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Picking the Best Motorcycle Speaker Upgrades

Best Motorcycle Speaker

When it comes to getting great sound on your Gold Wing, Harley-Davidson or BMW, the key is to pick the best motorcycle speakers you can afford. The speakers in any audio system are the only link between what you hear and the electronics that play your music. Even the best radio and amplifier in the world would sound mediocre with low-quality speakers. So let’s look at a few criteria for choosing motorcycle speaker upgrades.

Consider Power Handling

Speakers for motorcycle and powersports applications are likely to be played at high volume levels. This is because the audio system needs to overpower wind and exhaust noise while remaining clear. In the case of motorcycle speakers, power handling breaks down into two considerations: thermal capacity and excursion-limited capabilities.

The thermal capacity of a motorcycle speaker depends primarily on the diameter and length of the voice coil, along with any technologies included in the design to allow hot air to circulate. A speaker rated for a lot of power typically has a larger coil and winding. If someone proposes that a speaker with a 0.75-inch voice coil can handle 200 watts of power continuously, you should question the validity of the specification. A speaker with a 1.5-inch voice coil is usually good for about 100 to 120 watts of power.

A more important consideration for motorcycle applications is how far the woofer cone on the speakers can move. A specification called Xmax describes the height of the voice coil winding relative to the size of the magnetic gap. This value is a theoretical limit of the speaker’s linear operation. However, this value doesn’t consider suspension component limitations or non-linearities. When you try to play music with a lot of bass at high volume levels, the woofer can exceed its rated excursion limit and add large amounts of distortion to the audio it produces.

Many motorcycle speaker upgrades feature PA-style speakers that offer excellent efficiency. The problem with these speakers is that their excursion capability is often very limited. A conventional high-quality motorcycle speaker might have a woofer that can move 5 millimeters in each direction. A similarly sized PA speaker might only have 2 millimeters of excursion. If you try to play music with lots of bass and midbass information at high volume levels, the PA speaker will sound terrible. The technician designing, installing and configuring the sound system on your bike needs to apply a high-pass filter at 200 to 300 hertz to a high-efficiency speaker, then add a dedicated woofer or subwoofer to handle midbass frequencies.

Best Motorcycle Speaker
The XS 165 NEO speakers from Hertz are a high-efficiency design optimized for motorcycle and powersports applications.

Sound Quality and Frequency Response

Another consideration that ties directly into the previous discussion is sound quality. Who would want to pick a speaker that doesn’t offer a smooth and natural frequency response? I’ve been to shows and heard motorcycle audio systems from far away. In these scenarios, picking out bikes with high-quality speakers is easy. Quite simply, they sound good. The voices and instruments sound real, and there isn’t any emphasis or missing information.

When shopping for motorcycle speakers, take along your favorite song on a USB stick and listen to the speakers that the product specialist suggests. Have them crank the volume, then stand back from the display as far as you can. This will let you understand how the speaker behaves when pushed hard. If the midrange sounds unnatural, garbled or distorted, they are likely not the best choice for your bike. A truly well-engineered speaker won’t change clarity or balance as you increase the volume – it should just get louder.

Best Motorcycle Speaker
The CX6 speakers from ARC Audio are a coaxially mounted component set designed to offer excellent performance and clarity on motorcycles.

Motorcycle Speakers Must Handle Environmental Conditions

The last consideration for motorcycle speakers is that they will be exposed to myriad environmental conditions. When you’re out on your bike, your speakers are exposed directly to the UV rays from the sun. This exposure can cause plastics and rubber to break down quickly. Look at an old plastic lawn chair or the black trim on an older vehicle. They will be dry and often have a chalky appearance. Old car tires often show cracking, which signifies that the rubber has started to break down.

Best Motorcycle Speaker
Tires that show cracking are ready to be replaced as the rubber is no longer supple and pliable.

The speakers you choose for your motorcycle should be constructed with materials designed to resist UV damage. They shouldn’t fade or change colors. Look for speakers that include specific mention of UV-resistant designs. Ideally, the drivers should pass a UV exposure test to confirm that all materials will last.

The second environmental criterion for motorcycle speakers is weatherproofing. The last thing you want is for a speaker to be damaged if you get caught in the rain or splashed while out for a ride. A paper cone would be one of the worst choices for a motorcycle speaker unless it has a tough coating.

