Showcasing the Best in the Mobile Enhancement Industry
The BMW M340i is not quite the BMW M3, but not quite the base model 330i. But what is nice is the standard non-controversial grille that has put so many people off the M3’s new snout. Forgetting the highly debated grille, the BMW M340i offers daily performance wrapped in a luxury package. For years it was the benchmark sports sedan. It continues this tradition even in the face Read more
For seven years and across over 1,000 articles, the team at BestCarAudio.com has delivered a resource for car audio enthusiasts like no other on the planet. From spotlights on unique installations and facilities to technical articles that explain even the most complex physics concepts, we’ve worked hard to educate consumers to the best of our abilities about the solutions Read more
Our first subject in this series of articles about understanding subwoofer quality is a low-cost 10-inch driver from a local electronics parts store. This manufacturer markets this transducer as a “full range” speaker that “looks and sounds great” and not a subwoofer. We’ll start by measuring the Thiele/Small parameters of the driver, then break it in to see if things change Read more
While it’s fun to talk about the more complex car audio systems that include digital signal processors and have an amplifier channel dedicated to each speaker, the reality is that most car audio systems use speaker systems that include passive crossovers. We’ve repeatedly discussed the importance of having your car audio system calibrated after the installation is complete to Read more
A while back, we took a look at tweeter and midrange directivity in the context of audio system design. Unfortunately, we neglected to talk about woofer directivity, so let’s dive into that immediately to cover all the bases. We’ll also explain why this information is vital in creating a car audio system that sounds great no matter where you’re sitting. Testing Speaker Read more
We’re now into our fourth speaker in our series about understanding speaker quality. For this article, we will analyze the performance of an old-school premium speaker, the MB Quart PWE-160. If you were into car audio in the ’80s and ’90s, then the MB Quart brand was a name you’d know well. This brand was famous for its performance in car audio competitions. So let’s see how Read more
Whether you’re a die-hard sound quality fanatic or want your stereo system to reproduce your music at concert-level volumes, custom door panels are a popular upgrade. So we reached out to some of the best fabricators in the car audio industry and asked them to share samples of their work. From subtle and beautifully integrated to loud, over-the-top creations, here are some of Read more
A while back we published an article that looked at the issue of intermodulation distortion from coincident coaxial speakers. As the woofer cone moves forward and rearward from its rest position, it acts as moving waveguide for the tweeter. While the phenomenon is measurable, there are other considerations in a coincident speaker design that offer dramatic performance benefits Read more
A while back we published an article that discussed why aiming speakers in a properly designed car audio system was futile. As usual, we received a good deal of feedback about the piece. The comments ranged from the typical “that’s not how it works” to more scientific discussions about how even minor changes in placement had significant effects on imaging and soundstage Read more
