CEoutlook and ME Magazine are back with more answers from this year’s award honorees. The Top 50 Installers keep sending them in, and this round reaches from Texas to Sudbury to the UK. Here’s your next peek behind the curtain.
CARLOS RAMIREZ, NVS Audio
Proudest install this year?
A brand new Audi RS Q8. The owner asked ChatGPT to name five shops in the area he could trust with the build. It named Ramirez four times. The job grew into a $30,000 build. There’s no preamp option for this vehicle, so he did it the hard way. He tapped every input and output, removed the factory EQ, and fed 20 channels of output.
What makes him Top 50?
He’s a strong troubleshooter and a strong tuner. He trained under Ken Ward, Andy Wehmeyer, Jeff Smith, and Larry Frederick.
Key skill for 2027?
“Training, training, and more training.” He goes to training at least twice a year.
Game changing tool?
An RTA and an oscilloscope.
Who shaped him?
Bryan Schmitt of Mobile Solutions, who taught him that running a business properly matters more than being able to fabricate.
Advice for young installers?
Find a mentor you respect who is where you want to be, and soak up as much as you can.
CONRAD LEDUC, Sudbury Car Audio
Proudest install this year?
The Nemesis Audio demo van, built with Soundsgood in BC. It has a 33 inch subwoofer rated at 10,000 watts RMS. The door pods for the 500 watt RMS midbass drivers are seven layers of fiberglass, stacked, carpeted, and bolted to the doors with nutserts. The van will showcase Nemesis Audio for KC Distribution, a new venture with Keith McCumber that brings brands new to Canada to Canadian 12 volt retailers.
What makes him Top 50?
The willingness to say no when a client asks for the wrong thing, and clean work in the places nobody sees. “Anyone can make the visible parts of an installation clean, but if the hidden parts are clean then we all know that the installation will last forever.”
Key skill for 2027?
Being able to say “I don’t know,” then going out and learning it. Disabling ANC and engine sound enhancement, tying into safety systems, and EV integration keep changing, he said.
Game changing tool?
The JL Audio MAXX DSP tuning tool. He can copy a tune he already built as a starting point, then refine it for the drivers and the vehicle.
Who shaped him?
“About 1000 people.” Marty Adamschek stands out most. They talk every day, and a shared love of audio made them best friends from opposite ends of the country.
Advice for young installers?
Don’t compare yourself to others. “We were all new once.” Learn how to learn, how to ask, and how to say “I don’t know.” Once you get there, “it doesn’t seem like work anymore.”
ROB MILLER, JML Audio of St. Louis
Proudest install this year?
A 1966 Ford Bronco. His team mixed modern tech and fabrication with a period correct look for a classic that looks and sounds great.
What makes him Top 50?
Solving problems and finding a way to make something happen when there’s no ready made solution.
Key skill for 2027?
Integrating with factory audio systems. As factory systems get better, you have to understand them before you can give the customer something worth the money. “Delivering something different than the factory system is easy, delivering something better is the challenge.”
Game changing tool?
Lasers, 3D printers, and scanners. CAD takes time to learn, but it pays off big. He can make detailed parts that look like the carmaker built them.
Who shaped him?
Josh Landau, who he has worked beside for more than 20 years. Landau’s drive for perfection and his push to keep training helped Miller keep growing.
Advice for young installers?
Never stop learning. The internet can give you an answer, but you need to know the why and how of the systems you work on, “especially when that answer is wrong.”
JEREMY OWEN, Highdown Car Audio and Security (UK)
Proudest install this year?
An Audi Q7 for a client who had a bass tube in his van in his 20s and wanted loud bass in his life again. Owen built a custom box for two Hertz SPL Show 15s. The owner’s first reaction was a word we can’t print. Then Owen showed him the bass knob was only halfway up. He also built a show car for a friend around an air ride system, carrying the design from his friend’s work van wrap into etched subwoofer windows that pop with the internal lighting.
What makes him Top 50?
He has worked on his own since 2006. From day one there was no one to ask, so he learned to figure things out himself. Great fabricators can trim a panel to perfection, he said, but some can’t wire a relay. He does both.
Key skill for 2027?
Research. Check the limits first and talk to people with experience. “Do not be afraid to turn away work if you are unsure, as it could end up being a costly mistake.”
Game changing tool?
Audiotec Fischer’s product line. Vehicle specific adapters and harnesses, suggested upgrades on their website, and the DSP setup tool “make installation and tuning a breeze.”
Who shaped him?
He started in retail, with a lot of experience rebuilding classic Minis. When the shop fell behind one day, he was asked to jump on the tools. Robert Drake and Rod Ide saw he had the basics right and taught him the everyday skills to survive in this industry.
Advice for young installers?
Patience. Cursing won’t fix it. Staying calm and thinking it through solves the problem faster and doesn’t distract your coworkers. “Plus you won’t look like the guy who keeps messing up.”
More honorees are answering every day. If you’re on one of this year’s lists, check your inbox (and your spam folder) and send your answers back. We want to tell your story.
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