You’ll want to look at the speaker’s physical design to ensure that there’s no way for water to get into the motor assembly if it’s a coaxial driver. Coaxial speakers will need to have a flexible secondary joint around the tweeter post, ensuring that it remains watertight. Many companies are selling conventional car audio speakers as motorcycle-specific applications. Taking a few minutes to inspect the driver before making a purchase can save you a lot of headaches down the road.

Best Motorcycle Speaker
Rockford Fosgate tests its TMS65 speakers for UV exposure to confirm that the design can handle anything Mother Nature dishes out.

Quality Speaker Installation Helps Ensure Reliability

Though we will touch on this topic briefly, how the speakers you choose are integrated into your motorcycle’s audio system plays a significant role in their performance and longevity. Unlike a car, motorcycles experience more vibration, which can cause connections to come loose over time. All wiring should be secured so it can’t vibrate relative to an amplifier, speaker or radio. Connections should be a type that won’t harden and crack when exposed to prolonged vibration.

Your new speakers should be mounted securely using corrosion-resistant fasteners. Ideally, the speakers should use existing mounting locations. Please make sure the speakers you choose specify that they have a mounting-hole pattern explicitly designed for upgrading your specific motorcycle.

Picking the Best Motorcycle Speaker Upgrades

The above tips are a good starting point for picking the best-performing, most reliable speaker upgrades for your motorcycle. Another tip is to listen to systems installed on other bikes. Try to listen to the same music on each one and pick out which sounds the clearest and most accurate. When you’re ready, visit a local specialty mobile enhancement retailer that focuses on motorcycle upgrades and start your listening evaluations.

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.

Filed Under: ARTICLES, Motorcycle Audio, RESOURCE LIBRARY

Product Spotlight: Compustar Pro 2WG18 LTE

Compustar Pro 2WG18 LTE

At their heart, most remote car starters are the same. When you press a button on a wireless remote, a remote start controller integrated into the vehicle will start the engine. In reality, the features of the remote and the controller play a significant role in determining the usability and features of the starter system. We will look at the Compustar Pro 2WG18 LTE remote key in this Product Spotlight. Let’s check it out!

What is the Compustar Pro 2WG18 LTE Remote Car Starter?

Compustar offers its dealers several different remote kits and controller modules so that they can piece together a remote car starter solution that offers the features you want at a number of price points. The 2WG18 kit is an affordable two-way remote kit, making it a popular solution.

Two remotes offer bidirectional communication with the remote start controller. Unlike one-way remotes, a two-way unit will notify you when the doors lock or unlock or when the remote start process has begun. The 2WG18 remotes have three LEDs across the top. They also have a built-in beeper to provide audible confirmation that the command has been executed.

Compustar Pro 2WG18 LTE
The compact Pro 2WG18 remotes LEDs and integrated beeper let you know that commands from the remote have been executed.

The 2WG18 remotes have three buttons, one for lock, one for unlock and one for remote start. If you have a vehicle with a power trunk or tailgate release, the 2WG18 remotes will control up to two auxiliary outputs. Pressing the start button and the lock button twice activates auxiliary output one. Tapping the start button and then the unlock button twice will activate auxiliary output two. If you have a minivan with a power sliding door, this second output can be used to open it remotely.

Other features accessible by holding multiple buttons simultaneously include Turbo Timer activation, horn or siren chirp confirmation toggling, ignition-controlled door locks and more.

Under ideal conditions, the remotes offer up to 3000 feet of range. This means you can remote start the vehicle from the check-out at the local grocery store, from the table at your favorite restaurant, or anywhere inside your house.

Compustar Pro Remote Features and Components

The Pro 2WG17 LTE kit comes with a pair of remotes. There’s the main two-way three-button remote, and a secondary one-way companion remote. They look the same, but the second remote doesn’t have the two-way communication.

The kit also includes the antenna to connect to the controller and an FT-TEMP temperature sensor. This sensor lets the controller know the temperature inside the vehicle. Your installer can program the remote starter to activate optional outputs for the rear window defroster, heated seats or heated steering wheel if it’s below freezing when you start the vehicle.

All Compustar remotes are weather-resistant. Should you drop your keys in a puddle or a slushy snowbank, they will be OK. Further, because this is a Pro-Series solution, the remotes are backed by a three-year warranty against manufacturing defects.

Compustar Pro 2WG18 LTE
The companion remote included in the Pro 2WG18 kit has the same features, but doesn’t include two-way communication.

