You probably have a reliable daily driver, right? Something that takes you to work five or six days a week, and you love it. But you’d really like the convenience of a GPS to find that new restaurant in town or your way to that meeting at another business. Or maybe you’d like a video system to keep your kids entertained on that long vacation drive. Or better yet, a quality audio system with your whole music library, to keep your tunes going every day on that rush hour drive. So don’t buy a new car; but after-market products and have them installed at a fraction of the price.

There’s no need to buy a new car for electronic upgrades. Sure, almost all new cars have them – fancy DVD players, iPod integration, surround-sound speakers with a subwoofer and an amplifier, and in-dash navigation systems. But the factory isn’t the only place that installs all these devices. Local car electronics installers can make these devices just as seamless in your car for chump change next to the cost of buying a new car.

While it’s true that any place that can install these devices will also sell them to you, but why pay retail price on products that are available for much less? You may as well buy and bring in the exact products you want yourself, and just have them install them. It will save you a lot of money and a lot of time – after all, if they have to order something for you, it’ll cost you even more and you’ll be without your car for even longer.

You can get quality after-market electronics upgrades for your car, including in-dash navigation, audio and video control, and a speaker system. Don’t buy a new car. Spend wisely.

The Original Post is Located Here: Why to Buy After-Market AV Products

All three devices come standard with a GPS navigation system, and the Alpine INA-W910 is no different. Alpine’s competitor has maps in both 2D and 3D for maximum clarity in those decision moments, when you have to know exactly where to go next. With its internal memory, it can contain a small music and video library, or it can connect to the library on your iPod or iPhone through built-in Bluetooth and USB connectivity. It can link up with Pandora internet radio or SiriusXM, provided you have an antenna for the latter. It has a 7″ touch-screen and an SD card slot. The original retail price on Alpine’s contender is $1,199.95.

Like the Alpine, Pioneer’s AVIC-Z130BT has navigation with maps in both 2D and 3D. Unlike the Alpine, it has playback for both homemade CD’s and DVD’s (not just ones bought in stores), as well as the music and video libraries on your iPod or iPhone (which is also available through Bluetooth and USB connectivity). It also has an SD card slot and Pandora connectivity. It is different, however, in that it needs an accessory from Pioneer for SiriusXM compatibility, but it does have complete voice control, saving your hands for driving, which can make the entire experience much safer for you and your family. The original retail price on Pioneer’s fighter is $1,499.00.

Kenwood’s DNX7180 has a Garmin GPS with 2D and 3D street maps, like its competitors. And like its competitors, it has playback in all standard file types, as well as CD and DVD playback (although not necessarily the home-made kind). Like the Alpine, it has built-in Bluetooth and USB connectivity and Pandora connectivity. It also has split-screen control for both AV and navigation, so you never lose track of one to handle the other. It can also be expanded with a rear view camera with an expansion from Kenwood. Its original retail price is $1,499.99.

These devices are very similar, and you can decide for yourself, but it looks to me like the Alpine is the best value. But make your own choice. At any rate, when you’re shopping, consider the Alpine INA-W910, the Pioneer AVIC-Z130BT, and the Kenwood DNX7180.

The Original Post is Located Here: The Best Integrated AV & Navigation Control Devices

The Rockford Fosgate R150-2 sells at a retail price of $149.99. It has 2 channels which run at 50W each at 4 Ohms, 70W each at 2 Ohms, and 150W in bridged mono. This amplifier has a frequency response of 20Hz to 20kHz +/- 1 decibel. Let’s also take a look at the crossover statistics: in High-Pass (HP), the amp runs 80Hz at 12 decibels per octave, but in Low-Pass (LP), it runs a range of 50Hz-250Hz at that same 12 decibels per octave.

The Kicker DX125.2 sells for a flat $100 at retail, making it the cheaper option of the two. It also has 2 channels, which run at 60W each at 2 Ohms, or 125 W in bridged mono. The frequency response of the Kicker is the same as the Fosgate, 20Hz to 20kHz +/- 1 decibel. The crossover, however, is a little more powerful: in HP, it runs 100Hz at 18 decibels per octave, and in LP, it runs 80Hz at 18 decibels per octave.

