MACH2AUDIO - what a big disappointment

[joms]

NOTE: I got BANNED in kotseaudioclub.com after posting this. It seems if you tell the TRUTH about an officer of that site, you get banned. I guess only good things should be said about mach2audio else you get banned…

NOTE: VERY LONG POST (with pics)
For those that don't know:
Mach2audio = Car install shop in Pasig Area
Rocky = Owner of Mach2audio

I am writing this so that others may learn from my bad experience with what once I thought was a reputable shop.

To give you a background, I have been with car audio before the year 2000 when car audio was mostly dominated by Winterpine/LRT/etc. I have joined KAC during its early years and I have known some car audio enthusiast as well as car audio installers by going to their EBs.

My first major setup was done on my Ford Escape by dbaudio. (Alpine/ Seas/ Audison/JL/etc). My brother had his car setup by Bluprint a few years after and I had some other small dealings with Mach2audio, Mickeys, etc.

Now I’ll fast forward to recent events. Since dbaudio was busy last year (2013), I decided to have my new 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe done by Mach2audio. I already had dealings with Rocky (owner of Mach2audio) way back during my early years but they were only minor (1day simple install, adjustments, minor setup changes, tuning, etc). Everything was good with him during those times which prompted me to have him handle the setup of my Santa Fe August of last year.

I advised him months before the installation that I plan to have him install a setup on my Santa Fe and that all I needed from him was labor. I will design the install, bring him all the equipment and materials then he will provide the installation (labor). We agreed.

Actually, since I am already busy with work and won’t be able to enjoy listening to music that much, I decided to make my car audio install relatively simple compared to my 2004 Ford Escape setup.

Tweeters were placed on the A-pillar, Amps & Processor were placed below the seats and a 1cu sealed sub box in the compartment. The only thing that I want that should not be simple is my sub box. I wanted it to look very very nice since yun lang ang makikita sa setup ko as my amps were hidden. Rocky and I agreed to this. I gave him a copy of what I wanted my box to look like and he said that he could easily copy it but it would cost much more. I agreed to pay the extra cost (double) so as long as it turns out very nice.

Summary of my setup:
Head unit = Pioneer 2Din
Front speakers = Seas 2-way Separates (active)
Rear speakers = Focal (for video)
Processor = Audison Bit 10 D
Amp1 = JL audio HD640/4 (for Seas)
Amp2 = JL audio HD750/1 w/ sub control
Subs = JL 12W6v3
Deadening = Dynamat (2x front doors only)
RCA/Speaker/Power/etc = from my old install
Others = steering wheel remote for head unit / backup rear camera


Cost of labor only:
Head unit = 1,000
Front speakers = 500 x 4 (P2,000)
Rear speakers = 500 x 2 (P1,000)
Processor = 500
Amp1 = 500
Amp2 = 500
Rear camera = 500
Sub box (sealed) = 8,000 (more than double the price as I want it nice)
Deadening = 1,500 (for 2 doors)
A-pillar = 4,000
Tuning = 5,000 (level 3)
Others = 2,000
Total = P 26,500

I asked for a discount and he gave it to me for P26,000. I agreed.

I brought and left my car in his shop last August 13, 2013 and he said it would take less than 5 days to finish everything. I got my car back after 16 days without the sub box faceplate and without the tuning finished. He had me pay the full amount even if hindi pa tapos since halos tapos na naman daw lahat and since I trusted him and known him for more than 8yrs, I paid in full. (stupid me). I left the sub faceplate with him since he said he had to make it super nice and shiny and have it laser etched pa daw. Yeah right.

[joms]

Now I will discuss with you the problems I’ve encountered:

NOTE: From hereon, I will only post 1 pic per complaint so as not to overcrowd my post. For more pics, click the link below the picture

1) Aircon Vent – the portion on my left and right aircon vent had been damaged by the installer while installing my head unit. I reported this to Rocky right away and he said that he will see what he can do about it. Until now, he hasn’t gotten back to me regarding this. Halatang halata kasi yung damage. Sa picture hindi masyadong napapansin.



For more pics: New Page 1


2) A-Pillar discoloration – I noticed that my right side A-pillar had a discoloration the day after I got my car. I didn’t notice it at first since I got my car ng medyo madilim (rainy) and I was in a bit of a hurry. Nung umaga, nakita ko na sya. They should have not released the car without fully inspecting their work. No quality control. They told me afterwards na nagka ganun yung color because of the cold weather while painting it. The thing is, they had more than 2 weeks to do it. Hindi naman araw araw umuulan that time. There were times na mainit. I sent the apillar back to have it repaired. Inayos naman nila.



