Mobile Electronics Magazine February 2017

NEW PRODUCTS FROM

February 2017

me-mag.com

FUELING the

FIRE

The “All Out” approach is S.O.P. at Sound Wave Customs CES = DSP!

New sound solutions define a clear role for the aftermarket – p. 22

FORGOT HOW TO LEARN?

3 Tips to Get You Back to ‘Input’ Mode – p. 6

MITEK 2.0:

Evolved direction prioritizes dealer margin – p. 42

optimize your senses

RVC910

RVC1100

RVC1500

RVC180B

Wide Viewing, 120º view, 0.3 Lux

OEM look, Stick On mount super wide, 160º view

Mini Surface Mount Camera Incredible Low Light !

Split Screen 180º Rear/Front Camera

BACKUP CAMERA TECHNOLOGY ! IR LICENSE PLATE CAMERA WITH “DRS” ACTIVE PARKING ASSIST LINES

NEW !

No OBD Connection Required !

RVCLPM (Chrome) RVCLPMB (Black Chrome)

RVC800LPWIRB (Black) RVC800LPWIR (Chrome)

License Plate Camera 120º view

IR License Plate Camera 120º view

“DRS” active parking assist lines !

“DRS” active parking assist lines show car turning trajectory

TLP100IRBL

High sensitivity 1/3″ DSP color CCD Lux 0.3 @ F2.0 140° viewing angle

UNIVERSAL HEADS UP DISPLAY NEVER TAKE YOUR EYES OFF THE ROAD

ON STAR ! OE STYLE REARVIEW MIRROR WITH BUILT IN 4.3” LCD (MANUAL DIMMING)

• 4.3” LCD Rear View Mirror with OnStar !

• Manual Dimming • Includes Cable Adaptor • Adjustable Parking Lines

NEW !

Adjustable Parking Lines

RVMMMDOS

OE STYLE REARVIEW MIRROR with Built In 4.3” LCD (Auto or Manual Dimming)

NEW !

Auto Dimming !

Rear View Mirror Monitor

RVM430NG

RVM430MMD RVM430MAD

Adjustable Parking Lines

5” Display with bluetooth to android smartphone function HUD500BT

OEM GRADE MICROWAVE BLINDSPOT SENSOR SYSTEM

3” Display

HUD300

USB POWERED PODS AND EXTENTIONS

• Installs behind bumper so no holes • OEM Quality • Clean Look • Waterproof IP67 • Easy to Install Not Ultrasonic

Microwave Radar will work in rain, snow and even through mud !

Dual USB Power Output

Dual USB Power POD with Mount

12 VDC Input

Round flush mount

Dual 2.1A / 2.1A Output

USBD12V

1 amp & 2.1 amp USB output

USBR12V

Indicator LED Lights

BSS300R

Volt Meter

DVM100/DVM200

HDMI / USB Extension

USBRHDMI

u o y e Ar

. . . y d Rea

10.2” OR 17” WIDESCREEN FLIPDOWN WITH WIFI STEAMING

10.2” MOTORIZED FLIPDOWN MONITOR WITH WIFI • Built in Wireless Wifi HD receiver • USB Input • AV + HDMI inputs • Wireless FM transmitter • Led Dome lights • IR Remote control • Wireless IR headphone transmitter • Motorized Auto (Up / Down)

( ( ( ((

Wirelessly Stream !

1080 HD Content from your smartphone

NEW ! (

• Built in Wireless Wifi HD receiver • Built in SD card player • Audio Video inputs • Wireless IR headphone transmitter • Wireless FM transmitter • Led Dome lights • IR Remote control

10.2”

1080 HD Content from your smartphone

(

AXFD102MHDWF

17900 Crusader Ave, Cerritos, CA 90703 USA (800) 788-1212 (562) 809-5090

NEW !

9”

Your HDMI Cable Here

((

(((

DVD9850

(

IR Transmitter

AH-IRXHDMI

IR Receiver

(

Interchangeable color skins (Gray & Tan)

IR REPEATER OVER HDMI CABLE

(( (

NEW !

10.2”

17”

AXFD102HDWF

CAR ENTERTAINMENT SYSTEM WITH BUILT-IN DVD PLAYER / GAME CONTROLLER • High Resolution Digital Panel • Works in all type of Cars • Multimedia DVD Player • Supports 3-In-1 SD Card Slot, USB, DVD • HDMI Input • Game Controller and remote • Slim Design • Touch Button Controls • Dual IR Wireless Headphone Transmitter Built-in

( ( ( ((

Wirelessly Stream !

Volume 34// Issue 2

Ad Index

14 FEATURES 14 // What’s Happening: CES 2017

AAMP Global: PAC ............................................ p. 21 ® Accele Electronics...................................... p. 2 & 3 Elettromedia: audison ................................... p. 33 Firstech: Momento ......................................... p. 59 Harman: Infinity ................................................ p. 25 HD Radio ............................................................... p. 27 InstallerNet ......................................................... p. 47 Kenwood ................................................................. p. 7 KnowledgeFest ................................................ p. 43 Kicker ........................................................................ p. 9 Mobile Electronics ........................................... p. 57 Orca: Focal ............................................................ p. 13 Scosche .................................................................. p. 11 SiriusXM ................................................................ p. 12 Wet Sounds ........................................................ p. 37 Wirez ....................................................................... p. 41 Sony .......................................................................... p. 5 Voxx: Code Alarm ........................................... p. 60

Now in its 50th year, the Consumer Electronics Show has cemented its place in the world by offering companies a chance to showcase the latest innovations. Check out the latest from Las Vegas and what technology the aftermarket will use to stand up to the OEMs.

34 // Real World Retail: Sound Wave Customs

By harnessing the power of youth, Ethan Blau has fired up his staff after only three years of business to win multiple awards and the trust of countless customers.

42 // Behind the Scenes: MTX Audio

After the retirement of its CEO, this sound powerhouse decided it was time for some changes. Find out how they plan to change the face of 12-volt in 2017.

48 // Tech Today: The Showcase Build, Part 2

Installation expert Joey Knapp continues with his Porsche Cayenne SEMA build by explaining how to craft a front trim panel, among other tips.

42 ARTICLES 18 Retail News/Who’s Who 54 Installs

On the Cover

It’s been said by some in the 12-volt industry that CES has been losing its foothold in the aftermarket thanks largely to its inclusion of more and more automakers on the show floor. The aftermarket, in response, has found more reason to showcase off-site and at other events throughout the year like SEMA and KnowledgeFest. However, after this year’s revelations for 12-volt, including DSP, safety and hi-res audio, the mass exodus of the aftermarket could get halted if the CES show organizers play their cards right in the future.

COVER DESIGN: ROBIN LEBEL

4 Mobile Electronics  February 2017

DEPARTMENTS 6 Editor’s Forum 8 Feedback 10 Stats 12 Helpful Stuff 22 New Products: New From CES 58 From The President

facebook.com/MobileElectronics

We would like to welcome our 3 new distributor partners!

Thank you for joining our distribution family.

Sony supports and recommends Mobile Electronics Certified Professional (MECP) certification, contact your Sony representative for more information.

Sony is a proud member and supporter of the Consumer Technology Association (CTA), and participates to support the entire Mobile Electronics industry.

Sony 12V prides itself on well controlled authorized distribution and online marketplace compliance. Š 2017 Sony Electronics, Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is prohibited. All other trademarks are trademarks of their respective owners.

editor’s FORUM You’re Good … But You Could Be Better If you think you’ve got it all figured out, maybe it’s time for a new ‘it.’

Damn birds.

How can a flock fly in one direction and the leader of the flock face in an entirely different direction? Either he’s the most acrobatic flyer on earth, or just a bad leader. In any case, he had me flummoxed as I jabbed keys on my iPad keyboard during a recent flight to Boston, trying to quickly press the arrow that corresponded to his direction to get a higher score than last time. The person across the aisle from me kept glancing at my gesticulations out of the corner of his eye, with a look somewhere between curiosity and “what a weirdo.”

When I finally beat yesterday’s score, I moved on to the trains.

Damn trains.

I completed my daily five-game course on the Lumosity app with a degree of satisfaction. It is one of three so-called resolutions I made for the year. No, I take that back: there was just one resolution and I was using three methods to accomplish it.

You see, I am trying to improve my creativity by giving my subconscious mind more elbow room; taking market share from the conscious mind, so to speak. To do this, I am working on three abilities that, once developed, rely more on subconscious rhythm and reaction than the process of thinking about every move.

Yeah, it sounds deep, but I could say it another way: I am learning to type, master video games and play the piano. (How bad am I at typing? It took you three seconds to read this sentence, but it took me 72 seconds to type it in the traditional way.

And don’t get me started on video games!)

Why am I telling you about this? Because we all reach a point when we spend most of our time doing rather than learning. It’s a natural occurrence as we become more optimized in our work and routines. And inherently, we build up a resistance to learning new things, or doing things in a different way, and we run the risk of overlooking a time-saving or money-saving opportunity because what we've got going is good enough.

February is the perfect month to reflect on this. In the past, we used to talk about using this traditionally slow month to look at our stores with fresh eyes to overcome the clutter we'd

6 Mobile Electronics  February 2017

become blind to during day-to-day business. Let’s take this same approach to ourselves. The clutter represents our diminishing ability to learn. So how do we get rid of it?

First, decide to learn something outside of your expertise. Most of us would prefer to learn something that applies directly to what we do, thinking of it as a direct time investment. But this approach comes with baggage. Because it’s in the same field that you already feel like you perfected, you’re bringing the clutter along. Every new thing will be accompanied by the thought of how to incorporate it into what you already know. You end up only half-listening, and therefore half-learning.

Instead, pick something interesting. A new language. Video production. Fictional writing. Fixing tractors. These things open the learning pathway fully because there is no previous baggage or preconceived notions. The additional benefit is you train your mind to later take this same approach to learning new things within your expertise.

Second, find the right voice. It’s important to understand how you learn. I spoke with someone the other day who told me he’s a visual learner. Others have said they are great at absorbing but horrible at taking tests. Find a voice, or path, that matches the way you best receive and retain information. DVDs or audiobooks for a new language? Books or classes for writing? Video or apprenticeship for tractor transmissions? You get the idea.

Finally, commit just enough. The joke about resolutions is that no one ever keeps them. It’s like that old friend you find on Facebook and commit to keep in touch, but you don’t. That’s because we are creatures of habit, and we tend to keep doing what we have been doing. So instead of seeing this as a lifestyle change, approach this as a small injection into your routine.

Take out 30 minutes of TV time or one weekend less per month of … whatever you do on weekends. (Just don’t take time away from the kids or the spouse!)

If you went to CES, you know how our industry is changing.

There are entirely new product categories set up to make the driving experience easier, safer and more entertaining, and we need to stay on top of these changes to remain relevant. That means our BEST skill needs to be the ability to learn new ones. So, get going.

In the meantime, if you’re in the area and want to help me with my resolution, I’ve got an Xbox One S and two controllers set up in the office. But be warned – I’ve been practicing!

POWER COUPLE

KENWOOD amplifies your Apple CarPlay experience!

KENWOOD

What makes Apple CarPlay better on a KENWOOD device?

Touch Screen An intuitive smartphone-like display provides rich detail, as well as pinch, zoom, and swipe functionality

Finely Tuned Listening Break free of sonic limitations and personalize your audio tastes with sophisticated audio features such as Digital Time Alignment and Digital Filters

Greater Control A 13-band EQ is just one of many audio feature that gives you control of your drive time music experience with sound control

Also works with:

Android Auto works with devices using Android 5.0 software or higher. Some devices may not yet support Android Auto, see the Google site for the latest list of compatible devices. Android Auto and its logo is a trademark of Google Inc. Apple CarPlay works with iPhone 5 and newer phones. Apple CarPlay and its logo are trademarks of Apple Inc. Kenwood is a trademark of JVCKenwood Corporation.

 feedback

Holiday Look-Back Noel Dizon picked social media over traditional advertising, while Brandon Green believes strong planning will maximize sales over the holidays.

