Product Spotlight: ARC Audio X2-Series Car Audio Subwoofers

Known best for their world-class amplifier solutions, ARC Audio’s new X2-Series subwoofers deliver amazing output and low-frequency extension at surprisingly accessible price points. Available in 10- and 12-inch sizes with your choice of dual 2- or 4-ohm voice coil configurations, these impressive woofers can handle up to 400 watts of power to ensure that your music sounds fantastic, even with the volume cranked.

ARC Audio X2 Subwoofer Features

The X2-Series subwoofers are based on stamped-steel four-spoke baskets that feature double compound curves. This curved shape adds rigidity and strength to ensure adequate support for the double-stacked magnets. The basket includes cooling vents under the spider mounting plateau that work with the vented pole piece to allow hot air to escape from both sides of the voice coil. Speaking of the voice coil, these subwoofers feature high-temperature Kapton formers with a 2-inch diameter. Low-mass copper-clad aluminum windings are wrapped around the formers, then anodized with a black coating to increase heat dissipation and reduce the potential for power compression. The combination of these lightweight materials helps the subwoofers offer excellent upper bass response so their output blends seamlessly with the midbass drivers in your vehicle.

ARC X2 Subwoofer — The complex curves of the basket spokes add rigidity to the X2 subwoofers while cooling vents beneath the spider-mounting plateau allow heat to escape from the voice coil.

In terms of visible moving parts, the woofer cones are formed from fiber reinforced pulp paper for an excellent balance of mass, rigidity and damping. ARC Audio adds a moisture-resistant laminated coating so the cones won’t absorb water vapor in high-humidity environments. The top plate to voice coil gap is protected from debris by a large-diameter polypropylene dust cap that has the ARC Audio logo embossed into it.

Large-roll rubber surrounds enable the drivers to deliver more than an inch of excursion while providing longevity that foam surrounds simply can’t deliver. The base of the cone is centered by a large-roll treated Conex spider. Electrical connections to the voice coils are handled by heavy-duty spring terminals with oversized tinsel leads. The leads are sewn to the spider to ensure they remain reliable and operate silently at high excursion levels. As you can see, many of the features in these drivers are borrowed from the audiophile-grade Black Series subwoofers.

Subwoofer Application Flexibility

ARC Audio knows that different vehicles require different enclosures. For those who want the most efficiency and extension from their bass upgrade, a moderately sized bass-reflex (vented) enclosure is a great choice. When combined with proper tuning using a digital signal processor like the PS8 Pro, this enclosure style delivers an impressive balance of extension and low-distortion operation. The X2 12 woofers will work optimally in designs as small as 1.15 cubic foot (net), and for more low-frequency output, a 1.6 cubic foot enclosure will play below 25 Hz in your vehicle effortlessly. The X2 10 woofers need a minimum of 0.9 cubic feet and will sound amazing in 1.2 cubic feet.

If space is a premium, then your technician can construct a small sealed enclosure. You will sacrifice some low-frequency efficiency, but the design requires a lot less space. The X2 12’s need only 0.75 cubic feet, and the X2 10’s work fine in 0.5 to 0.7 cubic feet. Of course, your retailer can combine multiple subwoofers in a single enclosure to increase the output capabilities of the system.

Transform Your Car Audio System with ARC Audio Subwoofers

If you are an avid reader of BestCarAudio.com, then you already know that adding a subwoofer is one of the best upgrades you can make to your car stereo. Not only does it improve the system’s ability to reproduce low-frequency information, but it can also improve the clarity and detail of the system while allowing it to play louder. When the relatively small speakers in your car or truck don’t need to play bass frequencies, they won’t have to work as hard and will sound much more precise.

If you want a great subwoofer that won’t break the bank, drop by your local authorized ARC Audio dealer and ask about the X2-Series subwoofers today. You can keep up with the latest offerings from ARC Audio by visiting their website, their Facebook page, their Instagram feed 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.

Drone Telematics System Minimizes Worry about Vehicle Theft, Vandalism

A high-quality car alarm or security system is a great way to prevent vehicle theft. With that said, what if thieves decide to ignore the siren and drag your car away with a tow truck? Would you even know if your vehicle was gone before you tried to leave for work the next morning? Drone has two solutions to ensure you’ll receive instant notification if someone is tampering with or trying to steal your vehicle. If you’re curious about keeping your pride and joy safe, then keep reading.

X1-MAX Standalone Security Solution

The Drone X1-MAX is a stand-alone security and vehicle control interface. X1-MAX includes an integrated shock, tilt, motion and glass breakage sensor to provide instant warnings when someone is messing with your ride. A built-in lithium-Ion backup battery will keep the system operational even if someone disconnects the battery in your vehicle. Your authorized Drone retailer can integrate the system into your vehicle so that it will control your door locks and trunk release, and the system is capable of remote starting many cars and trucks. Currently, X1-MAX is only available in the United States.

