Musicar Northwest in
Portland (OR)

Nick and his crew are outstanding. Drove 11 hours to do a project on my Porsche GT3.

I came to Musicar to upgrade my 2015 Lexus RX350 to be Android Auto compatible. From start to finish, the service was exemplary. Sean was very responsive and answered all of my questions thoroughly. The system works seamlessly alongside the manufacturer's settings. I could not be happier with the result.

It’s been a few years since I had Nick and the team work on two of my prior cars, but I had a conversation about sound systems today with a buddy and it brought me back to the great experience I had with this shop, so I owe them a review. They know their trade well and put in some great Morel speaker options for my 80 Series Land Cruiser and a 2014 Touareg. They do their own in-house EQ which is excellent. Disregard any service aspects of other negative reviewers. It’s a business, things naturally come up like supplier issues, scheduling, shipping, returned emails… blah blah. Those minor things don’t relate to the quality of this shops work. They are probably some of the best audio guys in Oregon. Don’t think twice, just pay up, wait a little if needed and get it done right by Musicar Northwest

As someone who enjoys rich, crisp, and sharp music, I was underwhelmed with the Bose system that came in my 2023 911 Turbo S. I decided to order the stage 2 kit and Had it installed and running within two days of ordering (Which includes shipping time). The installation process was seamless and very easy to follow thanks to the Musicar YouTube tutorial. I was so happy with how it sounded, that I almost immediately ordered the stage 3 kit which arrived the following day. I could not be happier with the final product, it has been a night and day difference. On top of all this, the team at Musicar Is highly engaged in making sure I had the best experience possible. I highly recommend this product to anyone looking to elevate their driving experience!!

My 2008 Porsche Cayman had a decent sound system for its time, but it was definitely showing its age. Streaming music? Not in ‘08. I wanted modern features like Apple CarPlay, but the Cayman's factory Bose system presented some unique challenges. After contacting several car audio shops in the Portland area, I found Musicar Northwest. From the start, they were in a different league. Nick and the team were incredibly knowledgeable and patient. They presented me with various options, clearly explaining the pros and cons of each, and answered all my questions thoroughly. They even went above and beyond to accommodate my busy schedule. The quality of work at Musicar Northwest is simply unparalleled. Everything, from the custom amp mounting system they fabricated to the seamlessly integrated USB-C port, looks like it was a factory option back in 2008. The attention to detail is astounding. But the best part? The system sounds incredible. The audio quality is far beyond any car audio system I've ever had. It truly is an audiophile's dream. The only downside? Musicar Northwest is in high demand (and for good reason!), so it took a few weeks to get an appointment. But let me tell you, it was worth the wait. Kudos to Nick and the entire Musicar Northwest team. They are true professionals who deliver exceptional service and craftsmanship. I'm a thrilled customer and wholeheartedly recommend Musicar Northwest to anyone seeking a premium car audio experience. If you're looking for top-notch quality and aren't afraid to invest in it, look no further. You won't be disappointed.

Poor Customer Service. Sent an e mail on the last week of MAY to make an appointment for June to have a conversation on installing a new audio system for my car. Waited for a reply to no avail. Sent another e mail for request a week later, and still no reply. It takes just a minute to reply if they did not want my business. Perhaps they were extremely busy, out on vacation, or simply can't do what I needed. NOT responding is just poor customer service. I will definitely inform my friends and family NOT to do business here.

Was having audio issues with my Dodge Charger, stopped in their shop and it was fixed in less than an hour. Tom and his crew are legit professionals and they shop was very well kept and clean, lobby is spacious and A/C'd if you need to hang around. Would highly reccomend!

Just installed their Stage 3 sound system upgrade for my Porsche 992 911. What a drastic improvement over the Bose system that came with the car. They were very helpful during the whole process. I would highly recommend Musicar NW without hesitation.

