Understanding Car Audio: The Basics

If you're interested in car audio, but you don’t know anything about anything, then you’ve come to the right place. Here, we’re going to look at the various components that function together to create in-car audio systems. We are producing a ‘skeleton overview’ if you will, reading this article will give you a good understanding of the way in which car audio is structured. You can use this information to guide further research.

1.The head unit: the head unit is the control system. It tells every other part of the system – the stereos, the amplifiers, the accessories – how to behave and when. This is the part of the audio system with which you're probably familiar. The head unit often sits at the front of the car in the central console – it’s the thing with the buttons (touchscreen if you have a sophisticated model, such as Sony car audio), LCD and volume dial. If you want to produce high-quality sound, it is important that you buy a high-quality head unit. The head unit is responsible for powering the system, and a low- quality model will have low performance. For instance, it might crackle and crack at loud volumes, as it can’t generate the necessary power needed to run the speakers at a reasonable speed.

2.The speakers: the speakers are responsible for producing the sound. They need to be able to deal well with a range of frequencies. You will find two main types of car speaker:

a.Coaxial speakers
b.Component speakers

To understand the difference you need to know a little bit about the different types of speaker. There are three main types of speaker in any audio system. These are the tweeters, the woofers and the sub woofers. Each is responsible for processing different sound frequencies. Tweeters deal with high frequencies, sub woofers with low frequency, and the woofers dealing with the middle ground. With component speakers, each of these types of speaker comes as separate units, but with coaxial speakers the woofer and tweeters are located within a single unit.

This affects sound quality, with component speakers offering superior sound. However, they are also more expensive, and they take up more space, so it is a matter of balance: do you prefer fantastic sound quality, or are you happy to take a slightly lower quality (you might not notice the difference – many people don’t) for convenience sake?

3.Amplifiers: the amplifier can generate greater power through the system. If the head unit is relatively weak, from a power point of view, then the amplifier can help boost this, and thereby drive the speakers to a higher output. However, you need to buy a good quality amplifier, such as by Sony car audio, or you will lose out on sound quality, volume and clarity.

 4.Equalisers and crossovers: this is getting a bit more technical now, but these two features allow you to have certain control over the audio. The equaliser can be used to change the balance of high and low frequency sounds. For instance, you may have one song that sounds better with the treble up (played though the tweeters) and another that sounds better with the bass up (played through the woofers). Crossovers allow you to separate the various components of sound and allow you to use the different types of speaker in the first place.

As mentioned in the first paragraph, this is a simple guideline to the basics of car audio. You can now research each section in turn to develop a better understanding of car audio.

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What to Look for When Buying a New Car Stereo

New car stereos are something most people don’t think about often; the majority of people simply stick with the factory-installed stereo. For various reasons, this doesn’t always pan out as expected.

For example, they make break down and stop working; you may be an audiophile and the factory-installed stereo doesn’t offer the music quality required; you might want different features to those offered. For instance, if your car is more than 5 years old, you may not have MP3 compatibility. In short, there are a number of reasons why people may choose to buy a new stereo.

However, given the lack of knowledge about this technology, making a decision can be confusing. Here, we’re going to think about some of the features and qualities that you should consider when buying your new stereo.

The Head Unit

The head unit is the control panel of the entire system. You need to get this right because it is the piece of equipment that you will use most, and if you’re unhappy with it, you’ll likely be unhappy with your entire audio capacity.

You will find tens of different manufacturers, form Pioneer car stereos, to Sony car stereos. You should do your research into the various brands, because different people have different preferences. For instance, many people like Sony because they work with Android, but people with iPhones may prefer an alternative manufacturer.

When choosing your head unit, consider the following:

1.Audio formats: what audio formats does it allow? Does it let you play CDs, DVDs, MP3s, MP4s, radio? Which of these suits you most? For example, some of you will have extensive CD collections, so to purchase an MP3 head unit would mean buying a new music library. Alternatively, you could purchase a stereo, such as the Pioneer car stereos, that enable you to play multiple formats.

2.Sound quality control: if you’re an audiophile, then chances are that you want a high degree of control over sound production. Make sure that the equaliser offers you the degree of control required. A good equaliser will offer you superb control over treble, bass and medium frequencies, allowing you to control these levels depending on the song/audio file.

3.External control: it’s widely considered dangerous to play around with controls while driving. Many audio manufacturers have tackled this problem by providing hands free technologies, as well as steering wheel controls. This makes the system much safer and minimises distractions from the driver.

