The Alpine INE-S920HD just arrived to our shop yesterday. We got it hooked up last night and honestly I haven’t had a ton of time to play around with it. I tried pairing my phone up to it and it took a good 10 minutes to pair. I think that might be because the Alpine stereo was seeing so many other bluetooth devices in our store (there’s got to be at least 20 other bluetooth stereo’s on), but I was finally able to get it paired up.
I don’t have any speakers hooked up to it yet, so I have not had a chance to listen to it. But I did see all the usual Alpine EQ features like time correction and a nine band EQ. So far it seems easy to use.
It appears to have good screen quality and I do like the graphics on the navigation, they seem similar to Garmin or Tom Tom. Favorites button is nice, but you only get 6 favorites (that I can figure out anyways).
We’ve been crazy busy at the shop, so I apologize for the lack of info in this post, but I was so excited to share that it was finally here. Hopefully the 928 will be here soon.
When I have more time to play around with it, I promise I will do a more in depth review/video. Check back soon for more info!
Recently my sales staff and I had a chance to do an A, B, C listening comparison between what I thought would be the top three single din head units for 2012. We carefully listened to a few different tracks over and over again between Alpine’s CDE-HD138BT, Kenwood’s KDC-X996 and Pioneer’s DEH-80PRS.
In our opinion, the Kenwood KDC-X996 wins hands down. The top of the line Kenwood Excelon head unit proved to have the best sound quality, best mix of features and best audio control. For the full review, complete with hands on demonstration, watch the video below.
UPDATE – Link to Car Stereo Chick’s 2014 Double Din Navigation Review
Hello everyone! After a few weeks of selling and playing with the various features of the navigation systems I currently sell (Kenwood DNX6990HD, Kenwood DNX9990HD, Pioneer AVICX940BT, Pioneer AVICX140BH), I have come to the conclusion that the DNX9990HD from Kenwood is the best pick for a double din navigation system currently on the market. I’ll revise and revisit this when the new Alpine Navigation systems are in (end of June early July is my best guess at this point).
Garmin navigation rocks
Split view navigation and source control is convenient
Processing speed is pretty good, doesn’t get as bogged down as most advanced navigation systems do
iPod control is easier to use than other options on market
iDatalink Maestro interface will allow consumers to easily, and cost effectively, retain OEM features like steering wheel controls, Satellite radio, Sync, U-Connect and Onstar (coming soon)
Awesome Equalizer section with excellent sound quality and precision control
Superior Bluetooth sound quality and function
Appealing 7″ display with reverse tilt option and flat black finish on buttons
Sony’s Mobile ES CDX-C90 was the best car stereo you could buy 10 years ago.
A recent corporate strategy meeting has experts predicting the end of Sony Electronics
After Friday’s corporate strategy meeting, the media started churning out headlines like “Sony fights for its life: NYT” courtesy of CE Outlook and “How Sony Fell Behind in the Tech Parade” courtesy of the New York Times. After reading both articles, it became quite apparent that Sony hasn’t made any money since 2008. That’s a long time for a company to survive without profits and with record losses. Many experts are doubtful that CEO Kazuo Hirai, who was recently appointed CEO as of April 1st, can turn Sony around and save the company.
Sony’s focus has been too far off for too long.
I’m not so sure that Sony is going under, but one thing I do agree on is that Sony hasn’t turned out a very innovative or exciting product for a while. I think this is especially true when it comes to their mobile electronics line.
Our retail store gave them up years ago when they put their specialty line, Sony Mobile ES, to rest. I think what has attracted consumers to Sony’s mobile electronics, in recent years, is the price point. Sony has been so focused on offering competitive pricing for popular features that they seemed to have forgotten to focus on functionality and reliability. Why produce a $129 retail stereo that offers Bluetooth if the Bluetooth works poorly and is incompatible with many popular phones?
On the occasions where customers have brought in these stereos for us to install, they would always gripe, “Everyone complains that they can’t hear me when I use the Bluetooth on this stereo” or even worse “My phone won’t connect with this Sony stereo I just bought!”
Unfortunately for these customers, I didn’t sell them the stereo, I just installed it for them. Had they bought the stereo from me, I would have sold them a Kenwood, Alpine or Pioneer. Sure it would have cost them $20 – $50 more, but it would have worked.
How much is brand recognition worth?
