Performance Audio

The majority of my praise goes to Chad who did our installation. He was thoughtful, detailed and creative, and our arrangement ended up looking and sounding much better than we had planned or hoped for! We also got good support and flexibility from the store. For example, they ran another mounting rack out to us during the installation when we discovered that one of the originals was not going to work in our space. It was fairly expensive to have a professional do all the work, but the difference between what Chad accomplished and the mess I would have made was well worth it. We couldn’t be happier with how well it was all accomplished.

I’ve stopped into performance audio several times throughout the years and I can tell you
that Barry and his crew are rude and obnoxious! Especially Barry!
He makes you feel as if he’s doing you a favor by just looking at you.
I’ve purchased a few things from them, but would never hire them to install anything.
I like to deal with professionals who are interested in what my needs are, not their
margins!

Very disappointed…
We had them come out to give an estimate on revamping our system, it hasn’t been working right and we wanted them to do some rewiring, remove some unwanted gaming things and reprogram our remotes, ect…
I guess because we were not purchasing big ticket items from them they were not interested.
I have emailed them repeatedly trying to get a response and never have heard anything from them.
We are now on the search again to make our A/​V systems work properly.

I bought a pair of Vandersteen 2CE Signature II speakers together with Peachtree Decco65 amp and Rocket wires to go with them. Cary Maures was very helpful in the audition and selection process when my wife and I visited the show room. WE listened to our favorite CDs while they left us alone to test and compare. I also got a good deal including delivery to my home in San Jose. I am really enjoying my new set up and rediscovering my music collection. I highly recommend them and will go there if I upgrade or add another system.

Love these guys. We primarily worked with Chad, but everyone that we interacted with was excellent. We did a major remodel on our home in SF and wanted to have a Sonos system throughout in addition to installing tv’s with surround sound. The professionals at Performance worked with us through the entire process– from the wiring to the installation. They used some of our existing equipment and gave us great prices on the new items we needed. They have come back promptly when we’ve had a few hiccups. Couldn’t recommend them more.

First stating, you get what you pay for. That said, if you want the best products (up to date entertainment electronics), service (both sales employees and really knowledgeable technicians) then go directly to Performance Audio. Many family members and including me, and friends have purchased from PA, but the really deal maker is the technicians that go to your home & or business and install the product.
I can’t say enough good things about Performance Audio, and the real kicker, their prices are very competitive. Do yourself a favor and go into their store in the City and see Al, Barry or any of the other sales people. They are very current on entertainment products and when the final product is installed, they back up their work with help if and when you need it.

Barry and the guys rock These guys know their stuff. Amazing service they do a top quality job AND every system they have done for us works great. They are also great at adding & programing automation!

Love these guys. I was a little intimidated, as I’m usually a bargain hunter, but my husband wanted a media room with bells and whistles and 7 something surround sound that he could control with his phone. Barry and his guys were amazing. They helped us put into words (and action!) what it was that we were looking for. They worked within our budget and even paused the installation for a bit while we could figure out a new employment situation.
I’m not really a audio nerd (and no one there made me feel bad for that), but I do know that when my friends walk in and I touch my iPad and a screen and a projector come down outta the ceiling, they are very impressed. Took us a while before we could actually watch movies without marveling at the resolution.
Also? I can touch another button and instantly get the «brownchickenbrowncow» mood lighting.
Would I do it again? HELLs yeah. It’s one of the best things about owning a home. Money well spent!

Performance audio provides amazing service for installations, cutting edge audio setups, and great video products (aka flatscreens). My family swears by Al… he is always there to help.
This is not best buy: At performance audio you get experts that read, study and eat audio and video. You can buy a flat screen and come back (in 10 years!) to buy a new one and the same guy will be there to help you… even know what you bought and what you will probably want to buy.
Check it out!

I stopped by Performance Audio to check out some speakers at around 5:30 on a Sunday, about half an hour before closing time. I was greeted by Chad who immediately led me into one of their listening rooms to demo a few speakers. I felt bad that I was there so close to closing time, but Chad was extremely patient. Around 6, I told him that if he needed to kick me out to close up, to please do so. His response? «Let me show you one more thing.» We went into another, larger room, where he proceeded to demo some Vandersteen speakers for me which were AMAZING! I stayed until 7, and hour after closing time while he explained to me in detail about the speakers, how they were made, what made them great and let me listen to them with my own music, going so far as to switch amps around so I could see what they would sound like with something closer to my budget. Chad was extremely knowledgeable, very patient, and obviously enjoys what he does. I later found out that these guys deal with very high end, and very expensive installations that are up to 50 times the amount of money I can afford. Given how «small potatoes» I am compared to some of their other customers, I especially appreciate the customer service.
A few days later, I emailed Chad a question I had, and his response was quick and friendly. I have yet to make a purchase as I want to check out some other speaker models first, but when I’m ready to buy, Performance Audio will be my first pick.

