I have a subscription to the CA&E magazine for the last 15 years now. Last weekend I was wondering what happened to the quality of the mag, so I wrote the following email and received this disturbing answer. I guess times are changing. For myself the industry will never be the same!
Dear CA&E,
I have a subscripition to your great magazine for well over ten years now. I must admit I am dissapointed on the changes that have occured over the years!
Comparing the issues from the 90's and today I have several things that I personally miss.
1.) Simple to read black letters with white background. Now the pages are sometime hard to read with all the color!
2.) System diagrams is long since gone.
3.) I really loved the cartoon like drawings from the 90's.
4.) The choises section was one of my favorites.
5.) The yearly buyers guide really sucks compared to the one's from the 90's.
6.) In the 90's there were more pictures and effort put in the details of the featured vechicles.
This is the answer I received:
Hi Paul,
Unfortunately, Car Audio magazine has ceased their production as of the November 2008 issue (was out on newsstands starting September 16, 2008).
Thank you for all the years of loyalty and support.
Dear CA&E,
I have a subscripition to your great magazine for well over ten years now. I must admit I am dissapointed on the changes that have occured over the years!
Comparing the issues from the 90's and today I have several things that I personally miss.
1.) Simple to read black letters with white background. Now the pages are sometime hard to read with all the color!
2.) System diagrams is long since gone.
3.) I really loved the cartoon like drawings from the 90's.
4.) The choises section was one of my favorites.
5.) The yearly buyers guide really sucks compared to the one's from the 90's.
6.) In the 90's there were more pictures and effort put in the details of the featured vechicles.
This is the answer I received:
Hi Paul,
Unfortunately, Car Audio magazine has ceased their production as of the November 2008 issue (was out on newsstands starting September 16, 2008).
Thank you for all the years of loyalty and support.
What I really dont like about the mag in the last few years of it's run is that the system diagram seems to be replaced by inumerations of what was done to the engine and suspension, Like headers, intake manifolds , air filters , turbos and other engine mods, Which has nothing to do with sounds, as if ca&e were trying to please a wider crowd of readers, to the expense of what the mag is all about.
But even if they have stayed with the original quality of the mag, I Think their closing is still inevitable. Considering the economy. IMO
But even if they have stayed with the original quality of the mag, I Think their closing is still inevitable. Considering the economy. IMO
Very well said. If they would have just stuck to the audio aspect this may never had happened. If readers wanted to know all about the mods they would have went to the news stands and bought a tuning mag. They just drifted in the wrong direction and put less attention on the installs. Too bad.
I used to buy them back then when I had extra cash up until they disappeared in newsstands over here around 2004 then after a house renovation, my magazine collection disappeared. 
I really missed the system diagrams though.
I really missed the system diagrams though.
I had a subscription from 90 to 97, just held my interest less every couple of years until I cancelled.
all the good car audio mags went south and eventually died out.I used to love auto sound and security,car audio and electronics and carsound.Not sure if carsound is gone but it sure seems like it. All of the good mags turned into import tuner crap.
I'm quite sure too that internet forums have something to do with the downturn of the mags, Cause here, we can get more info about car audio than with the mags for free. I used to buy almost every issue , But when I started searching on the internet , I was buying less and less mags.
This is the equivalent to the porn industry, Before we (me, not always 🙂 used to buy playboy , international, hustler mags, But when the internet started, with all the info ( pictures 🙂 we can get for free, Why would we still want to pay for those expensive mags? That might be the reason why they are asking the gov't for $5B bailout, Hehehe.
This is the equivalent to the porn industry, Before we (me, not always 🙂 used to buy playboy , international, hustler mags, But when the internet started, with all the info ( pictures 🙂 we can get for free, Why would we still want to pay for those expensive mags? That might be the reason why they are asking the gov't for $5B bailout, Hehehe.
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