Car Audio Blog » Car Stereo

Pimp Your Ride With A Custom Car Stereo

Car Audio Blogger — Sun, 24 Feb 2008 13:08:54 +0000

Modifying your car is a trend that will never go out of fashion. The reason to this is the electronic gadgets, stereo system and many other fine piece of art available to dazzle up your car. Usually what guys prefer installing in their car as a first priority is custom car audio system with a woofer in your trunk and an awesome display to change your CDвЂ™s from one to another. Many shops can be found to provide this kind of services for you to pimp your car and give it a complete different look from the inside as well as outside.

The accessories available for cars are so many that it might be hard for one to make a decision as you do not want too much stuff in your car otherwise it will just overdo it. Starting from remote car starters, window tinting, keyless entry, security system, multimedia, shinny rims and tires with an awesome grip etc. There is so much choice to choose from but it is advisable to keep it simple and classy installing things that you really want in your car rather than dumping everything, stuff that you might not even use. So you want to pimp your ride, you can start off with black or silver rims with tires that compliment the shinny metal in between with jet black tinted windows. Tints in different colors are also available but I never found any color more eye-catching than black.

Then custom car audio system is next in list that can give your car that smashing, modern appearance that you can show off in front of your friends. The custom car audio system includes speakers, subwoofers, woofers, active and passive crossovers, amplifiers, equalizers and anything else you have in mind like a screen display with visualization etc. Before you decide what you want to buy, plan your custom car audio system carefully. Keep in mind your range, quality and quantity of sound you want to be installed in your car. Choose a brand that is reliable to achieve excellent sound system. You might want to sacrifice cutting your car to make some room for the large woofers and subwoofers which I think are worth it.

Head unit features come in next which controls your sound system. This has to be perfect and trendy in appearance. The layout should be coherent that suits your requirements. The power, CD changer controls, security system, RCA outputs that will come in handy if you are planning to add amplifiers to the audio system in the future. Generally the head unit has an output of 5 to 7 watts while a high powered head unit can take up to maximum of 13 to 15 watts and not more than that even if the experts declare it to be 35 to 40 watts. When you are done planning the head unit, search for the best speakers which is the second most important part in your custom audio system. The front and rear speakers are a good choice but you can get a pretty good sound out of front speakers if you cannot meet the expense of rear speakers. Amplifiers and subwoofers come in next which adds the bass to the whole system but make sure you install the woofers in a box that accurately fits them otherwise their output is affected. After designing and installing your custom car audio system leave some room for upgrading to jazz your sound system in the future.

Blaupunkt Velocity 2Go – Portable Speaker System

Car Audio Blogger — Fri, 16 Nov 2007 20:09:51 +0000

Blaupunkt Debuts World’s First Portable Speaker System that Doubles as a Powered Car Subwoofer

Blaupunkt has introduced Velocity 2Go, the world’s first headphone-jack portable stereo speaker systems that can also be quickly converted into car audio subwoofers. Ideal for active music lovers, Blaupunkt Velocity 2Go powered speakers generate room-filling full-range sound when connected to any device with headphone output jacks. When used in a car, it delivers deep, clean bass to add weight to the sound of a basic four-speaker car stereo system.

Blaupunkt Velocity 2Go is available in two sizes, each with powerful high-efficiency amplifiers, two long-throw polypropylene woofers and two silk-dome tweeters in a sturdy, attractive ported aluminum enclosure. Power for the four bi-amp configured amplifiers and active crossovers is supplied by a car’s 12-volt electrical system, an AC adapter, or rechargeable AA batteries sustained by a built-in charger. A defeatable auto-turn-on function activates whenever an audio signal is detected.

The Blaupunkt Velocity 2Go 5 features dual 5-1/4-inch woofers, and a pair of 3вЃ„4-inch tweeters in an 8 liter enclosure, and is capable of linear frequency response from 50 Hz to 25000 kHz. The larger Velocity 2Go 6 employs 6-1/2-inch woofers and 1-inch tweeters in a 15-liter enclosure, making it capable of higher output, and linear response down to 40 Hz…

In addition to the 3.5mm headphone jack input, there are also rear-panel RCA inputs for use with variable line-level outputs from a home, preamplifier, TV set, or other audio device. The unit’s built-in amplifiers are capable of delivering a combined output up to 160 watts of power (80 watts RMS) when connected to either an AC or 12-volt DC source, and 60 Watts max (30 watts RMS) when powered by eight standard rechargeable AA batteries.

When used as a powered car subwoofer, the Velocity 2Go’s low pass active filter network comes into play, limiting reproduction to frequencies below 120 Hz and removing the tweeters as an audio source. There are a complete range of subwoofer controls, including gain, low-pass frequency, and signal phase adjustments to ensure seamless integration with existing car stereo gear. A rear-panel multi-port input can be used with the included cable to instantly connect the Blaupunkt Velocity 2Go to 12 V DC power, speaker-level or RCA audio inputs, making it remarkably fast and simple to hook up to nearly any car audio system. An optional QuickOut Dock is available to provide instant connection and subwoofer mode activation…

Full press release: gspr.com

Venturi Mini – Bluetooth handsfree kit meets MP3 streaming jukebox, through any FM car stereo

Car Audio Blogger — Fri, 16 Nov 2007 12:41:05 +0000

Developed by NextGen Venturi, the Venturi Mini is specifically designed to work with music phones and Bluetooth-equipped MP3 players. Boasting full support for Bluetooth 2.0+EDR and A2DP, the Venturi Mini can relay this sound information – both in terms of voice calls and streaming music – through its integrated digital FM transmitter. The transmitter also has RDBS technology for displaying information on your car’s radio screen, including contacts, device menus, and other pertinent data.

