Showcasing the Best in the Mobile Enhancement Industry
With the increasing performance and features of factory-installed infotainment and audio systems, many of my friends have asked whether we still need aftermarket audio systems. I was recently in California on business and rented a 2018 Chevrolet Camaro SS for my drive from Long Beach to Modesto and back to San Francisco. Having spent about 12 hours in the car over the week, I Read more
The X2 series from ARC Audio includes eight amplifiers that offer the features installers need to create amazing car audio systems while delivering industry-reference performance. ARC has divided the X2 series into two sub-groups offering different cosmetic and performance characteristics. The Level 1 product group includes a monoblock along with a four- and five-channel Read more
As with many veterans of the mobile enhancement industry, Michael Oechsner was introduced to car audio when a high school friend asked him to help install a stereo system. The amplifier and 12-inch subwoofers in this Lincoln Town Car were Michael’s first taste of what a mobile audio system could be. Michael recalls asking his friends about “the cylinder with the Medusa of wires Read more
Whether the sound system in your car or truck is bone stock or upgraded with premium amplifiers, speakers and subwoofers, the system’s maximum volume may not directly coincide with turning the knob up all the way. The short and sweet of why this happens is something called gain overlap. This conscious and deliberate design decision ensures that any signal source can be played Read more
In 1998, Demitrios Karabinis, a veteran of the car audio and show car scene, created ARC Audio with the help of several friends and business partners from around the globe. With offices in California, Washington, Taiwan and China, ARC Audio operates as a global family of mobile electronics enthusiasts that engineers and delivers products that offer the features system designers Read more
We’ve talked about car audio amplifier features and specifications at great length, but up to this point, we haven’t discussed how a car audio amplifier works. In this article, we’ll provide a simple overview of how the power supply in your mobile amplifier can take the 12 volts supplied by your electrical system and convert it into a much higher voltage to drive your Read more
As we slowly approach the end of our latest Understanding Specifications series, we want to take a look at car audio amplifier distortion ratings and explain what they mean. We should make it clear: No matter how or good or bad a piece of audio equipment is, every audio component adds some amount of distortion to the signal. The amount and type of distortion those audio Read more
Unlike buying and setting up a basic home audio system, having a new amplifier and speakers installed in your car or truck requires proper setup and tuning. At home, you can adjust the placement of the speakers and how much they are toed in to affect the focus of the soundstage and the bass response. In a car, your installer needs to mount the amplifier, wire it, then adjust Read more
As a person, the environment you are in typically helps shape who you are. It also helps define your skill set, focus and drive to accomplish things that you feel are important. In this article, we will profile Brandon Wargo of The Custom Shop in Flanagan, Illinois, and talk about how this shop has helped him develop as a technician and future architect.Brandon is studying Read more
