Car Audio Innovations

These guys were unbelievably fast and professional. Great customer service… The only thing that could possibly make these guys better is if they were mobile too. But we can’t have it all now Can we? Bravo on speed, quality and pricing.

We brought our teenage daughter’s car in to install a system as a graduation gift. From the moment we walked in we were treated with every bit of professionalism and knowledge you could ask for in the transaction. They even found a significant amount of cash in the car which they returned upon us picking up the vehicle. HONEST, FAIR and just a great group of professionals! We will be back!

I brought my new car to two shops for quotes before coming to Car Audio Innovations. One guy walked away from me in the middle of the conversation, mid-​sentence, when another customer drove in the driveway. The next place told me there is no possible way to change out the stereo in my car but they would have their specialist call me later in the day, «just in case he can figure something out». He never did. I looked online and found these guys, and 45 minute drive from home was well worth it.
Car Audio Innovations listened to what I wanted, gave me two different quotes printed up, and had a no pressure approach. When I scheduled the install, they offered me a loaner car (which I didn’t need, but still! Such service!). I had to drop my car off early morning, so they texted me to let me know my car was «in good hands» when they arrived and got my car. On the day of pick-​up, they texted to let me know everything was on track and again to let me know it was ready to go.
When I arrived to pick the car up, I was greeted with a handshake, walked to the car for a tour of the new system, which, by the way, was better than I could have imagined. They had really listened to what I wanted and it is PERFECT. During the install, they noticed a small scratch on a plastic interior beam and they attempted to buff it out. It didn’t improve so they just replaced the beam for me.
And when it came time to pay, I was told that, not only had they not needed an expected part, but the speakers turned out to be $ 400 cheaper than anticipated when they ordered so they passed the savings on to me, the customer, rather than just pocket the difference. I would have been none the wiser, so this move really blew me away. The cherry on top? I asked for a special connector and it was just handed to me, no charge, I’m assuming because I was already spending quite a bit of money.
These guys are the real deal… ultimate professionals, that treated my car like it was their own. I highly recommend them and will bring all my future cars to them.

I’ve been doing business with Rod Birch and Car Audio Innovations for the past 6 years. They have put systems in my Acura, Toyota Tacoma and most recently my new travel trailer. I found them after having some HORRIFIC experiences with big box and chain stores and I wanted a professional car stereo store. I found CAI and have been nothing but happy with the work and the products. They designed my systems so everything fits beautifully and works perfectly. One of the best things is they work by appointment and the tech only works on your car. Some of the horrors I had at the big box and chain stores was due to installers trying to do 2 or 3 (or more) cars at once.
I was particularly pleased with the job they did on my trailer. Trailers and RV’s tend to come with really cheap stereos that are an odd size. We decided to go with a Kenwood unit that was a thousand times better but was much smaller than the opening. I wondered what we could do about that until they told me they have a CNC machine. They made a custom faceplate that looks factory. Awesome.
I will admit (and so will they) that they aren’t the cheapest. If you don’t care about your car and don’t mind finding pieces of it all over the floor when you get it back by all means take it to the big box free installation place. But if you want a good system installed correctly and your car intact definitely check these guys out!
They also stand behind their work and will work with you to be sure you’re happy. Needless to say, highly recommended.

Thank goodness for this place! I drove around for an entire afternoon needing only one small part for my new radio. 8, yes 8, different places told me they did not have the part and only one of the 8 offered to order it. I called this place and Jake told me to come on by and they would take a look no problem. He said they had tons of parts in stock and was confident they could make something work. I arrived and was in and out in 5 minutes. The man who helped me at the counter actually came out to the car and took a look at my radio. He grabbed the part, even checked to make sure it would work for me. The quality of service I received here was unmatchable! Thank you all so much!

Thank you for helping my 16 year old with his Jeep yesterday. You could have turned him away or told him he needed a bunch of work to make his sound system work (used and done by himself). Instead you showed him how the wires weren’t hooked up the right way! When he saves up enough he will definitely be back to upgrade. I was shocked when he came home and told me you actually helped him! Great job!

