Showcasing the Best in the Mobile Enhancement Industry
If you read our recent Sound Check article on the 2023 Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing, you know that a subwoofer system upgrade is a great way to improve a factory-installed stereo system. Dozens of car audio companies offer subwoofer solutions explicitly designed to work with factory-installed radios and amplifiers. That said, the upgrade process isn’t always straightforward in Read more
After a recent vehicle introduction, discussions about vehicles with 48-volt electrical systems are at an all-time high. Changing standards in vehicles is nothing new. Most cars manufactured before the mid-1950s came with 6-volt batteries. As the need for power and speed from various automobile components has increased, we’re about to witness a change to 48-volt systems. Let’s Read more
Every genre of car audio enthusiast looks at amplifier performance differently. The SQ guys worry about distortion and noise. The bass heads focus on power. The keyboard commandos and know-it-alls talk about slew rate or something equally irrelevant. Despite all this, an audio system's frequency response matters the most regarding the perception of quality. The folks at KICKER Read more
We’ve recently seen a resurfacing of keyboard commandos who claim that the ability to hear the differences between the amplifiers is hogwash. Those who have been around the car audio scene for a while often bring up Richard Clark’s famous $10,000 Amplifier Challenge to support their hypothesis that all amplifiers sound the same. If true, why do companies offer different Read more
If you’ve been a long-time BestCarAudio.com reader, you know we prioritize performance and reliability when choosing audio system components. With that said, an installation that looks good does matter. You don’t want a bunch of amplifiers in your vehicle that are all different shapes, designs or colors. This is your car or truck, and it should look clean and classy, not like a Read more
The BestCarAudio.com team received a great question about subwoofer polarity and how a crossover affected the phase at the crossover point. Specifically, the question focused on whether the subwoofer polarity needed to be reversed if the sub amp used a -12 dB/octave filter. The short answer is yes. As always happens with audio systems, the full answer isn’t as simple once we Read more
The Genesis GV70 is a very good luxury SUV at a reasonable price point. With its 2.5-liter turbocharged engine, it’s been well received by both the press and public. But the really cool part is Genesis’ ability to remove the gasoline powerplant altogether and replace it with a fully electric setup. This versatility in the platform shows the engineering involved in the design. Read more
Most car audio enthusiasts know that the typical car radio can produce 18 to 20 watts of power per channel from its internal amplifier. If you send a full-range signal to the front and rear speakers, this is usually enough power to enjoy your music at modest listening levels. That said, it’s not enough power to make the music really fun. Let’s look at what happens when we add a Read more
Rockford Fosgate has entered the Jeep audio system upgrade market with solutions like no other. If you have a 2018 through 2023 Wrangler four-door or a 2020 or newer Gladiator, the new Stage 5, 1,800-watt all-in-one audio kits are the only premium solutions on the market. Let’s look at what makes these sound system upgrades unique. Jeep Wrangler and Gladiator Stereo Read more
