The Key Pieces of Car Audio Info You Need to Get Prior to Purchasing Any Products
No doubt about it, upgrading your car audio is a major change. The upgrades you make will change the way that you listen to music, use your smartphone, and get directions. That’s because most modern car stereo systems feature Apple CarPlay/Android Auto with built-in navigation features.
They also have satellite radio capability, which means that you'll have several channels of music, talk shows, and sports coverage at your fingertips. And, of course, we can't forget about the equalizer (EQ) feature, which will allow you to fully customize your listening preferences.
A new car stereo installation will completely change your driving and listening experience, but that's just one piece of the puzzle. When you start talking about speakers, amplifiers, subwoofers, and other car audio elements, the process of upgrading can feel a bit overwhelming. It can also become very expensive, if you're not careful.
So, how do you go into the car audio upgrade process with confidence and avoid any unwanted surprises? Here are the key pieces of information you need to know before upgrading your car stereo system.
1 – Know Your Budget
One very important thing that you should know right off the bat is your car audio budget. The shopping process for someone with $2,000 to spend on car audio is quite a bit different compared to someone who only has a couple hundred. If you don’t have a huge budget to work with – that’s fine – it just means that you’ll need to be extra conscious of pricing when you shop. You won’t be able to get top-performing products, but you can at least get an aftermarket upgrade that outperforms your current factory equipment.
If budget is truly an issue, you can always consider taking the financing route. This allows you to get the car audio items that you want today by spreading out your payments so they’re more manageable. Be sure to check out San Diego Car Stereo’s financing options for more details.
2 – Know (Approximately) What You Want
Call them car audio goals. Call them sound aspirations. Call them whatever you like. When shopping for car audio, the process is far smoother when you have an idea of what you want. Everybody wants better sound. But what exactly are you hoping to improve?
Do you want more bass? Better clarity? Cleaner high frequencies? With so many elements to sound, it helps us help you if we have an idea of what elements you want to focus on. This is especially important if you’re upgrading car audio on a tight budget.
3 – Know When You Have an Opening in Your Schedule
Car audio installation is a process that can take anywhere between one to four hours. Swapping out your factory stereo for an aftermarket one should clock in on the low end. Replacing the entirety of your car audio with component car speakers will take a little longer. It really depends on what you end up getting.
Keeping that in mind, you should perform your car audio upgrades on a day you have time to devote to it. If you plan on getting a lot done, you may want to grab lunch in the area, or have a friend pick you up while we work on your car.
Scheduling is especially important when it comes to marine audio upgrades. Don’t worry – you don’t have to bring your boat to our shop. We will go to where you’re docked. However, you will need to be present to grant us access to your boat before we begin working on it.
Although the scheduling of marine audio and car stereo installation can be a little tricky for some, just remember that it’s usually only a one-time thing - or it at least happens only once in many years. Once it’s over, you’ll have lots of time to enjoy your new audio products.
Upgrade Your Car Audio or Marine Audio Today at San Diego Car Stereo
Now that you know the critical info you need to have prior to upgrading your car audio, the next step is to visit San Diego Car Stereo so we can show you some of our amazing aftermarket car audio and marine audio products.
Our shop is located at 4220 Convoy St. in San Diego. Feel free to call us at (858) 682-0032. You can also email us directly using the contact form on our website for questions or to make an appointment.