Product Spotlight Hertz Mille Legend Speakers and Subwoofers

In 2005, Hertz introduced the world to the Mille series of car audio speakers and subwoofers. These unique drivers featured the V-cone design to deliver impressive clarity and detail. Now in their third generation, Mille Legend tweeters, midrange drivers, woofers and subwoofers combine premium materials with state-of-the-art technologies to ensure that music enthusiasts can enjoy their music at elevated volume levels in amazing clarity and detail. Let’s take a close look at the technologies Hertz has implemented in its flagship speaker products.

Hertz Mille Legend Speakers – Moving Parts Technologies

From the detailed ML 280.3 Legend tweeter to the impact of the ML 2500.3 Legend subwoofer, the Hertz Mille Legend speaker family uses modern design elements and technologies that reduce distortion and improve performance.

The deep V-cone design is evident if you look at any Mille Legend midrange drivers, woofers or subwoofers. This one-piece cone design comes to a sharp inverted point in the center. Unlike a typical dome-shaped dust cap, the V-cone design resists resonance that can add distortion to the music signal. Hertz also claims that the design helps to improve off-axis performance, making a two-way speaker set sound better in the doors or dash of your car or truck.

The Boundary Free Surround design on all the drivers helps to reduce unwanted resonance and increase the effective area of the woofer cone. These surrounds are constructed from high-purity IIR butyl rubber that resists degradation from prolonged exposure to oxygen and ozone.

The stand-alone and coaxial tweeters use a diaphragm made from Hertz’ proprietary Tetolon fiber cone material. This lightweight textile provides an amazing balance of clarity and high-frequency extension. In addition, the inherent damping characteristics resist the addition of unwanted distortion at the highest of frequencies. The midrange drivers in the Legend series use cotton-damped pressed pulp paper cones that offer a near-perfect balance of rigidity and resonance-preventing damping. The subwoofers use a mineral-injected paper cone for added strength alongside the excellent damping characteristics.

To prevent power compression, Hertz has implemented large-diameter voice coil assemblies on all the drivers. There is a massive 4-inch coil in the 10-inch ML 2500.3 Legend and 8-inch ML2000.3 Legend subwoofers. There’s also the large-for-the-driver-size 0.8-inch coil in the 3-inch ML 700.3 Legend midrange speaker. Larger voice coils offer a significant increase in surface area that helps them dissipate heat and stay cooler.

Hertz designed this series of speakers using computer-based Finite Element Analysis (FEA) to optimize the connection between the voice coil former and the cone in all the midrange, woofer and subwoofer solutions. Ensuring that this crucial connection is both mechanically secure and thermally stable is another reason why the Mille Legend speakers sound great, even at high volume levels.

Motor and Basket Performance Features

All but the two coaxial drivers in the Legend series use neodymium ring magnets at the core of their motor design. These rare earth magnets help the speakers and tweeters deliver impressive efficiency without the need for large, heavy motors. The design also helps to reduce the overall depth of the drivers. Along the same theme, the top and back plates are forged and milled from low-carbon steel, which offers excellent magnetic permeability to further increase efficiency.

All the Mille Legend drivers use copper or aluminum shorting rings to help improve high-frequency performance. These rings short unwanted magnetic fields created as the voice coil assembly moves through the magnetic gap. In the midrange drivers and woofers, upper midrange clarity is dramatically improved, thanks to this technology. In addition, midbass performance on the subwoofers and enhanced tweeter clarity at the top end of the audible spectrum are also achieved.

Hertz Mille Legend subwoofers, woofers and midrange drivers are based on cast aluminum chassis that help ensure that every component is aligned perfectly. The design also serves as a heatsink to improve power handling and to isolate the cone and motor from vehicle vibrations while driving.

Upgrade Your Car Audio System with Hertz Mille Legend Speakers

If you’re shopping for new or upgraded speakers for your car audio system, visit your local authorized Hertz retailer and ask for a demonstration of the Hertz Mille Legend drivers. You can learn more about the impressive products from Hertz by visiting their website, Facebook page or their 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.

