Many music lovers spend a lot of time in their cars. Therefore, it should come as no surprise that they put so much effort into improving the sound quality produced by their on-board audio system. There are two ways of doing that: expanding and upgrading the factory-installed audio system or building one yourself from the scratch with the use of highest quality components. In both cases, it is worth using the solutions offered by TME grouped under one clearly described product category: Car Audio.
CAR AUDIO SYSTEMS
Back in the 1980s and 1990s, a car audio system was simply supposed to generate sound, with little focus on its quality. Usually, the most important feature was what types of data carriers it would support – cassette tapes, CDs, then even DVDs and files saved in various formats (Wave, MP3). Selectivity and clarity of sound were less important, though there were some noteworthy exceptions. However, we cannot overlook the fact that specific parts of these audio systems were of unknown origin, as car producers would commission building them to those with the best prices or those who had their business near the assembly facility. This changed with time, and just like the high-end Hi-Fi systems made by renowned manufacturers (premium products) have become popular in our homes, also our cars now often have audio systems of high or even excellent quality, from brands such as SONY (i.e.: Ford), Harman Kardon (i.e.: BMW) or Bang & Olufsen (Audi). At present, when they decide about car configuration, music lovers – no matter if we are talking about middle class or luxury cars – can choose, for an additional fee, an optional sound package available for their model, which provides average, high or very high sound quality. Still, the most fervent enthusiast of the purest sound quality may find even the acclaimed sound systems made by premium brands insufficient. In such cases, they head for specialized Car Audio shops or (if they have enough knowledge and money) make the improvements themselves. Out of these two factors that are needed for the latter option, knowledge seems to be much more important. The reason for that is the complexity of new car audio systems and the variety of subassemblies, accessories, and software available on the market.
