Upgrading Your Car Sound System the Right Way

Nothing can be more disappointing than hopping into your new car and finding that the car sound system is of subpar quality. Or, you might have had your car for the longest time, and your sound system is starting to mimic the wail of a dying cat instead of the dulcet tones of David Bowie. 

Regardless of how you’ve reached that point of auditory hell, it’s definitely time for a change. 

However, this time you’ll want to pick the perfect car sound system for you. Keep on reading to learn all the different pieces that make up your car’s sound system, and the factors you’ll want to consider before purchasing the sound system of your dreams. 

Your Car Sound System 101: What’s up With the Car Stereo?

In the simplest of terms, you’ll want to think about your car’s sound system as composed of two main components. The first is the car stereo, and the second is the speakers themselves. 

Unfortunately, when most people are purchasing a new car, they don’t tend to pay too much attention to their vehicle’s stereo. It’s more of an I’ll-deal-with-it-later type of component. Yet, when you have an underperforming stereo, it doesn’t take you long before you’ve reached a new height of frustration. 

You should think of your car stereo as having three main parts:

1. The Source

This is the part of your stereo where you choose what you want to hear.

Your source will (most likely) have some form of a combination of the following types, like a standard AM/FM tuner, satellite radio, CD/DVD player, iPhone/smartphone link, and a USB input. 

2. The Preamp

The preamp is responsible for taking care of all the sound adjustments.

It’ll include a variety of controls, from simple volume, fader, valance, source selection, and tone adjustments, up to more complex features like crossovers, time correction, and equalizers. 

3. The Amplifier

Finally, the amplifier section does exactly what it sounds like.

It works on boosting the small audio signal, which is low-voltage, coming in from the preamp section into a higher audio signal. Then, that higher audio signal, which is now high-voltage, will be sent out to the speakers. 

What to Consider When Buying a New Car Stereo

If your current car stereo is falling apart, even getting some stunning 6×9 speakers won’t save you. So you’ll want to pick a new one after considering the following factors. 

Sophistication Level

If you’re still rocking an old-school car stereo without a touchscreen monitor, you’ll definitely want to grab one. 

Besides, you can check out the multitude of advanced features on new stereos that can provide you with detailed displays. It’s a godsend when you’re trying to play around with the volume, your music source, and even your GPS maps.

Sound Controls

Speaking of volume and adjustments, you’ll want to go for a car stereo that has sound controls like parametric equalization and digital time correction. 

These are found on the higher-end of the receivers spectrum, but they’re a lovely thing to keep in mind if you’re an audiophile who loves to tweak the sound. 

Cosmetics and Aesthetics

How are we kidding when we say that the way a car stereo looks doesn’t matter?

If you’re looking for an instantaneous boost to the looks of your car’s interior, then you’ll want to pick a car stereo with full-color animated displays, sleek touchscreen monitors with customizable color templates. 

Expandability

In the case of car sound systems, expandability means your system’s ability to connect to other devices. They can be portable music players, video screens, external amplifiers, and even powered subwoofers.

At the very least, you’ll want to pick one with USB connections, auxiliary inputs, Bluetooth capabilities, and audio/video outputs. 

What to Consider When Buying New Car Speakers

Once you’ve selected your car stereo, it’s time to pick the fun car speakers that will deliver great music and audio quality to your ears. 

There are two key factors that you’ll want to know before picking up your fun new speakers. First, you’ll want to choose the type of speakers that best suit you (and your car). Second, you’ll want to keep a close eye on your budget. 

Choose 2-Way or 3-Way Speakers

By taking a quick look at the current speakers market, you’ll see that the most common type of car speaker systems is the 2-way and 3-way speakers. 

The 2-way speakers, also called coaxial speakers, are considered the standard units. They are made of two components, a woofer, and a twitter. 

On the other hand, the 3-way speakers will include an additional feature, which is the mid-range component. Generally speaking, the 3-way speakers tend to have a higher frequency range, which provides better highs and lows of the sound, delivering a more accurate and ‘fuller’ sound. 

The Cost of the Speaker

If we aren’t careful with our budgets, sometimes we can get too excited and buy the shiniest set of speakers possible. However, you need to know that car speakers come in a rather wide range of prices and qualities. 

Therefore, before committing to anything, you’ll want to set a concrete budget or a range of how much you can pay for your car speakers. 

Yet, keep in mind that even with a budget constraint, you can adjust your selections depending on what you’d like to get out of the speakers, as well as your favorite features. 

For example, if you’re more concerned about the sound quality, you can buy car speakers that prioritize sound quality over cosmetics. 

Ready to Give Your Car a Makeover?

If you’re giving yourself a glow-up after a rough year (thank you, 2020), you’ll want to do the same for your car. That’s particularly true if you’ve been putting off getting a new car sound system for the longest time. 

Hopefully, our little guide on how to pick the right sound system, car stereo, and car speakers for you was informative enough to help you select the right system.

But, are you up-to-date with the latest shiny gadgets?

If not, you’ll want to take a look at our ‘gadgets’ section to learn all about the latest trends, as well as the freshest tips and tricks for purchasing the right products for you.