what do you think of these brands?

I can't find a Soundstream dealer around here either. Most shops dropped them like a rock because when they changed hands there was a quality issue and the new owners were not honoring warranty work. I ended up buying all of my stuff online after a couple hours or reading reviews and shopping. You will save some money that way instead of paying clean retail at a local shop. As for a good sub I usually buy JL Audio. They might be a bit overpriced, due to the name, but I know I am getting a quality sub every time. I have used kicker in the past as well. The kicker comp vr sub is a good bang for the buck.