I had a disappointing experience with this shop, which is sad since they seem to be capable of great work. They diagnosed my Land Cruiser as needing new front door speakers and a rebuilt stereo amplifier. The rebuild was quoted to take two weeks, and I could drive my car without a stereo system while I waited. The process ended up taking 4 weeks, and part of that delay was due to my rep at the shop going on vacation without putting anyone on notice about what needed to be done while he was gone. When I brought the car in to get the new parts installed, they let me know that the speakers they ordered a month ago were actually incorrect for my car, and they would have to order new ones to install at a later date. They also let me know they broke the door latch cables in both of my front doors, when they removed the door panels to try to install the speakers that turned out to be incorrect. They offered to replace the door cables and only charge me for parts, not labor. They would order speakers & cables, and call me in 1-2 weeks when they arrived. This was about 2 months ago, and I haven't heard a thing. The work they performed was also a few hundred dollars more than they quoted.

Outstanding service, quality and personnel. I have been going to Musicar for over seven years. Originally because of a blown amp and speakers, which they replaced with a marine amp and Morel speakers in my 06 Jeep Wrangler LJ. The stereo they installed is the best stereo I have ever heard in a car. Two of my tweeters wore out and Nick went out of his way to have them replaced at no charge to me even though the warranty really didn't cover it. Today I went and had TJ adjust my stereo as the setting were lost because of a loss of power, and this is done at no charge. There really is nowhere else in Portland I would go for superior audio car equipment and custom installations. You really have to see their work to appreciate how excellent it is. The people who work at Musicar are true craftspeople who really care and love what they do. Experience true excellence and have Musicar install the stereo system of your dreams.

I have a 2016 Honda Fit that I wanted upgraded with apple car-play so that I could use navigation, make calls, and use Spotify. I really didn't know anything about after market systems and sent a few emails to places around Portland for more information on the process and quotes. It was easy to choose Musicar NW after the super thorough email they sent in response to me just asking for a quote and product recommendation. The email was organized and well laid out and showed me exactly what the costs would be with the products they recommend and alternative add ons. The thoroughness of this blew away all of the other emails I received back from other places in town. The whole process was simple and Sean Pham was super friendly to work with, even in just meeting him for 15min or so at pick up and that initial email I felt very comfortable and well taken care of. Besides the great customer service and knowledgeable staff, the upgraded system has been a game changer! The way they installed the system you cant even tell its after market, they were able to laser cut and fit it into my car seamlessly. I am so happy with how everything turned out, it was worth every penny.

I have a well-loved 2002 audi (not a typo, this car is really 21 years old) and wanted a back-up cam and blind spot detectors. Musicar did a fantastic job. Some of the gaskets and connectors were old and crumbled - they managed to make it work. In one situation, they used a 3D printer to create a gasket that Audi doesn't make any more. And I now have a thoroughly modernized car that integrates with my phone - no more audiobooks or phone calls on headphones. Thank you very much!

It's been a long time since I purchased my setup from Musicar Northwest but I just realized I never left and review and their work and help needs to be praised. 5 years ago I bought my car and right away I heard about Musicar Northwest and their kits they were providing for my BMW. I had a ton of questions and they were all answered before finally I ordered my system and they prepped everything from door adapters for the speakers to an amp rack that would fit where the oem amp was. I installed this myself with some previous experience as a teenager but nowhere near this level. The guys at Musicar Northwest were very helpful and even answered some phone calls when I was having some operator error problems. I was able to plug and play another amp and sub box I built with no problems. If you are an audiophile and looking to upgrade your BMW audio system I'd definitely recommend these guys cause even after 5 years I'm still in love with the sound.

This is absolutely NOT your standard "run of the mill" car stereo installation shop! Simply put, the difference between a Musicar installation compared to any other shop is staggering! Tom and his crew are audiophiles who take craftsmanship to a completely different level and have the skills to exceed your expectations.

