Car audio products/accessories and how they perform is something that car audio enthusiasts are constantly concerned about. Car audio reviews help intending buyers make more informed choices.

Most car audio reviews help prospective customers to choose the best systems compatible with their car. They also help them even with their existing audio systems that need an upgrade. Sometimes a car audio review can call your attention to a feature you have not been taken advantage of even though you have it in your system.

Most websites that are put up by either distributors of sellers of different brands of audio systems put up a comparison chart which rates products across categories. This helps a customer upgrade his system better or even land a more affordable deal.

Car audio reviews include those for CD players, amplifiers, subwoofers, speaker systems, etc.

Advantages of Car Audio Reviews

• Price listing and comparison of different brands in one place

• Quick reference material

• Expert opinion on use and upgrade

• Genuine information from users of products and services

• After-sales services provided by manufacturers and suppliers

Where can I find good reviews?

• Manuals and publications from manufacturers contain good review articles.

• Websites like this one and others that cater to car audio components supply and maintenance

• Word of mouth review, mostly by friends or family members who have used a particular brand or product.

You can be a reviewer

Many websites invite reviewers to review any particular brand or product and write honest opinions or give information that may be of use to others intending to buy the same. So be a good fellow, let others know your experience with a particular car audio gear.

A car audio speaker’s job is to convert the audio signal in its electrical form to a pressure wave that we can perceive as sound. Similar to any component in a car stereo system, the ultimate goal of a speaker is to do its work without adding any coloration or changing the original sound of the audio signal.

Ideally, only one speaker per side is enough to reproduce the entire audio spectrum. But unfortunately, a speaker that can produce low frequencies has too much mass to be able to produce the higher frequencies. For this, there are specialized speaker drivers that take care of particular frequency bands. For example, sub woofers are used to produce the extreme lows of music with impact that can be felt as well as heard.

Speakers have not just an extreme range in quality and price but also have the greatest impact on the overall sound of a car stereo system.

How to buy a car audio speaker

When shopping for a car speaker listen to it before buying it because there is no other way to know how it will sound to you. Keep in mind the following . . .

• Ensure you take along with you a CD that you normally listen to when you audition the speakers. This will help you get a better idea of how the speaker reproduces sounds you are familiar with.

• Listen closely for low level details and how instruments sound.

• After narrowing down your choices to a couple of different speakers, audition them at length. A poor quality speaker has an exaggerated low and high end.

• Adjust the bass and treble as well as the volume to levels that are comfortable for you.

• Beware of salespeople that turn up the volume slightly on the expensive speakers and persuade you to buy them.

When choosing loudspeakers, be realistic. If you don’t want any modification in your existing speaker holes, buy speakers that fit in the current available space. Also keep in mind depth considerations, like in doors where speakers may interfere with windows rolling down. Take note of dashes where speakers may be limited by ducts (for heat and air) and rear decks where depth is limited by torsion bars.

Car audio system theft protection is a must if you live or go to areas that have thieving rats -- And who doesn't. That's unless you don't mind buying replacements. Furthermore, these thieves don't mind the damages they cause -- even invalidating your warranty.

To avoid such painful situations, it is always better to have your security system in place. There are several measures that you can implement to protect your car audio system from thieves.

Your car audio system can be protected from thefts in a number of ways...

• Car audio systems are available with detachable front plates. This way you can easily remove the control panel of your receiver and carry it along with you when you leave the car. Without the control panel, the car head unit is of no use to thieves. This reduces dramatically the risk of your head unit being stolen.

• There is protective equipment called El Kameleon by JVC for head units. It works in a very different way. When you turn off your head unit, the display illumination turns completely off, and the rotary knob and control panel retract into the unit. Without the display illumination and retractable control panel all you can just see is a blank front panel. This discourages thieves as they will think it just the dashboard and nothing more.

You can fit security alarms that come in different shapes and with different specifications.

There are many other theft-deterrence measures. Car audio product manufacturers are constantly thinking up new and more effective ways. You’ll have to get what fits your purse and person.

