Radioactive Car Audio — Attraction in Largo

DO NOT DO BUSINESS WITH THIS CAR AUDIO SHOP, IF YOU DO NOT GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR THERE IS NO RECOURSE TO GET YOUR MONEY BACK, NO RECOURSE TO BE COMPENSATED AT EQUAL VALUE OR TO CORRECT ISSUE.

I took my car to this shop to figure out why my 3000W max, 1500W continuous subs were not hitting as hard as they should be. I wanted make sure my wiring was correct, my amp settings were correct and to see if I was missing anything. One of their guys checked everything and said it all looked good except for my subwoofer enclosure. He said with the power that I'm utilizing I'm going to blow my enclosure to pieces. I asked if they sell enclosures and they guy said they would have to custom build one. I paid $428.00 for a custom enclosure and my one request was to build it per the manufacturers recommendations. Within a couple weeks the new enclosure was installed, I went to pick up my car and test out the sound. The bass did not get any better, i did notice a little better range of low frequencies but the subs were not playing a full or best potential. The guy who installed the enclosure said give it a couple weeks and let it break in.

About 3 weeks to a month goes by and it's not sounding any better. I end up meeting a car audio guy who does mobile work who also builds enclosures himself and I had him look at my setup and within seconds he 's like "your port is way too small, the enclosure is built for 12s but it looks like you port is built for 10s (mind you no measurements were taken, it was a guess at that moment). I ended up asking him if he could build me an enclosure which he agreed. I paid $225 for my 3rd enclosure and finally my subs are hitting to their full potential. Now the recommendations for my sub's enclosure are the port area is 29.75 square inches per sub and port volume is 1.8 to 2 cubic ft per sub. The port area is the issue, the equation for area is height x width, inside to inside for the port is 12.5 inches in height and 2.75 inches in width which equals 34.375 (12.5*2.75=34.375), again for 1 single sub 29.75 square inches is the recommended port area and 2 are sharing 34.375 square inches.

I took the enclosure back to the shop to see if it was possible to get a refund, not for the entire enclosure but the $225 I just spent. I was told no refunds on custom built enclosures but they could build one based off the enclosure I'm using now. I was told they would contact the manufacturer to verify the recommendations and get back to me. 3 weeks go by no contact, no phone call. I left 2 or 3 messages for the owner to call me...he never did. I had to go up to the shop just to be told there's nothing wrong with their enclosure and that it is built per the manufacturers recommendations when clearly the math doesn't add up. We then go back and forth, then on our last call they tell me as long as the enclosure is within 5% to 10% of manufacturers recommendations it's acceptable. Well, which one is it, at first it met their recommendations and now if it's within 5% to 10% of the recommendations it acceptable. This moving of the goal post over the recommendations was the last straw.

See the pics, one on the left is my current one and the one on the right is there's. See the difference in the port size. Mine is almost twice the size. So now I'm out $428 and have enclosure that is useless.

Radioactive just know I'm going to post this on every review board I can find and I'm also going to the BBB. Rather making things right that $428 was worth more than keeping a customer. I’d give you 0 stars but I don’t...

OVERACHIEVING & UNDER BUDGET

I work as a cameraman and sound recordist in the broadcast sports and entertainment industry. I spend the month of March crisscrossing the state covering spring training. I drive a high end "classic" (22 yr old) vehicle that featured a tired stereo, 22 year old speakers with disintegrated cones, and a complicated wiring system. I needed both a new Head Unit and custom sized replacement speakers. I had tried for several days to get quotes at various places both on the Net and on the street, but with the price of the speaker system and the fact that I am rarely in the same zip code two days in a row, the goal was beyond reach.

After two different colleagues, both knowledgeable engineers, recommended their outfit, I began my association with RADIOACTIVE a couple of years ago under extreme circumstances.I stopped in and met with Kevin at late on a Friday afternoon. I drove off his property two days later with an extremely versatile Pioneer system complete with hands free/bluetooth and an installed voice microphone discreetly imbedded in the molding above my visor. Not a wire in sight. To compliment the system he managed to find the initial sound specs used in the car design. He went to another supplier and negoitiated with him. The speakers he installed are far superior to any I have had in any of my vehicles. Without Kevin's legwork, these would have had to be ordered with a corresponding 3-5 day delay. Not only was the mail order price 60-80 dollars higher, toss in another 20 for shipping. Using some of the money he trimmed on the price of the speakers, I was able to afford, and they installed an amplifier in a discreet storage space.

The work Kevin and his crew performed on my car was incredible. Your attitude changes as soon as you walk into his shop. You are surrounded by folks like Kevin and Nick who know what they are doing, enjoy solving puzzles and challenges like the one I provided them. Many of them have been working with Kevin off and on, IN THIS SAME LOCATION, since 1987.

Beyond being around people who enjoy their work day in and day out, thanks to the knowledge base and teamwork over there, I was dumb struck when the entire bill totaled less than the estimate. Not only that, their stability has allowed them to develop relationships both inside and outside of this industry. You will walk away knowing where to save money and who you can trust to help you out in other areas as well.

OK This ends my prolonged vowel movement....

Radioactive Car Audio – Exceptional Service & Unmatched Sound I had an amazing experience at this shop. Kevin, the owner, was incredibly friendly and took the time to chat with me while his partner installed a used Kicker 500W integrated amplifier and subwoofer in my 2010 Cadillac CTS 3.0L Performance Edition.

Factory Audio System Specs: 🔹 Bose Premium Audio System 🔹 10-speaker surround system 🔹 Integrated amplifier 🔹 Factory subwoofer 🔹 Natural trunk-to-cabin venting for enhanced bass response

The original Bose system was already impressive, but adding the Kicker 500W subwoofer elevated it to absolute perfection. With the sub centrally placed in the trunk, it takes up minimal space, doesn’t interfere with daily use, and delivers deep, clean, immersive bass that fills the cabin effortlessly.

What’s wild is how it feels indistinguishable from my memories of running: ✅ Dual 12" sealed high-end Punch 12s powered by a dual-channel Alpine amp ✅ Dual 10" Punch setup from a similar custom build

This thing really pounds!

The installation was done professionally, with a clean and tidy finish. They also gave me great tips on speaker aiming, which noticeably improved sound balance. Combined with separate Punch high-gain line output converters, the result is nothing short of phenomenal—crystal clear highs, rich mids, and deep, punchy lows.

Update (3/29/2025): Stopped by last Saturday morning because the initial sub bracket wasn’t quite sturdy enough. They upgraded me to a stronger bracket, which gave me way more confidence—especially when taking corners aggressively. Another great experience, reinforcing what I already knew: these guys are the real deal.

For Those Asking About the Sound System Experience: 🎥 It’s better than an IMAX. Seriously. 🎶 Whether it’s 432Hz healing frequencies, high-energy BPM on Sirius XM, or just cranking up Lynyrd Skynyrd or Buckcherry, this system delivers a full-spectrum visceral experience I’ve only ever felt standing in front of a speaker stack—okay, maybe not quite that loud, but definitely clearer.

Highly recommend Radioactive Car Audio for their expertise, professionalism, and...