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Product Spotlight: Sony XAV-AX4000 Digital Multimedia Receiver

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Sony XAV-AX4000

Over the last few years, Sony’s multimedia receivers have become increasingly popular. As more units have sold, retailers have asked for iDatalink Maestro integration, USB-C support and powerful sound customization. With Sony’s new XAV-AX4000, those requests and more have been fulfilled. Let’s look at what this sleek and impressive car audio source unit offers.

Clean Cosmetics and Intuitive Technology

The first thing you’ll notice about the XAV-AX4000 is that it still looks great in the dash of your car or truck, and the user interface is as intuitive as it gets. Anyone can easily select source options or adjust settings without needing to read the owner’s manual. The icons on the screen can be expanded by selecting the “All Apps” icon on the screen and can be rearranged to create a layout that gives you quick access to the elements you choose on the home screen.

The 6.95-inch touchscreen display has a resolution of 800 by 480 pixels with a brightness of 600 Cd/m2. Four physical control buttons along the bottom of the screen make it easy to access the main menu, adjust the volume, change tracks or activate voice recognition features.

Sony XAV-AX4000
Sony multimedia receivers have one of the most intuitive menu systems on the market.

The radio includes wireless Apple CarPlay and wired and wireless Android Auto connectivity. Start your car, and the phone will connect automatically so you can make phone calls, send texts or get navigation directions from Google Maps or Waze. Of course, you can use your favorite streaming services like Pandora, Spotify, iHeartRadio or Apple Music to be entertained while you drive. A USB-C port on the rear of the chassis can be used with a USB mass storage device to play MP3, WMA, AAC, FLAC, WAV, ALAC, DSF or DSDIFF audio files.

You can also use the USB-C port to charge your phone with up to 3 amps of current. The XAV-AX4000 supports the LDAC codec with Android smartphones for those wanting excellent Bluetooth streaming audio quality. Of course, the radio includes an AM/FM receiver with RDS information display.

Sony XAV-AX4000
High-resolution Bluetooth audio streaming is supported by Android smartphones that use the LDAC audio codec.

Audio Features Add Realism to Your Music

The XAV-AX4000 includes a 14-band graphic equalizer, front, rear and subwoofer signal delay setting adjustments and adjustable three-zone high- and low-pass crossovers so your installer can fine-tune your system to deliver excellent sound and detail. The preamp outputs are rated to provide up to 2 volts of output, and the built-in four-channel amp is good for 20 watts of power in compliance with the CTA-2006 standard.

Sony XAV-AX4000
Premium system configuration and calibration included with the XAV-AX4000 will help your car stereo sound great

iDatalink Maestro Integration

One of the most sought-after upgrades to the XAV-AX4000 is the inclusion of support for the iDatalink Maestro RR and RR2 integration modules. These interfaces will allow the radio to communicate with certain vehicles to provide steering wheel control, backup camera and auxiliary input connectivity. You can display vehicle information such as engine speed, vehicle speed, battery voltage or engine load on the dashboard display and check tire pressures and battery voltage on another. Many vehicles allow the Maestro interface to provide access to climate control adjustments. Your Sony retailer can let you know about the features that are compatible with your make, model and year of car or truck.

Sony XAV-AX4000
Compatibility with the iDatalink Maestro RR and RR2 allows the Sony XAV-AX4000 to communicate digitally with your vehicle.

Installer- and User-Friendly Design

From an installation standpoint, the single-DIN chassis behind the double-DIN display dramatically simplifies installation. The radio includes an external Bluetooth microphone to deliver excellent outgoing audio quality. Another new feature is selectable and user-uploadable background wallpapers to match your vehicle interior or your mood.

The radio also includes a rear-view camera input with automatic reverse triggering, and the Maestro will include factory parking lines and sensor data in some vehicles. Finally, Sony has designed the XAV-AX4000 to wake up quickly, so your music starts playing when you are ready to go.

Sony XAV-AX4000
Users can select from several background wallpaper colors or upload their own image to personalize their radio.

Experience the Sony XAV-AX4000 Today!

