There’s no getting around it: even with all of the bells and whistles that car stereos come with today, audio sources and audio quality are two of the most important considerations when buying a new car stereo. Even the most feature-rich stereo falls short without the right audio sources and high sound quality.
When you exchange your car stereo, you can customize it to your liking. For example, most new vehicles don’t come with CD players. If you have a collection of CDs you’d appreciate to listen to on your daily commute, be sure to look for radio systems with a CD player when choosing your new car stereo. Likewise, if Spotify, Pandora, or Apple Music are more your speed, you’ll want to select a radio system with BlueTooth connectivity for easy streaming. USB ports are another important consideration if you’d appreciate to play digital files directly from a flash drive or your mobile device. Aux inputs are another common feature, allowing you to easily connect almost any audio device to your car stereo.
Each of these audio sources comes with pluses and minuses when it comes to audio quality. While BlueTooth is extremely convenient for streaming, audio quality may take a hit since streaming services often compress audio files, which can slightly degrade audio quality. On the other hand, USB drives furnish a listening encounter that comes close to the original recording. Understanding these differences will help you make the best decision when choosing a car stereo.
