Sony car audio continues to introduce new multimedia receivers with features that everyone, from the car audio enthusiast to the daily commuter, loves. The latest addition is the double-DIN XAV-AX7000 that features a new 6.95-inch bright touchscreen, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone integration and Sony’s High Power 45 watts-per-channel RMS amplifier for amazing sound! Read More…
The Benefits of Paint Protection Film For Your Vehicle
When it comes to keeping a new or freshly painted car or truck looking like new, paint protection film is a great investment. Also known as clear bra, paint film or helicopter tape, this transparent coating acts as a sacrificial yet durable layer that will help prevent damage to the paint surface by absorbing energy Read More…
LTE-connected Dashcam Solutions Provide Peace of Mind
It was only with the adoption of 3G cellular service that streaming video from our phone systems became a reality. 4G cellular services offer a bump in data transfer speed with a theoretical maximum that is more than 50 times faster than 3G, making it easy and reliable to stream high-resolution video. Dashcam manufacturers like Read More…
Understanding Advanced Dashcam Features
By now you know that having a dashcam in your car or truck is the best way to protect your self against fraud and false accusations in the event of an accident. As with any type of consumer electronics product, there are basic dashcams and models with advanced technologies. If you want to know what’s Read More…
The Importance of Professional Dashcam Installation
When it comes to dashcams, getting the right dashcam and having professional installation are key to creating a system that functions reliably and remains safe. Dashcams come in a variety of configurations with many options so that you can capture video of the events in front of and behind your vehicle. Proper installation not only Read More…
Rear Seat Entertainment Options for Your Next Vacation
If you’ve ever been on a road trip with the kids, you’ve undoubtedly heard someone ask, “Are we there yet?” on more than one occasion. If a rousing game of Go Fish or playing the license plate game aren’t cutting it, drop by your local specialist mobile enhancement retailer and ask them which rear seat Read More…
Why Dashcam Resolution Matters
One of the key specifications you should look at when buying a dashcam is its resolution specification. Resolution refers to the number of pixels that the video camera records. This specification directly translates to how much usable detail the system offers. If you witness dangerous driving or an accident, being able to provide accurate information Read More…
Product Spotlight: ARC Audio SW Subwoofers
Producing great bass in a pickup truck requires a subwoofer with shallow mounting requirements and impressive excursion capabilities. The new SW-Series of subwoofers from ARC Audio includes 10- and 12-inch solutions that deliver class-leading performance from their front-magnet, shallow-basket design. ARC Audio SW12 Subwoofer Launched at KnowledgeFest in August 2019, the first SW-Series solution to Read More…
Will Start-Stop Technology Affect Aftermarket Electronic Upgrades?
Many new cars and trucks come with a feature called stop-start technology. This system senses when the car is stopped at a red light or stop sign and shuts down the engine to save fuel. As soon as you release the brake pedal, the engine starts up again, and you’re on your way. The question Read More…
Don’t Put All Your Songs in One Folder on Your USB Drive
With the rise in popularity of digital media files over the last decade, car audio enthusiasts find themselves being more likely to carry a USB memory stick than a stack of compact disks. When it comes to organizing all those MP3, WMA, AAC and FLAC files, most manufacturers suggest that you don’t put all the Read More…
Can You Upgrade The Stereo in a Hybrid or Electric Vehicle?
Hybrid and all-electric vehicles are a great platform for stereo system upgrade. While your local specialist mobile enhancement retailer can’t tap into the main battery pack, the electrical system on these cars or trucks is more than adequate to power an amplifier to drive new speakers or a subwoofer. There are several options for upgrades Read More…
Is it Possible to Underpower a Speaker?
One common misconception about speakers is that underpowering them can cause damage. This fallacy is supported by minimum power ratings from several manufacturers, which adds to the confusion. Never fear, we’re here to explain why you simply can’t damage a speaker by providing it with only a little bit of power, and we’ll clarify how Read More…
Smartphone Versus Built-in Navigation – Which Is Best?
