Showcasing the Best in the Mobile Enhancement Industry
One of the most recent source unit introductions from Sony Car Audio is the XAV-AX210SXM DVD receiver. This multimedia receiver features a 6.4-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone integration. It’s the first Sony product to include iDatalink Maestro compatibility. Let’s look at the features of this high-value source unit and explain how Maestro Read more
The next topic in our look at car audio amplifier specifications is input sensitivity. This specification is easy to understand but is important to choose an amp that will work with the system your local car stereo shop has designed. In the simplest of terms, the sensitivity specification determines how much voltage is required on the input of the amplifier for it to produce Read more
The BestCarAudio.com editorial team recently talked to none other than Ricardo Rangel, head of the famous Mexico City-based Monster by Rangel, about the 2018 Ford Mustang Shelby GT350 project they recently completed. Ricardo told us that this is the sixth build they have done for this client in the past three years and with each project, the client’s interest in Read more
We’ve touched on the topic of signal-to-noise ratio in car audio amplifiers before. This specification is one of the most important in quantifying the quality of the amplifier you are going to choose for your audio system. While the power ratings are the only way we’ll know how loudly an amp can play, the noise specs give us a look at the design philosophy of the amp. Quite Read more
Welcome to our new series about understanding product specifications. Our goal in these articles is to help you understand what the amplifier power ratings mean when you start to compare solutions. We’ll not only explain which numbers are good, but we’ll include a detailed description of what each specification means, how it’s measured and how it affects what you hear or Read more
I’ve heard people in the industry say that most amplifiers, operating in their linear range, sound the same. I’ve tested hundreds of amplifiers over the years, and while some were very similar, I can confidently say that I’d never have described two of them as sounding identical. Those of us in the car audio industry want you to have the best-sounding car audio system you Read more
Though I’ve spent very little time as a sales rep, I’ve been to more than 100 car stereo shops across North America. These visits varied from display board repair adventures and product training for my former employer to DSP tuning and audio integration training over the past few years. I’ve seen some of the fanciest stores in the land and hung out in what would be described as Read more
It’s hard not to notice that almost every reputable car audio manufacturer now offers several ultra-compact amplifier solutions. These amplifiers are small enough to fit in the pocket of your jeans and help make installations easier when space is tight. While diminutive, they can deliver an impressive amount of power to upgrade the signal to your factory speakers or let Read more
The car audio industry has changed a lot since I first got into it while in high school. A mere (cough) 30 years ago, CD players were just becoming popular, most aftermarket car radios were pull-out designs and the public didn’t have access to the Internet. OK, that’s a small list of the differences between now and then, but for those of us who have been in the industry for Read more
In our first Mobile Electronics Industry profile, we contacted Dave Evans, the owner of Adrenaline Autosound in Clayton, North Carolina, to talk about how he got into the industry, what drives him and where he thinks our industry is headed. Working with his head technician Brandon Douglas, the pair has run Adrenaline Autosound since 2006 and serve the Raleigh area with audio Read more
As the Head Writer at 1sixty8 media and the Editor-in-Chief here at BestCarAudio.com, I manage to write between 20,000 and 25,000 words a week on various aspects of the mobile electronics industry and aftermarket accessories. You’d think that given that level of immersion in the industry, it would be hard for me to think about anything other than aftermarket accessories and Read more
The shallowest car audio component system to date goes Hi-Fi Carbon! Press Release: Ness-Ziona, Israel— November 2018 — Morel launches its new Virtus Nano Carbon series, a prodigious upgrade to its famous ultra-slim Virtus Nano series. After winning the 2018 CTA Design and Engineering Award with the launch of the new Virtus Nano Integra 602, ultra slim high-fidelity point Read more
