Testimonials

We renovated a brownstone in New York City.  An important part of the work was installation of a sound system on the main floor, in the 2nd floor family room and in the backyard.  In conjunction with this work, we set up a home theater connected to Direct TV, ran Ethernet wires to most rooms to connect to the internet and set up a strong and stable Wifi.  Also we installed Sonos boxes to access music from the internet and my computer.

We hired Dennis (the proprietor of DH Audio and Home Theater who did most of the work, but utilized experienced technicians) because he demonstrated very good technical knowledge when interviewed, provided excellent recommendations and gave a competitive price.  Dennis planned out the job in written, specific detail (unusual for contractors) and worked with us to see what services we would like and the associated costs.

Our job was challenging because we planned for a one year renovation, but it turned out to be 2 1/2 years. This extended period required more effort to manage and added complexity to the job.

Dennis started with wiring the house while the walls were exposed.  Then he had to wait until we had electricity provided in an equipment closet to install the audio / visual equipment. He had to coordinate with the electrician, general contractor and carpenter on a regular basis. For example, installing speakers in ceilings and soffits sometimes was tricky because of space limitations.  During times he was waiting for other work to be completed, we sometimes had inadvertent damage to his equipment and wires, which he had to diagnose the problem and fix.

After many months, he started programming the equipment using computer utilities.  I believe this work took about 2 weeks (but not full time) to do. Then he had to work out glitches which I discovered by using it initially.  After that, he provided phone support when I had something that I could not operate completely.

To boost the WiFi signal, he added wireless access point devices on each floor.  This are very useful in providing stable wireless internet, but are finicky and are placed by trial and error to provide optimal functionality.  Because of ongoing construction, we had an unexpected drop off of service, which Dennis analyzed and reestablished the strong signal throughout the house.

At the end, we ran speaker and volume control wire in PVC pipes outside and set up speakers.  We used one set of speakers he recommended which are also plant boxes, so they are not obvious.

As you may infer from this description, this work needed someone who was technically competent, flexible in change of design from the client, would operate in a construction environment, and committed to completing the work no matter what the obstacles are.  Dennis was terrific in all of these areas. He is fair and honest, which is an important consideration when selecting someone. (Of note, with Dennis, as with all contractors, the client must pay close attention to change orders and be sure they understand the scope and cost of the work.)  He also was able to purchase equipment at the market rate, which saves the client time in shopping.

I heartily recommend Dennis for installing a sound system, home theater, Sonos, and WiFi.

Ed H.