Marine audio is souped up car audio. The speakers are louder. The components and gear are water proof. Marine audio has to be this way because the listening environment is completely different to a car. In a car, you close the doors and the car environment is a sealed environment that is much easier to fill with sound. On a boat, a door cannot be shut to seal the boat from the outside world. (You can on a yacht, but that's another section). The speakers need to work a lot harder to project sound clearly and without distortion.

No. Not all marine speakers are as waterproof as others. Each brand is slightly different. The more you spend, the higher the value, and the better the experience. In Marine Audio, there is no replacement for speaker displacement. Marine speakers are of sturdy design. A boat is often smashing against the waves, and boat has no suspension (unless your on a yacht and that's a whole other section). Given all this vibration, installation and selection of speakers must be done without compromise. JC Installs has a wide range of high quality, application specific speaker options to suit all needs. We have a big safe workshop that will fit your boat. (Please come down and prove us wrong). JC Installs will consult on any boat (or yacht) and provide experienced installs for your listening pleasure on the waves.

Yes. There are a range of different shapes and sizes for Marine Audio. The type of marine stereo depends on the application. They come with all sorts of cool functions like being able to retain the memory for up to six (6) months, or the ability to join with other same band marine stereos to produce a party bus experience, and everything in between.

There is a reason why JC Installs insists upon beginning with choosing a quality car stereo head unit. The car stereo head unit is the most important component of any car audio system because your music experience is only as good as the source of the sound. The car stereo head unit is the source. The car stereo head unit decodes the the digital music, the head unit's highest possible format then determines the quality that transferred to the speakers. So, two (2) phenomena are important. The music streaming source and how it's configured (such as Spotify); and The quality of the car stereo head unit and it's decoding hardware and software. By way of example: if you are using Spotify; and the head unit can decode high resolution, high quality, high definition audio; then you are getting the best possible solution in the market for your experience. Another way to put this is that if your house plumbing has the most beautiful pipes in the world and the most amazing tap's filters, and pumps, but you're drawing your water from a duck pond, then you are still gonna get duck pond water. (unless you have a full processing plant, but we will address that in the digital processing frequently asked questions). If you have the worst plumbing, with the goopiest pipes, and the rustiest tap, but you are drawing from a mountain lake, you will still have access to the best quality of water, so changing the filters is the place to start.

When you start looking at a good car stereo head unit, the place to start. Because its the good source (see our FAQ on why the head unit is the place to start). This is where you should be spending the <>biggest part of your budget. You need to know what is going to fit your vehicle, what you desired outcome is (hardest), what your doing with it, things like

A Digital Signal Processor (DSP) (a.k.a Digital Sound Processor) is designed to do a range of different jobs to meet a range of different needs. The most common need is the integration of a new sound system to an existing factory car stereo head unit/in car entertainment system (typically a vehicle with a car stereo/head unit in car entertainment system that cannot be changed) to a better quality aftermarket sound or audio system. A Digital Signal Processor (DSP) will change the frequencies and behaviour of the music that is reproduced dramatically. A good quality DSP will provide equalisation (equalization), time alignment, and crossover capacity that allows the JC Installs team to go through the system and make the factory unchangeable car stereo head unit and sound system sound fantastic. Another reason a DSP is required, is if you need to have a higher level of control than the car stereo/head unit requires. A DSP has multiple outputs and multiple filters allowing you to run an active speaker system in your vehicle. A DSP, like a high quality audio head unit, is always a good idea. If you would like to know more about the technical parts of a sound system please visit our technical FAQ.

Reason one (1). Your speakers are worn out. Reason two (2). You are after a improvement on your existing sounds. Not all speakers are built the same. Different speakers play different music in different ways. Changing the speakers will usually yield a superior sound outcome when paired to a the correct Digital Signal Processor, Car Stereo Head Unit, and/or Amplifier.

The RCA connector is a type of electrical connector commonly used to carry audio and video signals. The name RCA derives from the company Radio Corporation of America, which introduced the design in the 1930s. The connectors male plug and female jack are called RCA plug and RCA jack. The quality of the metals in the cable, and the quality of the metals in the connector, makes for better conductivity. Quality Car Audio/ Quality Signal is about quality of conductivity. JC Installs carries a range of tried and tested cables that work. The quality of the sound experience is of the upmost importance to the crew at JC Installs.

An amplifier, electronic amplifier or (informally) amp, is an electronic device that can increase the magnitude of a signal (a time-varying voltage or current). In the world of vehicle, marine, or car audio, an amplifier will give the system an increase in volume or an increase in the quality of sound.