Vehicle Theft — The X1-MAX can operate in a stand-alone mode that provides excellent vehicle protection features.

Drone X1R-LTE Add-On Communication Module

If you have a Compustar or Arctic Start security system in your vehicle and want to receive smartphone notifications, then you want the X1R-LTE add-on module. Just as with the X1-Max, alerts from the door, hood and trunk inputs will produce a notification on your smartphone in about a second. If your security system features the fantastic DAS or DAS-II sensor, the smartphone alerts will include warnings from the tilt, forward motion and, exclusively with the DAS-II, glass breakage sensors. If you’re worried about someone stealing a set of expensive wheels, this is the protection you need.

Because Drone uses cellular data communication, you don’t have to be near your vehicle to get this information. Your car could be parked at home, at the opposite end of a large shopping mall, or in a city lot a few blocks away from a theatre or stadium. LTE communication technology ensures that you know what’s going on in a matter of seconds.

Time-Based Security Warnings

When you subscribe to the Premium, Premium Plus or Ultimate service package, additional features can help protect your car or truck. Curfew Monitoring is an option that allows you to set a period of time where your vehicle shouldn’t be in operation. For most people, 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. would be an acceptable window. If your car or truck were started up during this time, you’d receive a notification on your phone right away.

If you’re a business owner, then you may want to set the Curfew notification start time to 6 p.m., so you’ll know that your assets are being used exclusively for work use. If your staff members know that the vehicle includes a locating system, they’ll be much less likely to make detours for personal use during the work day. This improved behavior will improve productivity and reduce vehicle-related expenses.

GPS Location-Based Notifications

You can configure your home or office with a geofence so the Drone system will send a notification any time the vehicle enters or exits that geographic area. Should someone try to tow your car or truck away in the middle of the night, not only will you receive an alert from the tilt sensor, but you’ll know when it moves. You can use the GPS Car Finder feature to track its location and notify the authorities. Best of all, you’ll receive the geofence alert even if the alarm is disarmed, so relay attacks won’t disable the system.

Protect Your Vehicle with Drone

If you’re interested in the vehicle theft and vandalism warning options available from Drone, drop by your local authorized retailer. You can find a shop in your area using the dealer finder on the Drone website. Be sure to follow the updates and new releases from the Drone team on their Facebook Page, Instagram page, Twitter feed 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.

Product Spotlight: Hertz H8 DSP Digital Interface Processor

Known best for its speakers and amplifiers, Hertz has recently added an impressive digital signal processor called the H8 DSP to its mix of car audio upgrade solutions. Since more and more car audio enthusiasts these days are working with factory-installed source units, Hertz focused on making its processor solution easy to integrate into these vehicles. With a full suite of tuning tools on hand for your installation technician, upgrading a vehicle audio system with the H8 DSP will transform it into something truly amazing.

Hertz H8 DSP Features

The H8 DSP features four speaker-level inputs, a pair of RCA auxiliary inputs and a TOSLINK digital input. On the output side, there are eight RCA outputs that will provide up to 4V of signal. The four speaker-level inputs will accept as much as 15V, and the RCA aux input is good for 5V. The processor also includes input level optimization LEDs to help maximize the signal-to-noise ratio of the system. Another increasingly important feature is called the Universal Speakers Simulator (USS) technology. This circuit presents an appropriate load to the factory amplifier or radio so that external load resistors aren’t required to make the system function.

Hertz includes a few welcome hardware connections that make using the H8 DSP quite convenient. First, the system includes enough memory for two tuning calibrations. External wire connections are available to let users switch between these presets quickly. The system also includes remote turn-on detection circuitry. This processing will allow the H8 DSP to turn itself on when it detects that the factory radio turns on. There’s also a remote output, so the processor can then turn on your system amplifiers.

Hertz DSP — The Hertz H8 DSP is compact and straightforward, yet provides all the tools required to extract incredible realism from your car audio system.

The software includes an input/output configuration wizard that helps simplify the setup process. Not only does this help with signal routing, but it also enables the de-equalization process. Many factory-installed radios, including some that seem surprisingly basic, include speaker-specific equalization processing. The de-equalization process uses a test track (available as a download from the Hertz website) to undo the factory EQ curve as much as possible. The wizard also sets up some basic crossover settings that mean the system can be up and playing very quickly before the fine-tuning begins. This feature gives your installation technician a level playing field from which he or she can start the calibration process of your new speakers.

