If you want to upgrade your car’s sound system but are limited in the in the amount of money you can spend, here are some ways to make changes under $100.
1. Look for good quality speakers within your price range. There is a variety of good speakers available starting at $30 that can greatly improve your current sound system.
2. Switch out your in-dash radio. Head units offer cleaner sound and sync with your phone so you’re able to play music through Bluetooth. Most of these run for less than $100.
3. Be mindful of your settings. While it may seem logical to turn up the bass if bass is what you’re wanting, but distortion will easily be created if your equipment isn’t high end quality. Leave the bass setting alone and turn down your treble and midtones, then turn up the volume.
4. Try an amp. As you know, amps can add a new dimension of clarity to your sound system by sending precise signals to your speakers, creating a crisp sound. Most amps start around $40.
5. Change your radio into a Bluetooth compatible receiver. This enables you to use the radio as a speaker phone that you can also play music through. This receiver transmits through FM frequencies, working with any car model, even those made before the 8-track era. These start around $29.
6. Refrain from poor MP3 files. While they may sound great through your headphones, most MP3s that are super compressed don’t have the right amount of data to fill the highs and lows of music depth in a car stereo system.
7. When playing music through your phone, adjust your sound settings. Go into your phone’s settings, select music, and then EQ. Adjust until you find the best sound quality in your car’s system. This will only work for Apple Music, though. There are other apps available, such as Car Vitalizer for iOS, which adjusts the timing of audio channels, starting your music as soon as you get into the car.
8. Consider a thumb drive. While your phone has a DAC, your car’s DAC is going to be better. You may find better sound quality is achieved if you download your music onto a drive and connect to your car’s sound system through the USB port.
9. Purchase sound silencing materials. The quieter your car is, the more you’ll hear your music. Sound proof mats are available and typically start around $50. These can be applied to your door panel and can make quite a difference in preventing the sounds of the highway from interfering with your music.
10. Get a subwoofer. Subwoofers come with amps built inside of them, which cancels out the need to buy various other components to achieve a high quality of sound. You can find subwoofers starting around $70.