Rating: (1/5) ​I brought my brand new 2026 Chevy Colorado ZR2 to Audio Connection in Towson to have a complete Vantrue S1 Pro setup professionally installed. The kit included the front and rear cameras, a hardwire harness, a Vantrue 256GB memory card, and a CPL glare filter. I was charged $275 for the labor. While the equipment is physically in the truck, the quality of the installation was completely unprofessional and riddled with basic mistakes. ​Here is what happened: ​Poor Placement & Redo: They initially mounted the front camera directly below the rearview mirror, completely blocking the driver's line of sight. When I pointed out that this was unacceptable, they ripped the adhesive mount off the glass and relocated it. Slapping a used adhesive pad back onto the window after pulling it off is lazy and compromises the mount long-term. ​Incorrect Wiring (Rear Cam Failure): They plugged the power cable and the rear camera cable into the wrong ports (swapping the GPS base and camera body inputs). Because of this amateur mistake, the system couldn't detect the rear camera, meaning it wasn't recording at all. ​Incorrect Fuse Tapping: The hardwire harness appears to be tapped into an "always-on" constant fuse rather than an ignition-switched source. As a result, the camera does not shut off when the truck is turned off, creating a potential battery drain issue. ​Leftover Parts & Lazy Finishing: They completely failed to install the Vantrue glare filter, failed to put the memory card into the slot, and didn't even bother to peel the plastic protective film off the camera lens. ​Paying $275 for a professional installation means the job should be done right the first time. Instead, I received a sloppy, rushed job where I had to correct the wiring layout, fix the settings, finish the assembly, and now have to re-address the hardwire fuse routing myself. ​If you care about attention to detail and want a dashcam installed correctly, I do not recommend Audio Connection based on this experience. It was an absolute lack of value for the money. read more

Great experience. Really receptive to their customers. Ronnie was a great help while I was there. All of the establishment is eager to assist their customers. read more

I surprised my wife by having the auto start put in her SUV. I wanted to only use one remote to both start and lock\unlock the doors. The basic unit only does the auto start and its a $50 upgrade for two remotes that do that. Our vehicle is not a chipped key which saved some money that is an additional charge if yours is. A plus sign on the key usually tells you it's chipped. Now I was the first one in the door. I noticed they started taking other vehicles in front of mine. I did tell the guy I was leaving so they pushed mine back to tend to others but if I knew it would take three hours and I stayed 2 hours I would have waited and probably had mine done first. The place is busy with the alcohol testing and stereo installations but auto start was the busy work this day. The waiting room is in need of a good cleaning and upgrading but I wasn't there for the decor. So here some things that you need to consider if getting an auto start that will cost extra. 1.chipped key? 2.power door locks? 3.push botton start? Stop by they will look at your car and be more accurate on the price so no surprises. read more

The experience started off well with an appointment to install back up camera and car play system. Next day I tried the blue tooth car phone microphone and it did not work. Called the store and was told to bring it in. Front desk guy called me a "liar" and told me to leave the car for the day (which would have required two Ubers). I asked if he could please fix it now, and he berated me for then inconveniencing all his other customers who had appointments that day. Once I reminded him that if he installed it correctly the first time this would not have happened, he begrudgingly agreed to fix it. Turns out, the microphone was bad. Never apologized for giving me a defective piece or failing to test it before he signed off on the job. Worst customer service ever. Go elsewhere. read more

I got a rear view camera put in my daughter's car. They were speedy and very professional. Any follow up service I needed was taken care of quickly and professionally. read more

