Showcasing the Best in the Mobile Enhancement Industry
Listening to a genuinely high-end home or car audio system can be amazing. For those who care about sound quality, several technical considerations separate a very good audio system from one that’s truly magnificent. These might be beyond what most strive for in their car audio upgrade. With that said, if your goal is a genuinely realistic music experience, these are Read more
For as long as I can remember, the ubiquitous ground loop isolator has been a staple of the car audio industry. In recent years, the need for these noise-elimination devices has decreased dramatically, thanks to the inclusion of balanced or differential input circuits on amplifiers or signal processors. Let’s dissect an isolator and make a few measurements to see how adding one Read more
As we continue to explain what makes one amplifier different from another, we’ll look at distortion in the context of power level and frequency. Unbeknown to most enthusiasts, how an amplifier behaves varies based on the frequency you ask it to play and how much power it produces. The latter is a crucial piece of information if you’re looking for an amplifier that will sound Read more
Can you imagine if the inch or centimeter weren’t measurement standards? Nobody would be able to describe the size of anything. Standards are all around us. Distance, time and temperature descriptions are things we take for granted. Why, then, shouldn’t measurements of car audio components have measurement standards? Fortunately, they do, but you’ll still find many companies Read more
When most people think of Rockford Fosgate, they remember that this brand has been delivering car audio products that enthusiasts have craved for over 50 years. Rockford Fosgate’s experience has made them a leader in the development of high-performance amplifiers, speakers and, of course, car audio subwoofers. Rockford has a truly incomparable solution for those who are truly Read more
We just escaped from one of the most confusing car audio conversations ever. In a social media group dedicated to measuring the harmonic distortion characteristics of amplifiers, a member challenged the importance or validity of the topic. We can’t imagine having that much spare time. OK, well, maybe that’s appropriate in a flat earth group. Anyway, let’s talk about a few Read more
We’re back to bust another car audio myth wide open. This article will discuss the myth that DVC subwoofers can handle more power than a single voice coil driver. After some research, it’s clear that consumers seem to think dual voice coil (DVC) subwoofers have the equivalent of two separate voice coil assemblies, allowing them to handle twice as much power as an SVC design. Read more
A Over the decades, a question that’s come up thousands of times asks about the source of engine noise or alternator whine in car stereo systems. From the 1970s through today, every professional amplifier or signal processor installation finished with a test for unwanted noises. The cause of this whining or buzzing was often simple; however, technicians might have to spend Read more
We had the opportunity to check out Sony’s Mobile ES monoblock XM-1ES, four-channel XM-4ES and five-channel XM-5ES amplifiers in 2022. All three amps performed well on the test bench and in our listening room. For 2023, Sony has introduced two new amplifiers: the eight-channel XM-8ES and the six-channel XM-6ES. Let’s dive into the XM-8ES in this BestCarAudio.com Test Drive Read more
At least once a week, someone comments on social media or in a forum that you can’t hear low-frequency distortion from subwoofers or amplifiers. We have no idea where this myth came from. However, if you understand what distortion is and how it works, you’ll know this myth is utter and complete nonsense. Yes, we know we’ve challenged the status quo. Don’t worry; we can always Read more
In the minds of most car audio enthusiasts, the only thing that matters when it comes to subwoofer amplifiers is how much power they make. Subwoofer amplifier quality is essential for those who want the bass frequencies in their audio systems to sound accurate and musical. Our friends at Rockford Fosgate in Tempe, Arizona, sent up one of their T500-1bdCP 500-watt monoblock amps Read more
The single most crucial upgrade a person can make to their car audio system is to incorporate a properly configured equalizer. Whether you have a radio and two speakers or a high-end four-way system with active crossovers, ensuring that the system’s frequency response is accurate remains the most important consideration concerning quality. Let’s examine how a car audio Read more
