A Good Auto Sound System is a Requirement not a Luxury

How do you decide which auto sound system is best for you? This is a question that many consumers ask in the U. S. each and every day. The truth is that only you can decide what kind of sound you find enjoyable and what you are seeking in the sound system you will ultimately purchase. A good sound system will greatly improve how you feel about not only the vehicle you drive but also your disposition after your daily commute. It may seem like such a small thing, the changing of a sound system, but it does seem to have such a profound impact on how we start our days. Of course we all know that getting your day off to a good start sets the tone for the entire day and if that day is Monday it sets the tone for not only the day ahead but also the week to come.

Music affects almost every aspect of our lives. Most of us do not realize the impact that music has on our day-to-day lives and it is quite difficult because our world seems to be filled with it. It is much easier however, to explain the difference a good sound system makes. Its funny, I find myself in a hurry to get out of stores that have lousy sound systems and speakers that dribble out little more than static while I can shop for hours in a store that has tasteful music playing in the background over a good sound system. I prefer the volume lower and the music playing in the background rather than being the center of my attention.

Most of us find that soft music playing in the background is rather unobtrusive and allows us to get along with our thoughts and the mission at hand while loud music blaring over antiquated speakers does a great deal to disrupt our thought processes which will only serve to send us along to the next errand on our list. If youll notice it seems that clerks in the stores where the loud music blares along are often not as even tempered as those in stores that play music at respectful volumes and have very well kept sound systems. I think I would be cranky too after listening to music in a manner that music wasnt meant to be heard.

Im not a music snob by any means; I simply enjoy listening to music for the sake of actually hearing the music. Loud music is good sometimes but not when I have other things on my mind. I prefer that music remain in the background when Im running about taking care of errands, even in the car. The hallmark of a good auto sound system is that it sounds good even at low volumes. This means you can enjoy music in the background, hum along, or simply ignore the music in favor of the action taking place on the road.

The point Im trying to make is that even though you may not realize the impact that a good auto sound system has on music immediately, you will definitely feel the difference it makes over time. The better the sound system, the better the sound and music is after all, sound.

If you are a true lover of music and spend a great deal of your week or even any given day in your vehicle, doesnt it make sense to invest heavily in your auto sound system? I know for me that particular decision is a no brainer. I love music and it is an important part of not only my life but also the lives of my children. As a result we spend a lot of time listening to the radio in our SUV and singing along. Even when we arent listening to music, I enjoy listening talk radio and the news on NPR. These things are an important part of my day and I really enjoy all that each and every one adds to my life. Because of that, I find my investment in a good auto sound system to be a requirement rather than a luxury.

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The Reasons Why you should add a DVD Player to your Auto Sound System

When you are in the process of selecting your next auto sound system you might want to check out the systems that include other entertainment features such as games and DVD players. This may sound a little simplistic to some but if youve ever driven cross-country with children, you know what I mean when I say it is worth the investment to have one installed and have it installed correctly.

Many people will debate the wisdom of these devices and I will tell you quite frankly that I feel 100% that this is much safer than trying to deal with disgruntled children in the back that are literally fighting for your attention. If you want to talk about a distraction, I can think of few distractions that will top that while driving in holiday packed roads and less than favorable weather conditions. The truth of the matter is that anything that keeps the kiddies quiet for two hours at a pop has my vote for gadget or gizmo of the year.

I seriously recommend having a system installed however as this will limit not only the distraction to the driver but also the exposure of the lights and sounds to the driver as well. If you have a game system in stalled along with a DVD player and headphones to go with both I am sure you will find that you are driving along listening blissfully to your mom music as the kids in the back take turns playing games and watching DVDs. In fact, the most serious refereeing you are likely to need is over whose turn it is and how long that will last.

Now, I feel that it is very important to point out that this is not the only benefit to having an entertainment system installed for children that are traveling with you. Another very real benefit is the fact that you will also find that you are hearing less and less of the usual "are we there yet" and other generally disgruntled forms of questions from the backset. I also love the fact that the kids can often fall asleep to a DVD that they have seen a few dozen times which will bring a few more minutes of blissful silence as they snooze.

Another unexpected benefit I have found with my children and a DVD incorporated into an auto sound system is that my children are asking less often to stop for potty breaks. I always assumed that some of the frequent bathroom stops were boredom related and now Im fairly certain that my assumptions were correct. Another great thing that mommy does in order to keep things going smoothly is purchase a new DVD immediately prior to taking a long road trip. In addition to a new DVD that the little ones will not yet be tired of, I pull out some DVDs that might have been forgotten recently and not watched quite as often. This keeps the children very happy and quiet while mommy is able to concentrate on the road ahead and keeping everyone happy and safe while traveling.

