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All equipment deteriorates with time – may as well install speakers that will outlast the Monday morning carpool.

Replace your OEM

The first step is to invest in a new set of speakers. It’ll improve the sound range to create brighter highs and deeper lows. Factory systems, depending on the make and model of your car, are sufficient for a short while. Some car manufacturers utilize JBL and Sony equipment, but because they’re developed for mass distribution these speakers aren’t made with higher quality materials seen in aftermarket products. 

A set of 2- or 3-way speakers can easily beef up an existing factory set without having to replace your head unit. Coaxial speakers like this block lower frequencies from flowing towards your tweeters, so it doesn’t get overworked trying to hit the low notes it’s not meant to. 

Little details you may have missed in your favorite album will come to life the moment it’s run through a proper speaker set.

Add an AMP

The amplifier is the powerhouse of your stereo. It increases signal power and current capacity, measured in volts, being sent to the different components of your car. 

Imagine plugging a lamp into a faulty socket, the light will flicker or not shine as bright as it’s able. The same applies to car audio. Without the right amount of power, not enough voltage will flow to your speakers – it doesn’t matter how premium your system is. Bad current = bad sound.

Adjust Gain

The gain control on your amplifier is not a volume knob. This feature adjusts the output flow from the amp to your speakers – more or less power. 

The best way to set your gain is to turn your stereo volume up to 75 percent. Then raise your gain up until you hear distortion in the sound, then turn it down. Back off roughly ten percent. 

Add Subwoofer, Tweeter

Quality speakers will take care of a portion of sound quality issues, but to create a fuller listening experience it’s essential to add equipment designed that will faithfully produce a full frequency range of your music.

A subwoofer is not just a vibration machine. While some sub kits can be boosted to shake the windows, the speaker itself is designed to produce low-end frequencies from 20–200 Hz. 

A tweeter operates similarly on the opposite side of the spectrum, from 2kHz upward. The average human hearing range is 20-20kHz, even those of us with damaged ears from years of concert going will be able to feel the difference a subwoofer and tweeter make. 

Add an Enclosure

Subwoofers are typically sold in an enclosure since cars aren’t created to be a roving concert, yet. Like factory systems, you can swap out the enclosure box to make the ideal environment for your sub to thrive. 

A vented or ported enclosure will help with the volume output and enhance the low bass response. A sealed enclosure traps the air in the box so the sub has a more accurate vacuum pull – meaning the actual mechanism that pumps air to generate lower frequencies stays on course. 

Install a Capacitor

A capacitor acts like a wee back-up boost for your amplifier from the battery. As the amp worlds to control power flow, there are moments when it may need an extra push to hit those bass notes. A capacitor is not necessary for all listeners, but a great help for any rock, rap and bassheads out there so you don’t drain your car battery or accidentally short your electrical system.

Crossover; high and lowpass

Amplifiers usually have a crossover built into their circuits. A crossover is a high- and low-pass filter to keep frequencies from reaching the wrong speaker. Like high-frequencies going to the subwoofer. 

This keeps your system running efficiently. You can purchase a variable or selectable crossover, so you can either freely adjust the frequencies yourself or choose from present crossover points.

High Quality Cables

The wiring and cables power the car’s sound system. Unlike a lamp, the wires are channeling more than electricity, it’s also conducting the various signals and frequencies from your music. 

If your signal is traveling a longer distance, like from the head unit to a subwoofer in the trunk, a heftier cable is needed so quality isn’t lost before it reaches its destination. 

MORE INFORMATION ON WIRE GAUGES AND CABLE MANAGEMENT

Sound Deadening

Invented in the 1970s, sound deadening can be made out of butyl rubber, aluminum foil and or foam. It works by absorbing the excess interior noise created by the rattle of your car – leaving behind all the music details you worked so hard to tune.

Tone Controls/ EQ or Digital Signal Processor 

Once all the equipment has been staged and supported properly, it’s time to hop in the driver’s seat and fine tune your music. Your equalizer can be accessed through your car’s head unit interface. From the sound setting menu, you can pinpoint certain waves in the sound frequency to adjust any peaks that are causing sound distortion.

Additionally, you could connect your stereo to a signal processor. The music will run through this device before heading to the amplifier which sends out the frequencies to the speaker. A DSP can have its output levels adjusted per channel to each of its speaker destinations.  

Higher Quality Music Files

Don’t settle for lower quality files for your music. While compressing certain songs may allow you to store more albums on your phone, it isn’t worth updating your system just to shortchange yourself when it’s time to rock. 

The post How to Improve Sound Quality appeared first on Sonic Electronix Learning Center and Blog.

For some, keeping the factory stereo in place is preferred than installing any aftermarket equipment. The OEM features provide just enough programming to outweigh the desire, and cost, of a new unit. On the flip side, upgrading a sound system with an amplifier can provide more power to aftermarket speakers. Unfortunately, factory stereos do not have the necessary preamp outputs needed to allow you to easily connect an amplifier to it.

