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Car audio, also known as ICE (In Car Entertainment) is a term used to describe the sound system fitted in an automobile. A stock car audio system refers to one that was specified by the manufacturer when the car was built. A custom car audio installation can involve anything from the upgrade of the radio to a full-blown customization of a car based around its audio equipment. Events are held where entrants compete for the loudest or most innovative systems. Image File history File links Please see the file description page for further information. ...
It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Car audio. ...
Equipment
The most common and familiar piece of audio equipment is the radio/tape player/CD player/DVD 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, AAC, and USB, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi support. Even with the rampant ubiquity of solid state MP3 players, car audio systems with line-in jacks and other standards are only in their infancy, and that since tape adaptors are often used with tape players, people are now viewing car radios with built-in CD players as "misfeatures" of the audio system since people now often "rip" their CDs on computers. A typical consumer hi-fi cassette deck from late 1980s, features full electronic transport, separate playback and record heads, Dolby B, C and HXPro noise reduction A cassette deck is a type of tape deck for playing or recording compact audio cassettes. ...
A compact disc player or CD player is an electronic device to play audio from compact discs. ...
An Apline head unit A head unit is a component of a stereo system either in a vehicle or home theater system used to tie together and provide a unified interface system for the various components of a system, ranging from audio players such as a remote-mounted CD changer...
Look up deck in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...
In general, a tape recorder, tape deck, or tape machine is any device that records a fluctuating signal by moving a strip of magnetic tape across a tape head, which is a strong electromagnet. ...
A portable MP3 player MPEG-1 Audio Layer 3, more commonly referred to as MP3, is a popular digital audio encoding, lossy compression format, and algorithm, designed to greatly reduce the amount of data required to represent audio, yet still sound like a faithful reproduction of the original uncompressed audio...
Windows Media Audio (WMA) is a proprietary compressed audio file format developed by Microsoft. ...
Advanced Audio Coding (AAC) is a standardized, lossy compression and encoding scheme for digital audio. ...
Note: USB may also mean upper sideband in radio. ...
Bluetooth logo Bluetooth is an industrial specification for wireless personal area networks (PANs). ...
Official Wi-Fi logo Wi-Fi is a brand originally licensed by the Wi-Fi Alliance to describe the embedded technology of wireless local area networks (WLAN) based on the IEEE 802. ...
A digital audio player (DAP) is a device that stores, organizes and plays digital music files. ...
Most cars include at least a CD player, and 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. A compact disc player or CD player is an electronic device to play audio from compact discs. ...
CD, DVD and SACD player A Compact Disc player (often written as compact disc player), or CD player, is an electronic device which plays audio Compact Discs. ...
More recent is the addition of DVD players and LCD screens. The position of the LCD screen differs for different DVD players. Certain DVD players require the screen to be mounted on the roof of the car (just above the front windscreen), others require the screen to be attached to the back of the headrests of the front seats, and still others have the screen slide out of the head unit. The inside of a DVD player A DVD player is a device for playing discs produced under the DVD Video standard. ...
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A roof tiled in imitation of thatch at Croyde, north Devon, England Rooftops in Vietnam Snow on the roof The roof, the top covering of a building, is one of the universal structures found on all buildings. ...
The windshield or windscreen of an aircraft, automobile, or motorcycle, is the front window. ...
The headrest on the passenger seat of a Lincoln Town Car. ...
Some equipments includes automotive navigation system (see center console). A taxi in Kyoto, equipped with GPS navigation system An automotive navigation system is a satellite navigation system designed for use in automobiles. ...
Center console may refer to: Center Console (boat) Center console (automobile) Category: ...
Speakers Speakers are generally located in doors and rear parcel shelves of a sedan in modern cars. High-end or competition stereo systems often have speakers mounted in "kick panel" enclosures, allowing for larger drivers and better driver placement. Before stereo radio was introduced, the most common speaker location was in the middle of the dashboard pointing through perforations towards the front windshield. “Loudspeaker†redirects here. ...
A Toyota Camry, a recognizable sedan The Ford Five Hundred, a full-sized sedan The 3-box design, indicative of a notchback sedan, as illustrated on a full-size luxury sedan. ...
Label for 2. ...
A dashboard from a 1940s car The dashboard of a modern car, a Bentley Continental GT A Hayabusas dash A modern Formula 1 car has all its gauges mounted on the steering wheel A dashboard or dash board in an automobile is a panel located under the windscreen and...
