I bought my truck, a brand new Toyota Tacoma 2015 quad cab, and decided to take it to Phantom Electronics, based on a friend's review. I was not disappointed. The owner, Howard, was extremely helpful and informative. I told him what I was looking for regarding sound quality and budget, and he worked with me to find a sound solution that was amazing both on the level of audio quality and financial constraints. Before I even put a cent down, Howard had me listen to several different speaker manufacturers, even going as far as to encouraging me to bring in a CD compilation of music that I would be listening to on the regular. I did this, and can not explain how much it helped. Howard knew exactly what I was looking for, and he made recommendations based on my music tastes while keeping my budget in mind. After four months, I could not be happier with my German Maestro component speakers and Memphis subwoofers. Upon installation, Howard and his skilled team of technicians helped me achieve optimal sound with my equipment, and he surpassed my expectations of what good car audio could be. On a side note, the OEM backup camera in my truck would not initially work with my new Pioneer head unit. Howard worked with me, personally, over email, to find the correct adapter to make this function work. Once he found the right component, he ordered it and installed it at no charge to me. This is business practice at its best, folks. I would highly recommend Phantom Electronics to anyone looking to upgrade their existing car audio system with something worth listening to. It may be a pretty penny up front, but one gets what one pays for, and this is a worthy investment, if I do say so myself. I would recommend Phantom Electronics to all my friends and family. They are professional, knowledgable and helpful long after the initial installation has happened. read more

Howard and his team continue to do great work after many many years in business. Quality work and approach to everything they do not to mention Howard knows anything and everything about car audio and lighting and has done all my work Nd personal trucks. Can't go wrong with Phantom. read more

The folks at Phantom Electronics are great! I was looking for a reliable place to install an after market radio. Howard is the best.... very knowledgeable and warm. He walks you through the process of selecting the equipment needed and gives you all available options on choice of equipment, install options, and makes you feel at ease. Dropped off my car and within 6 hours had it back with the new radio. The installation was very clean and they took the time to clean the interior of the car as well. Very satisfied with Howard and the guys at Phantom Electronics! The process went so well that I have my family coming in within the next month to do other stuff with their cars! Thanks Howard and team! read more

Phantom Electronics did and amazing job. Howard and his team are true professionals at what they do. Their service was excellent from beginning to end. read more

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Good local shop. Clean and friendly staff. I installed an Amp and Sub but needed the Amp tuned, I was in and out in 10 minutes, sounds great now. Will be my go to place for any future needs. read more

Highly competent in what they do. You get what you pay for in this world, albeit the cost was better than expected it to be; that was a surprise. Had a DVR, radar detector, and tracking device installed. Clean install, professionally done. This is a real shop, not a shady electronics installer. I will likely be returning for more hardwire work. Also, not to give an ego boost (take it; it's free) but Howard, the owner, is highly intelligent in his field. How do I know this? I know a lot about radar detection and some on anti-laser and he knows more than I do, and I've been a radar enthusiast since 2008. In the end, you could always go elsewhere, but you get what you pay for. read more

Ive been a long time customer of phantom since they were across the street, late 80s? Back then i got great service also, especially from a big gentleman wearing a doctors surgical green shirt,he actually knew alot about the radio business, and the installation process and he was highly knowledgeable about the cars he worked on and did my stereo install very professionally, paid attention to detail etc.. Fast forward to today... I returned and they again did the installation,very professional, much attention to detail, no big guy in greens, but a well oiled team of employees,working in unison,to offer the finest quality customer service one business could offer! read more

Thank you Howard for your generosity and patience when I came in a couple of months back telling you that I'm lost without having the voice command feature as part of my bluetooth in my new car. You helped me to understand another way to access it on my phone. I greatly appreciate your kindness and understanding. read more

Used to come here many years ago with my buddy and his Jeep Wrangler. I came back in about 6 months ago and Howard is still there running the show. He has been very helpful and is extremely knowledgeable. I plan on coming back to get more work done. Also.. the techs really know their stuff. You can tell they enjoy their jobs and work hard. Very friendly and has some cool memorabilia in the entrance. Highest quality work and service. 5 Stars read more

I am really happy with the way things turned out and sound, the folks here are super easy to work with they know their stuff, lots of experience and a blast to talk with. They put in extra thought and little extra touches that really made a huge difference in the end result. Highly recommend especially because this is a local biz of 40+ yrs not a big corporate box store, support local!! read more