If you’re looking for an inexpensive option from a high-quality company like McIntosh, by the way, forget about it – their cheapest amplifier retails for $1,300.

So of these options, the most bang for your buck is probably the Kicker DX125.2. But if you’re not happy with it (not everyone is), then go for the Rockford Fosgate R150-2; it’s barely more expensive, as amplifiers go, and it still has great quality and a brand you can trust.

The Original Post is Located Here: The Best Inexpensive Car Amplifiers

The Rockford Fosgate T1000-4ad typically retails at $1,199.99. It has 4 channels, each of which runs at 250W at 4 Ohms, 2 Ohms, and 1 Ohm, and the system runs 500W per bridged pair at 4 Ohms and 2 Ohms. The frequency response is typical of amplifiers of all types: 20Hz to 20kHz +/- 1 decibel. The crossover is the same for both High-Pass (HP) and Low-Pass (LP): a range of 50-500Hz at 24 decibels per octave.

The Kicker IX1000.5 often retails for a measly $649.99, even though it supports 5 channels (4 full-range and 1 subwoofer). The full-range channels run at 125W each at 2 Ohms, 250W per bridged pair at 4 Ohms, or 500W in full mono. The frequency response is close to its competitors, 20Hz to 20kHz +0/-1 decibel. The crossover here is selectable for HP or LP, variable from 50Hz to 200Hz at 12 decibels per octave.

The McIntosh MCC406M is certainly the most precise of these options, but it retails at a whopping $2,500.00. It has 6 channels (4 full-range). The full-range channels run 50W each at 4 Ohms. The frequency response here is more precise, ranging 20Hz to 20kHz +0/-0.25 decibels. The crossover is also not as uniform as with the Kicker and the Rockford Fosgate: in HP, it has a range of 5Hz to 5kHz at 12 decibels per octave, and in LP, it has a range of 50Hz to 5kHz at 12 decibels per octave.

The McIntosh MCC406M is certainly the highest quality of these three, but is it worth the price? That’s for you to decide; the Kicker IX1000.5 may be the best value, but it lacks some of the quality in the Rockford Fosgate T1000-4ad. The decision is up to you.

The Original Post is Located Here: The Best High-End Car Amplifiers

The size of the subwoofer is the most important aspect of a purchase decision. Basically, you have to choose whether you want a larger subwoofer or a smaller subwoofer. It’s probably a pretty straightforward decision, but we’ll go through some of the details anyway, starting with the basics: the larger the subwoofer, the louder the bass, and the more expensive the product.

Often, cars have a location somewhere in them that is designed for the subwoofer. Since human hearing is incapable of pinpointing the direction of bass sound, it doesn’t really matter where in the car your subwoofer is… unless, of course, size is a consideration. You might have a great spot for the subwoofer, but if it can’t fit in that location, then you either have to settle for quieter bass or pick a new location. One great place to put your subwoofer is in the trunk of your car. The problem here is that you no longer have any storage room in your car.

If you usually play music at a medium volume, not too loud but not too softly, then a small subwoofer will probably do you just fine. Even a small subwoofer, if it’s high enough quality, can provide plenty of rich, deep bass. This can enhance the musical quality of whatever you listen to without taking up all kinds of space.

Remember, the larger it is, the louder it is; make sure you have a good spot picked out for whatever subwoofer you buy; and don’t worry if you can’t afford or can’t fit the largest one, a smaller one will work very well.

The Original Post is Located Here: Subwoofer Sizes

If you really want your car’s subwoofer to sound great, then you’re going to need one more detail that won’t necessarily come with whatever subwoofer you buy: a subwoofer enclosure. This not only protects your subwoofer from damage (especially if you’ve got it in your trunk, where that rolling can of soup could hit it pretty hard), but it also filters the sound coming out of your subwoofer. Because the enclosure has so much influence on the sound of your bass, it’s imperative that you get the right one.