Signal Processing Features

In Expert mode, any of the eight channels can be configured with high- and low-pass filters with the option of Butterworth or Linkwitz-Riley filters with slop options up to -24 dB/octave. Crossover points aren’t infinitely adjustable, but there are 68 frequency options available – which is more than enough for any possible system design.

In terms of equalization, there are 31 bands, spaced at standard 1/3-octave spacing. Each band is adjustable on 0.3 dB steps up to plus or minus 12 dB. There’s a cool “select all” button that lets your installer change all the bands at once. This is a great feature if the person tuning your system needs more than 12 dB of cut or boost in a single band, as the entire set of slides can be moved at once.

Your installer can enter the distance between the listening position and the speaker, and then the processor will calculate the delay for each output. There’s a fine-tuning window that lets them add additional delay in 0.02-millisecond steps. There is also a polarity adjustment control of each channel that is labeled as “Invert Phase.”

The level of each of the eight output channels can be adjusted in 0.5 dB steps from 0 to -40 dB. There is a master volume control setting that works in 1 dB steps from 0 to -60 dB and a master subwoofer level control that provides 0.5 dB steps from 0 to -12 dB.

DRC HE Remote Control

The H8 DSP ships with the DRC HE remote control. This compact (2.48- by 1.4-inch) remote includes five buttons and a small 4.5-character, 12-segment display. The remote provides master volume control, subwoofer level control and balance and fader adjustment. The presets can also be toggled by the remote, along with the source input (speaker, aux, or digital). The included connection cable is 14.76 feet (4.5 meters) long. Finally, two-sided tape is included to surface-mount the remote in your vehicle.

Since the processor can operate in a stand-alone mode using the remote as the master on/off switch, it doesn’t require a traditional source unit to be in your audio systems. You can play music from a smartphone through a Bluetooth receiver or a media player like the Audison bit Play using the TOSLINK digital connection.

Upgrade Your Car Audio Experience with the H8 DSP

Whether you have an existing sound system or are planning a new build, having a signal processor like the Hertz H8 DSP in the system is a worthwhile investment. Drop by your local authorized Hertz retailer for a demonstration today! For more information about Hertz car audio products, visit their website, Facebook page, Instagram page, Twitter 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: ARC Audio X2 6.2 Component Speakers

When it’s time to upgrade the stereo system in your car or truck, drop by your local ARC Audio authorized retailer and check out the X2 6.2 component speakers. This 6.5-inch two-way speaker set offers class-leading sound quality and detail at a price point that won’t hurt your wallet. With ARC Audio’s focused design goal of delivering a product that’s as compatible with as many vehicles as possible, these speakers are a great choice for someone who wants better sound without having to invest in an elaborate installation.

ARC Audio X2 6.2 Component Speaker Set

The X2 6.2 speaker set includes a pair of 6.5-inch woofers, a pair of 20 mm tweeters and a set of passive crossover networks. The woofers are based around stamped steel baskets with compound-curved spokes. This shape helps to prevent resonance in the basket and provides excellent support for the motor assembly.

Power handling is always a top consideration when designing a speaker. Aside from the relatively large Kapton former and copper voice coil winding, ARC has included cooling vents in the basket that allow hot air to escape from under the spider. These vents also help to improve linearity at higher excursion levels, so bass and midbass frequencies are reproduced with improved clarity.

In terms of moving parts, the woofer cones are made from injection-molded polypropylene that has been reinforced with glass fiber strands. This reinforcement reduces cone resonance at high frequencies and excursion levels to deliver an impressively accurate listening experience. The glass fibers also add thermal stability to the cone, so it remains rigid at extreme temperatures.

A butyl rubber surround adds additional damping to the cone and extends the service life of the drivers as compared to similarly priced options that use foam surrounds. The spider at the base of the cone is a linear design made of a Nomex cloth blend that furthers the low-distortion performance of these speakers.

ARC Speakers — Cooling vents integrated into the basket increase power handling by allowing hot air to escape from around the voice coil.

The tweeters in the set feature 20 mm dome-shaped, wool-damped silk diaphragms. A waveguide built into each tweeter helps to improve the off-axis response. Each tweeter uses a high-quality Y-35 grade neodymium magnet for excellent efficiency in a compact package. ARC Audio includes surface- and flush-mounting hardware in the kit, so your installer has a variety of integration options.

The two-way passive crossover networks feature -12 dB/octave attenuation networks to ensure that the transition between the woofer and tweeter is smooth. The networks include audiophile-grade polypropylene capacitors for excellent power handling and clarity. The compact design of the crossovers allows them to be mounted near the amplifier, under a seat or in the dash with ease.

