Few South Africans are satisfied with the default audio systems shipped with their cars. There is a wide range in the quality of factory supplied car audio systems, from el-cheapo audio systems with only an AM/FM radio and 2 speakers, to pricier audio systems with MP3-capabale CD players and 4 speakers. The really unlucky ones don’t even get an audio system at all, and my heart bleeds for them. Most default sound systems come without external power amplifiers and torture you with weak sound and limited power. If you want to do your music collection justice, it is high time to upgrade the insulting factory default system to the audio system that you so rightly deserve.
Beauty or the beast?
The plan is not to install the perfect or most expensive audio system you can get your grubby little hands on. Whether you want to own a pavement-pounding beast that causes severe ear bleeding, or a beauty of a system geared towards quality sound over decibel level, the first step is the inspection of your current audio system. Just like life partners, you need to find the audio system that is best for you; the following steps will steer you in the right direction.
Your current sound system
The first step on the road toward car audio bliss is discovering the weaknesses of your currently installed system. Listen closely to a few favorite songs; how does it make you feel? Do you find your feet tapping to the rhythm and feel the beat coursing through you with a life of its own? No? Do the songs feel watered down and lacking in oomph? Do you strain to follow the beat? Does the sound feel dull, flat or tinny? Yes? Then you are probably the victim of weak factory speakers and it is high time for an audio system upgrade my friend.
What component first?
Determining which audio system component should be replaced first isn’t always a cut-and-dried affair. There are a few small tests you can do to isolate the component that trips up your system’s audio delivery the most.
The first step is simple: sit in your car, parked away from noisy areas and highways, and thoroughly inspect your system. Check that all the functions and features are working, and inspect your speakers on different volumes as well as different balance, tone and fader levels.
Make a list of all the features that your audio system is lacking, and what features you would like to include in your new system. For instance, do you want to be able to play mp3 files from a DVD? Do you want your radio to read your music from your USB flash disk, portable player or mobile phone? Your sound system is going to be with you for a long time, so you might as well be thorough.
The second step is fun: go for a long drive on a highway and turn up the audio system’s volume until you drown out all the ambient noise, and you can hear your music without straining. Now keep your audio system’s volume constant, escape from the highway to a nice secluded and quiet area and switch the car off. Listen closely for any distortion from your speakers. Set the fader, balance and tone controls in the middle and take note of the overall sound of the speakers. What are you lacking: clarity, bass or treble?
The third step takes longer: go back home, whip out some pen and paper, and systematically rate your current configuration. For instance, if the speakers are especially weak, give them a rating of 2/10. Once you have a detailed list to work from, visit your local car audio distributers and talk to them about your observations. Point out the car audio components you rated lowest, since those are the ones you want to replace first. Systematically go down your list, replacing the “bad” audio components as you go, and you should have a rocking sound system installed in your car before you know it.