is my first Yelp review. That's how happy I was with my experience at Musicar Northwest! I know nothing about cars or stereos and am therefore the type of customer who could easily be taken advantage of. The fact that I know this makes it stressful for me (a huge music lover) to figure out where to go and what to do when my car stereo stops working. Thank goodness for the previous reviewers. They helped me decide to call this place first, and I'm so glad I did! Nick could not have been kinder or more helpful. I assumed I needed a whole new stereo but he helped me troubleshoot and figured out there was a problem with my Iphone adapter thingy. I am leaving this review in case there are others like me who are super confused about this stuff and anxious about other places based on some of the terrible reviews. This place does do more high end stuff, and there is a wait list of about a month to 45 days I believe he said (not surprising they are booked out so far!), so it might not be the right spot for everyone. But Nick even gave me another recommendation for a place I could go if I wanted to replace my factory stereo quickly, and helped me figure out what would be a good option and what I could expect to pay. I've probably never had a better customer service experience and I wasn't even a customer! But this is a place I'd love to give my business to. Thanks Nick, for being so nice. read more

Awesome! I had a problem with my stereo and they had me bring it by and they fixed it on the spot and I was out of there- no charge. Thanks Nick! read more

These guys are great. I had an Escort 9500ci radar/laser system installed in my E46 M3 by another shop when I lived in Seattle. After I'd moved to Portland the system malfunctioned and Escort sent me to these guys. They rearranged their schedule multiple times to accommodate, kept trouble-shooting relentlessly to find the problem, swapped out components, and just kept at it until it was fixed. Well, at least we think it's fixed. But at least now if it malfunctions again I know where to go. Great service with a great friendly, helpful, positive attitude. UPDATE - These guys continue to do excellent work and provide great service. I brought my car back to have them install a new CarPlay head unit and fix a malfunction in the radar/laser system. read more

Reposted from a Reddit post written by me. This is a legit review I am just to lazy to write an entire new review for Yelp but I want to give credit where credit is due. So I found a really nice shop out here in Oregon called Musicar Northwest. I previously dropped a lot of money on equipment and an install at Outrageous Audio. The equipment I bought is all solid, Focal K2s in front and back, Kenwood Excelon head unit, Kicker subs and Two Focal amps. They also put SoundSkin in all the doors and behind my subs. Outrageous is a fine place don't get me wrong but they pretty much just do the basic install and nothing custom. Musicar did a full on diagnostic of my system. Found out I'd blown my right tweeter, most likely because the gains weren't set properly. Replaced the tweeter, reenforced all the mounts as well as adding an additional 4 tubes of SoundSkin in the doors. They did the big 3 and then professionally tuned it. My god what a difference. The clarity is astounding and it fucking knocks. Still a couple upgrades I'm looking to do but man these guys know what they're doing. Now it sounds like it should have for the amount of money I've spent! Not knocking Outrageous Audio if you're looking for a basic install but if you want something better that's the place. read more

Where to start...All the reviews are spot on! Nick and this team are incredible. Added a radar/laser detection system and tuned up the stereo system in my 911. From my first quote and the extensive detail I received about my options to the amazing finished product I can not recommend Musicar NW enough. The talent,the detail, creativity, and products are just all top notch. I will be back read more

So just to clarify - I never got any work done by these guys. I basically never got past the initial consultation. I brought my 2016 Tacoma in for a head unit/speaker upgrade and to get some solutions for more usb plugs and to solve some audio issues I'd been having. Nick had some great ideas that I hadn't thought of. He spent about an hour with me going over options and some custom interior work they could do to solve my issues. I saw some of the work they were doing in the shop and it was seamless - these guys look like they know exactly what they're doing and do a really good job. I felt like the high price was worth it and I was very excited to get rolling on the project because I knew it would look and sound amazing when it was all done. That's kind of where it ended. I was expecting to get an estimate in a few days. Nothing. Then a few days became a week, then two weeks. Nothing again. I called and talked to Nick to check if there was an eta and if they needed any other info, and he said they were pretty busy but he'd work on it and get it out in a day or two. That was a month ago now. I've emailed and called, no response and no reply. I was pretty stoked on these guys and I really wanted to have this project started by now, but I don't think they are interested. They could have told me at some point and not wasted a month of my time. read more

