Encore Audio / Video

My main gripe is that we were sold a system - control 4 - that is expensive, cumbersome and too complex for our needs. They are very big on 'selling' - there is no coordination with dispatch or install. The install group was very competent but unfortunately we got sold a system that is more of a problem than a pleasure. The sales pitch indicated that all our requirements would be well resolved - I could listen to music when my husband watches tv. We were presented with a bill/proposal on delivery - they were inexperienced in reviewing billing, kept telling us most the paper work we needed to sign didn't really apply to our job and that they usually do much bigger jobs (why our small job was so complicated is beyond me). No individual pricing was attached, and we had several pages of cables which we had to wade through before getting to the few components we purchased - we were only getting a tv with speaker panel, subwoofer and controller - it took an hour to review this billing and in the end the sales person ended up writing pricing in margins because after pages and pages there is just a total. The install guys were great. They had to come back at least 3 times. Each time I would get a call from dispatch - I'd ask what was being delivered and he would say 'everything' or 'speak to your sales person' - needless to say everything was not delivered and for some reason getting a grill cover took weeks. It seemed odd that they wanted to make so many visits without having all their equipment. Sales, dispatch and install evidently never speak to each other. The sales 'team' came out to look at our apartment when they did the billing - living/dining/kitchen is one large room. We had asked if they could run a hardwire to my computer - the AV controller goes through the cable. The sales guy said they would drill through the wall, that there was a conduit behind the fireplace no problem - the installer was not able to do this and was not given even the proper supplies for this type of work - so that didn't happen. Next - I had wanted to be able to listen to music when my husband watches tv - this I was told was doable with this system. They installed infrared headphones - if you turn your head sound cuts out plus it's mostly static. I had previously been told everything would be radio frequency and when I called the sales person I was told that this problem as all my fault because I said my husband would be using the headphones not me (presumably I would be less stationary) - even though the installer told me I would have to use the headphones if the av and television were on at the same time. I was also told by the sales person that my CDs could be put on a hard drive and organized by type of music (like an Ipod) - in speaking with the installer, he explained that I would only be able to access the CD alphabetically if they were put on a hard drive. Every time you call it's yet another person and it's the - 'oh didn't they already call you about this?' It's not been pleasant and I wouldn't wish this experience on anyone.

Fair price; fast service; flexible installation service- came out on a Saturday to do the job.