Didn't know what to expect since i usually go to a different shop for my Intoxalock recalibrations and lockouts but they were closed on a Saturday until Monday and I couldn't wait luckily I called and Howard answered and saved my life from being car less. He's super nice welcoming and personable the service was extremely fast and efficient and the whole time I was waiting he chopped it up with me gave a little more insight on his own personal history and life and it was extremely insightful and entertaining. I definitely recommend this shop to everyone. Thank you Howard 5***** if I could give more stars I would I'll be seeing you again for the next service read more

The owner was quite rude and condescending towards me. I was also charged $600 for 2 hours of work which is way higher than it is anywhere else. And for the $600 I would expect the job to be professional, but he used T-taps and cheap crimp connectors, not even butt connectors as most decent car audio shops would. He installed the system wrong and I had to back to have it fixed. He then tried charging me more money to fix his poor job. I would steer clear from this shop, or if you have him touch your car please take photos of his work in case your car has an electrical fire, you can hopefully sue the shop. read more

Excellent service and extremely honest. The gentleman who owns the shop could have easily taken advantage of my husband by installing a new alarm. We have one in our truck and apparently it is a good alarm we just needed it reset. He spent a great amount of time explaining the different features. What we thought was going to cost us $700. ended up being $250. He reset everything and added an additional safety device for the windows. He is I believe a one man show so if you call he might not pick up or if you leave a message you might not get a return call, it's hit or miss. He explained his Priority is working on the cars so you might be better off just stopping in if you are in a hurry. Honesty isn't always something you find and this man is honest read more

Howard did an amazing job on the sound system in my Mercedes. He is very through on explaining what he is installing and how it will sound prior to the work. He even showed me the sound system set up in his car to give perspective on expectations. He did not disappoint! If you are looking for amazing work with superior sound quality highly recommend Caracoustics and Howard! read more

Quality through and through. When you call, the owner answers the phone every time. I have brought two high end vehicles to Howard. One of which is a 1960's hot rod. Howard is knowledgeable, patient & always ensured I left as a satisfied customer. He also was instrumental in working the bugs out in a Compustar DroneMobile alarm system. Can't say enough A+ read more

Howard and his team are the best in the business. Caracousticts has worked on 3-4 of my vehicles and the experience has been wonderful each time. Howard's knowledge is amazing and he is very thourough in his explanations if you have questions. If you are looking for a quality shop for your car audio or security sytems, look no further, Caracoustics is the place you want to go. Caracoustics is the only shop I trust to work on my vehicles for sound or security systems. read more

I contacted caracoutstics with two things I wanted done to my 12 year old Sienna. I wanted a new radio panel with apple car play and SiriusXM and I wanted to put in new Sound Proofing in the car. When we discussed the soundproofing. Howard, the owner, told me that sound proofing the front doors would deaden 90% of the noise coming in through the front doors but that because of all the levers and wires in the sliding rear doors there would not be more than 60 % so he didn't advise it. He could have just said, of course we can do it, and made the extra money but he is so honest that he did the right thing. They also installed a NEX apple car play, radio and more control panel to replace my old factory installed Sirius xm radio. I love the car play feature. However I was having a problem that it was dropping the Sirius XM signal a lot. I brought back and it took them about an 1 to reposition the antenna. When I asked how much? Howard replied. "It seems to me this should be covered by warranty does it seem that way to you? I asked if he was sure and he said absolutely this is covered by warranty. They do lots of other after market work as well. When I was there I could see how compassionately and knowledgably Howard worked with his customers, carefully explaining everything that they would do and why. I would absolutely recommend that if you need something done on your car you go to caracoustics. read more

At the recommendation of a Fellow Member of the Ferrari California Owner's Group I brought my Ferrari California to Howard at Caracoustics to Have them re-wire the brake lights. (See before and after photo of the brake lights.) And I was extremely pleased with the work! And Howard took the time to educate me and entertain me by letting me listen to various premium audio systems and showed me various options to upgrade the audio system in my Ferrari. I will be returning soon to have Howard install an upgraded audio system in my Ferrari and my BMW K1600B motorcycle. If you are looking for an Expert Audio Specialist in the Bay Area in Northern California, look no further, because Howard at Caracoustics in Santa Clara, California is your guy! I highly recommend him and I will keep going back to him for all my audio needs for my cars and motorcycles. read more