For more pics: New Page 1


3) Sidings got scratched during the installation. Pinakita ko sa worker, no reaction lang sya. Hindi makapagsalita. Hindi man lang nag sorry. I also told Rocky about it. Same reaction.



4) I agreed to spend extra to have the sub box look super fantastic and as best looking as possible since lahat ng ibang gear nakatago. I gave him a pic of what I wanted. (see link below). He said no problem and very easy lang yung gusto ko. Sabi pa nya “Bro, don’t worry akong bahala dyan. Kayang kaya namin yan”. The normal price of his sealed sub box is around P3,500 only. He more than doubled the price to P8,000 para talagang super ganda daw ng gagawin nya. I gave in kahit na mahal with the promise na it should really look good.

Look at the results:





a) The finish is inconsistent. May shiny and dull parts all throughout. It was also NOT smooth at all. Ang daming dot marks. I believe “dumi” eto na kumapit while painting. This is the reason why painting should be done in a clean room. Sabi nya sa akin at first na walang problema yun kasi meron daw silang special clean room for painting. So what happened?

[joms]

b) Yung hole na ginawa nila sa box where the speaker wire is attached was placed in the wrong area. I specifically told them to make sure to put the hole on the upper part kasi tatama sa car interior pag sa lower part nilagay. Rocky said “yes” but then again, hindi nasunod at sa baba nanaman nilagay. Rocky said “walang problema yan brother, madaling ayusin yan”. Sigh. Puros patching ng problema nalang ginagawa nila. Yung paraan na ginawa nila is to cover the hole (as big as the old 1 peso coin) with a thin carpet! Nung nakita ko na yun ang ginawa nila, hindi ako pumayag since the box should be totally SEALED. The thin carpet will definitely not be able to contain the air pressure inside. I personally had to tell the worker to remove the subs, cut a small wood plank and install it inside via wood glue.



c) When I had them open the subwoofer box so that the worker can plug the hole with a wood plank, nagulat ako since napaka dumi ng loob. The wood powder / saw dust were still there (yun yung mga powder na lumalabas when you cut wood or drill a hole). More than 5x tablespoon yung dami. I didn’t react at first to see what the worker will do after he plugged the hole. As expected, after plugging the hole, binalik lang nya yung subwoofer without cleaning the inside. I had to stop him midway and made him vacuum the wood powder/grain/saw dust/dirt inside.



d) I agreed to the extreme price of the subwoofer box because ang sabi ni Rocky, lalagyan daw nya ng JL Audio W6 laser etching yung sub box. JL Audio name on the upper left and JL W6 logo on the lower right. I was expecting this. It never happened despite reminding him several times. Sabi nya OO papa laser daw nya pero nothing happened.

This is what I wanted: (with a black polished marble like faceplate with laser etching) - I showed this pic to Rocky and he said "kayang kaya"



Anyway, I left the sub faceplate para ayusin nila since it was really horrendous. I gave them a long time to fix it (months). I went back again on December to get the sub faceplate after several attempts of contacting Rocky and when I got it, it still looked so bad that I had to have them repeat it. The workers agreed (since Rocky wasn’t there anymore every time I go. Mukhang nagtatago na).and said it would take at most 1 week to refinish it with the promise to make it perfect already.

I waited again for a week pero hindi pa daw tapos. I finally had it so I went there on February 2014. Nothing changed. Panget pa din. No laser etching. Nung pag balik ko, kaka pintura palang nung faceplate that day at madikit dikit pa yung paint. They only worked on the faceplte that morning and rushed painting it the day I said I was coming over. Ang tagal kong iniwan sa kanila yun. (From December to February). Sigh.


For more pics: MY BOX SHOULD LOOK LIKE THIS

(I advice you to check the other pics ng subs as it would show you a lot more defects)


5) There is a missing screw in my rear camera enclosure. 1 lang yung binalik nila. Poor quality control.




6) When I discussed this setup with Rocky, I specifically told him to place the amp on top of a painted wood plank. This is to prevent the water from the vehicle carpet to get to the amp. He agreed. Upon inspection, they did not place any wood plank below the amps. The amps are directly in contact with the vehicle carpet. Pag mabasa yung carpet, derecho sa amps. Sigh.