The Reference For Great Sound

Listening to music goes back to the dawn of man. From banging a few tree branches together to the latest computer-generated pop hit, music is a universal language that everyone can enjoy. People who put significant effort into the accurate reproduction of the music they enjoy are often called audiophiles. There is a running joke that audiophiles sometimes concentrate more on listening to the equipment they use to make great sound than to the music itself. While this so-called joke is certainly true during the purchasing and setup stage, once audiophiles have their systems sounding the way they want, the focus turns to enjoying the music.

If you get into a discussion about choosing high-end audio equipment, inevitably someone will suggest that you seek out a reference. The ultimate reference is a live performance. We want to be clear: Artists don’t make money like they used to from album sales. Supporting the performers you enjoy by attending concerts not only is great entertainment for you, but allows the performer to make a few dollars.

With this in mind, the reference for what the reproduction of a recording should sound like is not a live performance.

This article provides a generalization about most music heard on a car radio. There are exceptions; we understand that. We want you to think outside what you were once told.

How Music is Recorded

For most music, each musician or performer is in a recording studio. Microphones are used to capture the subsequent performance. For a singer, the mic is usually directly in front of them. For a group of singers, each individual may have a mic, or they may be gathered around a single centralized mic or a pair of microphones set up to capture the performance in stereo. For someone playing an electric guitar, the mic is most likely in front of the amplifier.

In some recording sessions, the amplifier is placed in a small room and cranked to 11 so it clips and distorts the sound, and that gets recorded. This overdriven performance gives the guitar “a certain sound” that some producers and engineers like.

These techniques go on and on. At the very extreme might be a drum kit. Some recording engineers have microphones on each drum and cymbal, then overhead mics to pick up rim shots and another set of mics forward of the drums to capture the room’s acoustics. Consider this as well: The sensitivity pattern of a microphone is not so narrow that it only captures what is directly in front of it, so each microphone captures information from all of the drums and cymbals, to some extent.

The specific placement of a microphone relative to the instrument it is recording has a dramatic effect on what it captures. Let’s take a look at recording an acoustic guitar. A microphone a few inches in front of the soundhole will capture significantly different information than if the mic is located halfway up the fingerboard. The question now becomes, What microphone position is correct? The next question is, If we were standing in the recording studio with the guitarist, would we hear the same thing that the microphone recorded?

The Effect of the Studio

Each make and model of instrument has its own unique characteristic set of harmonics that gives it a “sound.” So, too, does each studio. Some are very large with acoustically absorbent surfaces. Some are very small and have a “live” sound. Placing the same performer with the same instrument in each of these studios will result in a different sound in the listening and recording position. If you haven’t seen it, watch the Foo Fighters’ documentary, “Sonic Highways.” It provides a great look at how different studios can affect the sound of a performance.

Let’s review what we have so far. For a given performance, we have a unique performer, their choice of instrument, the environment, the choice of microphone and the microphone placement that affect what we hear. We are just warming up!

The Control Room

In a studio, the musicians perform in what is called the live room or sometimes an isolation booth. We already know that the shape, size and finish of these rooms affect what gets recorded, but what about the control room? This is a separate room from where the performance is taking place and where the recording engineer and producer typically sit. In this room are the control console, computers to capture and process the recording, and – most importantly – monitor speakers.

In a gross and undetailed generalization, once each microphone channel has been recorded, the producer manipulates each channel to produce the final mix. This manipulation can be as simple as the left-to-right panning and level of each instrument, or as complex as equalization, compression, gating, adding distortion and much more. Often, many processes are applied simultaneously to each channel. It can take weeks or months to mix a single complex track.

We all know how different each and every set of speakers can sound. When we add the acoustics of the control room to the mix (pun intended), the number of variables increases dramatically. Listening to the same master track in two different control rooms can result in dramatically different results. This begs the question once again of what is correct, and how do we know?

Measuring and calibrating the frequency response of the monitoring speaker system will certainly help a lot, but that doesn’t account for the distortion characteristics of the speakers. Let’s say the speakers sound a little warm because the midbass driver has a resonance problem due to nonlinearities in the spider. Even a mild resonance can wreak havoc with the perceived balance of the speaker. Worse, you can’t EQ it back out. Yes, you can flatten the overall response level of the system, but if you are getting some 120 Hz content because the cone is playing 60 Hz, that can’t be removed. Lack of distortion in speakers is crucial to accurate reproduction.

