Pacific Audio — Local services in Sacramento

I had front door speakers installed and a microphone wire run in my 2003 Civic. One door panel was already removed, and I even planned to reinstall it myself. I also installed the head unit and brought all the parts except the speaker adapter rings, which they supplied.

They originally quoted me $185, which felt high. I told them I only had $140, and they agreed — but made it seem like a big favor. The job ended up taking just 1 hour, so at $100/hr labor plus $20 for the speaker rings, the real value of the job was around $120. So in reality, I still overpaid by about $20, and $185 would’ve been way too much.

The install itself was done well and completed the same day, which I do appreciate. They even supplied a screw for my door panel and put it back on, so I’ll chalk the extra $20–$35 to same-day convenience.

My only real complaint is the microphone. I asked for it to be routed up the A-pillar, but they installed it by the gauge cluster instead and said the A-pillar would pick up too much wind noise. It honestly felt like an excuse to save time, and now it looks kind of slapped together — not how I wanted it. I’ll probably reroute it myself later.

All in all, the work was done fine, but I left feeling like I paid more than I should have for the quality of work and a pretty simple 1-hour job. Just a heads-up: ask for a detailed breakdown and be clear about what you want, especially if you’re already doing part of the...

I would give this place 10 stars if such a thing exists!! I bought a bluetooth module to install in my son's 2004 Lexus to have hands free and listen to music from his phone. I called 3 other places for estimates and all want minimum of $90-140. Some of them had a waiver that if the devise does not work, I would still be liable for $140 labor. Pacific Audio quoted $50 over the phone, I could not believe it! I scheduled an appointment and asked again for pricing when I got there and after I showed them the device, same thing $50. Jose also said I would test it and show you on your phone before you leave. Everything worked well. He then asked if we want an Aux cable installed, which we wanted. They have some in store, but he said it is too short and go get one and I will install it for $20. After we got one and brought it to him, he installed it, unfortunately it did not work with the bluetooth device. They did not charge us for the extra labor!! This is a great place to get your audio work done for one third the other Sacramento stores wanted!!! Thank you...

As soon as I mentioned I’d be installing it myself, the customer service disappeared. They sold me a JVC radio, claiming it was a good unit with an app for setup—but it's been nothing but a headache. It’s nearly impossible to adjust basic settings like the date, time, or EQ settings. The menu opens, but every other button just closes it. On top of that, the app doesn’t even launch.

Before the install, they also gave me the wrong harness and dash kit, forcing me to drive across town twice—and they didn’t even apologize. It feels like a tactic to frustrate DIY customers into paying for their installation services.

I originally planned to have them install my speaker system, but after this experience, I won’t be giving them any more of my business. I’m out $300 on a radio that looks nice but works like garbage since I can’t even access basic settings. The only upside is that I have Bluetooth now. And when I sell my car, I won’t waste time pulling...