Why Car Audio Installation Should Be Done by Professional's.
By Jared Serna, Program Manager at Car Toys.
A car stereo is the brain of your entire mobile entertainment system. This is the component within your vehicle's audio system that controls what you listen to, how the media is delivered, the volume and tone etc. In addition to controlling your media there are a great number of units that can also interact with your smartphone, enabling you to have access to your messaging, phone calls, audio files, and even navigation. It’s best to think of your car stereo as the portal to your mobile entertainment world.
Today’s car stereos offer tons of features coupled with a whole lot of acronyms. It is understandable that you may have some apprehension about trying to figure out which receiver will work best for you. It’s not so intimidating if you think about what you want out of a new car stereo.
Ask yourself why are you wanting to upgrade your receiver? Sure there are several reasons; music streaming capability, connectivity, touchscreen display, navigation, or maybe you are planning on building a complete car audio system, the list goes on and on. Once you have determined what you are after you will be able to narrow your options down to a handful of choices.
Stereo openings are classified in DIN standard. DIN (Duetch Industri Normen) is a standardized car stereo opening size, established by European automobile manufacturers in the mid 1980s. If your vehicle was manufactured after 1988 there are for the most part two standardized sizes available in aftermarket car stereos:
There are a few exceptions but you probably will not have to worry about that.
Not a problem, there are several manufacturers that offer a Flip Out touch screen display or Floating touchscreen in a single DIN configuration.
In addition, some manufacturers offer receivers that utilize your smartphone’s display to control the car stereo, so that your phone is the touch screen for the receiver. The app-based interface lets you stream music, control the radio, read your text messages aloud, access navigation, make and receive phone calls, advanced audio controls and much more.
What is the type of media that you will be listening to? Will you be listening to streaming music, CDs, radio, satellite radio, flash drive or SD card; or maybe you would just like to use your smartphone to provide your entertainment? All of these things are possible, and determining what you want at the beginning will make your search that much easier.
Streaming Music: Stream music from your phone directly to your vehicle's stereo using TIDAL or Spotify just to name a few.
SD Card: Stream your own music from an SD Card. Download compatible audio files from your computer onto the SD card, insert the card into your receiver, and now you can enjoy hours of your own personal music. Compatible audio files depend on the car stereo that you choose.
USB: When connected to your smartphone you will be able to stream or play music files, manage messages and phone calls all while charging your phone. Additional options such as Android Auto and Apple CarPlay are also available depending on the your receiver’s compatibility. You can also connect a USB Flash Drive and play compatible music files, it works the same way as it does on an SD Card.
Bluetooth: Enables wireless connectivity allowing you to stream music, manage messaging and phone calls.
BlueTooth+ WiFi: Connect wirelessly to your smartphone and have control over your messages, phone calls, cellular navigation, and music streaming. The WiFi allows you to stream data rich app such as navigation to your receiver's display.
are available depending on the receiver that you have chosen. Note: The WiFi is only used for larger data streams such as music or navigational data between your smart device and your vehicle’s receiver, it is not a WiFi Hotspot.
CD/DVD: If this is your preferred method of audio enjoyment, you’re in luck. Many receivers support additional file formats such as MP3, WMA and AAC. This means that you can burn a CD from your computer and have 100s of songs on one disk as opposed to 10 - 20 songs on one standard CD.
FM Radio: A standard on almost every car stereo, there are certain specifications that you may want to look into if this is your primary choice of entertainment. Units that have an FM sensitivity of 9 - 11 dBf have better reception. The lower the number, the better the reception.
HD Radio: With High Definition Radio you can listen to FM radio in CD quality and AM radio in FM quality.
Satellite Radio: Audio programming broadcast via satellite means a wider coverage area than AM/FM and cellular based broadcasts. The subscription-based service provided by SiriusXM offers over 140 channels of audio entertainment. Some tuners may not be SiriusXM compatible and may need additional hardware (sold separately) in order to receive SiriusXM
content.
Car stereos can do more than just play music. Current models available will let you listen to the radio, play a CD or DVD, access apps on your smartphone, or even integrate with your vehicle’s factory infotainment and vehicle information, such as HVAC controls and performance information. Depending on what type of control you require will directly affect the type of car stereo that you choose.
This is basically an added capability of a receiver. Some of these models have the ability to play CDs or DVDs and some are Mech-less. The main advantage of this type of Car Stereo is that its navigation is provided by Satellite GPS, providing you with a larger coverage area than navigation based off of cellular towers, like the navigation found in smartphones and similar devices.
If your current car stereo is not sounding a great as it once did, replacing the unit may not breathe new life to your audio system. If you are looking for sharpness and clarity, you may want to start with a speaker replacement.
If your factory installed receiver controls vehicle functions such as HVAC, factory installed infotainment and vehicle information, then you will want to make sure that the deck that you have selected will integrate with your vehicle. Car Stereos that are iDataLink Maestro RR compatible are specifically designed to interact with your vehicle’s factory connected options allowing you to upgrade and still maintain control of factory installed functions.
Is an OEM Radio replacement interface that can connect with the vehicle’s factory systems such as hands free telephone, media player, steering wheel controls, HVAC, engine check codes, etc.
Driver’s Safety: With most aftermarket radios we can add a front or rear camera, even side mounted cameras.
Driver’s Safety: With most aftermarket radios we can add a front or rear camera, even side mounted cameras.
Commuter/Grocery Getter: Your vehicle is mostly used for driving to or from work or running errands. You may not need all the bells and whistles but some modern day convinces like Android Auto and Apple CarPlay might be nice to have.
Road Tripper: You spend a lot of your time in your vehicle, and hands-free smartphone connectivity is a must for you. Stream an endless playlist for that long road trip or receive real time traffic updates warning you of potential delays and detours.
Kid Taxi: The primary purpose of your vehicle is running errands or driving your kids to their next activity. Since time and conveniences are a commodity in your life, smartphone connectivity is a must. Now you can handle your phone calls, manage your messaging and even get directions to your next destination, all while keeping your hands on the wheel. One other option to consider is Rear Seat Entertainment. Now you have control over what your children watch as you are on the go.
Earth Shaker And Audiophile: If sound quality is important to you, then you will want a car stereo that supports Hi-Res audio files such as FLAC, sound quality that exceeds that of CDs. You will also want to make sure the unit is equipped with plenty of onboard audio functions such as a Graphic EQ, Time Alignment, Subwoofer Volume Control, Crossover and additional Sound Staging Functions. If you are planning on building a system, you will want to make sure that there is plenty of room for expansion in the way of Preamp outputs, this way you can add additional amplifiers and not have to worry about audio signal limitations.
Below is a list of options that are not so mainstream, but you might find come in handy. Please note, some of these options are proprietary and may not be available on all receivers.
As you can tell, there are dozens of options for you to choose from. Make a list of which options matter most to you and that will help narrow your search down to a more manageable size. Using the filters within our Car Stereo pages will help you choose right the car stereo that is just for you. If you need further assistance you can always drop by your local Car Toys store, our staff of Product Experts and Professional Installers are happy to help you with all of your mobile entertainment needs.
Acronyms: As mentioned at the beginning of this article there are a whole lot of acronyms associated with mobile audio, see below for some of the most commonly used in the industry.