I just can't say enough good things about this place. Howard runs a great shop and knows how to take care of his customers and in my case his potential customers. I have visited his shop several times and he has answered so many of my questions and has actually talked me out of doing certain things to my car because he didn't want me to waste my money. Yup that's right he actually refused my business because he felt it was in my best interest. In this day and age this is very refreshing and I am determined to one Day do business with them. If you need car mods and are worried that you may get taken advantage of be sure to stop by phantom electronics they are TOP NOTCH and very trustworthy!!! read more

Howard is the owner and greeter. He is a very good listener, knowledgeable and polite. I can't recommend Phantom more enthusiastically. At this shop they really, really know what they are doing. I am a repeat customer. This week my GPS was giving me grief. They took everything apart, figured out the problem and fixed it. The service was quick and the price couldn't be beat. They have me for a customer permanently. read more

Took my Viper to Phantom spontaneously to have them check my stereo/ gps, that needed adjusting. They were very courteous & professional. They checked & adjusted what needed & did not want any $$$. I highly recommend Phantom Electronics. They brought in my car without An appointment & made me feel comfortable fixing the stereo/gps & refused taking any money. Thank you, I will be back.... read more

Went here recently, to have a new radio installed in my son's car. The staff is great! They spent time with us to help us determine the best choice for the car and the work was done well within their projection. We are very happy with the end result. I would definitely recommend them! read more

Howard and his whole team are fantastic. Took the tesla here for a complete sound system upgrade and they didn't disappoint. They were even able to source all Components from local Southern California companies. Clean job, very reasonable prices. read more

I was at Phantom Electronics this week and was so impressed! The employee spent 30 minutes reviewing all the options for how I could get better radio reception and there was no pressure to buy anything. With that kind of sales approach, I will definitely be back and refer others. It is so refreshing to go to a business that puts so much effort into customer care! read more

A surprising find in today's world. They provide a quality service at a fair price and stand behind their work - hard to find these days. Howard and his team are great to work with and have so far done what it takes to make me, the customer, happy. I highly recommend Phantom Electronics. Ken K. C300 Sirius&Camera read more

Phantom knocks is outta the park! Great customer service, they will take the time to eat your car right. Phantom is phenomenal at what they do read more

I am another long time customer of Phantom and a fan of Howard in particular. His attention to detail, his attitude toward customer service is beyond reproach. Simply put, if you need audio work done to your vehicle don't waste your time anywhere else - bring it here. Phantom Electronics is the best! Thanks Howard & team for everything! read more

Had a wireless key entry system installed on a basic truck model. Set up an appointment and was told it would take about 3 hours. 2.5 hours later I got a call that it was done. Pricing was consistent with other vendors in the area. Staff was courteous. Product is working great a week later and you can't tell they ever opened up the truck dash to install. read more

I usually don't write reviews but I thought Howard the owner of this shop deserves it, not only does his company do outstanding work , He went so far out of his way to arranged all the work that my car needed , Howard I can't thank you enough for the outstanding job you did, you have a customer for life. read more

It is no wonder that this company has been around for nearly 35 years. Howard is amazingly helpful and honest in recommending products. He offered options but when it came down to it, he told me the best way to go. Howard spent time with me to discuss how the unit would look in the car as well as where the antennae would be best situated. He told me it would take about 2 hours to install my radio and when I returned in 2 hours, it was ready! read more

Great service always have an answer for all my questions and they're always willing to help :)

Bought a Kenwood unit from Auto Essentials several months back. Called the phone number so I could schedule a time to bring my truck in to have a few things fixed. The steering wheel controls no longer worked and the microphone for Bluetooth needed to be moved. David from Phantom Electronics answers the phone and explains AE went out of business and they bought the phone number. He then says they are taking care of AE customers the best they can. I told him I was down the street and could I stop by? He said sure a tech was in the middle of jobs currently and might be able to take a quick look. They said he would check the steering wheel control for no charge. The tech took the dash apart and did his thing and fixed the controls. I asked how much it would be to move the mic and he said since they had everything apart already they would do it for nothing. No quick job either, took the tech about 45 mins or so to get it all done. Hard to find this kind of service in today's tough business world but they went above and beyond to gain a new customer for life. I will refer my friends and anyone that asks about stereo equipment, this is how you run a business. Thank you Phantom Electronics, great job. I will be back and refer anyone I can. read more

