Showcasing the Best in the Mobile Enhancement Industry
Last week I offered three people advice on how the physics and science behind car audio concepts work. In all three cases, these people refused to accept my scientific explanations as fact and chose to argue with me. Baffling. Science Is Simple Seemingly unbeknownst to many car audio enthusiasts and amateur installers, the laws of physics are pretty set in stone when it comes Read more
When it comes to choosing a radio upgrade for your car or truck, you’ll find hundreds of options. At the bottom of the market are inexpensive radios of dubious reliability, with difficult-to-see displays and questionable performance. Then there are the name-brand products that go through years of design and months of testing to ensure that they do what you want, how you want Read more
Since I first reviewed an ARC Audio amplifier back in 2004, I knew there was something different about this company. It only took a few reviews to recognize the pattern, and frankly, I’ve been spoiled by every opportunity to audition one of their amps ever since. Call it clarity, transparency or neutrality; all of ARC Audio’s amps have offered as invisible a sonic signature as Read more
Covid is retreating. For many people, that means a return to commuting. Perhaps you aren’t seeing the inside of the office every day, but you do notice that the roads seem more crowded than ever. The dismal times between highway exits infuriates you. Luckily, the 2023 Cadillac CT5 has another trick up its sleeve: Besides being a serene highway cruiser, it can drive you on the Read more
As simple as it would seem, most car radios aren’t capable of showing video from your smartphone on their color display. The smartphone integration solution experts at RDV Automotive Technology created their CP/AA Mirror interface to make watching a video in your vehicle a reality. Let’s look at how this elegantly simple solution makes smartphone mirroring easier than ever in Read more
I spend a massively disproportionate amount of time reading posts on Facebook and Reddit about car audio topics. One thing I see again and again are comments from novice consumers talking about “buying 300-watt speakers” or something similar. Unfortunately, quantifying a speaker’s quality or performance capability based on how much power it can handle is like choosing a car Read more
If you’ve been around the car audio or vehicle accessory industry for any amount of time, you’ve likely run across a 12-volt relay. A relay is a simple device designed to switch a typically high-current load with a low-current signal. Relays are used in everything from headlight and auxiliary lighting upgrades to power trunk and door lock solenoid installations. Relays can also Read more
When it to comes to value, five-channel car audio amplifiers are a great solution for upgrading the stereo system in your vehicle. Aside from reducing the time it takes to install, five-channel amplifiers minimize installation complexity and the cost associated with signal, power and ground connections compared to running multiple amplifiers. Sony’s Mobile ES Series XM-5ES Read more
When it’s time to discuss complicated car audio concepts, it’s common for people to glaze over the important small factors and considerations. In the context of car audio amplifier preamp signals, everyone seems to get hung up on how much voltage a radio can produce or an amplifier can accept. What matters in terms of optimizing the performance of a car audio system’s Read more