A line output converter (LOC) is made for these situations. They convert the speaker-level output into an RCA signal,  which can then make the connection to an amplifier. This allows for higher quality and more powerful sound to flow through your system. At a basic level, LOC convert speaker into amp outputs, but can provide limited sound processing advantages like low pass filters and EQ signal processing.

Installing a LOC is simple and does not require you to outsource to a garage. Follow the steps below to amplify your car audio in no time.

1. Disconnect the negative battery terminal

Disconnect the negative battery terminal. This step will help keep you and your equipment safe by preventing shorts, blown fuses, and other electrical problems. 

2. Remove your factory head unit

Remove the head unit so you can locate the wiring that will connect to the line output converter. Refer to your vehicle’s instructions (online or in the manual) before removing the necessary panels and bolts/screws to pry it loose.

3. Review your wiring diagrams

In order to understand where to connect your wires, you will need to ensure you understand your stereo output wiring and where the LOC will be connected. Familiarize yourself with the wiring and connection diagrams alongside your car model instructions before proceeding to the next step.

4. Strip Wires and Make the Proper Connections

Line output converters with wired connections

If you are using a LOC with wired connections like the NVX XFLOC4, you will want to follow these steps:

• Strip each of the wires by at least one inch on both the line output converter and the stereo wiring that will be connected.
• Make the proper connections, such as the front left to the front left, front right to the front right, etc. Use butt connectors (some prefer to solder) and wire crimpers to finalize.
• Lastly, you will plug in the RCA cables to the line output converter and run and connect the RCA cables to the amplifier. If using the remote wiring you will also need to run that to the amplifier at this time.

Line output converters with speaker connector terminals

On a LOC that uses speaker connector terminals and requires fewer install steps. Strip the wires from the stereo wiring and then make the proper connections with the corresponding speaker connector terminal. Make sure each wire is secure and the wire is not loose, but do not overtighten it. Then connect your RCA cables to the corresponding places on both your LOC and your amplifier.

5. Test your System and Tidy Up the Install

With the LOC wiring completed, test your new amplifier. Connect your battery and turn on the stereo to ensure the amplifier, stereo, and speakers are working as expected. Make any necessary adjustments, if needed, and proceed to finalize your install. Clean up all wiring, secure the line output converter, and reinstall the stereo.

The post How to Install a Line Output Converter appeared first on Sonic Electronix Learning Center and Blog.

Read, Read, & Read S’more!

If you’ve gotten this far in the post, then you clearly have the ability to get this done. Good job, you’re ahead of the game! For starters, manuals are your best friend. To be fair, manuals are often that nerdy friend of yours that ruins the grading curve, but with a little effort that nerd can be a real asset. A proper manufacturer (more on that later) will provide a proper manual with all the information you need to know about your product. The manual will often let you know what kind of wiring you need, what the potential output is, how to wire it, what the knobly bits do, etc… SonicElectronix Tech Support is NOT a book club; our guys are not meant to read the manual to you, so please read it yourself! Even if your product doesn’t come with a manual, Car Audio hasn’t really evolved beyond its basics – for the most part. So if your manual doesn’t have the answer, then you can often get your answer from a similar product’s manual. Your $99 Million-Watt amp doesn’t come with a manual? That’s strange. You want to strap it, but don’t know how? Probably a bad idea, but ok lets do that. The first thing you should always do is read the information available on the manufacture’s website. If the manufacture’s website is as thorough as their lack of a manual, then what is the first thing EVERYONE does when there’s a question that needs to be answered? Google, duh: Click Me!!!! Hey look!, a SonicElectronix Learning Center article…by yours truly! Coincidence. Jokes aside, the internet is a great start to any question you may have. The first rule of the internet applies here, however, ‘Tread with caution!’ . We all would love to think that everything you read on the internet is the truth (Read: $99 Million-Watt amp) , but that isn’t always the case. Always make sure you also take the time to ensure that the source you are getting your information from is a credible source. Our Learning Center is a great wealth of information and knowledge so, of course, we recommend checking with us whenever you have any questions/concerns/problems/etc…, but we also support the idea of our customers reading up on articles/posts from other sources; there is no such thing as Too Much Information. Asking a stupid question is better than making a stupid mistake. This is why we developed our community Q&A Tab on our website, to encourage everyone to ask whatever questions they may have. Check out the Q&A Tab for yourself. Now, lets get a little more detailed:

Performance Is Only As Good As Its Source! Pt. 1 

Your amplifier Does NOT make power. It converts power, or current, from your electrical system and turns it into a high power audible energy. If the amp can’t get all the power it needs it will not produce its full output. Period. If the Voltage or Current drops too low even the best amplifiers on the market will drop below its rated output. This is why it is very important that you match your awesome new amplifier/subwoofer/speakers/etc. with proper wiring and a proper source of power! Always begin with making sure your charging system is in good working order, and consider OFC Wiring when possible. Any high performance audio amplifier will increase the demand on your alternator and battery. Still, most common installs (i.e. >~1200w True RMS) can often run perfectly fine off a stock system. Keep in mind there is a HUGE difference between the electrical system of a Hummer H2 vs a Geo Metro and there is also a huge difference between the electrical system of a Hummer H2 with a fried Stator vs a GEO Metro with a brand new Stator; many variables, so Plan Accordingly. If you are unsure, have your charging system tested by a professional technician. Our SonicElectronix sales team cannot magically determine if your walled off 2007 Volkswagen Beetle’s OEM alternator can handle the load of your 1.21 gigawatts system. A bit of a hyperbole, but you get the point. Far too many enthusiasts believe that all you need is “good” equipment to get “good” sound; that is not the case. You need a “good” system, which includes your source. The same can be said for the AUDIO, which leads us the next mistake.

