When it comes to correlating how the parameters of a speaker translate into music reproduction, well, the details are often somewhat sparse. One speaker characteristic that’s often overlooked when searching for new subwoofers or woofers is Q. This unitless number is a key component in describing how the suspension and motor work to control and Read More…
Moseley Client Adds CarPlay to 2014 Audi RS7 Sedan
A client from Moseley, who found us on Google, called Extreme Audio to ask about adding Apple CarPlay to his 2014 Audi RS7 sedan. He wanted a way to use the Waze navigation application and voice commands to make phone calls and check text messages. After confirming compatibility with the year, make, model and trim Read More…
Apple CarPlay Integration Adds New Technology to 2014 Lexus GS350
One of our regular clients brought his 2014 Lexus GS350 in to get his phone to work with Apple CarPlay on his factory radio. He had seen how advanced features like Apple CarPlay and Android Auto let you connect your phone and use phone apps on the radio in other vehicles, and wanted to know Read More…
CarPlay and Parking Camera Upgrade for Mechanicsville BMW 320i
A client from Mechanicsville recently dropped into Extreme Audio to ask about upgrading her vehicle with CarPlay. She’d seen how the system worked in her husband’s truck and loved the idea of being able to send text messages and make phone calls without touching her phone. After a quick vehicle inspection, we showed her the Read More…
Sound Deadening Adds Luxury to Your Car, Truck or SUV
One trait that has come to be universally expected among luxury vehicles is the quietness of their interior. Once exclusive to such premium vehicles as Mercedes, Audi, BMW and Rolls-Royce, companies like Hyundai and Kia are delivering startlingly quiet interiors. In addition to minimizing road and wind noise, the drone of an exhaust system and Read More…
Will New Speakers Make My Car Stereo Louder?
Over the years, many car audio enthusiasts have complained that while new speakers made their car stereo systems sound better, the new speakers didn’t make the systems any louder. In fact, the more you work to upgrade your speakers, the more you often find that you have traded efficiency for smooth frequency, accuracy and clarity. Read More…
Product Spotlight: Alpine iLX-F411 Multimedia Receiver
The new Alpine Halo-Series iLX-F411 multimedia receiver is now available at Extreme Audio in Mechanicsville and Midlothian. Building on the iLX-F309 and iLX-F409 models’ success with their 9-inch displays, the iLX-F411 steps things up with a massive 11-inch floating touchscreen design. This enormous screen has 49% more surface area than the 9-inch displays and is Read More…
Why Do Car Audio Amps Have Max Power Ratings?
When it comes to car audio amplifiers, people often mistake quality with high power ratings. This misperception has led to manufacturers coming up with every angle or trick possible to measure as much power as possible from their designs. Many manufacturers publish both continuous low-distortion specs as well as maximum power ratings. Are the high Read More…
Speaker Power Ratings Don’t Define Their Quality
The number of times a consumer has asked for a set of speakers based on power ratings is incomprehensibly huge. They ask for 300-watt 6×9’s or a 1,000-watt subwoofer without understanding how the power ratings are created. Let’s quickly review what it takes to make a speaker that can handle a lot of power and Read More…
Fixing the Stereo in the New Jeep Wrangler
Jeep Wranglers are surprisingly popular vehicles, given their heritage as a wartime tool. They aren’t particularly stylish, and they don’t handle as well as a regular car. These issues aside, they sell like crazy. In 2017, Jeep launched the fourth-generation Wrangler with improved aerodynamics, a larger interior and better fuel economy. Unless you opted for Read More…
Why Turning it to 11 Doesn’t Work in a Car Audio System
If we can take anything useful away from the 1984 movie “This is Spinal Tap,” we know that “turning it to 11” is for those times when you need your car audio system to play louder than loud. While the concept seems like a lot of fun when your favorite song comes on, playing your Read More…
Why Does My Sub Amp Have Two Sets of Terminals?