There are four types of subwoofer enclosures, but only two are particularly common. These two are the vented (sometimes called ported) variety and the sealed variety. (The other two types, which we won’t discuss here, are the infinitive battle enclosure and the band pass enclosure.)

The sealed enclosure is the classic style of enclosure. This is what used to come with all subwoofers. In fact, if you heard a car going down the street pounding out some solid bass about five years ago, you can almost guarantee that it had a sealed enclosure. It’s the easiest to build yourself, too, making it extremely popular among those folks who don’t like to spend money if they can help it. A lot of people still choose to use it, even though it’s not the latest thing, because it maintains a crisper sound. Your bass has a more accurate quality to it, instead of just sheer volume.

On the other hand, if you want just sheer volume, then a vented enclosure is definitely a good choice. A vented enclosure produces much louder bass than a sealed enclosure ever could. It’s the newest design and the latest technology, making it very popular among the younger generations (and those young at heart). The vents push the bass sound farther out in its original, raw, brutal sound, so it ends up much less crisp than the sealed variety, but plenty louder.

You need a subwoofer enclosure, but which kind you get depends on what you want. If you want accuracy, go for the sealed enclosure; if you want power and volume, go for the vented one.

The Original Post is Located Here: Subwoofer Enclosures: Most Common Types

A subwoofer needs an enclosure in order to be complete. Without an enclosure, a subwoofer is unprotected against falling objects, angrily thrown tools, and the problem of not sounding the way you want it to sound. An enclosure not only protects your subwoofer, but also filters the sound coming out of it, so it has a huge impact on the bass you’re producing with your tunes. That’s why you need to put a lot of thought into what sort of enclosure you want to buy.

The more common types of subwoofer enclosures are sealed and vented (also called ported). Sealed enclosures are the classic style and produce the most crisp sound; vented enclosures are the latest thing and produce the loudest bass. What we want to examine, however, are the less common types: the infinitive battle enclosure and the band pass enclosure.

The infinitive battle enclosure mounts your subwoofer on a board. This board separates the front cone from the back. With this set-up, your subwoofer will take up very little space and the enclosure itself will cost you next to nothing, making it a great option if you’re low on cash and trying to cram everything into a tiny car. On the other hand, this type of enclosure needs more power to operate than other types, and it doesn’t have a very accurate sound. Plus, if it isn’t set up properly, then it won’t even work properly, resulting in a very dissatisfying bass.

The band pass enclosure attempts to increase efficiency in a small number of low frequencies – the ones often used by a subwoofer – by filtering out any mid-range and high frequency sounds that might accidentally be coming through your subwoofer. Variations on the band pass enclosure have multiple types and numbers of vents. The problem is that this type of enclosure decreases the frequency response of your subwoofer and the overall quality of the sound it produces.

You need an enclosure, but which type you get is up to you. If you need something quick and inexpensive, go for the infinitive battle enclosure. If you need something efficient and focused, get the band pass enclosure.

The Original Post is Located Here: Subwoofer Enclosures: Less Common Types

Do you want a subwoofer? Scratch that. Do you want loud, rocking bass that pounds your car like a sledgehammer in dry wall? Then take a look at Kicker subwoofers. Kicker has been providing high-quality audio products for some years now, and their subwoofers are almost unparalleled when it comes to sheer power and bass quality. Let’s take a quick look at their history and a couple of their awesome subwoofer series.

Kicker is well-known for the unique design of their best subwoofers. Instead of the standard circular design coming out of plenty of other brands, Kicker uses their very own square design. This design has helped them push the envelope when it comes not only to bass quality but also to simple volume. If you’re in your home and you hear some power bass beating its way down the street two blocks over, that’s probably a Kicker.

Two of Kicker’s most popular subwoofer series are the SoloX and the Solo-Baric L7. The SoloX has been redesigned since its original release in 2003, making it their loudest subwoofer yet. Even so, it does not sacrifice sound quality in doing so. The SoloX is available in 10″, 12″, and whopping 18″ varieties. The S18X (18″ SoloX) weighs 103 lbs and has a sensitivity of 89.7 dB 1W/1m.