Performance Is Only As Good As Its Source! Pt. 2

Repeat, far too many enthusiasts believe that all you need is “good” equipment to get “good” sound; that is not the case. If you are playing terrible audio, then the amplifier is only going to amplify terrible audio, and the drivers are going to output – you guessed it – terrible audio. By “terrible audio” I am not referring to your cherished copy of Nickelback’s “greatest hits” (sic) , instead I am referring to the actual file and/or recording that you are streaming through your headunit. For the sake of conversation, lets pretend that that which you are streaming is NOT a CD; of which houses uncompressed audio, 44.1 khz 16 bit stereo, pretty awesome audio. Instead, lets only assume compressed MP3 files. What does “Compressing audio” mean? We won’t get too deep into that – I do suggest reading up on it, however. To Car Audio junkies it basically means snipping off the highest end of the high frequencies and the lowest end of the low frequencies, along with other sciencey altering of sine wave stuff; basically you are sucking the life out of the audio. Moving on, there are Five common types of audio file bit rates: 320kbps, 256kbps, 192kbps, 160kbps, & 128kbps . Yes, there are other formats and types and etc etc etc , but one of those five will likely be the bit rate that your iTunes music is currently compressed to (go check, you’ll see). Ok, so what does all this means to us now? Well, In a nutshell 128kbps = Good, 256kbps = better, 320kbps = Best. Now, which seems like a better idea:

1. Ok audio streaming through your head unit, Ok audio amplified by your amplifier, then Ok audio coming out of your drivers.
2. Better audio streaming through your head unit, Better audio amplified by your amplifier, then Better audio coming out of your drivers.

I sincerely hope you chose 2 Now that you know this, make sure all the music you ever rip onto your library is ripped in “320kbps Stereo Bit Rate”. If you use iTunes, that option is within the “Import Settings>>Custom”. Even better, use CDs or WAV format; not as practical, but if you really want to flex your “audiophile” muscles, then that is what you want.

Set Your Settings Properly!

Those settings on the side of an amplifier, they aren’t there to look pretty or to be left in the position that they came in out of the box. Moreover, none of them are there to ‘make the music louder’ and they are especially not there to be “set half way”!! You make the car audio gods very angry if you have ever used the words “half way” when describing where any of your settings are positioned. We’ve already gone over what each setting on an amplifier does in a recent Learning Center article inconspicuously titled HOW TO TUNE AN AMPLIFIER, so we won’t go over that now. Also, those settings are often explained in the MANUAL. However, it is worth saying that it is VERY important that you understand what each setting’s job is. Notice that none of them say “Make The Music Hit Harder Setting”, because none of them will do that. The settings on the side of an amplifier are easy to mess up and modestly difficult to get right; but when done right it will protect your system. Your $1,000 Sound System putting out 2,000 Unicornwatts won’t mean a thing if it isn’t tuned/set right, so do it right. Speaking of Unicornwatts:

Just because an amplifier says it can do 1,000 UnicornWatts, It doesn’t mean it can.

Unfortunately, our market is flooded with manufactures who do not rate their products properly. Instead, they provide very ambitious figures that we will never get, Unicornwatts (For the record, I made that up.). This is largely due to the fact that there is no governing body that restricts these manufactures from putting exaggerated figures in the specifications. There once was a time where we would literally pay $1 for every Watt of power; so a 750watt amplifier would cost $750 and so on. Luckily, technology has advanced leaps and bounds beyond those times and we can now get 750watts at an affordable price (Read: JBL MS-A5001). However, that means gone are the times where we could comfortably make a purchase and know that we are buying quality. In an attempt to separate the amplifiers that are putting out unicornwatts from the amplifiers that are putting out true RMS, some manufacturers have pursued CEA-2006 Compliance certification for their amplifiers to prove to consumers that they are, in fact, getting what they pay for. The idea of “Getting what you pay for” is very strong in Car Audio. This is why we try our best to educate our customers and often urge to save their pennies a little bit longer to get into a better performing product, hopefully a CEA Compliant product. Like most consumer products, the best approach is common sense. If someone were to present you with the opportunity to purchase a 2015 500hp Car for $2,000, wouldn’t you question Every Single Thing about that offer? You’d ask “whats wrong with it?”, “show me proof”, “why so cheap?”. You ask these things because you know that such a car goes for – at least – ten times the price. This same approach goes for car audio. If you are presented the opportunity to purchase a 5000 watt Amplifier/Subwoofer for $100, you must immediately ask “whats wrong with it?” (It is probably entry level), “show me proof” (its not CEA Compliant, so there is no proof), “why so cheap?” (because its cheap!).

