Showcasing the Best in the Mobile Enhancement Industry
There’s no doubt that auditioning high-end speakers, amplifiers and source units is one of the best parts of my job. That said, most of the business conducted by mobile electronics retailers is done at the opposite end of the price spectrum. Affordable audio upgrades or replacement products are the bread and butter that keeps the doors open and the lights on. The Sony car audio Read more
The April Question of the Month is, “How should I set my car radio equalizer?” Interestingly, this question has popped up more times than expected recently, and there are two very different answers to it. Types of Car Radio Equalizers Before we get into the first of the answers, we should talk about the types of car radio equalizers on the market. The simplest equalizer is a Read more
Few technologies have improved our safety and efficiency while behind the wheel like Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Gone are the days of looking at paper maps from MapArt or printouts from MapQuest. Beyond navigation, we can make phone calls, send text messages and choose from a nearly unlimited list of entertainment options. Best of all, all of this can be done using voice Read more
If you’ve looked at the feature list of modern mid-size or larger SUVs, you know that many premium trim packages include a power liftgate option. In almost every case, this upgrade is part of a package with other features like a sunroof, heated seats, leather upholstery and advanced collision-avoidance technologies. While these features are nice, the cost of moving to a higher Read more
Car audio Amp power ratings are often the least important aspect in differentiating amplifier options. Sure, it matters whether you buy a 500- or 1,500-watt amplifier. Neither number tells you anything about either amplifier’s quality, performance or reliability. Surprisingly, many companies are still slapping inaccurate and often impossible power ratings on their products. We Read more
So far, we’ve demonstrated five easily measurable criteria that separate the performance of one amplifier from another. Some of these, like frequency response, can be compensated for using an equalizer. Others, like harmonic and intermodulation distortion, are permanently baked into the amplifier’s sonic signature. Does the amp sound clean and transparent, or does it color the Read more
Sometimes, it’s fun to poke at certain stereotypes in the audio community. Those who consider themselves audiophiles are often the easiest to harass as they frequently fall prey to crazy marketing stories sprinkled with just enough technical words to make them sound plausible. Do your speaker cables need acrylic spacers to keep them off the floor? Should you paint the edge of Read more
Some of the most common car audio questions on social media are about finding a good ground location for an amplifier. Thinking about the topic, using the term ground to describe the negative power connection to the amplifier might imply it’s not as important as the positive battery connection. Both connections must be equally capable of passing all the current the amplifier Read more
As we continue our series on what makes one amplifier sound different from another, we will look at intermodulation distortion. As you should know by now, harmonic distortion creates higher frequency components that can make an audio device sound harsh or bright. Intermodulation distortion is typically responsible for unwanted warmth or sloppiness in lower frequencies. When Read more
