Yes, I gave Allboro 5 stars, here is why.
First of all, I am a very savvy and parsimonious shopper, I also do my homework and shop around before I buy. I drive an old Nissan Pathfinder which, prior to finding Allboro Custom, had the original radio system. This meant no auxiliary input for ipods, in addition the cd player stopped working after a few discs jammed inside.
Anyway, about 3 weeks ago I decided I wanted a new radio and speakers. I didn't want to spend that much money and I didn't need anything too fancy. I've had Alpine and Kenwood radios before and I liked those brands. I decided to go to 3 Car Audio shops before making my final decision. The first place I visited was on 21st in Astoria. The first thing I noticed about this place was the lack of people in the store. The man behind the counter knew little about audio systems and threw arbitrary numbers (prices) around. He was also very aggressive, he kept asking me if I wanted get the system installed "today!!" He quoted me $600 for a Kenwood radio with some BS Pioneer speakers. When I looked up the radio he wanted to install I saw it selling for $150 on amazon. I left the store on 21st knowing never to return. My next trip was to Queens Blvd in Elmhurst, Queens. This place was across the street from the Old Mets Motel (on the same block where all the demolished cars are repaired and sold with "a clean carfax"). Anyway, this Audio shop on Queens Blvd was similar to the one on 21st, meaning there were no customers!! This Asian man behind the counter could not give me prices to anything, he told me I had to see the Guyanese man instead. The Guyanese man was a bit sketchy and that's when I knew something fishy was going on. This guy asked me "how much do I want to spend?" and then goes on to tell me he could install a Pioneer Radio with 4 Pioneer speakers for "about $1000." I am very familiar with Pioneer radios because they are sold in Walmart. Like I had done at the shop on 21st, I left the shop in Queens Blvd knowing never to return.
I then decided to check out Allboro. I had passed this shop many times since it's just one block away from the McGuiness avenue entrance/exit of the BQE. The first thing I noticed at Allboro were the customers, there were lots of them. On the day I visited , there was a woman talking with the owner about some work she was getting done in her car. This woman seemed cheerful and content. I also noticed a man outside of the Shop with a Ford F-150 . This man had just gotten a new radio installed in his truck and was playing with all of the radio buttons. He was very happy, he told me the radio cost him $170 with installation. The radio was very neatly installed and lit up his dashboard. While I waited to talk to the owner I also noticed a man inside the shop installing tints on a BMW X5, he was doing a superb job too. Finally my turn came to talk the man of the hour, Jack. First thing Jack asked me was what kind of car I drove and what type of system I wanted, he asked what type of music I listened to. Jack was patient and listened to me, he was not pushy or aggressive. His expertise in car audio systems was apparent early on. He deals with high end car audio and his prices are very reasonable. Jack showed me an Alpine Radio with blue tooth, aux inputs and all of the features I was looking for. I looked up this radio online and it sold for $250 on Amazon. For the radio and speakers Jack quoted me $550 with installation. I knew a good deal when I saw one so I quickly contracted with him to get this system. He was very busy and gave me a range of days on which I could bring my car for the installation. About a week later I dropped off my car in the morning and picked it up in the early evening. The day I came to pick up my car Jack was gone for a few minutes so I chatted with a brother (black guy) who was getting audio work installed on his 64 Impala. This guy told me he always went to Jack and he trusted him.
Anyway, back to me, I was very happy when I saw my dashboard, the new Alpine radio was state of the art and sounded very clear. Jack installed new speakers with tweeters in the front and 6.5 speakers inside the rear passenger doors. About a week later I went back because I wanted more bass in my system. Today I got a small amp and a Hertz speaker installed and I love the bass that resonates off my leather seats. I was given the option of an Alpine Amp and Two Kicker Speakers for the same price of a high end Amp with a solo Hertz speaker. I chose the latter due to space and sound quality, I like to listen to hip hop and the solo speaker gave me just enough bass. Jack tucked the amplifier in the side compartment in the rear of my Toyota and there are no visible wires. Trust me when I say Jack at Allboro does quality work! His prices are reasonable and he is prompt and courteous. If I ever buy another car which needs a new audio system I will go to Allboro Custom. read more