Car audio magazines include information related to car audio components, the latest gadgets available and of course, constant reviews and information about existing and upcoming versions of all car audio systems.

Car audio magazines are today available both in hard copy and are also on the internet in the form of websites. These websites have entire teams working on the content and information.

Car audio magazines include information about . . .

• Dealer pricing

• Technical features about the products

• Availability in different places

• Car accessories

• Latest photographs of gadgets

Advantages of using reviews from car audio magazines

• Get the latest information straight from the suppliers

• Compare prices and product features easily

• Get expert opinion of use and maintenance of systems

• Get good reviews from those who have tried and tested the products

• Know about other services provided by manufacturers and suppliers.

Car Audio Magazines: A reliable source of car audio reviews

If you want to find out more about car audio systems, components, parts, prices, bargains, discount offers and deals, a car audio magazine will provide you all information in one place.

Subscription to such magazines is well worth the money spent: They give you the latest in the world of car audio technology. They keep you informed on all the latest gadgets available just about anywhere in the world.

You have several options if you want to improve your current car audio system. The market is flooded with car audio systems and choosing the right one for your car can be a tough task. However, with a few guiding tips, you'll be all set to choose the right audio system for your car.

There are some fundamental guiding tips that can make the process of selecting the right car audio system very painless.

First and foremost you must check the capacity of your pocket. You must buy an audio system that does not burn a hole in your pocket.

Your preference matters a lot. You can either choose a system which gives you ultimate sound quality or go for a simple and basic system.

It is essential that the new car audio system is extremely user-friendly. The system must have large and well-spaced buttons to enable easy and smooth operation. The system must be such that ensures minimum distraction.

The car audio system must also have a proper display. The display must be large, clear and well informative.

A car audio system must have a head unit which shows all the pertinent data for the convenience of the user.

The system must have a powerful amplifier. Without a high quality amplifier, even a new car audio system will not give the highest quality you can get from it.

It is always good to have car audio systems that have separate tweeters. Users must make sure that the tweeters are properly positioned for the best results.

A separate sub woofer to the car audio system would provide that extra rumble to the system.

These are the basics. There are more to an audio system but those are certainly not for a new enthusiast. However, if you keep these very basic factors in mind, buying a good car audio system would surely be a pleasurable experience. Make sure driving your car is also a treat to your ears.

Car audio cd players are on the rock. To get the best in the world of music and sound, you need to have a cd player. There are many manufacturers of car audio cd players. They are . . .

• Kenwood

• Pioneer

• Goodmans

• Sony

• Boss

Most decent CD players have a detachable faceplate. I will not recommend buying one that does not have this (They are usually the lowest models offered by any company). The last major item to consider is whether the unit will fit in your dash.

Look for a control layout that you are comfortable with. Generally a simple layout is better for finding buttons quickly. A crowded and busy display looks great in the showroom but can be confusing and dangerous when driving at highway speeds. Beyond these basics, you need only worry about which features you wish to have to in your cd player.

Since the head unit is the most noticeable part of your system, most CD player manufacturers have designed several ways for you to express yourself in the dash. Many receivers or players feature motorized and fully detachable drop-down front panels. They also come with wireless remote controls, front and rear RCA outputs and a dedicated sub woofer output as well.

Features that are usual in a CD player . . .

1. ISO DIN mounting.

2. Multicolor vacuum fluorescent display

3. Fully detachable front panel motorized, slide-down, for easy access.

4. PLL synthesized tuner

5. Station presets

6. Illuminated control buttons

7. Quartz digital clock for you

8. CD changer controls

9. CD Mute and track repeat

10. CD-R and CD-RW compatibility

11. Subwoofer output

12. Anti-skip mechanism

13. Balance and fader controls

14. Dual RCA outputs with loudness control

There are more. You can look around if you need other features. Car audio product manufacturers are going overboard these days. Who knows, you may even find one that allows you to read your emails.