Despite their record losses, Sony still has its name. Unlike many other mobile electronics manufacturers, Sony manufactures products that span a vast group of markets including digital imaging products, medical imaging equipment, TV’s and other home electronics as well as their motion pictures division, Sony Pictures Entertainment. This gives them great brand recognition and provides a sense of security with consumers who purchase Sony products. They see the name and think, “Oh, it’s a Sony, they’ve been around forever.”
No matter how great their brand recognition is, brand recognition alone won’t produce profits for the company. As a small business owner being an outsider looking in, it seems obvious that the company needs restructuring and reorganizing in a way that will streamline their divisions, eliminate a lot of bureaucracy and allow for better communication and planning between divisions. They also need to focus their efforts and put strong leaders and innovators at the heads of each of their divisions.
Despite the doom and gloom outlook other media are portraying, Mr. Kazuo Hiari does plan to do just that. He stated during the recent conference, “the management layer that separated our customer and B2B businesses have been eliminated so that businesses can be run under the banner of one management. This will improve our speed and also enhance mutual corporation within the Sony Group.” He went on to say, “We plan to focus our investments in our three core businesses, digital imaging, game and mobile as well as the medical business.”
It’s probably not the beginning of the end for Sony, but it may be the beginning of the end for their mobile electronics division.
It won’t surprise me if Sony gets out of the mobile electronics industry as a result of this restructuring. Sony reminds me of Fujitsu Ten, maker of Eclipse car audio products. The company pulled out of aftermarket car audio electronics years ago after failing to produce car stereos that had the innovative features consumers wanted. By the time they started listening to consumer interests, it was too late. They were always trying to catch up with their competitors. The features and technologies their stereos offered always seemed to be at least a year behind every other manufacturer. After years of losing money in that category, Fujitsu Ten cut their losses and said good bye to their aftermarket car audio electronics division.
I have a feeling Sony will take a similar route to Fujitsu Ten and I think we may see them pull out of the aftermarket mobile electronics industry. Unless of course, they can get that Mirror Link A/V unit in production soon OR come up with some other very innovative and attractive feature for their mobile electronics line. If Sony’s newly re-found passion and dedication doesn’t make into the mobile electronics division, I doubt we’ll see this area of business last.
Where will Sony go from here?
As far as the brand going under? I highly doubt that. It’s obvious Mr. Kazuo Hirai’s is well aware of the dire situation and pressing need to make change NOW. This is what any business owner would do in a similar situation. Acknowledge the situation, come up with a plan of action and implement that plan as soon as possible. Mr Kazuo Hirai’s final words at the conference appeared to be honest and inspiring:
“Making this happen will require determination on my part and on the part of each Sony employee. But for Sony to be restored and to grow, we cannot shy away from difficult decisions and executions. Sony will not change unless we meet our challenges head-on, increase our business speed, revitalize our business portfolio and bring about innovation inspire curiosity in people around the world and touch our customer’s hearts with our products and services. That is a goal for which Sony aims.”
I think Sony will pull through. In fact, in my humble opinion, I think it’s probably not a bad idea to buy some stock in them right now ($17.54 a share as of this writing). I think they can turn it around and become a strong leader and innovator in the electronics and entertainment industry once again.
Will we ever see anything like their Mobile ES line again? I doubt it. I think Sony’s strength will lie in other markets as outlined during the conference like gaming, entertainment and imaging electronics.
Regardless, I’ll always remember Sony for their CDX-C90. It’s copper chassis and expansive equalizer left a lasting impression on me early on in my mobile electronics career. Hopefully, Sony will begin leaving that kind of impression on consumers once again with new and exciting products. Only time will tell. I truly wish everyone at Sony the best of luck.
Looking for the best double din car stereo head unit for your car?
Every customer is unique and their needs are all very different. My customers come into my shop looking for double din head units for a variety of reasons. They often feel that double din car stereos:
Have a cleaner look, fit and finish
Are easier to use thanks to a nice large touch screen
Have attractive features like Bluetooth handsfree, Bluetooth audio streaming, USB, Aux, Nav capabilities, DVD playback, App integration, easy iPod integration, large bright controls, customizable displays and more.
So what makes one double din head unit better than another?
Simply put, the answer is features. For the purposes of familiarity, I will focus on the models that I sell in my store so that I can give you honest, tried and true information as if you were with me in my showroom. First up, Pioneer.
The Pioneer AVH-P2400BT is a nice entry level, but full featured, double din head unit.
So what do you get for your money with the Pioneer AVH-P2400BT? Quite a bit actually.