Circle of Destruction?

So, we have our performers in a studio playing music. Microphones are set up in specific locations to capture that performance and the acoustics of the environment. The recording engineer is listening to what is captured by the microphones on that studio’s monitor system. The engineer makes adjustments to the mix based on what he hears. The music is then sold to the public. We listen to it on our reference systems and, if everything has gone according to plan, we enjoy it.

But what if we don’t enjoy it? What if we think what we hear doesn’t have enough bass or has too much high-frequency information? Do we make adjustments to the tone controls on our radios? Does the act of attempting to reproduce sound evolve from a scientific task to a form of art?

What about the Live Performance?

Our friends and experts suggested that our reference for listening to music be a live performance. Is it an acoustic performance? Is it in an open-air stadium or a small club? Are any band members drunk? The number of variables that can affect what we hear is nearly infinite. Your best hope of using a live performance as a reference is to listen to a recording of that particular performance. If the recording took place anywhere else, it just might not work. Will the experience be worthwhile and enjoyable? The answer to that is a resounding yes! That performance is not our reference.

What is our Reference For Great Sound?

For a given performance in a given location with a specific set of instruments and microphone placement techniques, the absolute reference for what that performance should sound like would be the control room where the final mixing took place. Even if we expanded our example to a simple two-microphone recording of a choir in a massive cathedral, the recording engineer is likely to make some small adjustments, using a reference audio system or reference headphones, before that recording is released to the public.

Reproducing and listening to music is about more than just frequency response. Time response, reflections in the listening environment and much more affect what we hear. The best way to develop a reference is to listen to the same recording on as many great systems as you can. Ignore the make, model, color and cost of the equipment you are auditioning. Work to quantify the difference between what you hear and what you have heard previously.

After a while, you will start to develop a reference for what sounds good. Continue to listen. Evaluate new products, new applications and new environments. Sure, a personal preference is still involved, but that is your contribution to the art of recording and enjoying music: You can make it sound the way you want.

Your local specialist mobile electronics retailer will have many different systems you can audition. Drop by and ask to listen to a few. If they have a demo car, then definitely listen to that! Listening to music is a lot of fun – never forget that.

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: Sony XAV-AX5600 Multimedia Receiver

When it comes to bang-for-your-buck car audio receiver upgrades, the Sony XAV-AX5600 offers amazing value and performance. This double-DIN multimedia unit is based around a 6.95-inch capacitive touch display. In addition, it includes Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone integration and support for playback of most of your digital media files. Best of all, the radio is easy to use and looks great in the dash of your car, truck or SUV.

Easy to Use and Looks Great!

Above everything else, the XAV-AX5600 radio features an intuitive interface and lightning-fast response to your input. Whether you want to access the tuner to listen to the news or your favorite radio station, stream audio from your smartphone using Bluetooth or play files from a USB memory stick, all the sources are quickly accessible from the main menu screen.

The XAV-AX5600 features two USB jacks on the rear of the chassis. USB1 is the primary connection to your smartphone for CarPlay and Android Auto integration. These technologies let you use simple voice commands to send text messages, make phone calls, get navigation directions or choose the entertainment options you want. The radio uses Bluetooth 3.0+EDR and includes A2DP with AVCRP, HFP and PBAP profiles to listen to music and place phone calls easily and intuitively. In addition, Sony includes an external microphone that your installer can mount in the center of your vehicle to deliver crystal-clear outgoing audio during Bluetooth calls and accurate responses to voice commands.

You can connect a USB memory stick to either port to play MP3, WMA and FLAC audio files. Playback of WAV and AAC audio along with MPEG-4, WMV, MKV and XviD video files is supported by USB1 exclusively. USB1 is rated for 1.5 amps and USB2 can provide 500 mA in terms of power to charge your phone. FLAC file compatibility is specified for tracks encoded with a bit depth of 24 and a sampling rate of 48 kHz.

Sony XAV-AX5600 — Twin USB pigtails on the rear of the XAV-AX5600 allow you to connect your phone and a USB memory stick simultaneously.

