Once you’ve gotten into the habit of using remote start to warm/cool your car, there’s no going back to the old system of freezing/sweating until your car’s temperature approaches something habitable. But while you can’t, and won’t, go back, there’s always the option of moving forward to the next level in remote start, sometimes called Read More…
Apple CarPlay Now Available In The Richmond Market
Extreme Audio is pleased to announce the long awaited introduction of Apple’s CarPlay software for the automobile. This is revolutionary software that allows many of the most popular functions of an iPhone 5 or newer running iOS 7.1 or later to be voice controlled through Siri. The operation is incredibly easy. You plug your Lightning Read More…
Why Choose Extreme Audio For Your Remote Car Starter Install?
Here at Extreme Audio, we get asked a lot about what makes us different from all of the other shops in the Richmond market. When it comes to getting a remote car starter installed, the product you choose and the quality of the installation are very important. A properly designed and installed remote car starter Read More…
Remote Starters Offer Many Convenience Features
Most people these days know that you can add something to a vehicle to start it remotely, aka a remote start. But here at Extreme Audio we have many popular features that people may not be familiar with. So let’s explore some of the most popular options for remote starters. DroneMobile Unlimited Range and Convenience DroneMobile systems Read More…
Car Stereo Features You Need To Start Using
No two car stereos are exactly alike, but there are a number of common features that you may not be using to your full advantage. Here’s a look at some features you may be overlooking: The CD Player CD players may seem like a blast from the past, but most modern systems are capable of Read More…
HD Radio – It’s Out There, And It’s Awesome!
You’ve probably at least heard of HD Radio by now. Maybe you’ve been shopping for a new AV receiver for your home or car that includes HD Radio compatibility, or they’ve mentioned it on your local radio station. Still, for something that increases your listening experience so significantly, and has been around for years now, Read More…
The Best Smartphone Apps For Drivers
Thanks to MirrorLink and other technologies by vehicle and car audio manufacturers, it’s never been easier to incorporate smart phone-style apps into your driving experience – internet radio apps, navigation apps, voice control apps, remote start apps, and more. But that’s just the tip of the iceberg, with hundreds of incredible apps out there for Read More…
The Buzz Over Bluetooth In Your Vehicle
Most people already know that Bluetooth is a short-range, wireless communications standard and some might even have Bluetooth headphones, game controllers or mobile phone headsets. In the world of car audio and electronics, however, it’s been taken to a whole new level. Bluetooth is a secure, fast and high bandwith option, making it ideal for Read More…
Window Tinting: Privacy, Safety, Health and Comfort
When you think about it, most vehicles are glass boxes from the doors up. But while you need to see out for obvious reasons, does everybody really need to be able to see in? Professional window tinting gives drivers privacy while filtering sunlight to keep vehicles cooler. Rated tinting can also block up to 99 Read More…
Motorcycle Audio: Upgrades For The Bike Set
Creating the same audio and electronics experience for your motorcycle as you enjoy for your car isn’t as hard as it sounds. Motorcycles have a lot less available space to work with, but that doesn’t mean you can’t upgrade your bike’s electronics to include everything from enhanced speaker systems to mounts for your phones and Read More…
Marine Audio: Rugged Audio For Boats, Buggies, Bikes And More
Summer is here, and that means it’s time to get back outside – and take your music with you. The only problem is that most audio gear, like amps and speakers, doesn’t get along too well with water, and the technology isn’t a big fan of sand and dust, either. Luckily, there are solutions. We offer Read More…
In-Car Video: A Moving Experience
While catching up on the latest season of The Walking Dead isn’t recommended on your commute to work, there are a lot of good reasons why you should consider video in your vehicle. In-car video systems are great for people who spend a lot of time sitting in their cars; overhead systems are great for large vehicles Read More…
Extremely Motivated!
(The following is reprinted with permission from the May, 2014 issue of Mobile Electronics Magazine. The article was written by Michelle Fisher) You might think Mike Bartells would bask in the triumphs of his shop, Extreme Audio, after winning a major industry award, completing a full garage remodel and revamping the store’s website, but then Read More…
Why You Should Always Buy From an Authorized Retailer
There are times when a deal can be too good to be true. It’s a great price and it is in stock so the temptation is strong. But then you discover that the retailer you are considering is not an authorized retailer for that product or brand. “What difference does that make” you might ask? When Read More…
What Is A Gain Control? (It’s NOT a Volume Control)
What’s your first move after getting a new amp installed? Find the gain knob, crank it to 11 and party! Otherwise you’re just wasting power, right? Here’s some news: setting your gains incorrectly doesn’t only hurt your sound quality, it will damage your gear as well. A great car audio system requires proper tuning and gain controls Read More…
How Much Amplifier Power Do I Need?