This head unit is a great option for people looking for a nice large touch screen that will make it easy to access the music in their iPod/iPhone or other USB based MP3 player. It also has Bluetooth Audio streaming. So if you have an Android, Blackberry, iPhone or other smart phone you can pair your phone to the stereo and wirelessly stream music from your cell phone to the stereo. This is a great feature if you like to listen to a lot of music apps.
I often suggest to customers to use their cell phone apps for things like their favorite radio stations that may not come in clear in the area that they drive in. Using a cell phone app, you can listen to virtually any radio station in the world! As long as you have cell coverage, you will have 100 percent clear sound quality. Imagine that. No static on your favorite AM talk radio station. Of course you would need a smart phone, a pretty good data plan and good cell service for this to work.
With Pioneer’s CD-IU51V iPod cable, you can use your iPhone for advanced apps. Enjoy Pandora radio on your iPhone? Simply use this optional cable and connect it to the front USB/Aux on the stereo and connect your iPhone. Then launch Pandora from your iPhone. Your stations and all artist and song title information will appear on screen along with a thumbs up and thumbs down icon. Full Pandora radio control from your iPhone on screen! How cool is that?
Additional cool features include a backup camera input, it’s satellite radio ready (although who really needs that if you have a smart phone), an 8 Band equalizer and 3 preouts (2 volt). This stereo also has a wired remote input for steering wheel control integration and a wireless remote control.
One additional cost to be aware of with all Pioneer double din head units is that they do not come with a mounting sleeve or trim ring. Most installation kits will not require this, but some cars will and this is an additional cost. If your vehicle requires a mounting sleeve and trim ring, you will need to buy the ADT-VA133 in addition to any installation kit, wiring harness or antenna adapter.
Who is this stereo NOT for?
For anyone looking to build a high fidelity audio system. The low voltage on the RCA preouts will effect your sound quality should you ever decide to add additional amplifiers. If you are planning on upgrading speakers, adding and amplifier and/or subwoofer. Check out the Pioneer AVH-P4400BH or the Kenwood DDX419.
Pioneer’s AVH-P4400BH gives you a nice large easy to use touch screen
So what does the Pioneer AVH-P4400BH offer?
Additional features over the AVH-P2400BT include:
A larger touch screen 7″ vs 5.8″
The screen is also motorized and offers 5 different viewing angles.
Higher voltage preouts 4 Volt over 2 Volt
Build in HD Radio
Rear USB (cleaner look, no cables dangling from the front of the stereo)
Not a fan of Pioneer? Check out Kenwood’s DDX419 for a nice double din car stereo head unit.
Kenwood’s DDX419 is a great option for a Double Din Car Stereo
So what does the Kenwood DDX419 have to offer?
For one, they look awesome in European cars. Check out the matte black finish. The Pioneer’s have a shiny black. The illumination options also really capture the Red, Blue and Amber lighting of the European cars very well.
6.1″ touch screen (entry level Pioneer had a 5.8″)
Bluetooth handsfree and audio streaming
4 Volt preouts (good for aftermarket amps!)
Front USB/Aux
App mode with Pandora control for iPhone, launch any audio/video app from your iPhone and hear and view playback with the including Garmin Stree Pilot App with optional KCA-ip22F
SiriusXM Ready
Back up camera input
Wired remote input for steering wheel remote integration
Multicolor illumination
Volume Knob (as opposed to Volume Rocker with Pioneer)
Comes with mounting sleeve and trim ring
3 Band EQ (Pioneer had an 8 band)
So for the cash this will set you back (if you were to also purchase the app integration iPhone cable), you get a LOT of features for the money. Remember, this head unit comes with the mounting sleeve and trim ring. The entry level Pioneer had a more advanced EQ, but a lower voltage preout. When you add in the trim ring, mounting sleeve and App cable with the entry level Pioneer, you’d be spending about the same amount of money.
So the DDX419 gives you a few features over the AVH-P2400BT
Higher voltage preouts
A volume knob
Larger screen
Going for the latest and greatest in cool features? Then you have to check out Pioneer’s AVH-P8400BH.
Pioneer’s AVH-P8400BH offers MIXTRAX and Advanced App Mode
MIXTRAX was all the rave at the Pioneer booth during CES2012. What the hell is MIXTRAX? Besides being a great excuse for Pioneer’s CES organizers to hire a hot girl in short shorts and give her her very own DJ stage to entertain CES attendees and Pioneer employees, I’m not really sure who MIXTRAX would appeal to and why they would want it. You don’t get the cute girl in the short shorts when you buy the AVH-P8400BH and I certainly don’t think it will attract any cute girls in short shorts volunteering to be your own personal DJ while you drive around town listening to your car stereo.
