ORLANDO, FL (05.18.22) – Metra Electronics is heading to Orlando, FL to host new training sessions at KnowledgeFest and showcase their latest aftermarket installation products. At the booth will also be a 2001 Honda S2000 built by Ata Ehdaivand from Absolute Electronix in Derwood, MD, customized with Metra products. Metra’s training sessions will cover new products launched at The 2021 SEMA Show. This includes new Axxessintegration products and DSPs, Saddle Tramplighting and audio upgrades that fit Harley-Davidson, aftermarket accessories that fit Jeep Wrangler and Gladiator, and new vehicle lighting solutions from Heise. As a Diamond Ultra sponsor, Metra is proud to support the industry by providing in-depth training sessions for installers at the event, hosted June 10-12. Training sessions include:

“Simplify your Install with Axxess DSPs” on Friday, June 10 at 1:45 PM and Sunday, June 12 at 9:30 AM

This training will cover the entire Axxess DSP product line, highlight new vehicle coverage, and showcase the newest app features. Metra will show installers how these solutions can increase sales in the showroom and decrease time in the bay. Attendees will learn how to use and set up Axxess DSPs through the app for complete tuning control and when to use the DSP “Lite” versus “X” solutions. This training will also explain how to use the different types of applications offered within the AXDSP line, including CAN-based systems, new A2B systems, MOST25, and MOST50 vehicle technology.

“New Accessories for Jeep Wrangler and Gladiator” on Friday, June 10 at 3:00 PM

Installers will learn how to upgrade the look and sound system of the latest Jeep models using Metra’s newest accessories designed for JeepWrangler JL and Gladiator JT models. This session will go over installing the new Metra RGB lighting kit with plug-n-play connections and expandable Heise lighting options. It will also showcase Metra’s new Talon Attack replacement grille, amplifier installation kits, and new accessory harnesses that make adding aftermarket lighting even easier for installers.

“New Saddle Tramp Audio Upgrades for Harley-Davidson Motorcycles” on Saturday, June 11 at 4:15 PM

Metra makes it easy to upgrade the audio system in Harley-Davidson motorcycles with Saddle Tramp’s newest products. Learn more about the new DSP kits with a built-in interface that reflashes the OE radio and gives installers full tuning control from the palm of their hand. This session will also introduce the new motorcycle accessories from Metra that will upgrade the music experience and provide easy integration using Metra’s improved radio replacement kits and harnessing.

“New Vehicle Lighting Trends with Heise” on Saturday, June 11 at 5:30 PM

Lighting upgrades are in demand and Metra’s newest products from Heise deliver just what installers need to meet the latest trends in automotive lighting. Learn about the new and improved Heise lightbars and cube lights, projector series LED bulbs, new wheel lights, RGB and RGBW underglow kits, and the popular third brake light designed for the new 2021 Ford Bronco. This training session includes valuable tips for selling and installing these new LED lighting solutions from Heise.

“Advanced Integration Made Easy with Axxess and Metra” on Sunday, June 12 at 10:45 AM

Attendees will learn about the newest solutions from Axxess and Metra that make vehicle integration easy, even with some of the notoriously complex vehicle systems. This training session gives in-depth installation information for Metra’s new AXPIO integration kits for Pioneer receivers, Metra’s latest TurboTouch dash kits, and new Axxess interfaces hitting the market.

Metra’s customers can register for the KnowledgeFest event at no cost using Metra’s VIP code, available by request from their sales representative. Once registered for the event, attendees will also need to register online at KnowledgeFest.org for each training session they will attend. Metra will be at booth #1001 from June 10-12 at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, FL.

See additional details about the show, produced by the Mobile Electronics Association (MEA), at KnowledgeFest.org.

