Rockford Fosgate Releases New Prime R2 Loaded Enclosures

TEMPE, AZ (03.17.2021) – Rockford Fosgate the industry leader in high-performance audio systems, is proud to announce the new Prime R2 Loaded Enclosures are now shipping. Offered in two models, customers can choose either a double 12-inch or double 10-inch version.

Both models are pre-built and pre-wired for easy drop in installation; simply add an amplifier and enjoy epic bass performance. Loaded with dual voice coil subwoofers, both the 10-inch and 12-inch models are rated at 500 watts RMS, 1000 watts peak. They are housed in enclosures constructed of high quality materials including 5/8 inch MDF, OEM grade carpet, and feature high-current binding posts to ensure a secure connection.

The Prime Dual R2 Loaded Enclosures are expected at authorized Rockford Fosgate retail locations in late March at an MSRP of $219.99 on the R2-2X10 to $249.99 on the R2-2X12.

For more information and complete specifications please use the links below.

R2 Models include:

  • R2-2X10   | Dual 10 inch 500 watt loaded enclosure
  • R2-2X12   | Dual 12 inch 500 watt loaded enclosure
  • 1 Year Warranty

To find an authorized retail location near you, visit rockfordfosgate.com.

Sight and Sound Created a Massive Street Glide Build

ABERDEEN, SD (03.17.2021) – Sight and Sound just completed a massive build on a Harley-Davidson Street Glide at their shop in Aberdeen SD. Bike Week 2021 in Daytona was almost 1800 miles away… this build would rock with the best at Bike Week in Daytona.

Dan Mount is pictured in his busy Sight and Sound installation shop with the just  completed massive Street Guide build in the foreground.

Dan Mount, Sight and Sound owner, related “This was the largest build to date in the 4 years we’ve been doing bikes. This build is crazy loud but talk about clean sound. We definitely went way out with this great customer. The build included Sony head unit plus products from SounDigital, Ground Zero, Beyma, Design Lids and Braille Lithium Battery.”

Three powerful SounDigital amps and a  Ground Zero DSP were placed in the fairing.

The products installed included 2 SounDigital 1200.4, 1 SounDigital 800.1 amps and Ground Zero DSP in the fairing with Sony 7000 in the gauge dash. Two Ground Zero 10’ GZCK in jefe rings were housed in the bags. Two Beyma 8” carbon fibers in the Voodo lowers plus 2 Beyma Pro 6.5” in the fairing along with 2 Beyma Pro 8” in the Speed By Design Lids. A Braille Lithium Battery supplies the voltage.

Ground Zero and Beyma speakers were placed in the bags.

Sight and Sound is a very proactive retailer in the community and area. Exhibiting at a recent home builders show on March 5th generated a lot of mobile audio visibility for the company. In addition, security cameras are a big category for home and farm building applications with many jobs scheduled on the book.

Visit facebook.com/SightandSoundSD for more.

Accele Electronics “Provides High Definition Security”

SANTA FE SPRINGS, CA (03.16.2021) – Accele Electronics has announced the latest additions to their growing portfolio of Fleet Vehicle Solutions, the DVR1080P family of “Black Box” DVR’s. The new DVR’s employ H.265, also known as HEVC, High Efficiency Video Code, the latest Video Compression technology.

H.265 is the choice when streaming live video due to its high quality and reduced bandwidth, allowing for reduced storage space. The DVR1080P and its variants have slots for 2 (not included) SD Cards, capable of storing 256 GB each. With the new HEVC compression that translates to almost 1 TB of storage without a Hard Drive.

This is important because mechanical Hard Drives are prone to data loss, data corruption and even failure under conditions of excessive vibration, dust and other elements often found in commercial vehicles.

