Make driving fun with a car stereo

Sep 06, 2007

ONCE in a while we want to turn up the volume of our car stereo. The urge could be from a song that invokes memories, the thrill of loud music, excitement or the simple ego of showing off your very powerful system.

By Mustafa Ziraba

ONCE in a while we want to turn up the volume of our car stereo. The urge could be from a song that invokes memories, the thrill of loud music, excitement or the simple ego of showing off your very powerful system.

Whatever your reason is, the delight of having a nice car stereo always brings a smile to many drivers.

Also known as a radio, receiver or head unit, today’s car stereos perform a variety of functions.

Todd Cabell of Crutchfield Advisor says car stereos have three sections. The first is the source which “plays” the music. This may include a standard AM/FM tuner, CD player, MP3/WMA/AAC decoding, portable player connections, USB inputs, DVD player or the good old cassette.

There is also a preamp where all sound adjustments are made. The preamp section includes controls ranging from simple volume, balance, fader, source selection and tone adjustments to sophisticated crossovers, equalisers and a clock.

Then finally the amplifier, which boosts the small (low-voltage) audio signal coming from the pre-amp section into a larger (high-voltage) audio signal that is sent out to the speakers.

Most modern cars have at least a CD player/CD recorder and an option for a CD changer, which holds multiple disks either in the head unit or in a separate unit usually located in a trunk or console.

Quite recent is the addition of DVD players and LCD screens. Depending on the head unit, the LCD screen is either integrated such that it slides out and folds up or integrated into the instrument console.

Otherwise, the DVD head unit feeds video output into separately mounted displays, either folding down from the roof or mounted into the headrest for the rear- seat passengers.

Question is, why would you need a new car stereo? Well one thing is for sure, a new stereo will give you better sound and more playback options than the typical factory stereo.

A new stereo has better sound quality as superior built-in power and better circuit design means that a brand-name car stereo is not just louder than the typical factory stereo, it also produces cleaner, richer, more detailed sound.

Also security features like detachable faceplates and stealth modes help protect your car from theft.

When buying stereos, always look out for branded stereos because these are durable.

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