Are Car Audio Enthusiasts a Dying Breed?
November 8, 2007 – 9:30 am by j0nedCasey recently mentioned a lot of manufacturers are struggling to move product, but why? EBay is flooded with under priced equipment or the US economy isn’t in the best shape. There are a number of speculative reasons to support the sudden lack of interest in over powered and excessively loud audio equipment, but here are my thoughts. Car Audio is moving in a new direction focused on centralizing more than just the sound capabilities of a vehicle.
Mini-box.com manufactures a high performance x86 computer designed for vehicles and customers interested in telematic system integration. This specially designed device eliminates in-car power issues, provides navigational capabilities, video and sound output, and just about anything else you could imagine. The Mini-ITX case has its own 12V power supply that’s fully capable of providing enough power to run any operating system designed for the x86 architecture (Windows, Linux, etc).
Car audio enthusiasts aren’t dying, they’re going high-tech. Eventually, I expect to see a single touch screen that controls ever aspect of the car that, in addition, provides digital read outs/schematics in real time. Seamless control over everything from crossover ranges, cabin temperature, sub woofer volume, navigation, ignition (password entry required on the touchscreen, and that’s after you put a key in), and anything else imaginable.
Instead of purchasing several different audio components with the intention of producing the loudest vehicle on the planet, streamline everything into a centralized area that will provide loud, high quality digital sound, ease installation, and make the entire system portable from vehicle to vehicle.
Why this hasn’t already become mainstream is beyond me. I’m no expert so please share any comments, disagreements, questions in this post’s comment section.
For sure stereo speakers are the hot cakes for all cars audio enthusiastic who still love to build there own car audio system. The sound is enhanced and amplified with different combination of subwoofers audio based on power and structure of system. And for stereo speaker technology audiobahn is known brand for car audio enthusiastic.
One Response to “Are Car Audio Enthusiasts a Dying Breed?”
The market of audio manufacturers is a crowded one. The amount of them who do well and have stuck around is a small number. Ebay and e-commerce has capitalized on the mom-and-pop, brick-and-mortar stores and have really shaken up the car audio economy for sure.
I agree the market has diverted away from individual components. Manufacturers are on the focus of OEM integration and component centralization. For some in depth examples, Kicker, in addition to its available OEM options in Chrysler vehicles has just expanded it’s headquarters to make room for their recent purchase of SoundGate (an OEM integration company). RockfordFosgate has OEM contracts with Mitisubishi and Nissan and they also make the 3Sixty. 3Sixty is a brilliant piece of equipment, it allows OEM equipment to be heavily processed, and also provides you with an auxiliary input port without the hassle of adding numerous components to a achieve greater sounding vehicle.
By kickinaudio on Nov 8, 2007