Cars can be very noisy indeed, they clinker, they clatter, not to mention you can hear all the other cars on the road, the wind and rain pelting against you car – and the vibrations as you move. All this noise can make a car journey very stressful for driver and passengers and often stops them from enjoying their music as they cruise along the road – after all, music interrupted by clinks and clatter is not that soothing. The solution to this problem is sound deadening sheets, which dull down and block out sounds outside your car.

Sound deadening sheets are often used by car experts in the industry, but now they are available to everyone. They combat and illuminate a number of problems including outside noises, vibrations and stop your car from overheating. The light weight sheets, made by Dynamat, are to be placed in the interior of the car, including the roof, floor, doors and boot to create a lining on the inside of the car. The sound deadening sheets not only make your ride more relaxing, they make your car feel more solid due to the flexible but strong aluminum and specialist materials used which enable you to mould the sheets easily to the parameter as well as converts energy more effectively and rapidly.

Sound deadening systems will give your car that luxurious feel, as Dynamat will make your car as sound free as any top luxurious vehicle. You will be able to hear your car audio system, without any interruptions from outside your car, enabling you to listen to your music at a high quality level.

Sound deadening sheets are easy to put in too, as all you need to do is cut to size, peel the release liner and press into shape along the shortest edge first, then the rest of the area. It is further recommended a roller is used to press down the material on large areas. Once in place, the sheet should last a great number of years.

Over the top of sound deadening sheets from Dynamat, known as Dynamat Xtreme, you can place two different liners to improve the car’s ability to cool down or to stop further sound or vibrations entering the car’s interior. Dynaliner is the best for cooling your car down even more, whilst Dynapad rids the interior of exhaust noises and is an ideal tool for improving noise and sound levels for car audio systems. Hoodliners, attached to the underside of your hood, also control heat and sound coming from your engine, once more improving your car’s sound proofing and cooling capabilities.

By: Marie Coles

About the Author:

Car audio systems only function at their best if they have all the components required, which make the system as a whole. Without subwoofers or speakers you would not be able to listen to high quality music on your stereo – and without amps you would not be able to properly power these! Another component that is being recognised as useful and even vital to high quality music is the capacitor.

One component of a automobile audio system is the capacitor. This part of the car audio system acts as a power storage unit, which stores the unused power for later usage. It essentially regulates power to your amplifier. If there is too much power, it will automatically store the power until it is needed. A capacitor allows you car to power your amp correctly, so that it does not become overloaded or under loaded.

Capacitors are essential to a vehicle’s audio system, especially if you have a system that requires a lot of power. Systems dedicated to bass are in particular need of capacitors due to their high power consumption. If you do not have a capacitor, but own a high power consuming car audio system; expect your amplifier to have trouble with powering the system. At the extreme end, under powering an amplifier can cause long term damage; however, it is more likely that you will lose sound quality. Like any electrical component, if there is simply not enough power for it, quality of output will be sacrificed.

Capacitors range in price, depending on quality and power. These magical reservoirs of power will not help to regulate your car audio system so that it is more consistent but will give you a better quality sound, with more power and energy to it!

By: Marie Coles

About the Author:

If you want your bass to really shake that car, it’s vital that you buy subwoofers that really will put a boom into your music. It’s crucial that when purchasing a sub that you look out for quality of components and how these will affect the listening experience.

Size of Subwoofers: You will only need a sub or two that will provide enough sound for your cars space. For instance, if you have a small compact car there’s no point in investing in big subwoofers, as they are not needed for the best bass impact and they may not fit.

A favourite on the sub market is the 8 inch subwoofer, as its small enough to fit in an average sized car without compromising too much on sound quality. The real car audio enthusiasts will often go for a 12 inch sub as these are one of the best subs for volume and recognizing the lower frequencies of bass.

