Trying to pick out a new car stereo can seem overwhelming sometimes. It’s difficult to decide which features are more important to you, and which are worth the price that you’re paying. Most features found on car stereos are all about personal preference. Some people may need to have a feature packed equalizer, while other users may never even use this feature. Other features, like Bluetooth Hands-Free options are required by law in some states and bulky external accessories may not get the job done like your car stereo can.
When shopping for an aftermarket car stereo the first question is all about fitment. What will fit in my vehicle? After determining what size of car stereo you’ll need, next is to decide what type of audio features you’re interested in. Aftermarket receivers can provide a little wattage to your factory speakers so they can sound better, but also can provide equalizer options so you can fine tune your music to your preference. After deciding between the options for adjusting your music, now it’s time to decide what type of sources you can listen to.
A factory stereo will most commonly have an AM/FM tuner and a CD Player. Aftermarket receivers expand your options significantly. You can have playback sources like Satellite Radio and HD Radio for better playback options and quality. Other sources that can be introduced by an aftermarket stereo are USB playback options and SD Memory card playback options so you can listen to music from an MP3 player like an iPod, or a flash drive. Some Bluetooth stereos, like the Sony MEX-BT3800U can even playback audio from compatible phones wirelessly through your car stereo!
It’s tough to consider what style of receiver you’re looking for. Some look made from the factory, while others use flashy interfaces that stand out a bit more. After determining what size of stereo you’re looking for and what playback options you’re interested in it’s all about deciding among the plenty of options and price ranges found on the market currently.
