When talking about warranties on most major brands like JL Audio it is important to remember that if a seller is not an authorized online retailer for a particular product then there is no warranty on that item. The seller may or may not choose to do something for you, but the manufacturer warranty is void if not purchased from an authorized online retailer.
Having said that, in my experience with JL Audio products in particular, I can remember exactly two (2) JL Audio product failures for my online customers in all the decades we have been selling JL Audio. That's 2 failures out of thousands JL Audio sales. Earmark has among the lowest, if not the lowest, return rate with our vendors. And we are selling the same products as the other dealers. That is because almost all product failures of high quality products fall into one of two categories - (a) defective out of the box, and (b) abuse or user error. If a JL Audio product works out of the box, and if it is properly installed, tuned and set up, then it is likely that the product will not fail.
This is true for any product, so even if you buy from an authorized seller it is possible for the customer to damage a product that is still under warranty and still have a warranty claim denied due to misuse, abuse or damage to a product that is not covered under the manufacturers warranty terms. Because Earmark has such a low failure rate with our vendors I can tell you that when I do have a product failure that my manufacturers give me all the support I could ever ask for and stand behind their products. I have had manufacturers like JL Audio and Wet Sounds go above and beyond for my customers when I ask for consideration because these vendors know that Earmark and our customers are not prone to abusing the warranty.
One of the advantages our customers have is that if the customer wants assistance and contact us, we ask qualifying questions during the sales process to determine what equipment is in the boat, what future additions to the system might be made, how the system will be used and what the customers goals and objectives for the system are. We then tailor the equipment to the customer's needs. A that point we can suggest the best parts and methods to correctly install the equipment and get the best performance from the equipment. Installation and setup/tuning is as important with stereo equipment as it would be if you were assembling an engine. You might get it to run with no help, but would be be running and performing its very best without some outside assistance? Maybe, but for most of us we can benefit from some expert advice that can save us time and money and result in a better experience in the long term.
Regarding Pacific Stereo's low price, they will occasionally run products for sale lower than the manufacturer's "MAP" price (minimum advertised price). This is a direct violation of their dealer agreement with JL Audio. I don't advertise JL Audio products below the lowest price that JL Audio permits authorized dealers to advertise, but my actual sales price with a forum discount coupon, or a zone discount or total system package discount is very competitive with Pacific or any other dealer. I'm often the lowest price with the best service, and I'm always competitive. I don't know what other online sellers offer for support before and after the sale, or what their level of expertise is when it comes to installing and tuning a marine audio system, but I believe that Earmark offers the best value of any online seller.
Odin
Earmark