HOLLY HILL, FL (04.12.22) – Metra Marine by Metra Electronics is shipping new Amplifier Wiring Kits and Marine Wire for marine applications. Drawing on Metra’s expertise in high-performance automotive audio and lighting accessories, the Metra Marine line has added four new amplifier wiring kits and three new options for marine wire. These new products are specifically designed for the demands of watercraft.

Metra Marine’s new amplifier wiring kits feature fully tinned oxygen-free wire in a BC5W2 marine compliant jacket. Benefits to using tinned copper wire versus bare copper wire are that it won’t corrode, oxidize and turn green, and it’s easy to solder. Metra uses 100% virgin oxygen-free copper, which ensures that the tin doesn’t flake off from the copper, commonly seen when using recycled copper. While it is also common to tin just the tips of the wire for cost savings, this practice does not actually provide any benefits. Metra’s amp kits use fully tinned copper wire from top to bottom to ensure a reliable connection that can withstand a harsh marine environment and salty air. The ignition-protected circuit breaker is IP67 rated with stainless steel connection points for corrosion resistance. Included in the kits are:

• A four or eight gauge tinned oxygen-free copper side-by-side red power and yellow ground wire (10 or 20 feet)
• 18-gauge tinned oxygen-free copper blue remote turn-on wire (18 feet)
• Connectors, ring terminals, and wire ties
• Ignition protected circuit breaker (50-amp or 100-amp)

The amplifier kits are now available and shipping and come in two different gauge and length options as follows:

ML-AK8-10: 8 AWG Amp Kit (10 feet)

ML-AK8-20: 8 AWG Amp Kit (20 feet)

ML-AK4-10: 4 AWG Amp Kit (10 feet)

ML-AK4-20: 4 AWG Amp Kit (20 feet)

The assortment of new marine wire from Metra Marine is designed specifically for marine applications using marine standards and marine color code. Each are constructed from fully tinned copper wire to ensure a reliable connection that can withstand a harsh marine environment and salty air. This new group of products offers three reliable wiring options for boating enthusiasts that will stand up to corrosion:

ML-BL18-500: Tinned OFC Marine Grade Remote Wire, 18 GA 500 foot Spool

• Blue primary wire
• 18 AWG fully tinned OFC multi-strand power wire
• BC-5W2 marine compliant
• 500 foot spool
• 1 year limited warranty

ML-SPG8-100: Tinned OFC Side-by-side Red/Yellow wire, 8 GA 100 foot Spool

• Jackets of the power and ground wires are bonded together to make running the cable simpler and faster
• Red and yellow side-by-side (power/ground)
• 8 AWG fully tinned OFC multi-strand power wire
• High strand count for maximum flexibility
• BC-5W2 marine compliant
• 100 foot spool
• 1 year limited warranty

ML-SPG4-100: Tinned OFC Side-by-side Red/Yellow wire, 4 GA 100 foot Spool

• Red and yellow side-by-side (power/ground)
• 4 AWG fully tinned OFC multi-strand power wire
• High strand count for maximum flexibility
• BC-5W2 marine compliant
• 100 foot spool
• 1 year limited warranty

These products are in stock and available now. View more information and place orders for these and other marine products at MetraMarine.com.

HOLLY HILL, FL (12.13.2021) – It is with great sadness and tremendous respect that Metra Electronics Corporation® announces the passing of its founder and innovator, Mr. Michael M. Somma. Metra’s president, Bill Jones, offered the following words as a tribute to honor the life of Mr. Somma:

“As Metra is celebrating its 75th year in business, his passing is even more bittersweet. But, we at Metra choose to celebrate his life rather than posting a simple obituary. His life was much more than that. His life was Metra, and thus, if you will indulge me, I’d like to offer you a kind remembrance of a man that meant so much to me and all of us, but especially the industry he helped to father and promote. Michael Somma was a man of simple means born to a hard-working Italian immigrant family living in the Coney Island section of Brooklyn, New York. He was brought up with six sisters and his father worked at Steeplechase Park from 1913 until its closing in the 1960s. His mother tended to the upbringing of seven children and kept a loving household. Michael Somma was a true pioneer and a genius of the 6volt and 12volt car radio industry. He will be missed by his family, his friends, and the industry as a whole. Somma was 94 years of age at his passing. He saw the tremendous changes in our business since Metra’s founding in 1946 on Coney Island Avenue in Brooklyn, New York.