“I would have organized my crew more tightly on sales targets so in a season like Xmas— they could have a long vacation from 12/23 to 1/2 with pay and bonuses.

I will definitely do this plan this coming year.” Noel Dizon, Automod Racing, Lancaster, Calif.

“Social media. All other forms of advertising, like radio or paper, costs too much. Unless you’ve that kind of money to spend, I find it to be most cost effective to advertise on social media for us.” Reza Zahedivash, Autobahn, Egg Harbor TWP, N.J. “Provide professional-looking store gift cards.” Tony Frangiosa, InstallerNet, Inc., North Andover, Mass.

“Since we are a high-end shop that is not focusing on retail but on referral business, the most important part of the holiday season is scheduling properly so the holiday does not interfere with job completion of projects.” Frank Sbrocca, Jr., FS Audio, San Gabriel, Calif.

“We should try to do better in getting a deposit for appointments since once people are booked out for a longer time we experience more no-shows and cancellations.” Eric Christensen, The Radio Doctor, Madison, Wis. “Plan, plan and plan some more.

Forecast is key, but always be flexible as things can change (weather for example can kill remote start sales).

Do not be afraid to try different avenues for investing in your business also. New opportunities are always out there, but it’s up to you to see them and take advantage.” Brandon Green, The Car Audio Shop, High Ridge, Mo. “I’m unsure of how it is in other demographics, but here in Panama

8 Mobile Electronics  February 2017

City, when the holidays hit, expect a drop in foot traffic towards Thanksgiving until after Black Friday.

However, after Black Friday, be prepared to hit the ground running.” Josh Bowen, Sommer Sound Systems, Panama City, Fla.

ADVERTISING SALES Kerry Moyer 703.598.3733 • kerrym@mobile-electronics.com ®

EDITORIAL Solomon Daniels 213.291.7888 • solomond@mobile-electronics.com Ted Goslin 800.949.6372 ext. 466 • tedg@mobile-electronics.com Creative Layout and Design: Robin LeBel Contributing Editors: Jamie Sorcher, Laura Kemmerer and Rosa Sophia.

“To compete with the Internet, there are only a few items left that are profitable for independents. Sad to see where the industry is compared to eight years ago. It just keeps going away from brick and mortar and there is nothing that can be done. There are still ‘hot pockets’ for 12-volt but the majority of smaller communities barely support independents. Really a sad state due to mainly corporate greed and wanting to move SKU numbers. Don’t want to sound all negative but this is just a harsh reality.” Dan Autoxtrass, Wooster, Ohio

Published by

“Facebook was not worth investing in last year for Black Friday. We will find new areas of marketing for attracting new and used customers into our doors, like SnapChat, Instagram and maybe more Google.”

Keith McCumber, SoundsGood Auto, Coquitlam, British Columbia

Richard Basler, Dir. Technology Solutions 978.645.6449 • richb@mobile-electronics.com

“Remembering a few fundamentals definitely helps everyone involved during the crazy season. But most of all, remember that communication is key! Information about vehicles, customer wants and needs, and product availability is an absolute to maintaining a productive shop. From the salesman to the shop to the installer, and back again, good intel on the current status of all things business are just basic fundamentals of a well oiled machine.” Anonymous

TM

C

M

mobile electronics association

Chris Cook, President 978.867.6759 • chrisc@mobile-electronics.com Kerry Moyer, VP Strategic Partnerships 703.598.3733 • kerrym@mobile-electronics.com

Y

CM

MY

CY

CMY

K

Solomon Daniels, Dir. Media and Communications 213.291.7888 • solomond@mobile-electronics.com

Karin Drake, Events Manager 978.645.6478 • karindrake@mobile-electronics.com Robin Lebel, Creative Director 978.645.6456 • robinlebel@mobile-electronics.com 1)Title of publication: Mobile Electronics. 2) Publication No.: 957-170 6. ISSN# 1523-763X 3) Date of filing: Sept. 1, 2016. 4) Frequency of issue: Monthly. No. of issues published annually: 12) Annual subscription price: $35.00. 7) Complete mailing address of known office of publication: 85 Flagship Drive, Ste F, North Andover, MA 01845. 8) Complete mailing address of the headquarters or general business offices of the publisher: 85 Flagship Drive, Ste F, North Andover, MA 01845. 9) Full names and complete mailing address of Publisher, Editor and Managing Editor: Publisher: Chris Cook, 85 Flagship Drive, Ste F, North Andover, MA 01845; Editor/Managing Editor: Solomon Daniels/Ted Goslin, 85 Flagship Drive, Ste F, North Andover, MA 01845 10) Owner. MERA, Mobile Electronics Retailers Association, 85 Flagship Drive, Ste F, North Andover, MA 01845. 11) Known bondholders, mortgages, and other security holders owning or holding 1% or more of total amounts of bonds, mortgages or other securities: None.

12) Tax Status: Not applicable. 13) Name of Publication: Mobile Electronics. 14) Issue date for circulation data below: August 2016. 6. a) Total no. copies (net press run) Average: 12,484 Single Issue; 12,826. B1) Paid/Requested mail subscriptions Average: 6834, Single Issue: 6826. B3) Paid sales through dealers, etc.; Average: 0. Single issue; c. Requested distributed by other classes of mail: Average: 531, Single issue: 520. Total paid and/or requested circulation; Average 7365. Single issue: 7346. d) Non-requested distribution by mail; Average: 4382 Single issue: 4223. Free distribution through other classes of mail: Average: 0, Single issue: 0. e) Nonrequested distribution outside the mail; Average: 325. Single issue: 750. f) Total non-requested distribution; Average 4707, Single issue: 4973. g) Total distribution; Average: 12,072. Single issue: 12,319. h) Copies not distributed; h1) Office use, leftovers; Average: 412. Single Issue; 507 j) Total; Average: 12,484. Single issue; 12,826 Percent paid and/or requested circulation; Average: 61.01%. Single issue 59.63%.

©2017 STILLWATER DESIGNS

A Powerful Statement

New KX-Series Mono Amplifiers are stable to one Ohm and feature a wireless remote with gain adjustment, clipping indicator and SHOCwave™ bass restoration.

KX-Series Mono Amplifier

Coming Soon – See your Sales Rep for details.

 stats

PROCESSING FOR PROFIT How much can DSP impact retail business?

Percentage of installations that included active processing in 2016:

Devices that customers use to store music: 25%

8%

21%

20%

18%

iPhone®

% of Dealers

10% 59%

23%

16%

Android™-based 15% smartphone

59%

12%

USB Drive

10%

Other media player

5%

iPhone®

0%

None

10 percent 20 percent 30 percent 40 percent 50 percent

% of DSP Installations

Android™-based smartphone USB Drive

Predicted effect of DSP product expansion on retail business this year:

Other media player

Most anticipated DSP solutions for 2017:

60% 50%

Solutions that simplify or eliminate additional wiring / connections

40% Solutions that retain more factory features and functions

30%

Solutions that enable programming from a smartphone or tablet

20% 10%

Solutions that replace the factory amplifier rather than feed from it 0%

20%

10 Mobile Electronics  February 2017

40%

60%

80%

100%

0%

Significant effect

Nominal effect

No effect:

me-mag.com   11

 helpful stuff

Books: A Man For All Markets

By Edward O. Thorp

http://www.edwardothorp.com/

We’re just back from Las Vegas so it’s hard not to still hear all that buzzing and clanking in the casinos. How does anybody beat the house and make money? How can anyone make some decent money out of the casino? Legendary mathematician Edward O. Thorp, a child of the Great Depression, is the man who invented card counting. And in doing so, proved that it is possible to beat the dealer at the blackjack table. His success—and mathematical method—reverberated through the casinos which resulted in casinos actually altering the rules of the game to stump him and his followers. Gambling had been changed forever. Then Thorp shifted gears to Wall Street devising formulas to beat the market. Here Thorp shares his story of what he did, how he did it, and what fueled his drive to disregard conventional wisdom and devise game-changing solutions to seemingly impossible problems. This intellectual thrill ride is packed with practical wisdom that can guide anyone in what are sure to be uncertain financial waters in the years ahead.

Services: Vanguard

https://investor.vanguard.com/retirement/savings/ When you’re in your 20s or 30s, it’s hard to think about what life might be like when you’re much older. White hair and dentures seem so far off, but we’re all aging and planning for your retirement needs to start now. Lots of people just put it off because there are so many questions. How much will I need? What year will I retire? What are the best ways to save for retirement? Pensions and social security most likely won’t be enough. Some comforting news is that you don’t need to figure everything out at once.

Still, you need to get started. With Vanguard, you can find the find the right kind of account for your savings, choose the investments for your account, and open an account online.

Rock Your Ride

Lady Gaga on

With over 140 channels.

Ask about our current promotions.

©2017 Sirius XM Radio Inc. Sirius, XM and all related marks and logos are trademarks of Sirius XM Radio Inc. All rights reserved.

12 Mobile Electronics  February 2017

Free for Android and iOS

Software/App: Pocket https://getpocket.com/add/?ep=1 If you find that you are always emailing yourself links to articles on the web that you plan to read when you get a free moment, there is an easier way to quickly save, discover, and recommend the best, most relevant stories on the Web—all in one place. Pocket is the app that makes it easier keep up with all there is out there on Twitter, Facebook, in your browser, and more. The next time you find an article, video, or link to read or watch later, simply save it to Pocket. It syncs across your phone, tablet, and computer making it easy to come back to when you get the chance. What’s more, you’ll receive personalized recommendations for new stories from Pocket and the people you follow. Read and watch in Pocket’s clean, easyto-view layout.

Sites To See: Airbnb https://www.airbnb.com/

With more than 2 million listings worldwide, Airbnb.com could be how you book your next accommodations for a vacation or quick business trip. If you want an experience trip where you surf all day and sleep under the stars, it’s here. Looking for a luxurious compound in Cisternino, Italy for a week? It’s here, too. Founded in August of 2008 and based in San Francisco, Calif., Airbnb is a community marketplace for people to list, discover, and book unique accommodations around the world—online or from a mobile phone or tablet. Whether you’re actually booking or not, it is an interesting compilation of places and experiences. It just might spark an idea for your next getaway.

me-mag.com 13

 what’s happening

A NEW After seeing its future in jeopardy due to OEMs pushing their way into 12-volt’s space, the aftermarket is pushing back with new innovations, revealed at CES and other locations around Las Vegas.

WORDS BY TED GOSLIN

For 50 years, the Consumer Electronics Show (CES), has delivered on its promise to showcase the latest in electronic technology. In the summer of 1967, its

14 Mobile Electronics  February 2017

first year, the event hosted 117 exhibitors featuring transistor radios, stereos and black and white televisions. The next four decades saw innovations like cassettes, CDs, DVDs and plasma televisions take center stage. This year’s show featured over 3,800 exhibitors and 165,000 attendees. One concept dominated the show floor like no other: a fully connected life, harnessing the power of handheld digital devices and pursuing the dream of autonomous driving.

For the 12-volt industry, many of the innovations on display at this year’s CES in Las Vegas won’t have much of an impact on a retailer’s bottom line. However, in the North Hall, which houses the automakers and 12-volt industry

HO

manufacturers, there were a number of trends that could have a significant impact in the near future.

Connectivity and autonomous driving were promoted with purpose with companies like Ford, Hyundai and Toyota, all eager to showcase what the roads will look like in the future. Connected driving products on display, such as Alpine’s wireless CarPlay head unit, offered a more practical view of that future. Chris Cook, president of the Mobile Electronics Association, discussed the impact connected driving will have for the entire automotive industry in the Connect2Car panel during the four-day event.

W

OPE “Consumers want to be able to connect their device with the car confidently. By 2020, 250 million cars will be connected to the Internet. What does this mean?

It means the vehicles will be connected to the Internet and everything else. This is a good thing for all of us,” Cook said.

