To close out our series of educational articles on amplifier specifications, we are going to talk about operating voltage limits and, by association, the protection circuits built into a car audio amplifier. In the good old days of electrical systems that were composed of an alternator, battery, switches and a couple of relays, delivering a […]
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Product Spotlight: Sony XAV-AX8000
Fans of big screens, rejoice! Sony is now shipping the XAV-AX8000 media receiver, and it comes with a massive 8.95-inch touchscreen. Designed to fit into single-DIN ISO-mount radio locations, this receiver is based on the highly respected XAV-AX5000 platform to deliver all the entertainment you could ever want in your car, truck or SUV. Flexible […]
Car Audio Amplifier Remote Control Options
If you are thinking about having your local mobile enhancement retailer add a subwoofer amplifier to your car or truck, you may want to ask them about the remote level or bass boost control options that are available. Being able to adjust the amount of bass your system produces from the driver’s seat allows you […]
Car Audio Amplifier Remote Control Options
If you are thinking about having your local mobile enhancement retailer add a subwoofer amplifier to your car or truck, you may want to ask them about the remote level or bass boost control options that are available. Being able to adjust the amount of bass your system produces from the driver’s seat allows you […]
Understanding Replacement Automotive Headlight Bulb Color
Upgrading the headlight bulbs in your car or truck can dramatically improve your safety and the safety of other drivers, pedestrians and cyclists. Your local mobile enhancement retailer may offer high-quality HID or LED bulb upgrade kits in a variety of color temperature options. These colors typically vary from 3,000 to 12,000 K. The question […]
Product Spotlight: ARC Audio X2 Speakers
The X2 Series speakers from ARC Audio are designed as a high-performance drop-in upgrade for the factory-installed speakers that came with your car or truck. This speaker series was designed based on feedback from ARC Audio retailers around the world to deliver impressive quality and value. With a total of nine models, including a pair […]
How Does a Car Audio Amplifier Work? – The Input Stage
It’s time to look at the input stage of how a modern car audio amplifier works. The input stage is responsible for interfacing with your radio and provides features like the gain control, crossovers, bass boost, remote level control and signal summing that your installer will use to make your stereo system sound great and […]
Why Can’t I Turn the Volume on My Factory Radio All the Way Up?
Whether the sound system in your car or truck is bone stock or upgraded with premium amplifiers, speakers and subwoofers, the system’s maximum volume may not directly coincide with turning the knob up all the way. The short and sweet of why this happens is something called gain overlap. This conscious and deliberate design decision […]
How Does a Car Audio Amplifier Work – The Power Supply
We’ve talked about car audio amplifier features and specifications at great length, but up to this point, we haven’t discussed how a car audio amplifier works. In this article, we’ll provide a simple overview of how the power supply in your mobile amplifier can take the 12 volts supplied by your electrical system and convert […]
Understanding Specifications: Car Audio Amplifier Distortion
As we slowly approach the end of our latest Understanding Specifications series, we want to take a look at car audio amplifier distortion ratings and explain what they mean. We should make it clear: No matter how or good or bad a piece of audio equipment is, every audio component adds some amount of distortion […]