It’s kind of like Pandora in that you tell it that you like what it’s playing and it will continue to search your music to play music with similar beats per minute. I think you can even select the beats per minute and it will find songs that match. It’s definitely geared towards customers that are into the club scene. According to Pioneer’s website:
“MIXTRAX is an innovative Pioneer technology that creates a non-stop mix of your music library complete with a range of DJ-inspired effects. Drawing from Pioneer’s rich DJ heritage with our passion for music, MIXTRAX delivers a unique DJ infused listening experience to listeners in the car. MIXTRAX takes the music from an iPod, iPhone, or USB device and plays it back with added transitions and effects, creating a virtual DJ inside the AVH-P8400BH.
MIXTRAX works by first having the MIXTRAX PC software automatically analyze a track’s BPM, bar, beat position, vocal position and mood, then adds the analyzed data to the music file. The AVH-P8400BH reads the embedded MIXTRAX data from your audio device as you enjoy precise, full featured non-stop mixes in your vehicle complete with album art that dances to the beat! You can also experience MIXTRAX as an app for the iPhone 4/4S or iPod Touch (4th Gen) and using Advanced App Mode to control the MIXTRAX app through the receiver’s touchscreen display.”
So, yeah, it’s a cool feature. Worth the additional cost? Probably not. The advanced app mode however probably is worth it.
Advanced app mode on the Pioneer AVH-P8400BH
Using the optional CD-IU201S iPod/iPhone cable you can essentially turn your double din head unit into a double din navigation unit. The advanced app mode is advanced control over select apps like MotionX GPS Drive, INRIX traffic, Rdio, and hopefully many more as developers turn out more apps.
The major difference with the preceding models app mode is the control feature. With the AVH-P4400 and the AVH-P2400BT you are launching the app from your iPhone and still controlling and entering information on your iPhone. Whatever your iPhone is doing is then reflected on screen and the audio is heard throughout the speakers in your car. Advanced mode means you’ll actually be able to control the navigation (using a specific app such as Motion X GPS).
Once you add in the additional cost of the advanced app mode cable (and don’t forget your mounting sleeve and trim ring if you need it), this stereo ends up costing quite a bit more for just a few features. That’s just my opinion anyways. I don’t ever go anywhere where I really need GPS and I don’t listen to the type of music you would hear playing in a club. For customers that own an iPhone and can appreciate the GPS app feature (or for those that listen to a lot of dance, dub step, house, etc.) it’s probably well worth it to spend the extra dough.
Now that you know what your choices are and what each model has to offer, it’s up to you to weigh what features are most important and decide what is the best double din car stereo for YOU.
Need more help making your decision? Please make a comment or email me with any questions. I’ll do my best to guide you in the exact same personalized manner that I do with my customers at my shop every day.
The all new 2012 Lexus GS 350 features a large, vibrant navigation screen.
This year I attempted to make it to the New York auto show with press passes. I actually managed to acquire the press passes, but unfortunately I couldn’t make it down during press days. I did however, get a chance to go today and roam among the public at the Jacob Javits Center. Looking at all the new cars from Ford, Dodge, Jeep, BMW, Audi, Mercedes, Toyota, Lexus, Honda and more, I quickly realized something. Almost nothing was new! At least to me.
As a mobile electronics specialist operating a retail store in Fairfield County, Connecticut, our shop sees a wide variety of clients and many of them are driving brand new cars. Sometimes we’re the first stop after driving off the lot. We also happen to do a lot of wholesale work for local car dealerships, often working on a brand new car before it is delivered to the customer. After seeing so many cars today, that I’ve already seen and know well, I realized I take for granted the kind of exposure I get to new cars working in this industry.
Having said that, I still walked away from the show with valuable insight on the convenient technologies that OEM manufacturers are now offering to consumers. The majority of these car manufacturers are creating better and better touch screen control centers with advanced navigation, app integration, multiple camera systems for driver safety and they’re offering all of that on much larger, brighter, and vibrant touch screens than ever before. Even Mercedes has been upgraded their dinky command control screen to an acceptable 7″ screen (it’s still not touch screen though). The OEM offerings are definitely going to give the aftermarket industry a run for its money. I attribute the OEM competitive edge to the car manufacturer’s seemingly bottomless research and development pockets, something the aftermarket manufacturers just don’t have.
