We spend a lot of time in our cars, in fact, the average person spends more than eight hours a week in their car.
The main concern with our cars should be that they’re functioning properly and getting us from one place to the other safely. But with so much time spent in there, we also want them to be comfortable and enjoyable.
A great way to make your drives more enjoyable is to get a car audio upgrade. Follow these seven things to get the best sound system for your commute!
1. Test the Current Audio System
The most important step in creating a new car audio system is to test the one that you currently have. This allows you to see the areas that aren’t working well and what’s bothering you the most.
But to really know the capabilities, strengths, and weaknesses of what you have going on you need thorough testing.
This means listening to music in all different types of scenarios; driving in town, driving on the freeway, waiting in a line, and parked are a good place to start. You’ll also want to test different volumes and different types of music.
All of this gathered knowledge will allow you to prioritize the areas you want to improve the most to get the best results for your ears.
2. Start with the In-Dash Radio
Many people start their sound system upgrade by replacing what they currently have as their in-dash radio.
This is especially important if the car still has the stock radio in place. Those systems work for basic music playing functions but really lack the capabilities to customize the sounds that are coming out.
Some don’t even have the technology to control the different types of speakers, which makes those obsolete as well.
Upgrading your in-dash radio can give you the foundation to make a fully customizable sound experience. There are all different types on the market to help you focus on what really matters for your preferences.
3. Upgrade the Speakers
Chances are if you’re looking at how to improve your sound system, you need to replace your speaker system.
These are the most important pieces of sound equipment in your car. They do most of the heavy lifting getting the overall sound produced and played. But stock speakers often aren’t designed for high-quality production.
The great thing about speaker systems is that there are options for literally anyone and any sound system design skill level.
It’s easy to go searching for new car speakers and find a full kit to meet your needs. These will include all of the different types of speakers and you don’t have to do any of the work to find them.
Or you can go the complete customizable route and find each individual speaker on your own to meet very specific needs. It’s all up to your preferences!
4. Focus on the Bass
One piece of car audio equipment that is often customized is the subwoofer.
A subwoofer is a speaker that is specially designed to produce the bass and lower frequency sounds. It’s what’s responsible for the beat you can hear from the car driving down your road.
Having a decent subwoofer can completely change the way all of your music sounds. The best Bass subwoofers can create a whole new audio experience in any car.
5. Add an Amplifier
Amplifiers are another area of car audio systems that tend to be customized based on the individual.
The amplifier is responsible for boosting the sounds quality throughout the vehicle. It controls how the speakers move and how much power they receive to produce the sound.
So essentially, an amplifier will help you be able to hear your music over the sound of the road and any additional car noise.
Adding an amplifier also gives you a crisper sound which improves sound quality immensely. Many car owners notice a big difference in their ability to hear and understand their music once they’ve added this piece of equipment.
The type and size of the amplifier you’ll need will greatly depend on the size of your car and the speaker system you’re working with.
6. Make the Car Quieter
The greatest car audio system in the world isn’t that great if the rest of the car is noisy. Speakers can only go so loud to try to drown out the road noise.
A critical, but often overlooked, step to the best sound system is to add noise-canceling products to your car. These will block out that additional road noise and allow the sound system to really shine.
This is done most often by adding a type of insulation to the inside of the doors. That additional foam acts as a buffer and absorbs that extra, unwanted noise.
It’s surprising what a huge difference taking that additional noise away can make.
7. Customize to Your Preference
We all have different preferences and routines. We listen to different types of music, we have varying levels of sound knowledge, and we use all kinds of technology.
It’s important to take your daily habits and actual life into consideration when doing a sound system upgrade. What a bummer it would be to buy all of the top of the line equipment only to realize it doesn’t really fit into your actual life.
One of the most important factors to customize is what device you use to actually play your music. Meaning, where is it coming from? You want the system to work with how you bring music in (whether it’s CDs, a thumb drive, or bluetooth from your phone).
Luckily, there are options for basically any preference you have!
Get Started on Your Car Audio Upgrade
When you get a car audio upgrade, it can change the whole driving experience. It can take you from a boring commute to a personal concert on the road with just a few, quick upgrades.
The hardest part of upgrading your car audio is knowing where to start and what pieces to put together to get the sound experience you’re looking for.
Following our guide will help you get exactly that! If you’re interested in other lifestyle upgrades, check out our other articles today!