DroneMobile Smartphone Control Solution

The kit also includes a DroneMobile X2-LTE smartphone control interface module. This computerized communication device allows you to send commands from the DroneMobile app on your smartphone to the vehicle over the cellular data network. The vehicle will confirm the command has been executed on the app, just like a two-way radio-frequency remote.

The DroneMobile system has additional features like GPS-based locating and tracking that are unlocked with more premium service plans. If your kids borrow your vehicle and you want to know where they are, a quick tap on your smartphone screen shows their location and speed if they are moving. You can configure location-based alerts as well. This is an excellent feature for commercial tracking applications. Geofences are an ideal solution if you want to know when a specific vehicle leaves the office. Your authorized DroneMobile retailer can explain all the options and the cost of the service plans.

Compustar Pro 2WG18 LTE
The Pro 2WG18 kit includes a DroneMoble X2-LTE smartphone interface to provide effectively infinite range and convenience.

The Industry’s Best Remote Car Starter Solutions

If you want an affordable two-way remote starter for the family SUV, a Compustar system with the Pro 2WG18 remotes is a perfect solution. Drop into a local Compustar retailer today to find out what options will make your vehicle more comfortable on a cold winter or hot summer day.

Compustar remote starters are designed to work with most vehicles equipped with a key or push-to-start ignition system. Likewise, they offer industry-leading safety interfaces for vehicles equipped with a manual transmission. Finally, they work with most gasoline, diesel and even hybrid vehicles.

You can find a retailer near you by visiting the Compustar website and using their dealer locator tool.

Follow Compustar on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube to stay up to date with all their new product releases and educational videos.

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.

Filed Under: ARTICLES, Driver Safety, PRODUCTS, RESOURCE LIBRARY Tagged With: Compustar

Will a Car Audio Speaker Upgrade Make My Stereo Louder?

Speaker Upgrade

Speakers are, by a long way, the most influential component in any audio system when defining performance or quality. Low-quality speakers, or those without specific technologies, can’t match the clarity levels of premium solutions. In addition, many music enthusiasts want their car audio systems to play louder than what’s possible with factory-installed equipment. After all, jamming to your favorite music while going to work or school is a great way to start the day! Is upgrading the speakers the right solution? Let’s look at the physics of loudspeaker efficiency and output capability.

Car Audio Speaker Efficiency

One of the many reasons people ask to upgrade the speakers in their cars and trucks is a desire for the system to play louder. Unfortunately, most high-performance speakers aren’t as efficient as those that the manufacturer provided.

When shopping for speakers, you’ll need to look at the efficiency specification. This number describes the amount of sound a speaker will produce for a given signal from an amplifier. The standard specification describes the speaker’s output in dB SPL at 1 meter from the speaker when powered with 1 watt from an amplifier.

A second standard exists where 2.83 volts are applied to the speaker, and the output is measured at 1 meter. There is nothing wrong with the 2.83-volt rating, except that you have to consider the speaker’s impedance when comparing drivers. For example, a drive level of 2.83 volts equals 1 watt of power when driving an 8-ohm speaker, 2 watts when driving a 4-ohm speaker and 4 watts with a 2-ohm speaker.

The output of a speaker increases or decreases by 3 dB every time the power is doubled or halved. Therefore, be sure you’re comparing like numbers when comparing speaker efficiencies. If no drive level specification is provided, it’s safe to assume the manufacturer will choose the 2.83-volt measurement to produce the highest numbers.

Speaker Upgrade
Audison designed its Prima Series speakers to offer a good efficiency upgrade over the standard solutions that come from the factory.

Are New Car Audio Speakers Going To Be Louder?

A while back, we measured the output of a 6.5-inch speaker from a Honda Civic as part of our series on understanding speaker quality. Our measurements showed that this speaker had an efficiency of 89.04 dB SPL when driven with 1 watt of power and measured at a distance of 1 meter. So how does this number compare to common replacement speakers? First, let’s look at a few examples from Rockford Fosgate. I’ve chosen this brand as it has a variety of offerings and many price points and performance levels.

Starting with its most affordable option, the Prime Series R165X3 has a rated efficiency of 91 dB SPL at 1W/1M. You’d be able to hear this 2-dB increase in output. What if you want a better speaker? It seems logical to move up to one of the Punch Series drivers. The P1650 is a very popular replacement speaker, but it has an efficiency of 88 dB SPL at 1W/1M. Does this mean the speaker isn’t as good? No, it’s simply not as efficient. If you want an even better speaker, then the Power Series T1650 is the next step in the series. This driver also has an efficiency of 88 dB SPL at 1W/1M. So why are the better speakers not louder?