I can’t be happier with the quality and the results of the work Robert did for me here today.
My experience started with them several days ago. I was in the middle of a rear speaker install on my 2014 Harley Davidson. I had the pods open, but did not have the proper connectors. And it was starting to rain… I pulled in on a whim, and they came out, stripped the wires, crimped on the connectors, and got me back on the road. No charge! Yes, it was a very simple and small thing, but still, it was very kind.
So I was also looking to replace the front speakers and maybe the head unit, so I decided to go with them to do the work.
A Harley is a very different beast than any car, but Robert assured me that he had plenty of experience with Harleys, and he certainly does — no doubt about it.
He recommended (and I followed the advice) Focal speakers and an ARC Audio 500-​watt amp.
I hung around to watch for the first part of the install before having to head back to work.
Everything was test-​fit. My paint was covered. All work was very clean.
I picked up the bike tonight, and I just can’t believe how good and loud it sounds.
Night and Day doesn’t come close to describing it.
I can’t recommend these guys any higher. Especially if you ride. They will take care of you and you’ll be very pleased.
And to add to a couple other reviews… My Harley was between a Porsche and a Mercedes, and took the bay of another Porsche they had just finished up. High-​end stuff here.
Edit: Just wanted to add that they also fabricated new speaker grills. There is not a lot of space between the front of the speakers and the speaker grills — on Harleys, you can’t use the stock Harley grills. Robert observed that the surrounds «may» contact the grills at volume. So he fabricated new grills to allow more space. I could not tell!!! They look exactly like the Harley factory grills, but with a bit more room. The alternative was to buy 2 new grills for $ 100!!! (Welcome to HD ownership!). Anyhow, just a note to let you know that these guys do it all, and do it right!

I checked out the websites and ratings for several car stereo places in the the area. It looked liked they do a lot of custom installs, and all I was looking for was an upgrade for my sub but decided to give it a shot anyways based on their rating. There was only an hour left before they closed but Rod was very helpful in answering my questions and didn’t pressure me into buying anything. He ended up giving me a deal on parts and labor. I’m coming back here when it’s time to upgrade my amp for the sub.

Needed some new speakers for my boat. Rod and his staff were very helpful and sold me some KILLER speakers. Had some good advise on amp install too. These guys are pros for sure. Thanks!

Pretty good, I had a high end viper system installed in my mustang and I showed up late and they pushed my finish time to the next day. Had a little hiccup on the time and how long the installation was really going to take but they met my deadline that I requested and stayed after closing to get the job done and included a life time warranty. They even honor veteran and military discounts. I’ve gone back a few times for them to tweak my proximity sensors and what not and with no problems. I’ve referred my sister and I’m waiting for her to get a quote on her system and been waiting for them to tweak my system and I’ve literally seen over 10 people come in over a 20 minute time period on a Saturday and met with awesome customer service. Definitely recommend this place. The owner is fair and will give you the honest price which is probably more expensive but for better quality products, warranty and service and he’s pretty blunt about brands and his experience with them so if you come in, be ready for honesty. Check this place out.

I emailed Rod 3 years ago for advice on how to replace my Porsche 993 old unit and speakers. He gave me excellent advice, told me exactly which unit I should buy (Kenwood because the amp is more powerful and I have a convertible), and then told me which speakers to buy so that they would fit easily in the doors panels (speaker + tweeter).
I bought the Kenwood unit and the speakers from him and I was able to install everything by myself, thanks to Rod’s very detailed explanation, perfect!
I contacted him again 2 weeks ago for another car, and I am amazed at how this guy is good at emails :) He always answers within a few hours, even when you come out from nowhere, impressive and very helpful.
I am waiting for the new Kenwood that will support Android Auto and Apple Carplay in a few weeks, and I will buy it from Rod for sure.
Thank you!

This place is amazing. Excellent customer service by all employees that work here and extremely knowledgable! Rod is friendly, funny and helpful, you can honestly tell he wants to help you and give you the best products at a great price!

