In the nearly 80 years since the introduction of the first mass-produced car radio, an entire culture of automotive audiophiles has emerged. Technological advancements have impacted virtually every aspect of car audio and every driver as well, from the casual listener to the decibel fanatic. So even if you’re not out to shake the neighborhood (or break the bank), there are plenty of car audio options to consider in the search for your most satisfying listening experience.

Gear for Your Ears
It’s possible to upgrade most of the equipment in your factory-installed (or “stock”) audio system, starting with the most visible and interactive part—the head unit. A head unit typically contains a radio display, CD/Tape inputs, and numerous other features. Although splurging for a new head unit full of dancing lights may be tempting, it’s crucial to do your homework beforehand. There is much variability between stock head units in size and shape, and choosing a drastically different unit may require major surgery. Also, many stock head units contain important non-audio features (e.g., climate control), so you’ll want to make sure these features can remain intact.

If you crave better sound quality, or just more volume, new speakers can impact your system like nothing else. True audiophiles will often opt for component speaker sets. In contrast with many stock systems that have one full-range speaker type (or “driver”) do all the work, component sets include several drivers that each specialize in a different frequency range. For example, tweeters are small and best project high frequencies; sub woofers are larger and work with low frequencies. The impact of the sub woofer is felt more than heard, making it particularly significant for bass-heavy tunes.

As with head units, purchasing the right set of speakers requires a great deal of homework. Stock speakers come in all shapes and sizes, and knowing what you currently have will help to determine your options. A major increase in speaker power may also require upgrades elsewhere, so be prepared. Your musical preferences will also go a long way toward discovering what will work best for you, and remember that if your goal is a high-end system, you may not have to upgrade everything at once.

Going Digital?
Whether or not you’re satisfied with how your current system sounds, you may still be interested in catching up with the newest trends in digital music. An entire sonic library can now fit within a pocket-sized device, but the finding the best way to take advantage of that in the car can be tricky. This section will focus on MP3s, though similar technologies (WMA or AAC files, for example) are also gaining popularity.

If you’ve built up a collection of MP3s but don’t want to tote along your treasured MP3 player every time you hop in the car, your best option is burning your MP3s onto CDs. This can be time consuming, and CDs are still easily scuffed, but the payoff can be great. A regular blank CD can hold around 200 pop songs (or 10 symphonies), so at least your CD book will get thinner. However, remember that not all car CD players recognize every file type, so find out for sure before you get to burning.

If you’re interested in hooking up your MP3 player to your car stereo, there are three basic ways to make it happen, though the ideal solution may still be on the horizon.

The first solution is a cassette adapter, which looks like a normal cassette tape with a cord attached to a headphone jack coming out of the side. Simply plug in to your MP3 player, pop in the tape, and you’re ready to go. Unfortunately, two drawbacks exist: sound quality suffers with cassette adapters, and, of course, fewer and fewer head units are equipped with tape decks as time goes by. Luckily, there are other options to consider.

A similarly easy method is the purchase of an FM transmitter. Once you find a clear station, most FM transmitters are as simple as plug-and-play, and some MP3 players come with transmitters already built-in. Here too, however, are drawbacks. Sound quality can suffer even more than with tape adapters, especially if you live in a densely populated area with a crowded radio band. And even if you don’t spend any time in the big city, FM transmitters will not produce the quality of sound you may be used to.

For optimal sound quality, your best option is making use of an auxiliary input on your head unit, but this may require some extra work. Auxiliary inputs on the front of the head unit are becoming more and more common in new car stereos, but if yours is an older model, the stereo may have to be removed to access the input. The cost of that would be greater than either of the first two quick-fix methods, but the improvement in sound quality will be worth it to serious listeners.

Satellite Radio
If you aren’t willing to spend the time and money necessary to craft your dream collection of digital music, satellite radio is a great option. The two competing providers each charge a monthly fee, but free radio barely scratches the surface of the entertainment and variety that satellite radio affords. At least 120 channels (depending on the service you choose) are broadcast digitally to every corner of the continental US, so it’s static-free, and every music station is commercial-free. Either satellite radio provider can outfit you with everything you need to either plug-and-play, or get a unit fixed in to your dash. This decision depends on whether you want to use your radio at home as well.

Do Your Homework
Constant technological innovations and the ongoing rise of digital music have already resulted in many exciting aural automotive experiences, and the best is yet to come. Several car manufacturers are already including docks for digital music players in their new vehicles, and others are sure to follow suit. Also, the growing popularity of other in-car multimedia experiences is sure to affect the audio realm as well, in the form of such technologies as DVD-Audio and Surround Sound.

For the time being, a wide variety of listening options exists to satisfy every listener and every budget. Remember, however, that what you have can determine your options just as much as what you want. Doing the proper research is the only way to prevent buying something you won’t need, or can’t use. If you’re looking to replace your head unit or speakers, keep in mind that creating room for bigger equipment can be a costly operation. If you’re looking into satellite radio or want to take your collection of digital music on the go, study all your options to find your ideal configuration. Everyone has their own individual listening habits, and your car audio setup can be as personal as your musical taste.

Happy listening!

If you have an older car that doesn’t contain a CD player or want to update your stock CD player to include MP3 capabilities, personally installing a head unit in your car is quick, easy and fairly inexpensive if you have the proper know-how.

First off, you’ll need to buy a head unit, a wire harness and a dash kit (only if the head unit you bought isn’t a “direct fit,” meaning you’ll need the dash kit to help your head unit fit snuggly into the dash), all of which you can find at Wal-Mart, Best Buy,
 
 
Circuit City or Tweeter. Popular brands of head units are Clarion, Pioneer, Kenwood and Aiwa.