From an audio feature standpoint, the XAV-AX5600 includes a 20-watt per channel, four-channel amplifier along with front, rear and subwoofer RCA outputs. Each preamp output is rated to provide up to 5 volts of signal so your installer can keep the gains on your amps down. High-pass crossovers adjustable to 50, 60, 80, 100 or 120 Hz are available from the deck power and front/rear preamp outputs. The subwoofer output has an adjustable low-pass crossover with the same frequency options and an output level control that is easily accessible from the equalizer menu. Speaking of equalization, the radio includes a 10-band equalizer as well as Sony’s Extra Bass and Digital Soundstage Organizer (DSO) processing to help make your audio system sound amazing. The EQ has adjustment bands at 32 Hz, 63 Hz, 125 Hz, 250 Hz, 500 Hz, 1 khz, 2 khz, 4 kHz, 8 kHz and 16 kHz to tame peaks and valleys in the response of the audio system.

Expansion Options Add Entertainment and Safety

A new feature from Sony for 2021 is the inclusion of an HDMI input on the back of the screen under the chassis. That way, when your vehicle is parked, you can play movies or video from a laptop, camera or game system right into the radio. Your car audio retailer can also add an SXV300 SiriusXM satellite radio tuner to the system so you can enjoy genre-specific content almost anywhere in North America without interruption. Another connectivity option is Weblink. You can connect your smartphone and mirror compatible apps from your device right to the screen of the radio.

The radio includes a dedicated video input for an optional backup camera. The camera image will display automatically when the vehicle is put in reverse. Sony includes customizable guidelines to help you back into a spot safely. If you’re towing a trailer, you can bring up the camera video feed any time (assuming your camera is powered) to ensure that everything is safe and secure.

Amazing Integration and Installer-Friendly Design

The radio’s chassis is designed for double-DIN mounting locations, but the body of the radio is only a single-DIN, shallow-mount unit. This unique design gives your installer extra room for interface modules and wiring. The radio includes a steering wheel control interface jack that works with optional modules from iDataLink, PAC, Axxess and Scosche. The radio includes inputs for illumination dimming, a reverse trigger input for the backup camera and a parking brake input for video lockout while driving. Sony includes a remote turn-on output for external amplifiers.

As we mentioned, the 6.95-inch display features a capacitive-touch interface that helps deliver excellent brightness and contrast. Sony has a bezel-less front fascia that makes the XAV-AX5600 look as if it came with your vehicle right from the assembly line. The control panel with the six hard buttons protrudes slightly from the face, and the white backlighting looks elegant in any vehicle. Adjustable illumination brightness allows you to match the intensity of other dash lighting, and has independent brightness settings for when the vehicle lights are on and off.

Upgrade Your Drive with the Sony XAV-AX5600

If the technology in your car or truck isn’t state of the art, drop by your local authorized Sony car audio retailer and ask for a demonstration of the new XAV-AX5600. With a suggested retail price of $499.99 US/$649.99 CDN and a complete set of smartphone integration and entertainment features, this radio is a value that’s hard to beat. You can learn more about Sony Car Audio products by visiting their website, their Facebook page and their Instagram feed.

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: Audison Speaker Upgrades for BMWs and Minis

BMW and Mini owners all over the globe have shown that there is a desire for a better sounding audio system in their vehicles. To meet the performance expectations of these discerning clients, Audison of Italy has developed six drop-in upgrades designed specifically for these vehicles. Best of all, the speaker and subwoofer upgrade solutions use factory wiring and mounting locations, so there are no modifications required. These are the perfect solution for leased vehicles!

Balancing Performance and Efficiency

Designing a loudspeaker requires that the engineer balance low-frequency and high-frequency extension with efficiency and output capability. For example, the upper midrange output may suffer if a driver is optimized to produce more bass. The engineers at Audison have optimized all these criteria for their Prima Series drivers to deliver amazing performance installations using small to moderately powerful amplifiers. As such, their BMW speakers are a perfect stand-alone upgrade with the factory radio or amplifier, or when used with a much more powerful solution like the 85-watts-per-channel AP F 8.9 bit DSP-equipped amplifier.