Just remember that you should never rely on the scenery or the thrill of traveling in order to keep little ones happy and occupied on long trips. Endless questions and chatter are to be expected in order to alleviate boredom. In order to avoid these types of situations youll need more than happy music playing on the radio and really, how many times can you listen to "The Itsy Bitsy Spider" during a 12 hour road trip? Do yourself a favor when selection a really great auto sound system and make the necessary investment to add a really nice DVD player into the mix. Believe me I am the queen of cheap when it comes to trying to save money and will swear up and down that if you have children, this is one investment that is worth its weight in gold.

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Auto Sound Systems for the Budget Minded

Despite popular belief, it is quite possible to get a great quality auto sound system even if you are operating on a limited budget. I completely understand your skeptical glances and the comments and grumbles that being on a budget means different things to different people. I can tell you without a doubt that you can get a really nice sound system for your car, truck, or SUV even if your budget is less then $300.

There are several things you can do as a savvy consumer that will help drive the price of the wonderful sound you seek to a bare minimum if you use a few tips, tricks, and techniques, in order to do so. First of all, the competition in this market is fairly fierce. As a result of that you will find that prices tend to be pretty competitive from one shop to another and that your best bargains are usually going to be found online. Search around online and find the absolute best bargain you can find on the auto sound system of your dreams.

Once youve found the lowest online price, get on the phone with local retailers. Many local stores understand the need to compete on a much larger scale. As a result they are often willing to match prices and even through in perks such as installation or freebie upgrades in order to sweeten the deal. Once youve gotten a few upgrades from local markets, continue calling around and let them compete with one another for your business. Take into account the value of the freebies and upgrades to you. If you really have no use for the bobble head hula girl then skip that offer and go for the one that offers an upgrade on speakers or an extended warranty thrown in for free. Make sure that the upgrades are really worth something to you. Also consider the value of the upgrade verses the price and go with the best bargain.

Another truth when it comes to purchasing an auto sound system is that you do not have to buy the best known or biggest name brand in order to get a great sound and excellent quality. Spend your money where it matters most to you. Sometimes you are paying for nothing more than the name attached to a product. Im a huge fan of Bose. I love the sound and have yet to find a product that can offer the quality of sound at a lower price. That does not mean I would not jump at the chance to buy an untried brand if the sound in the display equaled the quality of sound I can get with a Bose sound system. In fact, I have held onto an SUV for 10 years because Im not ready to give up my sound system and my truck still runs. A Bose system is not a budget investment, but you can find bargains that are similar and sound wonderful. In other words, dont become a name brand snob if you dont have to.

In reality, there are many discount dealers you can find both online and off that will be more than happy to hook you up with a great set of sound for your car, truck, or SUV at a really great price. It simply takes a little leg and phone work on occasion to find them.

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DIY Surround Sound

The debate of whether or not to install your own surround sound system has fallen on deaf ears and you have decided to tackle this delicate task for yourself. Good for you. The thing is you arent really too certain about where to actually begin this delicate procedure. At this point, Im assuming that you have purchased either a home theater kit or surround sound system for your home and are preparing to begin the actual installation process. A good place to start is by reading the instructions and owners manual that most likely came with either the kit you purchased or each of the individual components.

The thing to remember with a surround sound  system is that nothing will work without the speakers and they will only work for their intended purpose if they are positioned properly. However, you need to make sure that the other components are in place before beginning to work with the speakers. I recommend, particularly if this is your first system that you go with a simple AV receiver, if youve already purchased a tuner, amplifier, and all that other great stuff it is no problem, just a little more involved as far as processes go. The installation of each of these devices is often as simple as finding a space for them and plugging everything into the proper slot. The good news is that most systems have the slots well labeled for just this purpose.

Once you have the receiver hooked up you should begin placing speakers. If you went with the basic 5.1 channel surround sound system you should have 6 speakers including the subwoofer. This is a good system to begin with and (if you purchased your AV receiver wisely) will leave room for growth and expansion in the future. I will begin with instructions for the placement of the 6 speakers for a 5.1 channel system and expand those instructions to include the others later. 

With a basic 5.1 channel surround sound system you will have five speakers and one subwoofer. The placement of the speaker is important when it comes to placing the ambient sounds that are found in movies in the proper location in relation to the action onscreen. Three of the five speakers belong in the front. One speaker in the center and one each on the front left and right-the two remaining speakers belong behind you to the left and right (one left rear; one right rear). While this isnt an overly complicated concept youd be amazed at the number of people who have their surround sound systems improperly set up.

With the 6.1 channel system you will move the rear left and right speakers to the side and place one speaker to the rear and in the center. If you then upgrade from a 6.1 to a 7.1 channel surround sound system you will move the speaker that is in the rear to either the left of the right and install the additional speaker on the opposite side and to the rear.

If you are going to make the investment in a home theater or surround sound system please take the time to insure that the pieces and parts are properly located and installed in order to get your moneys worth out of the process. Now its time to sit back and enjoy your new sound system.