When a transducer engineer is designing speakers, they must balance many characteristics. How efficient will the driver be? How low should it play? How much power can it handle? How much excursion is required? Unfortunately, some of these characteristics oppose each other. A driver of a given size that is intended to play lower frequencies will need a lower resonant frequency. This lower Fs value is usually achieved by increasing the cone’s mass and softening the suspension. The increased mass of the cone assembly decreases the driver’s efficiency. An extreme example of this would be a 6.5-inch subwoofer. A typical 6.5-inch car audio subwoofer has an efficiency of around 80 to 81 dB at 1W/1M.

Speaker Upgrade
Output at 1 watt of power of a 6.5-inch subwoofer (yellow) and a midrange (red).

As you can see, the 6.5-inch midrange driver is much louder at higher frequencies. So, why not use it as a subwoofer? Well, it doesn’t have the power handling or excursion capabilities required to reproduce low-frequency audio and high volume levels. A typical full-range 6.5-inch driver might handle about 50 or 60 watts of power and have a maximum linear cone excursion of roughly 3 millimeters in each direction. An equivalently sized subwoofer might handle 150 watts of power and have 9 to 10 millimeters of excursion capability. Since we know that speakers need to move a lot more air to produce bass, it’s clear that the subwoofer would be louder at lower frequencies.

Speaker Upgrade
If you want your music to be crystal clear and deliver rock concert volume levels, a premium component set like the Rockford Fosgate T4652-S is a perfect choice.

What About PA Speakers?

We have pro audio or PA speakers at the other end of the speaker spectrum. These drivers are designed for applications where the most output possible is required from minimal amounts of power. For example, let’s say you were responsible for setting up the sound system for a Metallica concert in an open-roof stadium. Many of these installations have about a megawatt of power driving the speakers and subwoofers. Assuming 220-volt, 30-amp circuits feed the amplifiers, the sound system would need more than 180 circuits. However, if you could find 3 dB more efficient speakers, you could get the same output for the audience from 90 circuits and half the amplifier power.

PA speakers use designs that trade low-frequency output for increased midrange output. For example, a 6.5-inch PA-style speaker might have an efficiency of 92 or 93 dB at 1W/1M. This would be achieved by lowering the mass of the cone assembly as much as possible. The trade-off would be output at lower frequencies. Unfortunately, many high-efficiency 6.5-inch speakers have an Xmax specification of only 1.5 to 2 millimeters. As a result, they sound horrific when used incorrectly and driven with midbass information in the 80-to-150-hertz range at high levels.

Unlike a car audio system, there’s no need to drive concert midrange drivers down to 80 Hz to help with the perception of bass frequencies sounding as if they’re coming from the front of the vehicle. Instead, the crossover point can be at 150 or 200 hertz, and the system will sound the same to the audience. If you look at the frequency response specification of a concert subwoofer, you’ll find that most are designed to play up to 200 hertz. You may also note that these subwoofers also call for a high-pass filter, or what car audio enthusiasts would call an infrasonic filter at 35 hertz.

Speaker Upgrade
The predicted output of a PA-style speaker (green) compared with a 6.5 midrange (red) and subwoofer (yellow).

As you can see from the graph above, the green trace shows that the speaker is much more efficient in the upper midrange, but at the expense of low-frequency output.

Which Speakers Are Right for My Car Audio System?

In general terms, you have two options for replacement speakers for your car stereo: You can choose from a number of relatively high-efficiency solutions like the X2 speakers from ARC Audio, Prime Speakers from Rockford Fosgate, Prima speakers from Audison or Uno speakers from Hertz. These are great choices if you use a radio with up to about 22 watts of power to drive them.

If you plan on adding an amplifier to your car audio system, your speaker choice might change to something like the ARC Audio ARC Series, the Rockford Fosgate Punch, Sony Mobile ES or Hertz Cento. These speakers can handle more power and have more excursion capability to play louder. With that said, they need more power to reach those output levels. A secondary reward for choosing better speakers is that they are typically clearer and more detailed.

When it’s time to upgrade your car stereo, visit a local specialty mobile enhancement retailer so you can audition the speakers they have on display. Talk to the product specialist about your long-term plans for your audio system, along with your immediate performance improvement goals. They can use this information to select speakers that will meet your expectations.

