I work customer service in a highly technical field. I repair high end luxury vehicles. It's…read morealways in my mind that I'm handling the first or second most expensive item most folks own. Second only to their homes. I'm well aware of the exacting standards needed. The self discipline needed and the attention to detail and care for details needed to restore someone's prized luxury vehicle. Those same standards apply to working in or on someone's home. My previous reviews explain how I met Jake at Barker Tech. This is a new review with new perspective. It's been over two years since I paid Jake and shook his hand. In those two years Jake has reached out 3 times to check on my home and his work. It just seems to be how he is. In those two years I've reached out with some admittedly stupid questions and each time he's addressed my concerns without any snark or down talk that some techie guys use when speaking to plebes. I needed additional home tech stuff and naturally I reached out to Jake. His response was timely given his work load and he immediately offered elegant solutions to an inelegant problem. (Someone in my neighborhood is actively using my gravel yard as a dog pit stop and leaving me nasty surprises ). Jake offered some very clever options up to and including an outdoor speaker paired with my existing camera system (that he installed ) to politely ask the offending dog owner to remove their dog waste. Ultimately my wife vetoed the idea of me having the ability to leave audio messages for bad neighbors. But Jake's suggestion of an upgraded new camera with AI facial recognition and a wider field of view was perfect. Within a week Jake personally came back and upgraded the camera thus negating the one small blind spot the offender had been using. He kept his word. He sent me tutorials and worked with me not even being home to ensure that I was 100% satisfied with my upgraded surveillance view before leaving. Setting standards and holding yourself to them are key to excellence. Keeping your word and delivering what you promise are key to excellence. But. Excellence isn't derived from robot like adherence to guidelines. It's a combination of many intangible things. It's rare these days to encounter true excellence in almost any field. Jake at Barker Tech is an excellent example of excellence in action. Trustworthy. Reliable. Professional. Meticulous. Passionate. Informed and informative. Personable and Diligent. I'm a client for life.

Jake was fantastic. He is incredibly knowledgeable, professional, and calm, cool, and collected,…read morewhich was especially appreciated after we had been dealing with so many frustrating AV and internet issues in our house. He quickly figured out what was wrong with our existing setup, moved us over to fiber optic, and simplified the entire system so it is easy for us to use. The difference has been huge. Our internet is now incredibly fast in every room of the house, and everything finally works the way it should. Jake went above and beyond throughout the entire process. I cannot recommend him highly enough for anything AV-related in your home.

We had a great experience with Bay Area Wall Mounts, and I especially want to recognize our…read moretechnician, Ismat, who was courteous, professional, punctual, and clearly experienced with this type of installation. Before choosing a company, I compared several TV mounting businesses on both Yelp and Google. I ultimately decided on Bay Area Wall Mounts because of their established reviews and the photos of their previous work, and I'm glad I did. Ismat installed our 65" LG C6 TV along with an LG S95TR soundbar above our fireplace and mantel. I was initially unsure whether the fireplace and mantel would make the installation more difficult, but he handled it without any issues and made sure everything was centered, level, and positioned properly. One of the biggest things I wanted was a clean installation with no visible cords. They were able to create a power bridge system that concealed the wiring and routed everything to a nearby outlet. They also left us with additional connectivity so we can add two more HDMI devices in the future. The finished setup looks very clean and professional. The price was fair, although perhaps a little on the higher side compared with some options I looked at. That said, I would rather pay for quality workmanship and have the job done correctly than simply choose the cheapest option, especially when mounting an expensive TV above a fireplace. Overall, I'm very happy with the finished result and the quality of the installation. I wouldn't hesitate to use Bay Area Wall Mounts again for any future TV mounting needs, and I would definitely recommend Ismat and the team.