“Consumers are demanding to be in the forefront of the vehicle. When they’re picking up their used Mustang, they usually want more than the OEM offered at the time it was sold. They want the latest technology. So to connect with confidence, automakers are responding. They are working to upgrade new vehicles with the latest aftermarket technologies.”

With the safety category being one of the primary catalysts for this trend (all

new light vehicles in 2018 will require backup cameras by law), automakers and the aftermarket are pushing for ways to fully integrate the latest technology into cars for an all-in-one solution. That doesn’t account for the rest of the vehicles on the road, which average 11 years in age.

For all those in attendance, the aftermarket’s response to consumer demand and OEM competition seemed clear: innovate.

An Integrated Necessity Regardless of the excitement generated by a new concept car or gadget, time has proven that the demands of consumers are what drive successful

product innovations. One category that the aftermarket has jumped on this year is high-resolution audio, which is more easily attainable for the average listener than ever thanks to an innovation in DSP technology.

Several companies have announced new DSP amplifiers that are designed to work as solutions for OEM sound systems. The Kenwood eXcelon XR600-6DSP is designed to capture signals before they reach the factory amplifier, resulting in cleaner output and retention of factory notifications, according to the company.

The device works in cooperation with the iDatalink Maestro AR integration module, which links into the CAN bus of specific vehicles.

me-mag.com 15

 what’s happening walk the show floor. “I think OEM integration is going to be a necessity moving forward. You get in there, unplug the factory amp, plug their module in and then it’s a blank slate. Integrating telematics Chris Cook, left, provides opening remarks on the state in the vehicle will of connected car technology during the Connected2Car be a big thing, too.” panel at CES 2017.

Audiocontrol has also joined the OEM integration trend by making three of its recent products compatible with the Mastro AR. The DM-608 and DM-810 processors and the newly announced D6-1200 six-channel amplifier are all compatible with the ADS product.

“Hats off to ADS for what they’re doing. For somebody who wants to keep the door chime muted without blowing your ears out, it’ll make the interface that much easier,” said Chris Kane, National Sales Manager of Audiocontrol.

Kenwood is one of several manufacturers with its In addition to sights set on OEM integration, with the hope of giving the the OEM inteaftermarket more breathing room in its ongoing battle gration trend, with automakers. manufacturers focused efforts on “I’m looking for the new products and what makes the looking forward to seeing some of the 12-volt industry stand apart from OEM OEM stuff like built-in technologies and offerings. It discovered that clients are what we need to do to integrate with still eager to upgrade their sound systems them,” said installer Shaughnessy Murley to the best on the market, especially if from Visions Electronics as he began to high-end, high-resolution products are

16 Mobile Electronics  February 2017

affordable. Sony’s solution was on display in a demo vehicle featuring its RSXGS9 high-resolution single-DIN head unit and GS1621C component speakers.

“With the hi-res frequency range, you’re basically getting more head room in your music. You don’t get the sharp cut-off in the higher frequencies at 20Kish. We’ve got about 60K going through this. It’s a really good-sounding, smooth system,” said Kris Bulla, National Product Trainer, Sony Car Audio. “We’re all about hi-res this year. This GS system is the hi-res that you want to hear. It provides studio-quality sound.”

Selling Safety Another growth category for 12-volt is safety, which has resulted in major leaps forward in both the OEM and aftermarket. Mobileye, a vision technology manufacturer, made its fourth appearance at CES, presenting its developments in autonomous driving. The company identified three major areas it needs to overcome on its way to creating a fully safe autonomous vehicle: sensing, mapping and driving policy.

Given the difficulties ahead for automakers and technology innovators to make autonomous vehicles a reality, the aftermarket has an opportunity to capitalize on the need for more driver safety and assistance technology in the vehicle.

ImageNEXT, a vision-based system developer in the field of automotive electronics for advanced safety applications, has partnered with American Road Products to bring OmniDRIVE—a connected car safety product—to the aftermarket in North America. The device, which won a CES Innovations award this year, integrates 360-degree surround view monitoring (SVM) and blind spot cameras with a 5-channel DVR with optional dash-cam or driver cam that can be connected with Wi-Fi to portable devices in a vehicle. The system differentiates itself from other systems thanks in part to its glass camera lenses that are more durable than the plastic lenses used on some other offerings on the market.

The safety category also extends to drivers who wish to be more aware of the presence of police. Escort (by Cobra)

has announced the driver. The its latest radar device won a detection CES Innovadevice, the tions award Escort Max thanks to how it Ci 360, which helps solve the includes both obvious safety front and rear issue of driver radar detection, distraction. plus front and Alpine Elecrear laser shifttronics also ers that protect jumped into drivers against the fray of conall speed monnected head itoring devices. units with its The device has For 50 years, CES has changed locations, grown its space and added new catego- ILX-107 In-dash been redeReceiver with ries in its effort to offer the latest electronic technology for its attendees. signed to be Wireless Apple smaller with more powerful laser shifters sound quality with products like JBL’s CarPlay, which uses direct Wi-Fi to conthat defeat the latest in laser-based speed packaged sound system, promoted via a nect devices. The unit is Alpine’s response detection technology. demo board for retailers. The demo board to the popularity of this emerging market shows customers the difference between and the fact that it has been more City Trends their products and a factory sound focused on its oversized head unit and To create a more controlled environsystem. A set of speakers, subwoofer, speaker line, Restyle, geared toward the ment to showcase products and interface amplifier and Legend CP-100 head unit consumer truck market. with dealers, some companies chose to has a price point of $1200, according to Other companies with unique head host their own showcase outside of CES. the company, making it cost-effective for unit releases this year include Rosen with Off-boarding companies included JL the quality promised. the UN1780 and Soundstream with its Audio, elettromedia and Harman.

The company also highlighted its new VRN-DD7HB Double-DIN GPS receiver Continuing with the trend of high JBL Flip 4, a compact, waterproof and with dual 7-inch LCD touch screens. quality sound, JL Audio, located again portable Bluetooth speaker. The device Considering the direction automakat The Palms Hotel and Casino, offered a features a 12-hour battery life, noise and ers are going with the end result of look at its new C7 component speakers. echo cancelling speakerphone, and JBL autonomous vehicles, the concept of the The project was an attempt to create the Connect+ that allows users to wirelessly connected car seems to be less importfinest component speakers ever made, link multiple JBL Connect+ compatible ant to them than the aftermarket. Since according to CEO and Chief Engineer speakers together. the connected car is a current reality and Lucio Proni. autonomous driving is a possible future “C7 is an expression of our commitA Connected Future reality, it would seem that 12-volt has the ment to achieving the best reproduction Perhaps the most popular new product upper hand in terms of connecting conpossible in the car audio environment. to come out of Las Vegas this year for the sumers with their immediate needs.

These component speakers are the aftermarket was the concept of the conFord announced its Fusion Hybrid, natural complement to our W6v3 and nected car head unit. Harman’s Legend which offers more processing power and W7AE subwoofer drivers, and they offer CP100, which was announced a year ago, improved sensor placement, emphasizing listeners a level of fidelity and dynamic will finally see the light of day as shipping efficiency and fewer gadgets, as opposed capability that is truly special,” Proni said is scheduled for March. The device is also to what the aftermarket offers. Hyundai in a recent press release. The speakers Bluetooth-enabled, has a rear camera envisioned a connected future of interare also DSP-ready, given their inclusion input and provides turn-by-turn navigalinked autonomous vehicles, operating off of active crossovers instead of passive tion through Android Auto and Apple a central brain. and the ability for a system designer to CarPlay.

In comparison, the aftermarket’s use “delay, crossover parameters and The CP100 is also compatible with continuous stream of new products to precise equalization to adjust for speaker Harman partner product, Navdy, a simplify a consumer’s daily drive may be placement, cabin acoustics and target heads-up display that connects to Smartin direct conflict. Luckily, the future of response,” according to the company. phone devices via Bluetooth and to such products won’t rely on the quality of Harman’s product offerings were widevehicles through its OBDII port to proOEM offerings, but on a consumer’s prespread, but still kept a strong focus on vide current vehicle diagnostic data to ferred lifestyle. Only time will tell. 

me-mag.com 17

 retail news

Join The Club

By getting involved in local clubs and events, JML Audio of St. Louis educates eager car enthusiasts, thereby raising technology awareness.

WORDS BY ROSA SOPHIA

Getting involved in the local community is a sure way to encourage organic word-of-mouth marketing. It’s also a way to demonstrate passion to car enthusiasts. JML Audio of St. Louis hosts tech sessions every year for local auto clubs they sponsor, helping to teach people about new technologies designed to improve the driving experience. “We invite them in, we have lunch,” said Joshua Landau of JML Audio. “We show them around and let them see and experience a couple things about us and technologies that we provide.”

The key is sharing knowledge and raising awareness, and the sessions generally

18 Mobile Electronics  February 2017

last between two or three hours, “teaching them about us and what makes us unique to our area and region, showing them technologies and how they can apply it to their car,” Landau explained.

“There’s a lot of questions that come up.” The shop invests time, money and staffing into the events. “We pay yearly sponsorships for clubs. We do a number of tech sessions each year with clubs that we sponsor—Audi, Porsche, Mercedes.”

Using demo vehicles, JML Audio demonstrates the technology to participants so they can get a feel for how things work. They utilize different vehicles depending on what they decide to

focus on. “On Porsche, we had a 911, we had a Cayman, Boxster, Cayenne—everything but the Panamera,” Landau said.

“They can see what we’ve done.” The last Porsche tech event took place in March of 2016, and the shop is now preparing for events in 2017.

“If you say, ‘We’re going to add a remote starter,’ they don’t always understand, so being able to show them ‘Here’s how you control it from the Smartphone,’ and show how it works, it’s a lot more engaging than just saying ‘you can do this’ or do that,” Landau added, “but to show it on the car is more helpful.”

JML Audio of St. Louis has maintained a reputation specializing in high performance German and European vehicles, according to Landau. They are able to draw in clients they might not otherwise attract. “We break down the stigmas of ‘You can’t have anyone do that except original dealers.’ We’ve always focused on

»

Who’s Who Cameron Powell Limitless Innovative Solutions, LLC (LIS Audio) Spring Hill, KS Years of industry experience: 5 Hobbies: Drawing artwork, skateboarding, and custom fab’ing as often as possible.

What you’re really good at: Custom fabrication

Noel Dizon Automod Racing Lancaster, CA Years of industry experience: 25 Hobbies: Golf What you’re really good at: Customer relations, technologies, innovations

Mark Miller Westminster Speed & Sound Westminster, MD

the cars that are harder to work on when it comes to club sponsorships because they can appreciate what we specialize in.”

Landau stated the tech events are not about sales, but rather educating the client. “Giving them complimentary education speaks a lot about our relationship and how we build it with them,” he said. Some clients may not need anything at the time, but Landau reported they may come back at a future date needing assistance. “‘You’ve been putting your time and effort into us, I’m going to return the favor and come to you.’

We found clients through that,” he said. “It can take years and years.”

True passion for the vehicles they work on drives JML Audio to connect with their clients and help them attain knowledge. “It’s one of those things. We really love those cars, so much that we purchased one for an active demo. We do high performance events, track events and race events, we sponsor European car shows.” Getting involved demonstrates the passion the shop’s staff has for its work.

“It’s to get in front of a group of people you wouldn’t normally be exposed to,” Landau said, adding that their sponsorship of local clubs is a long-term relationship, “slow and steady.”

Years of industry experience: 30 Hobbies: Cars, family, relationship w/God What you’re really good at: Leading other men

Reza Zahedivash Autobahn Egg Harbor TWP, N.J. Years of industry experience: 22 Hobbies: Soccer What you’re really good at: Cooking

me-mag.com 19

 retail news

The JML team showcases at many local events, including this “Music Matters” event back in October of 2013.

The shop is also active in other local events, and attends one called Cars and Coffee. “They usually have more than 700 cars,” Landau said. “It’s a nice little gathering. You walk around, hang out and talk cars. It’s nice because it’s not really commercialized. It’s not a judge-sanctioned or controlled [event], just a bunch of people getting together once a month. They have them in Nashville and throughout the country.”