The Solo-Baric L7 has also been redesigned recently, since it was Kicker’s original square subwoofer. It is available in 8″, 10″, 12″, and 15″ varieties, making it pretty versatile, no matter what kind of music you need a subwoofer in your car for. It also has a sensitivity of 89.4 dB 1W/1m.

Kicker makes loud, powerful subwoofers that are great for any pounding bass you want to play. They’ve been making these for almost 40 years, so they know what they’re doing. Remember, the SoloX has their top-of-the-line technology, but the Solo-Baric L7 is the classic.

The Original Post is Located Here: Kicker Subwoofers

If you’re looking for quality subwoofers, then a great brand to think about is JL Audio. They have a lot of strong, reliable subwoofers available, and they have a superb track record of excellent quality in audio and music products. Let’s take a quick look at a few of the options from JL Audio.

JL Audio has been making subwoofers for a long time. They now have seven different series of subwoofers, each designed for a different line of accompanying speakers. Even so, these subwoofers will work well with whatever sound system you already have in place. Each series begins with the letter W, followed by the number of the series. Any other identifying information (usually, the size of the subwoofer) comes before the W. The first series from JL Audio was W0, and the latest is W7AE (AE stands for “Anniversary Edition”). So the smallest subwoofer in the W7AE series would be identified as 8W7AE, since it is an 8″ subwoofer.

The W2 series was what put JL Audio on the map. This extremely popular series of subwoofers was designed to complement JL Audio’s “PowerWedges” speaker technology perfectly, and they did a great job. The W2 series was available in 8″, 10″ and 12″ varieties. All of them are quality subwoofers, especially if you have JL Audio’s PowerWedges already available to you. These products in concert (no pun intended) are amazing.

The latest series, W7AE, is pushing the envelope when it comes to quality. As I said before, AE stands for “Anniversary Edition,” since it’s been ten years since the advent of the flagship W7 series. These AE woofers have a new and stylish trim to accompany their high quality. They are available in 8″, 10″, 12″, and 13″ varieties.

JL Audio provides a large number of products, and they can all be trusted for quality. They’ve been making reliable subwoofers from W0 all the way through W7AE.

The Original Post is Located Here: JL Audio Subwoofers

If you want to install an after-market in-dash audio-video control device, then you should consider getting one that is integrated with a GPS. This has several benefits we’ll explain to you. And if you want a quality integrated AV control device, then look no further than Alpine.

Why should you buy an integrated interface? So you can have just one system. Can you imagine the hassle of having a CD player in your dash, a DVD player in the center console, and a GPS stuck to the windshield with a suction cup? You’d have so much going on that you’d completely forget to drive. Don’t live on the edge: an integrated system can streamline and simplify your experience: listen to music from your library at any time, play videos to keep your kids entertained, and find your way around that town you’re visiting, all with the same device.

Alpine has one excellent product with complete integration of services. The Alpine INA-W910 is an in-dash, double-DIN receiver. It has GPS navigation with street maps in both 2D and 3D. It allows you to access your music and video library (either the one you’ve added to the car’s internal memory, or the one on your iPod through Bluetooth and USB connectivity). It also gives you access to the Internet radio phenomenon Pandora, as well as being compatible with a SiriusXM antenna. This bad boy will turn on in just 6 seconds, so your car is waiting on you and not the other way around. The INA-W910 has a 7″ touch-screen interface.

Just one step down from the INA-W910 is the Alpine INA-W900BT. This is also an in-dash, double-DIN receiver. It, too, has GPS navigation, but only with 2D street maps (nothing in 3D). It has access to your music and video libraries and lets you connect to SiriusXM, but it does not include any compatibility with Pandora. Like the INA-W910, it has Bluetooth and USB connectivity. It’s operational just as quickly, with the same screen size. For a couple hundred dollars less, you sure don’t miss out on much with the INA-W900BT.

So don’t dawdle with multiple devices. Simplify. Integrate. And check out Alpine’s options, the INA-W910 and the INA-W900BT.

The Original Post is Located Here: Integrated AV Products from Alpine