10 Easy Ways to Improve Your Car's Audio System

Look at--and listen to--your car's audio system right now and ask yourself if you're happy with what it’s giving you. A good sound system should be tailored to your needs and preferences, and if it doesn't, then you should make a couple of improvements until you become satisfied with it. Here are some ways to help you get started:

1. Replace the OEM speakers with aftermarket ones.

Full-range speakers, which can be a combination of midrange, woofer, and/or tweeters, are one of the easiest ways to improve your car's sound quality. You can even make it better by adding in a set of component speakers to make your audio spectacular.

2. Invest on speakers made from good quality materials.

How do you know which materials to choose?  Keep these things in mind:

• Speakers made from rubber are very durable, and offer good audio quality
• Surrounds made from cloth and foam may not be as long-lasting as rubber, but they're far better than paper and foam.
• Favor materials like Polyblend or silk tweeters over the harder ones such as metal and ceramic.
• A good and very durable material for bass would be light, stiff woofer materials, like polypropylene with metal-coated fabrics or mica.

3. Lessen noise inside the car.

So you might have a decent sound system, but if your car's exhaust is drowning out all the sound, then that's a problem. You can add materials like Dynamat in your car to help lessen noise coming from the inside--or even outside.

4. Feel the beat more.

If you’re the type of person who loves to hear a music's every beat, then adding a subwoofer would make things even better. Subwoofers are mostly there to add depth to the music, much like spices set the undertone of a unique dish. What's more, adding a good amplifier to the mix makes sound much richer.

5. Your favorite music matters.

Do you love hip-hop or rock music? Then better make sure you have your amplifiers and subwoofers inside. However, if you are more into laid-back or soft music like classical and jazz, then invest in good receivers that can support a set of whole-range speakers.

6. Your phone stores all your music.

Your phone might contain your entire life these days--and your entire music collection as well. If that's the case, then get a good car receiver that has a USB port and Bluetooth function. You can also throw in a high-quality receiver with an AUX / USB input (preferably with a large monitor) to make it even better.

7.  Add more depth to your sound.

Amplifiers give your sound more impact and power. What's more, you can increase and decrease the volume without distorting sound quality. Amplifiers also help you hear the subtle musical tones more clearly--even if your windows are open.

8. You travel a lot.

Getting that travel bug once again? Invest in a good receiver that offers various  inputs and expanded features that you can use conveniently while traveling, such as AUX jacks, USB ports, and Bluetooth.

9. You like taking long trips.

There’s something great about taking long trips--especially when you have great music to entertain you. You can expand it by buying an in-dash video receiver to widen your entertainment selection. Better yet, get a backseat video for your kids to watch when they start getting hyper at the back. That will take care of those childish tantrums fast.

10. You work in your car.

There are some people who bring their work even when they're driving. If you live by the workaholic's code, then buy receivers with a good Bluetooth function. Not only will this be handy when receiving and making calls, but you can also stream your music wirelessly without any fuss.