The stereo on my Mercedes C280 went dead, and my service guy said to take it to Musicar NW - they're the best for diagnosing car audio systems. Luck was on my side as Ken & crew fixed the problem on the spot; and didn't charge me! I'll be back when my stereo needs an upgrade; as I found both Nick and Ken super competent and knowledgeable. read more

I purchased a plug-and-play system from them in 2011, just to upgrade this "base stereo" option I had on my E90 BMW 3 series. That sound system alone is why I still have that car and sold the other one. No sound system I've tried has even come close to the level of clarity and intensity that that system has. The people working at Musicar know exactly what they're doing. My only complaint is that it's ruined most car sound systems for me. I bought a Tesla model 3, for instance, and while the sound system is on par with that of a 2014 $150k car with upgraded factory sound, it doesn't come close to what the Musicar system in the BMW 3 series provides. I didn't realize how completely spoiled I became over the past 8 years of normalizing myself to that. I felt like I was in an alternate reality with people left and right ranting and raving about how good the Tesla's audio is. Now I'm searching around for ways to upgrade what the Tesla has to offer, and I'm very tempted to go with Musicar again, even though I live 1200 miles away. read more

If you own a BMW and you want to upgrade your sound system, this is the ONLY place you should consider if you live in Oregon. If you take your car anywhere else you are a fool! These guys are the best. You get what you pay for. They are totally transparent about their process, they involve you in the process, they use the stock wiring and connections so that there is minimal impact to your vehicle and so you can easily take it back to the stock system if you sell your car and want to save your new gear. Their installation is so amazingly good, it appears to be from the factory. They will also find opportunities to take care of you and go the extra mile. The word "hospitality" comes to mind. And the end result, when you hear it, will bring a tear of joy to your eye. The only downside: every other sound system in your life will sound like crap! read more

Ken ("Vice President of Electricity") gave me a quote for a Rosen rear seat headrest entertainment system that was cheaper than the dealership and didn't interfere with the MB headrest/whiplash safety mechansim. I was so pleased with the way it turned out (it look like it was installed in Sttugart) I came back a month later to have new speakers and an amp installed in my ML-350. My wife said it was a waste of money until I played her favorite song on the ride home. I haven't "invested" in car audio upgrades since I was 17: too many grownup priorities came first. This was money well spent, and I was treated like an old friend. These guys are not the cheapest shop in town, but they do offer HIGH QUALITY and no pressure. read more

Highly customized work at a reasonable price. Went from a stock radio and speakers to a pioneer with android auto, some rear speakers, and added an outlet. The work Musicar does is more seamless than any other aftermarket install I've ever received. Highly recommended! read more

I have had two installs done by them now. Both were excellent, I couldn't ask for more. These guys love their job and they really go after every install like it is in their own car. I can not honestly imagine going anywhere else. read more

This is an amazing shop with incredible customer service and helpful technicians. They involve you in every step of the process, listen to your needs and do beautiful work. read more

I worked with Ken to find the best system for my husband's 2000 Volkswagen Eurovan. Ken was the consummate professional, and clearly incredibly knowledgeable in the field. Instead of having to look at hundreds of different radio systems, Ken chatted with me (and happily answered all of my questions), and then sent me a PDF with three different options at different price points, which was very easy to read and understand. Ken knew everything there was to know about installing new sound equipment in our vehicle (even using the same tape that Volkswagen uses!), and even did a custom trim job at no charge. My husband is in love with his new radio, the car's dashboard looks great, and I am a very happy customer. I highly recommend this business. read more

These guys went way above and beyond to make sure I had a car to drive home. THey stayed late and did whatever it took. Amazing service!

These guys really helped me out after my Compustar alarm wasn't working right. I was worried b/c my car was stolen from in front of our house and we had just recovered it. Nick told me to pass by the next day to see if it was a quick fix since they were booked a week or more out. One of their technicians fixed it in like 2 minutes! But that was after I had locked my key in the car and they graciously got my car unlocked. Thank you, you guys really are awesome. read more

My stereo had stopped working after the cigarette lighter broke off. I called and Nick explained that it was likely a busted fuse. I took my car in and Nick checked it out. Sure enough, the fuse was busted. Nick replaced the fuse for no charge! Super friendly and very welcoming environment! read more

This place is awesome! Was having issues with my system in my Tacoma. Nick was very nice and very professional. Will be returning in near future. Thank you Musicar Northwest! read more