Automobile windshield. ...
High-end audio systems include Component Speakers that consist of a matched tweeter (small, high frequency), midrange (medium, medium frequency) and woofer (large, low frequency) 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. This allows each cone to produce its optimal frequency for maximum sound quality and volume. In addition subwoofer(s) are provided for bass and sub bass (ultra low frequency), which is felt, rather than heard. Crossover systems can be active or passive crossover networks. Active electronic crossovers divide the signals before they are sent to the amplifiers giving a dedicated amplifier channel to each individual driver in the component system. Passive crossover networks divide the signal after amplification, making it possible to run multiple speaker component sets using just one channel. A component speaker pair is a set of car audiospeakers that are matched for optimal sound quality. ...
A Sony tweeter. ...
A Sony 9 inch woofer Woofer is the term for a loudspeaker driver that is designed to produce low frequency sounds, typically from around 40 hertz up to a few hundred hertz. ...
Audio crossovers are a class of electronic filters designed specifically for use in audio applications, especially hi-fi. ...
FreQuency is a music video game developed by Harmonix and published by SCEI. It was released in November 2001. ...
5.1 and even 7.1 channel surround sound systems are now being integrated in to some cars by both aftermarket enthusiasts and car manufacturers themselves. These systems include the full compliment of front left, right and center speakers along with rear right and left surround speakers (7.1 systems include left and right side surround speakers) along with digital surround sound processors. They can allow you turn turn your car in to a virtual rolling theater. This is becoming increasingly popular with the advent of SACD and DVD Audio which contain music encoded in 5.1.
Amplifiers Amplifiers provide the necessary music power, measured in watts to drive the speakers. High Power amplifiers require a large gauge cable to provide adequate voltage and current to the amplifier. The amplifier is a very important component of a loud speaker system. Make sure that the total power handling capacity of the speakers connected to the amplifier or head unit is greater than or equal to the power of the amplifier or head unit. The watt (symbol: W) is the SI derived unit of power, equal to one joule per second. ...
6 or 15cm outside diameter, oil-cooled cables, traversing the Grand Coulee Dam throughout. ...
International safety symbol Caution, risk of electric shock (ISO 3864), colloquially known as high voltage symbol. ...
In electricity, current refers to electric current, which is the flow of electric charge. ...
Sound deadening is often used in the door cavities and boot/trunk area to provide less rattling of the metal in the car, especially the boot/trunk, and to help produce a cleaner sound by absorbing instead of reflecting sound waves. It is a rubber or asphalt-like substance that can be sprayed on or glued on in sheets.
Upgrading the vehicle's current capability 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. Installing a capacitor is another option when trying to provide substantial power to the audio system. Early 20th century Alternator made in Budapest, Hungary, in the power generating hall of a hydroelectric station. ...
Lead-acid car battery A car battery is a type of electric battery that supplies electric energy to the starter motor and the ignition system of a vehicle’s engine. ...
Capacitors: SMD ceramic at top left; SMD tantalum at bottom left; through-hole tantalum at top right; through-hole electrolytic at bottom right. ...
 a powerful after-market audio system installation in a Toyota. Download high resolution version (1280x960, 265 KB) Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ...
Download high resolution version (1280x960, 265 KB) Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ...
Other components Other components that make up high-end car audio installations may include: A CD Changer holds multiple Compact Discs and allows the user to access (or play) any of them, one at a time. ...
Generally, an amplifier is any device that uses a small amount of energy to control a larger amount of energy. ...
Audio signal processing, sometimes referred to as audio processing, is the processing of a representation of auditory signals, or sound. ...
6 or 15cm outside diameter, oil-cooled cables, traversing the Grand Coulee Dam throughout. ...
Audio crossovers are a class of electronic filters designed specifically for use in audio applications, especially hi-fi. ...
For information about computer bandwidth management, see Equalization (computing). ...
A taxi in Kyoto, equipped with GPS navigation system An automotive navigation system is a satellite navigation system designed for use in automobiles. ...
A stiffening capacitor (aka power cap) is a Car audio component designed to provide power during times of peak load. ...
Look up Control in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...
A modern road cars steering wheel Steering wheels from different periods A steering wheel is a type of steering control used in most modern land vehicles, including all mass-production automobiles. ...
