A short while ago, while testing an amplifier’s maximum power output, we observed how significantly the power increased with higher supply voltage. This observation made us realize that we’ve never thoroughly examined the relationship between a vehicle’s battery voltage and a car audio amplifier’s maximum power output. It’s time to address that. Why Does Battery […]
DSP Features You Might Not Have Known Existed
When 99% of car audio enthusiasts think about a digital signal processor (DSP), they associate it with equalizers, crossovers, and signal delays. In more advanced solutions, a consumer-grade car audio DSP might add the ability to include all-pass filters, an upmixer for a center channel and signal summing. However, at an engineering level, much more […]
Is it Possible to Underpower a Speaker?
One common misconception about speakers is that underpowering them can cause damage. This fallacy is supported by minimum power ratings from several manufacturers, which adds to the confusion. Never fear, we’re here to explain why you simply can’t damage a speaker by providing it with only a little bit of power, and we’ll clarify how […]
How Audio Signals Sum Around Crossover Points
Crossovers are an essential part of designing any audio system. From the passive designs used with a bookshelf or floor-standing speaker to three- and four-way electronic designs employed in car audio systems, ensuring signals combine correctly is crucial for delivering great sound. Crossovers can have different frequencies, slopes, and alignments. Understanding how audio signals from […]
Revisiting The Rockford Fosgate T500-1bdCP Review
In January of 2024, we had the privilege of reviewing the Rockford Fosgate T500-1bdCP amplifier. Based on our experiences with amplifiers from the company, it was no surprise that the amp sounded amazing, was impressively efficient, and exceeded all of its power ratings. The latter is the focus of the re-test. We’ve recently upgraded the […]