If you can’t do it yourself, then don’t do it yourself.

Professional installation can be very expensive, we understand that. However, you aren’t just paying someone to drop a bunch of equipment into your car and send you on your way. You are paying to have the job done RIGHT. We highly encourage DIY, that’s the reason I’m typing this up and the reason to why we have the Learning Center and SonicElectronix Blog. However, there comes a time where DIY just isn’t recommended. That time is often when you yourself realize the install is just too overwhelming to continue researching, let alone attempt. When you get to a point where you’ve exhausted all resources, and still have not successfully grasped the idea of a given install, then it is time to put the install in the hands of someone who does that install for a living.

Food for Thought:
It’s less expensive to have the job done right, than it is to get a job done wrong fixed.

Upgrading Your Door Speakers Does Not Get You A Louder System.

For some reason, there is a firm belief that simply swapping out the door speakers for better door speakers will magically make the sound system in an otherwise stock vehicle louder. Technically yes, but for the most part its a no. A better quality speaker, with a higher sensitivity, and – in some cases, a lower impedance will, in theory, provide an increase in overall volume (loudness). However, in audio vs the human ear there is often Only a discernible difference in volume when said volume raises >+3dB. Which, in most cases, just doesn’t happen when only swapping out the speakers. Given the context of what most people would associate an “acceptable performance gain”, there just isn’t such a gain. There are two major benefits in swapping out the door speakers: 1) Better overall sound quality (wider frequency response) & 2) the ability to add an amp now/later. Its the latter that will give you the Actual performance so often sought out. It is important to remember, loudness = power = amplifier. Even unicorn power will suffice.

Matching Impedance.

For as long as there have been speakers, subwoofers, and amplifiers there has been the question of ‘How are they all matched up’? The ironic part is that the answer has always followed up the question and still the question is asked despite the amount of information available. However, actually knowing how to wire speakers/subwoofers and what impedance they present isn’t as important as knowing where to look for the answers. Unless you plan to open up your own shop, its really not that important to know that three dual-4 ohm Subwoofers wired in parallel will present a 2.67 ohm final load. Instead, its best to know where to find the answers and see the different options you have available to you. Most amplifiers and Subwoofers will have the answer in the MANUAL, but if it isn’t below are two very useful links to get that answer:

1. Subwoofer Wiring Wizard
2. SonicElectronix YouTube Channel: How To Wire Subwoofers

The question of matching impedance is most prevalent when talking about Subwoofers vs Amps; “How do I wire my subwoofer(s) to XYZ?”. But the same idea applies to door speakers. Seldom does a scenario come up where you need to wire up door speakers together, but it isn’t impossible. Door speakers are a lot easier to figure out, but just know that you treat them as Single Voice Coil Drivers.

There you have it, read your manuals, avoid unicorns and avoid bad products; that is the key to turning in your n00b card for an Xpert card. Jokes aside, as mentioned before, Car Audio can be fairly precarious, but if approached properly and with a want to learn everyone can enjoy the benefits of music in a machine on wheels. Don’t forget people, we’re turning information from a CD/Phone/MP3 into an audio signal and making it loud enough to rattle windows, all with just ~12volts, that is a beautiful thing. Have fun!

The post 8 Common Mistakes Made by Car Audio n00bies and How To Avoid Them appeared first on Sonic Electronix Learning Center and Blog.

For this example we are going to use the DC Audio 7.5k as an example. Onboard, it has the most common settings found throughout the market. The names might be a bit different, but they do the exact same thing, more on that later. Moreover, this article will cover each setting Right to Left – use the picture below to follow along – ending at the Gain, which is easily the most important setting of them all.

• Master/Slave Switch

The Master/Slave Switch is ONLY ever used when “Strapping” the amp with another identical-twin amp (i.e. Same Series, Model, etc..). Stay tuned for a future article on how this is done, But for this explanation we are assuming ONE amplifier one, so this switch must stay on MASTER. What does “Slave” do? Stay tuned for the explanation on “Strapping”.

• Phase

The job of the phase setting is to do one thing: change the polarity/direction of the sub(s) being ran off the amp. The most common reason why you would want to use this setting is when you have an ‘inverted’ subwoofer*. You could, however, just as easily swap the polarities of each terminal and accomplish the same thing. Another reason why you would use the setting is if you have two drivers & two amps (one per driver), and one is “Out of Phase”. This means ONE driver is playing OUTWARD (away from the enclosure) and the ‘Out of Phase’ driver is playing INWARD (into the enclosure). What happens in this case is , in theory, the two sound waves coming off the driver cancel/eliminate each other, giving a very undesirable result. So when you hear someone say the driver is “out of phase” THIS is the go-to setting to try to fix that. Beyond that, rarely can an audible change be actually heard, but there are more variables beyond just the setting that will make a change.

