Showcasing the Best in the Mobile Enhancement Industry
It’s early April, and the CMA Expo has taken place at the Toronto Congress Center for the second year. Like other industry events, this show aims to bring together car audio manufacturers, distributors and retailers from across Canada. They learn about new products, expand their knowledge and network with like-minded professionals. If a manufacturer, distributor or retailer is Read more
It’s May 1, and car audio enthusiasts are shopping for system upgrades. Car audio amplifiers are one item consumers find difficult to quantify regarding performance, quality and value. We often see people buying noisy, low-efficiency, unreliable amplifiers, and it hurts our hearts. As such, we’ve put together this mega-article for the Question of the Month to help consumers Read more
In the 1980s, most car stereo shops had charts in the install bays that showed what size power wire should be used with different amplifiers. Some charts were based on current and cable length, while others suggested amplifier power ratings and lengths. In all cases, an essential piece of information was missing. Today, we’ll sort that out. Let’s consider why we need large Read more
It might not be a stretch to say that thousands of 6.5-inch aftermarket car audio speaker options are available. There are hundreds of brands worldwide, and many of them have almost a dozen solutions for this ultra-popular size. That said, finding a set that sounds great and can play loudly isn’t easy. Our fanatical friends at Rockford Fosgate from Tempe, Arizona, make the Read more
Once upon a time, Toyota sold the spacious Avalon sedan. Then sedans fell out of favor. You can still get a Camry or Corolla, but the Avalon fit the niche of a reliable sedan that appealed especially to the older demographic. It was discontinued (since it’s hard to sell an old man’s car to a young man) with its role now filled by the Toyota Crown. In Japan, the Crown nameplate Read more
The April Question of the Month is, “How should I set my car radio equalizer?” Interestingly, this question has popped up more times than expected recently, and there are two very different answers to it. Types of Car Radio Equalizers Before we get into the first of the answers, we should talk about the types of car radio equalizers on the market. The simplest equalizer is a Read more
We’ve talked about how speaker power handling is tested and the importance of delivering accurate test data. In the context of car audio speakers, we’ve explained that the physical size of the voice coil is a crucial element in determining how much power a speaker can handle. In this article, we’ve put together a simple, practical demonstration to show the thermal limits of a Read more
We recently saw someone ask how many subwoofers they should use in their car audio system. They qualified the question by adding that cost and space weren’t issues and that their goal was to get the best sound quality from the system. This is a great question, as it ties together many considerations. Let’s look at a few benefits and drawbacks of using a single versus multiple Read more
Car audio Amp power ratings are often the least important aspect in differentiating amplifier options. Sure, it matters whether you buy a 500- or 1,500-watt amplifier. Neither number tells you anything about either amplifier’s quality, performance or reliability. Surprisingly, many companies are still slapping inaccurate and often impossible power ratings on their products. We Read more
