# Car Audio and Electronics Magazine is back! Come join us :)



## simplicityinsound (Feb 2, 2007)

Hey Guys,

I got some great news! One of the original mobile electronics magazines is back! Through the hard work and dedication of a few individuals, Car Audio and Electronics magazine (CAE) is back in a brand new, totally redesigned web format:

Car Audio and Electronics - Car stereo reviews, mobile audio, GPS, how-to, and Installation

I am very proud to have signed on as a feature editor and hope to contribute a wide variety of articles ranging from life-style editorials, simple how-to guides, show/competition coverage and installation logs.

I am truly excited about this development because I believe the new CAE has taken all the advantages of a social networking forum, and combined it with the best elements of a magazine. What does all mean?

Well, to me it’s simple. Just like a forum and social website, you can chat, post and discuss topics with your peers and friends. You can also create your own homepage, upload pics of your ride and share it with the community. The ability to integrate your Facebook profile and make direct new feed posts is also very cool. But unlike most enthusiast sites, CAE also has on hand a number of industry professionals to help with your mobile electronics needs. Think of it this way, say you have a problem with a component in your car, instead of just having fellow audio buffs chime in; you can have one of the best troubleshooters in the field give you tips and advice. Have a fabrication question? How about having Chris Yato, the man behind many of Alpine’s insane demo vehicles give you a hand? In addition, after you are done surfing the forums, you can occupy yourself with the same type of amazing feature vehicles, detailed product reviews and in depth how-to tutorials as you would on a typical print media periodical. Unlike a typical paper rag however, you, as a member, will be able to directly affect the selection of future content on the site by voicing your opinions, long gone are the days when you are forced to read whatever the editors decided to write.  In addition to just mobile electronics, we are also going to include content covering the general automotive field, from new car reviews, grassroots performance projects, to car show coverage. 

So if you are into cars, please come and become a member at Car Audio and Electronics - Car stereo reviews, mobile audio, GPS, how-to, and Installation, look for the register button at the top of the screen.

Right now, we are working overtime to update and make further improvements to the site, so expect to see a lot more in the near future, but here is a sample of what you can expect right now from the new CAE:

•	Feature stories on a wide variety of vehicles 
•	Informative articles about new car tech, shows, and competitions
•	Authoritative reviews of all the latest gear
•	Detailed how-to articles and install logs
•	A full discussion forum manned by industry experts
•	Member photo gallery for you to upload and share pictures
•	Personalized profiles with activity feeds and messages
•	Car Audio Wiki where members can learn and share knowledge
•	Ability to log in via Facebook account and post to your FB news feed

If you have any questions about the site, suggestions on topics and articles to discuss, please don’t hesitate to contact me at: [email protected] .

C-ya there!

Bing


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## Robin W. (Feb 18, 2010)

I was just reading through some old copies of CAE it was definatially my favorite, glad to hear it's back. And better than ever!


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## Boostedrex (Apr 4, 2007)

Nice! Thanks for posting this up Bing. And thanks for your contributions to the magazine.

Zach


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## audiogodz1 (Jan 5, 2010)

Bing,

Tell whomever is listening to keep the original look from the first decade of the magazine. CA&E is only CA&E if it looks like CA&E. Yeah change is good, but change features, change directions, but never change the look..... that is what makes CA&E. If we change your hair color to red and make you gain 100 more lbs people will say "that's not you". They will do the same for CA&E. Make the website look like the original CA&E and you'll do well IMO. 

Been reading since '91.



> Unlike a typical paper rag however, you, as a member, will be able to directly affect the selection of future content on the site by voicing your opinions, long gone are the days when you are forced to read whatever the editors decided to write.


Not to rock the boat here, but that's what makes it worth buying imo. People tend to buy magazines to "see what's next". If I wrote my own magazine it would just be more of what I already see. I enjoy seeing what the magazine comes up with.


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## Lanson (Jan 9, 2007)

I'm registered. Thanks for the head's up!

This is pretty big, hopefully the reviews can be considered impartial as possible despite the advertisers. If Top Gear can do it, why not a car audio magazine?


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## ryan s (Dec 19, 2006)

Most of the features are over the top for my tastes, but I still see things I like...especially the DIYs Steve Brown used to do. 

My issues only go back to 2002 or so...regardless...glad to see it's back


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## audiogodz1 (Jan 5, 2010)

Your forum log in does not work. No matter how many times I am logged in it redirects to the main site page and when I get back to the forums I am logged into the site, but not the forums. Safari browser.

EDIT: reports from others on IE doing the same thing.