There’s no denying the convenience of having a navigation system in your vehicle, whether it’s smartphone-based or built into your radio. With the nearly instant popularity of Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, smartphone-connected radios are quickly replacing built-in navigation solutions as the upgrade of choice. The question is, which is the better navigation solution? Let’s Read More…
Tools of the Trade – The Digital Multimeter
Our continuing look at the tools a mobile enhancement technician should have at his or her disposal brings us to the ever-important digital multimeter. In the same way that an RTA or oscilloscope is needed to measure and quantify alternating-current signals, a high-quality multimeter is the only way to accurately quantify a DC or fixed-frequency Read More…
How Does a Car Audio Amplifier Work – The Class AB Output Stage
As we continue our look at how car audio amplifiers work, let’s discuss how the classic Class AB amplifier output stage works and explain why it’s still the benchmark for high-end audio systems. How Does a Class AB Output Stage Work? We recently looked at the power supply, the input stage and how Class D Read More…
Tools of the Trade – The RTA
Our series on the tools that are important to test and configure car audio system upgrades moves to the topic of the real-time audio analyzer, also known as an RTA or spectrum analyzer. This important tool helps installers measure the acoustic response of your mobile audio system, and it can be a fundamental component in Read More…
Product Spotlight: ARC Audio RS Series Speakers
The new RS Series speakers from ARC Audio combine amazing technologies and design to deliver crystal-clear sound to music lovers and audiophiles around the globe. The RS project began several years ago and is a collaboration between the transducer development teams in ARC’s US and Danish offices. The goal of the project was to develop Read More…
How Does a Car Audio Amplifier Work? – The Class D Output Stage
As we continue our look at how at how car audio amplifiers work, we need to discuss what has become the most popular design on the market today: amplifiers that use a Class D output stage. In audiophile realms, Class D designs often carry an unfavorable reputation. Do their drawbacks outweigh their benefits? Let’s have Read More…
Product Spotlight: Momento M6 Dashcam
The Momento M6 smart dashcam continues the evolution of amazing features and performance that drivers have come to expect from Firstech. Equipped with a Wi-Fi hotspot that works with an app on your smartphone, downloading videos from the M6 is as easy as tapping a few icons. Read on to learn more about the features Read More…
Is Turning Up the Bass on Your Car Stereo a Good Idea?
If there’s one thing that can add emotion and excitement to your music, it’s adding a little more bass. Bass frequencies, especially those below 80 Hz, can be felt as much as heard at a higher volume level. The tingling in your amps and vibration in your back make a night at a club, your Read More…
Tools of the Trade – The Oscilloscope
Our series of articles on what tools are important to test and configure a car audio system upgrade moves on to the oscilloscope. Tools like digital voltmeters, real-time audio analyzers and, of course, hand tools such as screwdrivers, side cutters, wire strippers and a socket set each have their place and importance. When it comes Read More…
HID versus LED Headlight Bulb Upgrades – Which Is best?
When it comes to safe driving at night, upgrading the headlights in your car or truck with HID or LED bulbs can make a dramatic difference in your ability to see long distances. Dozens of articles and videos on the Internet compare the two technologies. Piecing together information from all of them and wading through Read More…
Automotive Dashcam Features Explained
A dashcam is a compact camera system designed with automotive-specific features to capture video of everything that happens in front of your car or truck. The video files from a dashcam can protect you from fraud or false accusations in the event of an accident. Let’s take a look at some of the most popular Read More…
Understanding Specifications: Operating Voltage Tolerances and Protection Circuits
To close out our series of educational articles on amplifier specifications, we are going to talk about operating voltage limits and, by association, the protection circuits built into a car audio amplifier. In the good old days of electrical systems that were composed of an alternator, battery, switches and a couple of relays, delivering a Read More…
Car Audio Amplifier Remote Control Options
If you are thinking about having your local mobile enhancement retailer add a subwoofer amplifier to your car or truck, you may want to ask them about the remote level or bass boost control options that are available. Being able to adjust the amount of bass your system produces from the driver’s seat allows you Read More…
Product Spotlight: ARC Audio Pro-Series DSP Platform
The product development team at ARC Audio has been hard at work developing a new collection of digital signal processors called the Pro-Series. This new family of processors includes the flagship stand-alone PS8-PRO, the PS8-50 DSP-equipped eight-channel amplifier rated at 50 watts per channel and the IPS8.8 DSP upgrade module for the new two-, four- Read More…
Understanding Specifications: Class AB Car Audio Amplifier Crossover Distortion
We are at our second-to-last article in our car audio amplifier specification series and this time, we are going to talk about Class AB amplifier crossover distortion. This distortion has nothing to do with the high- or low-pass filters built into your amplifier; it’s a problem with the very concept of the Class B amplifier Read More…
Understanding Replacement Automotive Headlight Bulb Color
Upgrading the headlight bulbs in your car or truck can dramatically improve your safety and the safety of other drivers, pedestrians and cyclists. Your local mobile enhancement retailer may offer high-quality HID or LED bulb upgrade kits in a variety of color temperature options. These colors typically vary from 3,000 to 12,000 K. The question Read More…
Product Spotlight: Sony MEX-N5300BT
Though single-DIN Bluetooth CD radios don’t get talked about as often as their multimedia receiver brethren, products like the Sony MEX-N5300BT remain in high demand. As the premium product just below the GS-Series source units, the MEX-N5300BT is equipped with all the source feature and connectivity requirements you’ll need to ensure that you will be Read More…
How Does a Car Audio Amplifier Work? – The Input Stage
It’s time to look at the input stage of how a modern car audio amplifier works. The input stage is responsible for interfacing with your radio and provides features like the gain control, crossovers, bass boost, remote level control and signal summing that your installer will use to make your stereo system sound great and Read More…