We are asked this question all the time: “How much amplifier power do I need?” Simply put, the amount of amplifier power that you need will depend on what you are trying to do. Higher frequencies require less cone movement to reproduce, thus less power is required. A good amplifier for midrange and highs needs Read More…
Internet Radio: Opening Pandora On Your Music Box, And Other Streaming Options
If you’ve been shopping for a head unit (also called a deck, AV receiver, stereo or car radio) recently, you may have noticed that a lot of systems are offering internet radio connectivity — often Pandora, although some have apps for Spotify, Grooveshark and other services. How exactly does that work, you might ask yourself? Read More…
The Next Word in Navigation
Technology has evolved hugely in recent years and navigation is no exception. The days refolding oversized maps and pulling into gas stations to ask for directions are over. Or should be. At the basic level, most smart phones will have some kind of GPS and many systems do offer turn-by-turn navigation, and a wide variety Read More…
High Definition Audio: What You Need to Know!
In recent years we’ve seen video go one way, and audio another. HD televisions are more or less standard now, offering clearer, sharper pictures with smoother refresh rates. Ultra HD TVs — also called 4K — are also on the way with about four times as many pixels to look at. On the flipside, the Read More…
Backup Cameras: Cheaper Than A New Bumper
Once upon a time, backup cameras were a minivan extra and that’s about it. But as the price of cameras and technology comes down, backup cameras are now a smart and affordable aftermarket purchase. The most obvious reason to invest in a backup camera system is to protect your vehicle from curbs, posts, fire hydrants, Read More…
Top 5 Ways to Make Your Car Audio System Sound Better
You’ve lived with the factory system for a while, and you’re ready for better sound. So where do you start? Here are five steps to get that live concert sound that you are looking for from your car audio system. 1. Upgrade Your Speakers The first step, and the most bang for the buck, is to upgrade Read More…
Why Choose a Specialty Retailer For Your Audio Enhancement
Specialty retailers typically offer the very best value available when you are making a purchase of a technical nature. But what is a specialty retailer? In most cases, a specialty retailer is a small, locally owned company that focuses on 1 or 2 things and does them extremely well. Extreme Audio is proud to be Read More…
Prevent Distracted Driving with Bluetooth Technology
Not only is it considered safer to avoid holding a cell phone to your ear while driving, it’s also against the law in a growing number of places: In the U.S., 12 states now have blanket bans on driving using a handheld cell phone, while 37 states have bans for novice drivers. Text messaging while Read More…
“It’s a 2000 Watt Amplifier. It Says It Right There!”
Think again. As with almost every other shop in the country, we often have clients who come in with “big” amps and even bigger expectations. Stamped on the top of the amp is some outrageous claim of “2000 watts” and on the side are two 30 amp fuses. Of course the client wants to Read More…
Price vs. Value: Why Not Just Buy It From the Cheapest Place?
Any small local business hears this all the time: “I can get a better price online” or “The place across town has a better price.” We admit that we hear this from time to time ourselves. We have built our business on value, not on price. We believe that we offer the very best value Read More…
Installation: Your Most Important Consideration When Buying Car Audio
Today you have a lot of choices when buying electronics for your car. Online, warehouses, flea markets, and of course, specialty retailers like us. There is a lot of discussion about which brand is best. Truth is, there are a lot of quality brands available. We choose ours through a rigorous process of testing and, Read More…
Audibles: How To Make Sense Of Car Audio Terms
Don’t you hate when your read about a product and don’t know what some of the words and phrases mean? At the store, we work hard to make things easy for our clients. That means using plain language whenever we talk about the high-tech mobile audio products we sell. However, if you’re still curious what Read More…
What Does It Mean To Be A Retailer Of the Year
2013 was a big year for us at Extreme Audio. We completed a floor to ceiling remodel of our installation facility. We expanded into new product categories and we invested in high-end fabrication training for our entire staff. But nothing could have prepared us for what happened ing August. We were absolutely shocked when we Read More…
Richmond Facebook Fan Wins A Free Remote Car Starter
Extreme Audio recently ran a promotion on Facebook giving away a FREE Remote Car Starter to a lucky fan! Our Facebook fans shared our post about the upcoming snow on their pages, and that got them entered to win a Remote Car Starter up to a $500 value! The lucky winner this time was Rachael Read More…
Extreme Audio Named Mobile Electronics Retailer of the Year
For Immediate Release Extreme Audio Receives Industry’s Top Honors Customization specialists take home awards for its retail location September 26, 2013 – Mechanicsville, VA. – Extreme Audio, premier vehicle entertainment personalization specialist located in Mechanicsville, Va., received the Retailer of the Year award last month at the Mobile Electronics Industry Awards. While this is the Read More…