Showcasing the Best in the Mobile Enhancement Industry
If you’ve been paying attention to the car audio industry over the last decade, you know that the number of discrete channels available from quality amplifiers has increased steadily. Some better brands now have solutions with as many as 12 channels. So let’s consider why you might want more amplifier channels in your car audio system. Car Audio Systems Using Amplifiers in Read more
Table of Contents Motorcycle Radios and Audio Sources Motorcycle Speaker Upgrades Motorcycle Subwoofer Upgrades Motorcycle Amplifier Upgrades Motorcycle DSP Upgrades Motorcycle Audio System Installation Let’s face it: Listening to your favorite music while out for a bit of wind therapy is fantastic. Whether you want to upgrade an existing motorcycle audio system or Read more
A while back, I published an article that compared a high-quality Class-D amplifier with a low-quality “internet-brand” Class AB amp to prove a point about topology not being the deciding factor in performance and accuracy. The contrast in their performance was shocking, with the Class-D amp besting the AB in every way. An amateur YouTuber made a video breaking down the Read more
In the early 2000s, most premium aftermarket in-dash multimedia radios had built-in navigation solutions based on Global Positioning System data. This was also true for many factory-installed radios in higher-end vehicles. These systems helped travelers get where they wanted to go more efficiently and safely than using printed-out maps from MapQuest or classic foldable Read more
Adding a subwoofer to your vehicle is the best way to upgrade the performance of any mobile audio system. The car audio fanatics at Rockford Fosgate have served up a pair of unique solutions for applications where space is at a premium. If you want a sub for behind the seat of a pickup truck or the cargo area of your hatchback or SUV, check out the Power Series T1S-1X10 and Read more
Though factory-installed audio systems have greatly improved over the last few decades, they can’t hold a candle to even a modest aftermarket car stereo system unless you’ve got a premium vehicle. This statement is especially true in terms of subwoofers and bass performance. Most factory-installed subwoofer systems are better described as woofers. It’s rare that they play loud Read more
A few months ago, I had the privilege of reviewing the Sony XAV-AX4000 multimedia receiver. I was impressed by the incredibly intuitive and responsive interface, complete feature set and snappy performance. However, Sony has a big brother to this radio called the XAV-AX6000. The basic platform is the same as the previous model, but Sony has included several sought-after Read more
Every now and then, I get into hot water for recommending, or more commonly, for not suggesting, a particular brand of car audio equipment. The same has happened over the years with retailers near me. However, I can say with confidence that in every case, there’s a solid reason why I stand behind and recommend specific solutions and why others aren’t even remotely on my radar Read more
Dual voice coil subwoofers exist to provide installers with three options to connect the driver to an amplifier. The coils can be wired in series or parallel to double or half the impedance of a single coil. Alternatively, each coil can be connected to separate amplifier channels to add power from non-bridgeable configurations. A question that often arises is, what happens if Read more
Have you ever measured or tested something and not fully believed the results? A while back, I wrote an article that looked at the different options for wiring a pair of dual voice coil subwoofers to a single amplifier. The options are to wire the voice coils in each subwoofer in series the woofers in parallel, or wire the coils in parallel and the subwoofers in series. The Read more
Efficiency is defined as the ratio of the power or work consumed by a system compared to the work done by that system. In the car audio industry, we typically talk about efficiency in the context of amplifiers. The best amplifiers consume only a little more power than they provide to a speaker or subwoofer. Low-quality solutions consume extra power and convert that into heat. I Read more
Car audio questions on social media blow my mind. Do these speakers sound good? Does this amp make enough power? What radio is the best? Where should I install my tweeters? I see these questions asked in Facebook groups and on Reddit dozens of times a day. In 99% of the cases, my instinct is to suggest that the person asking the question go to a car stereo shop to get an expert Read more
