All About Car Stereos And Equipment

Music is enjoyable to almost everyone, so why not bring it in the car? It can definitely make your trip more melodious. So besides the factory car stereo that came with your vehicle, it may be time to upgrade your car stereo system. This can mean new amplifiers, speakers, CD or cassette players, and equalizers. If the power requirement is higher, then you will need batteries, alternators, power cables, and capacitors as well, to power the system adequately. Also, there are many portable devices that can be connected to your car stereo to provide variety of media sources, like MP3, WAV, USB, memory sticks and so on.

Many of these portable devices can playback MP3 file format that has the characteristic of using less space than hard drives and memory sticks. Unfortunately the sound quality of this file format is quite inferior if we compare it with that of CD or WAV files. But this problem could easily be avoided if MP3s were converted at 320 kbps. Then the sound quality would be much improved on your audio deck.

An 8GB memory stick is another kind of popular portable audio device that can be loaded up with MP3s to bring in the car. On one memory stick, you can listen to more than five hundred songs! These can then be plugged into portable MP3 players anywhere.

Many audio devices have a USB port that allows you to connect and/or interact with computer hardware. This means you can bring your laptop or portable PC and play music through the USB port. You can also use this to save music on your hard drive.

Portable audio decks often come equipped with security features to reduce the risk of theft. If you have a CD player and keep your CDs in the car, then your entire CD collection might be stolen. However, if you have a memory stick, then it is small enough that you can simply bring the entire thing with you. Then there is no way for your collection of music to get stolen from the car.

Other types of alarm systems you might consider are shock sensors, ignition kill switches, intrusion sensors, window break sensors, and door entry sensors. You can also install a tracking system hidden in the car so that wherever the car is, police can track its location if it gets stolen.

Other accessories you can add to your car stereo are equalizers, CD changers, mixers, and 3D sound equipment.

Car stereos are designed to fit the car they are installed in. So take special consideration for the type of car you are driving to determine the placement of speakers, amplifiers, etc. The bigger the car, the bigger the speakers. You also need to handle the power requirements or else you will hear distortion from your speakers, the volume will not go very loud, and soon you will end up with a dead car battery and the car will not start. Many times a powerful car stereo requires more than one battery, perhaps 2 or even 3. Since lead acid batteries become damaged with heavy use, car stereos often use deep cycle batteries for improved performace. This also have a faster response time, in addition to lasting longer under heavy usage, than lead acid batteries.