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## gymrat2005 (Oct 4, 2009)

^ I'm using firefox and it's the same


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## simplicityinsound (Feb 2, 2007)

okay guys, i am going to tell them and see what the issue is, i was able to log in just this morning.

oh and if you have suggestions on the site design itself, post on the forum and direct it to Ben


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## BaSiCEvil (Mar 14, 2007)

Good looking out Bing. Signed up. Looking forward to some good reads.


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## lucas569 (Apr 17, 2007)

gymrat2005 said:


> ^ I'm using firefox and it's the same


ditto cant log im


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## coffee_junkee (Jul 13, 2006)

I only have one thing to suggest:

CHOICES! Make sure that you have a tab at the top that reads: Choices.

Best section in the old rag. I looked forward to reading that section every month. Real people with real budgets. It gives readers something to aspire to, getting your car "featured" in a magazine. The "featured" section should be for show only, vendor or major budget innovation builds.

I have been hitting the site everyday since the link appeared on MMM a couple weeks back. Great work and thank you for bringing it back from the dead!


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## jonnyanalog (Nov 14, 2007)

When you test products PLEASE support it with real test data. Subjective reviews are lame if there is no data to back up the claims.


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## DS-21 (Apr 16, 2005)

Second johnnyanalog. The only thing that would make the site worth visiting is reviews that are a little more serious than the DEX-P99RS fluff-hack. That means actually measuring the DUT's.


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## Niebur3 (Jul 11, 2008)

jonnyanalog said:


> When you test products PLEASE support it with real test data. Subjective reviews are lame if there is no data to back up the claims.


Even the subjective test they are currently doing are lame. They only test brands like kicker and clarion and pioneer and everything they test is "great". I have a ton of their magazines and they are never honest or willing to piss off a manufacturer/vendor if necessary. It is just plain boring to read the same **** all the time.


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## alachua (Jun 30, 2008)

jonnyanalog said:


> When you test products PLEASE support it with real test data. Subjective reviews are lame if there is no data to back up the claims.


Agreed. The one thing the web has ruined is honest to goodness product tests. Trying to find information on anything now results in links to dozens of utterly useless 'user review' sites. While community reviews have a place, that place is in a community where the reviewer has established himself. I could care less if [email protected][email protected]$tEr69420 thinks that his new sub amp 'pounds wicked sick', what I would like to see is independent scientific testing on a specific product, along with an established person's opinion of that product .


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## DAT (Oct 8, 2006)

WOW I love that Mag.


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## lucas569 (Apr 17, 2007)

im guessing the site isnt firefox friendly? cause i CANNOT log in!


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## DAT (Oct 8, 2006)

lucas569 said:


> im guessing the site isnt firefox friendly? cause i CANNOT log in!


Works 100% with my Firefox V. 3.6.2


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## BigRed (Aug 12, 2007)

Love this article.

Record Breaking 200dB Vehicle : Thai Stunner: SPL Cinderella Surprises at IASCA - Competition Cars - Features - Car Audio and Electronics

Several people who were too close to the judging lanes (after repeatedly being warned to keep their distance) suffered uncontrolled [certain bodily functions] and heart arrhythmia. One person had a collapsed lung. Paramedics had to be called to transport these unfortunate spectators to a nearby clinic. Fellow competitors lodged formal complaints with IASCA, as they could no longer compete due to the fact that all of the windshields on their cars had been shattered.

But what was most astonishing about the vehicle was that it also took the top award for sound quality at the show (although of course, once the other competitors no longer had windshields of their own it made winning a lot easier). The midrange speakers and tweeters are actually not branded products but rather parts from various audio manufacturers that TAF cobbled together. As one of the judges said, "It wasn't the best sounding, uh, well, car I've ever heard, but it was the only one that still had an enclosed cabin." Which is one way to say it was the best SQ car at the show.


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## Mighty Noid (Mar 28, 2010)

BigRed said:


> Love this article.
> 
> Record Breaking 200dB Vehicle : Thai Stunner: SPL Cinderella Surprises at IASCA - Competition Cars - Features - Car Audio and Electronics
> 
> ...



Now that is what I call a great "APRIL FOOLS JOKE!!"

:laugh: :laugh: :laugh:


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## ReloadedSS (Aug 26, 2008)

Great to see that it's back! Like Coffee_Junkie said, I like the Choices section probably the best. Sometimes a toss up, depending on what was being reviewed that month. But for me, working on a budget, the well done real-world installs were very interesting. Although they revived later in the series, eventually it just became high-end installs under another name...


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## kevin k. (May 5, 2005)

Jon Whitledge (Dynaudio Sprinter van) had a 10 part series that never reached completion as a result of the magazine's folding. I think he had reached #6 or so... might be nice if he finally had the chance to finish what he started.

Just a thought...


