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.

So you want to upgrade your car stereo? This is something that many people decide to do after buying their car. At this point, you would want to look for the best stereo you can purchase. 

A car sound system is an easy thing to replace if you know what you are doing. Better options for your stereo components are available and can be easily installed. As you start to look for these options, you will notice that the number that are available is numerous if you search online for the right stereo to upgrade the car’s audio system. 

Sometimes when you buy a vehicle, the sound system is not up to your exhausting standards. Since you will want to upgrade the system, the accessories will need to be bought separately since they were not installed on the assembly line and available at the time of purchase. This is the same for many parts of the car, but especially true for the audio system. 

To upgrade the basic audio system in your vehicle, you will either need to do it yourself or have professionals do it for you. If you have decided to install it yourself, you will need to go find the parts yourself. The parts can be found at your local car stereo shop. You can buy these components there or you could go online and purchase them there. Shopping online for these parts means that you can find them quickly and purchase them easily.

Online shopping is a big advantage for you as it allows you to compare prices, find the best deals and get fast shipping to your house. The clearance deals are found online and allow you to get rock bottom prices for components that are top of the line. Many times, you can get overnight shipping so you not only get the best deal, but the part is on your doorstep the next day.

One thing you can also count on is this. By going to manufacturer’s websites you will be able to find many models that are just being rolled out into the marketplace and are not in the brick and mortar stores yet.

A quick way to improve your car’s stereo is to add subwoofers and high range tweeters. Most standard speakers cover the mid range decently well. Adding a subwoofer will make sure your low range (or bass) is solid. Adding a high range ( or treble) tweeter is also a good idea as well. This wil lensure that you have the low, mid and high ranges covered.

If you search online to get a good deal and make sure the installation is done correctly, you will be satisified with your decision to transform your drab audio system into a powerhouse

Car audio components are being improved each passing day to upgrade sound systems. If one does not opt for these improved components, then one might just be living in the past. These improved components add greater functionality to your car audio system.

These components are speakers, subwoofers, tweeters, amplifiers, ipod adapters and more. All these add another dimension to your audio system. You have the option of settling for your factory installed system, however, aftermarket systems are massively superior to factory systems. But that’s by the way.

To take your car audio to another level, you’ll need to add new speakers, upgrade your receiver, add tweeters, add an amplifier, install vibration dampers like dynamat, install bass blockers on your full-range component speakers, add equalizers and other signal processors — the list goes on…

Adding new speakers to your audio system will alter your setup most dramatically (if done right). This is because your speakers are the most important units in your car audio set up. Also know that you need to add such that will fit your vehicle. This will prevent sound inbalance or damage to your audio system. What you install is what you get. If you install old age-stricken stuff, then you get old age-stricken sound.

Adding tweeters to your sound system improves your listening experience. A tweeter takes care of those sizzling highs that cannot be catered for by regular speakers. A crossover will help make your output stage a lot better.

Upgrading your receivers will ensure better sound and less distortion. This could include adding additional music sources like a portable DVD, a satellite radio tuner and more; through an auxiliary input.

You also need vibration dampers. Dynamats absorb the vibration caused by your car speakers and road noise. When these vibrations are absorbed, you can conveniently hear the music that comes out of your sound system without background noise.

If you’re in for the best sound, you’ll need to add a bass blocker. Installing bass blockers on your full range component speakers simply help to block the bass frequencies that your speakers cannot handle. They are installed on your speaker’s wire. This helps remove distortion from your music.

Other steps you could take to improve your car audio output include making sure your subwoofers and speakers are in phase, changing the position or enclosure style of your subwoofer and avoiding extreme bass control boost.

Your subwoofers and speakers wired in phase helps give more balance to your sound. Make sure the positive and the negative sides are wired accordingly at both the receiver and the speakers.

Changing the enclosure style of your subwoofer actually depends on the type of bass sound you prefer. Some prefer a boomy bass; others prefer a low frequency bass. The position of your subwoofer will determine that.

Avoiding extreme bass control boost and turning up your volume instead will give less distortion to your signals.

Implement these and your car audio will never remain the same.

So you got tired of the OEM car sound system did you ? This car audio review will go over the key factors to consider in selecting the car stereo system that will meet your needs. Before discussing the individual components of a car stereo system here is a word of advice … broughtto you by the CarAccessoriesMagazine !! Don’t jump on next week’s sale, don’t rush your car audio review process, take your time, talk to friends, sales people, installers and get a goodfeel for what you really want. This car audio review will hopefully give you a head start.

IN DASH RECEIVER

In any car audio review, the most common question that people considering a change of car stereo system ask : will anaftermarket radio fit into my vehicle ? And the answer is … (roll the drums) … YES, becausethere are a variety of aftermarket kits available to adapt just about any aftermarket radio toyour vehicle.

AMPLIFIERS

The location of the amplifiers in the vehicle is not critical, as long as they have enoughair flow and are mounted on a dry surface. If you install the amps yourself you will needa kit consisting of power wire, ground wire, RCA, remote turn on lead and a fuse. Crimpersand a drill are all the tools required.

CAR SPEAKERS

There are two types of CAR speakers available : the dual cone and the two way. A dual cone has a small paper cone built into a larger paper cone. A two way actually mounts a separate tweeter on the larger paper cone. This allows for more frequency response and better sound quality. You will need to check the fit of your new speakers with your vehicle. You can take off your speaker cover and measure it. Make sure you get the depth if you can. Not all cars can accommodate speakers with a larger magnet.

HEAD UNIT

You should also consider other important but often overlooked features in going through your car audio review. Many models offer detachable faceplates. This security feature will only work if you actually remove the faceplate. Some models have a plate that rotates when you turn off the vehicle, which makes it look like it’s been removed.

Another feature is an automatic volume control : the system automatically adjusts the radio volume up or down, depending on the vehicle’s speed and the varying amount of road and wind noise in the vehicle.

Look for a unit that has large buttons versus small. Large buttons are easier to find and use. The radio should cause a minimum amount of distraction so the driver can keep his eyes and attention on the road. If you want to push this idea to the limit try to find a radio with greater spacing between the buttons. This makes the radio easier and safer to use as well.

The last head unit feature to discuss in our car audio review is the radio display. Large numbers and a clear readout is another reason for an enjoyable listening experience. Also, look for a radio that shows not only the radio station call number but also the time and preset number.