Choosing the best car audio system

The basic components of a high-quality car stereo system are an AM/FM tuner, CD player, amplifier (optional but recommended), and great speakers.

Rule of thumb: No car audio can match the performance of great home equipment. The car compartment is small, besieged by engine and traffic noises, and surrounded by competing electrical signals. And all this in a moving environment. A tangle of technical and personal choices dictate the final package.

General guidelines: compare prices. Car audio components are often discounted. Check mail order houses and the Internet for the best buys.

Essential: Deal with reputable companies and buy recognized brands. Make sure you can exchange or return components if they are incompatible or don’t fit the car. Remember that each unit must be installed and may require custom mounting hardware. Take into account personal tastes. Rock and country music fans generally prefer stronger bass ranges. Classical music requires good mids and highs.

How to spread your expenses: 40% to 50% for tuner/tape player, 25% to 30% for amplifier, 25% to 30% for speakers (unlike home equipment, for which half of the recommended expense can go only for speakers).

General Recommendations: Components are a better deal than the original manufacturer installed sound equipment. A good manufacturer-installed kit can cost $1,000, a price that will usually give you a much better sound if you spend it on components. Try to find a dealer who has installed a sound room to listen and compare different systems.

New Car Buying Strategy: Buyers who plan to purchase components should insist on an opt-out clause, eliminating the cost of the installed radio.

Components on the board versus components below the board. Under dash components install easily.

Primary Disadvantage: A thief can slip the equipment under the dash as easily as an ashtray. Choose an in-dash tuner/CD player, unless you want to store the components in the trunk every time you leave the car. (If you still prefer an under-the-dash system, Sony’s components are top-notch.)

Amplifiers – Most auto sound packages benefit from amplifiers that strengthen the bass and treble tones.

Problems: Amplifiers are bulky and often need to be installed under a seat or in the trunk. Unless your tuner has a bypass circuit that allows it to connect to the preamp, your expensive amp will only increase the distorted output of the built-in amp.

Smart buy: look for amplifiers that measure power in watts (w) per channel in terms of distortion (THD). Target: About five watts per channel with 1% distortion or less. To achieve this, the amp may require 50 watts per channel because few operate with greater than 10% efficiency in a car.

Bi-amplifiers: Offer separate power boosts for the bass and treble ranges. Bi-amping may be required when separate tweeters and woofers are installed.

Speakers: The speakers must be compatible with the amplifiers. Its power capacity should be slightly higher than that of the amplifier. Example: Get 60w speakers for a 50w/ch amplifier. One way to be sure of speaker/amplifier compatibility is to buy them as a package.

Stereo sound requires at least two speakers. Many fans choose four. Non-directional woofers are best placed in the factory cutouts in the rear window shelf. Next best location: at the rear doors. The tweeters can be mounted in the front door panels or under the dash.

Installation: Unless you are a highly skilled electronics hobbyist, have your auto sound system installed by a professional. Allow $150 to $200 for installation and get a satisfaction guaranteed deal.

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