Caracoustics - Before and After photo of brake lights re-wire of Ferrari California. - Car Stereo Installation Near Me - Santa Clara, California

I had a unique situation with a Pioneer NEX unit that had been poorly installed by the previous owner of my 4Runner. I put off getting my stereo and iDatalink Maestro harness repaired for months because I was paranoid it would be a chore to find a quality car audio shop that does clean installs. Well... the search is officially over. It is so rare to find a great car audio shop these days. I can't recommend Caracoustics enough. Howard, the owner, is truly a master of his craft. The guy is a genuine audiophile and a perfectionist which is the best combination IMO. He even did a firmware upgrade on my unit so it is now functioning better than ever. I can hardly wait to go back for more goodies! If you want to spoil yourself and your car this is the place. read more

I reached out to Caracoustics to troubleshoot my subwoofer and amp system that was recently installed professionally elsewhere-- but just didn't sound "right" to me after a few weeks of living with it. I attempted to tune it myself, but car audio can be complicated and I didn't want to invest the time in learning the ins & outs, so was willing to pay get an expert to help me. Howard was super responsive to my questions via DM, and was able to fit me in to take a look at my setup in a few days time. He let me know he'd give me his honest opinion and we could go from there-- it could possibly be a quick fix/tune, or if the installation was botched, it would be a more intensive job. Luckily, it wasn't the latter and he made it sound 10x better with a few adjustments. He even made a few recommendations if I ever want to upgrade the system in the future (which I want to), and demoed speakers in his showroom which sounded amazing. I appreciated his no-nonsense approach and he knows his sh*t--and if you value your car and want no corners cut, you'll pay a premium for his expertise but it is justified by "getting it right the first time". Car audio is his passion, and it shows. I'll def be back in the future when I decide to upgrade! read more

My 1994 Toyota pickup was broken into and I decided I that needed an alarm. A friend recommended Caracoustics and I am glad he did. Howard is very professional and explained all my options to me; no hard sell, just gave me the information that I needed to make an informed decision. I am very happy with the product and with the work that was done, I can sleep at night knowing that my vehicle is well protected. Highly recommended and I will be using his services on any future needs. Thanks again to Howard and Caracoustics! read more

Caracoustics - Car Stereo Installation Near Me - Santa Clara, California

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5 stars to Howard and Caracoustics! We had a fun situation where I tried to save some money and bought & installed a new Sony head unit from Crutchfield for my son's car - just to find out that not every adapter and widget was included. I struggled and researched and found the backup camera adapter and bought it online but the radio required 1 wire connected to the bundle of cables at the fuse block that I was not comfortable with tying into and another that I could not find out where it went. We also had a time crunch because my son was leaving for college with the car in a couple of days. Howard was super responsive to Yelp Messages and had us bring the car in. He did a professional job soldering the wires as needed, sold us the adapter we also needed for the backup camera, and also found a wire for the steering wheel controls that I had missed. He also did a quick check and found that Crutchfield's harness skipped the Illumination wire - and he fixed that too. All in all, the repair was fast, professionally done, for a very reasonable price. My only regret was that I did not go directly to Caracoustics first as Howard would have helped me choose the best radio and I would have known all my costs upfront. Howard was professional, honest, not "salesy", and did great work. I would not hesitate to go directly to Caracoustics next time we need anything for Car Audio. Thank you Howard! -- Frank read more

I found a replacement CD/Radio for our '08 Tacoma--the original had crapped out and some CDs got stuck inside--and Howard at Caracoustics in Santa Clara along with JJ did an amazing job of swapping out the old with the new, helping me test it, even cleaned it off for me, and pried open the old unit and retrieved the CDs that were stuck in there. The price was reasonable, and they shared some other insights--overall highly recommend this place for all your acoustic needs. read more

Caracoustics - Replacement CD Radio for '08 Tacoma - Car Stereo Installation Near Me - Santa Clara, California