(check the clearance ng amp from the left metal railing, kasyang kasya ang plywood)


For more pics: As per our agreement


7) As per my instruction, I told them to place the sub controller on the upper left portion of the driver seat. (check pics below). They placed the controller on the lower right portion because they said that they cannot fit the controller on the upper left. The thing that made me angry here is that they did NOT inform me about this alteration. They should ALWAYS inform the client if they deem to change the agreement. They should ask permission first before changing what was agreed upon. Napaka unprofessional. I never had this problem with dbaudio, mickeys, blueprint, etc. They call me whenever they cannot do something we agreed on or if may problema. They ask for my decision and they follow what I tell them. Dito sa mach2audio, if hindi nila magawa yung instruction mo, they will just take it upon themselves to decide on their own without consulting the client. It’s so unprofessional.

[joms]

8 ) Rocky asked me what tuning I would want. He has 3 levels of tuning. Level 1 = P1000 (basic: 1 time tuning). Level 2 = P2000+ (advance: 2 times tuning and he will use instruments and such) and Level 3 =P5000 Competition level Tuning and he will tune it 3+ times (during install, after 2 weeks, after a month or two pag na break in na yung items). I wanted my setup to sound really good so I opted to get the Level 3 tuning.

Rocky only tuned my car once and this was when I got my car. He said to go back 2 to 3 weeks pero he wasn’t answering my text/calls anymore. Pag pumupunta ako sa shop, magically wala sya lagi. So I guess goodbye to my P5,000. My subs weren’t tuned as well since hindi naka install yung sub box ko when he initially tuned my car.


9) Before payment = Rocky replied to me. True that sometimes he replies after a day or two but he still replies.

After payment = It got very very hard to get a reply from him. I only got very few replies. I still have our messages in my iphone and I can show you how many times he hasn't replied. I tried calling/texting his installers too but they weren't replying as well.

10) I instructed him to use my speaker wires to connect the amp all the way to the speakers. Ayokong gamitin yung stock speaker wires. Again, without informing me, they decided to use my speaker wires and when it reached the front doors, the just tapped it on the stock speaker wires. Sabi kasi nila na mahirap daw kasi magpasok ng speaker wire sa front doors ko. The point is, why did they NOT inform me and decided this on their own? Why not consult with the owner? I am paying for this so shouldn’t I be at least consulted?

11) My tint from the drivers seat got scratched and damaged from the left door speakers they installed. Tumatama yung likod ng speaker ko sa window and it destroyed the tint and is now scratching the window. Yung sa passenger side ok naman. Yung installation of the speakers on the driver side lang ang may problema. The speaker I have is a Seas Reference RW165 6.5” and its depth is only 76mm.. This is NOT a big speaker at all nor is it thick. There should be no reason why the back should hit the window. Nasira tuloy 3M tint ko and nagasgas na yung window. Also, bakit yung passenger’s window hindi naman tumatama yung speaker sa window? In short, mali lang talaga ang pagkaka install ng driver’s side speaker. They didn’t even check if tumatama eto sa window before putting the sidings back. Such poor quality control.



For more pics: New Page 1

I am pretty sure there will be a lot of people who will defend mach2audio and will say that mach2audio does good install and won many awards, etc, etc. In fact, if not for this, I myself would be one of those people. In the past, I have spoken with a lot of people during EBs and with friends (or friend of a friend, during parties) who asks me kung saan ok magpa install ng car audio. I always tell them good things about mach2audio (and dbaudio/bluprint/etc). Actually, during the time na pinasok ko yung kotse, there was someone there who asked me kung ok ba magpa install dun. I told him YES as I can personally attest that Rocky does a good job. On top of that, personalized pa yung service nya. Sobrang disappointing etong nangyari sa akin. For me kasi, ang taas ng tingin ko sa mach2audio. Pinagmamalaki ko pa sya sa mga tao and i often refer him to my friends. This is why I stated in the topic....."Mach2audio - what a big disappointment". From my previous rating of 9/10, mach2audio is now a 3/10 for me. I wouldn't even think of having my next car audio project installed in mach2audio. Very very disappointed ako sa kanilang workmanship and specially their professionalism. The fact that he doesn't answer my calls/text for WEEKS/MONTHS just states that he is not professional at all. I work in our family business (Customs Brokerage) and we have close to 100 employees. Our clients are included in the top50 corporations and are mostly multinationals. In the 35yrs+ that our company has been in business, not even once did we ignore a client. We always made sure that we ALWAYS answer the phone immediately. Kahit na galit yung client, we ALWAYS ensure to answer their calls/text as politely as possible. Kahit na ang may kasalanan eh yung client, we NEVER ignore them - may they be big multinationals or small ones only. Kahit nga na inquiry lang, lagi naming sinasagot. Would you believe we have clients that call us every 10-15 minutes to check on the status of their shipments? (no joke) Sobrang kulit pero we never ignore them. We always ensure that we answer the phone. (Kahit nga email, meron kaming 1 hour limit to reply to clients, otherwise our employees would need to do a corrective action report explaining why they weren't able to respond within the given time).