Somma started out by opening a television sales and service shop with his brother-in-law, Sal Izzo, after serving proudly and with honor in the United States Navy in World War II. He was a graduate of Brooklyn Technical School, where he learned electrical and mechanical engineering skills. Somma built and sold his first television while attending school, which became his first official TV sale. It must have worked well! After the war, where he served as a radioman, he knew where his passion and interests would be best utilized, and thus, Metra Radio and TV was founded.

In the 1940s, Metra Radio and TV initially focused on selling television sets and home radios more so than car radios, as the demand for TVs was much greater and more lucrative at the time. Nevertheless, they went on to sell and install numerous car radios because cars at this time did not come equipped with a radio and the option from the factory was, as it is now, an expensive addition. Installing a car radio was a time-consuming and complex undertaking. These trials and tribulations gave Somma the idea of standardizing the design and creation of kits instead of tackling each installation one at a time.

Several innovations at the time pushed Metra’s focus more towards automotive. From the beginning, Metra was a Blaupunkt car radio dealer. Blaupunkt made great car radios and was the first to introduce FM to their units. Although not many FM stations existed at the time, the ones that did, offered a clearer and static-free broadcast. Although AM technology was still the rule and FM the exception up until the 1970s, Somma’s forward-thinking saw the potential on the broader bandwidth of FM and its ability to attain Hi-Fidelity sound, as it was called at that time.

Somma’s other innovation was the manufacturing of car radio installation kits, which greatly facilitated an easier installation of car radios. At the beginning of car radio installations, it could take two men several hours to install the earlier and primitive units. Somma used his considerable mechanical skills to fashion Metra’s earliest kits out of metal and find whatever way he could fasten the radio to the car. As a perfectionist, the installations were always top-notch.

One of the events that genuinely catapulted Metra to its glory was the change in New York regulations by the Taxi and Limousine Commission, allowing taxi cabs to legally have radios in their cabs. Prior to this, many states and municipalities outlawed radio use as they felt it would be a distraction to the driver. This change led Metra to pre-fabricate kits as their radio and installation business took off!

Soon, the car radio side of the business became more lucrative than selling TVs, and thus was born the new division, Metra Electronics. As more installations kept coming in, the need for a bigger facility became apparent. The solution was to move to a larger headquarters on McDonald Avenue in Brooklyn. This was the time of the “two Metras,” and the original store remained open and focused strictly on television repair and sales, run by Sal Izzo. Izzo was cautious of betting on just car audio and felt better suited to TV repairs and sales.

As the 1950s rolled on, more and more installations meant fabricating more radio kits. This is where Somma’s talents came into play, thinking of the bigger picture outside of Brooklyn. He reasoned early on that there were 48 other states going through the same hassle to fabricate brackets and trim panels for radio installations. Metra’s complete car radio installation kit for dealers was born. This is not to say that Metra was the only company thinking the same thoughts. Still, Somma’s boldness led him to eliminate the installation bays and fill them with machinery and equipment to manufacture the myriad of kits required to fit the many different types of cars on the road. He hired engineers and designers, set up a shipping department, and hired a sales and marketing staff to take Metra nationwide. Although it wasn’t always easy, his persistence paid off and Metra Electronics became a great success!

As time went by, Metra went full circle and introduced a line of car radios called MetraVox in the early 1960s that included 4-track players, AM and FM radio, and eventually became a public company in 1969. It was a highly successful line until the field became very crowded and technology-laden. MetraVox’s radios, which were manufactured in Italy and Japan, were discontinued as Somma determined that the true profit center was in the installation kit business.