BMW Speaker Upgrade Solutions

The BMW speakers are broken into two categories: coaxial and component sets. So whether you have a new 2-series and want to upgrade the door speakers or are looking for the dash, front and rear speakers along with a subwoofer upgrade for a 2015 X5 with the Hi-Fi Sound system, there’s a solution from Audison.

The four speaker options are all based on the same basic platform. The 4-inch (100 mm) drivers feature high-quality rigid die-cast aluminum frames that include specific mounting provisions for the doors, the dash center channel or the rear parcel shelf of your BMW or Mini.

To deliver excellent efficiency, the drivers use neodymium magnets instead of conventional ceramic units. The woofer cones are constructed from pressed pulp paper to deliver an excellent balance of rigidity and damping characteristics. The cones are treated with a moisture-resistant finish to ensure their longevity in door installations. The woofers are driven by a large 1-inch (25 mm) fiberglass voice coil former. The large diameter of the coil contributes to the 40-watt continuous, 80-watt maximum power ratings for the drivers. Lastly, they all use a rubber surround instead of foam for an additional improvement in longevity.

The tweeters used in the coaxial and component set solutions once again feature neodymium magnets for excellent efficiency. The diaphragms are made of Audison’s Tetolon silk and cotton dome material to optimize rigidity and damping characteristics to prevent distortion. In the APBMW K4E and K4M component sets, the tweeters have a diameter of 29 mm. Most tweeters in this class, including these vehicles’ stock tweeters, are only 25 mm in size. The larger diameter allows for a nice, low resonant frequency and lower crossover points. The large diaphragm size also improves efficiency.

The component sets include the APBMW CXTM 1 passive filter networks for the tweeters. These filters include 0 and -3 dB output options, and OE-quality connectors are included for wiring. Angled mounting cups for the tweeters are included for rear parcel shelf installations. In the APBMW X4M and X4E coaxial speaker solutions, the tweeters use the same materials but have a diameter of 24 mm. Audison also offers the APBMW A4E accessory kit to allow for the unique installation applications of the F15 chassis X5, F16 chassis X6 and the G30 and G31 chassis 5-series sedans and wagons.

Audison BMW — The Audison APBMW K4E is a 4-inch midrange and 29 mm tweeter set designed specifically to bolt into your BMW or Mini with no modifications.

Prima Subwoofer for BMW and Mini Cars and SUVs

The APBMW S8-2 and APBMW S8-4 are 8-inch (200 mm) subwoofer solutions that are a direct drop-in replacement for the under-seat subwoofers found in BMW and Mini vehicles. These subwoofers feature graphite fiber-reinforced baskets with top-mounted neodymium motor structures. A pair of 5-millimeter polyurethane mounting gaskets are included to ensure a perfect seal with the factory enclosure. A 38 mm (1.5-inch) voice coil provides reliable performance at the speaker’s 150-watt power handling rating. The woofers’ cones are made from pressed pulp, and they use a rubber surround for longevity. A fabric cover over the face of the woofer cone prevents coins and rogue french fries from entering the speaker and causing buzzes or rattles. The woofers feature an Xmax specification of 7 mm in each direction for impressive output from the limited space and shallow mounting requirements.

The Audison engineers put some careful planning into the 2- and 4-ohm models. The 4-ohm S8-4 is slightly less sensitive than the 2-ohm model but offers a 40 Hz resonant frequency instead of 45, so it plays deeper. When the 4-ohm woofer is bridged onto a pair of channels from a Prima amplifier, the additional power allows it to play as loudly as the 2-ohm driver. If you plan a system that will use a larger subwoofer (10- or 12-inch) in the trunk or cargo area, the under-seat woofers function well as midbass drivers.

Visit Your Local Authorized Audison Dealer To Upgrade Your BMW Audio System

If your BMW or Mini sound system doesn’t give you goosebumps when you listen to it, drop by your local authorized Audison Retailer and ask about upgrading the speakers. The Product Specialist can design a solution that works with the existing source unit and amplifier or put together a Sound Pack solution with a dedicated DSP-equipped amplifier like the AP 8.9 bit. They can even create a bespoke solution for cars and SUVs that are equipped with fiber-optic MOST amplifiers. For more information about the Audison speaker upgrades available for your BMW or Mini, visit their website. Be sure to keep up with the latest news and product releases by following their Facebook page, Instagram feed and their 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.

