​How to Build the Right Car Audio System for Your Vehicle and Needs

The best car audio system isn't always the loudest. It is a stereo that meets your needs and provides the highest quality sound for your vehicle.

You may not be able to tolerate poor quality sound when watching movies or listening to music at home. Why would you deal with poor sound on your daily commute?

If you want to enhance your music listening experience in your car, consider how you can improve your existing car stereo and where the best place to start is. With these tips and some help from a car audio expert, you can get clear sound that's truly enjoyable on the road.

Planning your car audio system

 

 

Before you start upgrading your car audio system, you need to have a solid plan in place. The plan will be based on some of your preferences, including:

 

Your budget

Whether you want to keep the factory stereo

Whether you want to start over and ditch the factory stereo

The importance of bass

The importance of listening to music loudly

Your Reasonable Goals

What are your sound goals?

Listen to your current stereo when parked and think about how it makes you feel. Adjust the fade, balance, tone and volume controls.

Are you really immersed in the music? Or do you find the music boring? What do you like about it? What do you hate about it?

Make a note of anything you missed or that you think could be improved. What add-ons do you feel you missed? There are many things that can help you get excited about the prospect of building the perfect car audio system.

Listen to it again while driving a short distance. Do you not hear music over the sound of your car, or do you notice any buzzing or rattling?

Listen again when you pull up, list the components you have, and rate them on a scale from 1 to 10. These ratings will help you decide which components need to be replaced first. You're better off replacing the lowest rated components first to really improve your car audio system.

Once you determine what is most important to you and which components are a priority, you can create a plan that meets your needs and preferences.

If you create a plan based on your budget, you can update one component at a time until you have a fully customized car audio system. It's important that you prioritize the components you want to get started with and plan ahead to ensure that all of them end up working well together.

Matching components to your vehicle

When purchasing new components, make sure they fit the make and model of your vehicle. Research online to find the best components for your vehicle. This will help narrow down your search and avoid wasting time looking for components that don't actually fit.

If you plan to add an external subwoofer, make sure it fits in your trunk or backseat without taking up too much space - unless space doesn't take precedence over sound.