My automatic car starter that I had purchased a few years from here had stopped working & I assumed the battery needed to be replaced. Mike a store associate changed my batteries & went to my car to test it to make sure it functioned properly, it started but then would cut off immediately. Mike informed me that it was not the battery but the the drive board in the starter. I was a little concerned as to what it would cost to replace it . I have had it for a few years. Mike informed me since I purchased the starter from there, I had a 5-year warranty & he not only replaced it but also had to reconfigured it so that it worked properly. Sadly, a lot of stores would not have informed me of the warranty just had me pay for a replacement. I was moved not only by his honestly but his prompt attention in resetting the starter. Mike was friendly & courteous. He really made me feel like he appreciated my business and that made me feel good. I would never go anywhere else for auto electronics products or issues. Keep up the good work. And to you Mike... you are definitely an asset to the company. Thank you for your honestly and help. You made my day. read more

Audio Connection - MY NEW CAR STARTER - Car Stereo Installation Near Me - Parkville, Maryland

I recently got a 2014 Chevy Cruze LTZ Debbie Cruz LTZ and I loved it however however the radio left a lot to be desired desired so I took it to audio connections and they put in a new Kenwood execelon In a almost 3:00 time I had it back and it's great they did a good job of putting it in not damaging anything and I appreciate their hard work thank you read more

If I could give no stars, I would. Waited a month for an estimate on our vehicle's broken CD player, and after three phone calls, got a $700! estimate. Owner sent it to another shop and the estimate was $500. Took another 2 weeks to get the unit back, but after they installed it, the internal/external temp/projected mileage indicator didn't work. Had to return to have that hooked up. Had to return a second time because bluetooth didn't work. They couldn't fix it. (Dealer did.) Had to return a third time because GPS wouldn't track (It had us driving in the Bay). They had failed to connect GPS and implied it was the manufacturer's fault! No apology for our having to make multiple 20-mile trips. We should have gone to the dealer to begin with. read more

If your expecting basic customer service than don't come here. Happy smiling service is not what you get here. I think they don't have a frontline person all the time and have the techs greet the customers which is not their forte. I think everyone who needs audio work knows this place lacks service but still comeback because they do know their stuff. I've come here twice because of a coupon and the installed equipment still functions. Would I recommend this place? Only if the person doesn't care about customer service. read more

I went to Audio Connection this week to see about getting a new remote for my truck. I had remote start installed years ago and my remotes stopped working. My husband installed new batteries and it didn't help. My husband had called months ago to get a price for them and they told him one would be about $55. So I held out as long as I could. When I went in I told the gentleman my issue and he took my remote and keys and said he'd be back. After about 10 minutes another guy came out and asked another man if he would program them for him. It took abut 5 minutes and he came back with them and said here you go. I said how much do I owe you and the man behind the counter just waved his hand at me and said nothing. I was so appreciative and stunned. I thanked him several times and left. So I thought I would share my positive experience with everyone. read more

Shawn is very accommodating. I can able to get in the same day. And they did a great job on my power tailgate in my rav 4. And shawn explain everything to me. Price is very reasonable. read more

Very Rude staff. I was there to return a power harness for my car stereo. I was made to wait while the cashier watch TV. I thought he was another customer until he decided to step behind the counter to ask me why I was there. I will never shop there again read more

Gave them my 1971 Orange Pontiac with "The Judge" sticker boldly proclaiming how special it is... Stereo installed in a day and they had to install new kick plates under the dash. Install was fast, the car came back cleaner than I gave it to them and I have no doubt that they took excellent care of my baby. The Stereo sounds great and as an added bonus they didn't bat an eye to install the Neon Underglow Lights and mount the control box in the glove compartment (didn't charge me for the wiring). I absolutely love this place. You'll see me back for a couple of alarm systems and another stereo for a 69' Chevelle. If I could label this review it would be "Trust Them" Great Job guys, looking forward to seeing you soon. read more

Sooooo I had crappy speakers in my charger, all four of my speakers needed to be replaced because they were busted, the guys at Audio Connection put in fantastic speakers and it sounds great but they totally destroyed my door panel. Luckily I had a picture of my door panel two days before they installed my speakers which clearly showed my door panel was level with my window even after I confronted the technician with my photo he still said it was like that before he touched it, the manager was then brought into the equation and repeated the same thing that my car had a messed up door panel before I brought it in so he takes his technicians word over physical evidence I have and tells me to go to an upholstery shop to get it fixed rather than working with me after charging me $600 for four speakers. like I said the speaker sound great but he totally destroyed my door panel and blamed me for it so I'm going to dispute the charge with my bank! read more