Modern Navigation Systems for Today’s Vehicles

Paper maps used to be the only way of planning route navigation. Before you, or perhaps your parents, set out on vacation, you would pick up maps for each state or province you planned to drive through, lay them out on the kitchen or dining room table, and highlight the route to take.

The problem with maps is that someone has to read them, and trying to read a map while driving is quite dangerous. Automakers realized that maybe technology could be used to make driving safer. This concept was the birth of the navigation system.

Through the 1980s, Toyota and Mazda worked on several different navigation systems for their cars. Some of these early navigation systems used digitized paper maps. In the 1990s, Mazda introduced the first GPS-based navigation system. Nowadays, most vehicles sold in North America have the option of navigation.

Navigation System Hardware

Modern navigation systems have four key components. The first is a computer. This computer runs the navigation software that plans the route you have requested, tells you when to turn and advises you when you arrive. The second key component is the maps used with the navigation software. Two companies offer these maps, which are licensed to the end-user. The third component is the GPS receiver module and antenna. The GPS receiver lets the navigation system know where you are, and where you are headed. Finally, there is an interface. The interface is usually a touchscreen of some kind. The interface displays the maps and accepts the input of information to plan the route. Information can be typed on a touchscreen or spoken to the software and converted to text.

What is GPS?

GPS stands for Global Positioning System. The U.S. Department of Defense created the technology in 1975 and it was fully functional by 1995. The purpose of the system was to provide accurate location, speed and altitude data anywhere on the planet. The GPS system comprises about 30 satellites that orbit the Earth. Each one transmits a uniquely coded signal with a very accurate time stamp. The GPS receiver can, once it has acquired signals from several satellites, triangulate its location by comparing the difference in arrival time of each signal. The GPS system most of us are used to is called Navstar, and it is operated and maintained by the U.S. Air Force Space Command.

Many consumers refer to a Portable Navigation System (PNS) or in-dash navigation system as a GPS. While this term has become accepted, GPS is just one key component of a navigation system.

Not surprisingly, there is more than one GPS system in use globally. Russia operates a system called GLONASS, India has IRNSS, the Chinese have BeiDou-2 and the Europeans have Galileo. Some GPS receivers can capture information from multiple systems to improve accuracy. An example would be a radio-controlled camera drone – these use GLONASS and Navstar to provide more resolution regarding their position.

The signal sent to the navigation computer by the navigation receiver includes the longitude, latitude, heading (the direction you are traveling), altitude, velocity and the current time.

What are Navigation Maps?

Knowing where you are on the planet is great. The real key to a navigation system is its maps. Maps are available from one of two companies: TomTom, which purchased TeleAtlas in 2007, and Nokia, which purchased Navteq in 2008.

Maps are databases of roads stored as vectors. A vector is a line between two points. In the case of navigation road maps, the end points of the lines (or roads) are GPS coordinates. Most navigation map information contains additional information such as house numbers. If you have every wondered why some house or building addresses are off by a little bit, the reason is based on how addresses are stored. At one end of a street, or section of road, the map data contains the beginning house number. The other end of the street has the ending house number. Navigation systems spread out the difference between the two house numbers evenly along the length of the street. This predicted location does not always match reality because of geography – or pure randomness, based on the whim of the local municipal building department.

Navigation systems are useless without maps. They couldn’t plan routes or give directions. You are, quite literally, at the mercy of the quality and accuracy of the maps you own.

Working in conjunction with the map database is a Points of Interest (also known as POI) database. A POI database contains information about businesses and landmarks, and often includes a phone number. Depending on your navigation system, you may have as few as 1.5 million points of interest or as many as 11 million. The manufacturer decides how much they are willing to spend on this information. If your navigation system can search for gas stations, hotels, restaurants or hospitals, then the map data includes a POI database.

Some of the very first navigation systems used analog tape to store map and POI data. Yes – analog, magnetic tape! From that point, we moved to CD-ROM, DVD-ROM, hard disk drives and flash memory. The latest systems are based on smartphones and don’t have the map data permanently stored onboard – it’s all downloaded over the air, using a cellular connection in real time.