High capacity storage is not the only outstanding feature, it has High Definition recording capability in 4 Channels mixing 1080P, 960P, 720P AHD & any Standard CVBS Video Cameras. The DVR1080P records continuously, and its “Pixel Recognition” technology enables the device to begin recording when there is an event or change in its immediate viewing range when parked. This “event” will be marked and not recorded over until it is reviewed and the GPS model records vehicle location(s) with Time and Date Stamp for archiving.

The exclusive allocation file system solves the file fragmentation and lost file issues found in other systems. For Fleet Operators employing a variety of vehicles our DVR1080P has variable operating Voltage from 8 – 36 Volts. Security is provided with a lockable door protecting the dual SD Cards. Super stable, Anti-shock, Aviation quality connectors plug in and screw tightly to ensure durability and easy installation. An additional model featuring 4G for remote real time monitoring will be available this Spring. The DVR1080P and 1080PGPS are available now, contact your Accele Sales Representative.

Visit www.accele.com for more.

NCAA March Madness on SiriusXM

NEW YORK, NY (03.16.2021) – The 2021 NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship will air in its entirety on SiriusXM, giving subscribers nationwide access to every minute of March Madness on SiriusXM radios and the SiriusXM app. In addition to live play-by-play of every game, SiriusXM listeners will also get the most in-depth daily coverage throughout the tournament on several exclusive 24/7 college sports talk channels.

The 2021 NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship tips off with the First Four on March 18 and runs through the Final Four and national championship game on April 3 and 5. SiriusXM will also air Spanish-language broadcasts of the Final Four and championship games.

All Men’s NCAA Tournament game broadcasts are provided to SiriusXM by Westwood One, the official network radio partner of the NCAA.

Tournament match-ups and SiriusXM channel assignments will be available at siriusxm.com/ncaamonsxm starting Monday, March 15.

On Selection Sunday, March 14, SiriusXM listeners will get up-to-the-moment coverage as tournament teams and first round match-ups are announced. On Mad Dog Sports Radio (channel 82), Chris “Mad Dog” Russo and Steve Torre will host special Selection Sunday coverage live from 5:00 to 9:00 pm ET. Additionally, ESPNU Radio on SiriusXM (channel 84) will air a Selection Sunday special hosted by Jon Crispin, Fran Fraschilla and Mike Yam from 6:00 to 9:00 pm ET. The official NCAA Tournament Selection Show produced by Westwood One will air on CBS Sports Radio (SiriusXM channel 206) from 6:00 to 8:00 pm ET. The shows will feature interviews with special guests, including team coaches and NCAA Men’s Basketball Committee chair Mitch Barnhart.

SiriusXM will also offer coverage of the NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Championship, providing listeners with live play-by-play of the Women’s Final Four and championship game. These Women’s NCAA Tournament radio broadcasts are produced by Westwood One. On Monday, March 15, ESPNU Radio on SiriusXM will air a special “Selection Monday” show hosted by Krista Blunk and Nicole Auerbach as the tournament field is revealed (7:00 to 9:00 pm ET).

Throughout the tournament, SiriusXM’s exclusive, dedicated college sports channels – ESPNU Radio, SiriusXM ACC Radio, SiriusXM Big 12 Radio, SiriusXM Big Ten Radio, SiriusXM Pac-12 Radio and SiriusXM SEC Radio – will offer the most extensive and in-depth college basketball news and tournament talk available on radio. SiriusXM’s 24/7 college sports channels feature several former coaches and players including Pat Bradley, Tom Brennan, Jon Crispin, Dalen Cuff, Tony Delk, Sean Farnham, Fran Fraschilla, Seth Greenberg, Robbie Hummel, Steve Lappas, Evan Moore, Chris Spatola, Earl Watson and Tim Welsh, as well as analysts Nicole Auerbach, Krista Blunk and others.

Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski, who has led the Blue Devils to five National Championship titles, will continue to host his weekly SiriusXM show throughout the tournament. Basketball and Beyond with Coach K airs on ESPNU Radio on SiriusXM and is available on the SiriusXM app.