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.

Filed Under: ARTICLES, Car Audio, RESOURCE LIBRARY

Product Spotlight: Hertz Capri H100

Though there are dozens, if not hundreds, of marine source unit options on the market, very few are designed with audio performance as their primary consideration. To this end, the Hertz Capri H100 features support for modern high-resolution audio file playback and premium Bluetooth streaming connectivity. Combined with a large color display, this is the marine source to consider for those who care about sound quality. Let’s check it out!

Hertz Capri H100 Design and Features

The H100’s focal point is its large 4.3-inch color TFT IPS display. The In-Plane Switching (IPS) technology dramatically improves off-axis viewing clarity to ensure the displayed information is visible even when the radio is mounted at an angle. Aside from the usual audio source information display, the Capri has a camera input that could help with docking a larger boat.

A rotary volume encoder is located on the left side of the front panel, making control easy and intuitive. Rubberized buttons above and below the control handle source selection, track selection and menu access.

The H100 radio has a slender rear chassis and an oversized face. The face measures roughly seven inches wide and four inches tall. The cutout for the chassis needs to be six by 2.5 inches. The chassis will protrude about 5 inches behind the mounting surface. The front panel has an IP67 rating, so it can handle getting splashed without fear of water damage.

Hertz Capri H100
The H100 display features a high-quality color display and intuitive controls.

Source Options

The Capri H100 features an AM/FM receiver with tuner frequency spacing support for countries worldwide. RDS and RDBS information display is also supported, so you can see what track is playing, assuming the station broadcasts that information. The radio will also receive Weather Band information so you can stay up to date with the marine forecast in your area.

If you want the best sound quality from your entertainment system, you must start with the best source. Connecting a USB memory stick with FLAC, WAV or Vorbis files will deliver high-resolution audio playback. You can also play MP3, WMA or AAC files. The radio supports USB memory sticks up to 256 GB in size with as many as 9999 files on the stick.

The Capri H100 isn’t shy about inputs. First, there’s an RCA input that you can use with a media or DVD player. A TOSLINK S/PDIF input also supports 24-bit, 192 kHz audio streams.

Moving down the sound quality food chain takes us to Bluetooth. The Capri is state-of-the-art, supporting LDAC and aptX HD high-resolution formats. If your Android phone supports these transmission types, your music will sound better than the classic AAC protocol. You may have to dig into your phone’s menu to turn these all on. Those of us with an iPhone are stuck with AAC.

The H100 can be upgraded with a SiriusXM SXV300 tuner module and antenna if you want to enjoy genre-specific entertainment. This is a must-have in rural regions without terrestrial radio stations or cell service.

System Connectivity and Expansion

Let’s start by looking at the audio outputs. The built-in four-channel amplifier is rated to produce up to 70 watts of power when driving four two-ohm loads. Continuous ANSI/CTA-2006 compliant output is 26 watts per channel into four four-ohm loads.

The Capri H100 is a multi-zone radio with four sets of stereo and subwoofer RCA outputs rated for four volts RMS. Each stereo output has an optional high-pass filter that can be set to 60, 80 or 100 hertz. The subwoofer outputs have the same low-pass frequencies. There’s also an eight-band graphic equalizer for each of the four zone outputs. Your installer could configure a system for the helm, the main seating area, a front berth and the cabin.

The deck is part of Hertz and Audison’s Full DA HD ecosystem. As such, it features a coaxial S/PDIF output with support for 24-bit, 192 kHz digital audio. If you want to feed a digital signal processor with a clean signal, this connection has you covered.

Hertz Capri H100
The Capri H100 offers four zones of control to ensure everyone on your boat is entertained.

Remote Control Options

The Hertz Capri H100 can be upgraded with your choice of wired remotes to make controlling the radio from around a large boat easier. The optional Capri HD1 mimics the functionality of the main Capri H100 radio and includes the same controls and color display. If you want something more streamlined, the compact HMC U1 remote has source, volume and track selection buttons in a small chassis. The latter would be ideal for a swim platform where its compact size is a big feature.

An NMEA 2000 port on the back of the radio chassis allows you to connect the H100 to a multi-function display.

What you might not have seen coming is the Hertz Marine Control app for your Apple or Android smartphone. You have complete control over all four zones’ source options and volume levels when connected. Your installer can use the app to set crossover points and fine-tune the equalizers as mentioned earlier.

