Well it depends.. are you going for something really great or just decent sound? Or maybe you're just going after a lot more bass?
If you're mainly going for heavy bass then a mediocre amp with a 10 in the back should satisfy you.. and $700 will be possible.
But if you want clear all-around sound then like the other guys have said.. a good amp alone costs more than $700. Plus professional installation isn't cheap. If he offers dirt cheap/free installation.. personally I would be really weary of who's messing with the wiring in your expensive car/steering wheel. I've had a few friends who were silly and got their cars done by Best Buy's 'audio experts'. I looked in the back and it was a bunch of high school kids just splicing together wires trying to figure it out as they went along
In the end a couple of my buddies had issues like his alarm started going off randomly.. and his remote start stopped working. And those were Civics and Integras with way less complicated electrical system and tech in the dash compared to our Zs.
Also.. seriously.. why don't you ever get model numbers when you go there?
Not all pioneer amps and head units are the same.. low and high end are a big difference. You should get what models and price he's quoting you written on paper 1) in case he 'forgets' what he told you again next time you go there and 2) so you can actually look up reviews and prices of the equipment he's selling you when you get home. Most of those salesmen.. if they see you haven't done your homework.. then they 'will' try to rip you off.
Personally my biggest concern wouldn't even be with the pricing or what he's giving you.. if you got ripped off then it'd just be lesson learned, or if the gear he gives you sounds like crap.. you could just take it out. My major issue would be with them messing with your car. If the installation screws the pooch.. it could be an expensive disaster. Is this place you're going to big/reputable? With any experience installing stuff in Z's? I would do some research into the place before anything. I would personally settle for lower end gear but a super clean installation (no wires showing, little/no drilling, actually bothering to group/tie your wires back together after connected, etc.). That or save up a couple grand and go for both
