While Tesla has done amazing work on the massive infotainment display in the Model 3 and Model Y, music enthusiasts haven’t been impressed by the speakers, amplifiers and subwoofers. Fortunately, Extreme Audio near Richmond, Virginia, has a solution to transform these high-tech vehicles into a rolling concert hall. Let’s look at the Alpine Tesla audio Read More…
Car Audio Myth: You Can’t Hear Low-Frequency Distortion
At least once a week, someone comments on social media or in a forum that you can’t hear low-frequency distortion from subwoofers or amplifiers. We have no idea where this myth came from. However, if you understand what distortion is and how it works, you’ll know this myth is utter and complete nonsense. Yes, we Read More…
Fine-Tuning Your Sound: Understanding the Power of Parametric Equalizers
When looking at the options for frequency response correction for audio systems, your installer has two choices: graphic or parametric equalizers. Both types of equalizers perform the same task in helping to smooth the peaks and dips in what you hear from your audio system. However, the two equalizer types deliver the same results in Read More…
Why Is a Car Audio Equalizer Important to Create Realistic Sound?
The single most crucial upgrade a person can make to their car audio system is to incorporate a properly configured equalizer. Whether you have a radio and two speakers or a high-end four-way system with active crossovers, ensuring that the system’s frequency response is accurate remains the most important consideration concerning quality. Let’s examine how Read More…
Car Audio Amplifier Remote Level Controls Aren’t Universal
Here are three sentences that make car audio experts cringe: “I set the gains halfway” is definitely at the top of the list. “Can I use a 60-watt amp with my 80-watt speakers?” demonstrates a complete misunderstanding of the irrelevance of power ratings. Something like “I tried the remote bass control from my Sony amp Read More…
Tips for a Loud Car Stereo System: It’s Speaker Excursion, Not Efficiency
We aren’t sure where or when things went wrong with the basshead crowd, but there’s a serious misunderstanding about how to build a loud stereo system. We’ve lost track of how many of these vehicles we’ve heard that sound utterly atrocious. No, we aren’t talking about the fact there’s 30 or 40 dB too much Read More…
Selecting the Best Amplifier for Your Car Audio Speakers
Speaker power ratings are among the most confusing and misleading specifications in the car audio industry. Once you understand the process used to test speaker power handling, you’ll quickly realize that the information doesn’t always translate to information that’s helpful in choosing an amplifier. Let’s dive into the science behind choosing the best amplifier for Read More…
Explaining Audio Signal Phase and Polarity
Understanding how DC voltages combine is quite simple. They add linearly when we wire sources (like batteries) in series. But understanding how AC waveforms combine is complicated. AC waveforms don’t always sum intuitively unless the peaks and valleys align perfectly. We see many examples where people interchange the terms phase and polarity. In reality, those Read More…
Explaining The Class SB Car Audio Amplifier
There will always be debates about whether a Class D amplifier can sound as good as a Class AB. We’ve proven that it all depends on who designs the amplifier. We also see mumblings about single-ended amps versus full-bridge designs. STMicroelectronics created a different and unexpected way to deliver efficient power. These amplifiers are categorized Read More…
Under-Seat Truck Subwoofers – Face Up or Down?
Over the last decade, the popularity of under-seat truck subwoofer upgrades has exploded. At least a dozen companies offer vehicle-specific solutions with shallow-mount subwoofers to add bass to these vehicles. If you’re perusing the enclosure options for your truck, you’ll notice two distinct options: enclosures with drivers that face upward into the seat bottom and Read More…
Why Do Speakers and Subwoofers Sometimes Have CCAW Voice Coils?
You should be aware that copper-clad aluminum wire is the least-preferred option for connecting an amplifier to your vehicle’s battery or alternator. Copper-clad aluminum wire has more resistance for a given diameter than an all-copper cable. As a result, it wastes precious voltage and transforms it into heat when it could be allowing your amplifier Read More…
What Happens When Using an Oversize Subwoofer Enclosure?
What happens when a subwoofer is used with an oversized subwoofer enclosure? This article will look at the good, the bad and the ugly in terms of an improper match between the electromechanical characteristics of a subwoofer and the need for a proper enclosure. Why Do Subwoofers Need an Enclosure? If you’ve been following our Read More…
Subwoofer Enclosure Terminals Cups and Connections
One thing common to every car audio subwoofer enclosure is that they need to connect to the subwoofer amplifier. Most subwoofer enclosures include a terminal cup or something similar to facilitate easy connection to the subwoofers. Let’s look at subwoofer enclosure speaker wire connection options. Guess What? Ohm’s Law If you’re serious about car audio, Read More…
What Is GPS Locating and How Does it Work?
