Perhaps as early as the 1980s, people must have already anticipated that car audio and in-car entertainment would become a significant role player in technology someday. Take Wayne Harris in 1985, for example, who converted a 1960 Cadillac Hearse to feature several 32-inch subwoofers. By the early 1990s, several organizations, including IASCA, were already leading some creative brainstorming over car audio quality, and this time around with a competitive bent. The loudness competitions have become known as dB drag racing.

The hottest in in-car entertainment nowadays is use of media like CD, DVD, Freeview/TV, USB and with an available upgrade to a surround system. All this is closely trailed by demand for built-in video game consoles. In-car entertainment is currently on the rise and within the reach of average incomes, what with lower prices of electronic materials such as screen and monitors, and the more affordable converging media playable technologies. Thus you can have compact and streamlined single hardware units that are able to read CD, MP3, WMA, and DVD. Thanks to infrared headphones, families can now somehow relax even during long journeys with games together and/or DVD-watching for front and backseat passengers.

In car audio, the latest technologies have made many products branch and deviate from the so-called Head unit, which unifies all the other components of the car audio system. The newest issue in head unit technology is the inclusion of CD players with MP3, Ogg, WMA, AAC, and USB, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi support. The least that most up to date cars have is a CD player/ CD recorder, with an optional CD changer, which is capable of handling multiple disks either within the head unit or in a separate container or console.

The inclusion of LCD screens and DVD players is also getting attention. The final look will be determined by the head unit, but in any case the LCD screen is either incorporated such that it slides out and folds neatly for viewing, or integrated and fixed into the instrument console. The DVD head unit generally passes on video output into separately fixed screen panels, either folding down from the ceiling, or is screwed into the headrest for viewing by passengers in the rear seats.

The video screen may also display video from an integrated navigation system. Furthermore, back up cameras could help when the car is on reverse; when installed, these convenient devices can be automatically activated.

Speakers are usually found in doors and rear parcel shelves in modern cars. High-priced stereo systems ordinarily have speakers fixed to "kick panel" enclosures, which means more room for the driver. Before the significantly smaller stereo radio was released to the market, the most usual spot for a speaker location was right in the middle of the dashboard, with the sound aimed through perforations right to the front windshield.

What speakers make up a high-end audio system? It may consist of component speakers that are made up by matched tweeters (small, high frequency), midrange (medium, medium frequency) and woofer (large, low frequency) set. These component pairs are arranged in two speaker or three speaker groups, and may have an audio crossover thrown in which restricts the frequency range that each component speaker must deliver. The result is that this system lets each cone make its optimal frequency for total sound quality and volume.

Subwoofer(s), meanwhile, take care of bass and sub bass (ultra low frequency), the thumping beats of which are actually felt more than heard. Sub bass is omni-directional, which means that the human ear will have the illusion that the sound is coming from all directions. Passive crossover networks split the signal after amplification, making it a reality to play many speaker component sets with just a lone channel.

5.1 and even 7.1 channel surround sound systems are now finding their way into some cars, through the efforts of aftermarket enthusiasts and car manufacturers. These systems have the full array of front left, right and center speakers along with rear right and left surround speakers. All this means your car can be a sound stage on wheels.

Amplifiers are the source of important music power, gauged in watts to push on the speakers. High Power amplifiers demand a substantial cable to feed enough energy to the amplifier. The amplifier is a vital ingredient of a loud speaker system. To ensure stability, the maximum power handling capability of the speakers attached to the amps or head unit must be greater than or equal to the power of the amplifier or head unit.

Sound deadening is often employed in the door cavities and boot/trunk area to muffle the sound of metal in the car, like for instance in the boot/trunk sometimes. The deadening also helps create an overall cleaner sound by soaking instead of deflecting sound waves.

Upgrading the vehicle's current capability

To boost current capacity of the vehicle's electrics, which is required of high-power audio system components, alternators may be upgraded. An additional Deep Cycle power source can be attached to prevent voltage lapses and keep the system playing for long periods even if the engine is off.

Which of these high-end car audio components are next on your wish list?

Multiple-CD Changer

amplifiers

audio processors

cables

crossovers

equalizers

mobile video (VCRs, television, DVD and navigation)

stiffening capacitors

Controls, including on steering wheel

Car computer, fully functional computers (i.e. Internet, Music, games) that is operable from the interface.

Game Consoles - passenger entertainment.

Common modifications:

speaker pods

subwoofer enclosures

In Pursuit of a Noise-Free System: The Ten Commandments of Noise Prevention

I. The best cure is prevention. I can't overemphasize this point. If you've ever spent an entire weekend tearing an installation apart in order to eliminate some noise, you know what I mean. Take the time to sketch the system out before you begin the install. This graphic representation of the installation will help you to avoid introducing ground loops and will serve as a road map for eliminating noise if it is present.

II. Don't introduce ground loops. Ground loops are created whenever an audio ground is established at more than one location. Theoretically, the only place the audio ground should be connected to the chassis ground is at the source unit. In my experience, I've found that in systems that have noise problems, a ground loop is the culprit nine times out of ten.

III. Never run signal wires alongside power cables. This is especially true in installations where high powered amplifiers are used. Large amplifiers are capable of drawing large currents. These currents vary with the musical demand of the program material as does the electromagnetic field surrounding the power cable. The more current that flows through the wire, the bigger this field becomes. If audio cables are located in close proximity to this fluctuating electromagnetic field, noise could be induced into the system.

For Commandments 4 up to 10 and other How To articles Regarding Car Audio, visit termpro.com.