While Landau admits that traditional advertising might pay off better financially, being directly tied to the local car community is more important to the shop. “Being an active part of it seems a lot more genuine,” he said. “We’re physically on the track racing at a race event.

We’re physically doing it, not just talking about it. It’s one thing to say ‘I work on these cars,’ it’s a whole other thing to understand, ‘you’re a car guy, track guy, high performance guy—well, so are we.’

That gives us a lot more credibility. You’ve invested a good deal to get that, to genuinely be in that same kind of group. That speaks volumes.” 

Here To Stay Angel Santana has opened businesses both in the States and overseas, with military bases serving as his customer centers. Now he brings his expertise to Palm Bay, Fla., hoping to make a long-term impact in his new home.

WORDS BY ROSA SOPHIA

The coquí is a native frog in Puerto Rico, and it’s also the namesake for Coquí’s Custom Auto in Palm Bay, Fla. “It’s been my nickname ever since I can remember, since I was young,” said Angel Santana, owner of the shop, who has been in the industry professionally since 1990. “The Americans call me El Froggy,” he added.

The shop has been in Palm Bay since November, after much moving around for Santana and his wife, who recently

20 Mobile Electronics  February 2017

Angel Santana (right) and one of his three sons, Angel III (left), pose in front of the new location for Coquí’s Custom Auto in Palm Bay, Fla.

retired from 24 years in the Air Force.

“I followed where she went,” he said of their life together. As a result of being sent to various places, the location of his business also changed as needed.

“With being in the military, wherever she went, I would pack up all my stuff and go and open up another shop.” This included overseas. “In Germany, my being a [MECP] master tech opened up a lot of doors for me, as well, with Rockford Fosgate Europe, JL Audio—as far as being

able to do training seminars for them.”

Santana has also owned businesses in California and Texas. “I started in San Antonio, Texas, my first business in 1994,” he said. “We had a big shop in Fairfield, California and that was in 2001.” Santana has sold two businesses and closed four in the past. Now, due to his wife retiring, he is able to remain at home in Florida.

“We were open on the military base.

We did installation, alarms, window tinting, customized cars on bases,” Santana

Angel III installs window tint on a vehicle. said of his time overseas. “We did a lot of shows,” similar to SEMA and CES, Santana added. “They hold one over there in Germany where we would set up a booth.”

Currently, window tinting accounts for much of the business’s income—60 to 70 percent. “The rest into stereos, alarms, and home security cameras.” While it was difficult picking up and moving wherever he had to, Santana noted that it allowed him to build a reputation for himself. “My name was known fairly quick through the military community. It made it easy for advertising that way.”

Santana plans to eventually leave his business to his three sons when he retires. For the present time, he’s making summer plans for Coquí’s, including bringing on a couple of new hires. “This summer, the new thing we’re adding will be auto detailing,” he said. Coquí’s will also be attending shows in Miami this year, acknowledging the need to interact directly with the community to acquire new business. “I have to sell myself first.

My dollar value is on me, not my shop.” 

me-mag.com 21

 new products

2017

FIELDof VISION

The 2017 product reveals at CES and around Las Vegas included a strong focus on OEM integration and high-end sound, among other things. company: Accele Product/Service: Solar-powered Jump Start Battery Main Features: The portable battery will jump start a completely dead battery. The battery will charge enough in one hour to charge a Smartphone and enough in four hours to start a vehicle. It comes with a portable carrying case.

msrp: $149 Shipping Date: Now shipping

Company: Alpine Product/Service: ILX-107 In-dash Receiver with Wireless Apple CarPlay Main Features: Despite an abundance of wired options already on the market, Alpine has leaped ahead with a wireless version of the CarPlay-enabled head unit. The device has a seven-inch touch screen and allows users to make and receive calls, access text messages, play music and get directions by using their Smartphone using a direct source Wi-Fi signal. Five models are being offered with varying price options.

msrp: $900 TO $4,000 Shipping Date: February 2017 22 Mobile Electronics  February 2017

company: American Road Products/ImageNext Product/Service: OmniDRIVE 360 Camera System Main Features: OmniDRIVE is a vehicle safety device with 360º and blind spot cameras, a digital event recorder integrated into a connected device. OmniDRIVE reduces accidents by removing all blinds spots on passenger car, truck or SUV’s and records video proof of what happened in the event of crash. The DVR recorder is stored in two 32 gb cards in the device that can be adjusted to balance the amount of storage with the resolution of the captured video. The first release will include Android Auto compatibility and the second planned release will include iOS compatibility for Apple products.

msrp: $1,000

Shipping Date: March 2017

company: Arc Audio Product/Service: Arc 1000.4 Amplifier Main Features: The six-channel amp, designed for OEM integration, has built-in DSP and offers compact size for vehicles with space issues. It also has Wi-Fi controls for tuning with any device.

msrp: TBD (To Be Determined) Shipping Date: July 2017

company: Audiocontrol Product/Service: LGD (Load Generating Device) Main Features: Known primarily for its DSP products, Audiocontrol has come out with a resistor pack to help factory amplifiers wake up by simulating a load.

msrp: $40 Shipping Date: February 2017 me-mag.com 23

 new products

2017

company: Cerwin Vega/Diamond Product/Service: CV and Diamond Marine subwoofers Main Features: The new subwoofer from both Cerwin Vega and Diamond comes in two versions, sealed and free-air, with the sealed working in the range of four cubic feet to 15 cubic feet .

msrp: $199 Shipping Date: TBD

company: Crux Product/Service: Mercedes-Benz 2015up OBD Programmer Main Features: The integration device is compatible with both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. It allows new vehicles like the C-class, which does not allow the option, to activate the factory features of a navigation-enabled head unit.

msrp: TBD Shipping Date: March 2017

company: Directed Product/Service: DS4 Digital Systems Main Features: The CES Innovation Award-winning DS4 and DS4+ systems integrate several technologies in one, including remote start, security, interface and Bluetooth.

The system is designed to simplify the installation process of “an extremely complex system and provide extended functionality,” according to the company. The systems will be available through the Viper, AstroStart and Automate brands.

msrp: TBD Shipping Date: April 2017 24 Mobile Electronics  February 2017

 new products

2017

company: Dual Electronics Product/Service: MMC36BT Marine Media Center Main Features: The receiver is designed for boats and RVs and includes built-in Bluetooth connectivity, AM/FM/WB tuner, direct USB control for iPod/iPhone devices and three-zone speaker control with programmable turn-on volume.

msrp: $269.99 Shipping Date: February 2017

company: Epsilon (Soundstream) Product/Service: Soundstream VRNDD7HB Double-DIN GPS Receiver with dual 7-inch LCD Touch Screens Main Features: The top screen of this dualscreen device runs navigation while the bottom screen runs all other functions like CD/DVDs, MP3s and AM/FM radio.

msrp: TBD Shipping Date: February 2017

company: Escort (Cobra) Product/Service: Escort Max Ci 360 Main Features: The latest radar detection system from the company includes both front and rear radar detection, plus front and rear laser shifters that protect drivers against all speed monitoring devices. The device has been redesigned to be smaller with more powerful laser shifters that defeat the latest in laser-based speed detection technology.

msrp: $3,499.95 Shipping Date: March 2017 26 Mobile Electronics  February 2017

HD Radio Technology For Every Car on the Road TM

HD Radio Technology is available from today’s leading electronics manufacturers

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 new products

2017

company: Echomaster (AAMP Global ) Products/Services: Echomaster safety product line Main Features: The new in-vehicle safety line from AAMP Global includes a third brake light camera for 2014-2016 Ford Transit Vans, microwave blind spot sensors, a commercial DVR system with four commercial-grade cameras and a product display for retailers.

msrp: Brake Light - $215.99 Shipping Date: TBD

company: JVC Mobile Product/Service: KV-CM30 Rear View Camera Main Features: The device includes a 1/4-inch CMOS Sensor, 380,000 pixels, has a waterproof design and has a 129-degree wide range.

msrp: $109.99 Shipping Date: Now shipping

company: Kenwood Product/Service: XR600-6DSP Main Features: The all-in-one solution works in conjunction with the Maestro AR module and allows for fader control of elements like door chimes, as well as enhance the quality of the signal straight from the factory head unit. The Kenwood DSP Control app allows installers to set speaker size, types, time correction and other settings without the need for a computer.

msrp: $799 Shipping Date: March 2017 28 Mobile Electronics  February 2017

company: Kicker Product/Service: QS-Series Coaxial Speakers Main Features: This high-end line of speakers offers two models at 6.75and 6x9-inch point-source drivers.

They also include bi-amp-capable drivers with dynamic tweeter and cone design for stronger frequency response.

msrp: $549.95 Shipping Date: March 2017

company: Massive Audio Product/Service: NANO “BLUE” Amplifiers Main Features: The amps feature efficient digital platforms, built-in OEM line converters, and support USB plugs to accommodate the options UBT1 Bluetooth dongle for audio streaming.

msrp: $299.95 to $549.99 Shipping Date: Now shipping

company: Memphis Audio Product/Service: Six Five Series Amplifiers Main Features: This new high-end line of amps represents Memphis’ efforts towards this year’s DSP trend. The line includes seven different models with one-, two-, four- and five-channel versions.

The amp includes a switch that allows users to drive the amplifier with a single pair of inputs, as well as four inputs to allow fading with constant bass output.

msrp: $319 to $1,129 Shipping Date: Mono models - now shipping; Remaining models - March 2017 me-mag.com 29

 new products

2017

company: Metra Product/Service: Axxess AX-DSP Main Features: The solution takes the factory signal directly from the CAN bus, offers cross-over, equalization and time delay up to 10 milliseconds on each channel. Perhaps the most popular feature is its ability to interface with the factory radio via Bluetooth to cover digital turn-on, to output six analog channels at five volts. It gives the customer the ability to remove the factory amplifier and wire in their own amp and speaker.

msrp: $299 Shipping Date: Spring

company: MTX (Mitek) Product/Service: Jackhammer SPL Subwoofers Main Features: These high-performance subs are designed for use in SPL competitions and includes a reinforced die cast aluminum basket, dual spider technology and 3000-Watts of RMS power handling. The subs come in 10-, 12-, and 15inch sizes.

msrp: TBD Shipping Date: Second quarter, 2017

company: Omega Product/Service: Linkr Mobile 2G Main Features: The system is a vehicle control and tracking interface that provides alerts for up to six people, including car alarm trigger, low vehicle battery and speed alerts. Users can lock or unlock their vehicles, remote start/stop vehicles, disable engine or release trunk all with the touch of a button via their Smartphone app.

msrp service plans starts at $36.95PER YEAR Shipping Date: Now Shipping 30 Mobile Electronics  February 2017

company: Orca (Focal/ Illusion/Mosconi) Product/Service: Mosconi 8to12 Aerospace Main Features: The DSP features eight analog inputs and 12 outputs plus two digital in and one out, a Bluetooth option (for CD Quality Audio Streaming and CPU settings) and high-level inputs with autosense.

msrp: $1,399 Shipping Date: Now shipping

company: Pioneer Product/Service: NEX Head Unit With Backup Camera Main Features: This upgraded line of the popular NEX series of touchscreen head unit includes four models, from 7-inch down to 6.2-inch in size. Each model includes a backup camera valued at $100, while maintaining the previous price point.

msrp: $900 TO $1,300 Shipping Date: February 2017

Company: Powerbass Product/Service: 2XL and 3XL Subwoofers Main Features: The latest subs from Powerbass feature a 15-inch that handles 1500 RMS of power while the 12-inch handles 1,000 RMS. The 2XL was made to be shallow while the 3XL handles more power than previous models.

msrp: 3XL $599.99 2XL $459.99 Shipping Date: April 2017 me-mag.com   31

 new products

2017

company: Rydeen Product/Service: CM-APL backup camera Main Features: The CM-APL is the latest in the company’s lineup of MINy Cameras. It features Dynamic Trajectory Lines (active parking lines) for intelligent guidance while parking. While in reverse, the guidance lines with steering, guiding the vehicle into a parking spot or area. No separate modules are necessary and CAN-BUS system connection is not required.

The device activates as soon as it senses movement.

msrp: $169

Shipping Date: Now shipping

company: Scosche Product/Service: MagicMount Charge Main Features: In an expansion of its popular magnetic MagicMount in-vehicle Smartphone mount, Scosche has added a wireless charging version that currently charges Samsung devices (or any that are wireless charging enabled).

The device is designed to be compatible with future devices.

msrp: $599.99 Shipping Date: March 2017 company: Sony Product/Service: RSX-GS9 hi-resolution single-DIN head unit Main Features: Winner of the EISA Award for Best Product, this hi-resolution head unit offers what is considered “studio-quality sound” by the company.

The frequency range allows for more head room in music with no sharp cutoff at the top-end of the range. The product was featured with a full range of Sony component speakers in its CES 2017 demo vehicle to showcase the company’s direction towards hi-resolution for 2017.

msrp: $1,499.99

Shipping Date: Now shipping

company: Voxx Electronics Product/Service: CarLinkBT Long Range Transmitter Main Features: This new transmitter design communicates via Bluetooth to a Smartphone then to the vehicle using LoRa RF technology to extend its operating range to over one mile without any additional monthly or annual fees.

msrp: $99.95

NO MOTHLY OR ANNUAL FEE REQUIRED.

Shipping Date: Summer 2017 32 Mobile Electronics  February 2017

 new products - Las Vegas Product Showcase

Las Vegas PRODUCT SHOWCASE To give themselves more freedom, some companies chose showcase outside of CES at hotels like The Palms and the Hardrock Hotel and Casino.

CONNECT, CUSTOMIZE, CONTROL

companies: Elettromedia/ADS

Product/Service: Prima amplifier software update Main Features: Elettromedia and Automotive Data Solutions (ADS) have introduced a new software update for the Prima amplifier series enabling communication with the upcoming Maestro AR Amplifier Replacement Interface module by ADS. The solution will allow amps to be added to vehicles with highly integrated factory radios.

msrp: $129.99 Shipping Date: March 2017 company: Harman

Product/Service: JBL Sound System Main Features: With a renewed focus on the aftermarket and quality sound, JBL has put together a demo board with JBL speakers, amplifier, head unit and subwoofer. It was made to show how a quality sound system can be affordable to almost any customer. The board allows a retailer to walk customers through an upgrade pack with buttons that show what each element sounds like when added to a stock sound system.

The system includes the Apple CarPlay-compatible Legend CP-100.

msrp: $1,200

Shipping Date: February 2017

company: JL Audio

Product/Service: C7 Component Speakers Main Features: With the goal of creating the finest speakers ever, the C7 components offer audiophiles a balanced sound with no passive crossover network. The speakers were designed to harness the power of a DSP, typical of today’s high-end systems. The line offers three options, (high to low) the C7-650cw, C7-350cm and C7-100ct.

msrp: $199.99 TO $449.99 Shipping Date: May 2017

16691 Noyes Ave Irvine, Ca 92606 (877) 567-3030 www.elettromedia-usa.com me-mag.com 33

real world retail

All Fired Up By utilizing the energetic spirit of youth, 31-year-old shop owner Ethan Blau has harnessed the power of networking, education and quality service to make his store, Sound Wave Customs, into an award-winning symbol for 12-volt.

WORDS BY TED GOSLIN

I

t's a known idea in life that the young typically leap before they look. Typically, the older you get, the more cautious you are when making big decisions. Sometimes, you need to leap before you look.

Striking while the iron is hot seemed to be the motto of this year's Atlanta

34  Mobile Electronics  February 2017

Falcons, which became the highest scoring team in the NFL with 540 points in the regular season. While scoring in such an aggressive manner doesn't guarantee that a team will win a Super Bowl, it doesn't hurt either.

Ethan Blau uses a similarly aggressive offensive strategy with his shop, Sound

Wave Customs (SWC), out of Virginia Beach, Va. By utilizing a combination of service-centric sales tactics, an aesthetically-pleasing shop layout and accepting any job that comes through the doors with a can-do attitude, SWC has earned several awards in its over three years of operation. Among the awards are a Best Of, Gold award from the Virginia Pilot three years in a row, making the Mobile Electronics Top 50 Retailers and Installers for 2015 and 2016, and winning the Best Customer Experience award at the 2016 Mobile Electronics Industry Awards.

Being such a new company, one might expect SWC to need some time to build a customer base and reputation to earn such prestigious awards and to be as profitable as it has become. But any expectation would prove wrong after getting to know what makes Blau and his team tick.

Owner Ethan Blau believes in continuous improvement, which includes changing up the look of his showroom regularly to be more aesthetically pleasing to customers.

Lighting The Match Learning what one's career will be in life is a struggle for most people—except Blau. From as far back as he can remember, he's wanted to be in business for himself.

"I've always had an entrepreneurial spirit. When I was a kid, they asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up. I've always said I want to be my own boss," Blau said. "This is even before I knew I wanted to be in the 12-volt industry."

As a teenager, Blau took his passion for music and audio into business, performing basic installs for neighborhood kids in high school. Using car audio magazines as an educational tool, Blau found his career path right away. After high school, fueled by his new passion, Blau pursued car audio with persistence, offering his skills to any local shop that would have him. Soon enough, Blau was hired as an installer, despite not having much technical knowledge.

"I was very green. I installed for a couple of years but then they saw I had good people skills and product knowledge. They moved me up front to sales," Blau said. "I tried that for a while, became assistant manager, store manager and ran a store chain that was 30-years old. It was called Discount Auto Sound."

Blau worked at the chain from 2004 to 2008 before moving on to two more shops, Mobile Environment and Go-Ho Auto Audio before making the decision that would change his life. Inspired equally in the positive, by people like Dave "Fishman" Rivera, and in the negative with some former colleagues who had mistreated customers, Blau had a blueprint for the kind of shop he wanted to run. Despite his eagerness to get started, he received some words to the contrary.

"A Memphis rep gave me advice. If you were starting off boxing, would you want to step in the ring with Joe Schmo or Mike Tyson? I chose Mike Tyson," Blau

said. "If you see a vision, you have to fully go after it. That's what makes our industry so special. Think about how much talent is out there and what they come up with. They still blow my mind. It's just amazing."

Piecing together capital from family and other sources, Blau found a location in the heart of Virginia Beach, part of a six-store shopping center right across the street from the Linhaven Mall. The shop is a mile from Interstate 264 and eight minutes from the ocean front.

The store and parking lot have a total space of 6,500 square feet, including a 2,800 square foot installation bay and fabrication shop, 1,200 square feet of stock room, office and conference room, and 2,200 square feet for the waiting room, restrooms, front counter area and main showroom.

After opening in September of 2013, the shop has grown approximately 30 percent annually in sales, according to Blau. After starting with two employees

me-mag.com   35

real world retail

FAST FACTS

SOUND WAVE CUSTOMS

www.soundwavecustoms.com Location: Virginia Beach, Va. Number of Stores: 1 Facility Square Footage: 6,500 Store Type: Traditional Retail Number of Employees: 9

KEY STAFF:

Ethan Blau - Owner Adam Perkins - Shop Foreman/Lead Fabrication/ sales Aric Williams - Lead wiring master/technician/ sales David Martire - Veteran Technician/lighting/ custom fabrication/sales Milton Prokopiev - The New Guy/ Technician/ custom welder Tim Hinson (part-time) - Technician/ custom fabrication/enclosure design expert Jeff Ballance - Graphics Designer extraordinaire/ video/web/advertising/sales Andrew Everson - Marketing guru/sales/office personnel/fiberglass/fiber-optic tech John LeRoy - Sales/front of house master

36 Mobile Electronics  February 2017

and growing to now have eight working for him, Blau attributes the growth to his willingness to educate himself and his employees, who he feels are hard to find due largely to pay and a lack of opportunity.

"We lost a lot of good guys in this industry because the pay was horrible. For a while at a store, I was the only guy with keys to the store. I was getting paid $9.25 an hour and we were doing good numbers back then. Some of the top techs were getting $7, $8, $9 bucks an hour. Even back then it was still a struggle," Blau said. "Some of the really good techs we had in that area were getting more career type jobs. Not only did I want to single-handedly change the industry in my area, I wanted to create my own niche."

Fueling The Fire When creating a store like Sound Wave Customs, vision is key. Having a starting point allows employees and customers to embrace the shop's concept, which is unique for the area of Virginia Beach.

"We're a talented group of people. We have a vision and it takes a special type of person to do that. They say that car audio salesmen are the best salesmen in the world," Blau said. "Virginia Beach is the number one city in Hampton Roads. I saw that vision here and a void from what was here."

To set the standard, customers are treated like royalty with enough amenities to make them feel at home when waiting for their vehicles. The waiting area includes a couch, 50-inch TV, Blu-ray player with DVD selection, Keurig coffee machine, water cooler and

popcorn machine. High-end customers are offered a tour of the shop, which is used mainly as a selling tool by sales staff.

But regardless of customer type, the sales team has a central goal with every customer.

"We're more here to educate. We'll show you $1500 to $100 radios and let you pick and choose. We start from the top down as far as selling goes," Blau said. "We did a YouTube video that was about wiring, CCA and OSC, which we did in house. We had customers come in and paid for us to rewire their whole car.

Instead of saying, ‘This is what you need,’ we explain. If I was not in car audio, I wouldn't know the difference. They appreciate that. You can tell by their expressions."

Five different videos are playing in the showroom at any given time to provide tutorial clips on different products.

"Customers will stand in front of the TV and watch it," Blau added. "We try to show them options and just be honest."

All employees are crosstrained to sell and install, which maximizes the effectiveness of the shop during busy days. "We don't have managers but I have all my guys work the front and back equally. The shop foreman (Adam Perkins) knows shop products, runs the bay and is my best fabricator," Blau said. Employees receive different spiffs or commissions on bigger sales and are given the option of being paid hourly or salary.

"I do pay overtime. If I need you here more hours, you deserve to get paid overtime," Blau said. "Pay day is once a week. I try to think about what I like personally for my guys. I like to get paid every week as opposed to every two weeks."

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real world retail

The installation bay can house up to nine cars at a time with a 16-foot-high door and the ability to fit 30-foot-long boats, which the shop works on along with its wide array of other vehicles.

Best In Show Best In Show

“The best marketing experience that comes to mind besides Google, social media, networking and paid ads would be a new factory car show we decided to do last minute (literally four to five days before the show started). We heard about it last minute and decided to pay for a booth. We then realized we needed a demo vehicle and borrowed one of our head tech’s personal trucks and rebuilt the entire install in a 48-hour straight shot.

“We were completing not only the booth set-up but finishing the install on-site the night before the show opened to the public. It turned out to be the best show we have done and brought in a ton of business to the store.

“The initial goals were to retain business as well as gain notoriety from being at a huge public event. Moving forward, we have prepared ourselves to plan a lot better for this event as we have continued to participate every year since.”

38 Mobile Electronics  February 2017

The freedom to pay employees in this manner goes hand-inhand with the sales strategy and shop motto, which was purposely created to differ from a local competitor whose new slogan centers on beating everyone else's prices, according to Blau.

"Our latest slogan is, 'We would match or beat any price, but our quality and knowledge won't let us.' That's what we go by here," Blau said. "One of my personal mottos is 'I like to gain a lifelong customer'. I'm not just selling something to sell something. We don't want them to have buyer's remorse. I'd rather make a $5 sale and make them a lifelong customer than a $5,000 sale and never hear from them again."

As if selling with such a focused strategy isn't challenging enough, Blau has the added challenge of looking younger than he is, which creates an additional hurdle when he speaks to some customers.

"I'm 31 years old but I look like I'm 21. With my experience, you can't judge a book by its cover.

When I talk to customers about product, it's like they're blown away. Age becomes just a number.

