From The Tomorrow Project on ConnectedSocialMedia.com:

Price: 5 out of 5
Friendliness: 5 out of 5
Service: 5 out of 5
Knowledge: 5 out of 5

Monney Car Audio is located at:
2001 Middlefield Road
Redwood City, CA 94063-2830
(650) 299-9991

I had a great experience with this place. Really, just as perfect for service as you can get.

I stopped in on a Monday and explained that I had just purchased a car and really wanted iPhone integration. The owner let me walk around and browse to get a feel for the place without sales pressure.

After telling him what I wanted, he gave me a nice low-priced simple solution. Kind of a “start here” solution. It was pretty inexpensive, but I wanted to find out what other options there were, and if I could possibly afford a killer system.

I was walked through all the options all the way up to the top of the line. I can’t emphasize enough how “no-pressure” there was on this. There was no BS “you need this” or “you have to add that”. He listened to the things that mattered to me, and finally suggested a couple of different models for me to chose from. Not once did he try to upscale me on things I didn’t want or need. For example, the speakers were just fine.

I asked how soon I could get it installed, and he said I could come by the next morning at 10am for same day service. This was great, and I told him I wanted to do my homework and come back if still interested. Still no pressure, he said I could come by or call if I had any questions.

I did a ton of research. I printed out everything I wanted and what the cheapest prices were online. I read online reviews on the products I was interested in, and all the tips and tricks for getting the best out of them.

The next day I returned, much later than when I said I would, and he greeted me warmly. We went over the pricing, and everything seemed perfectly fair and reasonable. My car is a Mercedes, so I really wanted to make sure the work done was first rate.

Here’s where they really deserve a top score: He knew all the insides and outs of both my car and of the stereo. All the research I had done online that was very specific to my car and stereo was all stuff he knew like the back of his hand. I can’t emphasize how important this is. You can have your equipment installed by someone who’s reading the instructions, or you can have it installed by someone who not only reads the instructions but also researches online all the details and issues others have had and has done enough work to know how to do things right. Monney does.

I had other equipment I wanted pulled. Monney was able to do this and still have the car look like new. I really appreciated the attention to detail here.

Although I was really late, it wasn’t a problem. I was offered a ride and a rental car while they worked on it. When I returned, the stereo was perfectly installed without problem and Leo himself went through how the stereo works and waited to see if I had any questions. One problem was with my iPhone itself (Bluetooth), and he knew how to resolve it quickly.

I couldn’t be happier with all of this.

The quality of the work was top-notch.
The in and out was incredibly fast.
They were very knowledgable and friendly.
The *total* price for what I got was better than what I found when I shopped around.

The bottom line, is that there’s a reason why this shop has been so successful in this location as long as it has.

This video of Kevin Edwards can be download here or viewed on YouTube.

I saw Il Trittico with Patricia Racette in San Francisco and was just blown away. Il Tabarro, the first act, was wonderful, but I wasn’t prepared for the emotional experience that was going to occur with Suor Angelica, the second act.

Patricia Racette is my new favorite in the world of opera. Suor Angelica is a wonderful story and was supposed to be Giacomo Puccini’s favorite. The production in San Francisco was incredible, but must be seen, as visually, there’s a twist…unique to this production. It’s a shame that the New York Met didn’t choose this one as part of it’s Opera Live in HD series (which are wonderful by the way). Patricia Racette is called upon not only as a soprano, but to fully deliver the ending, her acting needed to be flawless. Everything came together in a perfect storm that just blew me away emotionally.

Following the 2nd act of Suor Angelica is of course Gianni Schicchi as the 3rd act. This is a hysterical comedic farce which also demanded some significant acting to pull off. Gianni Schicchi is fast paced, and funny throughout, and features the beautiful aria O, Mio Babbino Caro…again, just an amazing performance.

After Il Trittico, I went home and jumped online hoping to buy better seats for the next performance, but was very disappointed to find out that I had just caught the last performance in San Francisco.

Fortunately, Patricia Racette performing Il Trittico in New York. I used to live in New York, and haven’t been back since 2001. Amazingly, I’ve been blessed with the opportunity to go to New York and catch her performance on December 12. I couldn’t be more excited. Christmas is early this year!

Oh, and speaking about the New York Metropolitan Opera Live in HD and Patricia Racette, I should also add that she was the host of the Live HD broadcast of Turandot, which I also thoroughly enjoyed. I’m really digging Puccini these days.

One last thought: If you like opera, italian food, wine, and incredible views, be sure to check out Opera Nights at Servino’s Ristorante. They take place once a month in Tiburon and are attended by a wonderful group of opera lovers in the Bay Area.