In the world of car audio we are not spoilt for choice that’s for sure. Ask almost anyone to name a list of manufacturers and they will have almost no trouble doing so. Most of these large companies spend millions of dollars in developing, manufacturing, and marketing their products and with great success I might add too. Even with this choice though, it is sometimes difficult to find something a little different. It’s even more difficult to find a company where the people who run the show love music and their job is seen as simply a bonus. (more…)

Moving from my previous vehicle, a Subaru Legacy, to my current one, the very practical Mitsubishi Chariot, presented me with an opportunity to explore new car audio equipment possibilities. This was due to it being inappropriate for a number of reasons to transfer the Boston Pro 6.5 components used in my old Liberty to the new Nimbus. So the opportunity arose to find a suitable set of speakers to fill the shoes of the newer cars’ factory 4” speakers located on top of the dashboard. (more…)

Pioneer is probably, along with Alpine and Rockford Fosgate, one of the most instantly recognizable brands in Car Audio. Known for putting out good quality products at prices that wont break the bank, Pioneer have largely focused on the consumer market, and stayed away from high end or competition level gear. However, that all changed with the introduction of their TSW-5000SPL subwoofers, a 2000wrms beast that broke all of Pioneer’s previous trends and entered them into the higher end subwoofer market. As their first entry into the heavily populated world of competition woofers, the 5000SPL does reasonably well, with a smattering of records here and there. But the $2500 price tag is more than most consumers can justify, so Pioneer released a baby brother to the 5000SPL, the TSW121SPL. (more…)

The JL Audio w3 line of subs has been popular in the US and all around since their 1998 release. They are well known for their linear excursion/high output capabilities as well as sound quality and durability. The new w3v2 line is an improved version with a rated 50 watts more power handling, a new rubber mounting surround and a dust cap that doesn’t fall off (apparently a lot of the old ones lost their dust caps). (more…)