The 2012 Dodge Ram has an oversized navigation touch screen. Shown on display at the New York Auto Show 2012
I was disappointed that most of the vehicles on display did not have accessory or battery power on, or the option to turn it on for demonstration purposes. As a result, I was unable to actually see or use most of the features that I wanted to see. It wasn’t a total waste of time however, I did get some pretty nice pictures of some pretty cool cars and I enjoyed a slice with hubby at John’s Pizza on West 44th. Enjoy.
The BMW i8 Concept Car at New York Auto Show 2012. This car is bad ass.
This thing is just so cool looking. Maybe Alpine is on to something with those Blue lights.
BMW 640i Frozen Paint Option Shown at New York Auto Show 2012
This interesting new paint concept for BMW first debuted in select 2011 M3’s. Their Frozen series paint options were prevalent at the show……even at the Mercedes and Audi booth.
Mercedes CLS with Matte Paint at the New York Auto Show 2012
Mercedes was actually the first manufacturer to offer such a paint finish. Introduced by Mercedes in 2010, they call it MAGNO Matte.
Spyker C8 at the New York Auto Show 2012.
This vehicle caught my eye. This is the first time I ever saw or heard of a Spyker C8. Looks pretty cool. Also looks really expensive.
Looking for the best car stereo head units available this year? Look no further. The Car Stereo Chick will show you her top 3 picks for single din head units in 2012. At my store, I carry Alpine, Kenwood and Pioneer. I feel these are extremely strong brands in car audio and provide consumers with a great mix of features, sound quality and reliability.
Best Single Din Head Unit from Alpine for 2012
By far, the CDE-HD138BT will be my number one selling single din head unit from Alpine this year.
Buy the CDE-HD138BT on sale!
It’s packed with features every consumer will benefit from:
3 preouts, 4 Volt rating
5 or 7 Band Parametric EQ adjustable per source (Media Xpander Pro)
Built in crossovers
SiriusXM ready
Built in Bluetooth
Bluetooth Audio Streaming
Bluetooth Plus for easier phone pairing, text message alert for select devices, call waiting functionality and Android & Blackberry Pandora control through Bluetooth Audio connection
iPhone Pandora control through USB connection
Built in HD Radio with iTunes tagging
Steering wheel control ready
Front USB/Aux
Optional passenger iPod control mode
For customers that demand great features, excellent sound quality and ease of use, I always recommend Alpine. So what is this head unit missing?
Multicolor illumination. Your choice is either blue or blue.
Front only USB. Not everyone has a nice little storage pocket above or below their stereo for their iPod or iPhone.
Lacks digital time alignment.
So your only color option is blue and your USB connection is only through the front of the stereo. What features are more important to you? Ease of use, price and pretty colors are often determining factors for my customers. I’ll tell you the same thing I tell my customers: don’t feel bad about being picky on color choice. Seriously, you’re the one that has to look it every time you drive your car.
Thinking about buying the CDE-HD138BT online? Buy from an authorized reseller! Don’t get duped by rock bottom prices. Alpine has a strict dealer agreement that every authorized reseller has to sign, including dealers like me. Part of this agreement is we agree not to advertise their products below the minimum advertised price. Did you find this head unit priced way below that mark? Guess what. It’s not legit, which means as far as Alpine is concerned they’ve never heard of you, the retailer or the warranty that you claim you have. Only authorized resellers can guarantee you’re receiving A-stock product backed by the manufacturer’s warranty.
So what if you want all that and pretty colors?
Check out Kenwood’s Excelon KDC-X996. Not only does the KDC-X996 add variable color illumination, it also adds some pretty advanced audio control features.
The KDC-X996 from Kenwood Excelon is on sale now!
3 preouts, 4 Volt rating
13 Band Parametric EQ adjustable per source
Built in crossovers adjustable slope settings 0, 6, 12, 18 or 24 DB per octave adjustable individually for Front, Rear, Sub and Tweeter
Digital time alignment for Front, Rear and Sub
Cabin selection and speaker size selection for additional audio customization
SiriusXM ready
Built in Bluetooth
Bluetooth Audio Streaming
Android & Blackberry Pandora control through Bluetooth connection
iPhone Pandora control through USB connection
Android Music Control via USB with Kenwood’s Music Control app
Built in HD Radio with iTunes tagging
Steering wheel control ready
Rear USB/Aux
Variable Illumination
Optional passenger iPod control mode
If you know how to use an iPod Classic you can figure out how to use the KDC-X996
So what’s the catch? Well, for some people, Kenwood stereos can be difficult to use. I feel that if you have an iPod and if you’re comfortable using an iPod, then you will be able to figure out the controls on this deck. They’re set up very similar to an iPod Classic.