In closing, let’s not forget the true pioneer who was way ahead of his time. Michael M. Somma ranks up there with Armstrong, Lear, Shalam, and the rest,” says Jones. “May he rest in peace and I hope he is smiling down upon us watching his creation thriving after 75 great years,” he concluded. Metra’s complete line of 12volt brands can be seen at MetraOnline.com. Additional information about the history of Metra Electronics is available at http://www.metraonline.com/news-post/408.

HOLLY HILL, FL (12.01.2021) – Metra Electronics is heading to Dallas, Texas to host new training sessions at KnowledgeFest and showcase their latest aftermarket installation products. At the booth will also be a 2021 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 HD built by Extreme Offroad and Performance and customized from the front to the back with Heise LED lights and more. Metra’s training sessions will cover new products launched at the 2021 SEMA Show. This includes new Axxessintegration products and DSPs, Saddle Tramplighting and audio upgrades that fit Harley-Davidson, aftermarket accessories that fit Jeep Wrangler and Gladiator, and new vehicle lighting solutions from Heise. As a Diamond Ultra sponsor, Metra is proud to support the industry by providing in-depth training sessions for installers at the event, hosted December 10-12. Training sessions include:

“Simplify your Install with Axxess DSPs” on Friday, Dec. 10 at 1:45 PM and Sunday, Dec.12 at 9:30 AM

This training will cover the entire Axxess DSP product line, highlight new vehicle coverage, and showcase the newest app features. Metra will show installers how these solutions can increase sales in the showroom and decrease time in the bay. Attendees will learn how to use and set up Axxess DSPs through the app for complete tuning control and when to use the DSP “Lite” versus “X” solutions. This training will also explain how to use the different types of applications offered within the AXDSP line, including CAN-based systems, new A2B systems, MOST25, and MOST50 vehicle technology.

“New Accessories for Jeep Wrangler and Gladiator” on Friday, Dec. 10 at 3 PM

Installers will learn how to upgrade the look and sound system of the latest Jeep models using Metra’s newest accessories designed for JeepWrangler JL and Gladiator JT. This session will go over installing the new Metra RGB lighting kit with plug-n-play connections and expandable Heise lighting options. It will also showcase Metra’s new Talon Attack replacement grille, amplifier installation kits, and new accessory harnesses that make adding aftermarket lighting even easier for installers.

“New Lighting & Audio Upgrades for Harley-Davidson Motorcycles” on Saturday, Dec. 11 at 4:15 PM

Metra makes it easy to upgrade the audio system in Harley-Davidson motorcycles with Saddle Tramp’s newest products. Learn more about the new DSP kits with a built-in interface that reflashes the OE radio and gives installers full tuning control from the palm of their hand. This session will also introduce the new motorcycle accessories from Metra that will upgrade the music experience and provide easy integration using Metra’s improved radio replacement kits and harnessing.

“New Vehicle Lighting Trends with Heise” on Saturday, Dec. 11 at 5:30 PM

Lighting upgrades are in demand and Metra’s newest products from Heise deliver just what installers need to meet the latest trends in automotive lighting. Learn about the new and improved Heise lightbars and cube lights, projector series LED bulbs, new wheel lights, RGB and RGBW underglow kits, and the popular third brake light designed for the new 2021 Ford Bronco. This training session includes valuable tips for selling and installing these new LED lighting solutions from Heise.

“Advanced Integration Made Easy with Axxess and Metra” on Sunday, Dec. 12 at 10:45 AM

Attendees will learn about the newest solutions from Axxess and Metra that make vehicle integration easy, even with some of the notoriously complex vehicle systems. This training session gives in-depth installation information for Metra’s new AXPIO integration kits for Pioneer receivers, Metra’s latest TurboTouch dash kits, and new Axxess interfaces hitting the market.

