Audio Division by Ilkley Car Audio Ltd

16/06/2026

Latest tech tip in the series

Why Cheap Amplifier Power Claims Can Be Misleading

14/06/2026

A small personal and business update from me.

Recovery after surgery has been a little more painful than I expected — but thankfully, the medication is doing its job, so I’ll call that a win for modern science.

The stitches are due to come out next Tuesday, and once I’m able to move a bit more safely, the plan is to start getting back into the gym and rebuild myself properly. Nothing extreme, just getting stronger again one step at a time.

While I’ve been recovering, I’ve also been working behind the scenes on the transition from **Ilkley Car Audio** to **Audio Division**.

The new website is now fully live:

**[www.audiodivision.co.uk](http://www.audiodivision.co.uk)**

New products, case studies and service pages are being added, and the brand is starting to take shape properly.

The rebrand was not about walking away from Ilkley Car Audio. That business got me here. It built the reputation, the customer base and the foundation.

But over time, the work has evolved. The vehicles have evolved. The level of design, fabrication, audio tuning, security and integration has moved into a different space.

**Audio Division** is about giving that work the identity it deserves.

Same company. Same person behind the work. Same standards.

Just a cleaner, more focused brand for where the business is going next.

Thank you to everyone who has supported the journey so far. I’m still recovering, still replying a little slower than normal, but the next chapter is very much underway.

Formerly Ilkley Car Audio Ltd — the same company, the same people, now trading as Audio Division.

09/06/2026

Over the coming weeks, you may start to notice a few changes across the business.

Ilkley Car Audio Ltd is evolving into Audio Division.

This is not a new company taking over. It is not Ilkley Car Audio closing. It is the same owner, same company, same workshop and the same standards, just with a new identity and a clearer direction for the future.

Ilkley Car Audio started back in 2017 and has grown a lot over the years. What started as a local car audio business has slowly become much more than that. We now cover automotive audio, security, integration, bespoke 3D printed parts, vehicle-specific upgrades and more specialist work than the old name really explains.

The name Ilkley Car Audio will always be part of the story, but Audio Division gives the business room to grow. It is less tied to one location, it gives the brand a more focused direction, and it better reflects the type of work being carried out now.

I am also using my recovery time after surgery to get this started properly. Being forced to stop has given me time to think about the business, the future, and where I want things to go.

The last few years have not always been easy. Running a business, dealing with family pressures, health issues and mental health struggles can take a lot out of you. Sometimes you get so used to pushing through that you forget to stop, refocus and look at what you are actually building.

This rebrand is part of that reset.

It is about moving forward with a stronger identity, a clearer structure and a better platform for the future. It is also about building something that supports my family, my customers and the standard of work I want the business to be known for.

Over the next few weeks, the website, social media, branding and signage will start to change. The Ilkley Car Audio name will still be visible during the transition, and all existing contact details will remain active.

Same owner.
Same company.
Same standards.
New identity.

Ilkley Car Audio Ltd is evolving into Audio Division.

www.audiodivision.co.uk don't forget to subscribe for upcoming events and offers

09/06/2026

Tech Tip Tuesday: Matching Speaker RMS to Amplifiers & Setting Gains Correctly

When upgrading a car audio system, one of the most misunderstood areas is matching speakers to amplifiers correctly.

A lot of people look at the biggest wattage number on the box and assume that is what matters. In reality, the number you should be paying attention to is RMS power.

RMS stands for Root Mean Square, but in simple terms, it is the amount of continuous power a speaker or amplifier can handle or produce safely over time.

Peak power figures are often used for marketing. RMS is the number that actually matters.

Why RMS Matching Matters

Every speaker has a recommended RMS power rating. For example, a speaker may be rated at:

100 watts RMS

That does not mean it always needs exactly 100 watts, but it gives you a safe working range.

Ideally, you want an amplifier that can provide a clean power output close to the speaker’s RMS rating. A good match allows the speaker to perform properly without being under-driven, over-driven, or pushed into distortion.

A common mistake is thinking that too much amplifier power is always what damages speakers. In reality, a clean, properly set amplifier is usually safer than a smaller amplifier being pushed too hard.

The real danger is often distortion and clipping.

The Amplifier Gain Is Not a Volume Control

This is one of the biggest misunderstandings in car audio.

The gain control on an amplifier may seem like a volume control because the system gets louder when you turn it up. However, that is not what it is designed for.

The gain control is there to match the input signal from the head unit or DSP to the amplifier.

In simple terms, it tells the amplifier how sensitive it should be to the signal coming in.

If the gain is set too high, the amplifier may reach its maximum output too early. This can cause clipping, harsh sound, speaker damage, overheating, and poor system performance.

Turning the gain up does not create better sound quality. It simply increases the risk of driving the amplifier beyond its clean operating range.

What Is Clipping?

Clipping happens when an amplifier is asked to produce more power than it can cleanly deliver.

A clean audio signal is a smooth wave. When the amplifier runs out of clean power, the top and bottom of that wave become flattened. That flattened waveform is called clipping.

This clipped signal sounds harsh and distorted, but more importantly, it can be very damaging to speakers.

When a speaker receives a clipped signal, the voice coil can heat up quickly. This heat can damage the coil, deform it, burn it, or cause the speaker to fail completely.

Clipping is especially dangerous for tweeters and smaller speakers because they are not designed to handle large amounts of distorted energy.

This is why a badly set amplifier can damage speakers even if the amplifier’s RMS rating looks lower than the speaker’s RMS rating.

Distortion Is Not Just “Bad Sound”

Distortion is not only unpleasant to listen to. It is also a warning sign.