4.Display: today, you generally have a choice of two different types of display: the simple ones, which just appear as panels with a jack; and the futuristic looking ones, with the bright blue/red/green lights. Clearly, your choice is a matter of taste, but trends appear to be moving towards the simpler design.

5.Anti-theft technology: finally, you should probably pay some mind to the anti-theft technologies. Pioneer car stereos, and other manufacturers, have moved this technology on significantly. There are many different anti-theft features on modern stereos, so do your research to make sure that you choose one that suits your needs.

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Improving In Car Audio: Buying the Right Speakers

Most people are happy to use the speakers that come factory-installed with their car. Other people, though – the audiophiles – feel that the quality is somewhat lacking. If you feel like this, then it may be time to change your in-car stereo system. Before you go about buying a new head unit, make sure that the issue is in fact not your speakers. Here, we will discuss the process of testing and buying new speakers.

Your Budget

The first thing that you have to do is to decide upon a budget. You need to know what you can afford to buy, before you start looking for a product. This will help you to narrow your search, which to be frank, would mean trawling through 100s of different speakers without search parameters. It will also allow you to establish which sort of brands fall within your budget. For example, the better quality manufactures, such as Pioneer car audio, may be out of your budget. By setting your budget, you will know where to look for your speakers, but you’ll also help to avoid disappointment.

Choose Your Brand

Find several models of speaker within your budget, and then do some research. For instance, if you find a selection of Pioneer car audio speakers, then you will need to research each in turn. You should be looking at the following:

•Are they coaxial or component speakers? Component speakers offer superior sound quality, but they also may require some in-car modification. You will also need to position the tweeters yourself, so you need to understand a bit about crossover to make sure that you get this right.

•What level of control do you have over the speakers? Does your head unit have an equaliser? The equaliser will allow you to play with the bass, treble and medium frequency sounds.

•Will they fit in your car? Casings and mountings for car speakers have specific dimensions, which may not necessarily fit with the size of the speakers. If this happens, you will need to make modifications to your car (if you buy these speakers) and this can be expensive.

Visit Your Local Car Stereo Store

Next, visit your local car stereo store and ask them if you can listen to the speakers that you've chosen. They will usually be able to pair up the speakers with a similar head unit, so that you can get a realistic understanding of the sound quality offered.

Be careful when doing this, because the shop may link the speakers to an amplifier, and this can create a different sound than it would in your car. Ask to listen without the amplifier.

Buy Your Speakers

Although it may be rude to buy the speakers from somewhere else, once you’ve listened in store, for those of you on a tight budget, it may be better for you to buy the speakers online. The internet offers much better prices than real-world retailers do. However, before walking away from the store, tell them about your better offer, and ask them if they can match it.

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GET THE BEST CAR AUDIO SOUNDS

With iPods and iPhones able to store unlimited music it is hardly surprising to learn that nearly half a billion dollars is spent around the world each year just on the interface kits to allow these and other mobile devices to be heard.

Eventually every car manufacturer will wake up to the fact that Satnav as well as interface systems and UBS ports for all mobile devices must be fitted as standard. A recent survey revealed that people looking to change their existing car considered a plug in mobile device interface played an important part in their decision making.

Until it is standard companies like In Car Music in Leytonstone, London will continue to do a thriving online trade in interface kits as well as anything else to do with car stereo fitting kits, audio upgrades, speakers, DVD, Satnav, amplifiers, reversing warning systems and screen displays as well as any other equipment that helps make the car a mobile office come studio.

car stereo fitting kits

The car is an ideal environment for good sound especially if it has been fully dampened. This procedure is highly recommended if you are one of a growing breed known as an audiophile. Audiophiles are the ones driving those cars that you often hear before you see. They are usually a few streets away and when they eventually pass you it feels like you could be in the presence of a minor earthquake.

To be fair to car manufacturers their cars generally have pretty good sound systems and in some cases it is actually difficult to improve on them. But this is only the case for the more expensive cars; the sort that you need to be seriously rich to even considers buying.

In some of the very high end market there is an astonishing array of up to twenty speakers fitted and the whole system may have cost many thousands of pounds.

If you spend a great amount on a new audio system it becomes necessary to consider security. If you don’t look out the audio system could be worth more than the car.

For car stereo fitting kits http://www.incarmusic.co.uk/fitting-accessories/stereo-fitting-kits.html/

BEST SURROUND SOUND

The factory installed audio systems in modern cars are generally very good although for the real aficionados they can always be improved upon, except in the most luxurious cars where it would be hard to improve on the one fitted.

