Car Audio system has undergone major revolution to become the most popular accessory in a car today. A good car audio system offers a moment of relaxation while a person is on the move. Depending on the mode, there are those who like it loud, while others prefer soothing music. It has become the most preferred mobile source for news and travel information and updates.
1930 saw the emergence of the first commercially fitted car audio, when two brothers, Joseph V. Galvin and Joseph E. Galvin, of Galvin Manufacturing Corporation, introduced the first car Audio system, Motorola 5T71. The radio was named Motorola, a name derived from two words, ‘Motor’ for motion and ‘Ola’ for sound. Other companies who joined the race for car audio manufacturing maintained the suffix “ola” in naming their car audio product. Forty years later, the first car audio amplifier was invented, with more and more refined devices and components being developed to meet the user demands and withstand vibrations and temperatures in the automobile.
Early cars Audio of the 30s were nothing more than a radio receiver system running on a 6.3 volts battery. Later development in-car electrical system which made cars run on 12 volts battery led to the development of audio systems that could run on 12 volts battery.
Blaupunkt is one of the car audio manufacturing companies credited with some of the major breakthroughs in-car audio systems. In 1952, this German-based company introduced the first Fm receiver car audio. Later advancement in the FM receiver shows the steeping in of the station ‘seek’ function, which allowed the car audio user to tune a station by simply pressing the tune button. With companies like Philips joining the growing car audio industry in the 80s, the first car audio with tape players was introduced.
The 1990s completely changed the face of car audio with the introduction of a compact disk (CD) player car audio system. The CD, for the first time, produced high-quality sound in cars. The demand for such an audio system made Automaker realize that consumers were after quality sound in quality Automobile. This led to the production of a fully integrated car audio system in the car. Various sound aspects of the audio system could now be controlled from the steering wheel and remote consoles.
Today, common car audio equipment will have a Radio, Tape player, and a CD player. Some CD players produced in the recent past have USB, WI-FI, and Bluetooth support. CD changer and CD recorder are other features common with the modern car audio CD player. DVD players with LCD touch screens are the most recent development in the car audio system. The screens are mounted on the roof and on the seat for viewing by the car passengers. The screens are also connected to the GPRS navigation system or parking camera to give the car occupant audio and visual guide.
Innovation in the Car audio field has led to the creation of car audio shows where people from all backgrounds, sharing the common love for car audio, meet and competes in all various aspects of the car audio system. International Auto Sound Challenge Association (IASCA) is one of the oldest organizations in-car audio competition, organizing various classes of competition for Car Audio enthusiasts from all over the world. In the US, the United States Competition International (USCA) has been organizing interstate car audio competitions on quality and innovation.
Car Audio Brands
Alpine is the leading and arguably the most famous worldwide brand of in-car audio. They have a reputation for offering cutting-edge audio performance from outputs to inputs. Alpine CD changers are the best as they are stylish and built to last. Most of their products are compatible with other car audio brands. Mercedes Benz, Land Rover, Ford, BMW, Porsche are some of the big names in the Automobile industry who fit Alpines products as their primary car audio system.
Kenwood Car audio leads in innovations, with the latest being a car radio with variable illumination colors that coordinate with the color of the dashboard. They have an excellent range of products which include amplifiers, subwoofer, speakers and CD changers. Other major brands of in-car audio are Philips, Panasonic, and Sony.
Car Audio Upgrade
Today, almost every car is sold with a CD player as a basic feature from the factory, but many people prefer to remove and upgrade the car audio in order to get better sound quality and other audio-related features. Some modern cars like the new range of Lexus and Acura TL have a great audio system, and as such most users of these cars prefer to retain the factory installation.
Analog to Digital
A common feature with modern car audio is in their operation. Modern car audio is designed to work with other electronics gadgets to offer the customer the best sound quality. Apple Company, for example, has teamed up with car audio manufacturers in customization to enable people to use their iPod with the car audio.
Another common feature is the provision of in-car audios to receive satellite radios. XM and Sirius Radio, for example, operate high-quality satellite radios which provide customers with endless entertainment, commercial, and censorship-free music and sports. These radios are replacing terrestrial FM radios at a very fast rate. Sirius also manufactures satellite capability car audio, backed by other manufacturers for other features.
The Navigation system is another common feature that has been integrated into the car audio system. This system has the capability to provide directions as well as the ability to link up with mobile phones via Bluetooth to display digitals screens to provide real-time data on important updates and traffic information. Bluetooth devices have been designed to provide a link between the phone and the car audio such that when calls come in, the Bluetooth is able to mute the Car Audio or instead of muting the radio, the caller ID is displayed on the Car Radio screen, and the call is transmitted through the speaker’s system of the car. At the moment, Panasonic Car Audio Division is in the process of developing a car audio system with the capability to provide real-time satellite imaging and mapping. Harman Kardon manufacturing company, on the other hand, has developed a device that will incorporate Sirius Radio, an iPod docking station, and Bluetooth that can be added to any audio system in a car.
Conclusion
The car audio systems have undergone major changes in terms of features and sound quality, from the 1930 Motorola car radio to today’s fully digital Alpine radio, complete with satellite receiving capability and navigation system. The automobile manufacturer has no option but to team up with major car audio manufacturers to give them a competitive edge as people become more interested in quality Car audio systems.
Reference
Andrew Yoder (1995) Auto Audio: Choosing, Installing and maintaining Car Stereo Systems, McGraw Publisher, United States.
Mark Rumreich (2002) The Car Stereo Cookbook: Design and Installation of Car audio, McGraw Publisher, United States.
Revolution in Car Audio System, Web.