If you are a fan of upgraded car audio systems, then you might have noticed that technology has made things a lot more complicated. Years ago, it was easy to upgrade your stereo. A new radio, some new speakers and maybe a subwoofer like a Bazooka Tube were all you needed to improve on the factory sound system. Since 2010 (depending on the vehicle), even mid-level OEM audio systems have been able to rival or exceed what would have been deemed an upgrade years ago. While still a long way from what creates a true audiophile-grade listening experience, the technology used to achieve impressive performance levels has made upgrading things challenging.

Why are OEM Audio Systems So Complicated?

Vehicle manufacturers are in a constant battle with the laws of physics to provide their clients with the most performance, comfort, features and fuel economy for their dollar. Smaller turbocharged engines with fuel injection have more than doubled fuel economy as compared to the big carbureted V8s from the ’60s. Blind-spot monitoring and anti-lock braking systems help us prevent accidents. When it comes to audio systems, compact Class-D amplifiers with integrated digital signal processing allow OEM audio suppliers like Harman, Bose and Panasonic to deliver impressive audio performance from a compact, lightweight package.

The technology in these audio systems not only sounds OK at low and moderate volume levels, depending on the vehicle, but can also provide realistic imaging and staging from both front seats. Until a few years ago, the car audio aftermarket couldn’t deliver the same two-seat performance without a complex and potentially costly installation.

Upgrade Your Factory Stereo with a Subwoofer

If you have a complex sound system that includes a center channel or any sort of 3D processing features, your local car stereo shop can still upgrade the system for better sound. The first step would be to add a subwoofer. Very few (if any) systems can’t benefit from better bass performance with extended low-frequency performance that a subwoofer can provide. If you are imagining a large enclosure in the trunk of your car, don’t fret. Today, most upgrades can be concealed in the spare tirewell, behind or under the rear seat in a truck, or in a trim panel in the cargo area of an SUV.

Crank the Volume with a High-Power Amplifier

If you want the system to play louder, then adding a multi-channel amplifier with an integrated digital signal processor is a good starting point. A new six-channel with DSP amp can deliver as much as 150 watts of power to the front speakers to ensure you never run out of juice when you crank up the volume. Most of these amplifiers have provisions for a subwoofer amplifier with a processed signal so your installer can tune the subwoofer once it’s added to the system.

If you’d added an amplifier and some tuning capability, then upgrading the system with new speakers is the icing on the cake in terms of getting great sound. Truly high-quality speakers include features like copper or aluminum shorting rings, copper T-yoke caps, and flat-wound voice coils to reduce distortion and improve clarity. When paired with a quality amplifier and tuned to compensate for the acoustics of your vehicle, new speakers will transform the listening experience into something truly amazing.

Factory Amplifier Replacement Interfaces

Companies like NAV-TV, Metra, PAC and mObridge offer interfaces that allow your installer to replace a factory amplifier and open up complete flexibility in terms of designing a new audio system. If you want to eliminate the signal processing that came with the factory stereo and pick your amplifiers and processors, then one of these interfaces is a perfect starting point. The interfaces work with many factory-installed audio systems that use MOST, A2B and CAN communication protocols and will typically eliminate Active Noise Control (ANC) and systems that inject engine sounds into the audio system.

Embrace Modern Car Audio Technology

Even though modern automotive infotainment systems have become exceedingly complex, your local specialist mobile enhancement retailer can take the best of what the vehicle manufacturer provided and spice it up with a subwoofer, new amplifier and better speakers. If the stereo in your car or truck doesn’t put a smile on your face, drop by a local shop and see what they can do to help!

This article is written and produced by the team at www.BestCarAudio.com. Reproduction or use of any kind is prohibited without the express written permission of 1sixty8 media.

In recent years, vehicle manufacturers have turned to active noise cancellation to make the interior of new cars and trucks quieter. Using technology similar to that found in noise-canceling headphones, the perceived level of low-frequency road and wind noise can be reduced using the audio system. When it comes time to upgrade your car or truck with a subwoofer, this noise-canceling technology can wreak havoc with your upgrade if not addressed properly.

What is Active Noise Cancellation?

Active noise cancellation (ANC), also known as active noise control, reduces the perceived level of road and wind noise by creating sounds through the factory stereo that, when combined with the noise, cancel each other out. The system works using signals from a series of microphones placed around the vehicle. These signals are inverted and after appropriate processing and delays, sent to the larger speakers in the car. The audio signals produced by the speakers mix with the noise information and cancel each other out. The result is a much quieter cabin and minimal added weight compared to passive noise solutions like sound deadening. One of the first commercially available vehicles to use ANC was the 1992 Nissan Bluebird. The benefit was minimal because of the limited signal processing power available at the time.