Undoubtedly, you’ve heard the term GPS. It’s not uncommon for consumers to refer to navigation software like Waze, Google Maps, Apple Maps or a portable navigation device from Garmin or TomTom as a GPS. Unfortunately, giving these solutions the GPS title is incorrect. Let’s look at GPS, how it works, and how similar technologies are Read More…
How Amplifiers Distribute Their Power to Multiple Car Audio Speakers
The concept of how car audio amplifiers distribute power to multiple speakers connected to the same channel seems simple. A little math with Ohm’s law and looking at the amplifier’s specifications should tell the tale, right? Yes and no. Things get more complicated when crossovers are involved. Don’t fret; we’re here to make everything easy Read More…
The Art & Science of Custom Subwoofer Enclosures in Cars
What is a custom car audio subwoofer enclosure? Does it need to be wrapped in leather or vinyl? Should it be made with fiberglass? Does it need acrylic windows? Is LED lighting a necessity? The short answer is no to all of these questions. Let’s delve into what makes a subwoofer enclosure custom and why Read More…
Car Audio Crossover Slopes, Alignments and Summing
Car audio upgrades are much more complex than setting up speakers in your living room. They are, unless all you have in the system is a set of coaxial speakers in your doors. Your installer has to consider crossover slopes and alignments if you have front and rear speakers and a subwoofer. They must also Read More…
Car Audio Myth: Larger or More Subwoofers Are Always Louder
There’s a common belief that an audio system with more subwoofers will produce more bass. This statement can be 100% true or completely false. Why might it be false? A subwoofer’s output depends heavily on enclosure design. Let’s look at two examples where the output of one subwoofer is more than two. The Most Bass Read More…
Revisiting Sealed Subwoofer Enclosure Stuffing with SPL Measurements
A while back, we looked at how adding stuffing to a sealed enclosure affects its performance. It was clear from our measurements that the addition of Dacron lowered the system’s Qtc (Total Q). The original theory was that adding stuffing made the enclosure seem larger and let the driver play louder at low frequencies. Let’s Read More…
How Do I Know if My Car Audio DSP Is Adjusted Properly?
It should go without saying that a car stereo system designed around multiple amplifier channels and a DSP is the easiest way to get great sound in your vehicle. The technician working on your vehicle has complete control over the output level, sound arrival time and the frequency response of each speaker in the system. Read More…
Ford Bronco Sound System Upgrade for Washington Client
The owner of this Area 51 blue 2022 Ford Bronco wanted to upgrade the vehicle’s sound system. He wanted the system to play louder, sound clearer and deliver better bass. In his online research, he found a post on our website featuring a nearly identical Bronco. He loved that we had hidden all the equipment Read More…
Do I Need a Line Output Converter To Add a Car Amplifier?
We’ve talked at length about how car audio line output converters work and have even compared a few to see which sound best. We skipped over a discussion on whether a car audio amplifier upgrade needs a line-output converter. Let’s dive in! What Does a Line Output Converter Do? A high-quality line output converter serves Read More…
How Is the Power from My Amp Divided Between My Subwoofers?
We see a lot of questions like “My car audio amp can produce 800 watts; how much power does each of my subs get?” If you aren’t versed in the calculation basics of Ohm’s law, the answer might not be intuitive. Let’s dive into the math and logic that will let us calculate how the Read More…
My Car Stereo System Sounds Worse After a Speaker Upgrade. Why?
Before about 2000, upgrading a factory-installed car audio system was pretty easy. You could start with a new set of speakers and a subwoofer and have something quite enjoyable. In the last few decades, automakers, or more specifically, the companies that supply their audio system components, have learned how to maximize the performance of the Read More…
Is Your Radio Turned Off or Killing Your Battery?
You’d think that something as simple as operating an on/off button or switch would deliver predictable results. These days, many electronic devices remain on and continue to draw small amounts of current, even when you think they’re off. Let’s look at how car radios work regarding their on/off status and how much current they draw. Read More…
Product Spotlight: Sony Mobile ES XAV-9000ES Car AV Receiver
If you’ve visited the BestCarAudio.com website, you’ll know we’re big fans of Sony’s Mobile ES product line. Not only have the products we’ve reviewed performed exceptionally well in the lab, but our team members who also work on the retail side of the mobile enhancement industry love their value and reliability. It’s been a few Read More…
Benefits and Drawbacks of Using Dashcam Parking Mode
Given the proliferation of fraud, accidents and sheer craziness on the roads today, having a dashcam in your vehicle is, at the very least, a wise investment. These compact camera systems capture video of everything that happens while you drive, in the event you need to share information with the authorities or on social media. Read More…
Want More Power? Get More Power Wire!
Once again, we approach a discussion of the laws of physics and how they affect the electrical systems in our cars and trucks. The enemy of all power transmission systems, be it the battery and alternator to the amplifier in your vehicle or the nuclear power station or hydroelectric dam across the state to your Read More…
Product Spotlight: iDatalink Maestro AR Multi-Amp Upgrades
Several years ago, iDatalink, the company known for its class-leading remote car starter interfaces, launched an amplifier integration solution called the Maestro AR. The AR (which is short for amplifier replacement) was designed to interpret the CAN bus commands intended for a factory amplifier into something a third-party digital signal processor can understand. While DSP-equipped Read More…
How Digital Audio Works – The Stairstep Analogy
In the fall of 1982, Billy Joel’s 52nd Street was among the first 50 albums released as consumer-available compact discs. It had been only about four years since digital recording equipment was introduced to studios. This marked a revolutionary change in how consumers would buy their music. It was the dawn of an all-digital era, Read More…