I’m not sure there’s enough space in this box for me to fully show my appreciation for Rod Birch, his staff and all the help he’s given me over the past few months. I’m a Porsche owner, and like most– EXTREMELY meticulous and interested in high quality equipment. I did numerous searches online for the best place in the COUNTRY to go to for audio equipment and install advice, customer service, etc. As a member of Rennlist, the premier Porsche enthusiast forum, I was fortunate enough to come across a multitude of postings singing Rod’s praises. And ALL from equally picky, insane DIY’ers like myself. Ha. At any rate, Car Audio Innovations was the winner. Now before I go on, let me just say that even though I own a Porsche, I work hard for my money and definitely don’t throw it away. I’m an informed shopper, do my homework and look for the best equipment and the best prices. I found all that at CA Innovations. Without going into the details of which equipment I purchased, I’ll just say that the amp, speakers, head unit, wire kits, door enclosures, shipping (I live in San Diego), service, advice and after the sale support was by far the best I’ve come across in ANY retail purchase I’ve made, let alone in the car audio industry. Rod worked with me on price, package deals and extras. He went above and beyond. To this day Rod continues to support me. He answers emails quickly and in major detail and always picks up the phone to talk about any questions I may have. I wouldn’t hesitate to refer anyone to him… Porsche owner, KIA owner, hell even if you have a Gremlin or AMC Pacer, have your kit installed there. You won’t be disappointed. PS: Not that there’s anything wrong with KIAs, Gremlins and Pacers. ;)

Rod created a great custom solution for my 911 Turbo Cabriolet, then shipped it to me in Missouri with everything I need to install it. Fabric was a perfect match on the subwoofer and he was there with both phone and email support to get me through the installation. It’s been a year and everything is perfect. It was cheaper then going with the best local company and they don’t even specialize in high end cars. I saved over $ 1000 by installing it myself. It was a great decision. Both from the quality of the kit and the satisfaction of installing it myself.

This is my first Unilocal review, so hopefully I do this right:)
I have been a car audio hobbiest since high school in the 80’s. I was reffered to this shop by friends when they heard I was ready to build a system for my 2011 ram truck. Though I was looking only to purchase equipment and do the install myself, I found that Rod and his team were extremely helpful and knowledgeable, they helped me pick out the correct equipment that both fit my vehicle and my music playing tastes. There was no salesman pressuring me to buy more expensive equipment, just a team of installers that helped me pick out not only what I could afford, but also what would make the truck sound like I wanted. So I walked out with a smile, a pair of 12″ subwoofers, a subwoofer enclosure specifically built to fit my truck, amp, all the wires and connections to install it all. and 2 pairs of 6×9’s. Oh and a keyless entry/​remote start alarm.
The stereo equipment install was easy as they made sure I had all the needed parts and pieces to make it all fit and connected. But, the alarm gave me some difficulty. I spoke to the installers about the problems I was having with the remote start and they spent a good bit of time working me through what I did wrong during the install. After their direction I was able to get it installed and programing correctly. Keep in mind I only bought equipment from them. I did not purchase any installation.
Overall, these guys are true professionals. They are very knowledgeable and their work is the best I have ever seen from a shop. I stop by and look in their shop every now and then just to see some of their installs. The craftsmanship and attention to detail they have is very impressive. I highly recommend you visit their shop. Car audio is not inexpensive, so you wanna go to professionals not big box stores! Plus you get to support local business!
Cheers Rod! You guys are great!

Rod at Car Audio Innovations was off by almost $ 1000. in estimating the same identical job on my Porsche.
The competitor used genuine Porsche parts and everything works great!
I have no sympathy for greedy bastards.
I said it before and I say it here, Rod at Car Audio Innovations use to be a good guy, but not anymore.
Private message me for the name of the other company paid to install my electronics into my ride.

I came in looking for some 6×9 speakers. Having had a good experience in the past, I figured they could help me out this time as well. I went in and explained that I was seeking speakers in a lower price range and was just looking to replace the stock speakers. He offered me one option at $ 199– way out of my price range. And the worse part, after I explained that was way over budget and that I didn’t need anything like that– he had the nerve to tell me that «the numbers printed on the side of the box were there for a reason». I was so offended. I may be a female, but cars are my thing. I do not plan to return there for future purchases.

