From Car Stereo Systems to Speakers and Beyond
We’ve officially entered into the spring season, which means warmer weather and more frequent get-togethers with friends and family. Chances are, you’re going to be driving around a little bit more than normal. So, what better time than now to make some much needed upgrades to your vehicle? You might even have a refund check back from Uncle Sam if you’ve already filed your taxes for the year.
The only question that remains is, “Which aspect of your car audio do you upgrade first?”
No need to feel overwhelmed. If this is your first time looking into car audio upgrades, the pros at San Diego Car Stereo are here to help you figure out which ones you should tackle first.
First and Foremost, Let’s Talk About That Car Stereo System
Most people think that car speakers should be the first thing to get upgraded. It makes sense, right? Sound is what comes out of the speakers. However, installing new aftermarket car speakers will only benefit you if you have the car stereo system to provide a strong signal.
If you’ve yet to upgrade your factory stereo, you should make this your first order of business. Factory stereos provide an audio signal that is par for the course in the car audio world. Even if you crank the volume all the way up, you’ve probably noticed that it’s not as strong, powerful, or clear as you’d like it.
This is exactly where aftermarket car stereo systems come into play. Since these car stereos provide a stronger signal, they are able to get the most out of your speakers. Additionally, many modern car stereo systems come with a wide variety of features. For instance, Bluetooth car stereos allow you to wirelessly connect your smartphone to the stereo. Some other big features include:
Apple CarPlay/Android Auto
Touchscreen display
Enhanced navigation features
Multiple EQ settings
Satellite radio
Camera inputs for backup cameras
Internal amplifier
DVD player
Once you replace your factory car stereo with an aftermarket one, you’ll notice that you get a huge upgrade in both sound quality and features. Another big bonus is that aftermarket car stereos can be installed on virtually any year, make, and model of vehicle.
Time to Take Things Up a Notch with Aftermarket Car Speakers
Once you have your car stereo situation all sorted out, you can move forward confidently with an upgrade to your car speakers. For the uninitiated, car speakers fall into one of two camps. The first are coaxial speakers, which is when your speaker unit houses a tweeter, woofer, and crossover all in one structure. They are incredibly easy to install because car manufacturers use the coaxial speaker set-up. They are also the more affordable of the two options.
The second camp of speakers are component speakers, which is when all the individual elements are broken out separately. The major advantage with this is that it allows you to fully customize your car audio and how it sounds. The drawback is that it’s slightly more challenging to install and requires more output channels. It’s also more expensive; however, when you hear how it sounds you will know where that money went. Component speakers almost always outperform coaxial speakers.
And, Of Course, You’ll Need Some Bass
When upgrading car audio, how much bass you can achieve is always top of mind. In order to get the bass that you want, you’ll need to invest in a really high-end subwoofer. However, not all subwoofers are created equal, and the subwoofer box will have a huge impact on how it sounds.
For those of you out there that like your bass tight, accurate, and clean sounding, you’ll want to go with a sealed box design. If you like your bass loud and with plenty of lingering boom, then a vented (aka ported) box design is the way to go. Be careful with vented box subwoofers though…they can shake the paneling in your vehicle and make a nasty rattling sound.
Selecting Your Audio Upgrades
Want to know the best part of working with San Diego Car Stereo is? Since we carry a large variety of products in the store, this allows you to sample virtually everything that we sell before purchasing it. This is great for those who like to try before they buy.
We can show you the difference between component and coaxial speakers and just how different vented versus ported subwoofers sound. We also carry a ton of different Bluetooth car stereos and aftermarket car audio products. Not only can we sell you high-quality products from the industry’s leading brands, we perform car audio installation right here at our shop.
San Diego Car Stereo is conveniently located at 4220 Convoy St. in San Diego. You can also call us at (858) 569-0777 or email us directly using our contact form.