Reason 1. Your new vehicle audio system requires a subwoofer. A subwoofer requires an amplifier. Reason 2. You are after an increase in volume, an amplifier has a wattage which should be paired to your speakers for optimal results. Reason 3. You are looking for an increase in sound quality. An amplifier increases the waveform that the speaker ... increases the speakers frequency range. You increase the base waveform avaliable to any speaker. Its also about mid bass.

There are two (2) different metals in a power cable. Aluminum and copper. Aluminum typically has a very low conductivity and is usually quite cheap. Aluminium, once corroded gets brittle and is know to literally snap. Copper is conductive, flexible, does not corrode as quickly as aluminum, but it is more expensive. The gauge is also important. Excluding aluminum copper power cable has different ratings for different gauges. This power rating is also the length of the cable. By way of example: a eighty (80) amp amplifier could draw about 80 amps over a five (5) meter, four (4) gauge cable all day. The chart below provides some idea of the quality of cable required for the type of amplifier and draw. JC Installs is of the view that a good quality cable is copper.

There are two (2) reasons to install sound deadening. Reason one (1) There are certain areas of a car that can be sound deadened that will make your vehicle quieter. Reason two (2) to improve the sound quality of the vehicle audio system in your vehicle. JC Installs can sound deaden certain areas to change the peak frequencies and allow the speakers to work more efficiently. JC Installs is one of the very few companies that install sound deadening for the purpose of achieving an outstanding vehicle audio experience.

The standard size vehicle speakers cannot produce low frequencies. To counter this, most people turn the bass up, the action of turning the bass up adds distortion to the entire sound. Distortion at the ears is bad sound. The best way to deal to the distortion is a subwoofer. It does not have to be a big eighteen (18) inch box of bass. There are many products that can address this need to fit even the most refined music taste.

This depends on what you want to see out of the rear view camera and how you want the rear view camera system to work. Entry level systems start from around five hundred and fifty dollars ($550.00) installed* *Prices subject to change without notice.

That depends on your vehicle and how you want the reverse camera to work. JC Installs will try for a discreet location and gives you the best view to meet your desired result. The good news is that JC Installs are the experts in rear view camera installs, and we use our expertise to give you a fabulous result that will keep you happy for years to come.

There are two (2) standard options JC Installs likes to run with: OPTION 1: Is to replace your view mirror with a rear view mirror that has a screen built in to it. The screen is about the size of a old iPhone screen (four point three (4.3") Inches or one hundred and nine millimeters (109mm)). The rear view mirror is a location that you would naturally look at when reversing, OPTION 2: Replace the existing stereo system which has a larger screen which is better for definition due to an increase in size of the screen itself. But, it does move the screen from a location you would normally be looking from to a location that is in the centre of the vehicle. This is good because it is a bigger screen, but having a screen in the location you normally look can be vastly more beneficial when backing your car. It comes down to your personal preference, and the JC Installs team likes to organise a consultation to work out the best system to meet your needs.

The first reason is not only can JC Installs recommend the right gear and the right system to suit your wants and needs, JC Installs will cover your full warranty on any product or service JC Installs recommends. The systems come with a twelve (12) month warranty from the manufacturer or supplier. JC Installs takes this further with a three (3) year warranty on all of the items we supply and install. Plus, if you have a problem with any product or service we supply and install, JC Installs will just straight up replace it providing you can bring the vehicle to us in a timely manner. JC Installs covers our workmanship with a lifetime warranty, this means JC Installs really stands behind what we do, and, JC Installs remain deeply committed to the quality of the products and services the we supply. JC Installs commitment to top notch products and top notch service is the reason why have the warranty policy we do.

Yes, absolutely we can. Both caravans and trailers have the ability to have a camera installed. JC Installs has done a range of trailers with heavy duty cameras out the back and couplings that allow them to connect to either existing screens or aftermarket screens in the front of the motor vehicle. The difficulty comes with the location of the camera and the desired end result. Also worth noting is that the coupling is designed to take it off and put the coupling back on seamlessly, You can disconnect your trailer or campervan seamlessly with the same amount of effort. It is worth popping in with the vehicle and the trailer or caravan to have a conversation about a total solution.

