Showcasing the Best in the Mobile Enhancement Industry
It seems do-it-yourself installers have taken a liking to our discussion about wiring multiple subwoofers to a single amplifier. The popularity makes sense, since many car audio enthusiasts aren’t familiar with series and parallel wiring. A question came up on Facebook a few weeks ago asking if it was better to wire a pair of dual voice coil subwoofers in series with their Read more
In late September, I got a call from a friend asking if I had any connections to purchase some new fuse holders for his car. The car is a fourth-generation Toyota Supra with a single-turbo kit and an AEM stand-alone engine management system. Unfortunately, it seems the fuse holders that fed the dual Walbro 255 lph fuel pumps had failed, leaving my friend stranded on the side of Read more
If you’re into high-end car audio or auto sound competition, you’re likely familiar with Fred Lynch and the company ARC Audio. Fred has worked for ARC Audio for over 18 years and has built several unique audio systems in his cars to show off their products. His latest vehicle purchase was the 2019 Ford Flex you see here. Fred had no significant plans to upgrade the Flex, even Read more
For years audiophiles claimed that signal processing was counterproductive and that they wanted the purest, most straightforward signal path from the source unit to their speakers. This philosophy applies as much to those interested in home audio as it does to those who enjoy music in their cars. However, the reality is, we don’t live, work or drive in an anechoic chamber. As Read more
We were recently at an event that was hosting a mobile audio system SPL competition. If you aren’t familiar with this sort of thing, it’s a contest to see who has the loudest stereo. We aren’t talking about cranking the dial on the factory radio. Instead, some of these folks build steel and concrete reinforced subwoofer enclosures and feed tens of thousands of watts to their Read more
Range is the critical factor in the quality and performance of a remote car starter or security system. That’s the distance between you and your vehicle when you’re sending a lock, unlock or remote start command, or are hoping to receive a security notification. If you aren’t close enough, or the convenience system doesn’t have enough power, signals may not reach the vehicle or Read more
When it comes to expressing the quality of an audio system component, the amount of distortion it adds to a signal is the defining factor. In this article, we’ll talk about how much distortion each part of an audio system adds – so that you can target your budget for the greatest benefit. We’ll rank four categories of audio equipment based on the amount of distortion they add Read more
For those who love the idea of a “hot hatch,” the VW Golf iterations, such as the GTI, Rabbit or Golf R, come to mind. If you aren’t exactly enamored with German engineering yet still want something fun, but perhaps a step above a Civic, check out the 2021 Mazda3 hatchback. It has a cool look, a luxurious interior and some fun performance to boot. Torquey! And a Smooth Read more
If you’re upgrading the sound system in your car or truck, adding a subwoofer system is typically the first upgrade. From there, new speakers and an amplifier to power them are next. And most consumers should consider adding a digital signal processor to achieve the most realistic listening experience possible. Unfortunately, one item that is occasionally overlooked in creating Read more
I’ve listened to a LOT of car stereo equipment since I started in the car audio industry back in 1988. Since 2000, I’ve tested and formally reviewed hundreds of car audio products for publications across North America. I’ve even developed subwoofers, speakers and DSP-equipped amplifiers for one of the companies I worked for. I was a car audio sound quality competition judge for Read more
There are a lot of theories around the benefits of adding stuffing to a sealed subwoofer enclosure. Most contend that stuffing makes the enclosure behave as though it is larger, allowing the woofer to play louder at low frequencies. If this is true, then adding stuffing seems like a great idea. While creating many of our articles, we conduct many low-frequency enclosure Read more
Having your local specialty car audio retailer install an amplifier in your car or truck is a great way to improve the performance of your audio system. The extra power will allow you to turn the volume up higher to extract more from your speakers. If you have a subwoofer installed, you’ll need to choose an amplifier that can produce lots of power. While there are some Read more
