Showcasing the Best in the Mobile Enhancement Industry
For decades, car audio installers have used capacitors to reduce the bass that small speakers would reproduce. I vividly remember installing 47-microfarad capacitors inline with a set of 3.5-inch speakers in the dashes of Fox-body Mustangs back in the ’80s and ’90s. Passive crossover components like these are still an essential part of the car audio industry, even with the Read more
I consider myself extremely fortunate to have one of the most amazing jobs in the car audio industry. One aspect of being the editor in chief of BestCarAudio.com that I am particularly fond of is researching and performing experiments to create the content we publish. Unlike most of the hard-working folks who develop products, drive all over the countryside visiting retailers Read more
Few people in the car audio industry seem to grasp that speakers are typically the weakest link in audio systems, in terms of adding distortion to what we hear. Whether it’s a poor design with improper voice coil centering in the magnetic gap or poor magnetic or compliance linearity, speakers add significant amounts of unwanted information to what we hear. This article will Read more
If there’s one thing synonymous with Rockford Fosgate, it’s loud car audio systems. If you’ve outfitted your SUV or van with their 13-, 16- or 19-inch superwoofers, you’ll need some serious midrange speakers to keep with all that bass. Enter the Punch Pro Series of midrange drivers. These super-efficient midrange drivers not only make the most of the power from your amplifier, Read more
There’s no denying that pickup trucks are some of the most popular options for subwoofer system upgrades. Despite the creature comforts and luxury afforded by Lariat, Platinum, Longhorn and Denali trim levels, a high-performance subwoofer system can transform any of these vehicles from nice to all-out amazing. The issue is, there isn’t much space for subwoofers in these Read more
In March 2022, we published an article that demonstrated how high-quality amplifiers often increase the noise they output at high gain settings. I’m somewhere between shocked, confused and impressed at the feedback we got on the article. So, as a bit of a follow-up, let’s crush a few of the myths I read in the Facebook comments. Myth 1: Gains Should Be Set Based on Speaker Read more
We recently published a detailed article explaining what happens when an amplifier starts to clip. The article detailed the inclusion of harmonics in the output signal and explained how this extra high-frequency information increases the power to a speaker. Regarding damaging speakers, the issue isn’t specifically the harmonics, as many electric guitars produce similar Read more
While browsing car audio groups on Facebook or Reddit, I see the comment that “distortion damages speakers” at least once, if not 10 times, a day. There can’t be many statements that equal this one to demonstrate an incomplete understanding of how speakers, amplifiers and distortion work.If you’ve been told this by professionals, don’t fret. Most of them don’t understand Read more
Maybe it isn’t fair to compare a Subaru Outback to the new Ford Bronco. No doubt about it, the new Bronco is red-hot right now, and for hardcore off-roading, it’s the perfect vehicle. Unfortunately, most Broncos will be relegated to hopping curbs at the mall parking lot. But let’s say you’re an off-roader who wants a vehicle to drive every day with reasonable fuel economy and Read more
