Frequently Asked Questions

What makes Audio Intensity different from other car audio retailers?

Audio Intensity is run by Scott Welch, who has been working in car audio since 1985 and holds multiple National and World Championship titles in Sound Quality competition through IASCA and MECA. Every product recommendation and enclosure design comes from decades of hands-on competition and installation experience — not marketing specs.

We manufacture our own Proline X subwoofer enclosures in-house using ShopSabre CNC routers and Langboard Elite 3/4" MDF, and we are the exclusive US importer for Goldhorn DSP. That combination of manufacturing capability and exclusive distribution is not something you'll find at any other car audio retailer.

How long has Audio Intensity been in business?

Audio Intensity was founded in December 2014 in Northern California. Scott Welch's background in car audio stretches back to 1985, when he began as an apprentice installer straight out of high school. The business relocated to Tullahoma, Tennessee in January 2026.

Do you have a physical location?

We operate as an online retailer with a manufacturing facility in Tullahoma, Tennessee where all Proline X enclosures are built to order. Our address is 122 Turkey Creek Church Rd, Tullahoma, TN 37388. Note: our customer service number (707-999-3071) is a California number carried over from our original location.

What is your connection to car audio competition?

Scott Welch earned multiple National and World Championship titles in Sound Quality competition through IASCA and MECA between 2012 and 2019. Since 2019 he has served as an active SQ competition judge at local, regional, and finals-level events. The standards applied to every product we carry and every enclosure we build are the same standards used to evaluate the best systems in the country.

What brands do you carry?

We carry a curated lineup selected for sound quality performance:

• Audiomobile — subwoofers
• Crescendo — subwoofers and amplifiers
• Image Dynamics — subwoofers and amplifiers
• Prodigy — subwoofers and amplifiers
• Wavtech — subwoofers and amplifiers
• Arc Audio — amplifiers and processors
• US Acoustics — amplifiers
• Tru Technology — amplifiers
• Audio Wave — amplifiers (exclusive US distributor)
• Goldhorn DSP — digital signal processors (exclusive US importer)
• Proline X — custom subwoofer enclosures (manufactured in-house)

Why don't you carry mainstream brands like Pioneer or JL Audio?

We focus on brands that offer genuine performance advantages for sound quality builds — particularly brands with direct import relationships that eliminate middleman markups. The brands we carry are selected based on real-world competition testing, not retail distribution margins.

What is Proline X?

Proline X is Audio Intensity's proprietary brand of custom subwoofer enclosures, manufactured in-house in Tullahoma, Tennessee. Every enclosure is CNC-cut on ShopSabre routers using Langboard Elite 3/4" MDF, built to order, and spec-matched to the driver it houses.

Current series include Performance, Professional, X Series, Micro Series (shallow-mount sealed), Vehicle Specific, and Loaded. All sealed enclosures ship with polyfill pre-installed. Lead time is 2 to 4 business days.

What is the warranty on Proline X enclosures?

Proline X enclosures carry a 1 to 2 year warranty on craftsmanship and materials depending on the series, covering defects in construction or finish.

What is the difference between sealed and ported subwoofer enclosures?

Sealed enclosures deliver tight, controlled, accurate bass and are compact — well suited for sound quality builds and mixed-genre listening. They require more amplifier power to achieve the same output level as ported.

Ported enclosures are tuned to a specific frequency and deliver higher efficiency and deeper extension in a larger cabinet. They are the preferred alignment when EBP (Efficiency Bandwidth Product) analysis supports it — generally when a driver's EBP falls between 80 and 90 or higher.

How do I choose the right subwoofer size?

• 8" — compact vehicles and tight spaces, accurate bass in smaller cabins
• 10" — versatile choice for most installs, good balance of output and space efficiency
• 12" — enthusiast choice for deeper extension and higher output in mid-size and larger vehicles
• 15" — maximum output for trucks, large SUVs, and competition systems with adequate space

Can you build an enclosure for any vehicle?

Our Vehicle Specific Series covers a growing list of makes and models with enclosures engineered for exact fitment. For vehicles not currently in the lineup, contact us to discuss a custom build. Lead time is 2 to 4 business days for standard series enclosures.

What is Goldhorn DSP and why do you carry it exclusively?

Goldhorn is a precision DSP (Digital Signal Processor) brand designed for serious sound quality builds. Audio Intensity is the exclusive US importer. Current lineup includes the DSPA 406 (4 input / 6 output), DSPA 810 Pro (8 input / 10 output), and DSPA 1216 Plus (12 input / 16 output with integrated amplification).

Goldhorn units support factory system integration without head unit replacement, WiFi and Bluetooth connectivity, advanced tuning software, and high-resolution audio processing. They are carried because they perform at a level that justifies recommending them in serious SQ builds — not because of a distribution arrangement.

What is the warranty on Goldhorn products?

Goldhorn products carry a 1-year limited warranty covering defects in materials and workmanship under normal use conditions.

What is the warranty on Audio Wave amplifiers?

Audio Wave warranty coverage varies by series: Excel and Active series carry a 2-year warranty, Aspire series carries a 3-year warranty, and CR series carries a 5-year warranty.

Do I need a DSP for my car audio system?

For any build where sound quality is the goal, yes. Vehicle cabins create acoustic problems — reflections, standing waves, and uneven frequency response — that cannot be corrected by amplifier gain adjustments alone. A DSP handles time alignment, crossover control, and equalization with precision that transforms how a system performs in-vehicle.

It is especially valuable when integrating with a factory amplified system, running a multi-amplifier setup, or trying to achieve accurate stereo imaging.

How do I match an amplifier to my subwoofer correctly?

Match amplifier RMS output to 100 to 150% of the subwoofer's RMS power handling. This gives you clean headroom without risk of underpowering or clipping. Also verify impedance compatibility — the amplifier's rated output impedance must match the load presented by the subwoofer wiring configuration.

What is the difference between Class A, AB, and D amplifiers?

Class A operates with the output transistors always on — highest linearity, lowest efficiency, rarely used in car audio. Class AB is the most common topology for full-range amplification — good balance of sound quality and efficiency. Class D uses switching output stages for very high efficiency and compact size, making it the standard choice for subwoofer amplification.