The next series of episodes of Christopher “Mad Dog” Russo’s new SiriusXM original podcast – Digging Up The Past – will debut this Monday, March 15, and will feature Russo and guests looking back at the history of the NCAA Tournament. Digging Up The Past takes a historical deep-dive into the events and innovations that have shaped the sports landscape. This next four-episode series will examine NCAA Tournament history from its origins as an eight-team competition in 1939 through 1978, featuring some of the great teams and players from that period, including the dynasty UCLA teams of the 1960s and 70s, the groundbreaking 1966 Texas Western team, the 1976 Indiana Hoosiers, which was the last undefeated Division I team to win the championship, and more.

Listeners will hear from college basketball stars from that era, as well as insiders who have covered the sport for decades, including Willie Worsley, Jerry Lucas, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Bill Walton, Don Chaney, Lennie Rosenbluth, Quinn Buckner, Dick Vitale, Billy Packer, Bill Raftery and many others.

Men’s and Women’s tournament games, as well as SiriusXM’s exclusive 24/7 college sports talk channels, are available to listeners nationwide on SiriusXM radios, on the SiriusXM app and however they stream in their house. Streaming access is included for most subscribers. Go to www.siriusxm.com/ways-to-listen to learn more.

Digging Up the Past with Christopher Russo is available on the SiriusXM app.

NCAA, March Madness, First Four, Final Four and Selection Sunday are trademarks of the National Collegiate Athletic Association.

Visit siriusxm.com for more.

2021 Polaris RZR Kicker Audio Build At LakeTown Speed And Sound

DRAPER, UT (03.15.2021) – An Instagram post of an amazing Polaris RZR build by Laketown Speed and Sound grabbed eyeballs at the 12volt Central Studios.

The Polaris RZR pictured by the Laketown Speed and Sound facility in Draper, UT.

Angel Rivera and Isai Hernandez spent the better part of 4 days completing the amazing build that featured Kicker products and included substantial customization. Customized door pods, mount panels and modification to the glove box were color matched in neon green and made using weather resistant Sinatra plastic. All wiring, interconnects and aux battery to help with voltage stabilization were from Stinger Electronics.

The Kicker Pods and Tubes installed and ready to be Livin’Loud.

“This Polaris RZR screams with 2000 watts of Kicker RMS goodness. The system is extremely loud and projects extremely well thanks to the Kicker 11” HLCD,” Rivera offered.

Check out the custom panel work and neon green paint to match the RZR body color.

The list of equipment is as follows:

  • Kicker KXMA 800.8 running Mids and HLCD mounted on custom amp board made of Sintra plastic
  • Kicker KXMA 1200.1 running subwoofers mounted on custom amp board made of Sintra plastic
  • 3 sets of Kicker KM654L LED Coax
  • 2 Kicker KMTC11 11″ Horn Loaded Compression Drivers
  • 2 Kicker TB10 10″ tube subwoofers (mounted to custom sub board made of Sintra plastic and attached using factory mounting points for durability and functionality)
  • Stinger X2 series interconnects
  • Stinger 0 gauge power and ground
  • Stinger 0 gauge to 4 gauge distribution blocks
The Kicker gear to be installed in the RZR in the installation bay at Laketown Speed and Sound.
System wiring in progress.

Concluding, Rivera stated, “In our Big Sky area the Powersports category is growing rapidly. We see Polaris RZR quite often plus the Can Am Maverick. Thanks again brother for the shout outs and for your work in this industry. We need more people like you keeping things alive, especially in these unusual times.”

Visit laketownspeedandsound.com and kicker.com for more.

Lou Ottens, Dutch Inventor of Cassette Tape, Has Died at 94

DUIZEL, NETHERLANDS (03.15.2021) – Lou Ottens, the Dutch inventor of the cassette tape, had died.
An estimated 100 billion cassette tapes have been sold worldwide, according to Philips, the company he began working for in 1952. Ottens also supervised the team that developed the compact disc (CD).

