Auto Sound Systems for the Budget Minded

Despite popular belief, it is quite possible to get a great quality auto sound system even if you are operating on a limited budget. I completely understand your skeptical glances and the comments and grumbles that being on a budget means different things to different people. I can tell you without a doubt that you can get a really nice sound system for your car, truck, or SUV even if your budget is less then $300.

There are several things you can do as a savvy consumer that will help drive the price of the wonderful sound you seek to a bare minimum if you use a few tips, tricks, and techniques, in order to do so. First of all, the competition in this market is fairly fierce. As a result of that you will find that prices tend to be pretty competitive from one shop to another and that your best bargains are usually going to be found online. Search around online and find the absolute best bargain you can find on the auto sound system of your dreams.

Once you've found the lowest online price, get on the phone with local retailers. Many local stores understand the need to compete on a much larger scale. As a result they are often willing to match prices and even through in perks such as installation or freebie upgrades in order to sweeten the deal. Once you've gotten a few upgrades from local markets, continue calling around and let them compete with one another for your business. Take into account the value of the freebies and upgrades to you. If you really have no use for the bobble head hula girl then skip that offer and go for the one that offers an upgrade on speakers or an extended warranty thrown in for free. Make sure that the upgrades are really worth something to you. Also consider the value of the upgrade verses the price and go with the best bargain.

Another truth when it comes to purchasing an auto sound system is that you do not have to buy the 'best known' or biggest name brand in order to get a great sound and excellent quality. Spend your money where it matters most to you. Sometimes you are paying for nothing more than the name attached to a product. I'm a huge fan of Bose. I love the sound and have yet to find a product that can offer the quality of sound at a lower price. That does not mean I would not jump at the chance to buy an untried brand if the sound in the display equaled the quality of sound I can get with a Bose sound system. In fact, I have held onto an SUV for 10 years because I'm not ready to give up my sound system and my truck still runs. A Bose system is not a budget investment, but you can find bargains that are similar and sound wonderful. In other words, don't become a name brand snob if you don't have to.

In reality, there are many discount dealers you can find both online and off that will be more than happy to hook you up with a great set of sound for your car, truck, or SUV at a really great price. It simply takes a little leg and phone work on occasion to find them.

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Auto Sound Systems are Becoming Entertainment Systems

If you've been shopping lately for an auto sound system then I am fairly certain that you've come across several full entertainment systems among those in the running for your audio and entertainment dollars. Vehicles today offer everything from DVD players, individual speakers, headphones (also individually adjustable), and even dual players that will allow one different audio to be played in one section of the vehicle than another. In addition to all of these wonderful and nifty devices are many more devices that are meant to tempt, sway, and convince you to spend even more money on the auto sound system of your dreams. Some of these even offer MP3 players that connect directly to the audio system of your car, truck, or SUV.

The jury is still out for many people about the safety and sense of having a DVD player in your automobile. While this is the case, people will continue purchasing DVD players are part and parcel of their sound and entertainment systems and manufacturers will continue putting together attractive packages that offer these devices to consumers while offering incredible bargains on installation. I know that many feel that this is an unnecessary distraction to drivers. I'm one of the rare people that feels that in a day of laptops, cell phones, talk radio, fast food, Starbucks coffee, and multitasking, a DVD in the back might be one of the best features that can be added to the car in an effort to minimize distractions coming from the direction of disgruntled passengers in the rear.

I will confess that many people wonder what this has to do with an auto sound system and I can understand that question so please bare with me. One of the features that sound system manufacturers are offering is a feature that allows individual headphones for passengers in the back along with LCD monitors that rest in the back of the head rests so that passengers in the back can both see and hear the DVDs being played without causing a distraction for the driver (either by noise or by means of flashing lights).

The truth of the matter is that having the noise from a DVD player in the back is no worse of a distraction than having disgruntled children competing for your attention from the backseat or listening to audio books as you drive along. I must admit that audio books are one of my current and readily admitted addictions. The problem with those is that on occasion some of the books simply aren't meant for young ears. I try to keep my books limited to popular stories that are suitable for children whenever my children are riding along and save the sometimes steamy and often hilarious tales of Stephanie Plum for when I'm riding alone. Another great reason to make sure you have an auto sound system that at the very least reads and understands MP3s.

The technology exists for this and I expect to see even more innovations technologically speaking in the way of auto sound systems and entertainment systems in the near and not so near future. We live in a world where technology is constantly evolving and we should see many new and wonderful features that will make our lives much more enjoyable for our daily commute.

Whether you are new to the technology of today, fighting it mightily, or happily embracing it-it isn't showing any signs of stopping or slowing down. This means that you will eventually have to face the fact that the old ways of buying an auto sound system will soon be obsolete. I often joke that we are rapidly becoming a society that is catching up with the "Jetson's" vision for the future. I also loudly lament my lack of a Rosie. At any rate, I am glad to see that the new technologies in auto sound systems are offering less of a one size fits all image and offering much more individual systems, even for passengers within a vehicle.