If it’s time to upgrade the technology in your car or truck, drop by an authorized Sony retailer today and ask for a demonstration of the new XAV-AX4000 multimedia receiver. We’re sure you’ll be impressed by its performance, features, appearance and intuitive interface. You can find a Sony retailer using the dealer locator on the Sony Car Audio website. Be sure to subscribe to Sony’s YouTube channel and follow them on Facebook and Instagram to be the first to learn about their latest car audio product releases.

This article is written and produced by the team at www.BestCarAudio.com. Reproduction or use of any kind is prohibited without the express written permission of 1sixty8 media.

DroneMobile Smartphone Vehicle Control Response Time vs OEM

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Smartphone Control

Being able to lock, unlock or remote start your car or truck using an app on your smartphone is handy. In listening to what owners of these solutions have been saying over the last few years, we’ve noticed a disturbing pattern: Most factory-installed remote systems are agonizingly slow. Nobody wants to wait around for their vehicle to unlock. So let’s do some research and see how the DroneMobile system from Firstech stacks up in terms of responsiveness.

What Is a Telematics System?

In the context of cars and trucks, telematics is a way of remotely controlling basic vehicle functions using an app on your smartphone. In essence, these systems replicate the operation of a key fob to let you lock or unlock your vehicle, pop the trunk or hatch, or remote start the engine. In addition, many systems include a GPS receiver that can locate your vehicle on a map or configure location-based security alerts.

DroneMobile is the aftermarket telematics system offered by Firstech – the company behind Compustar remote car starter and security systems. DroneMobile can be integrated with a Compustar remote car starter to provide unlimited control range. So long as your vehicle is parked somewhere with cellular service and your smartphone has access to the internet, you can send commands quickly and easily.

Smartphone Control
DroneMobile does much more than just let you lock, unlock and remotely start your vehicle.

Smartphone Control Response Time

In addition to reliability and ease of use, impressive response time is one of the main reasons thousands of people have upgraded their cars and trucks with this system. Firstech moved its authentication services to AWS a few years ago to increase reliability and responsiveness. AWS is one of the world’s premier cloud computing platforms and is used by companies like Netflix, Amazon, Capital One, Coca-Cola, Expedia and thousands more to host their online platforms.

If you’re sitting at your desk at work and want to remote start your vehicle with your smartphone, it doesn’t matter significantly if the process takes 2, 20 or 120 seconds. However, if you’re walking up to your vehicle and want to use your phone to unlock it, response time matters. The last thing you want is to stand in front of your vehicle for 30, 40 or 60 seconds while data commands travel around the globe. You want the system to unlock as quickly as possible so you can be on your way.

We surveyed a group of friends to look at the response time of the telematics systems that came with their cars and trucks. The answers were surprising in all regards. Most response times were slower than we expected, with a surprisingly significant number of users completely giving up on these systems because they often didn’t respond.

Smartphone Control

If we average all the responses, it took just under 18 seconds from when an icon on the smartphone was pressed to when the vehicle responded on most factory-installed telematics systems. In most cases, this was a simple lock or unlock command. However, the time it took for these vehicles to remote start and then report their status back to the app was often more than twice that.

DroneMobile – The King of Vehicle Remote Control Speed

Most of the employees at BestCarAudio.com have Compustar remote starters installed in their vehicles. We also have DroneMobile telematics systems integrated with those starters. We surveyed our team and many of our peers and found that the average response time for a lock or unlock request was about 2 seconds. In some cases, it was less. Sending a lock command over LTE was often faster than using a one-button RF remote. This isn’t a failing of the remote – it waits a second before transmitting to see if you’re going to press the button again.

If you have remote started your car or truck from inside your home, work, a restaurant or movie theater and are approaching the vehicle, using the DroneMobile system to unlock the doors in about 2 seconds is, frankly, the way these systems should work.

Upgrade Your Vehicle with DroneMobile

Many friends we talked with for this article expressed an interest in replacing the factory system with a solution like DroneMobile. The slow response time or complete failure of the system to function had led many of them to abandon using the factory-installed solutions. If you’re shopping for a lightning-quick telematics system for your car or truck, drop by a local DroneMobile retailer today. You can learn more about this impressive smartphone control solution by visiting the DroneMobile website, their Facebook page, Instagram feed or YouTube channel.

