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S. Muralidhar

MUSIC on the move can move you if you have a good car stereo system. Last week, in part one of this series, we outlined a few of the basic issues to be considered while shopping for a car music system. Read on for a more in-depth look at the various components that make up a car stereo system and how to choose the package that will suit your car and your music best.

There are three more points to consider when shopping for a head unit that also incorporates a pre-amp. First, check if it is a 1-DIN or a 2-DIN deck. A `DIN' is the amount of space required on the car's dashboard for accommodating a head unit, which has one music source, such as from a cassette or compact disc (CD) player. 2-DIN naturally means that the system incorporates two sources of music (usually cassette and CD) and, hence, will also occupy more space (almost twice as much) on the dashboard.

Here, two issues will have to be kept in mind — of affordability (obviously 2-DIN systems are usually more expensive) and compatibility with your car's dashboard layout.

If dashboard space is a constraint, you may want to check with the car manufacturer or dealer if alterations can be made to accommodate a 2-DIN system. Else, a 1-DIN system with a cassette player alone can be chosen, if it is compatible to accepting an external music source such as a CD changer/ player. The CD changer can easily be accommodated in the boot at a later date.

The second point to remember is the music system's power rating. Most car audio equipment manufacturers will only highlight the systems PMPO (peak music power output) rating.

This rating is given for the package as a whole (total of all speakers) or on a per channel basis (such as 50W X 4). But this signifies the peak power that the system can handle when there is a sudden burst of output demanded by the music that is being played.

The important issue here is that the PMPO rating is not indicative of the music system's capacity to handle power on a continuous basis, which is the more critical indicator for judging whether it will satisfy your requirements. This indicator is reflected by the car stereo's per channel RMS rating.

RMS or Root Mean Squared is an abbreviation for a complex indicator that gives the level of output power that the audio equipment can handle on a continuous basis. This rating must be the one to consider, especially if you are picking up the components individually.

If you choose a set of speakers based on the head unit's PMPO rating, you can be sure that either the speakers will be damaged in the long run or the system's output may not match your expectations.

Once you have zeroed in on the head unit that will fit your car, your budget and expectations, the third point to consider is the speakers to go with it.

The common misconception is that to have a concert experience in the car, speakers need to be fitted to the rear of the vehicle. This is far from the truth, especially if you drive the car yourself and your car is either a hatchback or a small sedan. For most of us, two pairs of mid-range speakers, including one, which is a two-way speaker, installed on the dashboard and door panels is enough to get a rich concert effect inside the car.

Installing mid-range speakers at the rear in an after-market enclosure or on the parcel tray may not provide the necessary richness, as the higher volume, which needs to be pumped up due to the distance from the driver's seat, will rob you of the music's richness.

However, if you are planning to install woofers, the best place to locate them is the rear. In the case of sub-woofers, the ideal location will be the boot or the space under the rear seat.

Most car users' expectations will be met by a head unit that also has a pre-amp with a power rating of 25 to 40 RMS per channel and speakers that either add up to equal that rating or is slightly lower than that.

Try to locate a head unit or player which has a removable faceplate for added security.

These types of decks will have a fixed base unit and only the face plate with the LCD display and control panel will be removable, unlike the other head units which may fully slide out when the side clips are removed.

The faceplate, which usually comes with a storage box, can easily be carried with you every time you park the car. In the event of a break-in, the main component cannot be accessed.

(Concluded)

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