Tag: Car Audio

The folks over at Kenwood continued their tradition of upgrading their line of head units this year. The new 2012 line-up of Kenwood Excelon receivers is finally here and better than ever. The DNX6990HD is one of the two flagship models from Kenwood. I have had some great hands on experience with it that I would love to share.

This year they packed more features than ever into a head unit which is also a few hundred dollars cheaper than its predecessor. The DNX6990HD continues to use the Bluetooth Powered by Parrot which is arguably the best quality Bluetooth interface available to date. The recent update to the Bluetooth added Bluetooth audio streaming capability from any iPhone, Android, or Blackberry device. This means that any music on your phone or audio playing from your phone can wirelessly stream through your car radio. In addition to being extremely convenient, it sounds great!

It's a question many of us think about- we might dream about it- and we always try to get as close to it as our abilities (and budget) will allow.

What's the best I can get?

Well, it's time we spent a few paragraphs going over what some of the industry standards are and what we can offer at Ask The Advisors and Serious Autosport when it comes to car audio. To begin, let’s define what “the best” actually is…

In the twenty-plus years I’ve been involved in the retail-audio/video industry, I’ve come across customers who have been lied to, taken advantage of, over-sold and under-sold when it came to their home and car audio purchases. And in every case, it always was a result of the salesperson they dealt with either not listening, caring only about his wallet or not caring at all. Given today’s changing retail environment, the downsizing of the “big box” guys, the growing internet sales arena- it makes total sense not only to know what you’re talking about, but also to listen to what your customer actually wants and provide that to the best of your ability.

We recently were proud to announce that we were offering the full line of car audio from the legendary Rockford Fosgate.

I’m also proud to introduce the new Marine lineup from Rockford Fosgate.

The KFCX-1730P Excelon series 6 inch components feature a new advanced speaker cone material and design that delivers the richest high, mid and low frequencies with minimal distortion. Kenwood has utilized a new hybrid fiber diaphragm material that combines glass fiber and a heat resistant material which allows the driver to provide a purer, cleaner sound across mid and low frequencies. A silk dome tweeter delivers a smooth, wide range of high frequencies. The KFCX-1730P also features a newly designed magnetic circuit that uses less steel, resulting in less distortion compared to a conventional circuit. The KFCX-1730P handles a hefty 330 Watts and allows for 3-point attenuation of the tweeter for better tuning.

You might have noticed that automobile manufacturers have been “paying more attention” to the calls for better sounding factory audio systems in their vehicles. Manufacturers are touting systems with components from brands including Alpine, Bose, Infinity, JBL, Pioneer and others- which might lead you to think that there isn’t a reason to look at aftermarket equipment as a logical upgrade.

Having the cool new car stereo in your ride means you can take advantage of all the new add-on features available with today’s technology. Features like Bluetooth wireless technology, iPod integration, and Navigation and Satellite radio can add to your enjoyment. With the increasing emphasis on technology, car audio decks are way more sophisticated and require “firmware updates” to keep up with new software versions that are being churned out on a regular basis.

You’ve made your decision and want to buy the “Whiz Bang Model 7” car radio. It’s got everything- all the features and looks good, too. The question is- what’s the best price you can get it for?

…Now the fun begins…

Adding bass to your ride can be fairly easy in most cars but can also be cumbersome, especially when space in most vehicles is at a premium. Fortunately, there is a solution for most vehicles on the road today that offers the customer some great options when adding a subwoofer. JL Audio, a leader in car audio for years, offers a variety of custom-tailored subwoofer enclosures called “Stealthboxes” and the name fits!

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