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Understanding car audio systems
In the last decade or so, automakers have placed increasing importance on in-car entertainment systems.
The core of these technologies has always been the audio system -- the noisemaker, if you will. What appeared in our dashboards more than 50 years ago as a tube radio the size of a breadbox now rivals the technical complexity of a 767.
This series is not written for aficionados, but for the average consumer who wants to gain a working knowledge of the basics of car audio design. By the end, we trust you'll have a better understanding of this technology.
What are the basics of car audio systems? How does each of the separate components operate? In the series to follow, we'll address these questions in a user-friendly and approachable format.
One note before we get started. This series will cover only original equipment manufacturer's (OEM) systems, the ones that come in your car from the factory. Unfortunately, in our limited space for this column, we're unable to deal with the vastness of the car audio aftermarket, which changes every day. Perhaps in future Tech Center articles we'll delve into this area. The good news is, most of the design concepts we're discussing here apply all the way up the line to really loud and pricey systems.
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