Showing off your excellent music taste to your friends can be satisfying. Yet if you don’t have the right car audio setup to blast it, some of the magic will be lost in translation. To combat that, it’s essential that you have a quality car audio system.
But if you’ve never upgraded before, it can be difficult to know where to start.
Keep reading for a guide that’ll help you go about creating the best car audio setup for sound quality.
Figure Out Your Needs
If you’re looking to create a better car sound system, the first thing you have to do is assess your current one. What do you want your upgraded system to do? Where is your current setup lacking?
To get a sense of how your current system is performing, spend some time driving around. Pay attention to how the audio sounds on the highway, on a quiet road, and when you’re parked. If you can hear a buzz or a rattle, make note of that.
After spending some time, rate the different components of your current car audio system. Where is it lacking the most? Those can be the areas where you begin the process of upgrading.
This is also the time to take a serious look at your budget. You may be dreaming about a set of high-end speakers, but if they’re out of your budget, it’s not worth it to buy them. Remember that the best car audio system isn’t always the most expensive one.
Replace the Factory Speakers
Most modern cars ship with speakers that leave a lot to be desired. If you want a general audio improvement without having to get too technical, replacing the factory speakers can be a good place to start.
Shop around for different speakers, and make sure that the dimensions fit those of your car. Once you buy them, all you need to do is take out your old speakers and plug in the new ones.
Older car speakers often deteriorate. If your car is several years old, replacing the factory speakers can give you a serious boost in audio quality. You can also look into replacing coaxial speakers with component car speakers, although this will be more difficult of a process.
Upgrade the Head Unit
When you drive around listening to music, what is the audio source? If you’re playing audio from your phone through an auxiliary chord, it can affect the quality. Instead of using an aux chord, consider getting a replacement head that has a USB connection.
If your current head unit doesn’t have a solid digital to analog converter, or DAC, your phone will have to do most of the hard work when it comes to converting. Adding a head unit that does have a DAC will improve audio quality.
New head units with USB ports also come with the added benefit of being able to charge your phone while driving. This lets you blast your music, without having to worry about battery loss.
Look Into Getting Additional Components
Factory sound systems are oversimplified and lack the features that can make your audio “pop”. To combat that, consider adding additional components over time.
An amplifier, equalizer, or signal processor are all things you can look into buying to help boost your audio quality. They’ll also enable you to purchase better, higher-quality speakers.
Keep in mind that adding these extra components can be expensive, and also a difficult process if you’re unfamiliar with how to install them. Yet it can also be the secret ingredient to take your audio quality to the next level.
In some cases, you can upgrade your car’s sound system with a mobile soundbar. Check out DS18 to find this and all other types of car audio systems.
Look Into Using Higher-Quality Files
Aside from upgrading your sound system, you should also look into using better， higher-quality audio files. This is a factor that many people overlook but is something that can make a difference.
Developers don’t make all audio files equally. Some provide you with clearer and crisper audio, while others are compressed down to smaller file sizes and poorer quality.
Although it may mean bigger files and therefore less space to store all of your music, consider choosing a less compressed file type. You can also look into using a high-resolution audio file to really boost the audio quality.
Create a Killer Playlist
You can have the best sound system in the world, but if you’re not playing the right music, no one will be able to tell.
Generally, songs with louder and more pronounced beats will benefit the most from an upgraded audio system. Hip-hop, R&B, and some pop music will all let you make the most of your new sound system and ensure that other cars and pedestrians wish that they had the speakers you do.
However, after upgrading your sound system, you’ll be able to take advantage of higher sound quality no matter the music type. If you’re into instrumental music or classical composers such as Beethoven and Bach, you’ll still notice a difference. Just be aware that the difference may not be as pronounced.
Looking for a Better Car Audio Setup? Follow This Guide!
If you want to have a more enjoyable experience while driving, consider upgrading your car audio setup. By following this guide, you’ll be able to make a rocking audio system that’s the envy of your friends.
Do you have any other tips on how to improve a car audio system? Let us know!
If you found this article useful, check out some of our other blog posts for more car-related guides and tips.