Car Audio: The Most Bump for Your Buck

Whether for shows or just casual listening, car audio is a hot commodity in the United States today. But with all the choices offered to the consumer, even considering having premium car audio installed can be overwhelming. However, there are a few brands out there that you can trust.

When it comes to consumer-friendly car audio, two of the largest contenders for top of the market is Kenwood and Pioneer. Kenwood offers stability and funcionality when it comes to the head units, which is like the mission command for your car audio. There are many units to choose from that range in functionality including the ability to play MP3s and WMAs while also having some units that can have docking bays for your Ipod attached. The pricing on these units is reasonable, for a mid-range unit with MP3 capability you should spend around $150.

The speakers that Kenwood has to offer are good but could be better. Like the head units, Kenwood speakers have a wide range of functionality including 2-way and 3-way capabilities. When it comes to getting the most band for your buck, however, Pioneer steals the show in the speaker department. While offering the same amount of functionality as Kenwood, Pioneer also boasts more longevity for the actual speaker, which means you should be able to milk your moneys worth ouf of it. And when it comes to car audio, the key factor is always going to be stability and endurance.

When looking more at the performance side of the car audio game, Alpine was, is, and always will be champion. Leading the field in head unit functionality and speaker technology advancement, there are not many manufacturers that can keep up with Alpine. The price tag is, of course, going to be much more than that of a mid-range consumer level car audio selection, but if you have any hopes of having a competition level car audio setup, then Alpine is a good place to start and a perfectly fine place to stay. The head units from Alpine can range anywhere from $130 for you basic CD player to $1500 for your cutting edge, DVD, MP3, GPS, full color display sound blasting machine. Speaker prices can range anywhere from $80 for a single 6*9 to $2500 for a 15-inch subwoofer.

The key to success in car audio lies less in product selection than it does in installation however. My suggestion would be to always have a professional install any components that you would like in your car audio setup. Attempting to install speakers or head units on your own can result in an improperly mounted head unit or speakers that lose almost half of their clarity because of rattle against the frame or just not sitting right or being wired correctly. Before attempting to install any car audio accessories, be sure to consult the product manuals and installation directions, and by all means if you can then consult or have a professional do it for you. Not only could you damage your product, but the risk of electrical shock means you could hurt yourself to.

WIth that last bit in mind I wish you all luck that may be on the mission for premium car audio. Just remember the tips that i have given and you can smile when you listen to your tunes, knowing that you got the most bump for you buck.