Car audio
Car audio refers to the audio system fitted on a car. This can be stock audio or custom audio. The stock audio is the audio system specified by the manufacturer when the car was produced. The custom car audio can mean anything from changing the radio to installing state of the art audio systems.
The most likely to be the first changed is the Head unit, composed of the radio/tape player/CD player/DVD Player. The recent developments in technology revealed CD-MP3 players with Ogg, WMA, and AAC support. Recent players have integrated Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and USB technology. Some head units feature a touch screen from which the driver can control the navigation, view DVD movies, or access different optional systems. Modern cars come with a CD/MP3 head unit with an optional CD changer, usually located in the console or in the trunk. A more recent addition is the DVD player or LCD screen. The screen can be either folded or mounted on the headrest for the rear passengers to see.
The next important piece of car audio is the speakers. These are generally mounted in doors or rear parcel shelves. Before stereo speakers, the most common place to find speakers was the middle of the dashboard, facing the front windshield. Modern cars feature high-end audio speaker systems, composed of tweeters (small speakers with high frequency), midrange (medium speakers with medium frequency) and woofer (large speakers with low frequency). Every type of speaker is controlled by a cross-over device that limits the range of frequency it must handle. This means that each speaker will produce the optimum frequency to produce a quality sound. The subwoofers have support for bass and sub bass at ultra low frequencies. The human feels the ultra low frequencies more that hear them. The recent trend in car industry is to install 5.1 or 7.1 audio systems. These systems provide a very good power and surround.
If you have a loud speaker system you should consider buying an amplifier. The amplifier providers all the necessary power for the speakers. Note that the total power of the stereo system must be equal or bigger than the power of the amplifier to avoid damaging the speakers. When buying a car audio system, you must know the differences between the different expressions of power. The first one is PMPO (peak music power output). This is generally a misleading expression of power and makes audio components sound better than they really are. If the PMPO power is applied to a speaker more than a few milliseconds, the speaker will blow. PMPO refers to the peak power a speaker can withstand in perfect conditions and only in a very short period of time (milliseconds). The true measurement of power is in RMS (root mean square). RMS is the maximum continuous power that can be derived from an amplifier or run through a speaker. The average relation between RMS and PMPO is 1:4 (1 watt RMS = 4 watts PMPO). However, this is just an average and must not be considered accurate.
When installing a powerful audio system in your car you must consider the current it drains. If a system has a power of over 1200 watts RMS, you should upgrade your alternator to a high output alternator or upgrade your battery to a heavy duty deep cycle battery. If you keep the original parts you should be aware that your alternator might die early. Also, with the powerful car audio, you get the rattling noise from different metallic parts. You can get rid of this stressful noise with a rubber or asphalt-like substance that can be sprayed on or glued on in sheets.
When upgrading you car’s audio system, you must be aware of the consequences. Be very careful with the alternator and the battery. Also, you must get rid of the rattling sound of various metallic parts. High power systems need an amplifier but you must make sure that its power does not burn them. Overall, a new audio system for your car is a very good acquisition and will help you release of all the driving stress.