The Reference For Great Sound
Sunday, 08 January 2017 by Certified Sounds
Listening to music goes back to the dawn of man. From banging a few tree branches together to the latest computer-generated pop hit, music is a universal language that everyone can enjoy. People who put significant effort into the accurate reproduction of the music they enjoy are often called audiophiles. There is a running joke
- Published in ARTICLES, Car Audio, RESOURCE LIBRARY
Modern Navigation Systems for Today’s Vehicles
Sunday, 01 January 2017 by Certified Sounds
Paper maps used to be the only way of planning route navigation. Before you, or perhaps your parents, set out on vacation, you would pick up maps for each state or province you planned to drive through, lay them out on the kitchen or dining room table, and highlight the route to take. The problem
- Published in ARTICLES, Car Audio, Navigation, RESOURCE LIBRARY
What Is A Soundstage And Where Can I Buy One?
Sunday, 25 December 2016 by Certified Sounds
When it comes to listening to music, there seem to be two kinds of listeners in the context of “where the sound comes from.” Some people want to be enveloped by the music. They want to feel like they are in the very middle of the performance, with sound all around them. This style is
- Published in ARTICLES, Car Audio, RESOURCE LIBRARY
How Car Audio Has Changed Through The Years
Sunday, 18 December 2016 by Certified Sounds
If you have been around the mobile electronics industry for more than a decade, then you may have noticed some significant changes. New technologies make our time behind the wheel safer, more entertaining and more productive. Many products offer better performance and efficiency compared to their originals. Innovations and technological advancements let us do things
- Published in ARTICLES, Car Audio, RESOURCE LIBRARY
Subwoofer Enclosure Locations – Finding Space For Bass
Sunday, 04 December 2016 by Certified Sounds
When it comes to bang-for-the-buck upgrades to any audio system, none can beat the dramatic difference of adding a subwoofer. Factory audio systems are getting pretty good at producing a soundstage in front of the listener, and they are EQed well enough not to be painful to enjoy – but one thing they all have
- Published in ARTICLES, Car Audio, RESOURCE LIBRARY
Passive Vs Active Crossover Networks
Sunday, 27 November 2016 by Certified Sounds
To optimize the performance capabilities of a speaker, it should operate within the frequency range for which it was designed. A woofer or subwoofer won’t be able to reproduce high frequencies accurately. A tweeter will self-destruct if you ask it to try to play bass frequencies. For this reason, we use three- and four-way speaker
- Published in ARTICLES, Car Audio, RESOURCE LIBRARY
Are Single or Dual Voice Coil Subwoofers Better?
Sunday, 13 November 2016 by Certified Sounds
When it comes to buying subwoofers, a lot of people have questions or make assumptions about the benefits and drawbacks of single voice coil and dual voice coil versions. Understanding the differences between them requires a slightly enhanced understanding of how an amplifier works. We cover both topics in this article. How an Amplifier Works
- Published in ARTICLES, Car Audio, RESOURCE LIBRARY
Does Your Car Radio Need a Tweak?
Friday, 11 November 2016 by Certified Sounds
Maybe you want better sound in your car or truck but you’re not ready to dig into the dash to change the radio. JL Audio is the latest supplier to offer a solution through a digital signal processor or DSP. It’s a black box you add to your radio that adjusts the sound and lets
- Published in ARTICLES, Car Audio, CarTech4You, Integration
What Is Signal-To-Noise Ratio, And Why Does It Matter?
Sunday, 30 October 2016 by Certified Sounds
Most people understand the importance of amplifier power specifications. In most cases, more power is a good thing, that is, until you reach the thermal or suspension limits of the speakers you are using. One specification that is also very important in a mobile electronics amplifier, processor or source unit is Signal-to-Noise Ratio. In this
- Published in ARTICLES, Car Audio, Classic Car Audio, RESOURCE LIBRARY
Choosing Speakers For Your Car: Components Or Coaxials?