Audio Connection - This photo was 05/22/2021 as you see in top left - Car Stereo Installation Near Me - Parkville, Maryland

See all

I dropped my vehicle off by way of tow truck and they were asked to see if they could get it started. They did do that and charged me $150 but then they took out my auto start mechanism and told me they would put it back once I got the rest of my vehicle fixed. It had a problem with the instrument cluster. They said they took out the auto start saying that if I were to take it to a dealer they would automatically say it was the auto start. I guess they knew what I was thinking since I was not taking the car to a dealer but my mechanic. I went back after my vehicle was totally fixed and they said they would put the auto start back in for $370 and we got them to come down to 125 then they said 150. I believe they should have stood my their word and put the auto start back in since they did not have my permission to take it out in the first place. I have since picked up the auto start as they did not stand by their word and they should put it back in for free since again they did not have my permission to take it out. read more

I purchased a remote starter to be installed as a Christmas gift. On December 26th, I made the appointment for install at this location as it had the soonest available time slot to perform the work. I was given a 4pm appointment on January 9th and when I showed up, the people at the counter looked at me like I had nine heads and started to treat me like I was some sort of 2nd class citizen. They had no record of the appointment I made, quoted me a time of 3 hours for installation, and questioned me as to why one of their employees would set an appointment for 4pm. Now, I've had remote starters installed in the past and each install took approximately 90 minutes. The whole situation seemed like they just didn't want to have to deal with another customer. To make matters worse, I purchased a Groupon for this install and because it was more than 3 days ago that the Groupon was purchased, I cannot get a refund so that I may take my business elsewhere. The really shady part is that you can get the same price on the starter and installation through the Audio Connection website. So you aren't really saving anything on the Groupon unless you have a promo code or voucher for a discount. I will be taking my vehicle to another location and the person I spoke with assured me that he will handle my car personally. I can only hope he will have the integrity to honor his word since this shop, clearly, did not. read more

I went to Audio Connection to have my living social automatic car starter installed. I've read several reviews on this site and I have to say, despite all the negative reviews, my experience was excellent. Travis was very nice, accommodating, and flexible with my schedule and payment. He personally showed me how to use the car starter and I was good to go. The installation took about 3 hours, so be prepared to wait for come back when it's ready. I would also be aware that there may be a 129$ installation fee. I would recommend this place to anyone :) read more

I bought a Living Social to get a remote start for my car from here. On the Living Social they ask they you mention the voucher. Well, I forgot. They didn't care. They didn't even mention it. That was nice. They saw me around 9:30 am and told me it'd be about 2 hours. Cool. I went to breakfast with my mom and then came back. The car wasn't ready until 12:30pm. That didn't bother me. What did was my mother complaining about it and asking the time every 15 minutes. I should have left her at home but I brought her because it was a gift for her. Anyways, the dude who installed it was very nice. He took us outside and explained everything and sent us on our way. Great experience. read more

I got a remote starter installed by another company, an had some issues. Brought it to this company an the guy Travis knew what was wrong right off the bat without me even telling him what I thought was wrong. Fixed my issues, went over all the steps with me so I felt comfortable and then had me try it to make sure I was happy before I left. I will defiantly be coming back. Best car place around. They do everything, remote starters, car speakers, back up cameras, XM an more. read more

My experience was less than stellar there. Prices are way higher than anywhere else. Their warranty, forget it! They will make up any excuse to void their warranty. The folks who works there are all teenage drop outs who can barely read and write. Needless to say, the craftsmanship are very poor. I wouldn't go there... read more

