This F-150 by Prestige Customs...
This F-150 by Prestige Customs & Auto Sound looks a lot like the other awe-inspiring trucks we splash across the pages of Truckin', but custom jams round out this ride.
Typically, when you get a basic upgrade of your factory sound system, you get what's called a deck-and-two or deck-and-four. A deck-and-who? This means that you are replacing the factory head unit and two or four speakers with aftermarket models that fit in the factory locations. For most people, that's good enough, but chances are, you are not like most people. You spend time and money so your truck looks good, and you probably want to make sure it sounds good, too. Regardless of the level of your commitment to this aspect of the automotive aftermarket, it pays to educate yourself before diving into the mobile electronics rabbit hole. Read on for tips on how car audio works and what to look for before you buy.
A typical mobile entertainment system is made of the following components: a head unit, sound processor, amplifier, speakers, subwoofer, and wiring. Video systems often plug into the audio system at the head unit, and include LCD monitors, a DVD or video cassette player (VCP), perhaps a switcher or similar component, maybe headphones, and even a video game console. Let's look at some of these components in greater detail.
Head Unit This is the radio or CD player in your dash. There is usually only one, and it acts as the interface between you and your entertainment system. The head unit connects to sound processors or external amplifiers via low-gauge RCA outputs. Wondering which model is the best for you? Don't sweat it, because most aftermarket head units in the same price range are just as good as the others when it comes to quality and basic functionality. This is especially true for head units ranging in price up to $250. They all have AM/FM, station presets, some degree of sound processing (bass boost, for example), cool cosmetics, or even graphics that come to life on a small display. Most play CDs, MP3s, or MiniDiscs, with a few dinosaurs still offering cassette playback, or a combination of these.
These days, however, it is the addition of newer and more esoteric technologies that differentiate the mid- to high-end head units. What was once a simple radio receiver becomes a control center for high-tech add-ons such as navigation, DVD or VCP, TV tuners, CD changers, or MP3 storage units, and may not even have an integrated radio or CD/cassette player. Satellite radio services XM Satellite and Sirius provides cable TV-esque niche radio programming that is broadcast nationwide for the cost of a satellite-ready head unit, a tuner, antenna, and a monthly subscription rate of around $13.
Sound Processors Sound processors electronically improve the source signal from your head unit. Most head units actually have some form of sound processing incorporated into them, such as bass boost or an equalizer. A crossover is another common sound processor, and is integral to the function of speaker systems (more on crossovers later).
Car makers don't give a lot of thought to factory speaker locations, which is why, from the driver's perspective, music from a stock system might wallow in the footwells, and passengers in the back seat will hear nothing but the speakers in the rear deck behind their heads. Surround-sound processors can mitigate these effects by lifting the music to about head level and making it more difficult to determine if the music is coming from the front or rear speakers.