Putting Together the Ideal Stereo System
May 13, 2010 – 11:18 pm
If you put a serious number of miles into your car every week, you probably want to invest some time and money into your car stereo system. After all, on the commute to work or on long road trips, it’s your stereo system that keeps you entertained and gets you through the traffic and long empty roads. Here are some of the must-have auto audio electronics for building an ideal car stereo system.
Add-On Satellite Radio
Satellite radio is a great addition to any car stereo system, as it opens up a huge library of varied, more personalized radio servings that you simply won’t find in FM or AM radio. Chances are that your existing stereo system won’t be equipped for satellite radio capabilities. An add-on satellite radio device, however, can take care of the problem. All you need is for your car to be able to pick up standard FM broadcast.
In-Dash Navigation
A foldout, in-dash navigation monitor provides you with easy map directions, satellite radio info and MP3 tags. An add-on navigation system essentially replaces your existing radio and CD/tape player, and ensures you are never without good directions. There are tons of options to pick from, and prices are getting cheaper every year.
iPod Adapter
If you’re gonna be on the road for hours, you want to have your favorite tunes and playlists handily available. An iPod adapter lets you listen to your music while keeping your iPod device charged. If you have a new car equipped with an iPod compatible stereo, all you need is a headphone-sized jack cable that plugs from your iPod right into your car’s audio system. If you don’t have this, there are still a few options available for other auto electronic accessories.
Some stereos come with RCA jacks in the back. Hijacking this connection from your CD player and using it for your iPod will provide you with excellent sound quality. A more popular but much less effective method is using a wireless FM transmitter. FM transmitters plug into an iPod’s headphone jack and create a low-wattage station that can be picked up on one of your car’s selected FM frequencies. Unfortunately, FM transmitter frequencies have to compete with actual FM radio frequencies (which are far more powerful). The result is often shaky sound filled with static.
Another option is to use a cassette adapter (if you’re car is equipped with a cassette player). This is actually the easiest option. All you need to do is buy the adapter cassette, put it into the cassette player and plug the connecting cable to your iPod’s audio jack. The sound quality is decent and the price of cassette adapters is cheap (about $15).
Component Speakers
Component speakers are essential if you want to get the best quality audio possible. When shopping for component speakers, be sure to look up or ask about the following features:
Frequency response – This measures how much of the sound spectrum a speaker can produce
Power Handling – This measures how much power a speaker can handle before breaking down after a certain amount of time
Sensitivity – This measures how loud a speaker can be at a certain distance when set at a certain power level (the standard is 1 watt/meter)
Mounting Depth – The is the measure of the distance that a speaker needs behind its mounting surface to accommodate its magnet structure
Amplifiers
Amplifiers are a must have if you want to be able to listen to your music as loud as you want without straining your speakers. Amplifiers will make your music sound cleaner and much more well defined. Check out your local electronics supplier for a wide variety of different amplifiers that will be the best fit for your car.
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Tags: car audio stereo system, car stereo sound system, great car accessories