For our example, we assume the driver is wired properly, so this is left at 0

*Inverted Subwoofers are often done for one of two reasons:

1. To utilize the absolute most volume of the enclosure. Without a subwoofer displacing the air within the enclosure you have FULL use of that space.
2. Because it looks cool. Yes, really.

• LPF

Low Pass Filter.The LPF can be thought of as a “Ceiling”. The LPF will not allow the frequencies above where you set it to pass through. Technically speaking, there is a “Roll Off”, the LPF isn’t just a ‘wall’, but we won’t get into that here. The setting is intended to ‘filter out’ frequencies that which the driver – in this case a subwoofer – cannot play and/or will harm the driver if it does so. There isn’t a “right way” to set this, there is only the way the setup is configured and also what the limitations of the driver are.

Suggestion: The most common (read: ‘dummy proof’) setting is 80Hz-120Hz

Consider this, however, if the Full Range stage of your setup (i.e. Door Speakers) for some reason are incapable of playing below 120Hz , then you want the subwoofer to pick up at 120Hz; so the LPF will be set at 120Hz! This is because you wouldn’t want your sub Playing 80Hz and Down, then your Full Range Playing 120Hz and Up, because then you will have an inaudible gap between 80Hz-120Hz (i.e. Dead Space). For all intents and purposes we suggest to stick 80Hz; this will make sure all ‘mid-range’ is filtered out, and its often the most easily recognizable crossover point. Unfortunately, Most Amps do not tell you where a specific crossover point is , so you definitely need to ‘Eye Ball’ it. An overlap of frequencies – Sub vs Full Range – isn’t a “bad thing”, but for those who want the “Perfect Setup” you will have to have the right tools to hit the points you want. The only way of doing this is with the use of a Crossover Calibrator; we use the SMD CC-1 in our installation department to hit these points accurately.

• Bass Boost

The Bass Boost is fairly self explanatory. It literally boosts the frequencies that you send it. We DO NOT recommend using this setting, if at all possible, because drivers go here to die. Assuming the amp is tuned right, there is seldom a reason to come to this setting. The reason it exists is because:

1. 1. Manufacture’s need to compete with another, so if multiple amps have this setting, then theirs does too
   2. It can actually have a practical use

The latter only ever happens when the Full Range completely over powers – or “Drowns Out” – the subwoofers’ outputs. In order to “balance” the setup, you go to the Bass Boost to give the output a bit more output. THIS ISN’T A VOLUME KNOB!! You are toying with introducing a distorted signal if this setting isn’t used responsibly. Use at your own risk.

Suggestion: Leave at 0

• Subsonic

For all intents and purposes think of the Subsonic as a HPF (High Pass Filter), the ‘opposite’ of the LPF, or as a “Floor”. The Subsonic will not allow the frequencies below where you set it to pass through. Like the LPF, this setting is intended to ‘filter out’ frequencies that which the driver – in this case a subwoofer – cannot play and/or will harm the driver if it does so. This setting is often established by the limitations of the driver. For example, the NVX VCW104 has a frequency response of 20Hz-220 Hz, which means it is physically incapable of playing below 20Hz. This tells us that if we want to protect the driver, we should set the subsonic to 20Hz. Many in the industry will say that the ideal setting, for this example, would be ~25Hz because “just because its capable of doing 20Hz doesn’t mean it Should”. The often cited analogy is “your car Redlines at ~7,000 RPMs, that doesn’t necessarily mean you SHOULD ride the engine at 7k just because it can”. Nevertheless, in a properly tuned setup, and with an able/responsible user, there is very little concern for setting this point to the limitation presented by the driver.

Suggestion: Set to 20Hz , for most subwoofers

• Gain

This is NOT a volume control!! Whatever you want to call this setting, it is intended to do One thing and that is to match the sensitivity of the source/headunit. So, in theory, if your headunit provides a solid 5v out of the preouts, then the Gain (Sensitivity, Level, Input Level, Sensitivity Input, (V)) will match that when set properly. Due to several variables it is more likely that it is not going to match EXACTLY (i.e. at 5v) but it will come fairly close. Unfortunately, without special tools or an oscilloscope it is very hard to get this “Right”. It isn’t impossible to set this without special tools however. In fact, most installer set up their customers’ amps by ear! This will be the most common method you – the reader – will use. In addition, there is also a creative way of using a common DMM (Digital Multimeter) & Ohm’s Law to establish an AC Voltage Figure to aim for when adjusting the Gain; a quick search for this method will generate a lot of useful information. However, it is important to know that using the DMM method ASSUMES that the figures/variables you use are SPOT ON , which – to be fair – is not likely. This is because the rated figures on an amp are often rounded up/down, and – worse – a lot of manufactures will give overrated figures. So, using this method can be precarious if you the figures aren’t True To Spec.

Suggestion: Too many variables to provide a “right answer”

The post How to Tune an Amplifier appeared first on Sonic Electronix Learning Center and Blog.