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## gymrat2005 (Oct 4, 2009)

DAT said:


> Works 100% with my Firefox V. 3.6.2


DAT can you access the forums? I can log into the site and my screen name comes up, but I can't log in forums, nor can I register to forums...it's kicks me to another page.


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## lucas569 (Apr 17, 2007)

gymrat2005 said:


> DAT can you access the forums? I can log into the site and my screen name comes up, but I can't log in forums, nor can I register to forums...it's kicks me to another page.


i noticed that too, forums is where i get booted. gonna try it w/ ie and see if its a browser thing.


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## lucas569 (Apr 17, 2007)

yup its a firefox thing (at least on the forums)


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## jrs1006 (Sep 19, 2010)

Sorry but are these guys gone again?


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## Notloudenuf (Sep 14, 2008)

jrs1006 said:


> Sorry but are these guys gone again?


Yes, dead and buried.


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## simplicityinsound (Feb 2, 2007)

blame the people who bought the rights to the name and own the site...none of us editors and contributors had really any say...and the sad thing is...they arent even really selling it to anyone to bring it back...


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## MacLeod (Aug 16, 2009)

I just don't understand this at all. Check out the magazine stand at your local grocery store. They've got magazines for walking, bride's maids, remote control cars, KNITTING for gawds sake! How can these magazines keep enough advertisers to stay afloat but car audio can't. I know us hard core guys that'll pay $1200 for a head unit are few and far between but car audio in general has a huge customer base. According to some surveys I've seen over the years, its one of the top if not the top of the list of mods guys do to their cars. I mean think about it. How can stamp collecting have a magazine but car audio doesn't? I don't get it.

Sent from my HTC Thunderbolt using Tapatalk 2


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## Noobdelux (Oct 20, 2011)

damn, and i was contemplating buying it.. lets all pay bing to make one instead : P


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## Chaos (Oct 27, 2005)

For what it's worth, the one issue of CA&E that I used to purchase every year was the one that includes the matrix of all the current products for the year. Now that was a great reference tool - better than the internet even.

Besides that though, can't say as I really miss that publication. Maybe what they needed was the super hot models like AS&S used to include with the features.


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## Notloudenuf (Sep 14, 2008)

Noobdelux said:


> damn, and i was contemplating buying it.. lets all pay bing to make one instead : P


If Bing had time to keep up with his current blog   :laugh:


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## simplicityinsound (Feb 2, 2007)

yeah no kidding on my blog...i will TRY to update it soon lol

as far as the paper mag goes...i think car audio specific mags is still a much smaller market than say wedding mags...cuase wedding mags generally cater to a specific group of people, and those people, tend to acutally BUY the mag.

most people who are into car audio, like someone said, wants half naked chicks or celebrity on the cover with their pimped out rides, those who wanna buy the mag to read the tech articles are few and far in between. i remember talk to peeps a long time ago and most basically admitted that they would read cae or the other audio mags in the store, and then leave lol

this is the other odd thing about the current owners of the site, its dead, they arent doing ****, yet they arent REALLY trying to sell it, and when i say not really trying to sell it, i mean even if everyone on the forum contributed, the money we end up with still far from waht they are asking. SMH...


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## Noobdelux (Oct 20, 2011)

what abaout an "e-zine" (sp?)


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## pocket5s (Jan 6, 2012)

MacLeod said:


> I just don't understand this at all. Check out the magazine stand at your local grocery store. They've got magazines for walking, bride's maids, remote control cars, KNITTING for gawds sake! How can these magazines keep enough advertisers to stay afloat but car audio can't. I know us hard core guys that'll pay $1200 for a head unit are few and far between but car audio in general has a huge customer base. According to some surveys I've seen over the years, its one of the top if not the top of the list of mods guys do to their cars. I mean think about it. How can stamp collecting have a magazine but car audio doesn't? I don't get it.
> 
> Sent from my HTC Thunderbolt using Tapatalk 2


Very simple. Advertising. It isn't so much that there wasn't a reader base, it was that manufacturers stopped spending the advertising dollars, and that is what keeps 99% of all print media going. 

I worked for a publisher in Vegas for a time (IT side of things). They had a boatload of print media when I got there. By time I left it was so bad for them that they shut down almost everything they had. The only reason the newspaper side kept going was because they operated under a distribution agreement with the big publisher in town and got paid a steady fee every year. 

From a "publishing" standpoint, a website is dirt cheap to operate outside of any payroll expense they may have had. If they were paying editors, reviewers, etc. then again they have to rely on advertising, and that can be more difficult on the web than in print. On the web advertisers know they see exactly how many impressions, clicks, etc. are occurring, so unless you are huge like say the New York Times, LA Times, Fox, CNN, etc you are not going to get flat rates on advertising. 

Any business relying strictly on advertising is a very tough one in general. Subscriptions work very well in some markets for online content, but this one probably isn't one of them.


