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The head unit
This is the heart and soul of your system. Without this component, your car audio system can't and won't work. The head unit, or, more simply, the radio, is the central processing device in the system.
Consider the way your mind works. Let's say you want to shout at somebody. Your brain tells your vocals chords to raise to a certain volume level. The words form in your mind, your mouth opens, and out comes a shout.
In a similar fashion, the head unit controls all the functions in your car audio system. Music too loud? Turn down the volume. Too soft? Turn it up. Want more bass? Add bass input.
All changes and controls come through the head unit. If you could see behind the radio in your dash, you'd find a dozen or so wires going off in all different directions to other systems in the car. These are like the nerves in your body, transmitting signals to and from the various components.
In addition to volume, bass, etc., the head unit may contain other systems within its casing. These include: tuner, cassette, equalizer, CD or amplifier. Some of these words look familiar? That's because we mentioned them above.
You see, in a home music system, where you have much more room, many stereo setups will include a separate box for each one of these components -- CD, cassette, etc. You may have a home system like that yourself. In a car, with its space limitations, these components are often crammed into one box -- the head unit. This depends upon a number of factors, such as heat, space, cosmetic design and other concerns, and every car is different.
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