A comment came up the other day that it was unwise to use all channels of a four-channel amplifier to power a pair of subwoofers. Not only is this incorrect, but this practice opens up several unique system designs and installation possibilities, especially where high-power requirements are necessary. Let’s dive in! Four-Channel Amplifiers Are Amazing! […]
Car Audio Myths: Car Audio Amplifiers Can’t be Power Hungry
In a recent online discussion, someone stated that a car audio amplifier couldn’t be power-hungry. After the eye-twitching passed and our heart rates settled, we knew this was a perfect topic for our series on car audio myths. Let’s look at how amplifiers, specifically subwoofer amplifiers, make use of the power from your vehicle’s electrical […]
Can I Swap the Factory Subwoofer in My Car for Better Performance?
Every so often, someone asks if it’s a good idea to upgrade their factory-installed stereo system by swapping out the original subwoofer with a new one. We aren’t talking about building a new enclosure and adding a dedicated amplifier. They want to put a different 6-, 8- or 10-inch in the factory location and connect […]
What Are Speaker Power Compression and Subwoofer Box Rise?
In the car audio world, terms like subwoofer box rise and power compression are relatively familiar to those who push their sound systems to the limit. So, after extensive research (three minutes) and a detailed planning session (another two minutes), we decided that it would be worth doing an experiment to explain and quantify these […]
Do You Need to Break Car Audio Speakers In Slowly?
We were cruising the internet a few weeks ago and noticed a comment from a self-proclaimed car audio expert that new speakers and subwoofers need to be broken in at low power levels. He made it particularly clear that the voice coil needed to be broken in gently. If you’ve ever considered how a speaker […]