Clarion’s Guide to System Design and Product Selection

Clarion has provided Installer Central with a guide for retailers and their installers about key things to consider when upgrading a customer’s sound system. For more information about Clarion and its products, visit www.clarion.com.

Designing a System: Key Considerations

One of the most important considerations in upgrading a sound system is a system design and product selection. When attempting to select the proper components to add to a vehicle, a combination of things has to be taken in consideration. These suggestions or tips will help ensure a positive result and the best sound and performance possible.

First and foremost, a variety of questions should be asked of the end user. Most customers have a basic concept of what they want to achieve from their system design, but it’s usually more advanced than what their budget and vehicle will allow.

Common things that an installer  should considered when working with the consumer/salesperson are:

1.         Type of music the consumer listens to on a daily basis

2.         Type of vehicle: – This can adversely effect system design, as well as cause budget considerations based on how complex the integration needs to be. Many factory systems are difficult to tie into for such simple tasks as replacing the CD player or speakers. Vehicles with a factory system that is particularly difficult to integrate products into will require you to keep the factory CD player and replace nearly everything else (or add an amplifier).

3.         Financial limitations / budget

4.         Electrical capabilities of the vehicle

5.         Speaker location and size

6.         Limitations set by the consumer

The installer and retailer must consider each factor individually and together, as a whole, develop a system that will provide optimal performance and consumer satisfaction. Finding out what kind of music the individual listens to will help you determine the best products to suggest to the customer. The types of music can help determine the amount of power that is needed and what type of speakers to use to handle that power, as well as the type that sounds best with that music. Asking many questions and suggesting the right products before the install is the best way to meet your customer’s needs.

Always go out to the customer’s vehicle and look for things like factory amplified systems, factory speaker placement, and likely mounting locations for aftermarket equipment.

With younger individuals, it’s vital to establish whether they are the owner of the vehicle or not. If it’s in their parent’s name, or the parents are paying for it, they should be the ones who give the consent to alter the vehicle with upgrades. Skipping this step can cause you to have to remove all products and refund their money. As much as you may love installing or sales, having money taken back out of your pocket is never fun.

Never forget to look for any additional factory options that may come with the vehicle (such as remote start, navigation, MP3 input, rear seat entertainment, or factory amplified systems).  Many of these factory options can cause parts and labor costs to escalate quickly, and it’s important to determine these costs before working on the vehicle. Some factory systems have been designed with aftermarket limitations that can be difficult to integrate with at best and nearly impossible at worst.

It’s quite common to have the customer express interest in items that are outside their budget. When deciding on what items you will be installing in their system, you need to determine if all items can be acquired at the same time, or if the system will have to be built in small segments. If this is the case, together you can decide what should be done first, and decide on the most logical next step when their budget permits.

If you are designing a multiple-amplifier or multiple-speaker system for the vehicle, it’s important to analyze the design and condition of the electrical system in the car. Based on the CCA (Cold Cranking Amps) and the reserve capacity rating of the factory battery, as well as the amperage output of the alternator, it may be necessary to upgrade power and ground cables for the aftermarket system. This includes the cable that runs between the battery and alternator, as well as the factory ground cables that attach the engine to the frame and the frame to the battery. Most vehicles will require these upgrades to get the most out of the systems you design.

Based on the high current demands of high-powered amplifiers, it may be necessary to add additional batteries and “stiffing” capacitors to help support the electrical strain applied to the vehicle. When do we add batteries? We add batteries when the customer wants to play their stereo with the engine off. Adding batteries will actually add strain to the charging system, so in most cases, you will have to upgrade the alternator at the same time. When do we add “stiffing” capacitors? We add those to help smooth out the current demand placed on the alternator during musical peaks. Capacitors have a very low internal resistance and can discharge very rapidly, supplying additional current for those musical peaks. When the peak demand is gone, the capacitor recharges quickly to be ready for the next demand.

Knowledge of the customer’s vehicle and speaker sizes is helpful when suggesting and developing the layout for the aftermarket system. It’s important when deciding on sizes and locations for installing aftermarket products. It will also determine whether alteration or fabrication is required. Having this knowledge also minimizes any unforeseen complications that can arise or product changes that may occur during the installation.

Limitations set by the customer can be the most difficult factors to deal with. Their requirements and requests can sometimes halt the purchase and installation completely. When discussing the layout of the vehicle, an important question the installer or salesperson should ask whether you, as the installer, are permitted to modify the vehicle? Another important question is whether you, as the installer or salesperson, permitted to modify the vehicle in any way? (Examples would include cutting panels, relocation of components, or redesigning or fabricating existing panels or locations).

Following your own course of action, and not discussing these alterations with the customer prior to doing the work, may result in a very disgruntled customer and potentially having to refund the customer’s money. In extreme circumstances, there’s even the potential for litigation. Try to stay on the same page as the owner of the vehicle throughout the sale/installation to eliminate any potential conflicts later.

Keeping all of these factors in mind during the initial consultation and estimation process can help you develop credibility, a positive reputation and possible referrals down the road. There is no better way to build your own customer base than by following these steps, and always over-delivering on your service and installation quality. Customers will seek you out for your services several years later if you do it right the first time, and many times they have far more money to spend than they did then.