Over the years, we’ve highlighted car audio installations that look amazing and we’ve explained some of the science that goes into making those systems sound great. A professional car audio installation technician needs to possess a unique set of skills that includes a certain amount of creativity, as well as a detailed understanding of how […]
Speaker Q and How it Affects Sound Quality
When it comes to correlating how the parameters of a speaker translate into music reproduction, well, the details are often somewhat sparse. One speaker characteristic that’s often overlooked when searching for new subwoofers or woofers is Q. This unitless number is a key component in describing how the suspension and motor work to control and […]
Product Spotlight: Rockford Fosgate Prime Series Subwoofer Enclosures
Since the ’80s, Rockford Fosgate has had a reputation for delivering big bass for car audio fanatics. Its most recent subwoofer solutions are the Prime Series R2-2X10 and R2-2X12 loaded enclosures. Equipped with a pair of 10- or 12-inch subwoofers, these ready-to-rock subwoofers solutions are a great way to improve the extension and impact of […]
Sound Deadening Adds Luxury to Your Car, Truck or SUV
One trait that has come to be universally expected among luxury vehicles is the quietness of their interior. Once exclusive to such premium vehicles as Mercedes, Audi, BMW and Rolls-Royce, companies like Hyundai and Kia are delivering startlingly quiet interiors. In addition to minimizing road and wind noise, the drone of an exhaust system and […]
Will New Speakers Make My Car Stereo Louder?
Over the years, many car audio enthusiasts have complained that while new speakers made their car stereo systems sound better, the new speakers didn’t make the systems any louder. In fact, the more you work to upgrade your speakers, the more you often find that you have traded efficiency for smooth frequency, accuracy and clarity. […]
Why Do Car Audio Amps Have Max Power Ratings?
When it comes to car audio amplifiers, people often mistake quality with high power ratings. This misperception has led to manufacturers coming up with every angle or trick possible to measure as much power as possible from their designs. Many manufacturers publish both continuous low-distortion specs as well as maximum power ratings. Are the high […]
Speaker Power Ratings Don’t Define Their Quality
The number of times a consumer has asked for a set of speakers based on power ratings is incomprehensibly huge. They ask for 300-watt 6×9’s or a 1,000-watt subwoofer without understanding how the power ratings are created. Let’s quickly review what it takes to make a speaker that can handle a lot of power and […]
Fixing the Stereo in the New Jeep Wrangler
Jeep Wranglers are surprisingly popular vehicles, given their heritage as a wartime tool. They aren’t particularly stylish, and they don’t handle as well as a regular car. These issues aside, they sell like crazy. In 2017, Jeep launched the fourth-generation Wrangler with improved aerodynamics, a larger interior and better fuel economy. Unless you opted for […]
Product Spotlight: Rockford Fosgate R2-750X5
In the spring of 2020, Rockford Fosgate launched the latest generation of its Prime Series amplifiers. While the focus of this spotlight is on the full-range Class-D five-channel R2-750X5, it’s worth noting the R2 series also includes a two-channel, two four-channel and four monoblock models. Equipped with features and technologies that have trickled down from […]
Why Turning it to 11 Doesn’t Work in a Car Audio System
If we can take anything useful away from the 1984 movie “This is Spinal Tap,” we know that “turning it to 11” is for those times when you need your car audio system to play louder than loud. While the concept seems like a lot of fun when your favorite song comes on, playing your […]
