Okay, so this time we are stepping a little outside of the standard car audio box, but let’s face it, everyone who loves their music is going to want to have it with them regardless of the vehicle.
With the ever increasing popularity of the power sports market and the amazing modifications being done to UTV’s we thought we’d bring you a closer look at a piece of gear that is meant specifically for the UTV owners who demand quality tunes on the trail.
Features and Construction
The PowerBass XL-1000 soundbar is designed specifically for providing great sound over any terrain, with the ability to stand up to the harshest environment or weather conditions. The entire unit is splash-proof, and built on a solid aluminum chassis. The complement of speakers includes eight 3-inch premium marine grade speakers and a pair of 1.25-inch mylar dome tweeters. A precision tuned distortion limiter and DSP circuit ensures the optimum sound quality for the driver array and cabinet combination. The one-piece aluminum housing also serves double duty as a heatsink for the built in Class D amplifier, somewhat optimistically rated at 400 watts. Installation has been simplified thanks to multiple different mounting methods and available high strength brackets. Everything you need is in the box, including a nice wiring harness for power and audio in and out jacks. Signal can be sent to the sound bar via the Aux input jack, or via Bluetooth. Pairing with a smartphone was fast and easy, and once paired the buttons on the LED backlit front controller keypad could be used for volume and track control. An additional controller (XL-SBCON) can be remote mounted in the dash or other convenient location. If you want to add an external amplifier for a subwoofer for example (which would be an excellent addition for this system), the Aux output will provide up to 2 volts of audio signal to drive the added amp. When the ride is over, you can either manually turn off the sound bar or if you forget, the unit has a built in automatic turn off circuit that will turn the unit off for you after ten minutes of inactivity. This is a great feature and prevents you from coming back to the UTV only to find a dead battery.
Listening
For my listening evaluation I set up the sound bar in my listening room as usual, and supplied the signal via a headphone output on my studio CD player. I’ll be honest, my expectations of the sonics were quite low, but I’m happy to report that the XL-1000 easily exceeded them, and is fairly impressive for its size. My music was reproduced with enough accuracy for it to really be enjoyed, and the darn thing plays a lot louder than I expected too. Being realistic, no one is going to expect ultra high fidelity when they are out on a UTV trail wearing a helmet. But the XL-1000 seems to be designed specifically with those conditions in mind, and will definitely be an enjoyable addition to any UTV.
Quick Specs
Actual Total Power: Frequency Response: 50Hz -25kHz (-10dB)
Bluetooth Range: >25 feet
Mounting size (approx): 33.75 x 4.2 x 4.25 inches
Weight: 16.4 lbs
Conclusion
If you want to take your music with you out on the trail and need a ruggedly built, good sounding system, the PowerBass XL-1000 should be on your list of products to consider. And if you might want something a little bigger or a little smaller, they have models to fit both of those bills as well. Check out the full lineup at www.powerbassusa.com, Twitter, Instagram, Facebook.
AS SEEN IN PASMAG TUNING ESSENTIALS: CAR AUDIO VOL. 8
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