Mobile Essences Custom Car Audio — Local services in Savage

These are a group of guys known for custom audio installs - they've been recipients of high awards in this realm of Mobile electronics. "Custom audio" means exactly that - starting from nothing. It means audio from the ground-up - new head unit, new preamp, new amp, new wiring runs, new speakers; the whole shabang. I am absolutely persuaded that these guys are masters of that kind of work.

My experience was not so fortunate, however. The reason I am giving this outfit a five star rating is due to the fact that in the end of this very long story, the folks there ensured that I left satisfied.

In the late winter of 2018, I decided my 2005 Honda Element needed an audio upgrade. My requirement was that the new head unit would have a large touch display with Android Auto capability. I did not want to give my business to a big box store at that time. My first choice would have been a business that was no longer in my neighborhood, at that time Highland Park in St Paul. There was a installer known as Mach 1, that I would have hoped to have done business with. I consulted Google maps and discovered mobile essences two addresses ago in Burnsville. I called ahead asking if they had in stock any head units with Android Auto capability. The representative I spoke with indicated they carried a Kenwood double DIN head unit that had Android compatibility. I set up an appointment to have that device installed, and I was also open to recommendations involving new speakers as well.

The Honda Element ex that I drive has seven speaker audio setup - 4 mids, 2 tweeters, 1 sub. As you can imagine, it requires a very particular kind of wiring adapter.

Anywhoo, the appointed day comes and I leave my car with the business. As I'm waiting, about 40 minutes into the appointment I finally request to have a glance at the box that the Kenwood unit was packaged in. I was hopeful to read about some of its specifications while I continue to wait. I was given the box, and I noted that it had Android compatibility for such things as streaming services but not any explicit mention of Android Auto. I shrugged it off in the belief that when I phoned initially requesting a head unit with this compatibility that the representative I was speaking with made a proper selection on my behalf.

Two head units later with 2x installation fees charged with restocking fee later, I drove away in March of 2018 not fully persuaded that the subwoofer was connected properly. The thing is, at that time I was living in highland Park and mobile essences was an hour's travel come and go. I didn't find it a priority to address the missing subwoofer component until I moved much nearer to their current location. I paid a visit 3 weeks ago approximately, for the hoped for rewiring to include the subwoofer and made an appointment - that's quite a gap in time, yet the outfit was committed to completing the job properly oh, so I was heartened. When I made that appointment, the owner's wife was careful to record my make, model year, trim level, and so on.

I turned up for that appointment one week ago, and was informed by the owner that I would need a special low power amplifier to power the subwoofer in my element. Bear in mind, this is a factory install subwoofer. He told me to call back or his daytime representative would be in touch with me the following day. that evening, I finally broke down and consulted Google with a query regarding installing a new head unit in a Honda Element. Lo, and behold it turns out that a very particular wiring harness is needed to connect an aftermarket head unit to the vehicle with all of the speaker connections preserved. The next day, I phoned the business and explained the situation and also emailed to them the results of my research. I concluded that a particular wiring harness with a particular part number is needed for my Honda Element. The daytime representative got back to me, and acknowledge that originally when the install was performed it was understood that my vehicle was a Honda pilot not a Honda Element. That...