If a system sounds harsh, strained, crackly, or aggressive when turned up, something is wrong. It could be:

The amplifier gain is set too high

The speakers are being over-driven

The source unit is distorting

The DSP output is too high

The amplifier is clipping

The speakers are not crossed over correctly

A properly set system should sound controlled, clean, and balanced even at higher listening levels.

Setting Amplifier Gains with a Multimeter

One basic method of setting amplifier gain is to use a multimeter to measure the amplifier’s output voltage.

This is not the same as setting a system properly with an oscilloscope or distortion analyser, but it is a much better method than simply turning the gain up by ear.

To calculate the target voltage, you use this formula:

Voltage = √(Watts x Ohms)

For example, if you want to set an amplifier to deliver 100 watts RMS into a 4-ohm speaker:

100 watts x 4 ohms = 400

√400 = 20 volts

So, the target output voltage would be 20 volts AC.

Basic Gain Setting Method

1. Check the speaker RMS rating and impedance.

2. Decide the safe target amplifier power.

3. Calculate the target AC voltage.

4. Disconnect the speaker from the amplifier output.

5. Play a suitable test tone through the system.

6. Set the head unit volume to a safe maximum level before it distorts.

7. Set the multimeter to AC voltage.

8. Measure the amplifier speaker output.

9. Slowly adjust the amplifier gain until the target voltage is reached.

10. Reconnect the speaker and test the system carefully.

This gives you a safer starting point and helps prevent the amplifier from being set too aggressively.

Important Notes

The multimeter method assumes the signal going into the amplifier is clean. If the head unit, DSP, or line output converter is already distorting, the amplifier will amplify that distorted signal.

This is why professional setup is always more accurate when using proper test equipment such as an oscilloscope, real-time analyser, or distortion detection tools.

It is also important to set crossovers correctly. A speaker can still be damaged even with the gain set correctly if it is being asked to play frequencies it was never designed to handle.

For example, a door speaker being forced to play very low bass at high volume may distort or fail, even if the RMS power looks correct on paper.

Underpowering vs Overpowering

There is a common belief that underpowering speakers is dangerous.

Technically, low power by itself does not damage a speaker. The problem happens when a small amplifier is pushed beyond its clean limit. Once it clips, the distorted signal can generate heat and damage the speaker.

A slightly more powerful amplifier, set correctly, can often be safer than a small amplifier being pushed flat out.

Clean power is the key.

Final Thoughts

Correctly matching speaker RMS ratings to amplifier power is one of the most important parts of building a reliable car audio system.

The goal is not simply to make the system loud. The goal is to make it loud, clean, controlled, and safe.

The amplifier gain should be treated as a setup control, not a volume k**b. When the gain is set correctly, the system performs better, sounds cleaner, and puts less stress on the speakers.

At Ilkley Car Audio, every system we install is set up properly to suit the speakers, amplifier, vehicle, and customer’s listening requirements.

Because good sound is not just about fitting quality equipment.

It is about setting it up correctly.

07/06/2026

Sat here doing so work on the latest project with some music on at the F1 and reminiscing, Not only were times a lot simpler back in the late 90's and early 2000's but music was simply majestic.

This whole era and genre of music was phenomenal, and the problem and it's probably because of my age and the era I was born in.

What was your favourite era?

1. Storm – Storm2. CRW – I Feel Love (R.A.F. Zone Remix)3. Three Drives – Greece 20004. Delerium feat. Sarah McLachlan – Silence (DJ Tiësto Remix)5. System F...

05/06/2026

Things are changing behind the scenes…

While I’m currently off recovering from surgery, I’ve been using the downtime to work on something much bigger for the future of Ilkley Car Audio.

Over the years the business has grown, the work has evolved, and the direction has become clearer. What started as Ilkley Car Audio has developed into something more focused, more refined and more in line with the level of work we now produce.

Premium audio, vehicle security, integration, bespoke design and our own in-house developed parts are becoming a bigger part of what we do — and the business is now evolving to reflect that.

Ilkley Car Audio isn’t disappearing. It’s evolving.

There will be a few changes coming soon, and I’m looking forward to sharing more once everything is ready.

Same workshop.
Same standards.
Same obsession with doing things properly.

More to come soon.

05/06/2026

Can't wait to get back to work or at least out on the road.
so I can see comical things like this on my journeys, two reversing cameras one for the AliExpress Radio and one for the Amazon special Dashcam

03/06/2026

A little bit sore now for the recovery

02/06/2026

Well, that’s it.

Today was my final day in the workshop before surgery tomorrow morning.

After years of putting up with ankle problems, countless painkillers, working through discomfort and simply getting on with it, the time has finally come to get it sorted.

The workshop will now be closed for at least a month while I recover. I’ll still be checking messages and emails where I can, but response times will be slower than normal.

I’d like to thank all of our customers, suppliers, friends and family for the continued support. Ilkley Car Audio has come a long way over the years, and your support means more than you know.

I’m looking forward to seeing everyone when I’m back, and there are a few exciting changes in the pipeline that I’ll be working on during my recovery. Keep an eye on the page over the coming weeks.

For now, it’s time to swap the workshop boots for a medical boot and finally get this ankle fixed once and for all!

See you all on the other side.

Martin
Ilkley Car Audio Ltd

31/05/2026

ZEN-V MOST150 Optical Interface

DEMO STOCK CLEARANCE

ZEN-V MOST150 optical interface available.

This is the interface only, removed from an old demo vehicle. Designed for selected Audi, Bentley and Porsche systems using MOST150 audio integration.

The ZEN-V is designed to convert factory MOST150 audio into aftermarket-friendly outputs, making it a serious bit of kit for high-end OEM integration builds.

Interface only
Removed from old demo car
Designed for Audi, Bentley and Porsche
£680 new

£400 collected
£410 delivered

Specialist item. Ideal for someone building a proper OEM-integrated audio system.

-V