Don't you just love it when you go to a service based business and the owner actually listens and satisfies your exact needs as opposed to satisfying his own sales agenda? I find myself at a disadvantage when going to purchase an item I need, but don't know where to start. For me, it's all about finding an expert and developing a sense of trust and integrity with that other individual. I needed a radio/cd player for my 1992 Mercedes wagon. It has served me well over the years, and when the head unit crapped out, I knew I needed to replace it, but did not want to put too much money into the unit as I would never be able to get the value out of the car should I decide to sell it. Phantom Electronics, in Thousand Oaks has been in business for close to 40 years, and in the car audio business, that's a big deal. The owner, Howard Kruger, has been at the helm for all of those years. He does huge custom systems totaling thousands and thousands of dollars down to changing out a battery in a key. In discussing my specific requirements with Howard, he knew exactly what I needed. No trying to up sell me. No trying to belittle what I already had in my car. Just a desire to make me leave a happy customer. Let me tell you, that's pretty rare. And much appreciated. We discussed my options and Howard hit on a unit that addressed my needs perfectly. The store was pretty busy, but yet Howard took the time to take out my old unit, test the new unit to make sure it worked to spec and then installed the unit in my car himself. His price for the unit, a new antenna for the radio and his labor was astonishingly reasonable. But what makes me a customer for life is Howard. His care, attention to detail and his desire to satisfy his customers make all the difference. You almost don't want anyone else to know about Howard and Phantom Electronics because you don't want them to get any busier than they already are as then they wouldn't be able to get us in. Somehow though, I know that Howard would never let that happen. Still, don't tell anyone. read more

I don't usually leave reviews unless the experience is above and beyond excellent, or so bad that I don't want other people to fall victim... Some of these 5-star reviews have to be fake, or they're just from clueless people who'd pay money to get their turn signal fluid changed. I find it amazing that this place is still open especially when you consider the number of superior shops in the area that have already closed their doors. First, let me say that I was completely reluctant to come here since this place (in my mind) has always been somewhat of a step up from Best Buy or an Al & Ed's type chain, but lack of options left me no other choice. I came here to get a routine remote start alarm installed, the prices were fair, and they were able to schedule the job in just a few days. Unfortunately the experience started going downhill when I picked up my truck. No one went through any of the in depth features or operations of the alarm with me, other than the basic on/off and remote start. Whatever, I can read a manual, I'll figure it out myself... Not that big of a deal. Now my 1-star rating stems from the alarm install. I'll start by saying this is by far the worst "professional" install I've seen on any car, not just mine. When I got home, I popped the hood and right there in plain sight on the firewall is the siren. I've never seen any professional alarm install with the siren in plain view for a thief to simply clip the wires and render it useless. Seems even the most novice of installers would know that, right? So after paying these guys, I had to remove the siren and reinstall it where it couldn't be easily disabled with a lil clip of the snips! Thanks guys! Next is the install of the alarm brain. In all of my previous cars, the brain was always cleanly installed and hidden away somewhere under the dash where even I didn't know where it was. Yesterday, I hit a pothole which jarred the radio loose. Hmm... that's odd, I didn't hit it THAT hard. I get home, pop the bezel off and see that the left mount of the radio frame is stripped out? From a pothole??? I pull the radio out, and what is this??? The genius that did the install decided to stuff the brain and all the wiring behind the radio??? Of ALL the places, this is where you put it??? I can fit a Vans shoebox under the dash and you stuff it behind the radio??? There's literally no room behind the radio once you connect the radio harness, which I'm assuming this guy didn't realize until he finished all the wiring and then tried to get the radio back in, and it didn't fit. So rather than do the job correctly, and move the brain somewhere else, he bends the radio mounts and forces the radio in there just enough to get the bezel back on? Really? That's how we do things here? Then! While I'm looking at this complete fail of an install, I find the toggle switch stuffed back in there with the wire all wrapped up... cause you know, that's not important. So now, since the mount is stripped out, I have to fix that, and then figure out how to get the radio back in there correctly without having to remove all of this idiot's handy work... which I'll eventually have to rip out anyway, if I want to install an aftermarket radio. Absolutely unbelievable that anyone would consider this a "professional" install. All it took was a few months and one good pothole to expose this total hack job and punish me for being lazy and not buying the alarm online and doing the install myself. The funny thing is, this is the exact reason I didn't go to Best Buy... but now that I think about it, I don't even think the kids at Best Buy are THIS dumb. Let's go ahead and queue up the canned "we're sorry you had a bad experience" response so you can pretend you care on Yelp... It's cool though, I'll be back when you have your 50% off going out of business sale. read more