The Venturi Mini is a new and unique product combining BluetoothВ® Music streaming with Hands-Free calling and USB style charging. The integrated FM RDS Transmitter streams stereo audio through the in-car sound system for music playback and hands-free. The Venturi Mini requires ZERO INSTALL and simply connects to the cigarette lighter socket in the vehicle making it easily transportable.

The integrated OLED display and high performance microphone enables high quality crystal clear hands-free with the received audio coming through the in car speakers.

Music Streaming

Music can be streamed from a mobile phone using the Bluetooth A2DP profile or a portable music player can be connected via Bluetooth A2DP or directly through the audio in stereo jack.

Hands-Free Bluetooth Audio and Phonebook

Providing high quality audio via the car speakers and crystal clear voice via built-in microphone as well as remote control of your phonebook with dialing activation from the smart interface on the Venturi Mini.

BluetoothВ® Wireless Technology

Featuring Bluetooth v2.0 & state of the art DSP technology for clear hands-free audio and advanced music streaming from your Bluetooth enabled phone or portable music player via smart interface on the Venturi Mini…

FM Transmitter with RDS/RBDS

Sends caller ID and other information to the car radio display for simple and easy call management. The phonebook contents are also displayed on the car radio display along with call status all controlled via smart interface on the Venturi Mini.

Audio In and Out

For complete flexibility the Venturi Mini allows you to connect any device to the audio-in and supplies audio-out for a direct connection to the vehicle stereo system or other audio devices.

Built In Charger

To keep your phone battery and other devices fully charged on the move with the built in 5V, 500mA USB style charger. (Adapter cables not supplied)

It’s also quite notable that the Venturi Mini can pair with up to four devices at the same time, meaning you can have your MP3 player blasting tunes through while the your phone is connected for a call back home. The standard USB style 5v port provides an area where you can simultaneously charge your devices too. Regular MP3 players an make use of the audio-in socket. If your car’s stereo has an aux-in jack, you can make use of the audio-out on the Venturi Mini for a wired connection too. That’s probably better quality than FM anyways.

Look for the Venturi Mini to ship next month with an MSRP of $129.

Car Stereo System – TUNE it Up!

Car Audio Blogger — Sat, 10 Nov 2007 22:44:01 +0000

One of the best things you can do for your car audio system is to properly tune it. There are several variables to consider when doing this, and I am going to walk to through the most important ones so you will have a good understanding of how to get the most “bang” for the buck from you system.

Assuming you have an amplified system with one or more subwoofers, you can dial in your system to give you the best sound and have the durability you want from it. It starts at the head unit. You want a head unit with a good, strong output signal, between 4 and 5 volts on its pre-outs. Audiophiles tell us that 2-3 volts of good clean signal is good too, but that will require a little more amplifier power to get the decibels we’re looking for.

You also want a head unit with an adjustable subwoofer level. Start by tuning the stereo without the subs on. Add your bass and treble until you get the desired sound with minimal distortion at the loudest volume setting you will listen to it at. This is generally about 2/3 max volume…

Once you are happy with the low/mid/high sound from the multi-range speakers, we can add in the subs. If applicable, tune the sub outputs to about 2/3 maximum, and head to the amp. Start at the amp and adjust the frequency and the level to minimum, and turn the volume up to the the same loudest point we were working with earlier. Pull your frequency to about half way, and slowly adjust the power level upwards. If you hit the zone you want, stay there. Keep in mind, this is only a safe adjusting technique with a speaker system that matches the power output of the amplifier. If you want more from your system, incrementally adjust the frequency down slightly with the increases in power level.

Your goal is to get a loud, clear bass from the subs that DOES NOT CLIP OUT under the loudest conditions you anticipate. If the amp clips out, then adjust the power level lower until it is back in the safe zone. Once the system is set where you want it, don’t mess with it. Leave the levels on the head unit and the amp alone. The mistake I see with blown speakers and amps is trying to show them off with all the levels maxed out. This produces a lot of power at a high distortion level, which is damaging to the speakers and the amplifier. If you want a louder sound than what you have by tuning your system this way, it may be time to upgrade.

Keep these guidelines in mind when configuring your systems, and you should be able to build a car stereo system that will sound great and have great durability.

Good Luck and stay TUNED!!!

Majestic Modifications is the complete car customization concept, specializing in auto accessories, air intakes and performance upgrades, body kits and exterior accessories, glow gauges and interior accessories, wheels and tires, mobile video, car audio and electronics. You can also visit the Car Audio Installations Blog for more info.

Article Source: EzineArticles.com expert – Matt Brooks