Lombards Stereo — Local services in San Luis Obispo

I went into Lombards Stereo in San Luis Obispo to upgrade my 2006 E46 M3 and David (the owner) helped me select a system compatible with my older vehicle. I wanted more modern tech conveniences like wireless Apple CarPlay and a backup camera but didn’t want it to look out of place with an older model car. Of course, like a lot of things, once you open up a vehicle and get into the guts of it all, you may come across unexpected issues. For my M3 that manifested as supply chain delays and incompatible parts. David and the Lombards team came through with the install and did some great custom work at no additional cost. Even with some unexpected equipment upgrades David honored the original price and promised to get it all installed and get me back on the road with a new stereo system without any delays and I really appreciated that.

A few days after picking up my car I started to hear a noticeable buzzing sound from the speakers every time I accelerated the vehicle. I called David up and he suspected a grounding issue with the new amp and stereo. Immediately, David worked to fix the problem without any fuss. I just picked up the M3 for a second time and I am happy to report that it sounds fantastic. I’m able to keep all my steering wheel and dashboard controls. On top of that the overall aesthetics of the install was spot on. The craftsmanship of the custom plastic work for the ashtray area with the USB ports and low frequency adjustment knob is clean AF!!

I’ve had both my 2006 Tundra and M3 worked on by Lombards and I really appreciate their no-nonsense and no-fuss customer service. I personally didn't experience any sales pressure or up-selling. All the gear just works the way it's supposed to and when it didn't and I had to go back to the shop I didn't experience any bad ego attitude or sob story excuses to avoid the re-work. They were humble about problem and accepted the mission to get it fixed.

Before going with Lombards, I looked at reviews and I know other commenters here talk about this shop being overpriced. Here's my take on that - everything's overpriced these days on the Central Coast. Houses are overpriced. Food is overpriced. You’re paying for the time of experienced and knowledgeable technicians (who BTW also have to make a living on the central coast) to make your audio gear work and sounding great. They can’t work miracles (which unfortunately I’m sure some people expect) but I have found through my own experience that they will do their best to make sure you get the quality work you paid for. When there was an issue with one of my installs it was fixed immediately, no questions asked. I have a long list of little upgrades I'm planning on with the M3 and Tundra and I'll be back...

MORE THAN 5 STARS!!! what an amazing group of guys. my awesome auto mechanic recommended lombards and said they were the ONLY place he would go. i learned why. i spoke with david on the phone about an alarm system and some ins and outs of what i might want. i went in the next day to speak with someone more in depth and ended up with angel as my "go to guy". i cannot say enough about how thoughtful and patient and considerate and compassionate he was. i explained my need and why- crazy situation. we went over my budget and the best approach. he explained every aspect and the whys and why nots of different types of systems. we arrived at what would really cover me and not be outrageous* in price point. (* you get what you pay for. this is not going to be a cheapie toss in that may drain your battery or fail you when you need it. it will not be something that someone can just reach in and rip out and wreak havoc. i did my research ahead of time so i could follow along to the best of my ability.) you will spend some money. but do it once and do it right. reduce your stress and worry. less chance of an insurance claim. all this went into why i chose my particular system. they got me in that very afternoon. gave me a ride home (i live super close). it was done in the evening the next day. angel picked me up. he went over signing up with the drone app and all the details and how to work it. i cannot say enough about his patience. i'm not a techie. and under duress my brain is not fully functioning. perhaps he was rolling his eyes on the inside but he was calm and considerate through and through. they stand by their products and their work. THANK YOU SOOO MUCH angel and david and whomever else i chatted with. and btw. i heard a stereo system they were working on while there. ohhhh my goodness. this has never been a super big deal to me. i have my factory installed old stuff in my 2005 subaru... but the sound made me stop and say hhhmmm.... maybe...

I went to Lombards Stereo on Santa Rosa Street for a reverse camera installation on my Mercedes in early 2022. Internet research said it should cost between $75 and $200 for an installation of a wired camera. The camera was a simple one - just one camera with a cord coming out of it. I asked Lombards to not worry about setting up the actual display, which just needed to be plugged into the lighter (I could do that myself). I was charged about $290 for the installation of just the camera (including connecting the camera wires to my car and setting the camera near the license plate), which I considered very high for the work done. Before the installation, I told them I was expecting the price to be around $100 or $200. They did not explain to me why the installation cost was so high. The camera stopped working after just 4 months. After Lombards checked to see if it was an installation problem and found no installation issues, they charged me an additional $50 to do the check. When I complained that I was already charged a high installation fee, an employee refused any refund, but agreed to help me set up a new wireless camera system I bought. But because the new camera was wireless (not wired like my old one), it only took 5 minutes, and I could have easily done it myself. In short, I was charged about $340 for the work done by Lombards and I feel that this was way too much. They should have not charged me for the installation check, or else given me some type of small refund on the initial installation. Although it may very well be that the camera itself was defective, I will always wonder if it was just not installed correctly by Lombards, given that there were so many positive reviews of this camera on various websites. I will not be going back to Lombards or recommending this place to friends and...