I had them do work on my vehicle twice. Once to install a deck with some trimming of the Dash brace to make room for depth and to notch the bezel allowing the fit of a 7″ motorized DD Pioneer AVH-​X5500BHS. The appearance and price were good the attention to detail was acceptable but I wouldn’t rate it as superior.
They had some issues getting correct sound out of my bi-​amplified Soundstream SST6.9’s powered by the Oldsmobile Monsoon stock amplifier. At first they only played minor tweeter but after they «looked at it» they played better. The fact that both speakers had similar sound both right after install and after they say they didn’t do anything yet the sound was noticeably louder points to an installation issue. They still aren’t as loud or have as much base as they did before installation but I have Inifinity kappa’s and a Fosgate amp waiting for install so it doesn’t really bother me.
The 2^nd job I had them do a month or so later was to add sound dampener to the trunk doing as much as possible. The price was $ 300 including labor and materials and they had to unhook and remove the box from the trunk with the amp attached. Then after the sound dampening they had to reinstall the box and hook the amp back up or at least that’s what they said. Once again the price was ok for the amount of work but honestly I have friends and they have coverage of the entire bottom and sides of the vehicle and paid about the same price if not a little less. They have found 38 SQFeet to be full coverage and CAI used about 26 – 28. I included pictures if they allow the link so decide for yourself.
I would recommend them but honestly the work was just average. The Owner Rod and his staff were friendly and did timely work. He does tend to push his own products and I actually paid $ 40 more for a pac unit than I could get online but he’s going to have a lot more overhead and we’ll let’s be fair it’s ebay. The owner dogged Infinity which has been run by the only living member of the duo who founded Harman Kardon since ’83. I thought that was odd as I and alot of people I know have a lot of confidence in both brands. Everyone has their opinions though so /​shrug.
Overall they did adequate work. I had my Clifford 2 way alarm, Dual 12″ box and amp installed by Fry’s and they probably were about equal in price if not cheaper on install pricing. I thought Fry’s did a very very good job for a big box store. After I left Fry’s I was extremely willing to recommend their work. After leaving CAI I was not inspired with confidence that i wasn’t getting jobed If you can’t find someone else to do the work you really trust I would be ok going to Rod but I wouldn’t rate the work as super superior to everyone else. That’s’ just my opinion though a lot of people are happy with his work maybe I’ am just super picky.

I was looking to replace my stock deck. Went to best buy and waited for an hour without anyone coming to assist. While I was there I began reading reviews. CAI looked way better than bestbuy. I emailed Rod later that night with what I thought I wanted. We exchanged a few emails and i showed up on a Saturday without an appt.
I ended up changing g my mind, the team was awesome in selecting an appropriate deck that fit my budget and I was out with it installed in an hour. Great work, sounds amazing and I will be back in a month to replace my speakers.
Highly recommended!

I live and work in Auburn where there are two car audio shops and a Best Buy.
Auburn business owners preach shop local first because they offer the best service.
I checked out the two local car audio shops and ended up down in Roseville. I checked out Frys electronics and Best Buy as well.
Not very satisfied with any of them, an employee from Frys recommend I check out Car Audio Innovations. I was pretty hesitant at first, but ended up very satisfied that I took the time to stop in and talk to them.
When I walked in I was greeted politely and I talked to an employee named Jake for an hour or so. I asked general and specific questions that one of the Auburn shops did not want to take the time to answer. Jake was very helpful and a pleasure to talk to about car audio equipment and systems. Straight forward, honest, knowledgable and interested to share information.
The shop itself was pretty cool. Clean organized and busy.
I explained I wanted to do the work myself and he totally encouraged me to do so. Offering me any help, information and support needed to complete the installation.
What a surprise ! A business not attempting to up sale me on something.
No pressure or obligation.
I actually left the store to think about my options and make a decision.
I returned shortly and purchased all of my Kenwood equipment from their store.
After I installed the equipment Jake took the time not once, but twice to help me fine tune the amplifier and a few other settings.
In closing, I would like to say it is refreshing to go into their shop because I feel they are honest, knowledgable, helpful and though busy, took the time to talk to me. That was my experience anyway. Very positive. Thank you Rod and Jake.