Car Audio System
Tips On Choosing A Car Audio System
Executive Summary by Nicola Carr
Common to all systems is the sound quality. The quality of sound in a car audio system depends upon a number of factors – the type and quality of the media player system, the type of speakers used, the acoustics of the vehicle and interference from other devices.
a Car Audio System
Type and Quality of Media Player System
there are two key specifications to consider:
Signal-to-noise ratio [SNR] - a measure of signal strength compared to background noise in the signal or equipment. Measured in decibels. The higher the dB, the better. A car CD player has an SNR of 90 or 100 dB.
Frequency response [FR] - a measure of how much of the audio spectrum, from bass to treble, gets reproduced. It’s measured as a range in Hertz, and the wider the range, the better. Look for a CD player with a range of at least 10-20k Hz.
An FM radio, cassette player, and CD player all have different measurements for these specs. To help understand these two specifications, let’s compare a car tape cassette player and a car CD player.
Cassette player has an SNR of 50-70 dB.
Media players in vehicles today are either radio tuner, CD player/changer, or Digital Audio player.
CD Players & Changers
There are a number of options when it comes to playing CD’s in a vehicle:
- An in-dash CD Player – often combined with radio tuner, WMA/MP3 player
- An in-dash CD Receiver - with a multiple CD cassette / changer located elsewhere in the vehicle
- Connect a portable CD player to an existing in-dash audio unit using either a cable and adapter or a bluetooth wireless connection.
When choosing a car CD player the first two things to consider are:
- Will it physically fit into the vehicle?
- Will it integrate cosmetically with the dash and other electronics?
Digital Audio Car Systems
With most home audio systems and portable players giving crisp quality sound using digital audio, we are no longer satisfied with the flat, bland analog sound from older car audio systems.
So now you have the media player selected, what about the speaker system.
Car Speaker System
The speaker system can be thought of in two parts: the channel amplifier and the physical speaker units.
Car amplifiers power the speakers in your car stereo system to provide crisp sound quality at high volumes. Each speaker requires one channel of amplification. This gives you a standard 4-channel sound system that will rival your home audio system.
The main factors in selecting car speakers are:
- Design or Speaker Type
- Technical Specifications
- Fitting & Mounting
Car speaker specifications are similar to home audio speakers; the main difference in technical specification to compensate for the lower power outputs of car stereo receivers.
Car Audio System — A New Buyer’s Guide
Executive Summary By Chimezirim Chinecherem Odimba
You have several options if you want to improve your current car audio system. The market is flooded with car audio systems and choosing the right one for your car can be a tough task.
There are some fundamental guiding tips that can make the process of selecting the right car audio system very painless.
It is essential that the new car audio system is extremely user-friendly. The car audio system must also have a proper display.
The system must have a powerful amplifier. It is always good to have car audio systems that have separate tweeters. A separate sub woofer to the car audio system would provide that extra rumble to the system.
I wrote a guide you may be interested in reading: Amplifiers Car Audio, and Enclosures Subwoofer