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Impedance is one of those tech terms whose meaning is just close enough to its general definition to cause some confusion. In everyday language, an impedance is a hindrance — an obstacle to be overcome. Electrically, impedance is a neutral term — part of the physical properties of electrical...
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Jeff and I meet at the Crutchfield Research Bay for the final system tuneup. In the last installment , we set the crossover points and adjusted the gain structure in the Sebring's system. Now, we've borrowed an AudioControl Real Time Analyzer (RTA), a complex little box that's used to measure...
Posted to
Use & Enjoy Your A/V Gear
by
Charlie
on
Wed, May 27 2009
Filed under:
Filed under: subwoofer, EQ, crossover, car stereo, car audio, amplifier, car sound, car speakers, CD player, In-dash receiver, speakers, receiver, music system, 8" subwoofer, convertible, amps, amplifiers, equalizer, car subwoofer, Boston Acoustics, gain control, speaker systems, Audio Control, Sebring, AudioControl, Chrysler, Eclipse
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In Part 2 , we ripped my Sebring apart to install a high-performance audio system. Since then, I've been playing lots of music over my system in the last two weeks, and I spend a little time in my garage every night making adjustments. I've got the crossover points and gain controls set so that...
Posted to
Use & Enjoy Your A/V Gear
by
Charlie
on
Mon, May 18 2009
Filed under:
Filed under: bass, subwoofer, EQ, crossover, car stereo, amplifier gain, amplifier, car sound, car speakers, CD player, 8" subwoofer, convertible, volume, car, amps, amplifiers, stereo receivers, equalizer, sound processor, car subwoofer, Boston Acoustics, gain control, Audio Control, Sebring, AudioControl, Chrysler, Eclipse, subwoofers
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The big day has arrived. In the first installment , we planned out the system for my convertible. Now we'll take a long look at the installation process. A system of this magnitude is completely out of my league, so I turn to Ben and Wayne, two ace installers who also maintain Crutchfield's car...
Posted to
Use & Enjoy Your A/V Gear
by
Charlie
on
Mon, May 11 2009
Filed under:
Filed under: car audio, amplifier, gain, Crutchfield, speakers, 8" subwoofer, convertible, Dynamat, equalizer, Boston Acoustics, Sebring, AudioControl, Chrysler, Eclipse, subwoofers
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They didn't have subwoofers in mind when they built your vehicle. Big bass sucks up a lot of power, and most car electrical systems aren't equipped to deal with it. A capacitor acts as a buffer between your amps and your car's battery. You connect the cap inline on the power cable from your battery,...
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Most people think the gain control on their new amplifier is a volume control. But it actually adjusts the amount of input signal coming into the amplifier. Crank it up too high, and you'll hear some nasty distortion. Here's the general idea when setting gain: Start playing some music Turn your car stereo...
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Gain, Level, Volume...aren't they the same thing? Everybody knows a volume control makes your music louder (or quieter), so why do there seem to be so many different ways to describe it? If you're used to dubbing, or if making mixtape cassettes was your thing, you may remember "level" has something to...
Posted to
Use & Enjoy Your A/V Gear
by
Gabrielle
on
Thu, Jul 24 2008
Filed under:
Filed under: home audio, balance, amplifier gain, amplifier, sound quality, gain, tech terms, GabrielleT, input sensitivity, volume, level
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Electricity is an integral part of our society — we can't do without it, and yet, our ability to safely utilize it rests primarily with a marvelous little invention called the fuse. Made of two metal contacts, bridged by a wire or strip of metal inside a protective container, these clever devices are...
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1) I don't need a subwoofer because I never listen to loud music, just classical and jazz. Subwoofers go great with heavy metal, rap, and other types of high-impact music, but they're not just for people who like to turn it up. In fact, a well-tuned subwoofer adds depth and richness to any type of music...
Posted to
Use & Enjoy Your A/V Gear
by
Charlie
on
Mon, Apr 28 2008
Filed under:
Filed under: bass, subwoofer, head unit, car stereo, car audio, amplifier, car sound, car speakers, Bluetooth, satellite radio, antenna, installation, component speakers, RMS power, speakers, factory radio, speaker, receiver, iPod adapter, factory stereo, kick panel, factory system expanders, factory sound processors, 8" subwoofer, tweeters, 6-1/2" subwoofer, convertible, enclosures, factory system, shallow-mount, 4-way aspeakers
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In my last post , I discussed the concept of bi-wiring. Although bi-wiring doesn’t increase the amount of power going to a pair of speakers many folks I’ve spoken with felt there’s a noticeable improvement in sound quality. That brings us to the subject of bi-amping . If you’ve purchased a seven-channel...
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It's always made sense to use RMS power ratings, and not peak power ratings, when shopping for car stereos. That’s because the RMS rating is a more accurate measure of a receiver's "real-world" power, especially when compared to an outboard amplifier. Anyone who's added an amp to their car system can...
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Adding a 4-channel amp to your car stereo system — two channels to run the front speakers and two channels to run the rear speakers — not only raises the sound level, but also greatly increases the sound quality of your music. This is how I'd tune it up: Before turning on your system, make sure your...
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Over the years I've had a lot of different car stereos. But each time I'm ready to get a new one, it's harder to choose. There are plenty of good models out there, and they all do a good job on the basics. Where it gets hard is finding a model that has the right combination of "extras" — things like...
Posted to
Use & Enjoy Your A/V Gear
by
KenSpike
on
Fri, Aug 17 2007
Filed under:
Filed under: iPod, head unit, parametric EQ, car stereo, KenSpike, car audio, amplifier, Bluetooth, safety, satellite radio, CD player, preamp outputs, USB input, In-dash receiver
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You had your car stereo sounding pretty good. But then you noticed that something was missing. You had enough volume and clarity, but no real bass. You like the hit in the gut you get from a real live kick drum, and you want the same thing from your car stereo. So you got yourself a subwoofer and an...