Not all that long ago, upgrading the performance of your car audio system required that you replace the factory source unit. The industry had dozens of premium CD receivers with state-of-the-art signal processing and high-end digital-to-analog converters. The popularity of these source units and the audio systems that could be built around them was not Read More…
Integrate Waze Into Your Vehicle At Extreme Audio
Did you know that Extreme Audio in Midlothian and Mechanicsville can integrate Waze into your vehicle? That’s right! Android Auto includes native support for Waze – allowing you to navigate the roads in the Richmond area, or anywhere in the US or Canada efficiently and safely. Let’s look at why this has become the preeminent Read More…
How to Buy a Remote Start System For Your Vehicle
Mobile electronics require a much different purchasing process than something you are buying for home use. A piece of furniture, a new toaster or a new lawnmower may require similar levels of research before making the purchase, but once you have them, you can take them home, unpack them, and start using them right away. Read More…
Remote Starter Smartphone Control Available Just In Time For Winter
With the colder weather upon us, the mobile electronics industry is shifting its focus from audio systems to remote car starters. When it comes to buying a remote car starter, the biggest decision consumers have to make is how much range they need. If you are looking for the ultimate in convenience, a telematics system Read More…
Google’s Waze offers the Best in Navigation
It’s not often that a piece of software creates a significant impact on our daily lives. Milestone social media apps like Facebook and Twitter most certainly remain in the limelight, but when it comes to actually being productive, Waze is a major step forward in navigation apps for our smartphones. In the summer of 2017, Read More…
Will Upgrading My Speakers Make My Stereo Sound Better?
When it comes to reproducing an audio signal, your speakers are the most important component in the food chain. You could have the best source unit and amplifiers known to man, but if your speakers are mediocre, then the listening experience will suffer. That said, the world of car audio has changed over the years. Read More…
Product Spotlight: GTR Lighting HID Headlights
When it comes to headlight upgrades, nothing beats the performance of a set of GTR Lighting HID headlights from Extreme Audio in Richmond. High intensity discharge bulbs can provide more than 3,500 lumens of light output per bulb to ensure everything in front of your vehicle is visible, even on the darkest of nights. Let’s Read More…
10 Things You Didn’t Know You Could Do with a Remote Car Starter
With summer coming to an end and frost in the forecast, there’s no better time to add a remote starter to your car, truck or SUV. Most of us know that our remote starter systems can also control the power locks in our vehicles, but many systems are full of additional advanced features that add Read More…
Why Does My Car Have Surround Sound?
If you have ever been to a movie theatre, you have probably experienced what is known as surround sound. There are at least five discreet audio tracks encoded into the film you are watching, and most also include a Low-Frequency Effects (LFE) channel. The purpose of these audio channels is to allow the source of Read More…
Is Replacing My Radio the Best Way to Increase Sound Quality?
Since the late ’80s, the car audio industry has experienced incredible levels of growth. New technology and features have expanded our opportunities to increase sound quality and enhance entertainment. What hasn’t changed are the core building blocks of how sound systems are designed. Every system starts with a source. We call this the head unit, Read More…
Car Audio System Setup
It may seem as if they should be similar processes, but installing a new source unit, amplifiers and speakers in a car is unlike installing most home audio systems. It is not as simple as plugging things in and hoping they work. Proper integration of your new electronics into modern vehicles and their wiring is Read More…
It’s Smart to Purchase Your Audio Gear From the Shop Installing It
In the “old days” if you wanted to buy something, you went to a store. Now, with the increasing popularity of online shopping, mobile electronics enthusiasts have a seemingly unlimited number of options where they buy the audio gear they want. In this article, we will discuss some of the benefits of purchasing your equipment Read More…
Chesterfield Car Audio Experts at Extreme Audio
Clients looking for the best Chesterfield car audio products and services choose Extreme Audio in Midlothian. From our state-of-the-art showroom and personalized consultations, we strive to provide our clients with the best-value and performance in their mobile electronic upgrade purchases. Read on to find out why Extreme Audio is considered the best vehicle enhancement company Read More…
Is Darker Window Tint Better?
