AUDIO ENCOUNTERS

Purchasing went fine but Audio Encounters (AE) installed the mount so that the TV was 1/2" from the granite countertop leaving 6-7" of free space above the TV. I asked why it wasn't higher or more centered in the space and they said it is installed correctly for the space. 1 year later, I damaged the TV on the granite countertop by pulling it out and bumping it against the countertop. I called AE and asked them to re-install the TV higher so it is more centered in the space. I told them that the damaged TV is my fault, but I'd like them to make the incorrect installation right at their cost. (~$200?) They were incredibly unresponsive - I contacted them in July 2010 and after several back-and-forth emails and a few visits, I received a letter from the owner on Nov. 11, 2010, saying they would not do it and which included an incorrect description of events and a fabricated quote: "You once again stated that Audio Encounters "owed you a new TV and that the work should be performed at no cost"." (I never said this and have always admitted the damaged TV is my error.) I just wanted the installation corrected so the TV would have less of a chance of hitting the granite countertop when pulled out on the mount. The TV still works and the crack in it is hard to see so I plan to keep using it until it dies. I also told AE that if they would fix the installation for me at their cost, I would purchase my next flat panel from them when this one dies. No luck...

Nice guys, just not sophisticated/knowledgeable enough for the job. The house was already prewired, so they just selected the componentry and installed it. They sold us an absolutely antiquated system (Nutone), which I have to go to a wall unit to operate. The software HAS NEVER WORKED CORRECTLY FROM DAY ONE. They have been out here at least a half a dozen times, usually charging us, to try to address this but just can't get it together. They sold us mismatched componentry (like buying an apple computer and mixing it with pc hardware). They said they couldn't install the radio antenna in the attic, so they installed it in the basement- guess how many radio stations it picks up there. And since the radio stations have to be programmed into the system, this severely limits what stations we get. I can't even get WOSU. They could not connect our security system or lighting into it. They only had two door bell sounds.. ding ding and ding ding ding, so if you didn't immediately catch the door bell and count the rings, you couldn't tell which door someone was at. My tv volume and cable use two different remote controls (as well as every other component on the system). Rather than suggest a universal remote control that can handle everything we're got, here I am using two remotes!! There were other things-- like not installing the speakers at the same height in the same room (but they had already started sawing the hole in the faux finished wall, so not wanting to have to repair the wall, repaint and re-faux finish-- a least a 3 day process (realistically more like a week to 10 days to get someone in to do it) I let it go bc we were on a time line). They are nice people, but I flat out don't think they know what they're doing. I know this is a late report, but every time I think about this, it burns me up. We are bringing in a guy from another company to fix it, which will cost us thousands to buy another server. Argg.

BRAND IS KLIPSCH. THE SPEAKERS ARE BEAUTIFUL. THEY'RE THE BEST SPEAKERS I'VE EVER HEARD IN MY LIFE. THE PEOPLE THAT WORK THERE ARE VERY KNOWLEDGEABLE AND WE RECEIVED THE SPEAKERS IN A VERY REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME. WE NEGOTIATED THE PRICE WITH THEM.

TROY WAS ''ON THE BALL'', FOLLOWING UP ON ALL ASPECTS OF SALE AND INSTALLATION. BASED ON MY EXPERIENCE, I WILL PROBABLY BUY THE NEXT GENERATION DLP TV FROM THEM WHEN INTRODUCED THIS FALL. THAT AND THE INSTALLATION OF AN HD SATELLITE RECEIVER ARE IN MY PLANS.

HAD EXTENSIVE DEALINGS WITH THESE PEOPLE. THEY ARE FRIENDLY BUT NOT WHAT I''D CONSIDER A HIGH-CLASS CUSTOMER SERVICE OPERATION (MORE FROM IGNORANCE THAN INTENT). THEY DO FIT A NICHE IN THE LOW-END AUDIOPHILE MARKET; THEIR SPEAKERS ARE MUCH BETTER THAN THE BOSE/POLK/BA STUFF YOU FIND AT THE CHAINS OR MIDWEST SOUND, BUT NOT AS EXPENSIVE AS THE TOP-END GEAR YOU FIND AT PROGRESSIVE AUDIO. I WOULD RECOMMEND THEM AGAIN FOR THIS REASON. YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO BARGAIN THEM DOWN A BIT FOR LARGE INSTALLS. SURPRISINGLY THEIR PRICES WERE ABOUT THE SAME AS THE CHAINS.