Showcasing the Best in the Mobile Enhancement Industry
As much fun as it is to test premium amplifiers and subwoofers every month, savvy car audio enthusiasts know there’s big business in high-performance solutions at more affordable price points. Our friends in Tempe, Arizona, have divided their products into good, better and best offerings to deliver solutions everyone can afford. In this Test Drive Review, we’ll check out the Read more
Who wouldn’t want to buy the loudest, most efficient speaker possible to upgrade their car audio system? A speaker that does a better job converting electrical energy into sound reduces the load on the vehicle’s electrical system, right? Well, efficiency is just a single parameter in the myriad values that describe how a speaker works. Let’s take a super-techy look at how Read more
You’ll find thousands of options when choosing upgraded speakers for your car audio system. Rockford Fosgate's Power Series fits the bill perfectly for those looking for a solution that delivers great sound quality with impressive efficiency and output capability. In this spotlight, we’ll look at the T1650 and the T1693 speakers – two of the most popular sizes in the Read more
I recently had a discussion with several industry peers on Facebook about the correlation between audio component measurements and how that translates into subjective listening evaluations. Respectfully, I’m always astonished by the number of people who think distortion measurements don’t directly correlate to perceived product quality. The Science of Car Audio Component Read more
A while back, we took a close look at the harmonic distortion performance of a 6.5-inch door speaker from a Honda Civic. We measured the Theile/Small parameters and the driver’s impedance curve. Next, we looked at how much distortion the speaker created at different drive levels. If you haven’t read that article, it’s a bit of a prerequisite for this one. You can find it here: Read more
Off-road capability isn’t usually something that comes to mind when you focus on vehicle technologies and conveniences. But the white-hot Ford Bronco is one of the most coveted vehicles in America. If you order one, the typical wait is six months to a year. In addition to the supply-chain problems, a production problem with the hard top and its supplier backed up the queue even Read more
If there’s a single marketing statement that makes my eye twitch, it’s one that claims a specific subwoofer will “work” in a small enclosure. Contrary to many marketing claims, enclosure volume is directly proportional to low-frequency extension and sound quality. Let’s look at the math and how these tiny enclosures ruin the performance of your subwoofer. The Backstory on Read more
I can’t even begin to count the number of times I’ve seen car audio speakers installed improperly in the doors, dash or rear deck of a car or truck. Many amateur car audio enthusiasts don’t understand that unlike home audio and Bluetooth speakers that come in an enclosure, the way that raw speakers are mounted in your vehicle plays a huge role in what they’ll sound like. Let’s Read more
Somewhere around ninth grade, most high school students in North America learn about Ohm’s law in science class. Despite repeated efforts and claims to debunk the laws of physics, Ohm’s law remains a constant that car audio enthusiasts and professionals deal with every day. On a related subject, I see questions about speaker and amplifier wire sizing all the time. To help Read more
