Troubleshooting
Why Your Bass Disappears Above 50 mph
Road noise masks exactly the octave your subwoofer works hardest in. Two of the three fixes cost nothing.
The archive
Car audio reviews and buying guides
Everything we have published, newest first. Every product below was bought at retail, measured on the bench and installed in a car before a single word was written about it.
Subwoofers
Do Subwoofers Really Need a Break-In Period?
Resonant frequency shifts after a couple of hours of moderate play. The change is real, small, and finished sooner than most people think.
Head Units
Best Car Head Units of 2026: CarPlay, Android Auto and Real Sound Quality
Pre-out voltage under load tells you far more than the open-circuit figure on the box, and plenty of decks do not survive the change.
Subwoofers
Best Shallow-Mount Subwoofers for Trucks and Tight Spaces
Four inches of depth changes what is possible. These drivers give up less than the compromise usually costs.
Subwoofers
Best Car Subwoofers of 2026: Six We Would Recommend
Six 12-inch drivers worth your money, what separates them, and the things that actually decide whether a subwoofer sounds good in a car.
Amplifiers
Best Car Amplifiers of 2026: Power That Is Actually There
Why an amplifier’s rated power and its delivered power are different numbers, and how to tell which manufacturers are honest about the gap.