Yes we can. We have a range of solutions to meet your need. This is something JC Installs does quite regularly, fitting a rear view camera will require a consult. Even with the length of a campervan JC Installs can install a solution that achieves a good camera result. In out experience, there are several different ways customers like rear views to be installed. JC Installs can do dual camera systems which will show what is happening directly behind the vehicle and will allow for a parking camera. This can be set up to show both views on a split screen or have a switch to display different views depending on which one is selected. Or we can do single camera systems to suit your preference. JC Installs can string the cameras into a after market screen or an aftermarket stereo head unit. That way we can control the need result to meet your expectations. These systems are easy to use and easy to run, they can be set up to run all the time whilst driving, and are wired to the vehicle battery and not the house battery.

No is the answer. Although JC Installs have had some limited success of recent with a few wireless systems, in general we find that wireless rear view cameras are not up to every day use in most cases. Wireless rear view cameras run on a low power frequency transmitters and any electromagnet frequencies in the vehicle (ie fuel pumps or engine management computers) will interfere with the picture. This quite often means that wireless rear view cameras have a grainy and terrible camera result. So more often or not JC Installs will say no to a wireless reversing camera install.

Absolutely we can. There are many different ways of installing rear view camera systems into trucks. Twelve (12) and (24) volt systems are one hundred percent (100%) available. This requires a consultation. As all truck owners know, each truck can be different even if they are the same make and model because it comes down to driver preference and vehicle use. This is worth booking in a consultation with our team and we will work in with you to make that consultation work for you.

Your radar detector will work virtually anywhere on your vehicle. BUT- The higher up on your windscreen, the more the radar detector will be able to do its job. BUT - it's not essential. Your radar detector will work virtually anywhere on your car. On the window, on the dash, even on the seat. If the radar detector can obtain a GPS signal for the speed camera alerts, then it is working as intended. Higher is better, but low down is usually not a major issue on the open road. Read more about radar detector best placement ideas.

No. No they are not. Getting caught speeding is. Don't get caught by the man. Get a radar and get there on time.

Not all police cars have a radar, so not all police cars will make your Radar Detector go off. The police cars with the Radar are the ones you have to worry about. Some police cars are set up to switch the radar transmitter on at the last minute giving you very little time to react. HOWEVER - some Stinger VIP Radar Detectors can detect a radar device that is on but not transmitting providing you the advantage.

Yes. Yes they are. You need some people in the know to obtain one in New Zealand. It is rumoured that the New Zealand defence force has access to these.

Just because you are doing the speed limit, doesn’t mean you wont misperceive the speed limit. With road cones, and more and more development of land, that old speed limit can be lowered in areas you are used to driving in. Now, unwittingly you have broken the limit. If there is a police radar in the new speed limit waiting for you to come around the corner and nab you then a radar detector is your best protection. Speeding tickets can now be issued for as low as three (3) kilometres above the limit. Police are often looking for excessive speed, a Radar Detector alert can raise your awareness in time to brake, reducing your speed and lowering any fine. WHY? Because the fine increases in cost with every kilometre per hour over the limit you are fined for. A more appropriate add might be: “Radar detectors save bank balances, and livelihoods” but it’s not as catchy. The police website states: “Cameras are placed where there’s problems with excessive speed, and/or research that shows a history of crashes causing death and/or serious injury. Police … identify locations on the road network that have a proven history of crashes or potential for crashes resulting in death or serious injury.” A radar detector will detect these black spots and enable you to reduce your speed to match the conditions. The faster you go the bigger the mess, So, in a way, Radar Detectors also do save lives.

JC Installs has an experience based view about the popularity of the Valentine V1 radar detector in New Zealand. This is based on decades of experience and installation. Simply put, it's not an awful detector. Relative to other Radars it does a reasonable job and has decent range as well. However, if you are not in the United States of America, there is no manufacturer support and that means a Valentine radar detector is virtually impossible to service and repair in a sound and timely manner. Buying parts, or accessories like the window mounting bracket is also very expensive and very difficult relative to the other options available. Once upon a time, the V1 was the only radar detector on the planet with directional arrows showing the direction from which the police car was coming from. The awesome news is that both Escort and Uniden have caught up with multi-directional threat arrows and easily perform as well as the Valentine Gen 1 or Gen 2. In addition to that, the Uniden or Escort options have USB ports for firmware updates and updateable GPS databases for redlight or speed camera notifications. This feature isn't even in the more recently released Gen 2 version of the Valentine V1 but is vital if you want to get good value out of your radar detector purchase. Don't forget also that if you DO get a Valentine V1 here in New Zealand, you have to return it to Ohio should it ever need repairs. Plus, Valentine will not ship repairs outside of the USA or Canada. Buying Escort and Uniden means buying local and having a viable option for servicing and updating your radar and a better radar ownership experience overall.

