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…
Ford F350 Audio Installation Repurposes Equipment
A client came to us with some equipment he had pulled from a prior vehicle looking to have it installed in his new 2014 F350! We hooked our real-time analyzer and our oscilloscope to his existing Ford Sony system. After some testing, we determined that the AudioControl LC7i would be a good choice to interface with 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…
Mechanicsville Mobile Video Client Outfits Expedition For Family Fun
A Mechanicsville client came to us recently with a 2013 Ford Expedition, looking for something to make those long family trips with young children a little more bearable. We showed them multiple options from headrest monitors, to 10″ and 13″ overhead DVD players. They decided the large screen that allows the kids to see it 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…
Camaro Gets 1100 Watts Of Alpine Bass
This client from Petersburg, VA recently emailed us about upgrading the audio in his Camaro. He had recently bought an enclosure for two 10″ subwoofers, and wanted to find the right match for subs and an amp to run them. Another shop had given him the cold shoulder since he had his own enclosure, so 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…
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…
Audi RS5 Gets Custom Molded Subwoofer Upgrade for Mechanicsville Client
This project was completed for a previous client of ours from Mechanicsville. He came in with his new Audi RS5 looking to add more bottom end to the existing factory car audio system. He had seen reports of the new JL Audio TW3 shallow mount woofers and was interested in molding something like that into Read More…