Aftermarket radios are far superior to factory fitted radios. So, why should any audio expert advise you to keep your factory fitted radios? Reasons abound why that may be a wise option for some. However, let’s ensure first that everyone understands the terms “factory fitted” and “aftermarket”.

Factory Fitted Radios, commonly known as OE (Original Equipment) radios are those that are fitted or installed in your car as standard at the factory when your car is manufactured. They can also be bought from car dealers as a replacement should it fail at some point.

OE radios are manufactured by various suppliers including Alpine, Blaupunkt, Becker, Clarion, Delphi, Ford, Fujitsu Ten, Grundig, Matsushita, Philips, Toyota, VDO, Visteon. These are not to be confused with aftermarket car radios that can be defined as radios not fitted at the factory and are found on car audio websites and in car audio shops, etc.

These are superior to standard factory-fitted radios. But having said that, factory-fitted radios are now far higher in quality and performance than they were as little as five to ten years ago.

Many car dealers/manufacturers now fit aftermarket radios as standard. This is a bonus for you, the driver. You can then add an aftermarket CD changer and aftermarket MP3 changer. These give far better performance than OE CD changers. They also cost a lot less than from your car dealer.

There are so many advantages in keeping your standard radio and adding-on a CD changer. The most obvious benefit is that you retain the integrated look and functionality of your car’s current radio set-up. By doing so you will prevent the need for any extra accessories that would ultimately cost you more expense if you were to add an aftermarket radio. These accessories include a fascia adaptor, harness adaptor lead, Stalk Control, SMART lead, etc.