Hertz Capri H100
The Capri H100 includes a NMEA 2000 that lets you connect to a multi-function display at the helm.

The Heart of a Premium Marine Audio System

Whether you have a bowrider, wakeboard boat, or want a multi-zone audio system for your cruiser or yacht, the Hertz Capri H100 marine radio is the perfect solution. Combine it with high-quality speakers, amplifiers and subwoofers, and you have entertainment options that are perfect for an evening of dinner and drinks with friends or blasting around the lake with someone on the tow rope.

Visit the Hertz website and use their dealer locator tool to find an authorized retailer near you. While online, be sure to follow Hertz on Facebook, Instagram and, of course, YouTube.

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.

Filed Under: ARTICLES, Marine Audio, PRODUCTS, RESOURCE LIBRARY Tagged With: Hertz

What to Look for in a Motorcycle Amplifier Upgrade

Motorcycle Amplifier

It should come as no surprise that it takes a moderate amount of amplifier power to reproduce music on a motorcycle that’s audible when on the freeway. So aside from great speakers, you need a high-quality amplifier to ensure that you can hear your music. Here are a few considerations when choosing the ideal motorcycle amplifier upgrade.

Amplifier Efficiency is Crucial

One topic often overlooked when choosing an amplifier for a motorcycle is efficiency. In terms of electrical or electronic systems, efficiency describes the ratio of how much power something consumes to how much it delivers. Electric motors, lights and, most importantly for this conversation, amplifiers all have efficiency specifications.

Amplifier efficiency is essential in motorcycle applications because the electrical system is often quite limited compared with that found in a car or a truck. The stock charging system on many motorcycles is limited to around 32 to 38 amps of current. Harley-Davidson offers upgraded alternator solutions that produce between 45 and 60 amps of current. Remember that the ignition system, lights, radio and bike control module are already consuming current. As a gross generalization, amplifiers consume about 10 amps of current for every 100 watts of power they produce. This doesn’t leave much capacity for a high-power audio system. As such, choosing amplifiers that make the most out of the power they consume is crucial.

When looking at amplifier specifications, the numbers are usually presented in one of two ways: efficiency at maximum power or 1/3 or 1/4 power. A good amplifier should have a total efficiency that’s at least 75% to 80% at full power. The best amplifiers on the market are up to around 90% efficient at full power. Sadly, lots of amps are down around 50% to 60%. These inferior products might be rated well, but being power-hungry means they can’t deliver on their claims.

Motorcycle Amplifier
The ARC Audio Moto 720 is one of the most efficient amplifiers in the mobile electronics industry at over 90% at full power.

Environmental Protection

A second consideration in choosing an amplifier upgrade for your motorcycle is to look for one designed specifically to resist harsh environmental conditions. For example, vibrations from a lumpy V-twin engine can wreak havoc with electronics that aren’t explicitly designed to handle constant physical oscillations. Likewise, if you use your motorcycle for long rides, the probability of running into rain is high. Therefore, you want to choose an amplifier designed to handle the harshest elements without fear of component damage or corrosion.

Motorcycle Amplifier
Rockford Fosgate’s M5-Series Element Ready amplifiers are IPX6 rated, making them watertight.

Adequate Cooling Capacity

When shopping for a reliable motorcycle amplifier, you want to look for a solution with a large enough heatsink that the amplifier can properly manage whatever heat it produces. Physically larger amplifiers have more heat sink mass, making it easier to extract thermal energy from the power supply and output switching MOSFETs in the amp. As a result, an amplifier that runs cooler will last longer than one built to be as small as possible, with minimal consideration for heat management.

Motorcycle Amplifier
The Hertz HMP 4D features an extruded aluminum heatsink with integrated cooling fins to help dissipate heat for reliable operation.

Upgrade Your Motorcycle with an Amplifier Today!

If you want to listen to your music at elevated volume levels, you’ll need a well-designed, reliable amplifier for your motorcycle. Keep the above considerations in mind when you visit a local specialty mobile enhancement retailer to find the best amp for your ride.

Lead-In Image: Thanks to Extreme Audio and Motorrad Audio near Richmond, Virginia, for the photograph of this ARC Audio Moto 720 amplifier that they installed on a 2020 BMW K1600B motorcycle.

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.

Filed Under: ARTICLES, Motorcycle Audio, RESOURCE LIBRARY

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