An engineer by trade, five years after joining Philips, Ottens became the head of the company’s product development department at its audio plant in Hasselt, Belgium.

In 1960, Ottens and his team developed the first portable tape recorder. At the time, all recorders used the reel-to-reel system, which meant the tape had to be manually wound. He revolutionized recorders two years later by inventing the compact cassette. Because of the laborious nature of the reel-to-reel process, Ottens wanted to simplify the process, said his family.

Ottens cut a block of wood that would fit into the side of his jacket pocket to find an ideal size for the new carrier. The block became the model after which the first portable cassette recorder was made, said Philips.

In 1963, the development of the cassette and the playback device had done so well that they were presented at the Internationale Funkausstellung — a trade exhibition for audio products — in Berlin.

Guests from Japan were inspired by his invention. The cassette was quickly copied by Japanese manufacturers into a different format and sold onto the Japanese market. The cassette recorder was a huge hit around the world, but particularly with young people in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s.

Ottens supervised the team that invented the CD, which was produced extensively by Sony-Philips and sold more than 200 billion copies worldwide. He retired in 1986.

Click to view the full article on CNN.com

Kingpin University to Resume In-Person Training April 24

LAS VEGAS, NV (03.12.2021) – Kingpin University will resume in-person training with an Advanced Laser course, to be held April 24-26 at its new retail and training facility at 1610 Raiders Way in Las Vegas. A maximum of 12 attendees will be required to follow mandated protocols and the learning environment will be augmented and equipped to ensure a safe learning experience. The three-day course marks the grand opening of the new Kingpin University training facility as well as the first in-person training course since classes were paused in March 2020 due to COVID-19.

“Of course, our first priority is to keep everyone safe,” said Jason Kranitz, president and lead instructor for Kingpin University. “We will adhere to the safety protocols that are laid out by our city, county and state, as well as some common-sense practices. All participants will be required to mask up, wash hands frequently and observe social distancing. Workstations will be wiped down before and after every use. We want everyone to leave with new knowledge but with the same good health.”

The Advanced Laser course is intended for intermediate- to advanced-level professionals who have experience using a laser cutter or CNC and want to improve their skill and creativity. Over three days, students will gain additional familiarity with CAD (Computer-Assisted Drawing) software, learning to convert ideas into machine-compliant drawings. Hands-on measuring and assembly will improve manual skill alongside software knowledge. The class project will be a take-home display that professionals can use to showcase their store’s capabilities to customers. In addition, the course will instruct attendees on how to bill profitably for laser and CNC labor and materials. Tuition for the in-person course is $999.

Those who are less experienced are invited to take a live online course as a prerequisite to the in-person course. Entitled “Step One: The Drawing,” this virtual course on March 27-28 teaches professionals how to get started using a laser or CNC cutting machine. It focuses on the software required to turn ideas into drawings and then onto finished work, adding value to jobs and building profitability for the store. Students receive an in-home, follow-along packet prior to the course, plus trial software to use on their own computers. Cost for the two-day course is $299.

All virtual and in-person attendees will receive special pricing on laser cutters through a partnership with Spectrum Laser, a nationwide laser-cutting machine supplier based in Las Vegas. This includes attendees of future courses including the Street Rod and Fab Design in-person course, scheduled for May 14-17.

To sign up for courses or get more information in Kingpin University courses and products, visit kingpinuniversity.com.

The DS18 Product Line Available at Tint World Automotive Styling Centers

MIAMI GARDENS, FL (03.12.2021) – DS18 has officially partnered with Tint World Automotive Styling Centers, a leading window tinting and automotive accessory franchise.

DS18 CEO, Sasha Susterman, has secured a new venture for the internationally recognized franchise, as authorized sellers and installers of ALL DS18 products.

DS18 will now have the exciting opportunity to show Tint World customers their shared passions in great customer service and love for all things LOUD.

