Showcasing the Best in the Mobile Enhancement Industry
Soon after I entered the car audio industry in 1988, the shop I worked for purchased the Term-CAD enclosure design software for our DOS-based computer. I used to spend hours entering specs from the Rockford Fosgate, Kicker, MTX, Pioneer and Alpine subs we carried and would simulate hundreds of vented, bandpass and isobaric designs to learn how enclosure volume and tuning Read more
A short while back, we published an article headlined “What Does it Mean When a Subwoofer Claims to Work in a Small Enclosure?” One of our readers, Eric T., asked some great questions on our Facebook page, and we told him we’d be happy to answer them. The original article explained the physics of what happens when you try to stuff a subwoofer in an enclosure that’s too Read more
When it comes to subwoofer amplifiers from Rockford Fosgate, a few models stand out in the annals of car audio history: the Power 1000, the Power T15kW and the T2500-1bdCP. The latter is currently the flagship of the Power Series and is the most powerful subwoofer amplifier available from our friends in Tempe, Arizona. It’s a workhorse capable of impressive performance, so Read more
There are two schools of thought when designing a custom car audio installation: The solutions can be designed to stand out and highlight the upgrades, or they can be designed to blend with the rest of the vehicle. While I appreciate both styles, installations that blend with the cosmetic cues already in the vehicle are my preference. It’s challenging to make something Read more
When it comes to car audio subwoofer upgrades, infinite baffle installations have been around for as long as subwoofers have existed. The science behind a subwoofer installation that doesn’t use a compact enclosure is quite simple. As with any subwoofer system design, some benefits and drawbacks need to be considered. Strap on your thinking caps; we’re diving in! What Is an Read more
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
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
Few upgrades make a more noticeable change or add more fun to your car audio system than adding a subwoofer system. The car audio fanatics at Rockford Fosgate have made it easy to choose a performance level with their P1, P2 and P3 dual 12-inch 2X12 Loaded Punch Series subwoofer enclosures. Let’s dig into what makes these bass upgrades deliver some of the best bang for the buck 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
You’d think it’d be easy to choose an amplifier of a specific power rating to work with a 500-watt subwoofer. In reality, we need to consider several factors, particularly performance and reliability. Let’s take a detailed look at the complexity of choosing the perfect amplifier for your car audio subwoofer system. The Myth and Mystery of Car Audio Amplifier Power Read more
