When choosing a subwoofer system for your car or truck, picking the right products can be the difference between accurate and musical bass or a sloppy, boomy mess. Over the decades, small subwoofers have gained a reputation for being described as faster than those with larger cone diameters. Is woofer speed a thing? Can we Read More…
Product Spotlight: SoundShield Slim and WrapIt
The SoundShield team has recently introduced two new products to help mobile enhancement retailers deliver amazing upgrades: Slim and WrapIt. Slim is a butyl damping material designed for applications where material thickness is a concern. WrapIt closed-cell foam allows technicians to control vibrations at specific points in the vehicle. These new products, combined with the Read More…
Upgrade the Radio on Your Motorcycle for Performance and Features
Most touring motorcycles and trikes come with some form of radio and entertainment system. With the majority of bikes on the road being older models, many of their audio systems lack modern technologies like Bluetooth audio streaming, support for digital audio files like MP3 and WMA, and SiriusXM satellite radio. Even if you have a Read More…
Product Spotlight: Compustar PRO T13 Remote Kit
Car or truck owners looking for a remote start solution with the most features and longest range will want to check out the new PRO T13 remote kit from Compustar. Considered the new benchmark for performance, the T13 combines an amazing 3 miles of range with a color LCD screen and the new Proximity Unlock Read More…
Product Spotlight: Compustar PRO R5 Remote Start
Compustar, the world-leader in high-performance remote start and security systems, recently introduced the new PRO R5 remote. This one-button remote boasts up to 2 miles of range and includes a proximity unlocking feature that makes it easier than ever to use. If convenience and reliability are at the top of your vehicle convenience upgrade shopping Read More…
What is Car Audio Amplifier Bridging?
For decades, stereo and multichannel amplifiers have offered the option of bridging to deliver significant power to a single speaker. Whether you refer to it as bridging, a bridge-tied load (BTL) or strapping, the process is the same. Curious how it works? Read on and we’ll explain. How Most Stereo Car Audio Amplifiers Work If Read More…
Five Upgrades to Make Your Motorcycle’s Audio Sound Better
If you’re a fan of a little “wind therapy,” then having some great music to listen to while you you’re riding your motorcycle starts with a great audio system. Sure, BMW, Harley-Davidson, Kawasaki and Honda include radios and speakers with their touring bikes, but so do Toyota and Hyundai cars and SUVs. All of them Read More…
Drone Telematics System Minimizes Worry about Vehicle Theft, Vandalism
A high-quality car alarm or security system is a great way to prevent vehicle theft. With that said, what if thieves decide to ignore the siren and drag your car away with a tow truck? Would you even know if your vehicle was gone before you tried to leave for work the next morning? Drone Read More…
Upgrade your Golf Cart with Audio and Lighting
Whether you’re spending an afternoon on the links with a couple of friends, towing your race car back to the pits, or you just have to have the coolest Club Car or E-Z-GO on the block, your local specialty mobile enhancement retailer can help. From audio systems and lighting upgrades to heated seats and lift Read More…
What to Know About 2013 and Newer Harley-Davidson Radio Upgrades
If you own a 2013 or newer Harley-Davison touring bike, then there are a few things you need to know before you decide to upgrade your stereo system. We know that the Boom! Box radio has a reasonable set of features with navigation, an AM/FM tuner, a USB port for digital audio files, and support Read More…
What Are the Advantages of a Three-Way Front Stage?
When it comes to upgrading your car audio system to deliver amazingly realistic performance, many people choose what’s known as a three-way front stage. In the simplest of terms, this refers to there being three speakers on each side of the vehicle. As we explained in our article about the need for different speaker sizes, Read More…
Do I Have to Use Both Coils on My Car Audio Subwoofer?
A while back, we took a look at the difference between single and dual-voice-coil subwoofers. In a nutshell, there is no benefit or drawback to either choice. The options exist so you can present the amplifier you have chosen with a load impedance that allows it to make power reliably. There have been many instances Read More…
Modern Marine Radio Options for Your Boat or UTV
Marine radio designs and features have come a long way. Years ago, when Clarion introduced the first marine radios to the world, they were enhanced versions of Clarion’s car stereo solutions. Soon after, water-resistant faces were added to allow the radios to stay outside in the cockpit all year long. Over the next few decades, Read More…
What Size Subwoofer Should I Buy for My Car Stereo?
When it comes to subwoofer sizes for car audio systems, many people think that bigger is better. While we won’t argue with the fact that a speaker with more cone area can be more efficient, the output capabilities of a subwoofer depend significantly on the enclosure it’s installed in. In this article, we are going Read More…
Should I Upgrade my Car Audio RCA Interconnect Cables?