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Self Installation of Auto Sound System can Save Serious Cash

If you are seriously hoping to save a significant chunk of change when it comes to your auto sound system, you should consider saving on installation. Under ordinary circumstances I urge people to be very, if not overly cautious when it comes to installing your own auto sound systems. The thing is, that some people really are talented when it comes to activities such as this. Beyond talent, some people have frightening skills with electronics and if you are one of those, then by all means consider the money you could save yourself (or the extra money youd have to invest in your system?).

We all know that money doesnt grow on trees and when youve been saving up for quite a while to get the sound system you really want its a serious joy killer to have to wait another month or two in order to save up enough money to cover the cost of the installation of your sound system. If you or someone you know and trust (trust being the operative word in this instance) can do the work, it makes no sense from a fiscal point of view to pay someone else to do it.

That being said, if there are any doubts about your skill or experience you might want to at the very least get a second opinion or price installations in your area to see if it might actually be worth saving a little more. Time is another important issue when it comes to the installation of an auto sound system. It doesnt matter how capable you are of making the installation if you simply lack the time to do it. In cases such as this it would have been just as wise to go ahead and pay someone to make the installation. It makes much more sense to me than having the system sitting in a box for months on end while you wait for the time to get it taken care of.

I am one of those people who firmly believes that time is money. Time lost from work is expensive. This is especially true when the times of 10 or more people are lost. It adds up quickly no matter if you have a small or a large company. Time is also (unfortunately) the one commodity in life that you can never recover. No matter how hard you try you cannot recapture time that has been lost. If you have children you know exactly what Im talking about (particularly if your children are either teens or grown and gone). You cannot recover lost time so make sure you arent wasting your time by trying to install an auto sound system that is beyond your abilities.

Dont fret though. Most of us find that at some point in our lives we are limited by either time or money if not both. If everything was quick and easy we wouldnt really have anything worth working for would we? Consider all your limitations when planning and purchasing your auto sound system and make sure that the system you select falls squarely within your ability to install, your time limit for installation, or your price range for affording to pay for the installation. Whether you decide to do your own installation or have a professional installation of your auto sound system the prize is the superior sound quality you will be able to enjoy.

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Speakers Play the Sound but Auto Sound Systems Make It

When you look at auto sound systems it is important to pay close attention to the speakers on the system you are considering. You will find that there are all kinds of components, pieces, and parts that go along with a proper sound system in the world of todays music systems. You need to pay special attention to every single detail along the way of choosing the system that will meet your needs, your budget, and your lifestyle with the most bells and whistles to spare.

Some things that are important to remember about selecting proper speakers is that bigger isnt always better. As a matter of fact, bigger speakers are often quite inferior no matter how that might have been different in the past. As technology improves, better things are coming in much smaller packages. You do not have to have a huge set of amplifiers in order to receive not only good quality but also really big sound.

I hope I can honestly say that the days of having to remove the backseat of your car in order to install speakers is long gone. I also hope that the days of having speakers occupy more than half of the available trunk space in a car are also long gone. While I am not a big fan of loud thumping bass music, I do realize that it is very popular and has been for the last twenty or so years. The good news for fans of this type of sound is that you dont have to have all the extraneous space taking equipment that was once required in order to achieve a far superior sound in the auto sound systems of today.

You can still achieve the very same bone jarring bass thumping music without sacrificing every inch of real estate within your car to speakers and amplifiers. Good speakers can be purchased separately from your auto sound system though I highly recommend against doing so. I am ordinarily all about saving money whenever and wherever possible. The truth is that with a sound system for your vehicle if you dont hear all the components together you really wont have a realistic clue as to the overall sound you will be buying. Your best bet is to buy the speakers that are sold as part of the sound system rather than hoping you will be getting a good deal on speakers that are not quite up to the standards of the sound system you have invested in for your car, truck, or SUV.

Of course the best speakers for your car will largely depend on what you plan to do with the speakers. There are some who plan to enter their cars into competitions to see which car has the best thumping bass sound around. If that is your goal for your auto sound system, then by all means add all the speakers you need. Keep in mind that the less space you have inside your car, the less people you fit inside. This can be a somewhat disheartening thing on occasion but it is your car and your sound after all. You should get what you want for your money. You are, after all the one paying for the sound you are getting.

Speakers arent the most important component when it comes to big sound but they are vitally important when it comes to sound in general. Just remember it makes no sense to go big and bulky on the speakers and amplifiers if you are going to skimp when it comes to the overall quality of the sound system you are buying for your vehicle or skimping on installation. The best equipment on the market is only as good as its weakest part. It doesnt matter how wonderful your speakers are if your system is substandard or even only average. Try to keep even quality throughout your auto sound system whenever possible for the best possible overall sound.

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