Showcasing the Best in the Mobile Enhancement Industry
Efficiency is defined as the ratio of the power or work consumed by a system compared to the work done by that system. In the car audio industry, we typically talk about efficiency in the context of amplifiers. The best amplifiers consume only a little more power than they provide to a speaker or subwoofer. Low-quality solutions consume extra power and convert that into heat. I Read more
I can’t count the number of times I’ve seen enthusiasts and folks in the car audio industry claim that Class AB amplifiers are better for high-frequency (as opposed to subwoofer) duties than a Class D design. I recently had a chance to put a popular new Class AB amp through its paces on the BestCarAudio.com Test Bench, and the results were surprising. Let’s make a quality Read more
I remember being at a car audio trade show about a decade ago where I overheard a conversation between a manufacturer rep and a customer about why a set of tweeters didn’t sound good on a particular amplifier. A few weeks later, I did some research on that amp to begin learning about what might have produced the customer perception. The amp in question uses a Class D output Read more
While it’s fun to play with flagship products like Audison Thesis amplifiers and speakers, the reality is that there’s a lot more business done at the opposite end of the financial spectrum. The latest generation of the SR line from Audison gives car audio enthusiasts an affordable upgrade option that is laden with the features found in much more expensive solutions. For this Read more
It seems like everything to do with car audio installations has something to do with managing voltages. For starters, your electrical system needs to produce enough voltage to keep your radio and amplifier going. And amplifiers need to increase the voltage to drive speakers. When adding an amplifier to a factory-installed audio system, your installer will need to measure the 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
A while back, we took a quick look at how alternating current (AC) signals in our car audio systems work. While the amount of work done by an AC voltage source can be the same as that of a direct current (DC) source, the changes in current flow direction add complications. In this article, we’ll dive a little deeper into AC signals and explain why a fixed-value resistor can’t Read more
For car audio enthusiasts, especially those interested in competing in SPL competitions, amplifier efficiency should be one of their primary concerns. In this first of three articles on efficiency, we take a close look at the Rockford Fosgate M5-1000X1 Class-D subwoofer amp and analyze how well it makes use of power at different output levels. What Is Car Audio Subwoofer Amp Read more
If you’ve been around the car audio scene for a few decades, then you’ll recall a time when almost all amplifiers doubled their output power when the load impedance was halved. For example, an amplifier might have been rated to produce 75 watts per channel into a 4-ohm load and 150 watts into a 2-ohm load. It wasn’t unheard of to see low-power amplifiers like the infamous Orion Read more
Car audio amplifier designs have changed a great deal over the last few decades. Modern amplifiers have more features along with improved efficiency, and they offer consumers better value than their predecessors. This article will examine the key components in the construction of mobile audio amplifiers, their evolution and their benefits. Amplifier Design Balances Power and Read more
Looking at the specifications and features of an amplifier rarely tells the entire story. ARC Audio sent me one of their ARC 1000.4 amplifiers that’s equipped with an IPS8.8 Pro-Series eight-channel digital signal processor. Based on a 1,000-watt platform, this four-channel amp is rated to produce 250 watts per channel into 2- and 4-ohm loads. There’s a lot of ground to cover Read more
In the spring of 2020, Rockford Fosgate launched the latest generation of its Prime Series amplifiers. While the focus of this spotlight is on the full-range Class-D five-channel R2-750X5, it’s worth noting the R2 series also includes a two-channel, two four-channel and four monoblock models. Equipped with features and technologies that have trickled down from the Punch and Read more
