The final article in our series on understanding high-end car audio systems moves away from the need for accurate system design, integration, configuration and calibration to discuss audio product quality. If you’ve been a long-time reader of the articles at BestCarAudio.com, you know that we put a significant emphasis on identifying car audio products that Read More…
The Four Stages of High-End Car Audio – Part 3: Imaging
The third article in our series on understanding high-end car audio systems delves into the fascinating world of imaging. In essence, imaging is the ability of an audio system to recreate the precise location of a performer or instrument on a soundstage. While not all recordings excel in this aspect, some are genuinely awe-inspiring. Let’s Read More…
Speaker Sensitivity – Specifications and Explanation
Every speaker, be it a tweeter, midrange driver, woofer or subwoofer, will have a sensitivity rating. Sensitivity ratings attempt to describe how much sound a speaker will produce for a given amount of power from an amplifier. There’s a common misconception that more efficiency is better. Longtime readers of BestCarAudio.com won’t be surprised to learn Read More…
Wire Equivalency Using the AWG Standard: 16+16 Isn’t 8
We recently witnessed a discussion on social media in which someone said that two 16 AWG wires could do the same work as a single 8 AWG wire. Unfortunately, the American Wire Gauge standard for stranded conductors isn’t intuitive in helping determine how multiple conductors can pass current. So let’s get geeky and do the Read More…
The Four Stages of High-End Car Audio – Part 2: The Soundstage
We’re back with the second of four articles discussing the listening experience of truly high-end car audio systems. In our first article, we discussed the importance of accurate frequency response. This second article will discuss the soundstage, provide a definition for it and explain why it’s crucial to recreating a recording accurately. What Is a Read More…
A Look at Modern ADAS Technology and Terminology
Shopping for a new car, pickup truck or SUV is impossible without being bombarded with information about ADAS technology. Advanced driver assistance systems are designed to help prevent accidents. These can be as simple as backup cameras and parking sensors or as advanced as lane keep assist and forward collision prevention systems. The latter can Read More…
Deep Thoughts on Car Audio Power Wire Sizing
In the 1980s, most car stereo shops had charts in the install bays that showed what size power wire should be used with different amplifiers. Some charts were based on current and cable length, while others suggested amplifier power ratings and lengths. In all cases, an essential piece of information was missing. Today, we’ll sort Read More…
Product Spotlight: Sony XAV-AX3700 Multimedia Receiver
Car audio source unit manufacturers are constantly developing new products to fill the gaps between entry-level and flagship models. Sony recently released a new 2-DIN digital multimedia receiver called the XAV-AX3700, which slides into the mix just below the XAV-AX4000. This new radio features a 6.95-inch touchscreen display, Apple CarPlay connectivity and iDatalink Maestro vehicle Read More…
A Look at the Importance of Tweeter Installation Hardware
High-quality speakers and proper installation are crucial when upgrading your car’s audio system. The ease with which your installer can reliably integrate tweeters into your vehicle will determine a portion of the labor cost. Will the technician need to fabricate a mounting bracket? Will they need to create a little pod? Is there even enough Read More…
Client Upgrades 2022 Tesla Model Y with Alpine Audio System
A client from Mechanicsville recently asked the team at Extreme Audio about installing a vehicle-specific audio system in his 2022 Model Y. The client wanted us to integrate the Alpine PSS-TSLA-22Y kit designed specifically for this vehicle. After discussing the benefits of adding sound deadening, we scheduled an appointment to do the work. Let’s see Read More…
Analyzing Sedan Subwoofer Location Performance
A while back, we looked at how different subwoofer locations affected system performance in a Hyundai Santa Fe SUV. A client of ours asked if that information was relevant to a sedan. So, let’s take a cool little enclosure and see what happens when we try several different sedan subwoofer locations. The Test Subject Our Read More…
A Car Audio Speaker Power Handling Demonstration
We’ve talked about how speaker power handling is tested and the importance of delivering accurate test data. In the context of car audio speakers, we’ve explained that the physical size of the voice coil is a crucial element in determining how much power a speaker can handle. In this article, we’ve put together a simple, Read More…
An Affordable Subwoofer Upgrade Should Use a Ported Enclosure
As we’ve mentioned many times, adding a subwoofer is one of the best upgrades you can make to a car audio system. We know that having a shop construct a custom enclosure isn’t always in the budget. Likewise, while impressive, high-end subwoofers aren’t in everyone’s price range. With all this said, there is one item Read More…
Dashcam Battery Upgrades: Extend Parking Mode and Protect Your Vehicle
Undoubtedly, having a dashcam in your car or truck is one of the best ways to protect yourself from false accusations. Whether you experience a hit and run or are involved in a staged accident, video evidence can save you a lot of hassle, time and money. One feature that most high-quality dashcams offer is Read More…
Features That Improve Subwoofer Performance
We spend significant time pondering helpful content that will educate consumers about the options available to upgrade their car audio system. We’ve written dozens of articles explaining how various features and designs can improve a subwoofer’s performance, and we realized that this would be a perfect time to summarize all that education in a single Read More…
How Many Subwoofers Does My Car Stereo Need?
We recently saw someone ask how many subwoofers they should use in their car audio system. They qualified the question by adding that cost and space weren’t issues and that their goal was to get the best sound quality from the system. This is a great question, as it ties together many considerations. Let’s look Read More…
Car Audio Amp Efficiency Matters More Than You Think
Social media conversations are often a great source of content ideas here at BestCarAudio.com. We were recently talking to someone about why loading down an amplifier isn’t an ideal solution. As we’ve demonstrated in our Test Drive Reviews, lower impedances result in more distortion in most cases. In all cases, lower impedance loads reduce amplifier Read More…
Extreme Audio Turns 25: A Journey from Passion to Powerhouse
In 1999, Mike Bartells decided it was time to take complete control over his car audio career. With eight years of experience working for a local car stereo shop, Mike took a leap of faith and signed a lease to take over a defunct car dealership. He and his installer launched Extreme Audio on Broad Read More…
The Four Stages of High-End Car Audio – Frequency Response
Listening to a genuinely high-end home or car audio system can be amazing. For those who care about sound quality, several technical considerations separate a very good audio system from one that’s truly magnificent. These might be beyond what most strive for in their car audio upgrade. With that said, if your goal is a Read More…
Studio Quality Audio System for Mechanicsville Acura TLX
A repeat client from Mechanicsville recently visited Extreme Audio to talk about upgrading the sound system in his 2024 Acura TLX. While this is a premium vehicle with a relatively good factory-installed stereo, it simply doesn’t have enough power to play loudly enough or have good enough speakers to be crystal clear. This client has Read More…
Car Audio Myths: DVC Subwoofers Can Handle More Power
We’re back to bust another car audio myth wide open. This article will discuss the myth that DVC subwoofers can handle more power than a single voice coil driver. After some research, it’s clear that consumers seem to think dual voice coil (DVC) subwoofers have the equivalent of two separate voice coil assemblies, allowing them Read More…
Product Spotlight: Alpine Tesla Sound System Upgrades
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…