6 Budget-Friendly Ways To Upgrade Your Car Audio

May 31, 2021

There are some cars that you can drive straight off the lot that already have a perfect sound setup. But other vehicles, particularly older cars, may need some sound system adjustments or may even need some new gadgets.

Many people accept poor audio quality in their car because they think that buying a whole new sound system will be expensive. Fortunately, this is not usually necessary, and the equipment which is needed can be very affordable if you know where to look and what to buy.

To help everyone looking to level up the sound system in their vehicle, here are 6 budget-friendly ways to upgrade your car audio.

1. Change Your Car’s Speakers

Your car’s speakers are obviously the most important factor in whether your vehicle has quality audio or not. Unless you have an expensive car, the chances are that the factory-issued stereo speakers already built-in will not be the best. Fortunately, new speakers are inexpensive and can make a massive difference. You can pick up quality new speakers for the entire car for around one hundred dollars, including the price of installation. Do this first, and see if that solves your audio problems.

2. Install a Subwoofer

If new speakers alone just aren’t cutting it, the next thing you can do is install a good old-fashioned subwoofer. The great thing about subwoofers is that they already have a built-in amplifier, so you don’t need to go out and buy a load of other gear if you are on a really tight budget. There are many online subwoofer reviews and the folks at www.autoguysland.com have compiled their rankings for the top 12 available on the market. Check out these reviews and find the highest-rated model that fits your budget. As with new speakers, you can pick up a quality subwoofer for a hundred dollars that you can put on the back shelf of the car or beneath the seats.

3. Upgrade the Head Unit

Many older cars especially come with a built-in head unit that has about as much cutting-edge technology as a spoon. As well as providing little in the way of sound quality or adjustment capabilities, these head units just look incredibly dull. There are countless different head units you can purchase to upgrade your car’s sound and appearance and they can start from as little as thirty dollars. High tech units will enable you to sync to your phone via Bluetooth so that you can play your tunes directly from your device’s music library or through Spotify or YouTube.

4. Choose the Right Sound Settings

Setting up the right sound using your equalizer can make a huge difference to the audio quality but many people don’t know how to do this properly. It is a lot of people’s default move to just push up the bass, but if you don’t have decent sound equipment, this isn’t going to sound clear and will just put extra pressure on your speakers. Reserve bass increases for when you have installed your new speakers and subwoofer. Instead, turn the treble and mid-tones down as this will have the same result as pumping the bass without blowing your speakers, and then just turn up the volume.

5. Add an Amplifier

If you do want to really boost that bass and you don’t have a subwoofer, another option is to add a standalone amplifier. Not only will a quality amp enable you to play your tunes louder, but it will also clarify the sound. Amps help to send clearer signals to your car’s speakers, resulting in a crisper sound. As noted above, subwoofers have a built-in amp so it is often worth purchasing a sub rather than an amp on its own.

6. Only Use High-Quality Music Files

The music that you are inputting can make a massive impact on what your car’s sound system is able to put out. Compressed Mp3 files sound decent through headphones, but usually, sound washed out and powerless on a decent sound system. Make sure you are using high-quality music files and this will give your car’s audio setup a helping hand.

Upgrading your car audio can be very easy and doesn’t have to cost a lot of money. Being able to cruise along listening to your favorite tunes will make driving a whole lot more fun. Make sure that you have the right sound system and speakers in your car and that you are only using high-quality input for the songs. Follow this guide and you will soon have a crystal clear sound.