Had CarPlay installed here on my 2008 GL450 a couple months ago. Wish I had gotten it done a couple of years ago with these good folks. Howard is a great guy. And that alone, in my humble opinion, is a good enough reason to hire someone's services. However, he is also talented, knows his technology inside out, is very honest, and runs a fine ship. My older GL450 for some weird reason missed out on a simple auxiliary input, and although it has a rather fancy and (for its time advanced) inbuilt bluetooth, it only connected the phone, not multimedia. The old command center's maps were outdated and had these weird wobbly knobs to maneuver controls. After a bunch of carphone gadgetry, I decided that installing CarPlay was unavoidable. My husband had been saying this for a while but I wasn't sure my old car was worth the extra $$$. Then I did a self eval: as such this car cost a mini fortune when we got it - it has been paid off for several years now, runs reliably and beautifully. In fact, I'm not sure if I ever want to buy another car in the foreseeable future. Setting up a meeting with Howard was quick and easy and he laid out all the options for us. The parts we chose took longer than expected to arrive but the wait was worth it. I cannot believe I waited this long to get carplay for my ride! In hindsight, I realize that sometimes updated technology is not just about luxury, it is also about safety. My iPhone's seamless integration with my car proves that multiple times over. We paid about $1500 for the job and while it might sound steep, consider this. Esp, if your car is paid off. And if you're not getting rid of it in a hurry, think of the money you save NOT buying a new car. I'm happy being debt-free, thanks very much. No leases, no high insurance premiums either. Thanks, Howard and team for a great job. As an aside, his workshop is a real OCD heaven I am now a believer that guys can actually be neat freaks. Alas my husband will forever be the exception. read more

Howard and this place is so amazing. The screen in our 2014 Camry's radio broke and we found this amazing place. Howard was super helpful in explaining everything to us and how the process will work. He was so professional in explain all the options for the car and not pushing us into anything. It is so hard to find such and honest place like this in the Bay Area. Thank you Howard for making us feel so comfortable. If we ever need anything else we will definitely be back read more

My experience with this company was great. I was given a quote and my radio/navigation system was repaired at a great price. Alot cheaper than buying a new one. The owner was very nice and knowledgeable. I definitely recommend them. Thank you Howard read more

I own a 2010 Sprinter with a bunch of custom modifications. It's a pain in the butt to work on, and finding people who are willing to do it is tricky business. I brought my Sprinter to Howard twice. The first time, I needed some rush work done before a road trip, and he came through. The second time was a more considered and comprehensive project with a bunch of fixings, like sound dampeners in the doors, replacing a big-screen TV in the back, upgrading the two parallel sounds systems in the car (don't ask), and more. Howard was my partner through it all. Whereas others are quick to say, "Whoa buddy, we work on conventional car audio stuff, you want some kind of RV specialist to help you," Howard immediately got it and not only designed and implemented the upgrades I wanted, but he found all kinds of other ways to add value, like: removing some custom carpeting and having it cleaned; tightening the custom running boards that had gotten too loose, fixing the tire pressure (they were over-filled by the last place I took it and I hadn't noticed), and replacing a janky rear camera with a sleek little in-line unit that looks built-in. At the end of the project, not only were my expectations happily exceeded, but the labor charges were very fair--a bargain, even. And now I find myself wondering what new project I can manufacture so that I have the opportunity to work with Howard and JJ again. read more

I had small job to remove a dealer alarm , the owner Howard was very knowledgeable about the removal of the device. Scheduled a time and dropped off the vehicle, the work was quality and the price was very reasonable. I would recommend contacting them for all your audio and alarm needs you will not regret it! read more

Howard did an excellent job on two separate stereo/speaker installs for me. Howard's work showed great craftsmanship and attention to detail. The knowledge and experience Howard has demonstrates in his work and his ability to provide good install service in a reasonable time. read more

Howard is the man and fixed My stereo when others couldn't! The advice and attention to detail was top notch. If you want things done right and have everything turn out looking and sounding clean definitely go here. I'm extremely particular about work done on my cars and wouldn't hesitate to go back! read more