After scouring reviews of audio shops in the Pacific Northwest I was happy to find out that one of the best operations in the country was located right here in my hometown. What's more, they had a sterling reputation for doing Porsche installs, which was exactly what I was looking for. I reached out to Nick Akin, their Porsche Audio specialist, for some options. I would like to address the fact that these guys can be challenging at times to get ahold of. This is true. Sometimes that can be an indicator of a sloppy operation or one where they don't really care about the customer. That is anything but the case here. I would advise anyone who wants a top quality install to just be persistent. I had better luck calling than I did by email, which is usually my preferred means of communication. Nick presented me with three standard tiers for upgrading my stock system, as well as ways to customize the system further. I was interested in the top tier with a few further modifications. Despite making a few plan changes close to my scheduled appointment the shop did everything in their power to accommodate me and make sure I was confident and happy with the direction the install was going. And the finished product was nothing short of spectacular. The sound is truly phenomenal. It's rare for me to have a service experience where I feel like I got exactly what was planned and paid for, on time, without compromises. Nick and his staff were all extremely friendly and genuinely love cars and what they do with them. These guys will be my go to shop for all future car audio purchases for the rest of the vehicles in my household.

I took my 2018 Ford Raptor into this shop a little over a year ago. I had been meaning to write a review here for some time but wanted to also give everything time to settle. My experience here from start to finish was top tier. I worked with Sean, who was readily available and answered any and all questions I had throughout the entire process. The system installed in my truck was tailored to all of the requests I had made, and they even went above and beyond by fabricating custom housings for the tweeters on the front sound stage. Not a single person that has ridden the truck has thought that the pillar arms were aftermarket, they appear to be factory designed, sleek, and functional. The quality of the product, the tuning, and the communication was all incredible, and I would recommend Musicar Northwest to any and everyone for their custom car audio needs, regardless of user. Pricing was consistent and fair for the premium audio market with parts and installation. Worth every dollar spent, and in the future I would come back here for any other car audio needs I have. 5/5 and then some. Thanks guys!

These folks are like the green berets of professional car audio in the Northwest. I stopped by just looking for some cabling and basic parts for my own modest/budget build which they informed me isn't really their forté. Knowing I wasn't buying anything from them, they still took the time to show me around the incredible builds they were working on in the showroom and recommend me some good options I could find elsewhere. I look forward to the day I can afford one of their incredibly clean, high quality builds.

TL;DR: Go here if you want the best possible sound quality in your car! In 2016 I finally got my dream car: a brand new Honda Civic! The car was almost perfect except the sound was pretty terrible. I had an aftermarket head unit and some speakers from a previous car and I called around asking for estimates for installation. When I called Musicar Northwest, they politely explained how their approach to car stereos was different from other shops and that I should come in for a consultation. The moment I pulled up, I almost “noped” right outta there. The place had a clean and minimalist vibe, very different from the divey hell holes I was used to. At the time, I think there was a Porsche Cayenne parked in the showroom and a garage full of rare luxury sports cars being worked on. I felt completely out of my element showing up with my humble little civic. Nick introduced himself and got right to the consultation complete with hand drawn graphs on a whiteboard explaining the science of sound and car audio. I was floored and quickly sold on getting a DSP amp installed with plans to add my subwoofer and some Honda stock tweeters to complete the setup. I mentioned I was on a budget and together we planned some modest upgrades in stages to fit my needs. They treated me and my car with the utmost respect. My civic was handled with the same care and precision as the gag worthy Audi and BMW alongside it in their garage. Nick even designed a custom knob to control my sub. The end result was an invisible and seamless integration that made every song sound incredible, even songs I didn’t like. I enjoyed the hell out of listening to music in my car. Now that my lease is up, I had the equipment uninstalled and ready to be transplanted in my future next car. I can’t wait to get my new civic (surprise surprise lol) so I can have everything reinstalled. It was worth every cent and I’ll be coming back for more upgrades.

If you have a high-end luxury or exotic car this is the place to go. Brought in my AMG E63S for some custom lights and built in Escort Radar and could not be happier with the workmanship and professionalism. Tom and Nick patiently worked with me on the layout, providing photoshop renderings of what the finished product would look like, and understood the complexity of working with modern CAN-BUS electrical systems.