Sunday, 16 October 2016 by Certified Sounds
Developing a speaker requires that the designer and engineer balance many different aspects, such as the application, cost and desired performance level of the end product. For the consumer, navigating the thousands of different speaker offerings on the market can be difficult. Two speakers can measure similarly regarding efficiency, power handling and frequency response, but
- Published in ARTICLES, Car Audio, RESOURCE LIBRARY
The Importance Of Proper Car Audio Speaker Installation
Sunday, 09 October 2016 by Certified Sounds
The speakers in your mobile entertainment system are one of the most critical components in determining how your system sounds. If you choose poorly designed speakers that have distortion issues from poor cone, suspension or motor design, no amount of signal processing can make your system sound great. The methods used to install your speakers
- Published in ARTICLES, Car Audio, RESOURCE LIBRARY
Digital Signal Processors Take Your Audio System To The Next Level
Sunday, 02 October 2016 by Certified Sounds
Adjusting or modifying audio signals is nothing new. Analog signal processors have been around recording studios and live performances for decades. Everything from equalizers to crossovers and compressors were conceived back when vacuum tubes were popular. As technology advanced, the size, cost and complexity of signal processors decreased. Now, many car audio source units contain
- Published in ARTICLES, Car Audio, RESOURCE LIBRARY
Watts Are Watts, Or Are They? A Detailed Explanation for Car Audio Guys
Sunday, 25 September 2016 by Certified Sounds
When people are looking at purchasing a car audio amplifier, the specification they check most often is how much power it can produce. Power is rated in watts – a universal unit of measurement of power. In this article, we explain what a watt is, and how it is measured – both the correct and
- Published in ARTICLES, Car Audio, RESOURCE LIBRARY
Sound Deadening: A Great Upgrade For Any Vehicle
Sunday, 11 September 2016 by Certified Sounds
If you have purchased a set of premium car audio speakers from a respected mobile electronics retailer in the past few years, then you should be familiar with the concept of sound deadening. If you aren’t familiar with this, or want to know more, then read on! We think you will find sound deadening is
- Published in ARTICLES, Car Audio, RESOURCE LIBRARY
Everything You’ve Wanted To Know About Audio Distortion – Part 2
Sunday, 04 September 2016 by Certified Sounds
If you were able to grasp the concepts outlined in the first article about audio distortion, then this one will be a piece of cake. If not, head back and have another read. It can be a bit complicated the first time around. Undistorted Audio Analysis When looking at the specifications for an audio component
- Published in ARTICLES, Car Audio, RESOURCE LIBRARY
Everything You’ve Wanted to Know About Audio Distortion – Part 1
Sunday, 28 August 2016 by Certified Sounds
When we talk about any signal, be it audio, video or data, there is an accompanied reality for alterations and errors made to that signal as it passes through different electronic components, conductors or magnetic fields. While we get concerned when we hear that a component introduces distortion or when we read distortion specifications, distortion
- Published in ARTICLES, Car Audio, RESOURCE LIBRARY
Subwoofer Enclosures, More Than Just a Box
Sunday, 21 August 2016 by Certified Sounds
For decades, there has been discussion after discussion about which of the different subwoofer enclosures are “the best” and why. Let’s take a look at why we need a subwoofer enclosure at all, and how the three popular styles – sealed, vented and bandpass – differ in their design and performance. Back-Wave Management If you
- Published in ARTICLES, Car Audio, RESOURCE LIBRARY
Power Wire: OFC versus CCA
Sunday, 07 August 2016 by Certified Sounds
When it comes to high-current wiring in a vehicle, there are two types of stranded power wire available: solid copper and copper-clad aluminum. This article looks at the differences between each kind of wire, and explain the challenges of ensuring your high-current device gets the power it needs to do the job you want done.
- Published in ARTICLES, Car Audio, RESOURCE LIBRARY
What Is Android Auto?