Anyway, I hope this bad experience of mine doesn't happen to others. Lesson learned na din for me na kahit na 8yrs+ mo nang kilala yung tao, nag iiba pa din ang ugali pag nakuha na nila yung pera.

I actually have more pics and even a video which I haven’t included anymore since the post is already very long. I also have Rocky’s text messages on my phone showing his replies and his cell number.

If you want to see the install yourselves, you can go to my house at Ayala Alabang and you be the judge if I’m making this up or not.

If you need to contact me and ask me questions regarding this matter, you may reach me at my sun cellphone = 0943-7056582

Have a good day.

-joms

[jhnkvn]

That is indeed sad news, Joms.

From my point, I would say using wood for the piano black W7 faceplate is a bad idea. I believe a more classy way on dealing with this is to find a glass contractor and have them fabricate a glass with a black vinyl sticker to simulate a piano black finish.

As per the piano black, that's unacceptable. Truthfully in my case, it took us more than 3 months. Kept on redoing it due to blemishes on the paint and I could not accept anything less than a very smooth deep piano black. Luckily, I got what I wanted although there was some blemishes at the underside, it's easily hidden even from a person with a keen eye.

If it would be of help as a fellow audiophile, drop by Banawe joms and I'll see if I can tune your system. Send me a PM for details.

[joms]

Thanks jhnkvn.

For an update, and in mach2audio's defense, after Rocky read my post, he politely texted me and apologized for his mistakes. He further wants to set things right by offering to correct the mistakes that he made.

Anyway, the good thing about this is he admits that he is the one that made the mistake and he wants to correct it.

Well, I think we all learned something from this experience. I hope this experience of mine will also help you guys in the future.

[markygy]

Thanks jhnkvn.

For an update, and in mach2audio's defense, after Rocky read my post, he politely texted me and apologized for his mistakes. He further wants to set things right by offering to correct the mistakes that he made.

Anyway, the good thing about this is he admits that he is the one that made the mistake and he wants to correct it.

Well, I think we all learned something from this experience. I hope this experience of mine will also help you guys in the future.

That's good to hear sir Joms! Medyo na shock din kase ako when I first read your post, lalo na nung nabasa ko that you where banned from KAC. I mean KAC should have been the first car audio forum that would at least try to understand your sentiments since the parties involve are directly connected on that site. But what can we do, knowing the owner of Mach2audio also happens to be the current president of KAC. I still find this incident kinda bias. I hope hindi lang siya nag apologize for the work done to your car but to reconsider banning you at KAC as well.
Anyway, hoping everything will turn out good!

Best Regards,

"maryjosephine" *KAC

[joms]

markygy - he already unbanned my account in KAC as we already came into an understanding. It was good that he decided to fix this amicably because I don't usually back down from things like this. Since I saw that he was very sincere in working things out, I decided to let things go with the condition that he should respect his future customers. =)

[red_one]

*joms: that's indeed a major disappointing experience. surely you're not getting your money's worth. hope they can still fix all these issues.

[joms]

redone - he actually offered to fix the problems i've cited here but i'm not sure if I still want to have any dealings with him anymore. Anyway that's not my concern anymore since pwede ko naman din pagawa sa iba yung setup ko. I just wanted to share my experience so that mach2audio, other installers, and other car audio enthusiasts would learn from my mistakes. I think Rocky has already learned by admitting his own shortcomings. I guess I can say that I'm already satisfied with the outcome. =)