How to Build the Ideal Car Stereo System

he 'ideal' car audio system is not necessarily the loudest one, or the most expensive one. It's the one that best meets your needs. So, the first step is to figure out what your needs are. Start off by asking yourself: what is the one thing you want your new car stereo to do for you? If you don't come up with an answer right away, then try looking at your current system.

What type of car stereo system do you have now?
How does the sound of your current system make you feel? Do you find yourself tapping your foot or drumming your fingers on the steering wheel? Does a funky rhythm section get you smiling? Does a blues guitar solo send shivers down your back?

No? Then is the sound flat, dull, tinny, or wimpy? You're probably suffering from listening to a car radio that's struggling to drive flimsy factory speakers. The good news is that you have a lot of options to choose from when replacing the various components in your audio system.

But what if you're unsure about exactly which component is the problem?
It's not always easy to diagnose what's causing problems in a vehicle's audio/video system, even when you know that you're not satisfied with its performance. But there are some simple steps you can take to help you narrow it down:

1. Listen while parked in the driveway for a few minutes.
Twist all the knobs and push all the buttons. Do all the functions seem to work OK?
What would you like your radio to do that it won't do now?
* Play CDs or MP3 files?
* Tune-in to satellite or HD Radio™ broadcasts?
* Control an iPod® or other portable audio device?
* Play louder without distorting?
* Play DVDs on a retractable or built-in display?
Listen to each speaker individually by adjusting the balance and fader controls. Turn up the volume and the tone controls. Are all the speakers working, or do you hear a slight rattle or a buzz?

2. Drive around and listen carefully.
Hit the highway and turn your stereo up loud enough to be heard above the road noise.

3. Now find a place to park the car.
Keeping the volume at "highway level" (but without the road noise to confuse your ear), do you hear a lot of distortion?Set the balance, fader, and tone controls right smack in the middle. How's the overall sound of the speakers? What's lacking? Bass? Treble? Clarity?

4. Rate your current gear.
Make a list of the components in your system, and rate them on a scale of 1-10. It usually makes sense to begin by replacing the lowest-rated components.

If the car receiver ranked the lowest, then consider either buying an adapter so it meets your needs or replacing the whole receiver. Replacing your receiver is usually one of the first steps to achieving better sound since the audio signal sent to the other components in your system is much cleaner coming from an aftermarket source.

However, if you know the audio signal isn't the problem or you don't want to part with your current receiver, then you might want to build up the other audio components in your vehicle. If your speakers sound OK at moderate volume, but not at highway volume, you may want to start by adding more power. If the speakers sound bad all the time, you know to replace them first.