For as long as I can remember, car radios have had their “maximum power” ratings all over their packaging and often right on the face of the radio. These numbers are not only useless in terms of an ability to reproduce music with any sense of quality, but I have always questioned whether they are […]
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Caring for Your Car Audio Touchscreen
The most popular car radio upgrades these days include a touchscreen. Multimedia receivers with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay are a great way to make communicating safer while driving. When it comes time to clean your car or truck’s interior, here are a few things to keep in mind to ensure that the display on […]
Car Audio Equipment Distortion Harmonics Add Unwanted Information
We’ve talked about audio component and speaker distortion a great deal. The reason for this is that distortion is one of the critical factors in quantifying the quality of an audio system. Components that add a lot of distortion take away from the realism of the listening experience, making the music blurred, muddy and unnatural. […]
Why Do All Car Audio Speakers Need To Be Auditioned Before Buying?
Picking new speakers for your home, a new set of headphones or upgrades for your car audio system should all involve the same auditioning process. Take two or three of your favorite songs on a memory stick to a local mobile enhancement retailer and audition the speakers under controlled conditions. We can’t count the number […]
Understanding Speaker Quality: OEM Speakers
Up to this point, we’ve explained the difference in performance between entry level, poorly designed and premium car audio amplifiers. We hope you’ve found this informative, and now it’s time we took a close look at car audio speakers. No car audio component is more crucial than speakers for reproducing music with accuracy and clarity. […]
Carjacking Is on the Rise. It’s Time to Protect Yourself!
If you’ve been watching the news during the first half of 2022, you know that the number of carjackings taking place in major cities is increasing at an alarming rate. Why are criminals resorting to face-to-face confrontations? What should you do if someone approaches your vehicle? How can you protect yourself? The answers are all […]
Understanding Automotive Window Tint Shades and Colors
Picture this: You’ve just picked up a new car or truck from the dealer. They’ve washed it, given it a spritz with that lovely new car scent, put a big red bow on the hood or placed a basket of goodies in the trunk or cargo area. You’ve signed the papers, and you’re off for […]
What Do Car Audio Subwoofer Frequency Response Specs Tell Us?
Subwoofers. Yay for subwoofers! No upgrade to a car audio system will deliver a more noticeable improvement in performance and realism. Adding a properly designed subwoofer system to your car stereo is often one of the first upgrades we recommend. The challenge is finding a solution that will look and sound great while you make […]
Not All Window Films Are the Same. So What’s the Difference?
If you’re considering having the windows of your car, truck, SUV or van tinted, there’s definitely a variety of films available. We aren’t talking about different brands like 3M, Llumar, Suntek and Tint World. We’re also not referring to the different shades or light transmission properties of film. There are four types of film available […]
Speaker Distortion Increases with Cone Excursion
Few people in the car audio industry seem to grasp that speakers are typically the weakest link in audio systems, in terms of adding distortion to what we hear. Whether it’s a poor design with improper voice coil centering in the magnetic gap or poor magnetic or compliance linearity, speakers add significant amounts of unwanted […]