How-To
How to Test a Car Stereo: Power, Ground, Speakers and Sources
Seven checks, from settings and fuses to multimeter tests on power, ground, speakers and outputs, to find out whether a car stereo or its wiring is at fault.
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.
Troubleshooting
How to Fix Car Stereo Problems: No Power, No Sound and More
Symptom-by-symptom fixes for car stereos with no power, no sound, shutoffs, lost settings, poor reception and software glitches.
How-To
How Does a Car Amplifier Work? Power Supply, Classes and Specs
How does a car amplifier work? See how the power supply, input and output stages, amplifier classes and impedance turn a small signal into speaker power.
How-To
How to Tune Your Car Amplifier: Gain, Crossovers and Bass in 6 Steps
Gain is not a volume knob. Here is the order to set gain, crossovers, subsonic filter and EQ so your system plays loud without distortion.
How-To
How to Use a Crossover in Car Audio: HPF, LPF and Slope Settings
Where crossover controls are, what each one does, and how to use them with a subwoofer, an amplifier, a component set or a DSP.
Installation
How to Install New Speakers in Car Doors: Step-by-Step Guide
Remove the door panel, swap the factory speaker, connect a harness adapter with the right polarity, and test before you refit the panel.