Technology has come a long way since we installed a set of 6” x 9” speakers in some hand-cut holes in our boats, golf carts, ATVs and other outdoor toys. Thanks to the innovative, premium quality products developed and manufactured by Ecoxgear, (pronounced Eco-X-Gear), you can outfit your outdoor vehicle or boat with unbelievable audio to add the perfect sound to your experience.
Ecoxgear is a subsidiary of the Grace Digital brand, well known for their history of providing premium audio components for the home out of their headquarters in Poway, California, with satellite offices in Colorado, New Jersey, Florida and a brand-new fulfillment center in Houston, Texas. The company was founded in 2006 by partners Jim Palmer and Greg Fadul, who both have a long history in the electronic communication and audio industries. Jim worked on the first digital cellphone while at Motorola, as well as launching Bearcat police scanners, GRMS/FRS 2-way radios and marine radio product lines while at Uniden and Vtech communications. While working at Motorola, Greg oversaw the worldwide deployments of two-way paging networks, managed the design and construction of national VoIP telecommunications networks, and developed Wi-Fi modems and routers for Uniden and other numerous startups.
The partners saw a real need for a superior line of completely weatherproof soundbars, speakers, batteries, power supplies and accessories, wiring harnesses, mounting brackets and other gear designed for durability and peak performance in the outdoor world, and Ecoxgear was born. The company was granted their first utility patent for their 100% waterproof, rugged, portable outdoor wireless speakers in 2016 for their novel approach of integrating air pressure valves in submersible, acoustically sealed audio chambers. This process provides optimal sound characteristics in speakers that are as comfortable on the water as they are in direct sunlight, day in and day out.
Fast forward to 2022 and numerous utility and design patents later, and Ecoxgear has emerged as the #1 outdoor audio company in North America. They have 800 dealers across the country, and their powersports products made specifically for outdoor vehicles and marine applications are the fastest growing segment of their business.
The company has attained success by manufacturing a wide array of hi-performance portable speakers for large outdoor events and parties as well as small models for enjoying a day by the pool with your family. Other products include Bluetooth and wired helmet audio buds and their SportsBuds® line of personal earbuds.
Taking Outdoor Audio to the Extreme
Ecoxgear’s line of SoundExtreme® products has been the company’s most popular product, seeing incredible growth over the past few years. Martin Balgach, National Sales Director for Ecoxgear, explains the motivation behind the amazing SoundExtreme custom cart build featured in this story.
“We wanted to create a truly custom cart designed and built to showcase our new SoundExtreme line of exceptional audio components, and along with our partners and friends we think this cart showcases our company in a way that will get the attention of those looking for the ultimate sound for their outdoor vehicle.”
The radical SoundExtreme cart features two soundbars, a 26” and 32”, dual 8” subwoofers, and four 6.5” coaxials in the custom dash. The clarity and tonal reproduction of sound is impeccable, and if volume is your thing, SoundExtreme products will not disappoint. The company’s 500-watt amplified soundbars feature a completely waterproof design and can be mounted in a variety of applications to fit any cart, ATV or UTV, side-by-side or boat. Accessories include 4-foot waterproof USB cables, a power cord with fuse adapter and more.
The custom cart also highlights the company’s new RGB lighting kits that add the ultimate eye-popping visuals to your audio. To support Ecoxgear’s rollout of the SoundExtreme line of products, the custom cart will be at the PGA Show in Orlando starting January 24th through the 27th, 2023, and it will also be used in several additional marketing and promotional efforts.
Heading up the design and build tasks for the new Ecoxgear SoundExtreme custom cart were veteran cart guys Barry Hall of Kart King in Augusta, GA., and Aaron Gouldie of MODZ, a custom cart accessories company out of Liberty Hill, near Austin, TX. Balgach points out that once armed with Ecoxgear’s vision of what they wanted, Hall was instrumental in bringing the concept to life and delivering a cart that far exceeded their expectations. “Barry was able to work with many great partners, including Aaron Gouldie at MODZ, who supported the build from concept, as well as Todd at Navitas and Noah at EcoBattery, to showcase innovative products and tie them all together with his custom flare that echoes our brand’s rugged reputation.”
Hall said it was a great collaborative effort involving a lot of design and fabrication details and coordination. “Aaron at MODZ fabricated the custom components we needed and shipped them to our shop in Augusta, and we spent a lot of time going over each step of the build process to make sure we ended up with a cart Ecoxgear would be proud of.”
“I’ve had a great relationship with Martin at Ecoxgear since we began as a distributor,” Gouldie says. “He asked me to build their cart, but since that’s not the business we’re in, I introduced him to Barry at Kart King who I knew would knock it out of the park.” MODZ donated the stunning, one-off custom seating, the custom tower tops fabricated to fit the 6-passenger cart and their new set of custom Carnage 14” x 10” wide custom wheels – a first for the golf cart industry – which will debut for the first time on the SoundExtreme cart. Other items like the custom steering wheel from Sycotic Fabrication, the custom mats from Mark at VHLC, a set of custom battery cables from Golf Carts Modified and the unreal paint work by Ron Newman in Augusta all came together to make one outstanding showcase electric vehicle.
This beautiful build is powered by a 5Kw AC motor and 600 Amp controller from Navitas and a 70-volt lithium battery pack from EcoBattery. The cart rides on a Jake’s long-travel suspension system and 30” x 12” x 14” OTR Tomahawk tires. This one-of-a-kind custom cart is not only a showstopper to see, but the Ecoxgear sound system is sure to let them know you’re coming.
Progress at the Speed of Sound
For Ecoxgear, the future is based on the company’s devotion to innovative, waterproof outdoor audio design and providing the buyer with products designed to deliver the finest sound experience.
“We know the new SoundExtreme cart will be a major component in letting people know about our products, and we hope to see everyone at the PGA Show in Orlando,” says sales executive Balgach. “Our experience working with Barry, Aaron and so many other acclaimed cart designers and builders was extremely rewarding, and we’re hyper-focused on the launching of new products for 2023 and beyond, so doing another cart in the future is certainly a possibility.”
If there ever was a golf or multi-passenger cart intended for the true audiophile, it is sure to be equipped with components from Ecoxgear.
You can see the SoundExtreme cart in person at Orlando’s PGA Show, other national golf cart industry shows and expos around the country, or you may be fortunate enough to see it – and hear it – when one of the Ecoxgear team uses it to take their kids to school.
For more information please visit www.ecoxgear.com