Method 1: Remove the capacitor from your vehicle and make sure to handle with care. Take a 12V test light or resistor and touch the positive and negative terminals on the capacitor bridging them together. Make sure to wear safety goggles and heavy duty gloves or hold the light/resistor with insulated pliers. The resistor or light will get very hot and could pop. Once the light goes out the capacitor is discharged. When the resistor becomes cool the capacitor is discharged.

Method 2: Remove the main fuse located on the power wire near the battery of the car that connects to the amplifier and capacitor. This will then make the capacitor act as the battery for your audio system. Turn on your audio system and wait for the amplifier(s) to turn off completely signaling that the capacitor is completely discharged.

Method 3: Remove the capacitor from your vehicle and hook it up to any device that uses 12V DC for power. Connect the positive and negative wires of the device to the positive and negative terminals of the capacitor. The capacitor is essentially the battery and once the device shuts off your capacitor is discharged.

Method 4: Disconnect the negative terminal on your vehicles battery and activate the dome light. Once the light goes out, your capacitor is discharged. Be mindful of other batteries in your electrical system. If the light does not go out within a few minutes your vehicle could be receiving power from add-on batteries.

Once the capacitor has been discharged, check the voltage across the terminals of the capacitor using a multi-meter or voltmeter. If the meter reads zero volts or very close to it, the capacitor has been successfully discharged. Make sure to properly recharge the capacitor before connecting it again, please view our article titled “How to Charge a Capacitor” for assistance.

WARNING: Do NOT connect the positive and negative terminals of the capacitor together with standard wire, screwdrivers or wrenches as this will damage the capacitor and could cause bodily harm to the user.

The post How to Discharge a Capacitor appeared first on Sonic Electronix Learning Center and Blog.

There are two types of meters, auto ranging meters and manual meters. Auto ranging meters have a few selections on the dial; the meter will guess what your using it for based on the information it receives from the probes. Then there are manual ranging meters that make you select the input range it is going to use. The auto ranging meters still have the same functions as the manual meters; except auto ranging meters guesses the input range for you. This is similar to how automatic and manual cars essentially do the same thing, except one requires more user input.

The first thing you will normally see on all multimeters is the circular mode dial. The mode dial allows you to choose from many different measurements. The most common are AC/DC voltage, resistance and current. Occasionally multimeters test continuity, and they may also have diode testing functions.

The next thing you will notice are the input jacks. The black jack is called the common. It never moves from its slot. Then you have two red jacks, you choose the jack based on what you’re going to do. Measuring voltage and ohms tend to be on one jack, while measuring amperes tends to be on another jack. The reason amp measurement requires a different jack is because it lets the electrical signal flow through the meter to test it, whereas voltage/ohm measuring sends the signal out from the meter. A red and black probe connects to these jacks on the multimeter. These probes will be used to collect these different measurements. Higher end meters will have more measuring options and jacks.

Lastly, at the top of most multimeters is the display. The most important function of the display is to show as much information as possible. Some show just digits and decimal points, some show the unit of measurements as well, such as volts (V) or milivolts (mV). Higher quality units display much more information.

Now that you have the basic idea of the various components of the multimeter, lets dig a bit deeper into the mode dial and explain what all of the numbers and symbols mean. The picture displayed is a basic multimeter which I will reference throughout this article. Multimeters come in many different configurations, but all serve the same function and have similar symbols. The standard user should be able to pick up any standard multimeter and use it without a headache.

DC Voltage (V with a straight line and a dashed line under it): In the meter pictured, DC Volt is written, not expressed as a symbol. The range of this meter is 200 milivolts to 1000 volts. The 1000 is highlighted in red to remind you that working with voltage is extremely dangerous. The Car DC Volts setting is commonly used to monitor a circuit to see how it’s working. If you reverse the probes you will get a negative measurement. You can measure DC voltage while the circuit is working. The most common use of this setting is to test remaining battery voltage, alternator output, power to a car radio, amplifier, etc.

AC Voltage (V~ with a wavy line): In the meter pictured, AC Volts is written, not expressed as a symbol. This meter has a 200V setting and a 750V setting. The 750 is highlighted in red to remind you that working with that voltage is extremely dangerous.  The Home AC Volts setting is used to measure wall voltage, unregulated power supplies, etc. AC voltage has no polarity; if you reverse the probes you will still get the same reading.

DC Amperage (A with a straight line and a dashed line under it): In the meter pictured, DC Amps is written, not expressed as a symbol. To test amps, the red plug needs to be removed from POWER and plugged into the slot above it. Other multimeters might have this slot labeled or in a different location. This meter measures from 2000 microamps(µ) to 200 miliamps(m).

Resistance(Ω): In the meter pictured, resistance in ohms is expressed as a symbol Ω. This setting is used to measure the resistance of a circuit in ohms (Ω). Ohm measuring is typically used to determine the resistance that a subwoofer is wired at. Make sure the device is turned off before taking a resistance measurement to avoid damage to your multi-meter.