In 1966, 3M developed the first window tinting solution to reflect the heat energy of the sun away and help keep the interior of your vehicle cool. Dozens of companies now manufacture window tint films and each has several different series of films with varied performance offerings. In the last few years, many companies have Read More…
Chesterfield Car Stereo Pros, Extreme Audio
Extreme Audio serves Midlothian, Mechanicsville and Chesterfield car stereo and vehicle accessory clients with the best products and service in the Richmond area. Our team of highly skilled auto sound experts is available to upgrade the sound system in your car, truck, motorcycle or boat with the best products on the market. Let’s look at Read More…
Custom Installations – Past and Present
Custom car audio installations have changed a great deal over the years. More often than not, custom installations from years ago often looked like ‘bolted-on’ additions to a vehicle. Modern systems blend seamlessly with your interior. Advances in construction techniques allow your installer to create complex multi-dimensional shapes that look like they came from the Read More…
OEM Sound System Measurements for Audio System Upgrades
Upgrading a factory audio system is not as easy as it used to be. In the late 1990s and early 2000s, connecting an amplifier and a new set of speakers to a factory source unit would yield impressive, if not amazing, results. As automobile manufacturers put more focus on the performance of factory-installed sound systems, Read More…
Off-Road Electrical Accessories
An afternoon of plowing through knee-high mud or bouncing off rocks in your favorite four-wheeler is a lot of fun! But proper preparation before embarking on your adventure will help to ensure that your day goes without issue. When it comes to preparation, a reliable electrical system and properly-installed accessories are as important as the Read More…
Definitions: Speaker Parameters
The adage that someone could write a book about a subject certainly holds true when it comes to a discussion of loudspeakers and their parameters. In fact, there are dozens of great books already available about the subject. This article provides an overview of some of the most commonly discussed speaker parameters. What are Speaker Read More…
What To Look for When Shopping for Motorcycle Audio Speakers
Now that the weather is great all across the country, motorcycle enthusiasts have a chance to get their bikes out and go for a ride – but many riders complain that the factory audio systems on their bikes don’t sound as good as they’d like. There are several reasons why, and a few relatively easy Read More…
Yes, We Can Install Blind Spot Detection In Your Vehicle
Vehicle owners who are looking for a way to enhance their safety on the roads of Richmond and Mechanicsville come to Extreme Audio for blind spot detection systems. We joke that a sixth sense, or having “eyes in the back of our heads,” sometimes saves us from costly incidents. Imagine if your car could tell Read More…
Hot Rod, RestoMod, and Restoration Source Unit Options
The stereotypical image of a “Woody” station wagon with a surfboard on the roof is missing one critically important element to make it part of the perfect day on the beach: an audio system. In the 1960s, the aftermarket car audio scene was weak. Compared to now, there weren’t any options for source units, speakers Read More…
Automotive Battery Science: How Batteries Work
Your automotive battery is one of the most important, and most often overlooked, electrical components in your vehicle. If your battery is not in good condition, you can be stranded, and other components in your vehicle may be damaged. This article discusses how batteries work and how to take care of them. What is Inside Read More…
RCA Y-Cables, Friend or Foe?
If you spend any time reading car audio discussions on Facebook or in forums, then you will have undoubtedly come across comments involving the supposed drawbacks of using RCA Y-cables. There seems to be a lot of misconception or misunderstanding about how preamp signals works, and this misinformation leads to comments that aren’t always accurate. Read More…
Harley-Davidson Radio Flashing for Maximum Audio Performance
Extreme Audio in Midlothian and Mechanicsville offers Harley-Davidson radio flashing for 2014 and newer Boom!™ Box-equipped bikes. Extreme Audio has invested in the equipment to make these modifications. You can call it programming, reflashing, reconfiguring or electronic voodoo if you want. The radio flashing process is crucially important to the sound quality and reliable performance Read More…
Differential Inputs are Your Friend
In the 80s and 90s, it seemed like car audio installers were often having to resolve noise issues after installing a system that included an amplifier or signal processor. In many cases, the problem was called a ground loop. However, in some cases, the noise was present because one of the signal cables passed by Read More…
Bench Battle: Headunit Features vs. Performance
Awhile ago, a client asked us what you get when you buy a “better” headunit. The usual answer is that you get more features and improved functionality. Those of us with a drive for the ultimate in sound quality and realism from our mobile electronics systems choose products in hopes of them receiving improved sound Read More…
Custom Vented Enclosures-More Bang for Your Buck
We all know that the performance of different makes and models of speakers and subwoofers has a dramatic difference in how they sound. When it comes to the installation of subwoofers, the choice of enclosure plays a huge role in the sound of the subwoofer system. In this article, we look at some of the Read More…
Fuses: To Serve and Protect!
Let’s face it: Accidents happen. Minimizing the collateral damage from an accident is important. When you have a mobile electronics system that includes installing an amplifier in your vehicle, a discussion about fuses or circuit protection should take place before the installation begins. Choosing the right device to ensure your system works as intended and Read More…
Steering Wheel Audio Control Integration
When you go shopping for a new radio for your car, one of the many questions the product specialist should ask you is whether your existing radio has steering wheel-mounted audio controls. Almost every aftermarket radio has provisions to accept a signal that will give you steering wheel audio control functions like volume, source selection, Read More…