DS18, the official Jeep Sound Systems vendor, also specializes in a variety of other audio segments which include a vast and complete line of Mobile, Marine and Pro Audio. This new partnership with Tint World extends full access to all DS18 products, services and support.

With over 80 retail locations worldwide, Tint World makes it even more accessible for audio loving customers to get their DS18 gear at a moment’s notice.

Visit ds18.com for more.

Metra Electronics to Host Product Training Sessions at KnowledgeFest West Live

HOLLY HILL, FL (03.12.2021) – Metra Electronics is presenting three different product training sessions for installers at the virtual KnowledgeFest West Live event. KnowledgeFest is hosted by the Mobile Electronics Association and the online event from March 19 to 21 will take place for the West Coast audience, with events hosted from 2:00 PM to 8:00 PM Pacific Time. Metra Electronics will host a different session each day to cover LED headlight bulb replacement, motorcycle lighting, and integration solutions for Jeep Wrangler. Attendees can connect with Metra on their virtual booth page and register online now for these training sessions, which will be hosted by Jason Anderson, Metra’s VP of Product Research and Development. Attendees will also have the ability to post questions or comments in the live chat section of the training session and receive answers from Metra’s technical support or sales team. The upcoming training sessions are as follows:

“LED Headlight Replacements” – Friday, 3/19/21 from 5:00 PM to 6:00 PM Pacific Time
Attendees will learn about Metra’s different LED lighting solutions for replacing automotive headlight bulbs and how to upsell each feature. This session will explain what makes an LED lightbulb last longer, compare features of the latest models, and demonstrate how to properly install and adjust the newest Pro Series headlight bulbs from Heise.

“Installing RGB Lighting on Motorcycles” – Saturday, 3/20/21 from 5:00 PM to 6:00 PM Pacific Time
Attendees will see firsthand how Saddle Tramp’s new RGB lighting kit, the BC-RGB-K1, can instantly transform the look of a motorcycle with significantly less installation time. Metra will review all of their RGB LED lighting options available and demonstrate how the new RGB LED strip light kit for Harley-Davidson is installed, plus show off unique features available in the Metra RGB smartphone app. RGB motorcycle lighting is a popular upgrade, so any installers looking to reduce time spent on these projects then won’t want to miss this informative training session.

“Integrating with Jeep Wrangler JL” – Sunday, 3/21/21 from 2:40 PM to 3:40 PM Pacific Time
Metra’s newest integration package from Axxess makes the installer’s job much easier when replacing the radio with select Pioneer modular in-dash receivers. This training session will show installers how to retain important vehicle information and features on the Pioneer touchscreen using the AXPIO-JL1 dash kit, integration package, and its included replacement backup camera. Installers will see a real installation on a 2019 Jeep Wrangler JL and a demonstration of how they can upgrade the radio without losing audio controls on the steering wheel, HVAC gauges on the screen, heated and cooled seats, and other personalization options that were shown on the factory screen.

Registered attendees will be able to log in to the event website and register for Metra’s training sessions at knowledgefestwest.live. Metra’s online booth will also be open to attendees to view starting March 19 at metraelectronics.knowledgefestwest.live.

DS18 Shipping New Korean Half Bridge Amplifiers

MIAMI GARDENS, FL (03.11.2021) – The new DS18 Korean Half Bridge amplifiers are shipping with MORE power, MORE options and all coming on a smaller frame.

These new amps are designed for serious audiophiles that demand the most wattage for window breaking bass. These competition amps are designed to uphold the highest efficiency all while producing obscene amounts of pure power for subs in the SPL system.

The H-KO2 is a new offering from DS18 to push smaller subwoofers to the maximum all while using half-bridge Korean monoblock power. Korean amps are traditionally knows to be beefier and use the highest quality components compared to their Brazilian full-bride competitors.

Korean amps are known to have te highest signal to noise ratio of all amplifiers available and have prove through the ages to perform the best for SPL and loud bass in general.

Visit ds18.com for more.