Material: It’s always best to choose the highest quality materials out there. For instance, many car audio specialists find the expensive aluminum cones to be best out there. However, some materials will give you good quality bass at a small price. Polypropylene is a cost effective favourite on the market at the moment.

Brand: Brand does sometimes really matter. The best brands for clean bass, which means bass without distortion, are Blaupunkt, Nakamichi, McIntosh, Audiobahn and Infinity.

Another item to think about is the amp, as you will need an amp that will be able to power your sub perfectly. Buying a too powerful amp can in fact damage your subs and may even damage your car. Your subs will have an RMS power rating, which acts as a guideline of what power amp you should buy. Car audio specialists recommend you never exceed this limit.

By: Marie Coles

About the Author:

Technology is ever changing, particularly the iPod, which has already had a good few generations of iPod released on the market. Since the iPod was originally hooked up to the car stereo, the iPod has changed numerous times and so has the JVC car stereo with it. So if you are thinking of purchasing an iPod ready JVC car stereo, you may have to check if it is compatible with your generation of iPod.

If you have an older version of the iPod (older than the touch, iPad or 5th generation iPod) then you may have some compatibility issues with JVC car stereos. But don’t sweat – you can still connect up your old iPod with particular JVC car mp3 players. JVC knows we don’t all want or can have the latest technology, so taking this into consideration they have brought out several compatible stereos.

There are a variety of models from JVC that are compatible with the different generations of iPod, even going back to the 3rd generation iPod released in 2003. Its good news for many then that they can hook up their old iPods without too many issues.

A compatibility issue does not necessarily mean it won’t fully work either as some iPods only need an extra cable to hook up to JVC car stereos. It’s mostly the newer iPod touches and IPads that need these extra cables as car stereos are still adapting to the newer technology released from Apple. As well, some JVC stereos can only complete particular functions, such as playback or charging your iPod, so always look out for stereos that are completely compatible or have the choice of adding a cable, if you want to use as you would normally in your own home.

It’s far easier to find a compatible JVC car stereo if you have a modern iPod. From around the first generation of Nano iPod, you can easily find a compatible stereo from JVC. If you are worried about compatibility issues, visit the manufacturer’s website and have a look at their advice and guidance on iPod compatibility issues. Alternatively, seek advice from a knowledgeable car audio expert.

By: Marie Coles

About the Author:

In Auckland, New Zealand, the interest in cars and car stereo equipment has grown continuously for the past 35 years. The nation is rightly obsessed with high performance cars, customisation and of course with having the best car stereo equipment. One of the nations favourite television shows is a British import, Top Gear. Top Gear is aired on Prime TV and is watched religiously by New Zealand’s petrol heads, as it always highlights the latest high performance vehicles.

In Dargaville, New Zealand the popular Kaihohe Speedway (started in 1974) holds an annual Easter stampede, where competitors from all over New Zealand come to race around the 300 meter grass track. The usual turn out for the weekends racing numbers 4,500 spectators and approximately 200 drivers (huge numbers for New Zealand!). The races origins happened when the Kaikohe Boys went all around the North Island racing their cars, this subsequently led lots of race enthusiasts from around Northland to want to come and race back in Kaihohe.

Due to the popularity in car racing around New Zealand there are lots of opportunities to undertake adrenaline experiences behind the wheel. Obviously New Zealand is known for its highly charged and dangerous sports such as bungee jumping, rap jumping and white water rafting (to name but a few), however, New Zealand is also known for its high adrenaline activities behind the wheel of a car. Some of the activities that can be enjoyed while in New Zealand are Go-Kart racing, 4WD bush safaris, stunt car driving, Holdon V8 hotlaps, driving Ford & Honda V8 race cars, BMW experiences and the infamous Formula challenge.

So, if anyone is thinking of visiting New Zealand and partaking in some great fun, high speed activities, don’t forget it is not all about bungee jumping and white water rafting, you can have a superb time out speeding around one of the many raceways.

By: Ian Wave

About the Author: