We have updated our entire Rockford Fosgate range over the past few weeks to the new 2011 products and wow are we impressed.

The new design of the 2011 product range is absolutely stunning. They have gone for a toned down, sleek look but dont be fooled, these subs still pack a monumental punch!

Check out the latest Range Here

Fusion audio have released a new range of car audio products to an already overcrowded market place in an attempt to re claw some of the success captured from years ago. The New Fusion products retain a similar feel and are based on a concept that has always shown success in the past. Three new ranges consisting of CS, CP (Performance) & PP (Powerplant) are now available to buy, But are they any good?

The most noticeable change fusion have made to the product range is the design. A more desirable “sleek & stylish” finish has been added to all the products in the range in particular the AM amps, which now look on par with the more fashionable Massive Audio amps as well as other brands. However its the PS range that have undergone the largest visual changes when compared to the previous “Ugly” Reactor series. The new understated styling the PS range now offers makes them one of prettier product ranges on the market and certainly one which can be shown off with pride.

As nice as a good looking sub is, Car audio isn’t just about the visual design. Most people buy the products to be heard as well as seen. So how does Fusion stack up in this department?

Looking at the vital statistics our first observation is that the performance has decreased! Power ratings have decreased slightly compared to the previous years ranges. However Fusion have been quite cleaver & introduced new technology to improve key areas to help improve the overall quality of the products. An example of this is more evident in the AM series amps, where a new method of thermal transfer has been introduced. Keeping amps cool has always been the key to quality performance over a long period & it looks like fusion have now cracked part of the puzzle.

What Fusion have done very cleverly is introduce a new and improved product range, dramatically improving the look and feel of the products at the same time keeping the performance & brand identity. The new range to 2011 is bound to be a big success with the current fusion fans as well as introducing a few new friendly faces to their audience.  

With all the talk of radio following Televisions footsteps and becoming a digital service, it can be quite confusing as to what this will mean for your car. In this short blog I will go through the available options on the market today and try to help you find the best solution for your needs.

Firstly, lets look at what DAB actually means for you. The government aim to swap to the digital radio service around 2015. When this happens all of your favourite radio stations will cease to broadcast on the FM wavelength. The only way to pick up these stations will be using a DAB system. If your vehicle does not have DAB already this means you will need to convert your existing set-up.

Integration – Many of the big names in car audio are currently producing kits that will connect to your existing factory spec radio and allow you to listen to DAB stations. These kits are already in the advanced stages or manufacture and we have even had the pleasure of testing a couple of them. Tucking neatly out of site behind the dashboard, the integrated kits offer the ability to hide the kit and simply operate your car stereo as normal. Expect the basic level integration kits to be around the £100-150 mark.

New Stereo – There are a selection of DAB Car Radio’s on the market already. These units have the digital receivers built in and offer an excellent all round solution. The downside is that you will have to replace your factory stereo which is not everyone’s cup of tea. You can find DAB Car Radio’s for around £120.

Separate Unit – Some companies have developed separate units which run along side your stereo and connect via Auxiliary. A good example of this is the Pure Highway. Separate tuners have the advantage of being able to move from vehicle to vehicle and they will also cost slightly less however they are not of the same quality solution as the two I have already ran through. You can find the separate tuners for around £40-80.

All of the solutions I have mentioned will require a DAB aerial to work to there full potential. Again there are many different types of aerial and it is a good idea to speak to the company you use to get advice as to which design will suit your needs best.

For the majority of the UK, Digital media is slowly being implemented in the form of TV. The government are turning off the analogue broadcast in favour of digital services such as Freeview or Sky. The government have now drawn up plans to do exactly the same for radio, favouring DAB over the current FM wavelength.

DAB has been in the public eye for along time now. The first systems were being advertised as far back as the mid 90’s however the technology has progressed massively over the last 5years with more people taking the service up. A lot of homes now have DAB in one form or another, whether its a separate receiver or through a digital TV service. Now things are moving on the mobile front and Digital radio is becoming more and more present in the automotive industry.

I have a lot of people asking me when buying a new stereo whether they should look for DAB solutions. My response was always the same, ‘When manufacturers offer it as standard then we know that the change over will be immanent’. Well the time has come, manufacturers are lining up DAB solutions straight from the factory for release now. So what are the key things that you need to know about DAB?

The time-scale that the government has put in place predicts that the switch-over will happen sometime around 2015. This may seem like along way off right now but that is a rough time frame, if the uptake is better than predicted we may be forced to upgrade sooner. The switch-over will happen when 50% of vehicles in the UK are able to receive the signal and when the signal covers more than 98% of the country. These figures may seem high however they are well on track to being achieved.

DAB offers a huge range of stations which FM cannot cope with. It allows fantastic audio quality when compared to the analogue broadcast as well as a more consistent stream. No longer will you have to listen to the crackling and hissing as the station drops in and out.

There are going to be a range of choices when it comes to getting yourself ready for the digital switch-over. Which of the solutions you choose will depend on your vehicle and your budget. They range from simply swapping your factory head unit for a DAB car stereo to a fully integrated solution with the factory spec unit. Look out for my next blog when I will be running through each of the options.

The New Oxygen O Car stereo has just been released onto the UK Market. The product specifically released for iPhone is provided with cases which connect into the docking system holding your phone secure & in Place.

Being a little experimental he we thought we’d try the new O Car system with other iPod’s we have lying around the office & Shop. It turns out the stereo also works with the iPod Touch 2g through to 4g. The apps for the radio and system set up can be downloaded via iTunes and used in the same way as the iPhone.

We did however find that the O-Car only works with the newer OS. One of the iTouches with 3.2 would play the radio fine, however non of the music would play through the stereo. A simple upgrade soon corrected this issue though.

If you were looking to use the o car with an iPod there are a few things that you expect not to work correctly.

Firstly as there are no O-Car cases to connect securely into the dock, so you will probably have a loose / tight connection.

Secondly the iPods we tested needed a case to sit in the dock. Without a case the iPod simply falls loose and connection is lost regularly.

Thirdly the case may restrict the iPod docking horizontally back into the stereo. The Case we used was too large and would only sit upright.

Finally, and some what obviously non of the apps specific to iPhone (or that need a internet connection) will work correctly in the O-Car stereo using an iPod touch. Apps like google maps, youtube, petrolbuddy and many many more are made useless by the lack of wifi. Which in the opinion of us in the office and Shop is the point of the system millions of useful apps at your finger tips. Its Still an excellent stereo & well worth the modest price tag.  

 We’ve had the Oxygen O-Car stereos in for a few days now, and tested a couple of the units we have remaining (These things are going out faster than hot cakes). The full review will follow soon however we just wanted inform you guys of a couple of the good and bad points.

First point to notice is the simple & sleek design. Which means it will sit well in all cars (Well the large majority anyway). We have had them in a few cars now and they look like an upgraded version of the factory unit. Even better when the iPhone is connected. As you would expect the device runs as smooth as the iPhone its self (seeing that the app’s are specifically made for it). So lets get down to a few of the specifics

Docking the iPhone.

The stereo comes with a O-Car iPhone case which enables the iPhone to sit flush into the dock. The dock application is smooth and keeps the iPhone Tightly held in place when connected. Once docked the iPhone works as the stereo. You can access the radio through the O-Car App or any other Web Radio app you may have downloaded by selecting the app in the usual way.

We have also tried using an iPod Touch with the apps downloaded which do work, however there isn’t a specific O-Car Case so it may not sit very well in the dock (We had issues with ours). Another issue we had when using the iPod Touch was playing the music. We tried the iPod which had OS 3.1. Non of the music would play through the stereo however we updated the OS which seemed to resolve the issue.

Horizontal Album Selection.

One of the smaller issues we noticed is actually more of an issue with Apple OS. When the iPhone is horizontal in iPod mode it only shows tracks which are added to albums. None of the non album tracks display until vertical again. This probably wont be an issue for the vast majority of people however it does mean that if you dont group your music files to an album you will be better off using vertical.

Shake to Shuffle.

This will probably catch a lot of you out to start with. If you have Shake to shuffle switched on you will notice that a lot of the tracks will skip forward when you go over a bump in the road. We couldn’t figure out why some of the tacks skipped until it clicked a few hours later

Thats it for a few of our findings for now however a full review is coming soon, & you can see the first of a few videos on youtube here.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gWZKlmyDyrU

I was lucky enough to have a look at Oxygen Audio’s brand new concept, the O-Car, earlier this month at the M.E.N. Expo 2011. This is what I thought of possibly 2011’s product of the year.

To say I was looking forward to getting my hands on an O-Car was an understatement, I had actually contacted Oxygen directly months ago in the hope of securing a demo model. On first impressions the unit looks quite basic and unappealing unless you know what this product is all about. Once you dock your iPhone into the surprisingly sturdy docking system the whole things bursts into life.

The dock itself is nothing short of impressive. It comes with a special protective case for your iPhone which also helps you locate it when placing you phone into the dock. The dock comes out from the unit around 2inchs and allows you to swivel the iPhone in a 360 x 180 arc meaning that you can eliminate any glare or ensure that you can always see where your sat nav is taking you. Should you choose to, the dock will also go flat to the stereo allowing the iPhone to sit horizontally on the front of the unit creating the illusion that the iPhone is actually part of the stereo itself.

The O-Cars greatest strength comes from its lack of features and controls. This may sound like I have lost my marbles but let me explain. Unlike conventional stereos where an iPhone connects via cable and you can select songs to play using the stereos controls, the O-Car does not have any controls. The only thing you can do is turn the volume up and down. The O-Cars features and controls are purely down to what apps you have installed onto your iPhone. If you have the TomTom or similar app then you have a fully built in Satnav, if you have a Pandora app then you have Internet Radio built into your car. Changing the features is as simple as visiting the Apple store and picking up the latest apps. Oxygen Audio have even released there own apps to allow you to control the basic radio and equalizer functions.

Oxygen have meant business with this product and are set to take on the big boys in car audio such as Sony with there TuneTray DSX range. All the components are high quality and the built in 52×4w amp sounds nice and crisp. Unfortunately the demo unit I had chance to use did not have any sub woofers or tweeters hooked up so it would be unfair of me to rate the true quality of the music from this stereo yet. I will be doing a full test in the next fortnight when we receive our first shipment. In my eyes the £250 price tag that has been placed on these units is extremely reasonable. When you consider the competition in this price bracket, the Oxygen O-Car is in a league of its own.

My expectations for the Oxygen O-Car were very high with all the hype and media frenzy that has built up over the last 6months. On first impressions I can see that it has been worth the wait. Despite only using the stereo for a short space of time it has given me a glimpse of what is possible and I want more. This will be the biggest car entertainment product of 2011 and rightly so. I will be testing the unit over the next few months with a full review to come soon after.

The Oxygen O-Car is set to take the car audio world by storm. This will the product of the year, possibly even the decade.

It is now a well known fact that car stereos are moving to digital media at an ever increasing pace. 10Years ago a car stereo that did not play CD’s or even cassettes would have been a ludicrous idea, nowadays its what people want. Why carry a large wallet of CD’s that will get scratched and damaged when you can have your whole music collection on a card the size of your thumb nail?

There have been two major developments in the last 12months in the way we connect digital media to our vehicles, namely our iPods. Sony released their latest concept, the TuneTray, last September. This was met with much anticipation from the industry and public alike, featuring full speed digital media control and a connect anything attitude, Sony have had a big success with the DSX range. Starting at only £100, the TuneTray is not a technology that is exclusively for the rich and famous, it is available to everyone.

You may have never heard of Oxygen Audio. They were a fairly small French audio manufacturer until they had an idea that will again change the way we use our digital media. The O-Car is Oxygen Audio’s take on how we should integrate digital media into our daily lives. It features a similar concept to the TuneTray in that it only caters for the digital world of music, leaving CD and Cassette firmly behind however it currently only caters for iPhones. What it does with the iPhone is why I am sat here today comparing these two innovations. Conventional stereo’s will connect your iPhone via a cable or USB port, the O-Car allows your iPhone to BECOME the stereo.

I have had chance to use both systems, below are my findings.

Idea

The TuneTray was and still is a fantastic and innovative idea. The ability to connect any piece of USB hardware and hide it away within the stereo is unrivalled. No other stereo on the market can do what the TuneTray range can.

The O-Car is also innovative in how it turns your iPhone into a car stereo. This is easily the best way to integrate your iPhone into your car. The down side to this particular idea is that it has to be an iPhone 3GS or newer and has to be plugged into the stereo for anything to be heard. The radio is controlled by an app developed by Oxygen themselves.

Features

The TuneTray range has a huge list of features including bluetooth, multiple USB ports and high end equalizer controls. It comes with everything you would expect from a high end stereo.

The O-Car allows you to provide the features! It comes with the standard RCA pre outs and high power amplifier that you would expect but it also enables you to use any features or apps that you have downloaded to your iPhone. You can use a TomTom sat nav app with it whilst listening to music, or make calls using a connected microphone. You can even turn your car into Digital Radio using apps such as Pandora or Spotify. The possibilities are only limited by the apps you buy.

Cost

Sony have been very clever in the way that they have branded the TuneTray. They haven’t just made it exclusive to a single, high priced model in there range, they have created a whole range around the idea. Starting at only £100 for the basic DXS-S100 model and reaching £200 for the DSX-S300BTX, Sony have made the TuneTray accessible for everyone.

Oxygen Audio do not have the luxury of having multiple models due to the concept behind the unit. They have however priced the O-Car at a price that is very affordable. At £250 the O-Car is towards the top of the Single Din price range but for the features and quality of the unit I would still class it as very good value for money.

Ease of Use

This is where the Sony is at a disadvantage when compared to the O-Car. Displaying the full iPod menus on a 4line display is tricky and to do it right, Sony have had to make the control a little complicated at times. It is still a case of Albums, Artists and Playlists but there are hidden features like the searching by letter and quick search that when pressed by accident can throw you off target. When combined with the fiddly thumb stick control this accounts for a sometimes frustrating user interface.

The O-Car is the complete opposite, simple insert the iPhone into the dock and use it in as you would naturally. The O-Car does not impose onto the iPhone, even the Radio and Equalizer settings are altered using Oxygen’s Apps that were developed in house specifically for this stereo.

When put side by side these two huge step forwards are both equal to one another. The only difference is that they are two huge steps in slightly different directions. If you have an iPhone, you will want the Oxygen O-Car, it is simply the best iPhone compatible stereo on the market. If you have an iPod or any other USB device, the Sony is easily the best choice for you. No-body will be disappointed with either of the stereo’s I have featured in this article, it will be purely based on your own personal preference as to which you will want the most.

 The latest in the long line of beat audio products are hitting the shelves this week. Car Audio Plus have had a few samples in to test throughly and give you our honest opinion as usual.

The Product reviews will be coming soon, but to wet your appetite a little you can find the products online now. The new range includes the new beat 285 stereo and the beat 285BT which offers additional Bluetooth functionality.

What can be said for the products at this early stage is the styling has improved greatly. 

I tested the beat 275 for a month back at the start of the summer, now its time to share my findings. Upon receiving the stereo I was rather impressed, for the low price tag of £45 it was fully packaged and very good looking, Not like one the Chinese import units that tend to come in a plain white box with the units product code on. The box promised a lot and it certainly didn’t let me down.

The unit says it is capable of playing almost any media file, a bold statement but one that is very true. The unit can handle quite an impressive list of formats; CD, SD-Cards, MP3, Aux in and USB in. Some of these formats are not supported by units twice the price. I found the USB connection to be the most useful as it allowed me to connect my iPod to the unit. It does not have full control from the unit itself and you have to select songs from the iPod however considering the price of the unit this is something that can easily be overlooked.

The appearance of the stereo is quite impressive, it has the look of a far more expensive unit. The controls are very easy to use with the menus being intuitive. My grandad who is in his late 60’s is technically classed as a technophobe however he managed to pick up the basic control and function within a couple of minutes. All this is helped by the clear colour dot matrix screen.

Where most cheap stereo’s fall down is the quality of the sound they produce. This is one of the Beat 275’s strongest areas. For the £45 price tag you are getting a very strong unit, I ran it alongside a Cerwin Vega 15” sub and the clarity of the audio was highly impressive. It was easily on par with units in the £120-150 price range. The unit also features the now standard equalizer allowing you to fine tweak the sound to the type of music you like listening to.

It is very hard to find a fault with a unit costing less than £50 especially when it is crammed full of features like the Beat 275. I suppose the only downfall of the unit is the fact that Beat is still a new brand. Given the choice between this and a Sony most people will go with the best known brand, perhaps this is where the product will struggle.

In Summary, if you want a good solid bargain stereo then the Beat 275 is perfect for you. If you want a stereo that is crammed with features and plays a multitude of formats, the Beat 275 is for you. Put simply the Beat 275 is the stereo for everyone. If I had to pick one of the stereos I have tested in the past 6months to keep, this would be the one.

Cap Rating: 5/5