Modern Navigation System Features

Modern navigation systems are amazing tools to help you travel safely and efficiently. These systems use extremely complex and proprietary algorithms to decide the best route between the starting and ending points of your route. The most basic of navigation software takes into consideration the size of the road (number of lanes and, if available, speed limit) and the direction of the turns you may have to make to complete the route. Navigation software companies are very protective of their route creation algorithms.

Modern navigation systems can accept real-time information to make route planning more accurate and efficient. The first upgrade was including traffic flow information. Many systems used FM antennae to capture traffic flow information that was broadcast in major urban areas. This technology is called RDS-TMC traffic, since the information was coded into the same frequency space as FM radio RDS information. Newer systems capture this traffic flow and accident information through the SiriusXM receiver. You do need a subscription to SiriusXM Traffic and, of course, supporting hardware in your vehicle to makes this work.

Apple CarPlay and Android Auto

If you have a vehicle with Apple CarPlay or Android Auto, your smartphone becomes an integral part of your navigation solution. Apple or Google stores map information and downloads it in real time through your smartphone’s data plan. The beauty of this solution is that you never, ever have to pay for map updates – the information is always being updated.

Apple Maps and Google Maps both offer turn-by-turn navigation solutions that use each brand’s advanced voice recognition software. All you have to do is press a button and ask the system to take you to an address.

CarPlay and Android Auto navigation has the benefit of being able to acquire Point of Interest information directly from the Internet. If a new company opens and registers itself with Apple and Google, you can search for it right away.

One drawback of CarPlay and Android Auto is that the maps aren’t stored on the phone or in the vehicle. If you are traveling to another country, your cellular provider will charge roaming fees. (You can get roaming data plans to help minimize the cost, so that’s not a huge deal, but it has to be considered before you buy.) Another consideration is that these systems are constantly downloading map information. If you happen to have a cellular data plan with very limited bandwidth, this could eventually cost some money in data overage charges. These are not show-stoppers, just considerations.

Google Waze

One very popular navigation application used by people who live in high-traffic areas like Los Angeles, Toronto, San Francisco, Seattle, Honolulu, New Orleans or Chicago is called Waze. This application is available for iPhone and Android phones for free. The beauty of Waze is that other users provide traffic flow information, including detours, accidents and warnings for potholes, weather or even animals on the road. Waze offers crowd-sourced traffic information at its finest. Google purchased Waze in June of 2013 for $1.3 billion. If you run the risk of getting stuck in a traffic jam, try Waze; it’s quite impressive.

Using any navigation solution has its perils. If your co-pilot is reading directions from a paper map, or you are trying to drive while listening to voice prompts from a navigation system, there is always the risk of making an error while turning, merging or exiting. Always be careful when navigating and heed the rules of the road at all times.

If you are in the market for a navigation solution for your vehicle, visit your local mobile electronics specialist. They have many different solutions depending on the vehicle you drive. Some systems replace the factory radio, some work with it and some operate separately from it. They can show you the options for your vehicle.

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 Hertz Mille Legend Speakers and Subwoofers

Hertz Mille Legend Speakers – Moving Parts Technologies

Motor and Basket Performance Features

Upgrade Your Car Audio System with Hertz Mille Legend Speakers

The Reference For Great Sound

How Music is Recorded

The Effect of the Studio

The Control Room

Circle of Destruction?

What about the Live Performance?

What is our Reference For Great Sound?

Product Spotlight: Sony XAV-AX5600 Multimedia Receiver

Easy to Use and Looks Great!

Expansion Options Add Entertainment and Safety

Amazing Integration and Installer-Friendly Design

Upgrade Your Drive with the Sony XAV-AX5600

Product Spotlight: Audison Speaker Upgrades for BMWs and Minis

Balancing Performance and Efficiency

BMW Speaker Upgrade Solutions

Prima Subwoofer for BMW and Mini Cars and SUVs

Visit Your Local Authorized Audison Dealer To Upgrade Your BMW Audio System

Modern Navigation Systems for Today’s Vehicles

Navigation System Hardware

What is GPS?

What are Navigation Maps?

Modern Navigation System Features

Apple CarPlay and Android Auto

Google Waze

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