Should I Buy From the Local Shop or From the National Chain?

This topic probably has been covered a dozen times on forums and other internet sources. I personally would just like to follow up with some notable differences between the two. With an ever changing 12 volt industry, there are a lot of things that consumers should be aware of.

Why choose an independent store?

We care. It’s true that in some areas the market is flooded with shops that just see consumers as dollar signs or at times, an annoyance. I assure you that 90% of the brick and mortar shops out there do care about their good name. Normally you can tell just by the lines they carry, how they speak to you, and the work they proudly exhibit on their counter tops or walls. We WILL offer you the best service out there. We may not be able to match pricing, but if you shop based on price, then you should reevaluate how you would like your sound system to perform. Bottom line, if we do not offer the best service, along with quality installations that will last the life of your vehicle, then we really offer nothing that the others do not already. Read more

Things to know…

The year is 1985 and the stereo system in your new vehicle is just not good. It doesn’t sound good, it doesn’t look good and it didn’t have a CD player. Fast forward to the year 2006 and the stereo system in your new vehicle is pretty darn good, or is it?

Factory stereos overall quality in vehicle are at an all time high. With features like a CD player (not even a tape deck anymore), MP3, iPod ready, steering wheel controls, rear mounted controls, satellite ready, navigation and Bluetooth cellular hands free they have all the bells and whistles. Some cars manufacturers have even gone to the aftermarket companies to help them with their factory stereos by even badging them with names like Rockford Fosgate, Alpine, Pioneer, Dynaudio, Infinity and Boston Acoustics. Can you get any better then this? Sure you can, but you have to know a thing or two or three or maybe four for it to sound better then what the factory has provided for you. Read more

Head units, Navigation and everything else in between

I wrote this a few months ago for my monthly article in RPM Motoring Monthly and I thought I would post it here as well.I wanted to talk about what’s new in the world of head units (radio’s, CD players, decks, just pick your terminology) but there really hasn’t been anything “new” for quite sometime, so lets talk about what has changed and been improved on.

Almost every car sold now in the world comes with a CD player as a factory feature, so why do people still want to remove them? Read more

What is a Stiffening Capacitor and Why Do I Need One?

We sell a LOT of capacitors in our store. We recommend them with every amp and sub sale. They make a difference in the quality of the bass and they help with that annoying dimming of the dash/head lights. But what are they, what do they do, and why do they help an audio install?

Definition

American Heritage Dictionary defines a capacitor as “an electric circuit element used to store charge temporarily, consisting in general of two metallic plates separated and insulated from each other by a dielectric.” Sounds almost like a battery doesn’t it? Well it is and it isn’t. A battery and a capacitor both store a charge. There are several key differences:

• A capacitor charges very quickly. A battery charges more slowly.
• A capacitor discharges very fast. A battery discharges more slowly.
• A capacitor stores a relatively small charge where a battery stores a tremendous amount of energy.

A battery’s main purpose is to start your car. It stores the current necessary to power your starter and turn your engine over. There is a lot of current delivered during several seconds of the crank cycle. But a battery is not capable of delivering quick bursts.

A capacitor does deliver those quick bursts. It also recovers (recharges) very quickly. But it does not have much reserve. It could never start a car. Or a lawn tractor for that matter!

How does this relate to car audio?

Music is a very dynamic medium. In every type of music there are quiet sections and very loud sections. When these loud passages occur, the amplifier needs more current to push the subs and speakers harder. It attempts to derive this power from the battery and charging system of the vehicle. Since a battery is not a very dynamic device (slow to discharge), the amp sometimes has trouble getting enough current to make the level of sound it is being asked to produce. This is where a capacitor comes in. Read more