You have a center select button. Your volume knob circles around the selection button and then you have your track up and down buttons to the sides, and your menu button on top and play button below. Look familiar?
I’ve always been a huge fan of the advanced audio control features that Kenwood Excelon head units have. Many of these features are not well explained either by the person/website trying to sell you it or by the manufacturer themselves. Take for example, the wonderful feature of time alignment. You may be wondering, what the hell is time alignment and why do I need it?
Time alignment is freaking awesome. Basically, when you’re sitting in your car, typically the left speaker is going to hit your ears first. Then the next closest speaker, like the rear driver’s side. Next is usually the front passenger speaker and last is probably the passenger side rear speaker. You might not have realized it up until this point, but the slight delay in when the sound waves actually reach your ears greatly effects your sound stage and your overall listening experience.
Digital time alignment allows you to digitally delay the closest speakers so that every speaker reaches your ears at the same time. It’s awesome. When set up properly, you can sit in the driver’s seat, close your eyes (not while driving) and you will NOT be able to pinpoint where the music is coming from. It will envelop and surround you creating a truly sublime listening experience.
Digital time alignment is freaking awesome. Sound travels slowly. This is why you need it.
Other awesome audio tuning features include advanced crossover settings. Sometimes when doing a full audio system with aftermarket amplifiers, I prefer to use the crossover adjustments within the Kenwood over the crossovers on the amp. They’re that good quality and fully adjustable with 6/12/18/24 DB per octave adjustments separate for Front, Rear, Sub and Tweeter. And don’t forget the 13 band EQ. The KDC-X996 has massive amounts of audio tuning capability. On the flip side, if you have no clue what you are doing you can make it sound really, really, really bad. So choose wisely.
What about Pioneer?
Pioneer is generally well known for their successful line of AVIC GPS head units, maybe not so much for their single din options, but this year, they’ve stepped up their game.
Meet the DEH-80PRS. Pioneer calls it Audiophile Grade. They’re comparing it to their Stage 4 head unit which features a 31 band EQ and copper chassis. The Stage 4 head unit also sells for around $1200. At just $349.95, the DEH-P80RS is presumably a bargain.
Pioneer’s new Audiophile Grade Head Unit
Check out some of the great features:
24 Bit Burr Brown DAC
A-hem, correction, THREE 24 Bit Burr Brown DAC’s. One for high, mid and low frequencies.
3 preouts, 5 Volt
Built in crossovers adjustable slope settings 0, 6, 12, 18 or 24 DB per octave adjustable individually for Front, Rear, Sub and Tweeter
Auto time alignment and Auto EQ
Manual time alignment mode
16 band EQ adjustable for left and right channels
Front Aux
Dual Rear USB
Built in Bluetooth
Bluetooth audio streaming
iPhone Pandora Control
Variable color illumination
Steering wheel remote ready
When compared to the competition, this head unit leaves me wanting a little bit more for my money. It’s not satellite radio ready and it does not come with HD Radio. However, it does have a nice display and a nice heavy volume knob. At least the prototype I saw at CES had one. As far as ease of use goes? Personally I think Pioneer single din head units are often the more difficult of the bunch. But it does have 3 DAC’s.
Let’s forget features, who has the best sounding single din head unit for 2012?
Based on the specs, I assume the Pioneer will have superior detail and clarity over the Kenwood and Alpine, but the true test will have to wait until all three have shipped and are on display at our store. Should you believe the Pioneer hype? I don’t know, we’ll see (or should I say hear) soon!
You may be wondering, what the hell is time alignment and why do I need it?
Time alignment is freaking awesome. Basically, when you’re sitting in your car, typically the left speaker is going to hit your ears first. Then the next closest speaker, like the rear driver’s side. Next is usually the front passenger speaker and last is probably the passenger side rear speaker. You might not have realized it up until this point, but the slight delay in when the sound waves actually reach your ears greatly effects your sound stage and your overall listening experience.
Digital time alignment is freaking awesome. This is why you need it.
Digital time alignment allows you to digitally delay the closest speakers so that every speaker reaches your ears at the same time. It’s awesome. When set up properly, you can sit in the driver’s seat, close your eyes (not while driving) and you will NOT be able to pinpoint where the music is coming from. It will envelop and surround you creating a truly sublime listening experience.
What new technology will be revealed at the 2012 NY Auto Show?