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## MacLeod (Aug 16, 2009)

I know its advertising or rather a lack of it but that's what I don't get. I still see car audio ads in the tuner magazines so why wouldn't they put them in Mobile Electronics or CA&E.

That's what I don't get. They had a decent sized reader base (I assume) and obviously car audio manufacturers are willing to advertise cause I see them in Import Tuner magazine. Like I was saying, if a knitting magazine can keep afloat, I would've thought a car audio magazine could. Obviously there's a real good reason because they ALL went tits up but I can't figure it out.

Sent from my HTC Thunderbolt using Tapatalk 2


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## pocket5s (Jan 6, 2012)

That tuner mag has a larger circulation, so more eyes per dollar. Even if they aren't the most targeted eyes. 

Ultimately I'm sure it just cost too much to operate. Take a look at the SQ competition scene. It is a shred of what it used to be, so it would probably be safe to guess that the readership of most of the mags dwindled down to essentially nothing as well. Or at least not enough to warrant advertisers to spend X dollars on such a small number of readers.

I miss them myself. A couple started to get into doing tech/diy articles. I loved those "hands on" articles. Much the same reason that I prefer to get Car Craft over Hot Rod. HR has some nice articles once in a while, but CC builds tests things. That's what I liked the most. Of course now you can find a lot of that online


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## MacLeod (Aug 16, 2009)

That's true.

Maybe it goes back to what's nearly killed the car audio scene, big companies buying up all the little ones. The little companies were owned and operated by enthusiasts like us and they supported our sport/hobby. Big corporations buy them out and the first thing they do is slice off their high end lines and gear everything to appeal to the lowest common denominator which includes all but ignoring the car audio community. Maybe in all that, one of the things they do is shred their advertising budgets too and buy ads in the much more mainstream tuner magazines and forgetting about the smaller mags like CA&E.

Sent from my HTC Thunderbolt using Tapatalk 2


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## junglejuice72 (Oct 2, 2008)

Chaos said:


> For what it's worth, the one issue of CA&E that I used to purchase every year was the one that includes the matrix of all the current products for the year. Now that was a great reference tool - better than the internet even.
> 
> Besides that though, can't say as I really miss that publication. Maybe what they needed was the super hot models like AS&S used to include with the features.


I used to buy both magazines but eventually I gave up on AS&S as there was only so many subwoofer walls you can look at befer they all just look the same, I preferred CA&E and to a lesser extent Car Stereo Revue for the equipment reviews....

We have a magazine here that I still think is being published, In Car Entertainment but it IMHO was all that great, the only good thing was it gave us installs of cars the we can actually buy, there aren't too many late model Chevy's etc over here....

I still have all of my magazines even the ones I bought 20yrs ago!!!

JJ


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## jrs1006 (Sep 19, 2010)

simplicityinsound said:


> blame the people who bought the rights to the name and own the site...none of us editors and contributors had really any say...and the sad thing is...they arent even really selling it to anyone to bring it back...


I blame the Ipod. Have any of you noticed how many people drive with both ear phones on!!!!! Its like who cares what my car has! I have this great little device that holes all my music (sub 96KBps) and I can just wear my headphones. No investment needed.


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## Shadowmarx (Feb 12, 2012)

Link isn't work'n for me...


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## pocket5s (Jan 6, 2012)

Shadowmarx said:


> Link isn't work'n for me...


What link? Surely not the one that was mentioned about 6 posts up that the site is dead again...


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## JDM_Ej (Mar 16, 2008)

Well this sucks...


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## subiemax (Nov 19, 2007)

Why is there still CA&E ads at the top of this page all the time.


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## 83corolla (Nov 5, 2009)

subiemax said:


> Why is there still CA&E ads at the top of this page all the time.


It's some google trickery I think. I downloaded Adblock and I don't get them anymore. It's sucks shopping for blinds, and on every website I went on , that same blinds ad pops up.


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## strong*I*bumpin (Oct 3, 2005)

Atleast we still have DIYMA!


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## 83corolla (Nov 5, 2009)

strong*I*bumpin said:


> Atleast we still have DIYMA!


yup, this is my magazine fore sure!


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## hooligan72 (Jul 28, 2009)

I miss having the actual paper magazines. I used to subscribe to CA&E, CSR and others. I know all of the same info is online now, but if a classic name like CA&E can't find funding to support even a website it's a sad day.

Unbiased reviews don't exist on manufacturer websites. That's the point. Publications like CA&E gave us just that.

I think something has been lost in the 12 volt community with manufacturers clammering to come up with the next integration device for you *&%$ing smart phone. While I realize the market demands this, something has been lost.

I admit it. I miss the old days when I had stacks of car audio rags on my coffee table.


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