-------AVOID Mobile Essences-------- Savage, MN. Small showroom , really none for visual options. Talked about the car and options and set a deal on equipment and install(Doors= 4 speakers 4" and 2" tweeters each. 6.5" sub in the rear of a hatchback, dsp, amp, Xovers Head unit and new A/C controls) M/E will need the car 2-3 days, They had it 6, M/E started tearing apart the car w/o having the main new head unit. ???? So I can sell you a new front door, come to your house and rip out the old door w/o having the new door on site??? --AVOID-- these guys rookies. Finished the 1st install. Sound was muffled and not very explosive for the $$, well they never set the delay/distance from each speaker to the drivers head location. --AVOID-- total rookie move-- Placed the DSP and Amp, 1 under each front seat but set them so far back they both block the rear passengers feet from full extention/tucking under those extra 4"/5". The Seat depth does allow more than enough room to move them forward to allow full rear foot box usability. ---AVOID--- another rookie move. 1st head unit went bad very soon. They did replace quickly but AGAIN did not set the delay/distance to the main listeners head spot. The music was 8-10 db louder at my front knee than anywhere in the car. Actually said they feel ppl want the sound to mostly come from that closest speaker to the driver,, hahaha ok dude another rookie lie/mistake/cover up for not doing a quality job. The second install now has the dreded HISS = ground loop/Bare wire syndrom. ---AVOID---another rookie move. Also never snaped the finish panel back in below the stearing wheel. Just flopping in the breeze. I will pay out of pocket to bring to a different shop to fix. ---AVOID--- Total rookies @ Mobile Essences After bringing the car to 2 different shops both saying and recommending basically the same changes. Both informed me of being over sold. Also out dated equipment = the Amp and subwoofer are not even offered on the market anymore. Both shops feel the amp was used. I sent an email to Mobil Essences asking if they would atleast buy back the equipment. They wont even respond. Makes sense since the shop is in a back ally looking location. -----AVOID-----

Reply to your Reply = I gave you the chance to admit you were/made rookie mistakes. So I guess I am incorrect in that use of word and would like to change it to "Veteran Hack" as a Veteran you dont know to move the under seat equipment up far enough for ppl to still use the foot box ??? Nope you were LAZY!!! didnt want to use extensions and or 90deg attachments to screw down the equipment or remove the seats --AVOID-- And yes what you did Is the same in Car Audio and constructions its call spiking the job. So again Hire me to change your front door. Pay me upfront (material costs) and I'll come and tear out your front door before I have the new one. Just like you did to me with the Head Unit! Spiker --AVOID-- Also after the 2nd head unit and sound check Your so called rebalancing was sooo bad ( I dont think you did it) all the music as noted was 8-10 db louder at my left Knee than anywhere, Caleb and his smooth talking or tried to. LOL he needs to go. Those other 2 shops that looked at and fixed your system said the mechanical part of the install was ok but everything else was HORRIBLE!!!!! sound, balance, physical placement of dsp and amp, waaaay oversold, and spiking the job. --AVOID-- this off street back alley looking shop. Part my fault also I guess for trying you out. --AVOID-- Mobile Essences

It would be great if you would atleast buy back the amp you sold me and put a propietary lock/code on it so knowone can do any adjustment= Scam, Cheezy deal you pulled there...

Everything was taken care of after i made another appointment. These guys are great! Read on, if you want to see my experience regardless you will be taken care of. The good: Had 4 speakers installed, a 4 channel amp, audiocontrol lc7i, a sub and mono amp. Service was done in one day. No rattles from trim pieces. Very fairly priced. Very friendly guys, seem passionate about what they do.

If they had more time, it probably would have come out better. (This was done in a day from 9 am to 6 pm)

The bad: I left the store without fully working speakers, or sub. He connected all 4 speakers in 2 channel so I had no balance control. Eric the install guy couldn't figure out what was wrong and told me to reschedule to get it fixed. Which was over two weeks away (not their fault they were busy). I have an electronics background and was able to diagnose the issues after a week or so. Originally as things were connected, the sub was getting the signal from the rear channel speakers, which in my cars case, don't receive any bass at all. Remedy was to tap into front channel instead. However, he had connected the right channel wires backwards to the line out converter so the stereo outputs were opposite of each other. These were clearly labeled on the LC7i and were incorrectly connected even though the wires themselves were right. By that I mean the colors of the wires were correct, but plugged in the wrong holes. My amp didn't work because of the two signals. canceling each other out. Was remedied by flipping the wires. Same issue with the front speakers and they were playing opposite of each other and had an awful noise cancellation effect.

After all of that, none of the gains, or level outputs were set so I had to use an oscilloscope to level match the preamps to my 2 amps.

After around 6 hours of actual work I figured mostly everything out and it sounds fine, but if you don't know what you were doing you might be without speakers for a while, or pay someone else to fix it.

If my issued are resolved, then I will update my review. But as of now i didn't receive a very...