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How to Get a High-Performance Car Audio System

Buying a car audio system can be more complex than buying the car. Audio components come with their own set of technical specifications, which may be unintelligible unless you're an electrical engineer. Find a salesperson who will help you cut through the marketing talk and evaluate what's really important to you. Instructions Difficulty: Moderate Steps 1 Step One Conduct enough research so that you're conversant with the basic terminology of audio systems. Audio and car magazines, knowledgeable friends and the Internet are your best sources. 2 Step Two Set a budget. Complete systems range from $500 to many thousands of dollars, but you can find choices within any budget. 3 Step Three Determine what high performance means to you. If you like rock and rap, maximum power output is important. If you like classical music, you want moderate power and exceptional sound quality. 4 Step Four Avoid buying a system one piece at a time. Every component, regardless of quality, has its own sound characteristics. If you buy everything separately, you won't have a chance to preview the whole system before you own it. 5 Step Five Understand speaker options. Most speakers are two-way, with a low-range driver (woofer) and a high-range driver (tweeter). Three-way speakers include a midrange driver, which provides precise sound quality. Small car owners may opt to mount individual drivers, with the tweeters up front, and woofers and midrange drivers in back. Such systems require an external crossover device to synchronize the individual drivers. An audio shop will know the speaker limitations for your vehicle. 6 Step Six Research head units, also called receivers, which typically include a radio, an amplifier, and a CD or tape player. Head units list a power output figure in watts. Find a knowledgeable salesperson willing to explain the true power output. Higher-quality units usually have more power. Expect to pay $200 and up. 7 Step Seven Check the preouts, plugs that allow for additional components on the head unit. If you plan on installing an equalizer (for improved sound tuning) and an additional amplifier (for more volume), be sure enough preouts exist. If you're connecting the head unit to existing components, be sure the preouts are compatible. 8 Step Eight Make sure the head unit is compatible with satellite radio, MP3 and home-recorded CDs. Even if you don't use these now, you might in the future. 9 Step Nine Select speakers and a head unit that are compatible in terms of power. Don't use speakers with a lower power rating than the head unit. In fact, it's a good idea to get speakers with a slightly greater rating, allowing for the addition of an amplifier later. Expect to pay $200 or more for top-quality speakers.