When people think about a car stereo, they are actually referring to the main interface point for the audio systems within the car, the receiver. This is the point where you can issue commands and control audio sources and this device then processes these commands and signals and then generates the sound before sending it to the speakers. The receiver is the processing unit, the brain of the car audio system. It used to be merely a stereo receiver, but these days they are so much more and the capabilities ad features you find within them should be what you base your decision on which to purchase on.
There are many new and advanced features that can be found within the receivers for car audio systems, but if you are looking at installing a modern system, then there are some features that you should really pay attention to.
Audio sources
The audio sources your receiver is capable of handling should be the biggest make or break aspect of the system. You need to know how you are planning on playing music in your car and choose accordingly. For example, are you planning on streaming music from your phone, from the internet, from digital radio services, or do you intend on having a physical connection to your receiver from your phone? Are you still wanting the ability to play CD’s, or do you want to store music in the system itself? There are many different audio sources to consider, so make sure you understand what each of them are and how it affects your usage of the device.
Smartphone integration
Being synonymous with our modern lives, smartphones are quite often the single most important item we carry these days. They contain our lives, from contacts, social media, messages, banking, calendars, every piece of personal information about us. As such, if you plan on using anything related to your smartphone with your car, then you must ensure that the system you purchase has the capability to connect to it and run the apps you want it to run.
Interface
Both the physical size of the receiver unit and the interface software that it uses will also be very important to the overall user experience. If the device doesn’t include a reasonably sized touch screen for example, then no matter how many amazing features it includes, you are not going to be able access them effectively. Similarly, if the software that drives the device is poorly designed and difficult to navigate, you will find yourself wanting to throw the unit out the window before you get used to its ‘quirks’.
Overall, if you are planning on spending a good amount of money on a new audio system, ensure that you can tick these three things off your list when choosing. If you have questions, then find experts in the field, to talk to. They should be able to answer your questions and guide your purchase as well as providing a fitting service to ensure the job is done well.