Sunday, 31 July 2016 by Certified Sounds
When it comes to staying in touch with your family and friends while behind the wheel, we all know that it’s best to keep your cellphone in your pocket or purse. What do you do when you just have to communicate? Do it intelligently and safely with a smartphone integration system like Android Auto. Let’s
- Published in ARTICLES, Car Audio, Integration, RESOURCE LIBRARY
Guide to Choosing Car Audio Speakers
Sunday, 24 July 2016 by Certified Sounds
There is no component more important to the sonic performance of your vehicle’s sound system than the car audio speakers you chose to install. You may own the best radio and amplifier in the world, but without great speakers, none of that great sound can get to your ears. Let’s look at why speakers are
- Published in ARTICLES, Car Audio, RESOURCE LIBRARY
Adding an Auxiliary Input to Your Factory Radio
Saturday, 16 July 2016 by Certified Sounds
A message that mobile enhancement retailers strive to share is that we want you to come to us with your feature requests or ideas. If you want a remote starter or audio system upgrade, you know to come to us – but did you know we also can install heated seats, auto-dimming mirrors or auxiliary
- Published in ARTICLES, Bluetooth, Car Audio, RESOURCE LIBRARY, Smartphone Integration
Lahaina Hummer H1 Stereo System Sound Quality Oriented Upgrades
Tuesday, 12 July 2016 by Certified Sounds
A client from Lahaina came to Certified Sounds with his beautiful 1997 Hummer H1 inquiring about stereo upgrades. Many modifications had already been done to this vehicle, but the stereo system was sorely lacking. We spent time looking over the vehicle and getting to know the driver better. As we talked, it was evident he
- Published in Bluetooth, Car Audio, Custom Fabrication, FEATURED INSTALLATIONS
Tagged under: 1997, amplifiers, H1, Hummer, Illusion Audio, JL Audio, Mosconi, Radios, speakers, subwoofers
10 Things to Consider When Buying Car Audio
Monday, 11 July 2016 by Certified Sounds
Brought to you by our friends at BestCarAudio.com When it comes to buying or upgrading a car audio system, there are hundreds of products to choose from and dozens of questions for you to ask the sales staff at your local car audio retailer. This article provides some basic guidelines to help make the process
- Published in ARTICLES, Bluetooth, Car Audio, Navigation, RESOURCE LIBRARY, Satellite Radio
How to Buy a Car Audio Subwoofer
Sunday, 03 July 2016 by Certified Sounds
Adding a subwoofer to a car audio system is the best bang for the buck regarding audio performance upgrades. You can instantly hear the difference, and it dramatically improves the realism and enjoyment of your system. Let’s look at how to pick a car audio subwoofer for your vehicle. Factory Audio System Limitations Before we
- Published in ARTICLES, Car Audio, RESOURCE LIBRARY
Tagged under: subwoofers
Car Audio Amplifier Buying Guide
Sunday, 26 June 2016 by Certified Sounds
One of the most critical components in a high-quality vehicle entertainment system is your car audio amplifier. While the concept of increasing the power of an audio signal is simple, it can be somewhat complex to execute elegantly the process. Amplifier design is as much as science as it is an art form. In this
- Published in ARTICLES, Car Audio, RESOURCE LIBRARY
The Importance Of Professional Mobile Electronics Installation
Monday, 20 June 2016 by Certified Sounds
Several aspects of the automotive industry have always been embraced by hobbyists and do-it-yourself enthusiasts. Being able to say that you created something with your own bare hands would make anyone feel proud. In the mobile electronics industry, carmakers have been rapidly advancing the technology used in new cars. From computer data networks and advanced
- Published in ARTICLES, Car Audio, RESOURCE LIBRARY
Your Amplifier’s Gain Control Is Not A Volume Control
Thursday, 09 June 2016 by Certified Sounds
For decades, car audio enthusiasts have been fiddling around with the gain control on their amplifiers in hopes of “getting more out of them.” Many professional installers have scientific, repeatable processes in place to ensure these controls are set to provide the maximum performance and reliability from your audio system. Let’s look at the most
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