Tool-wise, you’ll need a butt connector, crimpers, a stripper, an adjustable wrench, a flattened Phillips screwdriver and possibly a socket set, depending on what kind of car you have. Most cars manufactured by General Motors or Mopar and most foreign will require the use of a socket set to pull the dash cover off if it is connected with bolts.

Once you’ve bought all the necessary materials, you’re ready to get started.

1. Start by disconnecting the battery in your car by taking the adjustable wrench and loosening the nut on the positive side and pulling the positive terminal (or wire) off.

2. Remove the dash cover. Though many dash covers are attached with clips or screws, some are attached with bolts. Depending on how your dash is attached, you’ll either need the use of a flattened Phillips screwdriver (screws) or a socket set (bolts).

3. Once the dash cover is removed, you can connect the wire harness to the head unit. Follow the directions that came with the wire harness. Simply, you’ll need to match the wire colors on the wire harness to the wires on the head unit.

4. Then, you’ll need to crimp both sets of wires together with a butt connector and a crimper. Before placing the wires in the butt connector, though, you’ll need to strip the wires first. Stripping the wires consists of taking the stripper about an eighth of an inch from the end of the wire and squeezing the stripper, pulling the coating off.

5. Put the head unit in the dash kit. Again, you can skip this step if you bought a “direct fit” head unit.

Check speaker phase! The speakers in your system should all be firing in phase — simply put, all the cones should be moving out and in at the same time. If they’re not, you lose bass response, making your system sound anemic and unfocused. It’s important to check all your speakers, even if your system was professionally installed. 

To determine if a pair of speakers in your vehicle are in phase, listen to some bass-heavy music with your stereo’s balance control all the way to one side. Now return the balance control to the center — you should hear significantly more bass. If you don’t, your speakers are out of phase. Switch the positive and negative leads on a single speaker, and try again. If you hear more bass, leave it! Check the front and rear speakers independently in this manner.

Turn on your subwoofer system. Reverse the speaker wires going to your sub and listen for a change in bass response. Again, if it gets louder, leave it! (Make sure that multiple subs are wired in phase with each other.) 

Flatten it out! Especially if you have a sub, it may be tempting to crank up the bass on your receiver. Tune your system first with the receiver EQ set flat — all tone controls at “0″ and no EQ curve engaged. With the subwoofer off, turn some familiar music up to a moderate listening level, then slowly increase the subwoofer output until you hit the “sweet spot” — the place where the bass really kicks in without overwhelming the rest of the music. 

If the bass sounds like it’s coming from behind you, lower the sub amp’s crossover point to “de-localize” the bass. If your amp has a non-adjustable crossover, try moving the subwoofer. For example, if it’s firing toward the rear, turn it around so it fires forward or sideways (remember to check your phase again with the sub in its final position). 

Listen and experiment! Your system should create a “soundstage” — close your eyes and you should hear the instruments in front of you, arranged from far right to far left, with (if you’re listening to rock’n'roll) the kick drum, bass guitar, and lead vocal right dead center. 

Some vehicles make it tough to establish a strong front soundstage:

If your car has small front speakers, install some Bass Blockers. They’ll filter out the low frequencies so your speakers will play louder and clearer, bringing the soundstage back in front of you. If your receiver has built-in crossover capability, use its high-pass filter to remove low bass from smaller speakers for improved performance.

If you have a subwoofer (or larger speakers in the back), use your receiver’s fader to move the music forward and then turn up the overall level to bring the bass back into play.

If your front speakers are mounted low in the doors, some receivers feature independent front/rear tone controls or signal processing that raises the front image. Or, if possible, install a set of tweeters in front.
Instead of cranking the bass way up to increase your system’s impact, raise the bass a little bit and lower the highs and mids. It’s smart to keep equalization to a minimum — pumping up the bass control just robs your system of its effective power.

First rate bass!

1. System sounds dull? Put a set of tweeters up front to strengthen your front image and add liveliness to your sound. Many receivers feature signal processing (BBE, DSO, MediaXpander, etc.) or extensive equalization which can do a lot to improve a dull-sounding system.     

2. Vocals and instruments sound buried? If your receiver has a midrange control, boost it up a little bit; if it includes a parametric EQ, try adding a little bump in the 400-1000 Hz range. Replace your rear full-range speakers with some high-quality midrange speakers to bring out warmth and detail without adding more sizzle. Installing Dynamat (or any sound-absorbing material) in your vehicle will reduce road noise which masks crucial midrange details.     

3. System too bright? If your front speakers have swiveling tweeters, aim them away from you. If you have installed component tweeters, check the crossovers for output level switching — a drop of 3 dB can make a huge difference in the way your tweeters match up to the rest of the system. Experiment with your receiver’s EQ. If that doesn’t nail it, consider a receiver with more equalization control or (for an amplified system) an outboard equalizer.

Think ahead! Once you’ve taken the time to adjust the system, then you’ll know if you’ve made smart purchases. Always buy with an eye to the future — you might be saving 40 bucks on your receiver, but what’s the point if it’s missing some crucial features you’ll be needing when you expand your system? If you plan on adding a sub to your system later, spend a little more on a multi-channel amp (instead of a 2-channel) so you can power your front speakers and subs with one amp. Don’t install 10-gauge power wire if your ultimate goal is a throbbin’ multi-amp system. With the right components and some careful adjustments, your car can be a fantastic place to listen to music.