I was in need of a new alarm system for my 2019 4runner and had a particular brand in mind and lots of questions. Howard was very patient and wanted to know exactly what I wanted the system to do so that he can do the best job to meet those requirements. I was also in luck that he was already using the same system I was planning to get installed so he gave excellent recommendations being a current user. From start to finish, the experience and results were as imagined, perfect. He takes cable management and organization to the next level, super clean and hidden so that it would be a pain in the butt or close to impossible to deactivate the alarm. Would highly recommend anyone who's looking for a place to get a Compustar Alarm System installed. The shop has really good audio equipment and parts, does really good Audio installs as well. I didn't install/upgrade my audio system (yet, but most likely will in the future). Had first hand experience of what his work can do for audio and all I have to say is Crisp, Clear, and Loud. Everything you'd want. If you have questions or in the market for an alarm or audio system work, no need to look any further. Give the shop a call and you won't be disappointed. read more

Wow! Look no further if you want a fast, reasonable and honest company. Howard, is great! He installed my Sirius radio and even fixed my amp and sub woofer! My stereo has never sounded better! Thanks Howard! read more

Howard is the most honest owner of this company, I have a wonderful new radio in my OLD car, he took the time to show me how to operate it, even downloaded some of his personal music to my phone so I will have a large variety of music to listen to, take my word for it whenever you need a new radio or a quote for repair , call him , oh and he repaired my clock for free also....Thanks Howard read more

They did a great job on my additions to existing car audio and was really happy with it!

Howard is the man. Out of 7 places I called that all told me no-there is no way-he is the only one that offered a solution that worked for me to get Bluetooth audio in my 08' Lexus. Go in and check him out. He knows his stuff. read more

Howard is the most knowledgeable and passionate professional about car electronics I've ever met. Knows the ins-and-outs of recording devices and installed my device within hours, as promised. When it malfunctioned, he repaired it quickly and effectively. Great person and service all around! read more

Had a broken brake light in my car and was looking to compare quotes (the guy at the BMW dealership told me it would cost around $250 for labor and service, which seemed outrageous). Howard was quick to respond to my Yelp message and examine the car. He was very easy to work with, clearly explaining the situation, and which bulb I needed to get. Once I had returned with the bulb, he took out the light, replaced the dead bulb, and even showed me how to do it, so I could replace my own bulbs in the future. The replacement took a few minutes and cost $20. Great service, great price, clear communication. Highly recommend! read more

Howard at Caracoustics is exactly what's RIGHT with Customer Service nowadays! He's a real person that answers the phone and he's the most knowledgeable Car Stereo/electronics technician I've ever come into contact with! Definitely as good or even better than the service I received with Crutchfield! Not only is he knowledgeable, but he's also patient and takes the time to answer your questions and explain things in great detail! Caracoustics is the first call for me for all car stereo, alarm & modern infotainment services! Thanks for all the help Howard! read more

Howard and the team are second to none. Their care, expertise and attention to detail make all the difference. Howard the owner helped us out when we lost everything in the Cal CZU Lightning fires and did it in record time. We will be forever grateful for his generosity, expedience, and quality work. We made a new friend and will be a lifelong customer. read more

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My 4 year-old Pioneer AVH-4000NEX was freezing up, so I unplugged the car battery in an attempt to reset it. When I powered it back up, the unit asked for a password. I checked all of the original paperwork, but the password was not noted anywhere. And the shop that did the install is out of business. I tried a solution I found on the internet, but no luck. Guess it's time for a new head unit.... I found Caracoustics on Yelp! and decided to give them a try due to their five star rating. You won't find any slick sales guys here trying to sell you gear that you don't need. Or ham-handed newbie installers. What you will find is an honest business where the owner is the one getting his hands dirty. That's bonus points in my book. Howard is a true craftsman, and you instantly get the feeling that he knows what he's doing and takes pride in his work. I ended up with the newer version of my old head unit, the AVH-W4400NEX. The install was very clean, and Howard corrected some of the sloppy wiring that was done by the previous shop. He also installed updated firmware that was recently released. The new unit is working great - I don't know what he did, but I can actually hear the subwoofers now. I wish I had come here the first time. read more

