I’ve never been a car person, or an audiophile, but I understand that for some people, their car is their baby and the place where they most often listen to the music they love. Sure, I’m okay with crackly FM in an 18-year-old Plymouth Voyager, but if you’re rocking a soft-top XKR or something similar, not only should you have higher expectations but the audio qualities are totally different.
If you really care about your music and are willing to pay for it (because it’s difficult to do any other way), this is a really great guide to get you the sound you deserve.
Some take-away points:
- Get a decent amp and EQ; default EQing can ruin the best system.
- Secure your subwoofer (and your parts), rattling sounds bad and can actually mess up your car.
- Put more power and more bass in the front and tone down your subs; separating the frequency ranges makes music sound unnatural.
- Test it loud. It’s the only way to be sure your tweeters aren’t going to cut your eardrums later.
- Test it in situ. Remember, you’re never going to be listening to this system when you’re not driving.
- Get a pro to help, they may know things about your model or speakers that you don’t.
There’s a ton more detail here as this guy goes through a full installation in a Sebring. If you’re planning on getting your audio tricked out, it’d be a good idea to check through this:
Part one, part two, part three, and part four.