Some of these top of the range cars have over two thousand watt systems with twenty speakers built in and the sound is probably better than anything we lesser mortals could achieve at home given a few thousand pounds to spend on attempting it.

There are stores up and down the country like the London one of In Car Music that have a thriving business selling everything to do with car entertainment. The busiest part of the business at the moment is the selling of interface kits for iPod and iPhones as well as USB ports, Bluetooth and rear seat LED displays.

car speakers

Perhaps because the car can be an excellent surround sound system it is not too surprising that some younger people can become almost obsessed with trying to achieve the perfect sound.

The results can usually be heard before they are seen by the rest of us. In some cases it seems that the whole of the back half of the car is stuffed with car speakers big and small.

These are usually a mix of base, woofers and tweeters with some huge amplifier sitting beneath the lot.

On the internet you can see photos of the boots of cars where the different speakers are arranged and locked together to create almost a new art form.  Perhaps a new word should be found for this audio sculpturing.

When so much is spent on the speakers you can bet that a similarly large amount of cash has been spent on the head unit and amplifier. What you will not easily see is the extra dampening that has been used to line the whole of the inside of the car.

This is to create near perfect acoustics as this is essential to compliment the increase in quality systems.

For car speakers and more http://www.incarmusic.co.uk/speakers-amplifiers/speakers.html/

  

  

BETTER SOUNDS IN THE CAR

Sound systems in cars are often better than the ones at home and some people lucky enough to be able to buy a brand new luxury limousine enjoy nineteen and twenty speaker systems running off a top of the range amplifier.

I am told the sound in some luxury cars is quite awesome although I have not had the pleasure of listening myself.

Once you get into the league of spending quarter of a million pounds on a luxury new motor the manufacturer having put in ten thousand pounds worth of audio is not going to complete the car without making sure it has excellent dampening.

car audio

The simple act of dampening a car creates near perfect acoustics just like a modern symphony hall. The object is to prevent any street or engine sounds from being heard inside the car and the sound system crystal clear as a consequence. 

If you are old enough you will remember the days when a car in the radio was considered a luxury! Only the best makes fitted them as standard and even then they were of poor quality with just one mono speaker fitted in the dash.

Upgrading the car audio in your old car today can easily be done as long as you take the precaution of checking dimensions. In other words, if you are upgrading the head unit it is essential to have a new one exactly the same size as the one currently fitted.

The same applies to speakers in doors or parcel shelf. If they are six inch then the new ones must also be that size to fit in the recess unless you are turning the car into a mobile jukebox with giant new woofers and tweeters with extra amplifier all filling the boot.

Everything to do with in car entertainment, or ICE for short, can be sourced and bought online at the In Car Music store where it is also possible to buy many other accessories including car security and reversing systems.

To build a better car audio http://www.incarmusic.co.uk/

   

BLAST OUT THE MUSIC

When you pass your driving test as an eighteen year old and get your first old banger it takes a while before that feeling of freedom wears off and the pleasure of driving for the sake of it is one full of memories that stays with you for the rest of your life.

Being able to cruise along with your favourite music blasting out loud on the car stereo system is a whole lot better feeling than sitting at home; it even sounds better!

Car stereos with CD player are fitted as standard in virtually all makes and model of new car but it never used to be the case decades ago. Before the invention of the CD player there was the mini-cassette and before that there was the VHS or Betamax tape. The tapes were the size of a thick paperback book and the glove compartment could only store half a dozen at most.

Car stereos

Today with iPod and iPhone interface kits the amount of music you can listen to is almost limitless.

The car is a great environment for entertainment of all kinds particularly when still a teenager and enjoying any excuse for having to drive somewhere. The quality of the sound system is only limited by your pocket.

On the other hand, you do not have to spend a fortune to upgrade the car stereo system in your car as you will discover when you look at a site online like the one at In Car Music.

Here you will be able to buy interface kits, new speakers, amplifiers, Bluetooth, DVD/USB, add-on navigation systems and security products to name just a few extras. It is possible to turn your car into a state of the art audio/visual theatre to make even the longest trips pass quickly.

Globally the sales of products that are designed simply to facilitate the addition of portable devices runs at something like half a billion dollars a year although doubtlessly this figure will peak soon before dropping as car manufacturers fit interfaces as standard.

For everything to do with car stereos http://www.incarmusic.co.uk/