Showcasing the Best in the Mobile Enhancement Industry
When Toyota first came out with the Toyota Prius, the powertrain was so far from the mainstream it was destined to be in its own vehicle. But Toyota has perfected the hybrid powertrain and has made it commonplace. In addition to the Prius, I’ve tried it in the Sienna minivan and the RAV4 SUV. The 2022 Toyota Camry Hybrid brings the fuel-sipping savings of the Prius to a Read more
Not too long ago, we took a look at how speaker-level line output converters worked. We discussed the difference between passive and active devices and explained what features to look for. If you have a vehicle with a premium factory-installed sound system, those interfaces might not be adequate to provide your amplifier with a signal that will sound good with new speakers. So 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
The owner of this 2020 Toyota Tundra contacted the team at Speed of Sound Technologies in Milford, Connecticut, to inquire about upgrading the stereo system in the vehicle. While it had the JBL sound system, the client wanted something that played louder and delivered better bass. Store owner Melinton Benavides discussed how to integrate the products the client had chosen into Read more
It keeps going up. We knew gasoline couldn’t stay at a low price point forever, and now my family friends with three-row SUVs are asking, “Is there anything that has a third row that is also good on gas? I am sick of $60 fill-ups.” Well, if your Acadia, Explorer or Durango has you down, Toyota might just have your answer in the new Highlander Hybrid. I first had experience Read more
I’ve listened to a LOT of car stereo equipment since I started in the car audio industry back in 1988. Since 2000, I’ve tested and formally reviewed hundreds of car audio products for publications across North America. I’ve even developed subwoofers, speakers and DSP-equipped amplifiers for one of the companies I worked for. I was a car audio sound quality competition judge for Read more
No doubt about it, the SUV craze is here to stay. When you have companies like Ford ditching all car-based vehicles except the Mustang, you know Americans like sitting up higher compared to a car. The Toyota Camry is still the best-selling car-based vehicle in the United States. But Toyota’s wildly popular RAV4 now even eclipses the sale of the Camry. So, Toyota wanted to Read more
No matter how hard he or she tries, the installer who’s calibrating your car audio system can’t use a digital signal processor to tune distortion out of your system. We aren’t talking about the harmonic distortion that happens when a signal overloads the processor or an amplifier’s input stage. Preventing clipping is a simple process and one that’s fundamental to completing an Read more
When it comes to the 2021 Toyota Sienna minivan, Kermit was wrong. It is easy to be green! While some competitors do offer hybrid systems for their minivans, Toyota uses this amazing hybrid powertrain across the entire Sienna lineup. We are talking Corolla mileage from something that can haul seven passengers comfortably. Careful packaging of the battery underneath the front Read more
When it comes to installing a car audio system in a modern car or truck, a professional installer needs access to a variety of tools. We’ve already taken a look at essential tools like an oscilloscope, RTA and multimeter and access to services like ProDemand. In this article, we’re going to kick things up a notch to look at some of the more advanced equipment used to make your Read more
When it comes to feeding a signal into a digital signal processor, most high-quality units provide your installer with a few options. While even the most basic include RCA inputs, some add the ability to accept speaker-level signals or digital signals in a variety of formats. Once an audio signal is inside the processor, the input mixer stage will let the technician combine and Read more
As we’ve mentioned before, upgrading the audio systems in new cars and trucks is becoming more and more complicated. Features like crossovers, all-pass filters, volume-dependent loudness control and equalization can make the stock system sound respectable with stock speakers, but they present a significant challenge to drivers when it’s time to upgrade. Let’s look at why Read more