Technician fixed the issues. So I am changing the review…read moreback to 5 stars. All the issues have been fixed

Kurtis helped us design a great network and entertainment setup and personally ensured everything…read morewent smoothly. he was flexible with his approach and the work is very high quality

I've worked with Kurtis for years now on a couple of different fronts. On home internet, he's been…read morecritical in designing a system with multiple access points on different floors so we've got consistent strong internet throughout the house, which is old and therefore has lots of rooms and lots of plaster walls. He's also sourced and installed several TVs for us over the years, including most recently recommending and installing two frame TVs and updating the surround sound so everything sounds theater quality. He's trustworthy, responsive, respectful of the home and does great work. You can't go wrong with Kurtis.

Amazing customer service! John has been very communicative from the start and walked me through all…read morethe different options and helped me choose the right product for my building. Months after installation when I had questions about the product I reached out to John again and he instantly responded and helped out again.

Well, what can I say other than WOW. John installed outside cameras about 9 years ago. Today he…read moreupgraded our system. He told me it would be so much better because day and night would be in color meaning nigh time would be much clearer. I believed him but I was skeptical. WOW was he right. John is HONEST, RELIABLE, AND makes absolutely sure you want to make changes AND makes absolutely sure you are happy with results. Thank you so much John.

Original post from May 30, 2020 when project was done..."I just finished working with Man Cave…read moreAmerica for the 3rd time in the past year doing long wanted A/V upgrades. MCA always do top-notch work and make everything look better than I could ever imagine. During this SIP, they created a beautiful A/V installation in our garage to create a 2nd family gaming space. They also wore PPE and took appropriate social distancing precautions. I hope I have another project in the future so I can work with them again!"

Super disappointed... we have used them before and were very happy. The quality is not the same…read more They came out today to mount a Samsung frame TV. The person said to make it easier he would need to drill some holes to help hide the wires. He asked if we had paint and said he could patch it. Next thing you know we have a 5"x5" hole in our fireplace along with holes in another wall. The patch was left unfinished. He said he had a paint brush initially and then later said he didn't. Pretty sure he was using a paper towel. Then told me I should paint it in an hour. Called their office and Nikki told me their team doesn't do paint or patching...ok. Why say you can? She couldn't tell me when someone would be back out and never called me back. So we have a mounted tv but now we need a professional painter to come fix the botched patch. Not to mention I spent 30 mins cleaning up after they left.

These guys are not professionals and there's a reason they're cheaper than other services…read more They made multiple unnecessary holes in my wall because they seemingly didn't know how to properly use their equipment and they left without replacing screws they had removed from my converter socket. They claimed outlet was not "up to code" and didn't work. It works perfectly fine. they are not licensed electricians or handy men. Worst of all they tried to leave without even straightening the TV! when I pointed out to the level was clearly showing it wasn't straight, they told me it was "the best they could do" The entire experience was extremely unprofessional. I was genuinely concerned they might damage my TV and I ultimately had to call an actual professional installer afterward to fix their work. The small amount you might save is absolutely not worth it. I would strongly recommend going with a reputable professional instead.

Amazing service! I got a response to my quote within minutes. I also received same day service…read more They quickly installed the tv mount exactly how I envisioned it! The technician set up my Roku and replaced my plug to be appropriate for where my tv was mounted. Lastly, The technician wore booties and vacuum up any plaster from the install! I had nothing to clean up. I just got to sit down and watch my TV. Amazing!

Gene returned my call after his vacation. I didn't think he'd want this job but he came over and…read morepatiently connected broken electric connections by saudering the chair's wiring. These were 3 electric breaks in the cords I had left unrepaired for 8 years! I initially found Gene on Yelp looking for a stereo repair. Then I got an idea to also ask for his help with the chair. He did a wonderful job for a reasonable price. I highly recommend Gene for repairs like this. Did a great job!

Worked quickly and knowledgeable Quick turnaround…read more Highly recommended 50 year old technics turntable now works perfectly

We met with Si the other day and learned so much in our consultation. First, his respect of "No…read moreShoes" in our home. He was easy speaking and very good at showing and saying what he was explaining to us. We asked for an audit of our system and to help us understand our system. We truly received great information and the how to's leaving us feeling confident and able to assess issues should they arise. He got us back on track with our system and took unnecessary components that were of no use to us. He complemented the system install and products chosen. He let us know that our system was very well done and that we have at least five to 10 years of great use. We were very happy with the visit and the outcome of the visit and are now truly enjoying it all. Thank you, Si and Hidden Connections for your awesome help and informative answers to our questions.