This article is written and produced by the team at www.BestCarAudio.com. Reproduction or use of any kind is prohibited without the express written permission of 1sixty8 media.

Product Spotlight: Rockford Fosgate P1650 and P1694

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Rockford Fosgate Speakers

Would you think it was possible to pack a whole slew of technologies into a pair of car audio speakers? For the fanatics at Rockford Fosgate, that tech translates to more output and better sound in your vehicle. In this product spotlight, we’ll take a deep dive into the Punch Series P1650 6.5-inch and the P1694 6×9-inch sets.

Rockford Fosgate P1650 Speakers

Rockford Fosgate Speakers

Perhaps the most popular speaker size today is the 6.5-inch coaxial. This size fits into hundreds of models of cars and trucks. The Punch Series P1650 set includes a pair of coaxial speakers that feature mineral-filled, injection-molded polypropylene woofer cones and ¾-inch treated PEI dome tweeters. The addition of minerals like mica helps damp resonances to reduce distortion while improving the thermal stability of the cones.

The cone is attached to the basket with a Santoprene rubber surround that will outlast conventional foam designs. The P1650 drivers use the Vertical Attach Surround Method (VAST) to increase the effective radiating area of the driver for more efficiency and bass output. To ensure smooth frequency response, the P1650 set uses -12 dB/octave crossovers concealed within the basket. Rockford Fosgate calls this its Integrated Concealed Crossover (ICC) design. In addition to being neat and tidy, there are no extra modules (external crossover enclosures) for your installer to deal with, so the installation will be quick and efficient.

Choosing speakers that fit your vehicle is as important as selecting ones that sound great. The P1650 speakers feature the FlexFit2 stamped basket design. This design provides eight mounting holes and eight elongated slots to ensure that the speaker can fit a variety of vehicle OEM mounting points. The mounting depth is specified at 2.24 inches. A set of steel mesh grilles is also included.

Wrapping up the specs on these drivers, we have a continuous power handling rating of 55 watts and a max rating of 110 watts. Their nominal impedance is 4 ohms, and they have a sensitivity rating of 88 dB SPL at 1 watt at 1 meter. Sensitivity at this level typically indicates that the suspension design is optimized for sound quality.

Rockford Fosgate Speakers

Rockford Fosgate P1694

Rockford Fosgate Speakers

If you have a car or truck with 6×9 speaker locations in the doors or rear parcel shelf and you want to rock out, the four-way P1694 6×9 set is the perfect option. Once again, these speakers include the same mineral-doped polypropylene woofer material as their little brothers and use the VAST surround design for optimized efficiency. These drivers feature a pair of PEI dome tweeters that flank a compact titanium composite cone midrange driver that also includes a rubber surround.

The mounting depth on the P1694 speakers is 3.07 inches, and the drivers include steel mesh grilles and mounting hardware. They can handle 75 watts of power continuously and peaks of 150 watts. Their nominal impedance is 4 ohms, and they have an impressive 91 dB SPL 1W/1M efficiency rating.

It’s worth noting that all of Rockford Fosgate’s speaker and subwoofer specifications fully comply with the CTA-2031 standard for the Testing and Measurement of Mobile Loudspeaker Systems. What does this mean? The dimensions are accurate, and the specifications are entirely believable and uninflated. Not all car audio brands can make this statement.

 

Upgrade Your Vehicle with Rockford Fosgate Punch Speakers

If your car, truck or SUV needs new speakers, drop by your local authorized Rockford Fosgate retailer and ask to audition the Punch Series P1650 and P1694. We’re confident that you’ll be impressed by what you hear. For more information on Rockford Fosgate audio upgrades for cars, boats, motorcycles and powersport applications, visit their website. You can learn about new product releases by following them on Facebook, Instagram and most definitely on YouTube.

This article is written and produced by the team at www.BestCarAudio.com. Reproduction or use of any kind is prohibited without the express written permission of 1sixty8 media.

Product Spotlight: Firstech FT-DAS II Security Sensor

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FT-DAS II Security Sensor

A laptop bag in the back seat, a smartphone in the center console or shopping bags in the rear of an SUV – each is the perfect temptation for a thief. In seconds, items you’ve spent your hard-earned money to acquire are gone forever. Protecting your vehicle with a premium car alarm that includes the Firstech FT-DAS II security sensor is one of the best options for stopping theft, vandalism or damage.

