# REVIEW: Audio Solutions by Josh (Mooresville, NC)



## MattS2K (Dec 8, 2009)

*Review for:*
Audio Solutions by Josh in Mooresville, NC

*Details: *
Audio Solutions by Josh
117 Oates Rd
Mooresville, North Carolina
(704) 450-8633

*Website: *
https://www.facebook.com/AudioSolutionsByJosh/

*Specific Contact: *
Josh, Owner

I love modifying cars - I really love late 80's/mid 90's BMWs and Mercedes and have owned quite a few. Whenever I buy something new I generally have a good idea of how I want it to look and drive. Most of the time my main focus is going for a clean, OEM+ look. Nothing too stand-out or gaudy, just a nice clean simple overall look. My latest project was a 1993 Mercedes 300CE. After completing some minimal cosmetic modifications I decided I wanted to put a nice stereo in the car. I will admit this is one area where I am completely clueless. I have done simple drop-in speaker/headunit/sub installs before but nothing custom and nothing of any real quality. I am lucky to have several friends that are very into the scene and guided me on purchasing some used equipment. The difficulty came in finding someone local to me to do the install given that some modifications were going to have to be made in order to make it all work. There is a large chain of stereo shops in this area (Charlotte in general) that is basically the only show in town. I have seen a good bit of the work they have done and I was just not happy with the overall quality or attention to detail. After calling around to a few friends I was given Josh's information - after one call I knew he was the guy for me.

The car:










*Work Done: *
I called Josh and told him what all I had gathered (JL 900/5, HAT Legatia L6SE, HAT L1 Pro, IDQ10V2) and my overall goal for the build (active 2-way). We met up and he took a look at the car, instantly he recognized that the factory door panel would need to be modified in order to move the mid-bass forward so that it wouldn't be firing right into my thigh. Josh then walked me over to another car he had just finished and I got to see a taste of his work. Everything he build is modular, mostly held together by pressure. He takes great pride in the build quality of his enclosures. After seeing first hand the craftsmanship of his most recent build I got on his schedule for the install. 

From the factory the car has a very odd side front dash speaker (120mm) and the only drop-in available is made by an obscure german brand that is virtually unobtainable. Many have come up with solutions to this issue but I have never seen a custom adapter for this location that is this clean. It's a sandwich style adapter that twist-locks into the 3 factory spring mount locations. Check it out:

Factory speaker:










Custom adapter (factory grille fits over this seamlessly):










Up next we had the issue of moving the door speaker location forward 19 inches while simultaneously fitting a 7" driver all while maintaining a factory appearance. For a baseline here is the factory door panel:










Josh was able to surpass my expectations. Both doors were completely deadened, he then made complete lower panels to accomplish the exact goals we had set forth. I had zero input in the design/appearance of the new panels, I told him to just do whatever he wanted. Needless to say, I am blown away with the final product:










Some photos of the construction:























































While I know this is not near as extreme as most builds on this site, it was my introduction into the "high-end" mobile audio world and I could not be happier. My entire goal was simple and as factory looking as possible and Josh killed it. He stuck to his deadline and answered the phone any time I called. Once everything was complete, he gave me a detailed walkthrough of the system. He insisted that I take the car for a week or so then bring it back with any feedback regarding tuning. The sound is absolutely amazing, I cannot believe what we were able to get out of the Legatias. Cannot explain how clear, tight, and warm the sound is. Incredible mid-bass and unreal clarity in the highs!

Because of the overall experience I've had with Audio Solutions, I have decided to have Josh build a custom enclosure for the subwoofer which will be upgraded to a HAT Clarus 10. I am also having him upgrade the stereo on my boat once the weather warms up. His overall customer service and enthusiasm for what he does is awesome. If you are in the Charlotte, NC area - especially if you're near Lake Norman - Josh is a great option for any size build. Thanks Josh!


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## schreibers (Oct 24, 2006)

Very clean. Thanks for the review we just moved to Asheville and i've been looking for a quality installer nearby.


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## AudiR8dreamer (Apr 23, 2009)

schreibers said:


> Very clean. Thanks for the review we just moved to Asheville and i've been looking for a quality installer nearby.


Here's another one to consider. Masterful work. synsha.com. Also in Mooresville area.


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## Lycancatt (Apr 11, 2010)

great to know theres still some smaller shops doing quality work.

only thing I'd say is, I don't think the hat sub is an upgrade from the idq 10..a sideways move at best. personally I'd keep the idq ten


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## gumbeelee (Jan 3, 2011)

Lycancatt said:


> great to know theres still some smaller shops doing quality work.
> 
> only thing I'd say is, I don't think the hat sub is an upgrade from the idq 10..a sideways move at best. personally I'd keep the idq ten


I agree with that, basically on the same level, not an upgrade unless u just want Hybrid Audio, which i understand, I have loved every hybrid audio speaker I have ever used!


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## MattS2K (Dec 8, 2009)

Lycancatt said:


> great to know theres still some smaller shops doing quality work.
> 
> only thing I'd say is, I don't think the hat sub is an upgrade from the idq 10..a sideways move at best. personally I'd keep the idq ten





gumbeelee said:


> I agree with that, basically on the same level, not an upgrade unless u just want Hybrid Audio, which i understand, I have loved every hybrid audio speaker I have ever used!


Three real reasons for the move.

1) I wanted all HAT

2) Dual 2ohm vs Dual 4ohm

3) 10 vs 12

Custom enclosure is finished and once again Josh blew me away.


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## thehatedguy (May 4, 2007)

We have a lot of great talent in the area.

FWIW, I am in the Shelby area right down I-85 south.


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## casey (Dec 4, 2006)

great work, how are you liking that XDI amp? Ive had one a few weeks installed and love it.

what was the turn around time?


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## MattS2K (Dec 8, 2009)

casey said:


> great work, how are you liking that XDI amp? Ive had one a few weeks installed and love it.
> 
> what was the turn around time?


Nothing to compare it to but it seems to get the job done just fine! Josh mentioned there was a bit of gain left on all channels too.


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## Black Rain (Feb 27, 2011)

That is an interesting sub enclosure. Not too many square ports like that one are seen around. How are you liking it and what was the reason for making it that way?


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