What kind of new in car convenience technology will we see? I’m not sure, but I will soon find out and report back. John and I will be attending the 2012 NY Auto show with press passes! One thing I am sure of is that we will see some pretty cool design changes and more emphasis on hybrid and plug in hybrid technology.
I am always excited to see advances in OEM technology. I don’t view it as a threat like many mobile electronics retailers do. The auto-manufacturers are actually doing us all a favor in this industry by bringing convenience technology to mainstream consumers. Do you think voice recognition would be a feature that the average consumer would request if it weren’t for Ford and Mircosoft creating the ever popular Sync System? I doubt it. Ford did a great job promoting that feature and they empowered consumers by educating them on the new technology that was available. But let’s face it, advertising is expensive for us little guys. Why not let the car manufacturer’s be the ones to foot that bill?
2013 Ford Fusion at CES 2012
The thing about convenience technology is you never really know you need it until you see it. Does anybody really need an iPhone? Technically no, but once you try one, and see how many amazing apps are available that will make your life so much more convenient, you’re hooked. Once you try it, you can never go back. It’s the type of technology you HAVE to have. And the auto manufacturers are doing a really good job at helping consumers be aware of this type of convenience technology and they’re pretty good at convincing them they have to have it. The benefit for shops like mine is huge.
There are thousands of people out there that would enjoy having a GPS Navigation System, a back up camera, Bluetooth and USB connection in a nice brand new car, but not everyone has $30,000+ to shell out on a new car. Yet, that doesn’t mean they won’t spend $2,000 to add those conveniences to their current ride.
Ford Evos Concept Car at CES 2012
New vehicle technology keeps me in business. The car manufacturers are great at spreading the word to consumers about new vehicle technologies in a way that is very safe and appealing across all demographics. As long as there are consumers that want these features, but don’t want to (or have the money to) buy a new car, I’ll be in business.
Stay tuned to see the latest and greatest convenience technology that will be unveiled at the 2012 NY Auto Show.
Yes and no. It doesn’t change the impedance of the speakers you are using, but it does change the impedance that the amplifier itself sees. That’s why you will find multiple ratings on 2 channel amps as there are a few different ways you can run them and one of the more popular ways to run them is bridged. Bridged is a way of mixing both left and right stereo signals from a 2 channel amp. It allows you to run a mono signal. This is great if you plan on using your two channel amp for a sub or subs. How do you make sense of the ratings? Here’s a run down of the typical types of ratings you will see:
X amount RMS power x 2 @ 4 ohms defines using a 2 channel amp to run a pair of full range car audio speakers
Higher X amount of RMS power x 2 @ 2 ohms is the other rating you will see. This is like running two subs that have an impedance of 2 ohms each with one sub on the left channel and one on the right channel.
The last rating you will often see is the combined total of the last rating or Higher X amount of RMS power (combined) x 1 @ 4 ohms.
I’ve been inspired to write this post after receiving an unsettling email from a fellow reader. He has a high powered 2 channel amp that puts out either:
150 x 2 @ 4 ohms
300 x 2 @ 2 ohms
600 x 1 @ 4 ohms
His understanding, as well as my understanding, is this: The last rating is obviously a bridged rating. To bridge a 2 channel amp, you typically use the left positive terminal on the amp and right negative terminal on the amp. See picture below:
To bridge a 2 channel amp you usually need to use the left positive and right negative on the amp terminals.
Some manufacturers do it a little differently so pay attention to the installation manual. Note this Audison amp doesn’t use the outside terminals, but it is still using left positive and right negative for bridging:
Audison 2 channel amp show bridged.
The trick with bridging a 2 channel amp is to remember that the amp will always split and share that impedance between the two channels. In other words, if you bridge a 2 channel amp to a 4 ohm load, the amp sees 1/2 that load or a 2 ohm load per channel. You never want to bridge an amp with an impedance less than 4 ohms. Given this information, it’s safe to assume that the reader’s amp will put out 600 watts RMS when bridged to a 4 ohm load. These two ratings are essentially telling us the same thing:
300 x 2 @ 2 ohms
600 x 1 @ 4 ohms
In this particular instance, the reader is looking at purchasing two subwoofers. The subs are offered in either single voice coil 4 ohm or single voice coil 2 ohm. Well, we know that when we parallel two 4 ohm subs we get a 2 ohm load and if we series two 4 ohm subs we get an 8 ohm load. So we can conclude the single voice coil 4 ohm subs would not be the right impedance to buy.
