Showcasing the Best in the Mobile Enhancement Industry
If you are a mobile electronics enthusiast like we are, then it’s quite possible that you enjoy reading product specifications. You can learn a lot about the design and application of a product from the specs. Amplifier power ratings are probably the most popular specs, but there are a lot more. One product specification that tends to confuse people more than help them is Read more
Over the past decade, the popularity of digital signal processing (DSP) in aftermarket audio systems has grown immensely. AudioControl, the long-time industry leader in signal processing, has launched its first foray into this market with a product called the DM-810. The DM-810 offers eight channels of input and 10 output channels, making it one of the more flexible processors Read more
Installing a mobile audio system involves much more than just hooking up some wires and driving in a few screws. Almost all vehicle manufacturers have realized that some amount of audio system tuning will dramatically improve their customers’ experience. When you decide it’s time to upgrade your factory audio system, we need to take into account any tuning that may have been Read more
Sony, one of the industry leaders in the design and manufacture of car audio products, recently launched their XAV-AX100 Media Receiver with Bluetooth. The XAV-AX100 is Sony’s first head unit with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Let’s see what makes this Double-DIN such a major success. Design and Interface The XAV-AX100 features a double-DIN front panel with a large Read more
When you head to your local mobile electronics specialist in search of new speakers, there are a few criteria to keep in mind. Choosing a speaker size can go one of two ways: You can pick something that fits a specific mounting location or you can choose based on the characteristics of the speaker relative to its size. Are you interested in knowing why speakers come in Read more
When an audio enthusiast goes shopping for an amplifier, the question of “how much power do I need?” comes up almost every time. There are a few factors to take into consideration when answering this question. This article looks at those factors and provides some technical background to help support your decision. Why Do We Need Power? Quite simply, when you send more power Read more
You cannot have talked about audio and computers any time in the last 15 years and not have heard of an MP3 file. MP3 audio files and websites, like the original Napster, started a shift in where, how and when people acquired music. If you are on the older end of the spectrum, like many of us in the mobile electronics industry, then you bought your CDs, cassettes and maybe even Read more
Amplifiers have a very tough job. They have to take a very low voltage signal and increase it in amplitude so it can drive a speaker. In this transformation, we expect the signal to remain pure – no distortion or no noise should be added. We also want significant amounts of power to drive our speakers, even though we only feed our amplifiers with a measly 12 to 14 volts of Read more
Enclosure, box or cabinet: Whatever you want to call them, where you install your speaker or subwoofer is critically important to their resulting performance. In this article, we focus on the simplest and most forgiving of enclosures to design and construct – the acoustic suspension or sealed enclosure. The Laws of Physics There are a few characteristics to keep in mind about Read more
