Choosing a Car Stereo
Choosing a car stereo can be a complicated and difficult task,
especially for individuals with little knowledge on the subject.
This process requires extensive research in order to determine
you are receiving the best deal possible. Before going to a car
stereo dealer, you may want to review and understand all the
components of a car stereo. This way, you can personally choose
which components you would like for your car. The following is a
list of the basic components of a car stereo:
1. Decks - Car stereos cannot function without a deck. A deck
constitutes any piece of equipment ranging from cassette decks
and CD players to MP3s and mini discs. The deck is considered the
glue that holds the car stereo together. The deck controls the
overall output of the sound and allows you to control the music
being played. All car stereo decks have a minimum 4-channel
output for your speakers. If you want more power than what your
speakers alone can hold, you may want to consider purchasing an
amplifier.
2. Amplifiers – Amplifiers provide the power needed to blast the
music in your car. The more powerful your amplifier is, the
louder the sound system is going to be. An amplifier can have
anywhere from 1 to 7 channels. The number of channels in your
amplifier is the number of speakers you can hookup in a series
circuit.
3. Speakers – Speakers are where the sound from the stereo is
emitted. Different types of speakers are designed to produce
different frequencies. Higher frequencies provide the capacity
for more sound and produce a higher level sound as well. The
efficiency of the speakers is what will determine how far the
sound will travel. If you want the sound to travel far, you will
need speakers with a higher frequency.
4. Subwoofers – Every high-tech car stereo system should have a
subwoofer. Subwoofers complete the sound by providing high
efficiency of low frequencies, through the bass. In other words,
the subwoofer is the piece of equipment which makes the car
vibrate. A subwoofer needs to be enclosed in either a box or
possibly the trunk of your vehicle. Keep this is mind when
budgeting the cost of your stereo system.
Now that you know the basics of how everything operates, you can
ask informed questions as to which components you should have in
your car.