Showcasing the Best in the Mobile Enhancement Industry
The car audio industry, just like any other technical field, is full of words and phrases that are specific to the equipment we use and the work we do. Because we are often communicating with our peers, suppliers and occasionally technical support staff, we get very used to using these terms. For a consumer walking in the front door, it’s unreasonable to expect them to know or Read more
With the increasing performance and features of factory-installed infotainment and audio systems, many of my friends have asked whether we still need aftermarket audio systems. I was recently in California on business and rented a 2018 Chevrolet Camaro SS for my drive from Long Beach to Modesto and back to San Francisco. Having spent about 12 hours in the car over the week, I Read more
As with many veterans of the mobile enhancement industry, Michael Oechsner was introduced to car audio when a high school friend asked him to help install a stereo system. The amplifier and 12-inch subwoofers in this Lincoln Town Car were Michael’s first taste of what a mobile audio system could be. Michael recalls asking his friends about “the cylinder with the Medusa of wires Read more
Whether the sound system in your car or truck is bone stock or upgraded with premium amplifiers, speakers and subwoofers, the system’s maximum volume may not directly coincide with turning the knob up all the way. The short and sweet of why this happens is something called gain overlap. This conscious and deliberate design decision ensures that any signal source can be played Read more
In 1998, Demitrios Karabinis, a veteran of the car audio and show car scene, created ARC Audio with the help of several friends and business partners from around the globe. With offices in California, Washington, Taiwan and China, ARC Audio operates as a global family of mobile electronics enthusiasts that engineers and delivers products that offer the features system designers Read more
We’ve talked about car audio amplifier features and specifications at great length, but up to this point, we haven’t discussed how a car audio amplifier works. In this article, we’ll provide a simple overview of how the power supply in your mobile amplifier can take the 12 volts supplied by your electrical system and convert it into a much higher voltage to drive your Read more
Unlike buying and setting up a basic home audio system, having a new amplifier and speakers installed in your car or truck requires proper setup and tuning. At home, you can adjust the placement of the speakers and how much they are toed in to affect the focus of the soundstage and the bass response. In a car, your installer needs to mount the amplifier, wire it, then adjust Read more
As a person, the environment you are in typically helps shape who you are. It also helps define your skill set, focus and drive to accomplish things that you feel are important. In this article, we will profile Brandon Wargo of The Custom Shop in Flanagan, Illinois, and talk about how this shop has helped him develop as a technician and future architect.Brandon is studying Read more
Located in Stony Point, New York, Apicella Auto Sound isn’t your typical car stereo shop and has a unique backstory. Owner Nick Apicella told us that he had never really done the same job for more than six months at a time. In most cases, he spent his winters snowboarding or working somewhere and wishing he could do things his way. In the spring of 2017, as winter was coming to Read more
