Aftermarket Car Audio: Everything You Need to Know

What is car audio?

A car audio is an upgraded sound system that is added to a car for aesthetic reasons or to improve the quality of music. Car audio systems are often installed in order to enhance the look of cars, rather than for functional purposes. The installation may be done by either by the owner themselves or professionals who specialize in this area.

The aftermarket industry has exploded with many companies offering products designed specifically for different types, years, makes and models of automobiles at lower prices compared with retail car factory audio units because they are not sold through dealerships which mark up their cost significantly when adding them into new vehicles. This convenience allows customers more flexibility in what type & features they want in their aftermarket car audio.

Aftermarket systems can either be an add-on to the factory system or a complete replacement for it. Reasons someone may want to go with an aftermarket unit include:

• Not wanting/needing all of the features in a retail audio and instead just having basic functionality, preferring more options for customization than what is offered in new cars (many manufacturers limit customizing ability).
• Better price points when considering that many models are sold at 40%-50% below dealer cost.
• There is also no waiting around since they're so much easier to install by yourself or professionals in car stereo installation in Wellington who specialize in this area.

How to install a car stereo

Installing a car stereo can be done in two ways; do it yourself or have a professional do the installation. If you want to install your new stereo by yourself, you will need some tools and equipment for this process.

Installing your own car stereo can be done as follows:

• Open the car door and locate the bolt or screw holding your old stereo. You may have to remove a plastic panel, so find out if there are any screws hiding beneath it. If you cannot find one, look for clips instead of bolts/screws which can easily be removed by hand without using any tools. Once those clips are open you should be able to pull on the radio until it pops loose from its place. Unplug all cables attached like antennas and cigarette lighter power cords before pulling out the entire unit as an assembly (the faceplate, speakers and wiring).
• Put in some foam tape around new stereos' "feet" to protect them during installation; do not leave bare metal exposed.
• Use a screwdriver or wrench (depending on what type of bolts/screws the aftermarket stereo is installed with) and tighten all screws before finally plugging in your new unit; this will prevent any loose connections that could lead to malfunctioning issues down the road.
• As long as the wiring harness for cars made between 1987 and 1997 has not been modified, it should work without modifications by simply plugging into place. However, if you are installing an older model from another vehicle make sure to check first whether its connectors have different pin layouts so they can be connected together properly using adapters which should come with your purchase otherwise head up to a professional who can do this job for you instead.

Types of aftermarket stereos

There are different types of aftermarket stereos that you can choose from. These are the following:

As their name suggests, these amplifiers have one channel only and the power output is indicated in watts per channel or mono. However, they usually come with built-in protectors to prevent overheating as well as overloading issues for added convenience and safety purposes.

1. Stereo Amplifier.

These types of car amplifier power two channels normally, but it also comes with all the features of monoblocks, such as protection systems against overloads which makes them highly efficient even under high temperatures without having to worry about any malfunctions because of this feature alone. It's just perfect for those who want a more powerful stereo sound in their car.

1. Mono Amplifier.

This type of car amplifier can deliver massive power for a single channel at once. That's why it is also known as the best choice if you only want to concentrate on one subwoofer or speaker system in your vehicle because this monoblock will take care of everything else by itself, giving all the great sounds you've always wanted to hear from your favourite music piece.

1. Class-D Car Stereo Amps.

These are probably some of the smallest but most powerful amplifiers available today that have been introduced just recently into the market with many changes and improvements made making them an upgrade version compared to older models which includes safety features other than the usual overload protection systems seen in normal amps so speakers are not overloaded with power.

1. Manual and Powered Car Subwoofers.

Another popular choice among car audio enthusiasts is to go with a manual or powered subwoofer that requires no extra installation effort but only the need of an amplifier for it to work which makes this type more convenient compared to other types, however there are still some people who would prefer going through the trouble of installing these manually by themselves without any help from professional installers although in order for them not to damage anything, especially their cars, they should do research about how exactly does a powered or manual subwoofer system works beforehand, since different manufacturers have different ways on wiring up speakers and connecting amps.

1. Component Speaker Systems.

Component speaker systems consist of separate woofers, tweeters and other pieces of equipment such as crossovers. It is not as common as the coaxial speaker system, but they are used in some vehicles for their improved audio quality compared to standard speakers.

1. Passive Speaker Systems.

Passive subwoofer systems do not have built-in amplifiers and crossovers which means that you will need an external amplifier or a multi-channel power amplifier; if your car does come with preamp outputs then it would be easier since all you will need is just one good monoblock amp to drive everything however passive subwoofers can also work on its own without any help from other equipment by using factory wiring found inside of most vehicles although this may still require additional effort when installing them.

Benefits of upgrading your sound system in your vehicle with an aftermarket stereo.

The benefits of upgrading your sound system to a more advanced aftermarket stereo are many. One of the most obvious benefits is that you will have a better sound quality than what your car actually comes with in its original factory installed system.

Other benefits include such things as the ability to choose whatever music you want and whenever you want it. You can also add new features such as Bluetooth capabilities, GPS functions and many others depending on the type of aftermarket stereo system that is installed in your car or truck.

You will even be able to play videos through the screen if they are compatible with the video playback abilities of your new sound system. Another obvious benefit is that these systems come with a warranty so any problems will automatically get fixed within that time frame for no cost by simply taking it back into where it was originally purchased from. This means there really isn't any risk when buying an aftermarket car audio because everything possible has been done to ensure its success in the event something does go wrong during installation.