NEVER LEAVE YOUR RADAR DETECTOR IN THE VEHICLE. JC Installs recommend getting a tint strip done by someone who knows how to treat a car like yours. JC Installs has business partners who are more than capable of installing an expert level tint strip at the top of the windscreen which can completely hide the mount and detector. A Radar Dectector does not need to be placed at the top of the windscreen, we may find a way to mount it on top of the dash above the air vent, close to the driver door. If we can get power to it, the radar can operate. There are ways to make a portable detector less obvious, but it’s still visible and you’re always at risk of theft via a smashed side window. Even if you remove the radar itself, they spot the suction cup, the marks left by the suction cup, or the power cable. A tint strip at the top is the best hiding spot as it can cover the accessories at a glance. The best way to beat the thieves is to have a stealth radar system installed with a subtle or hidden display and controller. If there is nothing to see there is nothing to take.

You can install a window-mounted radar detector anywhere. Cars, boats, motorbikes, a 10-speed, a tractor, a truck, or even a person. Motorbikes come with a unique set of challenges. JC Installs has experience with these challenges and has overcome many challenges in installing Radars on Motorbikes. Motorbikes don't really have a window, portable detectors come with window brackets. Additional parts and ingenuity required. Radar detectors are not waterproof, so a few drops of water will kill a radar detector, the solution is in the installation. Radar detectors have both visual and audible alerts, which you'll struggle to hear or see easily. Additional parts, wires, and magic may be required, such as a bigger LED alert, or some way to get the headphone output connected to your helmet. Your mounting solution doesn't have to be expensive, as long as it's waterproof. The radar will work inside a plastic container or bag and JC Installs has the expertise to make it happen.

This is done by the manufacturer. If you have a fully installed stealth system, perhaps an Escort, Stinger or Genevo then chances are we installed it and can help you. For portable, window-mounted detectors you'll need to deal directly with the relevant repair agent. Escort Neltronics (Taupo) - 07 3784814 Uniden Blulink (Auckland) - 09 2738383 www.blulink.co.nz Genevo Yes - we can help. Valentine Ohio (USA) No New Zealand repair agent. Don’t hesitate to contact us for assistance, we are here to support you.

The ability to adjust certain frequencies by variable amounts.

It's like adding milk and sugar to your coffee, it allows you to change parts of the coffee to make your own flavour (flavor) palette. Cars also absorb, alter, and consume certain frequencies of sound in playback, and amplify others. Adjusting equalisation (equalization) allows the JC Installs technician to tune the frequencies inside the car to make it sound just right. JC Installs is committed to making your vehicle, your car sound produce the best sound for your music taste.

Time alignment allows a JC Installs technician to time the music so it reaches your ear drums at the same time. If all the speakers are a different distance from you, time alignment allows a JC Installs technician to enter the distance from the speakers to your ear so that the sound arrives at you ear drums all at once, rather than at different times.

Time alignment is important. When the soundwaves from each speaker in your vehicle arrive at your ear drums at different times, this creates distortion in the ear drum. Professional tuning of your car audio system will involves ensuring that the soundwaves arrive at your ear drums at the same time, eliminating distortion in the ear drum and producing a clear sound, and the goal here is always clear sound.

A crossover allows a JC Installs technician to configure what frequencies a speaker plays by using either a High Pass Filter (HPF), or a Low Pass Filter (LPF), or a Band Pass Filter (BPF). High Pass Filter (HPF) allows us to take the sub bass out of a mid range driver, or the mid range out of a tweeter. Low Pass Filter (LPF) allows us us to take the mid range out of a subwoofer. Band Pass Filter (BPF) allows us to take the sub bass and treble out of a mid range driver. What is sub bass is frequencies (generally) 100 hertz or lower, down to 30 hertz. (at 30 hertz the bass is a different type of bass). What is a mid range driver? it is a speaker that is designed to play from about 60 or 80 hertz up to about 2 kilohertz. What is a tweeter? it is a speaker designed to run roughly from 1500 hertz to 20000 hertz. Why would you take the mid range in subwoofer? A subwoofer is designed to produce low frequencies. Mid range frequencies will stop the subwoofer from preforming it's job correctly and add distortion... The more frequencies that a speaker is trying to produce, the less chance it has to produce all of the frequencies clearly. Another way to put this is that If your doing to many tasks, your brain will melt down. Speakers are the same. If you try to get a speaker to produce all frequencies in quick succession, the speaker will be unable to produce them all at once. You don't want your speaker multi tasking in the same way you don't want to be a waiter carrying all the dishes.

