Most people use the term car audio to describe the sound system in an automobile, though the term also refers more broadly to the field of mobile entertainment and is becoming a sport at large. A stock car audio system refers to exactly what was specified by the manufacturer when the car was built. A custom car audio installation could mean anything from the upgrade of the radio to a full-blown customization of a car based around delivering exceptional sound quality or volume from audio equipment. The most common and familiar piece of audio equipment is the radio/tape player/CD player which is generically described as a Head unit, which also can be called a deck, after older tape-decks. It is also the most likely component to be upgraded with an after market item. A recent development in head unit technology has been the addition of CD players with MP3, WMA, and AAC support. Many cars include at least a CD player some have the option for a CD changer which holds multiple disks either in the head unit itself or in a separate unit usually located in a trunk or console. Speakers are generally located in doors and rear parcel shelves of sedan in modern cars. Before stereo radio was introduced, the most common speaker location was in the middle of the dashboard pointing through perforations towards the front windshield. High-end audio systems include Component Speakers that consist of a matched tweeter, midrange and woofer set. These component pairs are available in two speaker and three speaker combinations, and include an audio crossover which limits the frequency range that each component speaker must handle. In addition a subwoofer(s) is provided for low frequency music information. Amplifiers provide the necessary music power, measured in watts to drive the speakers. High Power amplifiers require large gauge cable to provide adequate voltage and current to the amplifier. Alternators may be upgraded from the stock unit to increase the current capability of the vehicle's electrical system, often required of high-power audio system components. An additional Deep Cycle battery (or, for very large systems, banks of batteries) can be deployed (often charged via a Split charge relay) to limit voltage drop and allow the system to be played for long periods without the vehicle's engine being run. The audio system in a Toyota. Other components that make up high end car audio installations may include: amplifiers audio processors cables crossovers equalizers mobile video (VCRs, television, DVD and navigation) stiffening capacitors Common modifications in high end car audio installations: amp racks speaker pods subwoofer enclosures Contents 1 History 2 Notable Installation Schools 3 See also 4 Notable Installations 5 Manufacturers and brands History The introduction of the car stereo came in the 1930s from the Galvin Manufacturing Corporation. Galvin Manufacturing was owned and operated by Paul V. Galvin and his brother Joseph E. Galvin. The Galvin brothers purchased a battery eliminator business in 1928 and the corporation’s first product was a battery eliminator that allowed battery-powered radios to run on standard household electric current. In 1930, the Galvin Corporation introduced the first commercial car radio, the Motorola model 5T71, which sold for between $110 and $130 and could be installed in most popular automobiles. The name Motorola was created by Paul Galvin combining the term “motor” for motion and “ola” for sound [1]. The movement to add more than just a basic radio to a car largely originated on the west coast of the United States in the late 1970s. Several early manufacturers and enthusiasts began building audio amplifiers to run on twelve volts (the standard voltage in automotive electrical systems). Jim Fosgate, later to become the founder of Rockford Fosgate, was one such pioneer. The company a/d/s also brought an amplifier to market in 1978. At first, speakers from the home audio and professional markets were simply installed into vehicles. However, they were not well suited to the extremes of temperature and vibration which are a normal part of the environment of an automobile. Modified drivers were developed to cope with these factors. Today, advances in acoustic technology mean that even two 10-inch speakers in a well-designed efficient enclosure can produce more than 160 decibels SPL (sound pressure level) within the cabin. Car audio competitions started in the early 1980s in a quest to find the loudest and/or most outrageous installations. For example, in 1985, Wayne Harris famously modified a 1960 Cadillac Hearse to feature several 24-inch subwoofers. Little consideration was given to sound quality early on, but in the early 1990s, several organizations, including IASCA, began car audio competitions focusing on sound quality. The two styles -- SPL vs. sound quality -- have become almost mutually exclusive. Notable Installation Schools Syntec Technical School See also DB drag racing Notable Installations The SpeakerWorks/USD Audio Buick Wayne Harris' Hearse Steve Brown's M3 Scott Buwalda's Altima Steve Cornell's Impala SS Earl Zausmer's BMW Gary Bigg's Buick Regal Mark Eldridge's 4Runner Manufacturers and brands a/d/s [2] Alpine [3] Audiobahn [4] Blaupunkt [5] Clarion [6] Genesis Amplifiers [7] JBL [8] JL Audio [9] Kenwood [10] Infinity [11] Magnat [12] MTX Audio [13] Pear Cable Audio Cables [14] Pioneer [15][16] Power Acoustik [17] Precision Power [18] Sony Soundstream [19] Rockford Fosgate [20] Focal [21] DLS [22] Milbert Amplifiers [23] Resonate Engineering [24] Adire [25] Ma Audio [26]de:Autoradio Search Term: "Car_audio" Categories: Consumer electronics

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