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Auto Sound Systems are an Investment in your Car Make it Great

For those who love tunes and the ability to take them along wherever you may roam, there are some great auto sound systems that allow you to basically plug in your favorite tunes to play as you go. It doesn't really matter which style of MP3 player you use, most of the newer auto sound systems at least have the ability to read and translate the material from these players into great music for you to enjoy on your ride by simply plugging your MP3 player into the car stereo.

Many of us find that lugging around an MP3 player with all of our favorite tunes (or at least most of them-with up to 40 gigs of hard drive space it might take a while to fill completely) is much easier and more practical than attempting to lug around a huge case of CDs. It is also great for those of us who find ourselves disappointed when we purchase CDs only to find that we really only like one or two songs. Now we can simply download the songs we know and love while avoiding those we are uncertain about or at least waiting until more songs come out before deciding whether or not to purchase the entire collection of songs. Having an auto sound system that allows you to enjoy the convenience of simply plugging in either your MP3 player or a memory card or stick in order to have your favorite songs at your finger tips at all times is fantastic.

I don't know about you, but I am absolutely hooked on audio books. I love to read and find so little free time in which to get my feel of the latest and greatest best seller. Audio books allow me to hear the stories I've been eagerly awaiting at my convenience and in my SUV as I'm making my daily commute or running errands. These books are also a great way to enjoy long car trips. You can even check your local library in order to find an excellent selection.

I typically try to find stories that might interest the children on long car rides as well (such as the Harry Potter books or The Polar Express). This instills a love of reading in them and I don't have to worry about the stray 'grown up' word that some audio books contain. Good auto sound systems not only play great music but also sound wonderful when it comes to the spoken word as well. This is not only true when it comes to books on tape, CD, or MP3 but also talk radio and national news stations as well.

When you begin your search for your next auto sound system make sure you consider all the possible features you may wish to include. You can find sound systems today that include GPS, DVD players, navigational tools, CD players, MP3 players, satellite radio receivers and countless other nifty features. Choose the auto sound system that will suit your needs and interests best and enjoy it for as long as you can. A good sound system is something that will stay with your car, truck, or SUV so it is best to make that particular investment long before you plan to trade your vehicle in on another. At the same time a good auto sound system can be an excellent incentive to hold onto your vehicle a little while longer.

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A Good Auto Sound System is a Requirement not a Luxury

How do you decide which auto sound system is best for you? This is a question that many consumers ask in the U. S. each and every day. The truth is that only you can decide what kind of sound you find enjoyable and what you are seeking in the sound system you will ultimately purchase. A good sound system will greatly improve how you feel about not only the vehicle you drive but also your disposition after your daily commute. It may seem like such a small thing, the changing of a sound system, but it does seem to have such a profound impact on how we start our days. Of course we all know that getting your day off to a good start sets the tone for the entire day and if that day is Monday it sets the tone for not only the day ahead but also the week to come.

Music affects almost every aspect of our lives. Most of us do not realize the impact that music has on our day-to-day lives and it is quite difficult because our world seems to be filled with it. It is much easier however, to explain the difference a good sound system makes. It's funny, I find myself in a hurry to get out of stores that have lousy sound systems and speakers that dribble out little more than static while I can shop for hours in a store that has tasteful music playing in the background over a good sound system. I prefer the volume lower and the music playing in the background rather than being the center of my attention.

Most of us find that soft music playing in the background is rather unobtrusive and allows us to get along with our thoughts and the mission at hand while loud music blaring over antiquated speakers does a great deal to disrupt our thought processes which will only serve to send us along to the next errand on our list. If you'll notice it seems that clerks in the stores where the loud music blares along are often not as even tempered as those in stores that play music at respectful volumes and have very well kept sound systems. I think I would be cranky too after listening to music in a manner that music wasn't meant to be heard.

I'm not a music snob by any means; I simply enjoy listening to music for the sake of actually hearing the music. Loud music is good sometimes but not when I have other things on my mind. I prefer that music remain in the background when I'm running about taking care of errands, even in the car. The hallmark of a good auto sound system is that it sounds good even at low volumes. This means you can enjoy music in the background, hum along, or simply ignore the music in favor of the action taking place on the road.

The point I'm trying to make is that even though you may not realize the impact that a good auto sound system has on music immediately, you will definitely feel the difference it makes over time. The better the sound system, the better the sound and music is after all, sound.

If you are a true lover of music and spend a great deal of your week or even any given day in your vehicle, doesn't it make sense to invest heavily in your auto sound system? I know for me that particular decision is a no brainer. I love music and it is an important part of not only my life but also the lives of my children. As a result we spend a lot of time listening to the radio in our SUV and singing along. Even when we aren't listening to music, I enjoy listening talk radio and the news on NPR. These things are an important part of my day and I really enjoy all that each and every one adds to my life. Because of that, I find my investment in a good auto sound system to be a requirement rather than a luxury.

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