Sub bass is frequencies (generally) 100 hertz or lower, down to 30 hertz. (at 30 hertz the bass is a different type of bass). The more frequencies that a speaker is trying to produce, the less chance it has to produce all of the frequencies clearly. Another way to put this is that If your doing to many tasks, your brain will melt down. Speakers are the same. If you try to get a speaker to produce all frequencies in quick succession, the speaker will be unable to produce them all at once. You don't want your speaker multi tasking in the same way you don't want to be a waiter carrying all the dishes.

A mid range driver is a speaker that is designed to play from about 60 or 80 hertz up to about 2 kilohertz. Using a DSP will help eliminate any additional frequencies that could distort the quality of sound coming from a mid range driver. The more frequencies that a speaker is trying to produce, the less chance it has to produce all of the frequencies clearly. Another way to put this is that If your doing to many tasks, your brain will melt down. Speakers are the same. If you try to get a speaker to produce all frequencies in quick succession, the speaker will be unable to produce them all at once. You don't want your speaker multi tasking in the same way you don't want to be a waiter carrying all the dishes.

A tweeter is a speaker designed to run roughly from 1500 hertz to 20000 hertz. Using a Digital Signal Processor (DSP) will help eliminate any distortion that occurs by running the tweeter in the correct range. The more frequencies that a speaker is trying to produce, the less chance it has to produce all of the frequencies clearly. Another way to put this is that If your doing to many tasks, your brain will melt down. Speakers are the same. If you try to get a speaker to produce all frequencies in quick succession, the speaker will be unable to produce them all at once. You don't want your speaker multi tasking in the same way you don't want to be a waiter carrying all the dishes.

A subwoofer is designed to produce low frequencies. Mid range frequencies will stop the subwoofer from preforming it's job correctly and add distortion buy overloading the subwoofer with to many frequencies. The more frequencies that a speaker is trying to produce, the less chance it has to produce all of the frequencies clearly. Another way to put this is that If your doing to many tasks, your brain will melt down. Speakers are the same. If you try to get a speaker to produce all frequencies in quick succession, the speaker will be unable to produce them all at once. You don't want your speaker multi tasking in the same way you don't want to be a waiter carrying all the dishes.

An active speaker system is where there are no passive crossovers governing the speakers output. The Digital Signal Processor tells the amplifier what frequency range to put out for each channel so each speaker can be run on it's own individual channel.

Passive crossovers are noisy. A active speaker system featuring a Digital Signal Processor (DSP) is cleaner with higher volume potential and allows for the custom adjusting of crossovers which allows the JC Installs technician to adjust the speakers potential and provide clear, clean, voluminous sound to your ears.

Distortion can be the enemy of perfect sound or a part of it. JC Installs has a mission to end unwanted distortion. Distortion is a deviation from the perfect, desired sound curve. When listening to music, or taking a call in your vehicle, certain forms of distortion can be unwelcome as that distortion will make the sound unnatural and fuzzy. JC Installs want the sound to be as clear and as natural as possible. In music, distortion can for example give an instrument a certain character, but with speech, clarity is significantly degraded by distortion. A vehicle audio system is a reproducer of sound. JC Installs will tune your audio system to be the perfect reproducer of the sound that you listen to, and they will do this by eliminating the wrong kind of distortion.

Active sound design is an acoustic technology concept used in automotive vehicles to alter or enhance the sound inside and outside of the vehicle. Active sound design (ASD) often uses active noise control and acoustic enhancement techniques to achieve a synthesized vehicle sound. The typical implementations of ASD vary, from amplifying or reducing an existing sound to creating an entirely new sound. Each vehicle manufacturer may use different software or hardware techniques in ASD, as there is no one unified model. ASD exists under multiple names, like Acura’s Active Sound Control, Kia’s Active Sound System, Volkswagen’s Soundaktor, and QNX’s Acoustic Management System. The first instance of in-vehicle active noise canceling (ANC) was developed by Lotus and featured in the 1992 Nissan Bluebird. In 2009, Lotus partnered with Harman International for an improved ANC system that eliminated noise from the road, tires, and vehicle chassis. With recent demand for economical and cleaner combustion engine vehicles, engine systems have become more efficient but less audibly appealing. Electric and fuel cell vehicles operate with high-pitched tones, lacking the recognizable sound of a typical combustion engine. With ASD, both combustion and electric vehicle manufacturers aim to improve the reception of these vehicles by increasing the quality of interior and exterior vehicle sound. At JC Installs, we can go one better. JC installs creates our own Active Sound Design using Digital Sound Processing and custom vehicle audio tuning to make your vehicle audio experience the best one possible.