Knowledgable, hmm, I am not sure. Maybe for the products they sell all the time but when asked if they had a specific product, they just gave me attitude. They told me it wouldn’t work and didn’t even try to suggest an alternate solution (Turns out it does work). Maybe if I had bought all my original gear there, I would have had a better experience but that’s not how you win new customers over.

I came in to listen to a specific pair of speakers. The salesmen were very helpful, not pushy and didn’t try to up-​sell me. Would definitely do business here again.

This review is based on the customer service I received from Performance Audio.
On a friend’s recommendation, I went in to talk to Chad Fortner about doing a fairly simple installation at my apartment. Upon entering the store, Chad and I talked for a bit about some of my options and he seemed very nice and knowledgable. During our chat, another customer walked in and Chad asked me if I would mind waiting for a second while he dealt with this other customer. I said fine, and then proceeded to wait about 20 minutes, just wandering around the store. I wasn’t very happy with this, but I accepted it.
Chad agreed to come by my apartment on his way home that day to check it out. Everything seemed good. He came by, took some measurements, etc. and told me that he would have an estimate for me by Wednesday (this was on a Saturday).
Wednesday came along, no estimate. Thursday, no estimate. Friday no estimate, so I e-​mailed him to check in and see how it was going. Never heard back.
It is now 2 months later. Never got an e-​mail, never got a phone call.
That is poor customer service.

This review is based on my experience with Chad Fortner at Performance Audio.
Chad advised us on speakers, flat panel, receivers, Roku/​Apple TV set ups, wiring, universal remote set up etc… I spent a lot of time on-​line and at high end stereo stores and Chad is the only one I have come across that is equally knowledgeable about HI-​FI components and TV as he is with computers and the latest accessories such as Roku/​Apple TV/​Game consoles etc… He is the only person I came across that installs what he sells. I have seen pictures of his installations at the store and they are incredible. In other words he walks the talk. Finally, Chad is not pushy at all and very patient (we have not purchased our system yet). I highly recommend him.

Love our sound system
Love Al
Love their customer service

Good customer service has become the Holy Grail of the Bay Area retail scene, and is therefore something that I treasure when I encounter it. Performance Audio is not Best Buy, or Video Only, or Costco. It’s a local, mom-​n-​pop (ok, just «pop»…no mom in sight) retailer in what I guess would be considered Lower Pacific Heights.
I wandered in recently because I was in the neighborhood, their awning caught my eye, and I needed HDMI cables for my new home theatre setup.
In spite of the fact that it was clear that my visit was a one-​time, small-​potatoes purchase, as I already had my TV & components, these guys treated me like I was their most important customer ever.
I stayed & picked their brains for at least 20 minutes, and they answered every question thoughtfully & patiently. They «dumbed things down» for me a couple of times without making me feel dumb.
They’ve been in the business for a long time & really know their stuff. I even asked them questions about my friends’ TV issues & they were glad to offer tips, again, without a sales possibility looming.
When the time comes, I’ll be visiting them for my next major purchase.

After my terrible experience in ’06, I thought maybe they’d be better so gave them another try. The quoted me a ridiculous price to have my LCD TV mounted, then tried to tell me that my TV was «old anyway» and should be replaced (without even seeing it).
I can’t believe they’re still in business. They don’t even have a WEBSITE!

I went in on a Saturday morning, and their sales associate Chad spent quite a bit of time showing me their audio/​video systems, and different combinations. I found him to be non-​pushy, well informed, and extremely helpful. I don’t understand the negative comments posted on this page, except maybe that the normal clientele that comes in here aren’t the kind of folks who normally post Unilocal reviews.
I was extremely satisfied with my experience at Performance Audio; ask for Chad.

I’ve been shopping with these guys for years, both for my personal electronics, and for much larger systems for my company. They have always showed great profesionalism and knowledge of the gear they sell. The two managers, Barry and Al are especially great with product knowledge. They cover ground from great starter gear, like Paradigm, to the much higher end of audio/​video equipment.

I am so proud of my TV and sound system, it is one of the first things I like to show off to friends when I welcome them into my house. I pretty much owe it all to Albert at Performance Audio, although it cost me an arm and a leg!
Their team that set up the wiring and speakers was very competent as well. If you decide to work with Performance Audio, I recommend asking them to give a firm and specific estimate up front, on all parts and labor costs.