I purchased basically a full system upgrade about a month ago. New speakers subwoofer amp and processor. I didn't really know what to get and they definitely pointed me the direction of some great products. Final product I am very happy with except the fact that my Bluetooth doesn't work very well any more. Guys are nice and knowledgable there, however not very organized. Later Edit- Had to completely stop using Bluetooth after going back several times and all fixes still did not work properly read more

Classic bait and switch let the buyer beware. I was offered a good groupon price however when scheduling an appointment they informed me that I would have to pay more than double the original quoted price. Be wary of these sorts read more

The guy who runs the front Travis is a riot. Makes waiting to get work on your vehicle done pretty interesting. He was very knowledgable about the equipment and helped me save a ton! read more

Awful business and absolutely rude people. The cashier Travis needs to be fired -- he is rude and cannot do simple math. For those who are coming here for their monthly monitoring on their guardian device, I recommend visiting Timonium Auto Speicalists in Cockesville instead. Friendlier staff, more professional, and appointments run much quicker. read more

Shady business practices is what you'll find here. I cane here with someone who had a breathalyzer installed (good person, bad decision). Apparently, you have to go every month to this establishment and have them transfer the breathalyzer data for submission to whomever monitors this info. The cost for this is $95/month, except the final download, which should only be $25. When we walked up to the counter, we *informed them that this would be the final download*. At the time, we were unaware that the cost should only be $25, yet we were charged $95. Anyways, we went back to this establishment and informed them that we were incorrectly charged $95 for the final download and asked to be credited the $70 that they overcharged. They did credit the amount back, but they knew they were incorrectly overcharging by $70. Pretty shady to me. read more

Purchased a remote car starter on Amazon Local then come to find out the fine print means it really costs $250, not $109. On top of this, the guy I spoke with was very rude. My girlfriend called back later in hopes of getting someone else and got the same guy who was also nasty with her. False advertising combined with terrible customer service? Do yourself a favor and look elsewhere. read more

I made an appointment to have my Bluetooth on my Mercedes Benz fixed. Sean was very polite and knowledgeable. After about twenty minutes he was able to program my Bluetooth and get it working. He accomplished what two Mercedes dealers could not. I highly recommend them !! John g. Nottingham, MD read more

Started out well. They seemed to be very skilled, I trusted them. Put down a deposit on some equipment with the possibility of next day installation. Then for the next four days I received four "we're busy now I'll call you back by the end of the day" never to get a call back. Today at noon I go t a "busy I'll call you back in an hour". By 8PM I was done. I'm a very patient person. If you don't think you can call me back for two days because you are busy, say that. In two days I'll expect your call. But don't say I'll call you back by the end of the day or I'll call you back in an hour and not do so time after time for days when you have my cash on deposit. Nope done. Cancelled order, awaiting refund of deposit. I hope it does get returned and does not wind up a legal issue. read more

