Stock Head Unit or Aftermarket? April 2, 2019 by Coleman Thedinger Making the decision that the stock audio quality in your car is unacceptable is a decision that leads you down a path that will require you to make many more decisions. It starts with choosing a budget, then choosing which brands to go with, choosing where to place your speakers, how loud you want them to get, which type of subwoofer enclosure to use, which amp to buy, whether you’ll need to upgrade your battery or alternator, which wires to use, and the list goes on.   If you’re trying to go all out with your af ..read more

Different types of Subwoofer Boxes and their purpose (Bandpass, Ported, Sealed) March 30, 2019 by Coleman Thedinger A pounding new subwoofer is probably the most fun and most noticeable upgrade you can make to your car’s audio system. While crystal clear mids and highs are something we’re all in pursuit of, it’s the bass that brings it all home. When it comes to choosing your subwoofers, choosing the boxes/enclosures for them, and choosing how to power and position them… the devil is in the details. There are a lot of things you’ve got to get right for perfect sound. Right now, we’re ..read more

007: Which is Better? What is the Difference? AT Series vs T Series Amplifiers  March 27, 2019 by Coleman Thedinger AT Series VS T Series Amplifiers by CT Sounds We get the question all the time "Which series is better?" the simple answer to this question is the AT Series is our best series of amplifiers. However, that leaves the customer with another question "Why? What is the difference?" now this is a much more complex and detailed answer. Since we get asked this all the time I thought it would be a good idea to write a blog explaining the differences between the 2 series. Before ..read more

004: DO SUBWOOFERS HAVE A BREAK-IN PERIOD? March 22, 2019 by Coleman Thedinger DO SUBWOOFERS HAVE A BREAK-IN PERIOD? Whether you’ve upgraded your entire car audio system, or you have simply added a new subwoofer, chances are that you can’t wait to hop into your vehicle, go for a cruise, and experience your newfound sonic potential. But not so fast… You’ve likely heard about a break-in period for subwoofers and speakers, and if not, we’re going to introduce the concept, how to do it, and whether it’s even necessary. WHAT IS A BREAK-IN PERIOD? Speakers are made from moving parts, and wh ..read more

Anatomy of a Subwoofer A subwoofer reproduces low-pitched audio frequencies known as bass and sub-bass. The key parts of a Subwoofer are: The Dust Cap is a curved dome mounted over the central hole of the loudspeaker diaphragm. It protects the inner mechanics while contributing to the structural integrity of the voice coil and the cone. The dust cap is usually made of the same material as the cone.   The Cone, along with the voice coil, is the only moving part. A wide variety of materials are used, such as Polypropylene, which is lightweight, more rigid than paper, and has a s ..read more

Difference between SVC and DVC subwoofers June 17, 2019 by Coleman Thedinger Shopping for a subwoofer isn’t always the most straight-forward thing, there are a lot of variables that need to match up perfectly. Beyond simply finding something that suits your budget, there are several considerations to keep in mind, such as: Do you want a system with one subwoofer, or do you want to have multiple subwoofers? What size of subwoofers do you want? A modest 8- or 10-inch sub, or something bigger like a 12- or 15-inch subwoofer? Are you going to get a pre-made subwoofer enclosure, or buil ..read more

SQ vs.SPL June 10, 2019 by Coleman Thedinger It’s time to talk about SQ vs. SPL, a topic that can be somewhat controversial in the industry at times, for several reasons. First things first, let’s establish that listeners have different priorities when it comes to the sound profile that hits their ears and sounds the best to them. When discussing SQ vs. SPL, it’s more just to compare the differences between these two goals that people chase after with their subwoofers and their overall audio systems, not to say that one is necessarily better or more valid of a pursuit than the other ..read more

How to pick the Perfect Amplifier for your Subwoofers June 3, 2019 by Coleman Thedinger The following guide will help you to understand what you should be looking for when choosing an amplifier to power your subwoofers. If you already own your Subwoofer(s), your amplifier choices will be more limited, especially if you have a single voice coil subwoofer. If you don’t have an amp or subs yet, you have more options available to you since you can start with the sub and find an amp that fits, or vice versa by choosing the amp you want and then choosing the sub that’ll work with it. In an ..read more

What size Wire should I use for my Speakers/Subwoofers? April 21, 2019 by Coleman Thedinger Are you ready to connect your speakers and subwoofers to the amplifiers in your car, complete the circuits, and finally hear your new system? Not so fast. Before you go running any old speaker wire, make sure you’ve got the right kind! It’s not always easy to run wiring from your battery, to your amplifier, to your subs and speakers, so it’s worth getting it right the first time. We’re focusing on the wire that connects your amplifier (or amplifiers, plural, depending on your setup) and your s ..read more

Difference between OFC and CCA Wire April 19, 2019 by Coleman Thedinger You should never underestimate the importance of good quality wire when you’re installing a car stereo. Two standard types of wire for car audio are CCA (Copper-Clad Aluminum) and OFC (Oxygen-Free Copper). They’re far from equal. Let’s go over the differences between these two options.   One of the challenges in choosing speaker wire for your car is to ensure that it’s good enough to handle whatever you can throw at it, but without being overkill and wasteful About CCA Copper-clad aluminum wire can lo ..read more