The team at Musicar did an awesome job upgrading the stereo in my new accord. They installed a 1000w Active Reference System using Dynaudio components and ArcAudio equipment and even increased the size of the sub from eight to ten inches all without cluttering up the trunk with amplifiers and whatnot, while maintaining all of the functionality of the OEM head-unit. Super clean install. I highly recommend working with this shop.

Unbelievable!!!! and I mean that in a good way. Took my 2001 Rover to these guys to replace the antiquated disc driven NAV system, radio and to add a backup camera. Their finished work looks better, sounds better, works better and does much more than the original system. Perhaps due to past experiences, I tend to go into any business having anything to do with automobiles with fairly low expectations. The people at Musicar have greatly raised the bar. They were very professional, friendly, helpful, and, well, can a 68 year old say it, just plain cool! On top of all that, they stayed nearly two hours past their normal closing time to finish my job when promised. Enough said - stop looking and take your vehicle there now.

Nick and Musicar NW were amazing to work with on the stereo system upgrade in my BMW M240I. I told Nick what I was trying to accomplish and what my budget was and he not only gave me a recommendation but a possible future upgrade path as well. Nick also recommended an installer as I live in PA and they did a fantastic install as well. I am very pleased with the level 3 system that Nick put together for me. The sound is incredible and a big improvement over the premium HK factory system. Now the individual instruments and vocals are much more detailed and focused and the sound stage is much more defined. I'm very happy with the system that Musicar put together for me and the entire experience as a whole. Thank you Musicar NW! Highly recommended.

One of the best car customization experience I have ever had. Ken was kind enough to provide me a detail breakdown on each item they were going to do and with what kind of parts they are going to order. Ken helped me sort out the difference between each named brand CarPlay system and both pros and cons; there I could make my own decision within my budget. The installatio was clean, world-classed, and one of the best in Portland, OR. The crew in Musicar NW are truly honest people who treat your car as their own. I mentioned some buzzy rattling noise came from the rear deck speaker, and they moved forward to figure out the issue and fixed it. I can say that from the very beginning of contact to picking up my car, the customer experience and service were truly blowing my mind. Ken walked through with me during pickup and helped me finetuning the stereo balance base on the new CarPlay system and existing OE speaker to fulfill my experience. I would recommend anyone who is looking for CarPlay upgrade to Musicar NW.

Got my Sony XAV-AX100 installed on my 2010 VW GTI here through a high recommendation from my tuner shop. From the very first email response to the last in person interaction, my experience was amazing. Ken gave an amazing and detailed breakdown of all the options, costs, and itemized portions so that my decision process was simple and the questions I had would be answered. As for the actual installation, the team was nice enough to give me a ride back into downtown for my work after I dropped off the car. At pickup, I was given a thorough walk through and everything was met and exceeded my expectations. I've recommended some of my coworkers to come here too.

MusicarNW is hands down the best car audio fabrication shop in the Pacific Northwest with the customer service to match. If you are even remotely close to MusicarNW you need to make an appointment. Tom and Ken expertly crafted and integrated a very high end audio system into my 2011 BMW 335is. The team at MusicarNW took my McIntosh MC4000m and made it seamlessly integrate with the factory head unit. Tom expertly crafted the trunk for the amp making it blend with the factory fit and finish while making it a show piece and able to fit a set of golf clubs, not an easy task. Ken finished it off by tuning the system to bring the music to life. Thank you MusicarNW for your continued wonderful service!

I have never received better support from any company than I have from Musicar. I bought part of my Musicar system used for my BMW and installed it myself. The team at Musicar helped me every step of the way and sold me the necessary parts to complete my system. Recently, I installed my rear speakers, a year after buying them, and Musicar was there to send me a new file for my DSP. Amazing service, Amazing Team, and my system is superb, makes me look forward to each and every drive.

This place is perhaps one of the best shops in the world, Ken and Tom and the crew are extremely knowledgeable and capable. A lot of people who aren't in the industry tend to look at all car stereo shops the same way...but those of us in the know can recognize true quality a million miles away. If you care about your car, desire the highest in quality i cant imagine you going anywhere else.