Many modern vehicles, including the Honda Accord, Nissan Maxima, Buick LaCrosse, Cadillac XTS, Chevy Silverado and Infiniti Q60 and Q70 feature modern implementations of this technology.

This noise-canceling technology is similar to what Sony and Bose use in their noise-canceling headphones.

How Does ANC Affect a Car Audio Upgrade?

Vehicle manufacturers invest a lot of time in designing and calibrating these noise-canceling systems. If you’ve decided to upgrade your car stereo system with an amplifier, new speakers, a subwoofer or sound deadening, your installer will need to check for the presence of an ANC system. If upgrades are installed without disabling ANC, large amounts of unwanted low-frequency will be added to the system.

If you are wondering if your vehicle will be noisier with the ANC disabled, you might be right. Don’t fret. This can be fixed with the addition of carefully implemented passive sound absorption solutions. Adding sound deadening to the firewall, the fenders, the doors and the roof will dramatically reduce the amount of noise that enters the vehicle and allow your new stereo equipment to sound amazing. Adding sound deadening may produce better overall results than an ANC system as active systems are limited to only low-frequency information. The small amount of added weight is a small price to pay for the dramatic improvement in the sound of your mobile audio system.

Upgrade Your Car Stereo System Today

If you are tired of lifeless, boring sound from your car stereo, drop by a local specialty mobile enhancement retailer today and find out what they can offer in terms of an upgrade. If your vehicle has active noise cancellation, they will let you know what’s required to keep things quiet and comfortable as you drive. Don’t let a little technology stand in the way of enjoying your music with the detail, impact and clarity you want.

This article is written and produced by the team at www.BestCarAudio.com. Reproduction or use of any kind is prohibited without the express written permission of 1sixty8 media.

Having the audio system in your car or truck upgraded can be a lot of fun. A subwoofer can add warmth, impact and detail, upgraded amplifiers let you turn the volume up without fear of distortion, new speakers add amazing clarity, and a digital signal processor ensures smooth frequency response and realistic tonal balance. One issue we see come up often is that enthusiasts get sidetracked by parts of the installation process that don’t matter as much to the overall sound quality of their systems. Let’s look at some of these car audio red herrings and explain how they fit into the equation.

High-End Audio Interconnects

More so in home audio than in mobile audio systems, audiophiles get sidetracked in their desire for premium RCA interconnect cables. Yes, you want to use good quality interconnects, but not the for reasons most people think.

The signal coming out of your radio or an OEM audio system interface like the AmpPRO or ZEN-V is often in the millivolt range, unless you have the volume level near its maximum. This low-voltage signal is susceptible to interference from electromagnetic radiation from computers and high-current wiring in the car. As such, you’ll want to choose cables that offer excellent noise rejection.

If you’re using a signal processor or an amplifier with balanced differential inputs, then choose interconnects with a twisted-pair design. Twisted-pair conductors help ensure that any noise that does reach the cable is equal on both wires and will be filtered by the amplifier. If your amplifier uses what’s known as a single-ended design, then use coaxial interconnect cables to help prevent noise from entering the system.

Do Expensive RCA Cables Sound Better?

Many people will tell you that you need premium RCA cables for the best sound. We’ve measured the output of an amplifier fed by $5 coaxial interconnects and $100 twisted-pair cables. The difference was on the order of 0.01 dB at 20 kHz. Since we can’t hear those frequencies, it would stand to say there is no audible difference.

What matters most is that you keep noise out of the system. Buzzing, hums and white noise dramatically reduce the overall enjoyment of your audio system. So, choose interconnects with excellent shielding. If there is some perceivable difference in sound, it all becomes irrelevant once your installer starts tuning the system with your digital signal processor.

My Car Audio System Needs To Use TOSLINK

There’s no denying the convenience of transmitting signals using fiber-optic TOSLINK cables. They are completely impervious to radio-frequency and electromagnetic noise. With that said, some of the best-sounding mobile audio systems on the planet use conventional analog RCA interconnects to ferry signals from the source unit to the processor and, subsequently, to the amplifiers.

At this level of obsession (and we DO love people who are passionate about their music), the quality of the source material, the quality of the source unit, the quality of the signal processor, the amplifiers and, most importantly, the quality of the speakers all matter more in terms of making your stereo sound amazing. Choosing high-quality electronics and speakers is more important than worrying about digital connections. If it’s an option, go for it! Don’t go out of your way to make it happen.

What Matters Most to Getting Great Sound in Your Vehicle?

Imagine a scenario where you’ve searched high and low for the best source unit on the market. You’ve paired it with a premium digital signal processor and a set of great amplifiers. You’ve chosen to have an experienced fabricator build a custom installation that looks like it was designed by the vehicle manufacturer. After investing tens of thousands of dollars, you don’t have the money for great speakers. Sadly, we won’t say that the entire endeavor was a waste, but you definitely will be missing out on supreme performance.

