If you are looking for an amazing digital media receiver with a high-quality 6.95-inch display, drop by California Car Sounds and Tint in Campbell and ask for a demonstration of the Sony XAV-AX5000. This double-DIN receiver includes Apple CarPlay, Android Audio, Bluetooth and dual USB ports to help you enjoy non-stop entertainment on your next […]
Car Audio
Product Spotlight: ARC Audio Pro-Series DSP Platform
The product development team at ARC Audio has been hard at work developing a new collection of digital signal processors called the Pro-Series. This new family of processors includes the flagship stand-alone PS8-PRO, the PS8-50 DSP-equipped eight-channel amplifier rated at 50 watts per channel and the IPS8.8 DSP upgrade module for the new two-, four- […]
Tools of the Trade: ProDemand Vehicle Information Service
Among the many tools that mobile enhancement technicians use, one of the most valuable is ProDemand from Mitchell1. If you’ve spent any time in the automotive service industry, you’ll recognize the classic brown-and-yellow Mitchell service books. The information in these paperbacks is now available to automotive and electronics technicians through a web interface. Let’s look […]
Product Spotlight: Alpine iLX-F259
If you are looking for a multimedia receiver with Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and a large touchscreen, drop into California Car Sounds and Tint near San Jose and ask about the new Alpine iLX-F259. As the second source unit in the Halo 9 series, the F259 also features a massive 9-inch touch screen that hovers […]
Car Audio Electrical Theory – Capacitance and Inductance
As we move toward the end of our discussion of car audio electrical theory, we need to talk about capacitance and inductance and how the characteristics of those phenomena interact with AC and DC signals. There’s no doubt that these are advanced concepts, but even a basic understanding of how capacitors and inductors work is […]
Car Audio Electrical Theory – Magnetic Fields
Furthering our discussion about car audio electrical theory brings us to a discussion of how the flow of electricity through a conductor creates magnetic fields around the conductor. Understanding the relationship between current flow and magnetism is crucial to understanding how a speaker works. History of Electromagnetism The first documented correlation between electricity and magnetism […]
Product Spotlight: Sony MEX-N5300BT
Though single-DIN Bluetooth CD radios don’t get talked about as often as their multimedia receiver brethren, products like the Sony MEX-N5300BT remain in high demand. As the premium product just below the GS-Series source units, the MEX-N5300BT is equipped with all the source feature and connectivity requirements you’ll need to ensure that you will be […]
New Apple CarPlay Navigation Options
On Sept. 17, 2018, Apple launched iOS12 – its latest update to the operating system behind its venerable iPhone and iPad devices. Aside from security updates, performance enhancements and battery life improvements, Apple has added support for third-party applications to CarPlay. Users of factory-installed and aftermarket multimedia receivers that support CarPlay will now be able […]
Product Spotlight: ARC Audio X2-Series Amplifiers
The X2 series from ARC Audio includes eight amplifiers that offer the features installers need to create amazing car audio systems while delivering industry-reference performance. ARC has divided the X2 series into two sub-groups offering different cosmetic and performance characteristics. The Level 1 product group includes a monoblock along with a four- and five-channel amplifier […]
Car Audio Electrical Theory – Amplitude and Frequency in AC Signals
In our ongoing discussion of car audio electrical theory, we need to discuss some of the characteristics of alternating current signals. These points of discussion include the concept of amplitude and frequency. Understanding the concept of frequency is crucial to developing an understanding of how the components in our audio systems work. The Concept of […]