This impressive device includes four security sensors in one compact, reliable package. The FT-DAS II is also a key component in why Compustar or Arctic Start remote car starters are the safest solutions for vehicles with manual transmissions. Let’s take a look at the FT-DAS II in detail.

Firstech FT-DAS II Features

The FT-DAS II uses a high-sensitivity, multi-axis digital motion accelerometer to detect attempts to break into your vehicle or damage from shopping carts or another vehicle. If the device detects a moderate impact, the system chirps the siren a few times to scare off thieves or alert another driver that they may have touched your vehicle. If the impact is significant, the full alarm will sound instantly. The impact sensor is excellent protection against someone using a battery-powered reciprocating saw to try to steal a catalytic converter or using a cordless impact gun to steal your wheels. Your Firstech dealer (Compustar or Arctic Start) can fine-tune the sensitivity of the impact sensor to keep your vehicle safe without having false alarms when it’s windy or noisy.

The FT-DAS II includes programming logic that monitors the accelerometer to detect when the vehicle is being lifted. If someone is trying to steal your wheels or the car is being hoisted onto a flatbed or raised by a tow truck, the tilt-detection feature will trigger the alarm.

The most obvious difference between the original FT-DAS and the FT-DAS II is the inclusion of glass-breakage detection. If a thief uses a hammer or punch to break a window, the microphone will detect the sound of the glass shattering and trigger the alarm.

FT-DAS II Security Sensor
Thieves commonly use automatic center punches to break windows without triggering an impact sensor. The FT-DAS II’s glass-breakage detection will trigger the alarm instantly.

Forward-Motion Detection Delivers Class-Leading Remote Start Safety

The FT-DAS II is required anytime a CM7 or CMX control module is installed as a remote car starter on a vehicle with a manual transmission. The forward motion sensor is active during the remote start process and will shut the engine down immediately if it detects the car or truck moving forward. Even if all the safety systems have been bypassed (which is very difficult to do), you can be confident that your vehicle won’t drive through your garage when you activate the remote starter. No other brand of manual-transmission-compatible remote starter offers this level of safety and security.

Get Security Alerts Remotely

If your remote starter or security system is equipped with a two-way remote like the T13, R5, T12, T11, Q9, 901 or the T9, you’ll get alarm alerts as long as you’re within range of your vehicle. The remote will beep and, depending on the model, tell you which security zone was triggered. The security alerts include warnings for the door, hood and truck triggers and those from the FT-DAS II. For ultimate protection, the DroneMobile telematics system will show alarm alerts as notifications on your smartphone no matter where you are, as long as your phone has access to the internet.

FT-DAS II Security Sensor
If the FT DAS-II triggers your security system, DroneMobile will push an alert to your smartphone almost instantly.

Factory-Installed Security Systems Don’t Offer Damage Protection

You may have been told that your vehicle came from the factory with a security system. In most automobiles, these systems are typically just a transponder key that helps prevent vehicle theft. They do nothing to protect you against smash-and-grab intrusions as they don’t include an impact or shock sensor. A dedicated Compustar or Arctic Start system that includes the FT-DAS II will provide an instant alert if someone is attempting to damage or break into your car, truck or SUV.

Protect Your Vehicle with A Premium Digital Security Sensor

Whether you’re worried about theft, damage in a parking lot or vandalism, a security system or remote car starter that includes the Firstech FT-DAS II is the best protection you can buy. Drop by an authorized Compustar or Arctic Start dealer to ask about a vehicle protection system today. You can learn more about Compustar remote starter and security solutions by visiting their website and following them on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.

This article is written and produced by the team at www.BestCarAudio.com. Reproduction or use of any kind is prohibited without the express written permission of 1sixty8 media.

Product Spotlight: Rockford Fosgate Prime R2D2-12 Car Audio Subwoofer

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Prime Subwoofer

Adding a subwoofer to your car audio system is one of the best ways to improve the way your music sounds. If you are looking for a high-quality subwoofer at an affordable price, the Prime Series R2D2-12 from Rockford Fosgate is an excellent choice. This dual-voice coil 12-inch subwoofer is rated to continuously handle 250 watts of power with peaks at 500 watts. Best of all, you know you’re getting a subwoofer that will sound great and deliver clean, clear bass with minimal distortion.

