C

CAN Bus (Controller Area Network)
Vehicle communication network for electronic modules. High-speed (500 kbps) for engine/transmission, low-speed (125 kbps) for comfort/body. Required for steering wheel control integration in modern vehicles. → See also: SWC, OBD-II
Chapter 5.5

Capacitor (Car Audio)
Energy storage device for buffering bass transients. 1 Farad typical per 1000W system power. Stores energy: E = ½CV². Helps voltage stability during short peaks (1-50 ms) but does NOT replace battery capacity. → See also: Ultracapacitor, Battery
Chapter 11.4

CarPlay (Apple)
Apple's vehicle infotainment integration. Mirrors iPhone apps on head unit screen. Requires compatible head unit. Wired (USB) or wireless. Standard for navigation/streaming in modern vehicles. → See also: Android Auto
Chapter 5.2

CEA-2006
Consumer Electronics Association standard for amplifier power rating. Specifies 14.4V supply, continuous sine wave, all channels driven, at stated impedance and THD. Only honest power measurement standard. Always prefer CEA-2006 rated amps. → See also: RMS, THD
Chapter 2.4

Clipping
Amplifier output distortion when signal exceeds maximum voltage swing. Waveform tops flatten. Increases average power, causes speaker damage (especially tweeters). Audible as harshness/distortion. Avoid by setting gain correctly. → See also: Gain, THD
Chapter 4.4

Codec
Algorithm for compressing/decompressing digital audio. Bluetooth codecs: SBC (required, 320 kbps), AAC (better), aptX (352 kbps), LDAC (990 kbps). Higher bitrate ≠ always better (depends on encoder quality). → See also: Bluetooth, Bitrate
Chapter 5.2

Component Speakers
Separate tweeter and woofer (sometimes midrange) with external crossover. Superior imaging and staging vs coaxials. Requires more installation effort (tweeter mounting location critical). → See also: Coaxial, Crossover
Chapter 1.2

Crossover
Filter dividing audio signal into frequency bands. High-pass (tweeter), band-pass (midrange), low-pass (subwoofer). Slopes measured in dB/octave: 6, 12, 18, 24 dB/octave common. → See also: Active Crossover, Linkwitz-Riley
Chapter 4.2