Best Car Audio Systems – Get the Most out of Car Audio

By Ranjithsiji (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-3.0 (www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0) or GFDL (www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html)], via Wikimedia Commons

Introduction

A car audio system forms a very important part of most cars today. The quality of the audio system determines how well you can listen to music while travelling in your car. The core unit for controlling the audio system is known as the head unit. This head unit is always installed in the same place in any car.

This is placed in the middle of the dash panel of the car in between the passenger and the driver. Car audio systems occupy very less space in the car due to their space saving designs. There are many leading brands of car audio systems that you can check out for your car. These are often available either at leading car accessories shops or even online. Based on the features provided by the car audio system, the prices also vary.

Products

Pioneer DEH-1300MP CD Receiver with MP3/WMA Playback and Remote Control

Modern design which enhances the quality of the existing audio system
Multi-format CD player that plays the usual audio tracks as well as the those recorded in digital formats such as MP3 and WMA file formats
An advanced audio sound retriever that enhances the quality of compressed audio digitally
A 3.5mm mini jack which serves as an auxiliary input so that you can playback from the audio player
Advanced AM/FM tuners that provides the best combination of digital and analog technologies providing excellent clarity to the music rendered
A MOSFET amplifier circuit that provides minimum distortion and high power
A sleek and large LCD display interface that minimizes the time spent searching for menus and allows you to listen to music for a longer time

Boss 638UA In-Dash CD/MP3 Receiver with Front Panel AUX Input & USB

An MP3 compatible music player with AM/FM and CD receiver that allows you to enjoy MP3 playback music in your car
A front panel USB port and SD memory card inputs which help you to listen to your music present on a CD or a plug in device
A front panel 3.5mm mini jack auxiliary input that helps you connect your iPod or MP3 player
A PLL synthesized tuner with frequencies of 24 stations preset and also allows you to program the frequencies of your favorite radio channels
A CD player that allows you to play all your favorite CD including burnt out ones that are either read only or read-write
ESP anti-skip mechanism that prevents interruption in listening to your favorite music
Interesting playback features that allow you to mute your music system at any point of time, replay a particular music and also provides you with intro scan
Preset EQ response curves that you can choose from or modify with different treble and bass controls
A full tag display that allows you to see the details of the artist and the track being played
Loudness feature that provides low-end even sound when you listen to the music in quiet surroundings
Standard balance/fader controls to adjust the stereo image based on what is best for your vehicle
A 5V RCA preamp output to send power to an external amplifier
A wireless and handy remote control for control of the music system

Pioneer FH-P8000BT Double-Din In-Dash CD/MP3/WMA/AAC Receiver with Built-In Bluetooth, iPod Control, and Rear USB Input

A built-in Bluetooth solution that helps to pair the receiver with a phone and transfer the contacts in your phonebook up to a maximum of 3600 contacts
Advanced echo cancellation feature that provides you with three adjustment levels which helps to ensure that phone calls are loud and clear
Bluetooth wireless technology that allows you to control and listen to music on any compatible device such as a music phone
USB connectivity feature for connecting your iPod, USB memory devices and portable media players
Advanced sound retriever feature that allows your favorite music stored as MP3, WMA and AAC formats on almost any device with maximum depth and clarity
A List button that allows you search for an artist or album starting with a particular alphabet by just pressing the button
Link search that allows you to search for other music tracks played by the same artist whose music you are listening to at that time
A random button on the front interface that helps you choose some random music track for listening
Smart design to expand your system, customize your unit, obtain high quality sound and for ease of operation
Supertuner IIID feature to combine analog and digital technologies and allow you to listen to both FM and AM with minimum distortion
Compact and efficient MOSFET amplification circuit to deliver power with minimum distortion and no switching noise at all

Sony CDXGT350MP MP3/WMA/CD Receiver

An excellent car stereo that allows you to listen to MP3 or WMA format music tracks present on your CD or a portable music player that can be connected using a front aux input
A very easy to read LCD displays that helps you to view the time clock and station ID in a straight line and also helps you to track your data in a CD when you play music from an internal CD drive that is present
One front auxiliary input to connect your car’s audio system with any portable audio device
Play any kind of CD on which digital WMA and MP3 files have been burnt
Allows you to take control of a compatible iPod from the receiver’s front panel using an integrated Bus system. Some things that you can do with the iPod are connect and the device.
Satellite and HD Radio ready feature that allows you to connect your Satellite and HD Radio tuners and be in control of them
Three-band EQ3 that allows you to customize the sound generated with +/- 10 dB adjustments
Selectable subwoofer or rear preamp RCA outputs that can be used for external amplifiers to enhance quality in sound and minimize system distortion
Inbuilt radio data system that displays information about the artist and track played when you listen to compatible AM/FM stations. You can also playback music with radio station broadcasts that have this compatibility feature
A wireless card remote control that allows you to control the receiver without taking your eyes off the road while driving
Keys that illuminate which helps you locate the controls easily during the evenings or in the dark

Pioneer DEH-6300UB CD Receiver with iPod/iPhone Control, Pandora player and MultiColor LCD

Flexible player and compatible with both iPhone and iPad thus allowing you to listen to music from various sources
Color customization feature that allows you to create your own color effects or match the vehicle’s interior lighting with the receiver’s illumination
USB input to playback music recorded in MP3, WMA and WAV formats present on your iPhone or iPad. The auxiliary input allows you to connect a MP3 player to your receiver
Pandora Ready feature that allows you to control the Pandora of your receiver with the help of your iPhone provided you have installed Pandora on your phone
Supertuner IIID technology that comes preset with 24 AM/FM radio frequency channels
Radio tagging feature that allows you to tag your favorite songs without having to miss out on them
Advanced sound retriever feature that allows you to listen to highly compressed MP3 and WMA files stored on portable devices with excellent clarity by increasing audio reproduction facility
MOSFET amplification circuitry that reduces the distortion to a great extent and has two 2V RCA preouts for expanding your system

Sony CDXGT550UI MP3/WMA/AAC Player CD Receiver

An LCD display that shows the clock and station details in a straight line. The display also shows the details of the track played when you play your digital MP3, WMA or AAC files
A front auxiliary input to connect a portable audio device to your car’s music system
A front USB 1-wire jack that allows you to connect, charge and control compatible USB devices
Quick BrowZer feature allows you to search and select songs based on various criteria such as category, artist, album and so on
ZAPPIN feature allows you to play different music tracks for 6, 9 or 30 seconds until you find the track you want to listen to
Satellite and HD radio ready feature that allow you to connect and control these tuners present in your system to receive broadcast signals
Advanced sound engine feature that allows you to create a suitable in-car listening environment
Preamp RCA outputs that can be connected to external amplifiers so that you can increase sound quality and reduce distortion
A wireless card remote control that allows you to control the receiver without getting distracted while driving
Keys that show blue or green illumination which is a perfect complement to vehicle dash lighting and helps you locate the buttons on your receiver when it is dark

Conclusion

When you decide to buy a car audio system, you must first consider making an analysis of what features you expect from this system for your car. Once you have done this, take a look at various models available. The initial analysis can help in making the task of picking out the right model from the different options an easy task to accomplish. Get the car audio system fitted by an expert ask him or her to explain the basic features to you. After this, lay your hands on the manual provided with the audio system and explore your audio system. Very soon, you will begin enjoying your favorite music on your car’s audio system when you go for a drive.