I had apple carplay installed in my car. It works as expected. Howard is a personable and friendly fellow, who took the time to explain what exactly was required to have apple carplay installed. He did a good job explaining the different options available, what pros and cons of each are, and what he recommends. I haven't found any particular issues with the service here. After getting my quote, I did a price check both online and through friends of friends who work in the car industry, and verified that I did in fact get a fair price for the service here. read more

Howard was extremely helpful and convinced me to go for the right solution and was helpful in offering at the right price. Workmanship is perfect and would highly recommend them. read more

Called today they will only install equipment you buy from their store. . I decided to go elsewhere. Found other shops more than willing to help . read more

I am here now, and I have been greeted with so much care, genuineness, and honesty! I feel a sense of relief that my car stereo is in the PERFECT hands. I highly recommend Henry and JJ already. I can't wait to see what the outcome is. read more

These people are hands down brilliant to do business with. They have the best service, professional approach and extremely appropriate pricing. My MDX is from 2005, in $50 they fixed the radio, GPS and phone charging port. They took less than 30 mins to get me in and out of that place. It will be a mistake to not get a quote from these people and go somewhere else to get your car issues fixed. Thank you Caracoustics. read more

Can't say enough good about Howard and Caracoustics. Even his competitor sent me his way for help installing turn signal triggered cameras on my jeep using the Stinger head unit. Stands by his word, very personable, and has pride in his work and reputation. Can't ask for anything more. Thanks again Caracoustics! Highly recommend. read more

This review is current 2-20-2020. I could not have done better meeting Howard and his assistant at CARACOUSTICS. If there were 10 stars I would have given them those. They were working on a 125K brand new MB. My truck is 24 years old. I bought a Pioneer system and could not be happier with it or the treatment I received. Howard took the time to teach me various functions of the system. He was very professional and accommodating. I would never hesitate in bringing my car to him for anything regarding car electronics They are skilled mechanics and they sell the best equipment. I feel fortunate to have chosen CARACOUSTICS. ALL THE BEST. MN read more

I have a Guide Point System unit that needed to be upgraded from G2 to a G3 system. I spoke to guide Point's recommended installer (in Castro Valley) and was quoted a price of $150 for the installation (which I was told would take about 30 minutes). I contacted Guide Point to see if there was any alternatives to the flat rate of $150 for the upgrade installation and was told they do not control the installation charges - that's left up to their dealers. I then contacted Howard at Car Acoustics to see if he might be able to assist me. He said "Sure, just bring it in." Car Acoustics was able to install the upgrade in about 20 minutes for less than 1/2 the price quoted to me by Guide Points authorized dealer. I was so impressed with the installation that I contacted Guide Point, told them about the quality installation I received from Car Acoustics - with a even faster installation time "and" for less than half the price of their dealer in Castro Valley. I recommended that Guide point contact Car Acoustics and consider making them an authorized dealer, given the quality of their work, and their reasonable installation rates. Guide Point did in fact contacted Howard at Car Acoustics and they are in the process of becoming an authorized dealer for them. If you want quality workmanship, for a reasonable price, Car Acoustics is the best place to go in the Bay Area. They have been around for many years and they stand behind their work. No job is too big or too small for them - they can do it all! A very satisfied (repeat) customer, Robert Norton read more

I had an awesome experience with Caracoustics. Have an old Landcruiser that needed a dashcam installed.. They went way above and beyond on this install that was necessary on a 35 year old vehicle with a headliner and some cracked plastic conduit that couldn't be used to route the wiring. And on top of the extra work, they did not charge me any more for the install.. They are super knowledgable with any electronics, stereo, or dashcam systems.. and they do it with a smile. They will always have my business.. Highly recommend them!!!!!! kc. in Santa Clara read more

Walked in and got excellent service. Had a few questions and they were able to help me on the spot. Wasn't jerked around at all, it's nice being able to walk into a location with questions and not to be judged. Quality service and all your focal speakers needs they have. I will continue to go to this place with future vehicles and when the time comes to maybe upgrade the system. read more