Showcasing the Best in the Mobile Enhancement Industry
How much does it cost to install a car audio amplifier? What a great question! How many channels does the amplifier have? What kind of speakers are being powered by the amp? What source unit are you using? How difficult is it to run power wiring to the battery? As you can see, there’s no “one size fits all” answer to this question. Let’s discuss the bare necessities and the Read more
We’ve talked at length about how car audio line output converters work and have even compared a few to see which sound best. We skipped over a discussion on whether a car audio amplifier upgrade needs a line-output converter. Let’s dive in! What Does a Line Output Converter Do? A high-quality line output converter serves three purposes. First and foremost, it can reduce the Read more
We recently published an article that explains how differential inputs on car audio amplifiers and signal processors work. Just after that was published, we were talking with Brad Ott, executive vice president of operations at ARC Audio. He has an extensive background in circuit design and was the company’s product development manager for many years. Brad offered to send us Read more
If you were into car audio in the ’80s or ’90s, you undoubtedly heard about people spending countless hours hunting down engine noise or alternator whine issues with amplified systems. Thankfully, modern high-quality car audio amplifiers include circuitry on the RCA input jacks that nearly eliminates the chance of ground loops and prevents the audio system from producing Read more
In the fall of 2021, we took some detailed measurements to quantify the frequency response characteristics of several different RCA cables. These varied from solutions as simple as a pair of 18-AWG wires that were twisted together, to premium coaxial conductors and twisted-pair cables with extensive shielding. The results, as presented, showed negligible variations in response Read more
Ah, the oh-so-complex world of amplifier sensitivity control configuration. One would think that there would be a scientific process that would ensure that an amplifier could be set perfectly every time. But in reality, many criteria affect where a sensitivity control is adjusted. The topic of gain overlap pertains equally to source units as amplifiers. What is it? Why do we Read more
If you follow any of the high-end home audio magazines or social media groups, you know that interconnect cables and the stories around them are an entire industry. You can choose from 3-foot coaxial cables at prices from under $5 to well over $20,000 for some of the most bespoke, story-laden offerings. Some of these creations even have batteries built into them to provide a DC Read more
For decades, companies have touted the benefits of high-end car audio RCA interconnect cables. When it comes to noise rejection, environmental stability and cosmetics, better cables are a great investment. In terms of improving sound quality, accuracy and detail, do more expensive cables sound better? Let’s take a look at the physics behind cable differences. Are High-End Read more
