Car Audio

Car audio systems come in a truly boundless number of configurations. You can stick with your basic factory sound system, which usually comes with an AM/FM radio, a CD player, and a set of speakers. You can upgrade to get bigger speakers, which not only make your audio system sound better, but your DVD player as well. Audiophiles can install amps or buy additional speakers. Finally, truly outrageous car audio fans can put in a competition-quality sound system that's guaranteed to shake the entire neighborhood.Whatever your preference, watch out for inefficiency. Just because you get the biggest speakers on the market doesn't mean that you're going to have the power to make them pump. You should work with the natural acoustics of your car. It's easy to dump a lot of money into loud bass speakers to blast yourself with lows, but if you want to listen to a full spectrum of music, you have to think about midrange and tweeter speakers as well.Most factory-installed amplifiers provide about 30 watts of power. Adding speakers to your factory system won't increase this total power output. You'll merely further divvy up your system's power. This will likely cause distortion from all speakers at high volumes. To get loud, clear sound, you need a solid amp--generally 100 watts per channel should provide a sufficient boost.Be aware of the car audio laws of your locality. You can get ticketed for disturbing the peace if you drive around pumping the bass on your sound system late at night (or even in the middle of the afternoon in some neighborhoods). Also, be picky about your CD changer--not all changers are created equal. A $125 standard model should play nicely without scratching or skipping, but you may want to bump up to a multiple CD changer (usually around $300 or so) for the convenience.