i have to say, this was by far the most unflattering experience a company could have possibly had and i bared the burden of all of it. on 12/12/15, i forked over $500+$150 in membership to have a viper smart start remote starter installed to my 2014 subaru imprezza... and on 1/15/16 i had them take it back out. ill paraphrase, cause theres a limited amount of text. visit #1 - saturday. schedule dropoff for 9am, told i can pickup by 3pm. i drop off car, car isnt ready til 6pm. i pay over phone and pickup car after they are close with my spare keys. i arrive at my vehicle that evening and immediately i cannot get the remote starter to function with the key fob. after 4 or 5 tries, it kicks on. didnt they check this? i notice i the auto function on my window is gone. visit #2 - monday, i go and sit in lobby for 2 hrs while they fix the windows and key fob. few days later, i realize i better try the smart start (activate remote start from my iphone). doesnt work. figures. also, my security light on my dash begins to appear when i use the key fob to remote start. and finally, my gps unit will no longer auto start because somehow, there is a power "hiccup" where the electricity starts and briefly stops just long enough for the gps unit to think the vehicle has shut off and it begins to force a shutdown sequence. mind you.. everything functions perfectly when i use my normal key to start the vehicle. visit # 3. monday. hi, this is my third time here. my smart start doesnt function.. my security light comes on and stays on, and my gps is not powering on and staying on. i sit down for another wait. they start the car a few times and see all issues : the light, the gps power hiccup and what it causes the gps to do, and they see the smart start fails. they ask me into the back to confirm the issues. they discuss the gps and say its not their problem, its my gps's fault. i politely reply and explain the currency issue and i leave for the waiting room. they fix the smart start. ask me in the back to confirm its fixed, i do. they tell me they fixed the light also and im all set. i ask about the inconsistent power issue affecting the gps and a new employee (pudgy balding angry dude) buts in and scolds me for not hearing him the first four times he said its my gps's problem and that its not their issue. i call him rude and refuse to speak further with him. i go back to the lobby. nice kid comes out and apologized profusely. kid mentions that kevin did my install and kevin is the only guy who knows what to do for the smart starts.. also, kevin doesnt work mondays.. ever. wouldnt this be great to know before i constantly show up on mondays? he tells me to call back and talk with travis. "we will get you taken care of or compensated, no worries." i thank the kid, i go home. two hours later i get a call from the tech who worked on my car. he wants me to go find his cell phone in my car. i do. its there. then im asked to bring it to him. i say its not far, just come over and get it. he agrees. he calls again two more hours later. can i meet him at 7-11? i say no again and explain that its in my mailbox. this is a nice guy, and i hate to bash him, but come on? its a ten min drive.. im home, in my pjs, its dinner time.. why am i going through this still? in the interim of visit #3 and #4, i hired one of those $30 ask now people online, a professional auto electrician, to go over the issue with us. the tech described it exactly how i am : the vehicle is initiating power, shutting down for a quarter of a second, and powering back on again. there is a hiccup in the power after ignition. i spent three hours online chatting with the tech. went out to the car, took videos of the issue, sent them, did different tests for him and the conclusion was the same. there is a power hiccup that shouldnt be there when using the remote starter. i call travis. i explain my frustrations. he tells me to come back. i make arrangements to swap vehicles with family. also, security light is back now. visit #4. i have to talk a guy in the back into taking my key so i can make it to work ontime. call around 10 and talk with travis to make sure its being taken care of and to let him know the security dash light has appeared again. one angry disagreement about the gps later - take the starter out of the car. 6 hrs later, they just called, its done. im going to get the car now. the merry-go-round has stopped. i am getting off the ride. i really suggest you avoid this groupon shop at all costs. what i had hoped to be a wonderful experience to support a local business has turned total nightmare. they really turn and burn cars here, so im sure theres a multitude of half ass jobs out there. what a horrible horrible experience. read more

My car has a relatively high end, but factory installed MacIntosh stereo that is about 15 years old. It had a blown speaker in the L door and I thought I could replace it myself. I made a mess of getting the door panel off, and thought I should get professional help, since at that point I had disconnected the electric windows and other controls, etc. and broken a couple of plastic connectors. I called and asked them to straighten it out for me, since I was in a bind. They told me to come over, no problem, despite it being a Saturday, Of course, they had to replace both speakers. The speakers they recommended are superb, they did a neat, careful job, got it all back together with the new speakers in about an hour, and above all, they were friendly and got me out of a jam even though it was Saturday, they were busy, and I had no appointment. The new system sounds great and the price was very reasonable for the quality. read more

I am really big on customer service when I am spending my hard earned money. I went into the store today and the salesman was working with another customer. That was fine EXCEPT you could acknowledge me and let me know you would be with me in just a second. After 10 minutes he walked by me 2-3 times he still did not acknowledge me. Therefore, I left when I was willing to buy what I needed today. So I give them a 2 for there poor customer service. read more

This place has really gone down hill!!! I used to take all my cars there but now no one ever answers the phone when I called, I should have known but they always did good work I dropped my car off and was quoted 450.00 when I picked it up they tried to charge me 650 and the dash was all jacked up from the hack job they did on the install.... I will never use them ever again!!!!!! read more