Speakers are the most important component in any audio system. If the signal from your amplifiers can’t be converted into sound accurately, well, the system won’t sound accurate.

We saw a statement recently where someone claimed that different speaker designs exist for different listening preferences. When it comes to a home audio speaker, that might be true. The balance of bass to midbass, midrange and high-frequency reproduction is determined by the overall design.

In a car audio system, where the installation technicians we hire will determine mounting locations and tune the system, we want speakers that are as accurate as possible. The settings in the signal processor will determine the overall balance of the audio system. Remember, any distortion added by low-quality speakers cannot be removed from the system.

Choose Your Audio Upgrades Wisely

When it’s time to improve the performance of your mobile audio system, find a local specialty mobile enhancement retailer that has the tools and training to deliver world-class solutions. Start with great speakers, then work backward from there, choosing components and installation solutions that work within your budget. You’ll get years of enjoyment from your car stereo upgrade!

Lead-in image: Custom A-pillar pods by Nick at Apicella Auto Sound in Stony Point, New York.

This article is written and produced by the team at www.BestCarAudio.com. Reproduction or use of any kind is prohibited without the express written permission of 1sixty8 media.

If you’ve been an avid reader of BestCarAudio.com, you may have noticed that we never refer to a live concert as being the reference for great sound from your car stereo system. We’ve alluded to concert-level output capabilities to determine how loudly your system will play. We’ve also talked about imaging and staging that describe the recreation of the position of the performers on a stage. If you’ve followed closely, our reference for great sound is for your mobile audio system to sound as if it were what a recording engineer and producer hear in a studio.

How The Recording Process Works

When a musician or band spends time in a studio, the engineer and assistant engineer will arrange microphones around the performers to capture their performance. The placement of these microphones determines the sound of an instrument. For example, a mic placed near the sound hole of a guitar will capture a very different sound than one placed beyond the body along the neck. Likewise, microphones on the head of each drum will sound different than a microphone placed a few feet away from the kit so that it can include room reflections.

Finally, one of the more dramatic examples would be the difference between recording the output of an electric guitar after it passes through whatever effect pedals the performer has chosen, and the option of recording the output of a guitar amp-and-speaker combination.

As the musicians perform, the recording engineer will blend the levels of each microphone using the mixing console or a digital audio workstation (DAW). He may also apply different signal processing to each signal through rack-mounted processors like equalizers, compressors, limiters, noise gates, delays, reverbs and distortion modules. If working in the digital domain, these modifications can be done through software plug-ins that mimic their physical brethren.

It’s important to note that the perception of the recording session depends on the quality of the speakers in the studio and the acoustics of the control room (where the engineer works). The sound also depends on how many instruments and performers were in the studio while recording. Imagine the process of recording a jazz trio, but only one performer was in the studio at a time as opposed to all three playing together. Minute to moderate amounts of sound from each instrument will be captured, after a short delay, by microphones on other instruments.

Why Doesn’t My Car Stereo Sound Like a Concert?

If you choose to crank up AC/DC or The Who to sound pressure levels above 120 dB, then you are indeed recreating a component of the concert experience. What you are lacking is the acoustics of the venue. As the performers play, what you hear is determined first and foremost by the audio system at the venue and the front of house (FOH) engineer who is blending all the instruments together on the mixing console. Next, if the venue is indoors, strong acoustic reflections will add energy to different parts of the audio spectrum. These reflections also wrap the performance around the audience, since sound reflected off the ceiling, side or back walls arrives a moment after the sound coming directly from the speakers.

How Do I Know if My Car Stereo Sounds Right?

We could go on and on describing the technical differences between a live performance and what you hear when you play a song in your car. Accurate sound reproduction is a concept that fraught with myths, misconceptions and misinformation. The perception of accurate sound is also tainted by people’s listening preferences in terms of bass levels and high-frequency output. What is universally agreed upon, yet rarely discussed, is the goal of choosing products that offer minimal amounts of unwanted distortion. This starts with the source of your music and extends through the radio, signal processor, amplifier and finally the speakers used in the system.

How can you make sure your stereo sounds good? Listen to as many audio systems as possible. When you hear something that impresses you, find out why. Was it the speakers or the way the system was tuned? Latch onto that as a key component of your system, then listen to more. Many retailers will say things like, “These are the best speakers I’ve ever heard.” While that statement may be true, it doesn’t make those the best speakers available. Do your research. Audition as much as you can. Ask questions. Once you have established a reference for great sound, choose a mobile enhancement retailer to help you achieve that goal in your car, truck or SUV. Your new car audio system may not sound exactly like a live concert — it may sound a lot better!

This article is written and produced by the team at www.BestCarAudio.com. Reproduction or use of any kind is prohibited without the express written permission of 1sixty8 media.