Metra’s customers can register for the KnowledgeFest event at no cost using Metra’s VIP code, available by request from their sales representative. Once registered for the event, attendees will also need to register online at KnowledgeFest.org for each training session they will attend. Metra will be at booth #513 from December 10-12 at the Dallas Convention Center in Dallas, Texas.

Visit metraonline.com for more.

HOLLY HILL, FL (11.04.2021) – Metra Electronics is launching new dash kits at the 2021 SEMA Show. These new products fit a wide range of vehicles, with solutions ranging from simple plastic dash kits, replacement dash panels, and a sun shade, to a sophisticated TurboTactile dash kit with integrated electronics and built-in interface technology. Metra is also launching several dash kits in its 107, 108, and 109 series designed specifically for select Pioneer Modular Solutions receivers to fit new Honda and Kia models. Metra’s dash kits include the following new models:

95-6558B TurboTactile: Fits 2014-2019 Ram Trucks

• ISO Double-DIN radio for models equipped with auto climate controls and factory 8” screen
• Retains factory climate control buttons and also adds buttons for lost functions and access to vehicle personalization menus
• Built-in OLED screen displays visual status of climate functions such as temperature, fan speed, and vent mode that were displayed on factory screen
• All-in-one interface to retain climate control functions, factory amplifier, and steering wheel controls
• Painted scratch-resistant matte black with chrome accents

107-HY1: Fits 2020-up* Hyundai Sonata

• Designed specifically for 6.8” Pioneer Modular Solutions receivers (like the DMH-C2550NEX and DMH-C2500NEX)**
• Painted to match factory look with a gloss black face, bright silver trim, and matte black  back plate

107-KI2HG: Fits 2021 Kia K5

• Designed specifically for 6.8” Pioneer Modular Solutions receivers (like the DMH-C2550NEX and DMH-C2500NEX)**
• Gloss black painted parts and textured parts to match the factory finish

108-KI2HG: Fits 2021 Kia K5

• Designed specifically for 8” Pioneer Modular Solutions receiver (DMH-C5500NEX)**
• Gloss black painted parts and textured parts to match the factory finish

107-KI1HG: Fits 2020-up* Kia Seltos

• Designed specifically for ISO Double-DIN radios with an “L” shaped chassis design with the radio chassis at the bottom (Alpine iLX-207**) or 6.8” Pioneer Modular Solutions receivers (like the DMH-C2550NEX and DMH-C2500NEX)**
• Gloss black painted parts and textured parts to match the factory finish

108-KI1HG: Fits 2020-up* Kia Seltos

• Designed specifically for 8” Pioneer Modular Solutions receiver (DMH-C5500NEX)**
• Assembled with gloss black painted parts and textured parts to match the factory finish

109-KI1HG: Fits 2020-up* Kia Seltos

• Designed specifically for the new 9” Pioneer Modular Solutions receiver (DMH-WC6600NEX)**
• Assembled with gloss black painted parts and textured parts to match the factory finish

DP-7528: Fits 1990-1993 Mazda Miata

• ISO Single-DIN radio with pocket or ISO Double-DIN radio
• Textured to match the factory dash
• Can also be used as a factory dash replacement with factory Mazda radios

DP-7419: Fits 2005-2006 Nissan Altima

• Single-DIN radio with pocket or ISO Double-DIN radio
• Multiple custom textures
• Can also be used as a factory dash replacement with factory Nissan radios

89-UV01: Universal Sun Shade

• Designed to fit most Metra kits above the radio to cut down glare from the sun
• Double-sided tape included for a secure fit

All of these new dash kits feature patent-pending designs and will be shipping soon. They are on display now at Metra’s main SEMA Show booth #12141 in the North Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center until November 5^th, along with other new products launched in 2021. They can also be seen in Metra’s online 2021 SEMA New Product Guide.

* Visit MetraOnline.com for up-to-date vehicle specific information

** Refer to radio manufacturer for current models