I know it's a rarity for someone to have a company like this. I'm used to it," he said. "I had an older gentleman in his early 60s with a Toyota Avalon come in looking for better sound quality. I took him to the Illusion/Mosconi display. I felt he was judging me by looking at me. I can read people really well. He was saying he wasn't looking for the boomboom, thinking I was 25. Then I showed him my demo system and talked about DSP and impressed him. It's like the start of a bad situation, but I don't let it phase me.

I just turn the situation around."

Knowledge is Power Part of the requirement of

being a shop that says yes to any job is the requirement that they live up to their word and be able to execute those impossible jobs.

To do so, training is a must. Aside from attending KnowledgeFest regularly, Blau takes his team to product trainings whenever possible and has attended industry trainings with Ken Ward of Musicar Northwest and Mobile Solutions trainings with Bryan Schmitt.

"AAMP did a training when Jason Denton and Artie Boisie came out. We did one in Baltimore with Ken Ward. I sent my shop foreman. It was amazing," Blau said. "I also go to the Atlantic City PAS show which is always fun."

The team also has regular meetings once every three weeks to discuss new products. "Sometimes I'll give them homework so at the next meeting they can tell us about the new product. I start off by asking them about their thoughts, opinions and issues. Communication is key," Blau said. "I don't have quick turn-around. My guys have told me before that I'm the best boss to work for. Stuff has to get done.

We bend over backwards for each other. I'm not a micro-manager boss. I put myself in their shoes a lot because I was there. We're a big family. We fight or fuss sometimes, but nothing crazy. I wouldn't trade it in for anybody else."

Thanks to the fair treatment the staff receive, it makes them more willing to pay it forward to the customer during busy days.

After servicing, all customers receive reusable grocery bags made of nylon, cups, pens and even free t-shirts for the higher-end clientele. Blau also saw the need to impress customers with added touches, which are explained and on full display during the qualifying phase.

The store has 6,500 total square feet of space, making it the largest shop in the area, according to Blau. me-mag.com   39

real world retail

Weak Signals

“We tried radio advertising and that was not horrible, but you have to be consistent and do long-term contracts for any ROI. I would have to say the worst experience was between a concert we decided to invest a lot of revenue in to be a headline sponsor and a boat show that was a first (and only) year event that literally no spectators showed up to.

“The concert was great and there were a ton of people at the event and a lot of them stopped to speak with us at our vendor booth, but no one came in to the store afterwards. Even after trying to reconnect with over the 30-plus people who voluntarily signed up to our contact sheet, no one followed through with their interest or came in to the shop.

“The boat show was so bad we spent all weekend speaking with other vendors and local businesses as there were little to no spectators and the cost of setup and working overtime hours was a complete waste.

“We wouldn’t have done anything differently, it’s just a live and learn situation. We would not attend or do those events or shows again. We’ll invest our money in a better form of advertising.”

The custom fabrication shop features its own roll-up bay door, climate control, full dust collection, two tables saws, two router tables and a variety of templates.

40 Mobile Electronics  February 2017

"We started implementing an installation display with basic and premium installs. There are three different wiring harnesses on display made up of other people's installs," Blau said. "There are radio harnesses taped to a Best Kits harness, with wires twisted in electrical tape.

Then we show off our basic install where you can't move a wire, then show our premium install which uses Tesa tape and has each harness soldered with a heat shrunk connection."

This practice and others were created partially due to the wide variety of work the shop sees regularly. "It's sporadic. There's a lot of custom. We do the deck and fours; remote starts; a decent amount of truck stuff like LED light bars and headlights; OEM integration; Bluetooth; USB, etc. We do a lot more SQ, not competition, but younger clients want SQ first. We do anything and everything," Blau said.

Hot Talk Marketing is done through several methods including word-of-mouth, social media, the company website and special events.

"We do lots of car shows and charity events. You actually get to talk to that person, shake their hand, show them your car and be more personable. One car show we do brings about 100,000 people out over course of a weekend. We went through a box of about 2,000 fliers last year," Blau said. "The shows aren't that expensive, either. We spend about $1,500 on a booth for the whole weekend. That works a lot. We do really well at the bigger car shows. We also do charity events like a toy drive, the March of Dimes, and Operation Once in a Lifetime, which is a military charity."

While no specific budget is outlined, Blau estimates that the store spends between five and 20 percent of its gross on marketing. Social media avenues include Yelp, Google Adwords, Facebook (13,000 followers) and Instagram (4,000 followers). "It's all natural. We've gotten customers from both Facebook and Instagram," Blau said. An in-house marketing person/graphic designer keeps track of all campaigns and also creates vectors,

The staff’s sales approach focuses on solutions, not price, which helps maximize profits and keep customers happy. graphics, apparel designs, advertising material and social media ads. "He's expanding his talents to email lists, outside vendor shows and videography," Blau added.

The website is updated regularly with customer reviews to emphasize the store's popularity. Email newsletters are also sent out, but only with the customer's permission at the end of a transaction when they provide their email address.

"I hate getting a bunch of spam mail once a week. I tell them that when I ask for their email, then ask them if it's okay to send it," Blau said. "We have a box in our POS system that gives options for how to contact them. I tell them I'll send four to six emails a year. We stick to our word and only send it out for big sales, charity shows and premiere products."

Seasonal promotions are done for major events like Black Friday, Christmas, New Year's and tax season. "We're big for power sports, marine, custom, classic cars and hot rods. There are basically three main seasons we see. Any little holidays we always do something in terms of sales or making a flier for service men and women with a military discount," Blau said.

Sky High Considering his achievements after just over three years of business, Blau has proven that his fast-paced, anything goes methods of doing business work.

Blau admits that while winning the Best Customer Experience award at KnowledgeFest and making the Top 50 multiple times wasn't easy in practice, it was enjoyable in effort.

"Even if a customer has a bad experience, we make it good. I've Uber'ed

The customer waiting area includes bathrooms, a 50inch TV, Bluray player, free Wi-Fi, a toy box for kids and couches known to facilitate customer naps.

customers home or given them a ride.

I've sent overnight shipping to make them feel appreciated. I've taken that from other customer experiences," he said. "Just because they've already spent money doesn't mean we stop working. We don't just hand them the keys.

We spend as much time with the sale as we do showing them what's in their vehicle. They appreciate that. It was a well-deserved award. We try to better the customer's experience any way we can." Customers return the favor of appreciation by way of hugs, tears, "thank you" letters and even pizzas.

For the coming year, the company seeks to further improve skills through educational trainings and build the company by putting that education to work.

"We're working on bringing in a lot more fleet lines and dealership work," Blau said.

The biggest hope for Blau is that the industry learns the same lessons he's had to learn so that the success he's enjoyed can be shared by all.

"If you put your mind to it, you can

do anything you want. It doesn't come easy. Just think differently. Don't follow the standard. Set your own standard," Blau stressed. "The big thing with us is that we're in a unique industry. You're gonna have setbacks, you're gonna get frustrated. Think more positive than negative. I've been blessed. Sitting in this same spot from where I first opened, I didn't think I'd be here. It's been an awesome ride." ď‚ľ

me-mag.com   41

 behind the scenes

MTX headquarters in Phoenix, Ariz. The company has additional facilities in Winslow, Ill., and Monroe, Wis. which house engineering teams that design and create all company products along with dozens of patents and innovations.

There are also locations in Ennis, Texas and Louisville, Ky. John Ivey serves as president of Mitek and MTX Audio. He grew up in the business attending car competitions as a child and then working at Mitek through college. He ran Mitek’s consumer divisions from 2003 to 2007 and then moved to the commercial divisions, until returning to MTX Audio recently.

Loud And Clear

After undergoing several changes in recent years, MTX is out to prove it’s about more than just pulse-pounding subwoofers.

WORDS BY JAMIE SORCHER

If you walked the North Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center at CES last month, chances are pretty good that you passed MTX Audio. Even if you didn’t see them, you probably heard them.

42 Mobile Electronics  February 2017

Now managed by John Ivey, president of Mitek, the company is forging new directions, diversifying its properties and adding new products.

“I grew up in this industry,” Ivey said.

“We lived in the factory when I was a kid. I went to IASCA events when I was a child. I grew up in this industry going to all the shows and knowing all the people.

We’ll continue to innovate. So should you.

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Join us at the only industrywide event dedicated to the growth of the mobile electronics specialist.

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 behind the scenes Even through college, I airport. When the gate worked at Mitek.” m agent picks up the John’s father, microphone and Loyd, who founded speaks—‘Delta the company and flight 213 boardstill serves as CEO, ing out of gate is considered a pioC12’—that audio neer in the industry. is turned into digThe MUDSYS31 Bluetooth Overhead audio system is designed for UTVs He maintains the ital information that include mounting-accessible roll cages. It includes 6.5-inch coaxial speak- and it is streamed vision, leadership ers that work with an integrated 280-watt power amplifier. and dedication of to a massive the company and server. We just was honored by the Consumer Technolour portfolio. Now we have everything completed the World Trade Center buildogy Association in 2013 for his 16 years from ear buds to the largest ing in New York City, and not only did of service at the time on CTA Executive audio systems in the world." we do that building for the city, we do all Boards.

For instance, the largest division of the audio for the New York City subway These days, the family-owned busiMitek is Atlas IED which Ivey estimates stations.” ness offers high-performance car, marine, to be 10 times larger than MTX. “It’s a home and street audio products to cusneat division and it allows us to Addressing Internet Injustice tomers in over 80 countries around the gain One of the big benefits with Mitek’s world. different ventures is the stability it gives “While every CES grows in attendance, the company—more so than if it was and I’m a big fan of CES—I’m on the just dependent on car audio. It has also CTA Automotive Board and the Board allowed Ivey to do some pretty amazing of Industry Leaders—there were not as things. many car audio dealers that attended “A couple years ago, for instance, we the show as there used to be,” said the decided that we were going to stop sellyounger Ivey. ing to all dealers and distributors,” Ivey Prior to the show, Ivey said he had said. “Then we re-partnered with the considered displaying some of the other ones who we knew were clean.” MTX products that Mitek makes to get more had 600 dealers, but has brought just traffic to the booth. “We could have 200 back on board so far, according to showed some more of the commerIvey. cial audio goods,” he said. “We make “We did this in an effort to clean up a VOIP speaker that is powered over the Internet,” Ivey said. “Other people Ethernet. I thought about adding talk about it, but we did something about those things into our booth to draw expoit. If we were just a car audio company, more people, but I wanted to stay true to sure to we could never have afforded to do someNorth Hall—what North Hall thing like this because it has is really supposed to be. So we cost us tens of millions of dolReleased at CES 2016, the S65 subwoofer series haven’t done anything like that lars. But now, when a customer is designed to deliver unmatched SPL output using a as of yet.” walks into your store, you are patented surround design, according to the company. guaranteed the margin. That Not Just Subs customer can Google everything When most people think of MTX, the technology that is coming—future he wants, but he won’t find it for less.” what first comes to mind is, “Oh, yeah, technology,” he said.

Along those lines, MTX does not sell they’re the company that makes subwoofBasically, what the company does is on the Internet. The company does have ers.” (Thunder9500, RFL, Jackhammer). digital audio transport. “Our system runs its own products up on its site with the “We do that, but we do a lot more,” Ivey 80 percent of the world’s international MSRPs so that people can see what the said, who has been running the commerairports,” Ivey said. “You have probably value is, but that is the extent of it. cial side of things for the last six years. heard a woman who works for us and “We have people whose full-time job “MTX is really where our company was she is the voice of all the airports. So the it is to make sure nothing drops below founded, then grew. That has allowed us voice you hear at JFK is that same voice MAP online,” Ivey said. “We are going to to invest in other companies and expand you will hear in Orlando or Vegas, or protect the dealer. Retailers are buying Hong Kong. It’s the same voice at each inventory and need to know they can sell

44 Mobile Electronics  February 2017

An important stop on the tradeshow circuit, MTX showed off its wares at the SEMA Show last fall in front of 60,000 domestic and international buyers. There were more than 2,500 items in the New Product Showcase. that same subwoofer and selling it for what it was bought for. It is an CES, the largest trade show in North America, drew unfortunate reality more than 177,000 attendees for 2016 and was tracking in today’s world." to be even larger in 2017. This year’s show—which marked With MTX the 50th anniversary of CES—had more than 3,800 exhibproduct, Ivey said, itors. retailers that subwoofer or amplifier at a profit. If don’t have to worry about it any longer. a manufacturer’s product is all over the “Before it would ever get to that point, Internet at all different prices, the dealer we would step in and make sure that the might not even know. Then a kid walks dealer brought the price back up or we into the shop and brings up on his phone would take the product back,” he said. some other shop across town or around “We would do whatever we have to do to the world that may be overstocked on make sure that no one violates the MAP.”