I've had multiple vehicles done by Howard's team at Phantom's over the years. The quality of work, level of service, and depth of knowledge are of the highest order. If you drive a beater car and want to save money, go to Best Buy. But if your vehicle is worth something, sound is important to you, and the overall experience is something you appreciate - I highly recommend Phantom. read more

Last week Phantom Electronics installed a new radio in my Yukon XL. Chris Rusk was extremely busy that day, with Howard out of town, but he couldn't have been more patient and professional with the many walk-ins. A problem was diagnosed in my speakers, which they remedied today. An hour-an-a-half later, after rewiring my speakers, Chris patiently explained the new radio, answered my foolish questions, and even programmed all the stations. Again, very patient with this old lady. When I offered my credit card for the speaker repair, he stated, "Oh no, we worked on your speakers before (more than 10 years ago), and it is under warranty." Now that is service! Thank you, Chris! I am very pleased with the service at Phantom Electronics. read more

Wow! This company is fantastic. They installed a complete speaker system and telephone system in my Ford Expedition. I love the way my car is now hands-free when I make a phone call and it sounds great. The owners are super cool and nice to work with and their prices were lower than all the other shops I tried out. I will be taking my wife's car there soon. read more

I seriously could not say one negative thing about Phantom Electronics and the employees. I wasted over a year looking for a shop that specializes in car electronics and I wish I had gone here from the beginning. As a female car enthusiast, it's hard to find shops that actually acknowledge me, let alone a shop that won't attempt to take advantage of me or treat me like I don't know what I want or what I'm talking about. I've worked in the car and motorcycle industry for years and customer service has always been my absolute top priority, both as an employee and a customer. I called on my lunch break yesterday to see if they had an employee that knew a decent amount about Viper Alarms. Nolan was very polite, professional, and I could instantly tell that he cared to make sure that I could get my questions answered. He forwarded me to Chris. Chris was also very polite and professional, and knew exactly what I was talking about and what the possible issues might be and started asking questions so he could better understand my situation. No other shop has even gotten that far with me before. It's always been a "yeah, come in anytime and we'll look at it for you", only to come in and wait for thirty minutes with barely any acknowledgement to have someone look at the system for ten seconds and tell me more shit that I already know (aka 'Fantazy Motorsports' right down the street, I'm talking about you). So Chris offered to look at it, just asked me to call an hour before I decided to head in so he could make sure he wasn't slammed with appointments, and I did later that day. When I stopped by, Howard, Nolan, and Chris all exceeded my expectations and beyond for their great customer service. Chris went out of his way and jumped right into the issue with the alarm with no hesitation and knew exactly what he was talking about and explained everything to me. He took the time and fixed everything. He corrected and plugged wires where they should be, soldered wires back together, located a difficult hidden valet push button, took some time on trying to diagnose my remote start not working (which I ended up making an appointment for next week), and remounted and hid all of the wires and alarm unit amongst other things. I came here expecting for him to look at it and explain to me what was specifically wrong with it so I could properly fix it myself, and he went above and beyond to fix everything for me right there on the spot without me really even asking. This is the kind of customer service and dedication that so many car and motorcycle shops don't have anymore. This is the kind of shop that has just gained a customer for life. And not only that, but tons of referrals to my family, friends, and customers that I deal with daily who are enthusiasts like myself. I'm so appreciative to have finally found a shop that actually values their customers. Thank you Howard, Nolan, and Chris; keep it up guys. Your hard work doesn't go unnoticed. read more

Howard has been doing business with me and my family since I was a child... he always has the most amazing techs and he's the Wizard of Car Audio and Security! read more

I always love going to Phantom Electronics! The guys are great, and the service is good. Everyone there is very nice, and even if something is wrong with the car, or device they work through it, they're fantastic here! read more

Wonderful Experience! Had a new head unit, back-up camera and satellite radio installed. Dealt with Howard and Nolan, each of whom where knowledgeable and patient in explaining all my options. Zero pressure, which was very much appreciated. The quality of the install was stellar and the technician who did the work took the time to walk me thru everything he had done. Highly recommend these guys. read more