Physical Features of the Rockford Fosgate R2D2-12

The R2D2-12 is based on Rockford Fosgate’s StampCast four-spoke, stamped-steel basket design. The basket design uses large, rolled edges on the windows to add significant structure and ensure that the motor assembly is secure and solid, giving you the benefits of a cast design without the expense.

The basket also features vents in the base where it’s mounted to the top plate. These vents improve power handling and driver linearity by allowing air under the spider to enter and escape around the voice coil as the cone moves forward and rearward. Features like spider venting are usually reserved for much more expensive drivers. There’s also a sizeable cooling vent in the pole piece to allow airflow from under the dust cap for an extra boost in power handling and performance.

Prime Subwoofer
The embossed and rolled edges of the R2D2-12 frame add significant structural rigidity to the driver.

The voice coil former is made of aluminum to help extract heat from the dual windings, while most woofers at this price point use plastic. The R2D2-12 has a pair of 2-ohm voice coils that can be wired in series or parallel or driven by separate amplifier channels. If you need a pair of 4-ohm coils on your sub, the R2D4-12 is the answer.

Speaker connections are made via a pair of spring-loaded terminals on each side of the motor assembly, with the voice coil’s tinsel leads sewn to the spider to keep them from slapping the cone or spider at high excursion levels. This is another feature that’s typical of much more expensive subwoofers.

Prime Subwoofer
Cooling vents integrated into the bottom of the StampCast chassis enhance power handling and high-excursion linearity.

The cone is constructed from injection-molded polypropylene with mica added for improved rigidity and thermal stability. An inverted dust cap in the center of the cone keeps dust and debris out of the voice coil gap. For compliance, the poly-cotton spider uses a linear design and a half-roll, poly-foam surround treated with a UV inhibitor to ensure longevity and reliability. A semi-rigid, injection-molded trim piece on the mounting flange provides a clean look. The connection between the spider, cone and surround has been reinforced with a multipoint high-temperature, high-strength neck joint bonding technique.

The Prime-Series R2D2-12 from Rockford Fosgate looks great and delivers fantastic sound from even moderately powerful amplifiers.

Prime-Series Subwoofer Applications

When looking at the Thiele/Small parameters, the first thing that stands out is the Xmax spec of 6.4 mm. Unlike most subwoofers that offer an Xmax calculation based on the height of the voice coil and the top plate, Rockford Fosgate’s specification is based on the measured excursion level that produces less than 10% distortion as measured by a laser-based Klippel transducer analysis system. This method considers compliance and motor strength changes for a much more realistic maximum excursion value. Very few companies are this honest and forthcoming with their specifications – quite impressive.

A second important observation is that the driver is impressively efficient. If you have 250 to 300 watts of power, there’s no sense running a giant subwoofer with a heavy voice coil and cone assembly. Rockford Fosgate has optimized this driver to deliver excellent output from minimal power. This is yet another sign that this company knows exactly what it is doing.

In terms of enclosure design, I modeled the suggested 1.02-cubic-foot sealed and 1.79-cubic-foot vented enclosures in BassBox Pro. These enclosures will deliver impressive output from modest power levels, making them perfect for systems with smaller amplifiers or where the electrical system current draw might be a concern in a hybrid or electric vehicle.

Prime Subwoofer
Predicted free-field response of the R2D2-12 in 1.02 cubic feet sealed (red) or 1.79 cubic feet vented (yellow) tuned to 45 Hz.

Upgrade Your Car Stereo with a Rockford Fosgate Subwoofer!

If you’re looking for a subwoofer system for your car or SUV, drop by your local authorized Rockford Fosgate retailer and ask about the 12-inch Prime Series R2D2-12 subwoofers. We think you’ll be very impressed with their performance and value. To learn more about Rockford Fosgate’s automotive, powersport, marine and motorcycle products, visit their website. Also, be sure to follow them on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.

This article is written and produced by the team at www.BestCarAudio.com. Reproduction or use of any kind is prohibited without the express written permission of 1sixty8 media.