Car audio systems can make the ride smooth or rough, depending on the car stereo speakers

The focus on car audio systems has increased in the last 15 years. I could tell you stories of when I was a teenager. However, that would date me. No thanks. I am just telling you, car speakers and thumping systems are bigger than ever.

We will avoid the evolution of car audio systems and focus on what is happening now. And, boy are things happening now! The bass is lower. The sound is purer. The subwoofers hit better highs and lows, and of course, the wiring is cleaner.

The basics of Car systems…

There is more than just one component that makes up car audio systems. Car stereo speakers have long been the focus. However, without a good “head unit” or equalizer your best Pioneer car speakers (Rocker Fostgate, alpine or even MTX speakers) will sound flat at best. You need to have a total package when you want a hi-fi car audio system.

Let's talk lusty car stereo sound…

Come on, admit it. You want sound that not only hits, but that attracts. You don't need to crank mega decibels in order to get good sound.

If high quality sound and low volume (meaning you don't want to attract all the mall hang out crowd and you are also above the age of 40) is your drive, then a solid product from Infinity or a good powered system by JBL will do the trick.

Most factory stock car stereo systems come with high-end car stereo speakers. A stock stereo system most often comes intact with a cassette player, cd-player, a good set of sub-woofers, and a “pseudo” equalizer that lets you drive bass off the lot itself. In other words, most factory audio systems satisfy the average car buyer.

Then there are the rest of us…

Some of us want the smooth tones of bass to resonate through the metal we call a car. We want to feel the mid-range and wince at the high sopranos. For us a Pioneer custom or Infinity retro-fit car audio system will do nicely.

Trek on down to the local Car Audio store. Sit down. Give them the facial expression. They will figure out the rest (meaning they will talk about kick panels and tweeters and 6 x 8 3-ways and Sony). Who cares. You just want your opera/jazz/blues to sound thick and tight.

Then there are the rest of us. The "do it yourself" type (often referred to as DYI). Give us plans for speaker boxes. Show us how to make the woofer kick. We want the car speakers design to LOOK right as well as sound right.

We also want a discount on car audio systems (so much so that any flyer in bright green attracts us. Actually it “speaks to us”- Discount Audio systems. Yes, we like such obnoxious things).

Car Stereo systems and the players

The field is crowded. That is good for consumers. A wide range of taste has been catered to. Some swear by Infinity while others will never install anything but a 6 x 9 Sony sub. The industry has bred a force of loyalists. From JVC to Blaukunt and Alpine, the field of car audio systems has exploded!

Even car wiring has become a large influencer. It started with Monster Cable and has even encouraged 24 carat audio connectors.

The range of choices makes things a bit confusing. The Internet has not made things much easier. It does, however, introduce a wide variety of choices into the market. It also gives voice and power to all the “ranters.”

That is where we come in. We hope our buyer's guide on audio systems will be helpful. You can see where we got the components to tweak our systems. Even better, you will find the merchants we found that offer discounts and a better quality product.

Regardless, get an audio system that YOU will be pleased with. Anything less makes for grumpy trips to work and the grocery store.