If you’re shopping for a subwoofer amplifier for your car stereo system, you may have noticed that some have two sets of speaker terminals. In most cases, it’s reasonable to assume that an amp with two positive and two negative speaker connections would be a stereo amp. As you’ll soon see, this isn’t always the Read More…
1932 Ford Pickup Hot Rod Gets Bluetooth Radio Upgrade for Great Sound
A client from Chesterfield with a 1932 Ford Pickup needed a new radio, but wanted to avoid modifying the truck to accommodate it. He wanted to keep the factory dash intact, and not cause any damage that might decrease the value of this beautiful ride. We got right to work with a plan. After going Read More…
Product Spotlight: Stinger Heigh10 UN1810 and SRK-JW18EH Jeep Kit
Extreme Audio in Midlothian and Mechanicsville is proud to offer the new Stinger Heigh10 multimedia receiver and SRK-JW18EH Jeep installation kit. The Heigh10 is a 10-inch digital media receiver with Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, aptX Bluetooth audio streaming and an HDMI input. Stinger has developed a custom installation and integration solution for the JL Jeep Read More…
Stereo System Upgrade for Midlothian Mustang GT350
The owner of this cool 2018 Ford Mustang GT350 recently dropped by Extreme Audio in Midlothian to inquire about upgrading its stereo system. We’d resolved some issues with the stereo in his previous Mustang, so when it was time to make his new car sound better, he didn’t hesitate to return to us. He wanted Read More…
Sound Deadening Technology and Terminology
There’s no denying that sound deadening is one of the easiest ways to enhance the comfort of your vehicle and improve the performance of your car audio system. Many kinds of deadening have been available over the years. Let’s take a close look at some of the most common technologies and explain the terminology used Read More…
Product Spotlight: ARC Audio X2-Series Car Audio Subwoofers
Known best for their world-class amplifier solutions, ARC Audio’s new X2-Series subwoofers deliver amazing output and low-frequency extension at surprisingly accessible price points. Available in 10- and 12-inch sizes with your choice of dual 2- or 4-ohm voice coil configurations, these impressive woofers can handle up to 400 watts of power to ensure that your Read More…
Are Smaller Subwoofers Faster than Large Ones?
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…
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…
Charlottesville Client Goes All-in on 2020 Audi S4 Audio Upgrade
A client from Charlottesville recently visited Extreme Audio to start planning an audio system upgrade for his Quantum Grey 2020 Audi S4 sedan. We’d installed a high-end audio system in a truck for this client several years ago. After going through several vehicles, the client decided it was time for an amazing build in a Read More…
Collision Avoidance and Audio System Upgrade for Amelia BMW X3
A client from Amelia recently contacted the team at Extreme Audio to ask about installing one of our blind-spot monitoring solutions in her 2019 BMW X3. While in the store, she asked our team if we could do anything to improve the factory stereo system’s performance. She wanted the sound system to produce more bass 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…
North Chesterfield 2020 Ford F-150 Gets Audio and Accessory Upgrades
A client from North Chesterfield who had seen our excellent online reviews contacted us to upgrade the audio system in his 2020 Ford F-150. He was looking for some lighting for under the steps on his truck, and we ended up discussing how we could upgrade his audio system while the truck was getting the Read More…
Previous Client’s 2015 BMW 335i from Moseley Gets Match Audio Upgrades
A regular client of ours from Moseley for whom we had installed a backup camera on their 2015 BMW 335i contacted us about an audio upgrade. One of the factory speakers was rattling and they wanted a bit more output. Having been completely happy with our previous work in adding a backup camera to the Read More…
Audio System Upgrade Provides Great Sound in 2020 Volkswagen Tiguan
A client reached out to us about upgrading his wife’s 2020 Volkswagen Tiguan audio system after seeing our excellent online reviews. He was looking to improve the sound in his wife’s vehicle as a gift. After consulting with her and figuring out what she didn’t like about the existing system, we put together a plan 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…
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…
Custom Stereo for Chesterfield ’55 Bel Air Hot Rod
A client from Chesterfield was referred to our team at Extreme Audio for the installation of a stereo in his custom 1955 Chevy Bel Air hot rod. After looking at some of the projects we’ve completed and reading our client reviews, he was confident that we could fulfill his requirements. His Bel Air boasts an Read More…