Good work from good people. Very satisfied. They seem very honest and reliable. They didn't push me out of my price range and We are happy with the product and the service. read more

Please read this review in its entirety. -------------------------------------------------- Very fast service (took them 1 day to replace speakers and radio during the winter holidays) and were extremely kind and generous to me. Here is a short summary of my experience: As David, one of the owners, was giving me a tutorial of my new system, my younger brother had noticed that the radio they put in it wasn't the one I brought (I hadn't even looked at the radio I brought as it was a hand-me down from my older brother and didn't see the need to inspect it beforehand). Turns out there was a misunderstanding and they had installed a new one (and I think a better one) without charging me for it. David said that usually in this situation they'd take the the one I had brought instead as payment, but then said that's not how he does business and told us to keep it. I then offered to leave my car there and have them put in the one we originally brought, but again he turned it down and told me it was a gift for the holidays. They go above and beyond what you'd expect from a small local shop. If you need car electronics work done, I highly recommend Phantom Electronics. I cannot say enough about how impressed I am with their customer treatment. read more

I had a stereo installed in my 2014 Scion xB around 11/2014. I was in a bad car wreck and I was reimbursed for the Drone Alarm and Pioneer 8000NEX. It was a no brainer to have them put in another system (in my new 2015 xB) even though I live in Vegas now. These people are now FRIENDS. We're all just a bunch of tech geeks getting together and them putting in the best gear in my car. Fun to hang with and talk tech. I highly recommend this crew for any of your needs. Hector is a master tech electrician. Howard (the owner) knows his stuff. Make your appointment now. read more

For some time I've wanted to get a camera add on to my navigation system, so I chatted with Howard and he said he could install one in my 2005 Acura, said it would look like it was factory installed. My reason for wanting this is people are so distracted they walk around with no clue where they are, nor even seem to care. My camera is now installed and I love it. I also had them add sensors for added safety. My scheduled appointment was handled very efficiently and my car was ready as promised. Hat's off to Howard as well as other people whose names I didn't get but everyone was very pleasant. In 2005 this wasn't an option for my car and putting this after market add on has been done so no one will know it wasn't factory installed. I wanted a top line camera and got one. I would recommend anyone looking for adding after market products go to Phantom Electronics! Great service!!!! Thanks to all. BJ read more

PE's Howard and David installed systems in both of our cars. In each case there was a minor glitch that was not obvious at first, and was more of an 'installation preference' issue on my part, rather than a mistake on theirs. In each case, they addressed my issue and resolved it quickly, and without charge. Maybe I'm a little soft on them because I was in an electronics rate in the Navy. I understand how things can go 'bump in the night'. But I really can't ask for better customer service than I received. Why four stars and not five? -- well, I did have the issues; -- and I don't want them to stop trying. But I will go back to them for my next installation or upgrade. These folks know what they are doing and stand by their work. read more

These guys are the best I went there with my niece, she has a older car and we wanted some speakers installed, we even had the speakers with us, I knew this was not going to be a big money maker for them, but thought I would ask them how much. They were very reasonably priced and treated us liked we mattered, WOW they really are the best !!!! read more

These guys installed my stereo system back in 2006. Even then, they were not able to connect a new amp to my factory head unit and mistakenly claimed my brand new amp was dead. Luckily I talked to the very knowledgeable owner and engineer of Zed audio (high quality amps) and he was kind enough to coach them how to make the connections so the system works. Just like the vast majority of stereo installers, these guys don't really understand electronics. They do charge a lot of money, so you would think you're getting an equivalent amount of experience when you're paying the same hourly rate as an engineer would get (or more). Electronics aside, their installation quality is rather poor too. Within a year, the amp they had screwed on the back seat got detached and I had to have someone else fix it. About 5 years after the install, one of the tweeters they had glued fell. There have been other problems here and there and as of now I am having to replace all of the wiring these guys put in because my system has become unusable. I've had other installers scratch their heads about the quality of this job. Finding a knowledgeable car stereo expert is much harder than finding a decent doctor. They seem to not exist. One avenue I haven't explored yet is to find experts in home audio systems and see if they can at least supervise the menial task of car stereo installation. These car stereo places only know how to screw on head units and run wires through the car. This is a mechanical, menial job. There is very little theory and mental effort involved and the experts who really do know the theory behind electronics simply do not work in shops doing these installs. There is a huge dichotomy in this field and perhaps this is why a good stereo installer is almost an oxymoron. read more