Guy Travis sucks at customer service. Acts like it hurts him to help. My advice to Audio Connection -- find someone other than Travis to talk to the customers. He needs more training. read more

I had a remote car starter put in my car a few years ago at Audio Connection. At first it was working great but over the past year it has caused many problems with my car. I have had my car towed multiple times because it simply would not start. After the car was towed to the mechanic, it somehow started right up and the mechanics could not figure out the issue but had a feeling that it was the remote car starter malfunctioning. My car continued to not start and actually broke down twice. I called Audio Connection and explained my problems to them but they were absolutely no help and would not take out the remote car starter for me. I ended up having it taken out by someone else which was pricey but my car is now running just fine. DO NOT HAVE A REMOTE CAR STARTER PUT IN BY AUDIO CONNECTION. It has caused me so many issues and lots of money. read more

We have gotten remote car starts for four of our vehicles over the past 3 years at Audio Connection and have been satisfied every time. Recently, my remote started acting up and we decided to take it in. We were in and out in 5 minutes with two new remotes with barely any cost to us. Very satisfied and will definitely be a repeat customer. read more

Had a car starter put in. Travis was very courteous and professional. I would highly recommend this place.

Was directed to this business by a satellite radio company for the installation of a replacement radio. Spoke to someone to make a reservation and was told they open at 9:00 on Saturdays and do installations on a first come, first served basis. No problem. My wife and I got there at 9:15 on Saturday and there was no one at the desk. After a few minutes a guy named Bob came out and asked "what are you doing here?" Uh, ok. I explained the situation and he asked who I had spoken to. I didn't know, so I showed him my paperwork. After a cursory glance, he literally flung it back at me and said "this doesn't mean anything to me!" He said he'd go in back to see if there was any paperwork. He went back to the glassed-in install area, and I could see he was doing nothing but eating something. I stuck my head in the door (admittedly, there's a "no customers beyond this point" sign) and asked if he needed the contact info for the radio company. He then rushed out of the install area, pointed at the "no customers" sign, and said "Now we have a problem, do you know how to read?" Yes, he really said that. He then ranted some more nonsense. The other installers and a fellow customer were just shaking their heads at this pathetic train wreck. I left and called back later to talk to the manager. He was polite but not particluarly apologetic. I got the feeling he had heard this story before. I have no idea why they keep Bob the sociopath on the payroll. I later had the work done, and while waiting a fellow customer told me had a similar encounter with Bob. In sum, the installation seemed fine, but avoid this place unless you want to risk being accosted by a raging lunatic with some serious anger management problems. read more

Have to give this place only 1 star because of the individual who stood behind the counter. He was rude and unprofessional. I had a 10:00 appt and dropped my vehicle off at 9:30. When I asked how long it would be, I was told 3 hours by this person. When I arrived back at 12:30, my car had not been touched. After waiting 30 more minutes, I asked how much longer it would be. At 1:10 I was told my car was going in and it would be 45 minutes (which would have been 2:00). More waiting. Finally at 2:50 I asked how much longer it would be and he rudely told me it was finished and they were finishing things up, 10 more minutes. More waiting! After 40 minutes I went to the counter and he looked at me and said, "what?" I said that I wanted to know why I was still waiting 40 mins later when you had said 10. He said I can pull your car out right now if that's what you want me to do. I said I want my car done like you have been saying. You told me 3 hours and now it has been 6 hours. He said they were busy and I had to wait. I don't mind waiting but when I had an appt, my car should have been completed before any walkins. And if they couldn't get it done in the 3 hours as he said, he should have called me to say it would be delayed. Customer service pathetic from this individual !!!!!!!! After reading google reviews, plenty of the same comments and I know it is about that individual!!!! Audio Connection, do yourself a favor and find something else for him to do. You will lose business and have him to thank! read more