Showcasing the Best in the Mobile Enhancement Industry
Bluetooth audio streaming is a convenient way to enjoy music in your vehicle, but many drivers notice that it doesn’t sound as crisp or detailed as a wired connection. While Bluetooth compression plays a role, several strategies can help optimize sound quality and make the most of your wireless audio system. Let’s explore key ways to improve Bluetooth audio in your Read more
Why High-Res Audio Matters for Car Audio Enthusiasts Car audio enthusiasts constantly seek ways to enhance their listening experience, and one of the most impactful upgrades involves improving the quality of the audio source itself. Thanks to advancements in lossless music streaming and high-quality digital formats, high-res audio is becoming more accessible. But does it Read more
A while back, we examined the difference in sound quality between wired and wireless Apple CarPlay. Now that many Android-based smartphones have access to additional audio streaming codecs like LDAC and aptX, it’s time to check out how they perform in terms of signal accuracy and frequency response. We’ll use the Sony XAV-9000ES digital media receiver we tested in May 2024 for Read more
We’re back with the second Sound Check article. This time, we have a 2023 Nissan Rogue Platinum to audition with our suite of reference audio tracks. Once again, the purpose of the Sound Check articles is to help educate consumers about how to listen to music critically so they understand what’s considered good and what aspects of an audio system are weak. Introducing the 2023 Read more
(This article was updated in November 2023.)With the rise in popularity of digital media files over the last decade, car audio enthusiasts are more likely to carry a USB drive than a stack of compact discs. When it comes to organizing all those MP3, WMA, AAC and FLAC files, most manufacturers suggest that you don’t put all the songs in one folder. Read on to find out Read more
I was recently rewatching the YouTube video from GoldenSound about how he tested the quality of the MQA file format by uploading several test tones and part of a song to Tidal. His results showed without any shadow of a doubt that the MQA format didn’t meet many of the claims made by the company. This article isn’t about MQA, thankfully.I’ve often wondered about the quality Read more
If you’ve visited the BestCarAudio.com website, you’ll know we’re big fans of Sony’s Mobile ES product line. Not only have the products we’ve reviewed performed exceptionally well in the lab, but our team members who also work on the retail side of the mobile enhancement industry love their value and reliability. It’s been a few months since anything new has joined the line. In Read more
Quite a while back, I took a scientific look at the difference between a recording stored in a WAV format and what is thrown away with a lossy format like MP3. During some recent research in preparation for an upcoming Test Drive Review, I got to thinking about a different way to show how other audio formats compare. Let’s look at WAV, FLAC and MP3 file formats, then throw in a Read more
When it comes to bang-for-your-buck car audio receiver upgrades, the Sony XAV-AX5600 offers amazing value and performance. This double-DIN multimedia unit is based around a 6.95-inch capacitive touch display. In addition, it includes Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone integration and support for playback of most of your digital media files. Best of all, the radio is easy Read more