Common modifications Common modifications in high-end car audio installations: Amp rack is short for amplifier rack and is a term used mostly in reference to professional audio applications to describe any furniture, fixture, or case where amplifiers are mounted by their faceplates or in slot grooves, mostly synonamous with rack mount. ...
A loudspeaker enclosure is a cabinet designed for mounting of loudspeaker drive units. ...
History From the earliest days of radio, enthusiasts had adapted domestic equipment to use in their cars but the commercial introduction of the fitted car radio 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]. Motorola (NYSE: MOT) is an American multinational communications company based in Schaumburg, Illinois, a Chicago suburb. ...
In Germany Blaupunkt fitted their first radio to a Studebaker in 1932 and in the United Kingdom Crossley offered a factory fitted wireless in their 10 hp models from 1933. Blaupunkt (German for blue dot) is a German electronic equipment manufacturer, noted for their home and car audio equipment, that is part of Robert Bosch GmbH. Founded in 1923 in Berlin as Ideal, the company changed its name to Blaupunkt in 1938, named after the unique blue dot painted onto...
Studebakers Lazy S logo, designed by Raymond Loewy, was used from the 1950s until 1966 The worlds largest living sign was planted at the Studebaker Proving Grounds, west of South Bend, Indiana. ...
Crossley Motors, based in Manchester, England, produced approximately 19,000 high quality cars from 1904 until 1938, 5,500 buses from 1926 until 1958 and 21,000 goods and military vehicles from 1914 to 1945. ...
The early Car Radio receivers used the battery voltage (6.3 Volts at the time) to run the filaments, and generated the required High Voltage using a Vibrator to drive a step up transformer. The receivers required more stages than the typical home receiver in order to ensure that enough gain was available to allow the AGC to mask signal fading as the car was driven around. In early electronics vibrators were used in inverter circuits to provide an alternating current (AC) electric power supply from a direct current (DC) source. ...
For other uses, see transformers. ...
Automatic gain control (AGC) is an electronic system found in many types of devices. ...
When Cars switched to 12 Volt bateries, the same arrangement was used, with tubes with 12 Volt heaters.
In 1952 Blaupunkt became the first maker to offer FM receivers. Frequency modulation (FM) is a form of modulation which represents information as variations in the instantaneous frequency of a carrier wave. ...
The introduction of semiconductors allowed the output stage to change to a transistor, which soon lead to the elimination of the Vibrator, and the use of "Space Charge" tubes that only required 12 volts on their plates.
Advances in electronics allowed additions to the basic radio and Motorola offered 45 rpm disc players fitted to some Chryslers from as early as 1956. Tape players using reel to reel equipment followed but their bulk ensured popularity was limited but this changed in 1964 when Philips launched the Compact Cassette. Other early manufacturers and enthusiasts began building extra audio amplifiers to run on 12 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. For other uses, see Chrysler (disambiguation). ...
A reel-to-reel tape recorder (Sony TC-630), typical of those which were once common audiophile objects. ...
Philips HQ in Amsterdam Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Royal Philips Electronics N.V.), usually known as Philips, (Euronext: PHIA, NYSE: PHG) is one of the largest electronics companies in the world. ...
The Compact Cassette, often referred to as audio cassette, cassette tape, cassette, or simply a tape. ...
Mission Cyrus 1 Hi Fi integrated audio amplifier An audio amplifier is an electronic amplifier that works with audio frequencies (generally 20 hertz to 20,000 hertz). ...
Josephson junction array chip developed by NIST as a standard volt. ...
Rockford Fosgate was one of the major players in the creation and development of the car audio industry, and continues in this industry leading role. ...
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 100 decibels SPL (sound pressure level) within the cabin. Acoustics is a branch of physics and is the study of sound (mechanical waves in gases, liquids, and solids). ...
The decibel (dB) method of calculation , that uses a logarithm to allow very large or very small relations to be represented with a conveniently small number (similar to scientific notation). ...
SPL is a three-letter abbreviation with multiple meanings, including: Sad Paki Loser Sound pressure level Scottish Premier League Standard PHP Library Sun Public License SugarCRM Public License SPL notation: Sentence Plan Language - a notation used in natural language processing Senior Patrol Leader SPL (computer science) short for Set Priority...
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 32-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. The loudness competitions have become known as dB drag racing. Properly spelled dB drag racing, with dB meaning deciBels of sound pressure level (SPL). ...
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