Specialty Shops Build Brands With the massive sweep of its retail -ers, MTX has made the independents its top priority. “We are focused on specialty audio,” Ivey said. “Specialty audio shops build brands. The Internet, if uncontrolled, harvests them. Dirty distributors harvest them as well. We have been in the brand rebuilding process for the last couple of years and I don’t have any intention to go back into the big box shops. Now it is about rebuilding the brand and choosing strategic partners.

We believe that it will pay off in the end.”

Hear This!

MTX has released a lot of products over the years.

Here are a few classics worth highlighting:

2001 - The RFL 152 is designed for SPL competition. According to MTX, this is the rudest, most intense subwoofer ever invented. It’s aggressive, obnoxious and totally over the top. At 15 inches and 56 pounds with 4.35 inches of total, peakto-peak excursion, it’s a die-cast monstrosity of pure ear-blisterin’ meter-peggin’ aggression.

2004 - The Thunder9500 subwoofers (shown at the 2004 CES)—available in 10-inch, 12-inch, and 15-inch versions—each weigh in at over 50 pounds each.

2005 - At 370 pounds, The Jackhammer subwoofer, according to MTX, is the largest production car subwoofer manufactured in the world and has held that record since its introduction at CES in January of 2005. me-mag.com 45

 behind the scenes The CANAM-10 amplified subwoofer enclosure for Can-Am Maverick and Commander models adds another option to its product line of UTV and side by side audio products. The rotationally molded polyethylene enclosures are weather resistant, durable and include 10-inch 250-watt RMS subwoofers and 250-watt Class D onboard amplifiers.

The RZRPOD65 was designed specifically for Polaris RZR side-by-side vehicles. The pods are rotationally molded and have an all-weather enclosure that houses a 6.5-inch full range coaxial speaker.

Not only are specialty shops where Ivey sees the business, but also with certain product categories like UTV and motorcycle audio. “We see this as a growing market,” he said. “Most of the dealers who understand the MTX philosophy truly embrace it and almost everything we sell. So they will carry full car audio line, marine, UTV and motorcycle.”

Even so, there are not really any set minimums. “We are pretty open,” Ivey said. “The only way we can protect the margin for our dealers is to not make them buy product that they don’t want and that they can’t sell. We try not to give a lot of minimums—we’ll give additional benefits if you buy more—but we’re letting our dealers work with us on what they need and what they can sell. Have you ever heard the saying, ‘A loaded dealer is a loyal dealer?’ It’s no longer true. Now a loaded dealer is going to be a transshipping dealer or a dealer who dumps something online. We don’t like loaded dealers because it tarnishes your brand. Dealers have to make money to put back in their pockets so they can buy other inventory that they can sell or they will dump it online.”

One Standard For All Looking ahead, Ivey is optimistic. He expects the 12-volt world will continue to expand because there are a lot of smart products coming out.

46 Mobile Electronics  February 2017

“Driver safety, for example, will con tinue to grow,” Ivey said. “The age of the cars on the road is getting older and older all the time, so people want to add new features without buying a vehicle. Cars are made better nowadays and they cost a lot more, too. So people are keeping their cars longer. So, yes, the 12-volt world still has a lot of growth potential.”

One upcoming concept for MTX is something Ivey was eager to convey. “It’s called NEXThunder,” he said. “We have been working on it for years. It is what will make hundreds of dealers come back and want to reintroduce Mitek and MTX products to their stores.”

Essentially, it is a vehicle-specific audio upgrade package, Ivey said. It was not shown at CES, but will make its formal debut soon. “The goal is to have upgrade packages for 200 vehicles done by the end of this year. KnowledgeFest is where I am thinking we will do the big introduction. I don’t show anything that I am not shipping.”

When it comes to strictly audio-video in the car, Ivey said there are going to be some changes in the industry. “I was at a vehicle conference that the CTA had in Silicon Valley recently and some of the automotive manufacturers informed us that they do not like us putting aftermarket products on the CAN bus,” Ivey said.

“They said they were going to lock down a lot of features going forward on the

CAN bus. Well, that conference actually changed our product roadmap. We have CAN bus engineers on staff and we had a product being developed that was going to use the vehicle’s network, but after hearing that, we decided that we’re going to build our own network inside the vehicle instead. I hope that as an industry, other people will offer open APIs that we can talk to so different manufacturers’ products all work together on a single network.”

For the aftermarket especially, Ivey said, there needs to be standardization.

“With an open API, our products could all talk to one another,” he pointed out. “You could have an interface from AudioControl plugged in and running a single cable over to your MTX amplifier and still offer the full control and monitoring. But no one company can do it on its own. It will have to be a consortium, a group effort.”

The biggest beneficiary of something like this would be the consumer. “If we can come up with a network that we all share, then a customer can simply walk in and say, ‘I want this video monitor.

What does it take to install?’ And the installer will say, ‘All we have to do is plug it in.’ It is one wire. They don’t have to rip up any carpet. They don’t have to cut holes in the firewall. It is a single CAT-5 connection. And that’s how a lot of products work today. We just haven’t done it in the vehicle space yet.” 

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 tech today

The Showcase Build The second part of Joey Knapp’s feature focuses on how to finish the enclosure from part one, plus how to fabricate the front trim plate.

WORDS BY JOEY KNAPP

I

n the last article I talked briefly about my history with Porsches. We then began to look at a recent build I worked on at Simplicity In Sound.

The build was for a Porsche 911 that was going to be in the Arc Audio booth at the 2016 SEMA show. When the car arrived at Simplicity In Sound, it was in fairly stock-looking form. It was evident that quite a bit of time and detail had already gone into the planning and execution of the build so far. The engine was an incredibly beautiful work of art. An

48 Mobile Electronics  February 2017

PART

appealing mix of carbon fiber and copper plated or painted pieces were used on the rebuilt engine. Taking a peek underneath the car, it looked like the entire underside had been treated with the same level of detail. Everything was completely clean and either painted or in a stock, refurbished form. It was hard to believe the car was 26 years old.

The colors and materials used on the engine carried through to the interior of the Porsche as well. A simple blend of carbon fiber, tan leather and black

2

accents created a timelessly classic look for the interior. The result was a car that had a classic, yet modern and somewhat race-inspired feel. It was hard for me to imagine how the car would change with the RWB conversion, but I was beginning to think that it was going to be pretty special.

Last month, we finished up with the basic enclosure. We are going to start this month by looking at the fabrication of the front trim plate, as well as the remaining pieces to finish the enclosure. Once that

2

is wrapped up, we will move on to building the amplifier mounting frame system and the surfboard holder.

Trim Plate Prep I was pretty excited to build the front trim plate of the enclosure. I had a new tool (tool, toys, either one, right?) from Mobile Solutions that I was going to be using. I had seen pictures of people using the new Smart Frame System, the Axis Shape Creator, on Instagram. Now it was my turn to give it a shot and see how it

worked. The set consists of a number of straight, arc, corner and connecting pieces. Each of the pieces have either evenly spaced holes, or notched slots. The pieces with the holes are the base pieces.

The underside of the holes on the base pieces are chamfered. The chamfer allows a countersunk head bolt to be placed in it, flush. The bolt extends upward and one of the top pieces can be placed on it. The assembly is then secured with a washer and a generously sized threaded knob. The idea of the system is that the

One of the many possible shapes I came up with using the Smart Frame System.

STEP 3

The two windows in the front trim plate would be for providing access to seeing the subwoofer in the enclosure, as well as viewing the Arc Audio PS8. I had left a large opening on the enclosure for the window, but the piece that would have to dictate the window size and shape would be the PS8.

Typically, when I am making a window for something, I will sketch out a number of different possible designs. The sketches aren’t always 100 percent proportionally correct, and I have had a number of instances when building the piece resulted in something that didn’t quite work correctly.

A benefit of the Axis system I didn’t think about was the ability to quickly and easily try different shapes and designs and see them as they would actually be. I experimented with a number of different options before I came up with the final design for the window. I was able to design some pretty cool ideas, but in the end I used a fairly simple design that would

pieces can be assembled to create an endless variety of templates. By loosening the knobs, the whole template can be shifted to alter the shape with minimal work required. The knobs also give you something to firmly hold onto when cutting the template out using a router. A nice touch is the included storage tray for the hardware. Each washer, nut and bolt have a specific spot in the acrylic holder.

My final design for the window opening. Also pictured is the organizing tray for the Frame System hardware.

match the theme of the build.

The shape I chose was a rounded-corner rectangle with the addition of a chamfered accent on one side. My first plan was for the accent to be on the bottom, but once I started working with the shape, I thought it lent itself better to being on the top. I attached all the pieces together with the hardware and snugged down on the knobs.

One thing I did find I needed to do was check the squareness of the piece before the final tightening. Because of the flexibility of the system, there is nothing to center the pieces, so that has to be checked manually. Since this was my first time using the Axis Shape Creator, I wasn’t sure what to expect. I used a scrap piece of ¼-inch MDF for a test run of cutting out the shape. I applied the double-sided router tape and attached the template to the piece of wood.

me-mag.com 49

 tech today

The knobs included in the kit provide convenient “handles” for manipulating on the router table.

The final result was a nice, clean profile.

The front trim plate duplicate was rabbeted down for the creation of the lip template.

STEP 4

I had already made the front trim plate to fit the enclosure and line up with the contours of the car. This is the piece I would use for the lip. I started the lip by making a copy of the trim plate, so I could keep an original of the whole shape. The copy was cut from ½-inch MDF. I then used a 1-inch XLR rabbet bit from 12vtools.com set to cut about 3/16-inch.

I made the rabbeting pass on the top portion of the trim plate. This gave me a lip that a regular ¼-inch spiral bit could follow. I made another pass with the ¼-inch bit, cutting off the top section of the plate. This top section was the lip I needed, already perfectly contoured on the top and the bottom. I duplicated the lip twice on ½-inch MDF. The two pieces would give me a 1-inch lip.

When the front plate was inserted, the resulting overhang would be 5/8 of an inch, when paired with a 3/8-inch thick front

50 Mobile Electronics  February 2017

The lip was cut off the trim plate with a ¼-inch spiral bit.

plate. Just enough of a lip to give the effect I wanted. The windows on each side allowed access to viewing the inside of the enclosure and the PS8. I had to take a step back at this point and think about the lighting I would use. The fixed portion of the build right now would be the subwoofer side. All of the measurements and thicknesses accounted for a ¾-inch acrylic window over the opening. The front trim plate would sit on top of the acrylic and the window trim rings would insert on top of the opening.

The PS8 side would be a little different. On this side, the PS8 would be visible. I did not want to mount it behind a piece of acrylic. To address lighting the PS8, I planned on making an additional layer to the window trim ring on that side. The additional layer would be 3/8-inch acrylic. The acrylic window would give me the opportunity to add lighting to the PS8.

A quick hole was drilled for the ¼-inch spiral router bit to come through and then I began to cut out the shape. I was surprised how sturdy the piece felt when I was cutting. The knobs made manipulating the piece around the router table seem very safe and secure. As you can see in the picture above, the result was a very clean, uniform shape.

CUTTING THE TRIM PLATE Cutting the Trim Plate

With the window shape created, it was time to move on to cutting out the actual front trim plate. I used the top of the enclosure as a template for the top of the shape. The shape of the bottom and sides of the plate were dictated by the car.

