Showcasing the Best in the Mobile Enhancement Industry
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
It’s April 1st once again, and that means it’s time for another look at car audio installations that have gone awry. The images you’ll see are prime examples of why only a genuine professional should be the only person to upgrade your car or truck. Whether it’s an amplifier installation, a remote car starter integration or a simple lighting upgrade, ensuring that the results Read more
Car audio enthusiasts share one thing: All of us have a vehicle of some sort. It’s no surprise to anyone that fuel prices have skyrocketed to record-setting levels in 2022. Since many of us must commute to work, our expenses have increased dramatically. So whether you’re shopping for new equipment for your vehicle or planning sound system upgrades, here are a few tips that can Read more
Historically, Bluetooth and the words “sound quality” haven’t mixed well. The folks at Audison in Italy have decided it’s time to provide the car audio world with a solution that sounds good and offers something not seen before in this segment: support for hi-res audio transfer. Audison doesn’t just make this claim, but they have the full support of the Japan Audio Society. Read more
The Volvo XC60 may not be on the tip of an SUV-shopper’s tongue. However, with its 2022 model year updates, it jumps to the front of the line for the tech lover. Volvo has sold over 1 million XC60s globally – something I wouldn’t have guessed – and the XC60 remains its most popular model. As such, the engineers wanted to blend the latest technology with high-end Read more
A few weeks ago, I was at Motron Automotive Electronics in London, Ontario, to return some vintage remote car starters I’d borrowed for an article. I was talking with Lee Campbell about the work the shop does. Aside from remote car starter installations and audio system upgrades, Motron specializes in finding solutions for vehicles where the factory-installed infotainment Read more
The confusion around setting amplifier gains baffles a significant number of car audio enthusiasts. I can’t even count the number of systems I’ve heard that are plagued with tons of background noise or hiss when music isn’t playing. Unfortunately, those same people also seem to be pretty hard on their gear and have replaced many subwoofers, speakers and tweeters. So let’s have Read more
When it comes to car audio subwoofer enclosures, the two most popular options are sealed or vented. As far as which design is best for your vehicle, let’s see if we can clear up some misconceptions and stereotypes. As often happens, some trade-offs accompany each decision. Consider this article the master reference for choosing the right subwoofer enclosure solution for your Read more
Quite a while back, I took a scientific look at the difference between a recording stored in a WAV format and what is thrown away with a lossy format like MP3. During some recent research in preparation for an upcoming Test Drive Review, I got to thinking about a different way to show how other audio formats compare. Let’s look at WAV, FLAC and MP3 file formats, then throw in a Read more
If you’ve been around the car audio industry for as long as I have, you know Rockford Fosgate started in 1973 with the introduction of its first car audio amplifier. Through the ’80s and ’90s, the brand grew at an exponential rate, adding subwoofers, speakers and more amplifiers that deliver fantastic performance to car audio fanatics who want their music clear and loud. The Read more
So, as a longtime car audio guy, I have peers and friends who cover every conceivable genre of car audio enthusiasm. I have friends who are installers, own and run stores, work at distributors and at manufacturers. I have tweaky friends that think high-end interconnects and low-efficiency wideband drivers are the way to go for sound quality. I also have a ton of friends who are Read more
I remember being at a car audio trade show about a decade ago where I overheard a conversation between a manufacturer rep and a customer about why a set of tweeters didn’t sound good on a particular amplifier. A few weeks later, I did some research on that amp to begin learning about what might have produced the customer perception. The amp in question uses a Class D output Read more
