Showcasing the Best in the Mobile Enhancement Industry
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
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
I can’t think of many name-brand car audio manufacturers offering more subwoofers than Rockford Fosgate. They have everything from affordable entry-level drivers with the Prime R2 series to competition-ready monsters in the Power series T3 Superwoofer. Near the middle of the pack are the impressive Punch P3 drivers that serve as the flagship of that series. Let’s take a close Read more
AOver 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
