Other than an intermediate knowledge of stationary audio equipment, I know not of what all the terms, acronyms, and numbers mean. Where could I go to research what makes things louder and the likes, specifically relating to car audio systems? I dare not buy things by what the manufacturer or retailer says, at that point each make and model is the absolute best according to them!

Not really looking for a decked setup, just more than the kids with their K-mart and Autozone 59.95 boxes, amps, headunits, etc. Put it this way, I want to run the equivalent of a fairly hot 350 chevy. Stock corvettes which seem to be blessed with magical *** speed aren't **** next to a hot 350 with 1.5-2 grand into it.

Michael

 

A good acronym to start with is:

RMS power (root mean sqaure,.707 x max power)

ILS power (if lightning strikes, bogus ficticious power ratings)


know your ohms law basics and you can tell when an amp is exagerated in it's claims. 12v X 40a = 480 watts, not going to deliver 1200 watts!

Class AB and Class D,

AB has good fidelity, it isn't as efficient as D.

D is almost 100% efficient, best for just bass since you can't hear the difference in low notes.

HP-LP, high pass crossover and low pass crossover, separates signals to different speakers.

 

just read, read, read..and ask alot of questions. Even if you feel like you are annoying people keep asking questions. And the more specific you make the questions the easier it is for you to find your answer. and a good thing to start with is a budget...make sure who you ask, knows what you are willing to spend.

 

http://www.teamrocs.com/technical/

this site has just about everything that anyone will ever need to know about car audio