Showcasing the Best in the Mobile Enhancement Industry
In our last lesson, we introduced the topic of alternating current (AC). All audio signals—from a radio to an amplifier or from an amplifier to a speaker—are AC. This is what makes the speaker cones move forward and rearward. We’ll explain how a speaker works shortly. In the meantime, we need to look at a bit of special math related to making voltage and power calculations Read more
Recently, we were sent a link to a YouTube video in which someone was trying to make power measurements of a factory-installed amplifier on a motorcycle. We see videos like this all the time. Unfortunately, the numbers presented in these videos are not just inaccurate but often completely illogical. Let’s talk about how we make power measurements and what information some of Read more
Have you ever measured or tested something and not fully believed the results? A while back, I wrote an article that looked at the different options for wiring a pair of dual voice coil subwoofers to a single amplifier. The options are to wire the voice coils in each subwoofer in series the woofers in parallel, or wire the coils in parallel and the subwoofers in series.The Read more
One phrase that is repeated time and time again during the installation troubleshooting process is that an amplifier ground is “good” because there’s only 1 ohm of resistance. If you’re a fan of the laws of physics, hearing this phrase should be met with an instant wince or cringe. Everything related to designing, installing and calibrating car audio systems has a foundation in Read more
Unless you have formal education in how alternating current waveforms interact with capacitors and inductors, it’s not illogical to assume that passive crossovers waste power from your car audio amplifier. These passive devices reduce the amplifier’s power production rather than converting it into heat. Let’s bust this myth about passive crossovers wasting amplifier power. How Read more
It would be a gross understatement to say I spend a lot of time reading the content on car audio manufacturer websites and social media. The average day can involve a minimum of an hour researching information for articles, and sometimes it’s more than five or six hours. During this time, I see many terms passed down from model to model, even if they are technically incorrect. Read more
Last week a friend of mine sent a link to a YouTube video by Steve Meade, who was experimenting with line output converters using an oscilloscope and an SMD DD-1+ distortion analyzer. Several statements in the video and the comments made it clear that people don’t understand the concept of audio signal distortion. That’s OK. It’s a complex subject and requires looking at Read more
If ever there was a topic that the team here at BestCarAudio.com has beaten to death, it has to be the importance of choosing the right shop to work on your vehicle. With the weather getting colder and the leaves falling in the North, it’s time to start thinking about adding a remote starter to your car or truck. We’ve probably made this same statement a hundred times, but Read more
The core content creation team here at BestCarAudio.com has about 150 years’ worth of experience in the car audio industry. In that time, we’ve seen the best and the worst do-it-yourself installations to ever see the light of day. In many instances, examples of amazing craftsmanship have turned into employment opportunities in the industry. While we love to hear about people Read more
