Sound Design

(44 reviews)

Contacted Mark back in August to request he perform some re-running of speaker wires to my home…read moreentertainment setup (moving from one wall to another). Mark returned my call the next day, which was the *only* time he responded promptly. He said he would be in my area at the end the week, but that came and went without a call or text from Mark. I sent him text messages on Sept. 1 and Sept. 7, and finally got a response on Sept. 14, with Mark apologizing for not getting back to me. He indicated he could make something happen the following week, which I agreed to. On Sept. 21, I received a text from Mark indicating he needed to reschedule, as his young child was sick at home, and he needed to be there. Fair enough. On Sept. 27, I texted Mark again, seeking another time he could come out...CRICKETS! On Oct. 10, I texted him again, indicating that I would appreciate a response if he had any intention of working on my project...CRICKETS, to this day! Bottom line: I understand that "stuff" happens that adversely affects schedules, but no amount of "stuff" should prevent common courtesy from occurring - a simple return text or call indicating the problem, and this would have saved me the time of writing this poor review. The Audio Solution may be technically great, but I never got a chance to experience that - only extremely poor communication, or none at all. I can only assume that Mark didn't really want to do the job I need done, but instead of being up front with me, he produced excuses, or didn't communicate at all. POOR business model...CAVEAT EMPTOR: use The Audio Solution at your own risk, especially if you covet communication and follow through with the service you're using.

Mark was really helpful and patient with listening and figuring out what possible scenarios I was…read moredealing with, didn't try to sell me anything right away which I appreciate, just made the process very easy. Super helpful and laidback.

Recycled Records

(67 reviews)

A visually-aesthetic record store with a decent selection of older and modern vinyls. The place…read moresmelled pleasantly of incense, the cashier at the front was friendly, and the vibes were good.

Cute vinyl shop in Monterey. Lots n lots of used and new records. Good place for browsing and…read moredigging. Found some interesting listens. Check it out and spend some time. Have fun!

Audio High

(66 reviews)

•$$$$

Phenomenal customer service. Myself and a coworker scheduled an appointment to evaluate some…read morespeakers. We were hosted the next day by the most professional staff, and ultimately purchased what we demoed. I wouldn't hesitate to use Audio High again in the future.

It was a pleasure working with Paul to demo equipment. The store has a wide selection of…read moreequipment, with a number of items in my price range. I have recently worked with a few quirky sales folks at other stores, so it was a pleasure dealing with someone whose style I did not have to "manage" while also trying to audition equipment. The demo itself went smoothly, without some of the streaming issues I have experienced at other stores. Good job!

Potter's Electronics

4.8

(21 reviews)

Great customer service and great products. Gilbert and his team are amazing to work with!! He…read moreanswers urgent texts day or night and always has a prompt solution! So happy we found them!! Highly recommend.

Definitely would recommend potters electronics. I had four cameras installed last year with the…read moreowner Gilbert yesterday. Noticed one of the cameras wasn't working properly Gilbert sent somebody out within an hour and had it fixed only charge me installation fee. Best decision I ever made.

True Sound

4.8

(57 reviews)

I met Nick many years ago when I needed an honest factory tech for my Rega P5 turntable. It was…read moreintroducing an electrical hum into the phono stage and the Rega rep who originally sold it to me wanted to sell me new tubes for my preamp instead of identifying the problem with the turntable. I walked out and never went back. Since then I've relied on Nick to help me put together a sound system that I am now *very* happy with. No BS, just solid advice, long experience, an impressive depth of knowledge and a genuine desire to get you the best sound you've ever had. Nick will tell you the truth. He can repair and upgrade as well. He primarily represents Audio Note UK (which now comprises the bulk of my system) but he specializes in getting the best sound, new or pre owned, for you within your means. This is genuinely important to him. Nick and his wife Lee are good people. I trust them.

They are truly amazing people. I had some issues setting up my turntable and speaker system…read more Even though I didn't purchase the audio system directly from them, they were happy to provide consultations over the phone and reviewed all the photos and steps I sent. They are incredibly knowledgeable and walked me through instructions I might have missed. They even followed up with a call afterward. I would highly recommend them.

Neko Audio

4.0

(4 reviews)

No Response at all. I have tried to call and joined their email list. No nothing!…read moreIf the owner of the store ignore everything how he can do business?

