If you're considering aftermarket auto accessories, like a new audio system, you should consider the following things:

Sensitivity:

Sensitivity measures how much sound comes from a speaker based on the power supplied to it. Speakers with high sensitivity ratings will match best with low-powered car stereos (factory systems). If you have a high-power system, typically provided by a brand-name receiver or external amplifier, then consider speakers with lower sensitivity ratings. Properly powered, they'll provide excellent sound quality.

Power Handling:

Watts let you know how much power a speaker can handle. With a low-powered system, the speakers don't need to be able to handle lots of power. Likewise, a system with powerful amplifiers will require speakers that have a power handling close to the output of the amps. Remember that power handling means the maximum RMS power handling, not the peak power handling. RMS ratings measure how much power the speaker can handle on a continuous basis, not just for a short period of time.

Full-Range Speakers:

Full-range speakers house all the speaker elements in one basket. Typically, they consist of a woofer for the lows, and a tweeter to produce the highs. Some speakers will have additional drivers, like midrange or super tweeters. Speakers come in a variety of sizes that can easily be mounted into factory speaker locations. In most cases, simple removal of the old speaker and connecting the new speaker is all that is required. Full-range speakers are available at nearly every price point and power range.

External Crossovers:

Some higher-priced, full-range speakers come with external crossovers which allows a clean separation between the frequencies sent to the woofer and tweeter. The woofer and tweeter don't waste energy by trying to reproduce frequencies they're not intended to reproduce.

Component Speakers:

Component systems use an improved speaker design to provide the best possible sound. A typical component system includes separate woofers, tweeters, and external crossovers, all of which are designed to work in concert with one another. In a component system, the tweeter comes separate from the woofer and can be mounted in a location that provides the best imaging.

The crossover network in a component system comes external to the woofer and tweeter and allows higher quality components to be used to ensure a sharp delineation between the frequencies sent to the different drivers, which means more realistic sound from the speaker. Component systems are generally made of better materials, so they're capable of delivering exceptional dynamics and detailed sound.

Speaker/Subwoofer Material:

A speaker's material design along with quality components will determine its durability and sound quality. Find companies that have this base foundation.

Tweeter Material:

A tweeter's material has a big effect on the type of sound it produces. Generally, tweeters made of soft materials, like silk, will give you a refined and somewhat mellow sound. If you like bright highs choose hard materials, like metal, ceramics, or graphite.

The "ideal" car audio system does not mean the loudest one or the most expensive one. It's the one that best meets your needs. Consider what type of car stereo system you have now. Is the sound flat, dull, tinny, or wimpy? Are you listening to a car radio that's struggling with flimsy, old factory speakers? You know it sounds lousy, but you don't necessarily know why.

It's not always easy to diagnose what's causing problems in a vehicle's audio/video system. You don't have to be a car audio expert to figure it out, though. Here are some suggestions you can try to narrow things down:

Listen for a few minutes while the car is parked. Test all the functions. Does everything seem to work okay? 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?

Next, drive around and listen carefully. Drive on the highway and turn your car stereo up loud enough to be heard above the road noise. Make a mental note of how it sounds. Next park the car, and don't turn down the music volume from the highway level. Do you hear a lot of distortion? Set the balance, fader, and tone controls in the middle. How's the overall sound of the speakers? Is it lacking bass, treble, or clarity?

Now, rate your current gear:

Rate your satisfaction with each individual component on a scale of 1-10. The best results are achieved the quickest by replacing the lowest-rated components first. If you rank the car stereo the lowest, install a new receiver. This is one of the first steps to achieving better sound since the audio signal sent to the rest of your system is much cleaner and stronger when it comes from an aftermarket source.

Then, consider the fit:

The most important thing is to procure all the right parts. Sometimes this means pulling out the factory radio and inspecting its connectors. There are running changes in some model cars that might have a variation from the part that is listed as being correct. An example would be a year model change. You might have the first model car of the change in production and have the previous year's harness or dash trim.

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Not always. A lot of cars today have factory-installed amplifiers and getting them to interface with aftermarket heads is more involved than one might think. We recommend trying to keep the factory amp installed if possible. That way, it's easier to reinstall the factory radio later on.

You may need a data retention module to replace the computer chip that was inside the factory radio that communicates with the computer of the car. These will help turn on that factory amp that keeps the car data correct. The data retention modules usually have a wiring adapter with them.

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Yes, adapters are required for most cars. Some antenna systems from the factory are amplified and need to be switched on even if the mast is not motorized.

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Yes, but you need to make sure that the head unit you are purchasing has the input for that signal, and you will need the proper SWI module. Installing one of these is not always plug-and-play, some reading and programming may need to be done. This is a totally optional feature. You do not have to add this as one of your aftermarket auto accessories.

In most cases, no. You must install the provided satellite radio antenna. It should be installed on the roof or trunk lid. You want that antenna to be able to see to the south as much as possible. Call us today for more questions about aftermarket auto accessories.

Do you want your radio to do any of the following things?

• Make calls and stream music using a Bluetooth™ connection
• Tune in to satellite or HD Radio™ broadcasts
• Control an iPod® or other portable audio device
• Play CDs or MP3 files
• Play DVDs on a retractable or built-in display
• Play louder without distorting

Knowing what you want your receiver to do makes it easier to choose the right one for you and your car. If you know the receiver isn't the problem, or you just don't want to part with your current receiver, you can focus on building up the other components in your car's system.

If your speakers sound okay 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 should probably replace them first.

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Most factory-installed car speakers are made of lightweight paper or other cheap-to-produce materials. Even "premium" factory speakers tend to wear down and distort a lot faster than aftermarket speakers, so even if they sounded good when you bought the car, they've probably dropped off a bit over the years.

A new set of aftermarket speakers will improve the entire range of your sound, from deeper bass to more well-defined highs. Best of all, they're easy to install and are usually more affordable than a receiver. In fact, according to Investopedia, using aftermarket parts can be more cost-effective than using OEM parts.

Aftermarket auto accessories, like speakers are made with higher-quality materials, so they'll give you much better sound and increased durability. Full-range speakers (some combination of a woofer, a midrange, and/or a tweeter) fit easily into your car's factory locations and are probably your best bet for improved sound. If you want to hear everything your music has to offer, use a set of component speakers with separate woofers and tweeters to transform your dashboard into a concert soundstage.

If your sound seems to lack that certain something, you need to give your speakers more power. An amplifier increases the volume of your system without distorting it, so you'll have no trouble hearing your tunes with the windows down and the sunroof open. Amplifiers also give your music new life by bringing out musical details and clarity, resulting in better sound quality at all volume levels.

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Is your music competing with your car's exhaust? You should look into vibration-damping materials. A little sound deadening in your vehicle will help keep road noise, vibration, and exhausts from interfering with your music. It does this while keeping all frequency wavelengths contained and all vibration at a minimum. Give us a call today to get started with aftermarket auto accessories.