My initial idea was that the front plate would sit flush on the face of the enclosure. After looking at it while I was making it, I thought it might be a little plain. To add more excitement to the transition, I used an interesting design element of the Porsche dash. The face of the dashboard is a flat surface that is black. The top and bottom are upholstered pieces that come out and wrap into the flat dash. I planned on using this sort of idea for the enclosure. The idea is that I would add a lip on the top of the enclosure and the trim plate would set into that lip, resulting in a feel similar to that of the dash.

The stacked lip pieces were glued onto the front of the enclosure.

STEP 4

The window for the Arc Audio PS8 and the corresponding acrylic piece.

My plan was to attach some strip LEDs to the back side of the acrylic, making a fully lighted ring when turned on. To light the inside of the enclosure, I made a small metal bracket. The bracket was made from a 12-inch piece of ½-inch angle iron and a 1 ½-inch piece of 1/8-inch flat bar. I bent a 2-inch piece of the flat bar at a slight angle and then welded it to the angle iron. I then drilled three mounting holes into the flat bar tab. Once I had painted the piece, I attached two 12-inch strips of LEDs to both inside angles of the angle iron. This configuration would help maximize the light dispersion in the enclosure.

The windows were inserted into the front trim plate and filler was used to blend them to the panel.

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 tech today

The back of the front trim plate was primed and painted black. Here, the tape that protected the suede from the paint is being removed.

Note the flush-mounted magnets.

The underside of the enclosure was also primed and painted, for a finished look.

SHAPING THE RINGS Shaping the Rings Now that I had the lighting plans taken care of, I continued on with the front trim plate. The next step was to work on the window trim rings that will mount on the front trim plate. I had my template set, which I made with the Axis system, and now I just needed to make the outer perimeter. I used a 1-inch radius corner template and some straight pieces of wood to cut out the outer shape. I had to leave enough material in the width of the window piece to allow for the deep chamfer that I had planned on using. In addition, I built in another 1/8-inch to the width.

The additional width would allow me to use that piece as a plug when molding in the windows to the front trim plate.

Once the windows were molded in, I could reduce them 1/8inch and have the clearance I needed for a snug fit once they were upholstered. (I talked about this technique last month, too.

The alternative is that the window could be cut to final shape and foam tape used to add space for upholstery, when molded in.)

Now that I had the template for the windows, I duplicated the shape onto two pieces of ¾-inch MDF. I needed to do a number of machining steps to the windows. The first step was to chamfer the inside of each window. Both pieces of ¾-inch were still stuck together with template tape. I popped off the window

52 Mobile Electronics  February 2017

template and set up a 45-degree chamfer bit in the router.

Having both pieces still stuck together gave me more clearance between the bit and my hands.

Additionally, a router shield could be used to hold the piece while machining. I chamfered the inner opening in two steps, so I wasn’t removing too much material at once. This is a safer technique than trying to cut out massive amounts at one time.

I cut the opening until the inside edge was only about 1/16-inch thick. That was the maximum amount of depth I could add to the piece. I flipped over the two windows and then cut the other side again, in two steps. Leaving the two pieces together gave the bearing more surface area to ride on during the final pass.

Instead of having just 1/16-inch to ride on if I cut the pieces separately, now it had 1/8-inch. This helps to maintain the precision in the lines and helps avoid any unwanted dents or nicks.

Because I had to now machine the other sides of the windows, I had to separate them. The next step was to rabbet the back side of the windows. The rabbet would allow the window to drop into the opening on the front trim plate, and keep the window not only centered, but also secured in place. I didn’t want the windows to protrude too much, so I machined them down so there was just a ¼-inch lip.

To help with applying the filler in a uniform manner, I used a large diameter router bearing to draw a 1 ¼-inch line around the perimeter of the window. This would give me a rough guide to follow when building up the filler around the window. I mixed together some Duraglass, filler and microspheres, forming a thick substance. I added in the hardener and The dual angle LEDs helped to illuminate applied it to the panel. I used the inside of the enclosure. the top edge of the window, and the line I had drawn as a Ready For Molding guide for the spreader to follow.

The windows were ready to be molded I spent some extra time ensuring the in, so it was just a matter of cutting the application was smooth. The smoother openings for them in the modified front the filler is applied, the less work that is trim plate. Again, I called on some radius required to smooth it down when sandcorner templates and straight pieces of ing. We all like less work, right? When wood to cut the opening. Molding the the filler hit the green stage (not hard windows into the trim plate was the next and not soft), I knocked down some high thing on my list. I taped up the edges of points with 36-grit sand paper. Once the the windows and snapped them in place filler had completely hardened, I used on the trim plate. I was going to use body a DA sander to smooth and blend the filler to form a smooth transition from filler. When I was happy with the result, I the plate up to the window. popped out the two windows.

The knobs included in the kit provide convenient “handles” for manipulating on the router table.

To allow the windows to fit back in once they—and the panel—were upholstered, I used a slight rabbet bit to shave off enough of the outer material to provide the necessary clearance.

It had to be fairly easy to remove the front trim plate from the enclosure, to provide access to the Arc Audio PS8.

My favorite device for quick and easy removal of panels is the magnet. If you have seen any of my other fabrication articles, you know I have a pretty standard way of using magnets for fastening.

I start by using template tape to attach the two pieces in the position I need them in. Once attached, I use a 1/8-inch drill bit to drill center holes where I want the magnets to be. The final step is to separate the pieces and use a Forstner bit to recess mounting holes for the magnets.

I use CA glue when gluing in the magnets. I always try to scuff up the glue side of the magnet with some rough sandpaper. I attached all the necessary magnets onto the front trim plate and prepared for upholstery.

Ready For Leather The enclosure and window trim rings were upholstered with leather supplied by the car owner. The leather was much thicker than any material I had used in the past, so it was quite a challenge to cover the pieces I had made.

The front trim plate was upholstered in black Alacantara (keeping with the theme of the dash panel being dark). I made sure to also prime and paint the exposed wood on the enclosure and front trim plate. I wanted the build to have a “finished” look whether apart or together.

Next time, we are going to get into some serious metalworking. Not only did this build utilize a metal amplifier mounting frame, but also a very unique surfboard holder. We will look at the fabrication of both of those in the next installment.

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 installs

Top of the Arc SUBMITTED BY BRIAN MITCHELL, ARC AUDIO

During the day, Brian Mitchell puts his energy into his day job at Arc Audio, while sweating it out in his own shop, Liquid Trends Modesto, on nights and weekends. When the opportunity arose for him to build a show car to display at CES, Mitchell decided to use his 2014 Cadillac ELR to bring his worlds together for all to see.

The build includes all Arc Audio speakers and accessories, including two SE 4200 and one SE 2300 amplifier, two 15-inch subwoofers, a PS8 controller and BTM Bluetooth module. A Sony RSX-GS9 head unit was also installed.

54 Mobile Electronics  February 2017

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 installs

Shot Heard ‘Round the Floor

SUBMITTED BY MARTY DEANE, SOUNDZ PLUS, WARRENVILLE, ILL.

To create a memorable build for the Sony booth at CES 2017, Marty Deane took this 2016 Polaris Slingshot to town by equipping it with the Sony XAV-AX100, which features a 6.4-inch screen and is compatible with both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The sound system included Sony GS-series amplifiers and speakers, with fiberglass speaker pods used to house speakers and XK Glow LED lighting used for accenting.

56 Mobile Electronics  February 2017

Mini Warthog SUBMITTED BY CHRIS HILBERT, SOUND DECISIONS, RACINE, WISC.

After building up a Ford Expedition for the U.S. Air Force that brought the shop widespread attention from the media and customers, Sound Decisions was asked again to create something special. The shop was asked to turn a golf cart into an A-10 Warthog. The build was batterypowered, running on a 42-volt system. Products used included Memphis Car Audio MXA692 and MXA445 coaxials and a Sony DSX-M55BT head unit. The engines were made out of 8-inch PVC. The shop constructed flanges for the front and rear of the engines using some math skills and router bits.

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me-mag.com 57

Fostering Growth for the Connected Car Creating an Environment of Connectivity Confidence

A

utomakers continue to boast about the Connected Car as if it was somehow their idea. They may very well have the edge with consumer perception, however, it was the automotive aftermarket that created some of the first connectivity solutions. Connectivity can also be defined in more than one fashion. Some view it as adding cloud connected technologies to the automobile and others view it as connecting devices or products to the automobile. Regardless of your understanding, both definitions are true.

Some predictions state that by 2020, over 250 million cars worldwide will be connected to the Internet. What does this mean for the aftermarket? It should relate to more market awareness for the technologies we have available to sell and install today. So, what does it mean for our industry? Consumers are searching for solutions to connect their automobile to the cloud and take advantage of new technologies for their current automobile that may only be available in newer models.

Consumers will look to you for upgrading what they drive today to make the technology new again. The benefit to you? More business!

How To Plan When reviewing your marketing plan make sure to take into account that consumers, especially younger consumers, are demanding connectivity in their vehicles. OEMs and aftermarket companies alike are responding by offering more connectivity options and choices. To do it right however, these options must be connected in a way that instills consumer confidence in the performance of both OEM and aftermarket products. The technologies need to ensure safety, vehicle compliance and the ability to upgrade and interface with whatever the latest automotive and consumer electronics technologies become available in the future.

As technology visionaries continue to redefine the automobile, the automotive industry, as well as connected driving experiences and aftermarket engineers, are collaborating and integrating the latest connected and advanced driving assistance systems and technologies into today’s vehicles. They are also designing tomorrow’s vehicles to include next-generation connected and automated driving technologies and sensor systems.

The goal should be delivering a more synchronized OEM,

58 Mobile Electronics  February 2017

aftermarket and technology product strategy. Solutions that will help drivers take full advantage of the connected lifestyle as well as the active safety technologies onboard many of today’s new vehicles, as well as new aftermarket products available for upgrading and retrofitting existing vehicles.

Consumer Connections When consumers feel that they are connecting with confidence, and that the aftermarket solution will perform as well (and/or better than the OEMs) we will again have the advantage. To create this confidence, we as an industry must step up our game. The technology solution must be rock-solid in its performance.

Letting consumers become part of the beta-development process is and never was an acceptable practice. Automakers have suffered with creating confidence in their connected technologies in many ways. Over the years, they have continued to make strides in creating easier user interfaces and more seamless connectivity. But during this time of development they have also experienced complaints from consumers for technologies that have not delivered on that seamless performance.

A Learning Experience Aftermarket technology providers need to heed that lesson and make every effort to create solutions that make the consumer experience better than OEM. Specialty retailers need to make sure they fully understand the best practices for installing and integrating technologies that leave consumers feeling confident in their upgrade.

When both OEM and aftermarket work together the outcome is a better experience for consumers. So, take the time to learn the best techniques for integrating the latest technologies. The result of your efforts will keep consumers spending to upgrade the technology in their automobile and feel confident in our industry’s ability to deliver!

UNLOCKING

THE

12-VOLT’S GREATEST SUCCESS STORIES LIVE BY OUR CODE RULE #1: SELL PRODUCTS YOU CAN COUNT ON RULE #2: GET THEM FROM A BRAND WHO’S GOT YOUR BACK RULE #3: EARN THE MARGIN YOU DESERVE This isn’t like wiring in a transponder bypass. It’s just common sense. That’s why CODE ALARM is the top choice of 12-volt specialists nationwide. Because for us, it’s all about helping dealers do what they do best.

From our remote start systems packing Superior Range Technology to the world’s first Bluetooth telematics devices, we design our products for quality, starting with your ideas. Our dealer pricing gets you the latest gear at a cost that’s easy to work with. And if you get stuck, our MECP certified technicians will stand by you every step of the way. We honor the code, and we’re honored to partner with dealers who live by it. So, together, let’s keep those success stories coming.

“With the support we get from Voxx, combined with the features of Code Alarm, the Code Alarm brand is the go-to line at Sound FX for security and remote start” - Brian Layton (Vice President)

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