Hidden Connections are good people. Si and his daughter were very nice and did exceptional work…read more They arrived on time and quietly installed both of the cat 6 lines in my home and now we have Ethernet instead of wifi in our house running off of fiber. So much faster although I'm not sure we need it :) I only wish I had more jobs so I could hire them again. Thanks Hidden Connections!

I have purchased numerous audio products from AVI since 2022…read more Tony, Dave and his team have always provided me with great customer service and personal care. When things go wrong (which is rare), they quickly respond to phone calls or emails. They have advocated on my behalf to save me thousands of dollars. If you're considering high end audio equipment, and you want to ensure you will received personalized care suited to your system and budget, run to AVI in Marin.

I contacted Audio Video Integration looking to demo a compact, single-box streaming speaker system…read more(specifically inquiring about options like the Naim Mu-so 2 and McIntosh RS250) for a small space with strict size constraints. Sales rep Dave Costa was dismissive, patronizing, and completely misunderstood basic product specifications from the start. He repeatedly insisted that self-contained wireless speaker systems require external speakers, conflated them with separate streaming amplifiers, and aggressively attempted to upsell expensive component stacks while completely ignoring my explicit space requirements. When I clarified what I was looking for, he doubled down with unsolicited lectures about my budget, patronizing comments about how I conduct audio comparisons, and backhanded insults toward reputable brands. As an audio professional, I expect a specialty dealer to listen to customer requirements and understand the gear they sell. Assuming a specific form-factor request equates to a lack of budget, and talking down to customers because of it, is terrible business. I will gladly take my business to another high-end audio dealer that values customer service and knows their inventory.

Music Lovers Audio & Video is exactly what its name promises, and Spencer Giel is exactly the kind…read moreof person you want guiding you through one of the most rewarding and dangerous journeys you can embark on as an audiophile. I came in as someone just getting into the high end audio market, surrounded by gear I could only dream about, and Spencer never once made me feel unwelcome or out of place. I've visited other stores where you can feel judged the moment you walk in based on your wallet size. That was never the case here. As someone around my age with the same passion for amazing sound without millionaire budgets, he got it immediately. He worked with me from start to finish, helping me build a system that punches well above its price point. The result was a carefully curated blend of tubes and solid state that created a synergy I didn't fully appreciate until I heard it all together. He helped me select my Paradigm Persona 5F speakers, Audio Research LS27 preamp, Parasound A21+, AudioQuest Niagara 3000, and interconnects. Each brand chosen with intention, Paradigm out of Toronto, Parasound originally based right here in San Francisco, Audio Research from Minnesota, and AudioQuest from Irvine CA. Respected names with solid reputations in the audiophile community that fit my budget without compromising on quality. Any system I was curious about I was able to audition without any pressure or hesitation. That kind of access says a lot about how they treat customers. And it doesn't stop at the sale. They helped with three moves of my audio gear, something regular movers simply are not equipped to handle with equipment this precious. They also helped connect my system which is a level of service you just don't expect from a retailer. That kind of relationship goes well beyond a transaction. The store itself is filled with incredible gear across some of the most coveted lines in the industry. McIntosh, Audio Research, Boulder, Anthem, dCS, and speakers from Paradigm, KEF, Wilson, Sonus Faber, and more. They also specialize in home theater if that's your thing. Just be warned, every visit is a little dangerous to the wallet. And don't overlook their preowned section either, it's where real bargains hide. That's how I picked up my Audio Research preamp for half its original price. This place is a "Music Lovers" dream whether you are just starting out or building your end game system. Ask for Spencer Giel, he's the real deal!

Great gear and great staff! This store has a wide selection and fantastic demo rooms. The staff are…read morevery knowledgeable and friendly. Spencer was very generous with his time and spent a good 45 minutes discussing speakers, and amplification with me. He also allowed me to demo a bunch of my favorite tracks. I will definitely be back next time I am in town!