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Audio & Electronics
Understanding Car Audio Systems: What to Buy, What to Avoid and What to Add
Part Five of a Five-Part Series
By Scott Memmer
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Date Posted 10-25-2007
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Well, we've gone through the whole car audio system, looking at all the various
components. We've looked at amps, speakers, head units, the whole enchilada.
So why a fifth installment? What's left to discuss?
In wrapping this series it occurred to us that some of our readers might want
some tips on what to look for in a car audio system — you know, sort of
a checklist of desirable features. We also thought you might want to know what
to steer clear of. Finally, we wanted to share some suggestions for inexpensive
ways to improve your current system.
Here, then, is our list of dos, don'ts and maybes when shopping for a car audio
system.
A few provisions before jumping into this. Remember that we're discussing original
equipment manufacturers (OEM) only here — the stock stereo gear that comes
in your car when you drive it off the lot. The car audio aftermarket is a labyrinthine
netherworld filled with more false leads than an e-mail Spam business opportunity.
We don't have the time or the space to address that here. In keeping with our
theme stated at the outset, we're more interested (and we think you are too)
in general tips for the average consumer. Leave the lunatic fringe to the lunatics.
They have their magazines and their Web sites, and the diligent will seek them
out.
Second, realize that it's difficult, if not impossible, to find all the features
you want (and avoid all the features you don't want) in a single vehicle. Cars,
like the rest of life, are a mishmash, a smorgasbord of good and bad. Weigh
the things that are most important to you and take it from there.
Desirable features There are a number of features that set a good sound
system apart from a bad one. Obviously, more expensive cars will usually offer
more of these goodies than cheap ones. But not always. We recently drove a Ford
Focus that had Automatic Volume Control (AVC), a feature typically reserved
for cars three times that price. In fact, let's start there.
- Automatic Volume Control: This is called different names by different
manufacturers, but the idea is the same. The system automatically adjusts
the radio volume up or down, depending on the vehicle's speed and the varying
amount of road and wind noise in the cabin. A nice feature for those who commute
in heavy traffic with lots of speed changes.
- Elevated radio position: Although most manufacturers have gotten
pretty good at this, some still lag behind. For instance, in some cars the radio is placed at the very bottom of the
dash. Not only does this take your eyes off the road when you operate the
radio, but in a manual transmission car the shifter blocks access to the head
unit. Look for a radio that is at least halfway up the center stack.
- Large, well-spaced buttons: Look for a radio that has large buttons
versus small. The whole idea in operating a radio is to make it as seamless
as possible, to cause a minimum amount of distraction so the driver can keep
his eyes — and attention — on the road. Large buttons are easier
to find and use. While you're at it, try to find a radio with generous spacing
between the buttons too. This makes the radio easier and safer to use as well.
- Large, informative display: A display with large numbers and a clear
readout makes for an enjoyable listening experience. Also, try to find a head
unit that shows all the pertinent data in one glance. Many radios do this
well, but some are designed to display only one piece of data at a time. Look
for a radio that shows not only the radio station call number but also the
time and preset number. Again, the Focus does this beautifully.
- Volume limiting: As we mentioned earlier in this series, distorted
sound is the enemy of speakers. When turned up too high, even top-quality
amplifiers can send "dirty" signal to the speakers, potentially causing them
harm. To avoid this, look for a car audio system that "maxxes out" at a certain
volume level. In other words, you turn it up and up and suddenly it won't
go any louder. This is an internal circuit that prevents the amp from damaging
speakers, and is especially welcome if you have teenagers in the family. A
number of cars have this feature.
- A generous power amp: While we're on the subject of power amps, look
for a system with a good one. Again, amps usually blow speakers, not the other
way around. You can tell a good power amp by turning the system above half
volume and still hearing clear amplification. If it distorts and begins to
get "fuzzy" that means it's running out of steam.
- In-dash CD changer: This is a cool feature that has begun to appear
on more and more vehicles recently. Instead of a single-play CD changer in-dash,
many systems now offer a six-disc changer built into the center stack. Although
usually found in higher-end vehicles, this feature has
begun to "trickle down" into mid-priced and even economy models.
- Separate Tweeters: Although not a guarantee of quality sound, systems
with separate tweeters generally sound better than those without. And while
you're at it, look for tweeters that are well positioned. Also, some cars have dash-mounted tweeters that fire up into the windshield
and reflect into the cabin, a creative approach that sounds great.
- Separate subwoofer: Usually found in trucks, SUVs and luxury sedans,
this feature gives you great thump for your buck. Also helps fill in the lower
end on classical and more "refined" styles of music.
Things to avoid Obviously, many of these avoidable features could just
be the opposite of the ones listed above: tiny buttons, a wimpy power amp, etc.
Still, there are a few features that we find particularly egregious and offensive
and which deserve special mention.
- Clunky controls: This one had to be at the top of our list. Some cars
have gearshift levers that block the entire left side of the radio, or funky station presetting procedure that leave us cold. If possible,
play with the radio before you buy the car and see how it feels to you.
- Gizmos and widgets: Once in a while we run across a factory stereo
system that goes beyond egregious to absurd. Such was the case when we reviewed
the 2000 Daewoo Leganza
Stereo several years back. This sound system reminded us of a cheap off-brand
boom box, with a gimmicky light show and pseudo DSP controls. Don't know about
you, but we prefer our light shows on a Las Vegas stage and not in our dashboards.
When shopping for a car, try to avoid acquiring a stereo with more blinking
lights than the dash of the Millennium Falcon. These systems generally sound
bad, are hard to use, and don't add much value.
- Faux speaker grilles: One particularly offensive practice is manufacturers
who give you the old sleight of hand. Say the package shelf of a car has these really large speaker grilles above, but when you open
the trunk and look underneath you find cheap 4-inch speakers. The difference
in sound is dramatic. We find this especially unsavory because it strikes
us as an intentional deception. Before the salesman marches you to the closing
room, ask him to open the trunk so you can take a look at the real
size of the speakers underneath the back deck.
- Rattles and buzzes: Even in really expensive systems, we find door
panels that buzz and rear decks that rattle. If you're a consumer with discriminating
tastes and enough bucks to buy a top-line car, crank the audio system while
playing a good CD to see if anything crackles or hums. There's nothing more annoying than a high-quality
sound system with little ticks and buzzes.
This is our short list of pet peeves. You probably have some of your own.
Improvements As far as upgrading your OEM sound system, the first thing
to do is replace the existing amplifier. No, not the speaker; the amp. As we've
discussed several times in this series, weak amplifiers damage good speakers,
not the other way around.
Of course, once you do that, you'll probably have to replace the OEM speakers,
since they'll no longer handle the power pumped out by your beefy new amplifier.
Funny thing about that: building a sound system becomes a chain reaction threatening
to destroy your wallet. The good news is that most of today's cars utilize standard
speaker sizes, with a myriad of choices in the aftermarket. The new ones will
typically drop right into the old locations.
Lastly, you might consider adding a CD changer in the trunk or replacing the head
unit in the dash. Be aware, however, that most consumers prefer to leave the existing
radio in place, since it matches the cosmetics of the dash. And OEM radios are
sufficient quality for most consumers, including us.
Well, that wraps our car audio tech center series. We hope you enjoyed reading
it as much as we enjoyed writing it.
We've placed links to the previous installments below.
Understanding Car
Audio Systems, Part 1
Understanding Car
Audio Systems, Part 2: The Head Unit
Understanding Car
Audio Systems, Part 3: The Amplifier
Understanding Car
Audio Systems, Part 4: The Speaker
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