If, instead of music, you hear a tinny, flappy “thowmp, thwomp” sound every time you turn your music on, chances are your car’s low-quality, stock, paper-cone speakers have finally given out. This should come as no surprise, as most stock stereo systems -- especially those found in older cars -- are pretty bad by today’s high-def standards. Upgrading to a set of speakers like Pioneer’s TS-D1602Rs will bring the clarity back to your music.

4. Amp Upgrade:

You’ve got a decent head unit and a good set of speakers, but like Spinal Tap, you still want a sound system that can go one louder. An external amplifier, like the Alpine MRP-F300, is a great way to add some “oomph” to your system without breaking the bank.

3. Speaker Wire Upgrade:

If you’re one of those people who like to argue about the merits of vinyl over digital, you may want to consider upgrading your car audio system’s speaker wire. Going to a higher quality, heavier gauge wire (meaning it contains more copper) will reduce resistance, put less strain on your audio components and provide a clearer sound.

2. Low-Cost Head Unit Upgrade

Sure, your car’s cassette deck was hot stuff back in 1989, but it’s been 20 years, and you still never got around to finding a way to remove that New Kids' tape that’s been jammed in there all these years. A modern-day, in-dash CD player is a cheap, inexpensive way for your in-car entertainment system to join the 21st century.

1. High-Cost Head Unit Upgrade

The best thing about technology is that it always gets cheaper. Not too long ago, a head unit like the Pioneer AVIC-F700BT would have sold for a few thousand bucks. Now it carries an MSRP of just $850, and we’ve seen a street price of as low as $600. So what does that kind of scratch get you? A 5.8-inch full-color screen, GPS, MPEG-4 video playback capability, iPod connectivity, voice recognition, Bluetooth connectivity, an additional SD card slot, audio/video AUX-in jacks, and inputs for a rear-view camera. The only thing missing is the performance readouts found on the older AVIC units. Can’t have everything, we guess.

For all of your car audio upgrades:

Banging Systems

840 Robeson Street

Fayetteville, NC 28305

910-483-7753

http://bangingsystems.com/

"If you haven't heard it from us you haven't heard it!"