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. Read More…
Product Spotlight: ARC Audio X2 6.2 Component Speakers
When it’s time to upgrade the stereo system in your car or truck, drop by your local ARC Audio authorized retailer and check out the X2 6.2 component speakers. This 6.5-inch two-way speaker set offers class-leading sound quality and detail at a price point that won’t hurt your wallet. With ARC Audio’s focused design goal Read More…
Is Adding Sound Deadening First the Best Car Audio Upgrade?
We’ve suggested many times that adding a subwoofer to a factory-installed car stereo is one of the best upgrades you can make to improve the sound. After some careful consideration, we have another first-upgrade suggestion that might provide an equally impressive improvement to your audio system – sound deadening. Most car audio enthusiasts associate sound Read More…
Drone Telematics is Ideal for Families with Young Drivers
If there’s a young driver in your family, upgrading your vehicle with a telematics system like Drone is a great way to know where they are and how they’re driving. Drone combines high-speed cellular LTE connectivity with an onboard GPS receiver to relay the exact location of the vehicle to your smartphone or the Drone Read More…
Car Audio Amplifier Power Ratings Don’t Determine Quality
If you’re on social media, then you’ve likely seen numerous discussions or links to videos about amplifier power ratings. If your goal is an audio system that only plays loudly, then the wattage measurements matter. It seems that many consumers are confused about the correlation between power ratings and quality. Let’s look at why car Read More…
Audio and Convenience Upgrades for Ford Super Duty Trucks
If you own or are considering purchasing or leasing a Ford F-250, F-350 and F-450 Super Duty truck, your local specialty mobile enhancement retailer has a seemingly unlimited list of audio, convenience and accessory upgrades available. Whether you want to add a subwoofer for better bass response, upgraded lighting for better visibility, or running boards Read More…
Why Do Marine Audio Installations Take Longer?
Upgrading the stereo system on your boat with new speakers, high-power amplifiers and subwoofers is a great way to make a day on the water a lot more fun. Just be aware that the behind-the-scenes work involved in these installations can take more time and is a lot more complicated than the equivalent work on Read More…
Control Your Vehicle with Google Assistant or Apple Siri
Drone from Firstech has made communicating with your vehicle more accessible than ever, thanks to integration with digital assistants like Google Assistant and Apple Siri. Remember when Michael Knight used to talk to KITT using a communicator on his watch? KITT could start the engine and be ready to go in a split-second once Michael Read More…
Let’s Talk About Car Audio Wire Size
Specialty mobile enhancement installation technicians couldn’t upgrade the audio systems in our cars and trucks if they didn’t have access to high-quality, correctly sized wiring. Whether they are connecting a pair of speakers to a radio or running large power and ground wires from a battery to an amplifier, wiring and its size is crucial. Read More…
A Close Look at the Four Drone Subscription Packages
Drone is a state-of-the-art vehicle control, monitoring and tracking solution from Firstech. Using lightning-fast LTE connectivity, the system will let you unlock the doors, pop the trunk, remote start and ensure that nobody is tampering with your vehicle — from almost anywhere on the planet. The Drone system requires a service package to let your Read More…
What Are Car Audio Preamp Interfaces?
If you’ve purchased a car or truck in the last five to 10 years, there’s a good chance that the stereo system is integrated with the climate control and vehicle configuration system. Without an interface to extract a high-quality pre-amp audio signal, upgrading these vehicles with new speakers, amplifiers or a subwoofer can be difficult Read More…
Product Spotlight: Sony XAV-AX5500 Bluetooth Media Receiver
Sony’s new XAV-AX5500 media receiver not only covers all the ground, but it also raises the bar in terms of smartphone connectivity. Equipped with WebLink 2.0, you can see and control your compatible smartphone right from the 6.95-inch touchscreen on the radio. Of course, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, high-quality Bluetooth audio streaming and all the Read More…
Can Cheap Car Audio Speakers Sound Good?
When it comes to good car audio speakers, it’s universally accepted that we’re talking about smooth frequency response and a lack of distortion. Buying a set of good car audio speakers can be a daunting task, with options that vary from well under $50 to over $5,000. Can a cheap speaker sound good? Let’s look Read More…
Why Upgrading Your Car Audio System with DSP Is a Good Idea
For well more than a decade, respectable mobile enhancement retailers around the world have understood the need for a digital signal processor to be included in any car audio system upgrade. Even if you’ve chosen the lowest-distortion speakers on the planet and your installer has agonized over placement and integration, they still need a way Read More…
Product Spotlight: ARC Audio X2 600.4
When it comes to balancing fantastic sound quality with impressive power production, the X2 600.4 four-channel amplifier from ARC Audio checks all the boxes. This compact amplifier is rated to produce 150 watts per channel, and it includes all the signal routing and integration features your installer would need to complete your installation. ARC Audio Read More…
Buying Your First Car Audio Amplifier
One of the biggest upgrades you can make to a basic car audio system is to add a high-power amplifier. The most significant benefit of adding an amplifier is the ability for you to play your music at higher levels without running into distortion. Choosing the right amp for your car or truck is a Read More…