Continuity(>+): In the meter pictured, continuity is displayed with a symbol. Continuity is used to measure the resistance of a closed circuit; a beep will sound to indicate solid continuity. Think of it as a way to test if a wire or circuit is continuous, meaning electricity flows from one end to the other. If there is no continuity, the circuit is broken or you are not on the correct circuit.

Here are a few examples where a multimeter proves handy and how exactly to use the meter. Once you understand the basic concepts, you can easily start working on more than what is listed here.

Testing Batteries: Testing batteries is a great way to practice with a multimeter and it is useful in this day and age considering all of our electronics have a thirst for energy that is quenched with battery power. The most common battery types are AAA, AA, C and D, all of which will have different voltage ratings usually listed on the battery.  Some meters have a 2 Volt DC setting for the lower voltage batteries. If your meter does not, start high and work your way down. So if you’re testing a 9V Alkaline battery, put your multi-meter on 20V DC and place the red(+) probe on the positive side of the battery (usually marked) and the black(-) probe on the negative side of the battery. If it’s a new battery and your reading higher than 9V, let’s say 9.53V, that is not a mistake. The voltage listed on batteries is the average voltage you can expect from it, as it dies it will slowly drift down past 9V. When it reaches its lower operating range it is safe to assume the battery is almost used up and that it’s time to replace it.

Testing a Wall Socket: This is originally what a multimeter was designed to do and is the easiest test. Make sure you have a house rated multi-meter that can withstand 120V. House current is 120V AC, so switch your multi-meter to 200V AC. Usually the narrow prong in the wall is the positive (hot) and the wide prong is the negative (neutral). With AC voltage it does not matter which probe is plugged into which slot. Plug one probe into the hot and one into the neutral, the meter should read between 110-120V AC. If your wall socket also has a circular prong, that is the ground. If you test the hot and the ground with the same 200V AC setting, it should read 110-120V. If you test the neutral and the ground, it should read 0V.  Readings that deviate slightly from the average are ok.

Testing Speaker Wires: You have your dash open and the radio pulled out with the door panels off. You removed your speakers, but as you get ready to put in new ones, it doesn’t say which is positive and which is negative. Multimeter to the rescue! Simply turn your radio on to low volume and pull the speaker out, and you are ready to test for voltage. Turn your volt meter to 20V DC and put the negative probe on a chassis ground and put the positive probe on one of the speaker terminals. The one that has a voltage is going to be positive. Most vehicles have a black or white stripe on the positive wire, but there’s always the chance that they are incorrectly marked.

Determining Subwoofer Ohms: You bridged your subwoofers together, then sit back and pray, hoping that they equal the ohm rating the amplifier needs. If you connect the positive and negative speaker wires from the sub to the amp, it could end in disaster if you did not wire them correctly. A multimeter can tell you exactly the ohm level those subwoofers are at. Connect the two ends of the multimeter to the speaker terminals of the amplifier. Set your multimeter to 200 ohms (Ω) and connect the red probe to the positive and the black probe to the negative speaker wire.

Testing a Car Battery: If you have a sneaking suspicion that your car battery is running low on juice, a quick test with a multimeter can put your suspicions to rest! Wear safety glasses and gloves to protect you from any harmful chemicals on the battery. Locate your battery under the hood and follow the manufacturer’s directions to properly disconnect the cables from the battery. Set your multimeter to 20 Volts DC to give an accurate reading. Connect the red probe from the multimeter to the positive battery terminal. Attach the black probe from the multimeter to the negative battery terminal. After a few seconds read the meter, it should read at least 9.6 volts for the battery to accept a charge if you have a 12 volt battery. Even then it may not be worth keeping. A fully charged 12V battery should test at 12.4 – 12.7 volts when it is not attached to the car.

Testing a Car Alternator: You tested your battery and it’s functioning properly, but your car’s electrical components are having problems. It’s time to test the alternator. Wear safety glasses and gloves, and keep away from moving components. Set your multimeter to DC 20 Volts. Leave your battery connected to the car, and with the car off, connect the red probe of the multimeter to the positive lead on the battery. Then connect the black probe to the negative lead on the battery. With the car off, it should read 12.5-12.8V if your battery is good. Now start the engine with the multimeter still hooked up. It should now read 13.8-14.8V if the alternator is working properly. Finally, have someone turn on the headlights and heater blower on high. The volts will drop slightly at first but then return to 13.8-14.8V if the alternator is working properly.

The post How to Use A Multimeter appeared first on Sonic Electronix Learning Center and Blog.

By Seth Wilde. – Product Specialist

It can be really discouraging to install a car amplifier only to have it not work.  For those that have been there and done that, you will know what I’m talking about.  This includes pulling apart your car, running the wires, building an amp rack, and fully installing the amplifier.  After all this work, you go to listen to your new audio system and nothing plays.  After checking the connections to make sure they are all proper, where do you go from there? Every once in a while, the cause of this problem is the amplifier itself.  For a variety of reasons, it is deciding not to work or function properly.  There can be many reasons why your amp is not functioning properly and in this blog we will discuss a couple of those reasons.