Designed to Work with Existing Mounting Locations

The last thing you want to hear when choosing a new speaker for your vehicle is that it won’t fit, or that you need to spend extra money on fancy mounting adapters. The transducer design team at ARC Audio invested countless hours in measuring and confirming standard sizes for the 6.5-inch class of speakers. Armed with this information, they designed the basket of the X2 6.2 woofers to fit into as many vehicles as possible. The baskets include mounting holes for all the common fastener patterns to make the installation as hassle-free as possible for your technician.

Upgrade Your Car Stereo with ARC Audio

If you want your audio system to sound better and play louder, drop by your nearest ARC Audio retailer and ask to audition the X2 6.2 speaker set. We know you’ll be impressed! For more information about these speakers or any of the amazing ARC Audio products, visit their website. You can also learn more about the brand – and some of the amazing installations that feature ARC Audio products – on their Facebook page, Twitter feed, Instagram page and 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.

Drone Telematics is Ideal for Families with Young Drivers

If there’s a young driver in your family, upgrading your vehicle with a telematics system like Drone is a great way to know where they are and how they’re driving. Drone combines high-speed cellular LTE connectivity with an onboard GPS receiver to relay the exact location of the vehicle to your smartphone or the Drone website. You can even configure geofence notifications, so you know when the vehicle arrives at or leaves a specific location. Let’s look at how these features work to help keep parents calm when their kids are driving the family car or truck.

GPS-Based Vehicle Locating

The X1-MAX, X1R and DR-5400 Drone modules include an integrated GPS receiver antenna. Location information is visible within the DroneMobile app on your iOS or Android smartphone or on the Drone website. The GPS locating capability is impressively precise. This accuracy lets you know which side of a driveway you’re parked on or exactly where the car is in a mall parking lot.

If your son or daughter is out with the car, you can check their location and speed while they’re on the move. If you expect them home at 10:30, you can see whether they’ve left their friend’s house or movie theatre, or if they’re just around the corner.

Young Drivers — When you use the Drone app to find the location of a vehicle, you can click on the icon to see how fast the car is traveling.

Geofences Deliver Instant Alerts

A lot of families allow their kids to use the family vehicle to go to work at a part-time job. By logging into the Drone website, you can create alerts based on an address or a geographic area on a map. The website allows you to set these warnings (called geofences) based on a radius around the chosen location or using a rectangle or adjustable polygon. Another option is to use the POI (Point of Interest) feature to set an alert. You can enter the address of a business or someone’s house, and the Drone system will let you know when the vehicle arrives at or leaves that location.

As you can see from the above screenshot, this family has configured the system to let them know when their son arrives at the drugstore where he works. This information will also be recorded in the Activity Log so that it can be reviewed later.

Speed Warnings Promote Safety

You can always click on the Location tab, then click on the vehicle icon to see how fast it is traveling. Likewise, you can configure the system to send an alert to your smartphone if the vehicle exceeds a preset speed limit.

The Curfew Alert feature is another way to monitor the use of your vehicle. Once you’ve configured a start and stop time, the system will send a notification if the vehicle moves during that time period. There’s no way to sneak out at night with the car when this is activated.

Drone Reduces Parent Stress

Most of us trust our children to take care of our vehicles. That doesn’t mean that we don’t worry when they’re driving. With Drone on board, we can check their location and speed as often as we want. Visit your local authorized Drone retailer to have the hardware installed in your vehicle, then choose from the Premium, Premium Plus or Ultimate service plan packages. You can learn more about the fantastic features of Drone by visiting their website, Facebook page, Instagram page and Twitter, 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.

Product Spotlight: ARC Audio X2-Series Car Audio Subwoofers

ARC Audio X2 Subwoofer Features

Subwoofer Application Flexibility

Transform Your Car Audio System with ARC Audio Subwoofers

Drone Telematics System Minimizes Worry about Vehicle Theft, Vandalism

X1-MAX Standalone Security Solution

Drone X1R-LTE Add-On Communication Module

Time-Based Security Warnings

GPS Location-Based Notifications

Protect Your Vehicle with Drone

Product Spotlight: Hertz H8 DSP Digital Interface Processor

Hertz H8 DSP Features

Signal Processing Features

DRC HE Remote Control

Upgrade Your Car Audio Experience with the H8 DSP

Product Spotlight: ARC Audio X2 6.2 Component Speakers

ARC Audio X2 6.2 Component Speaker Set

Designed to Work with Existing Mounting Locations

Upgrade Your Car Stereo with ARC Audio

Drone Telematics is Ideal for Families with Young Drivers

GPS-Based Vehicle Locating

Geofences Deliver Instant Alerts

Speed Warnings Promote Safety

Drone Reduces Parent Stress

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