We know that if we parallel two 2 ohm subs we would get a 1 ohm load and if we series two 2 ohm subs we would get a 4 ohm load. 1 ohm isn’t going to work, but 4 ohm will. So in this situation, the correct answer would be to buy two of the single voice coil 2 ohm subs, wire them in series, then bridge the amp. The amp would put out 600 watts RMS when bridged to the 4 ohm load.
After contacting the manufacturer of the subs, the reader received the wrong information. The manufacturer’s tech support disagreed and adamantly argued that he should buy the two single voice coil 4 ohm subs and series those to an 8 ohm load. He feverishly argued that whenever you bridge an amp it sees half the impedance.
This is true. The amp would technically see 4 ohms. But at 4 ohms, the amp only puts out 300 watts RMS, do you agree?
Here are those ratings again:
150 x 2 @ 4 ohms – What we would get if we were to run two 4 ohm subs to each channel of the amp
300 x 2 @ 2 ohms – What we would get if we were to run two 2 ohm subs to each channel of the amp
600 x 1 @ 4 ohms – What we would get if we were to bridge the amp and give it a 4 ohm load
I consulted with another technician at the manufacturer as I was distraught that such a reputable, long time standing company was giving out such misguided direction. I began to think I was losing my mind when the second technician sided with both of us saying we were both right. How could we both be right? The amp cannot produce the same 600 watts RMS when bridged to either a 4 ohm or an 8 ohm load. If we understand anything about resistance and amplifiers we know that output varies with resistance.
Unless, of course, your company primarily produces amplifiers with regulated power supply’s. An amplifier with a regulated power supply will put out the same amount of power regardless of whether you give it 2 ohms, 3 ohms or 4 ohms. But this, my friends, is not a regulated power supply amp. It’s not a class D mono amp. It’s an old school, class A, high powered, two channel amp and that beast needs a 4 ohm load when bridged to supply you with 600 watts of raw power, damn it.
Even though I’ve been doing this for more than 10 years and have sold more than my fair share of bridged amp setups, I actually started to doubt my understanding when I encountered two manufacturer technicians that believed otherwise. I consulted with my hubby on this one (who has more than 30 years experience in this industry). So here is our conclusion to help YOU, the almighty consumer, navigate the numerous power ratings on amplifiers.
When you bridge a 2 channel amp (or the rear channels of a 4 channel amp) the amp sees 1/2 that impedance
Amplifier company’s will provide several different power ratings to help you understand the various capabilities of the amp
X amount of power RMS x 2 @ 4 ohms means this is what the amp will put out if you hook up two 4 ohm speakers or subs, one speaker or sub to the left channel and one speaker or sub to the right channel. The amp will play a stereo signal in this scenario.
X amount of power RMS x 2 @ 2 ohms means this is what the amp will put out if you hook up two 2 ohm speakers or subs, one speaker or sub to the left channel and one speaker or sub to the right channel. The amp will play a stereo signal in this scenario.
X amount of power RMS x 1 @ 4 ohms means this is what the amp will put out if you bridge the amp to a final 4 ohm load. It doesn’t matter if it’s one speaker or two speakers as long as the final impedance at the speaker wire going into the amp is 4 ohms. The amp will play a mixed stereo or mono signal in this scenario.
Let’s take a look at this screen shot from JL Audio:
Various different ratings on a 2 channel as described by the manufacturer.
We can conclude from these ratings that this amp will do the following:
If you hook up two full range 4 ohm car audio speakers to each channel (left and right), the amp would supply you with 110 watts RMS from each channel.
If you were to hook up two 2 ohm subwoofers (or two full range 2 ohm car audio speakers) to each channel (left and right), the amp would supply you with 180 watts RMS from each channel.
If you were to hook up one single voice coil 4 ohm subwoofer and bridge the amp, the amp would supply you with 360 watts RMS total to the one subwoofer.
This last rating demonstrates bridging the amp. The amp is essentially seeing half that final load when bridged. We are mixing left and right stereo and combining both channels to basically create a mono amp. You can see by the ratings that the amp is obviously seeing 2 ohms per channel as the total RMS output at 4 ohms bridged equals that of the two channels run separately with a 2 ohm load on each.
I sincerely hope that helps to clear up confusion regarding what happens to an amp when bridged and what kind of impedance you can give an amp that is being bridged. As a rule of thumb, never bridge an amp with anything less than a 4 ohm load. It will be unstable and heat up and shut down on you.
This experience has taught me there’s even more misinformation out there than I otherwise thought. Do you guys agree with me? Disagree with me? I’d love to know. I really hope this helps everyone out there who plans on bridging their 2 channel or 4 channel amp.