Amplifier Does Not Turn On

When the amplifier does not turn on when the vehicle is turned on, the first place to look is the connections.  Make sure that the power, ground, and remote turn-on cables are properly connected.  Another common problem is the fuses. Not having a fuse inserted in the power cable from the car battery can be the cause of the amp not receiving power. Once all connections have been verified, if the amplifier is still not turning on it could be defective.

Amplifier Does Not Have Any Audio Output

When the amplifier is turning on but still has no output, the common problem is at the source.  This means that there could be a bad channel in the stereo or a bad RCA connection.  Test this by using an extra pair of RCA interconnect cables and connecting them to a different source and see if there is output. Sometimes the lack of output is because of the speakers.  Try connecting the amplifier to an external speaker that is not installed in the car.  If there is audio from the external speaker and not the car’s speakers, we can determine that the problem is with the car speakers.

There are many more reasons why an amplifier is failing to work or function properly.  Some of these reasons include: the amp going into protection mode, clipping problems, distortion, background noise, crackling, overheating, and more.  For a full guide on troubleshooting amplifiers, visit Sonic Electronix’s Knowledge Base article, Car Amplifier Troubeshooting.  There is a wealth of information there, as well as throughout the entire Knowledge Base section of the website.

The post Troubleshooting Car Amplifiers appeared first on Sonic Electronix Learning Center and Blog.

By David D. – Product Specialist

If you have a sound system in your vehicle, then it is possible you are familiar with your amplifier overheating at times. I have had this problem before with my own system and always wondered if there was something I could do to prevent this from happening. Working at Sonic Electronix has taught me some things about car audio and now I would like to spread some of the knowledge I’ve obtained to you. In this blog, I will give you some tips that will help you prevent your car amplifier from overheating.

Amplifier quality is the biggest factor when it comes to amps overheating. Higher quality amplifiers such as MTX Audio, JL Audio, Kicker, Alpine, and Infinity are designed to use the electrical power that is provided by your vehicles battery and alternator in the most efficient way possible. The high quality amps put out music, not heat like a lower quality amplifier would. Cheap amplifiers waste more power than they actually produce in sound. That wasted power turns into heat, which causes your amplifier to overheat.

Ventilation is key when installing an amp in your vehicle.  Since heat rises, you should never mount your amplifier upside down or under carpet. If you can’t seem to stop your amp from overheating, you can get a amplifier cooling fan; this will blow the heat away from your amplifier keeping it running as it should.  Some amplifiers, such as the MTX JackHammer amplifiers, have a fan and cooling system built-in to the chassis of the amp.

Another big component of overheating is mismatching the speaker’s power to the amp. If it’s too much power from the speakers to the amp, it will cause the amplifier to overheat. Match the load of the speaker to the amp precisely as possible, this will put out the correct amount of power while producing as little heat as possible.

Proper Installation can also cut down on your amplifier overheating. Make sure you create your own ground connection; the most efficient ground connection is when the wire is touching sanded metal. You do not want the ground wire touching paint or any preexisting nut or bolt.

Higher quality amplifiers are less likely to overheat, so keep that in mind if you are installing a sound system in your vehicle. If your amp overheats all the time, your sound system is useless.

The post How to Prevent your Vehicles Amplifier from Overheating appeared first on Sonic Electronix Learning Center and Blog.

By Kyle Duffy  – Product Specialist

Humans are naturally curious creatures, we tend to ask a lot of questions and some of us are Do-It-Yourselfers (DIY), we take matters into our own hands. Some of us will leave the dirty work to others, but still need to know the right stuff to get for the job. Thank technology for the creation of the internet (or you wouldn’t be reading this) and forums! An Internet forum is an online discussion site where you can submit questions or information for other to see and discuss. Sonic Electronix just rolled out forums of their very own, where you can go get your questions answered, answer questions to help others, or just keep up on what’s what in the car audio world. Some of you may be new to the idea of “forums”, but don’t fret, let’s see why you should join the ever growing Sonic Electronix community.

With the Sonic Electronix forum, you can ask the car audio community any questions you may have about speakers, amplifiers, subwoofers or the like. In the middle of an install you’re trying to pull off yourself, and you have no idea how to proceed? Ask on the forums! Let the community help you out, it’s best not to blow fuses, mentally or physically when you’re stuck on wiring. You may be ready to buy a big system, but want some advice on the parts you chose to make sure they are quality, compatible parts. No problem, ask on the forums! Now, I know some of you have some pretty sweet rides with bumping systems installed, and I know you want to show it off. On the Sonic Electronix forums, post some pictures and show off your ride to your fellow audiophiles. Confident you know all about car audio, maybe even installed a bunch of systems? Help out those less fortunate and answer their questions, they only wan’t some friendly advice after all.

Don’t be afraid, forums are the now, and the future. Don’t you think it’s time to jump on the bandwagon and keep up with the world population and communication?

Sonic Electronix Forums:
– Car Audio Forum
– Home Electronics Forum
– Marine Audio Forum

The post Introducing the Sonic Electronix Forums appeared first on Sonic Electronix Learning Center and Blog.