I can't say how pleased I was with my experience at Neko audio. Wes is the consummate professional,…read morebeyond knowledgeable. Polite and gentle, he guided our purchase with a deft certainty but never any sales pressure. To get the best audio equipment available at a fair price, contact Wes and I think he will be thrilled!

Redwood Records

4.5

(64 reviews)

Local staple! Tiny shop full of hidden treasures if you know how to look. Occasionally you see an…read moreunbelievable deal on a used vinyl! I have spent hours flipping through covers here. And the clerk that doubles as a DJ throws down some good stuff!

Came into town to visit and found this little record shop that actually had live music happening…read morefor customers that were shopping in the store! It's a small but mighty business that was very welcoming and friendly. A great selection of hard to find vinyls as well as other cool stuff! The price is a little steep but if you're looking for something you MUST have, it's worth the price! Next time you are in Santa Cruz be sure to check them out !

Water Street Stereo

(24 reviews)

Robert gave me a great demo. I'd buy klipsch heritage speakers and Yamaha amps here if I was in the…read moremarket for them.

Water Street Stereo is a small, local audiovisual business which has been around for a very long…read moretime but has a surprising low-key online presence. Water Street seems to be quite busy. You have to liaise with Hailey to get scheduled for all appointments (estimate and install) so that part can take some time, but they are worth the wait. Nate, the lead installer, has 30+ years of experience and it shows. He is quite knowledgeable with quick recommendations to accommodate your home AV needs. But Nate's also very personable and accommodating. During the estimate visit, he discussed a few options and quickly decided on the way forward which included purchasing a networking switch from them. Nate and Max came out on the agreed upon installation date and time and made easy work of mounting two TVs. They ensured the TV brackets were optimally mounted for each room and cleaned up after themselves. Water Street Stereo made the experience straightforward and way better than trying to mount large TVs myself.

Seidel Electrical Services

(25 reviews)

I can't recommend Chase Seidel enough. He was communicative, responsive, kind, professional and…read morevery knowledgeable. He went out of his way to accommodate my schedule and logistics, arrived as arranged and did awesome work. if you need an electrician that knows what he's doing, call Seidel Electrical for sure!

I've used Seidel Electrical Services a few times now, and they are awesome! The team does quality…read morework, and their customer service is excellent. Chase, the owner, is a really nice guy and great to work with. I highly recommend them for any electrical needs.

I Will Repair - Mobile

4.7

(75 reviews)

Great job .... Very professional and the laptop was ready in one day. I will use him again if I…read moreneed assistance.

Steve came to my home to set up my new computer. There were several glitches that he handled…read morequickly and efficiently. He walked me through the nuances of Windows 11 and made sure all of my passwords worked for an easy transition. I am impressed with his knowledge and problem solving. He made a stressful situation run smoothly. He was on time, fairly priced and I could not be happier with his service. Thank you, Steve. -Highly recommend!!

uBreakiFix by Asurion

(1 review)

I had my phone's back glass and battery replaced, and the whole process was quick and smooth. Ely…read moreprovided excellent service,super helpful, professional, and efficient. Everything turned out great, and I really appreciate the quality of the work. Highly recommend!

Sound Design - hometheatreinstallation - Updated August 2026

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•$

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Kartunes auto stereo and alarm

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AVOID! I originally wanted IGLA & an alarm system installed…read moreonto my truck but this company doesn't install IGLA only Viper. I cancelled an appointment with them and drove 4 hours away to have IGLA installed and Compustar instead. I mainly wanted IGLA due to its features. Fast forward, I needed a rear dash camera (purchased off amazon; Neideso 360 dash camera set) installed into my camper shell and this company refused stating that "I had to go back to the people that installed my security system to have them install a rear dash camera". That is a lie. He was upset that I didn't use his company to install my after factory security system. This behavior shows a lack of emotional intelligence and poor customer service. People have after factory devices installed by different companies all the time. The front dash camera was installed by me inside my truck but due to having a camper shell I wanted the rear camera placed into the campershell.

Not much to say about Kartunes except they deliver on their promises. I visited Tim and Karen a few…read moretimes and we decided on what we were going to do. It was a more than average stereo install in my opinion. I was first told 4 days to install and tune. He beat that by a day. Showed up to see progress and he was nearly done so I got my vehicle a day early. The shop and showroom are well stocked and very clean. Tim is a wealth of knowledge in the car stereo industry. I would recommend this place for anyone looking to upgrade their existing stereo system.

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