Like your music? Whether you store your music on CD’s, mp3, iPod, phone or any other form, if you want to have full control and to play your music in your car the way you like, you need a stereo. This is a great way of improving the detail and clarity from your music so you will have a higher quality of bass, midrange and high end when compared to your factory fitted stereo. It should be noted however that headunits do come with a amplifier built in which although is able to send a cleaner signal to your speakers when compared to the factory one if you are after a loud sound you will need an external amplifier. However head units come in a variety of forms and as a result there is a large range in functions but all aim to make your music sound as good as possible which is why, you NEED a head unit. Due to the vast range of features and options that head units have, it can be a daunting task to find your ideal head unit, I know that for me personally, when first starting out I was unclear on which head unit would be best suited to my demands, however after a lot of research I have been able to find my ideal stereo solution and I hope that I can pass on the knowledge that I have found on to you! And so here comes the big question;
Are you confused at the vast choice of stereo?
Then look no further, over the next few weeks, I hope to give you all the knowledge required so that you will be able to pick your perfect stereo and as an added bonus understand why certain units would be better than others, so be sure to read on and keep checking for the next few updates on stereos!
If you remember the post on Speakers, the Head Unit is the other piece to the puzzle when you're going about ensuring that your car audio system is able to produce sound to the highest quality that you can feel that you have the artist singing live next to you!
What are head units?
Head units are also known as car stereos. They are used as a means to allow the user to have control over what is played and at what volume. Most modern head units have a built in CD player to play CD’s as well has having the ability to equalise as well.
Types of head unit
The technology used in most aftermarket head units allow for a range of features available to the end user. There are two sizes that are universal to most cars. Single din or double din radios. There are many reasons however that even though someone would have the ability to install a double din unit, they may wish to add a equaliser to their car audio system to increase the voltage being sent to the amplifiers and thus delivering a cleaner signal. I always had the intention of using an equaliser however I was able to house my equaliser somewhere that would be convenient to use as well as looking aesthetically pleasing. However do not get me wrong, the stereo systems employed in cars such as Mercedes Benz and the like are of high quality too as well as some people do not want to swap their stereo based on personal reasons as well as with some cars, it is nearly impossible, without serious modification to be able to change a head unit and for those reasons, there are alternative methods to be able to improve the sound quality which we will look at later on in this blog.
Single din head unit
Single din head units are half the size of double din. They due to their space confinement they can be used where it is not possible to install a double din. The single din units vary in price, ranging from the basic units offering a CD player all the way to the high end head units offering a greater control of equalisation (control over the different frequencies) as well has having connectivity for amplifiers. There is also the option, should you wish/your budget allow, to get single din head units with motorised screens. The benefit of this sort of setup would be to have the full functionality of a double din head unit but with half the side, and some people think the motorised mechanism looks cool!
single din head unit with a pocket in a double din area
Double din head units
These are double the size of single din units and due to their size; many units are touch screen operated. This allows for additional features such as satellite navigation as well as the ability to watch movies and videos while also including convenience features such as a reverse camera. Such as this Pioneer Double Din head unit which will automatically switch the display to the reverse camera without the need to change anything manually. There are also double din head units available without the features of a screen and are similar in function to a regular single din head unit however you may, should your car allow for a double din stereo, to have a stereo that takes up all the available space so that you are not left with a compartment underneath as shown in the picture above taken in a Vaxhaul Corsa.
double din head unit in a VW Golf
Facias
For some cars however, the standard stereo does not confirm to the standard DIN (Deutsches Institut für Normung) sizes the need for a facia comes into play. The facia will make adapt the car to be able to accept standard din sizes. These are the little things that will ensure that not only will your car audio system sound good, but will also look great! However, if you are lucky enough to not need a facia then your head unit will literally replace your old one.
Alternatives to head units
You may decide however to install an in car computer for example and as a result it is not uncommon to choose to to bypass a head unit and therefore connect the computer directly to the amplifiers. This method can result in poor sound quality at high volume levels and as a result, a signal processor can be used to not only control the equalisation but to also process the signal, such as the Rockford Fosgate 3.sixty.2
. The advantage of using this, is that the unit will increase the voltage being sent to the amplifiers and coupled with the fact that it will process the sound over many bands of equalisation, will be ‘cleaner’ and will have less distortion being sent, as playing distortion through any type of speaker will damage it.
Some people may find that a signal processor such as the Rockford Fosgate 3.sixty.2 are not within their budget, they may choose a signal line to RCA adaptor. The problem with using this adaptor is the quality of signal being sent to the amplifers, as the main goal is to send the cleanest signal to the amplifiers, which is something that the line to RCA adaptors do not do. I would personally avoid the use of an adaptor and use a line driver or a signal processor if possible.
So what do I need?
Well, after looking at what car you have (as this will define what type of head unit you require) you need to think about what features you want too. If you wish to have satellite navigation as well as to watch DVD’s etc for example, but do have space for a double din head unit, then there is the option of using a single din head unit that features a motorised screen. This will offer all of the benefits of a double din unit but in a single din unit.
I hope that this has given you an insight into all the different alternatives available to you, however if you are still undecided, do not hesistate to contact me and I will be more than happy to help you in any way that I can. Either send me a facebook message directly here or send an email to info@sound-evolution.co.uk stating you're enquiring about a stereo solution after reading this blog entry.
And now a bit on my car. For my car, I had the option to go for a double din head unit, while this would have looked better; my plan was to install a car computer. Therefore I wanted to run a separate screen and the only way was to use a single din head unit and a single din motorised screen designed specifically for in car computers so that it would be easy to use the features of the computer without the need of a mouse which would be difficult to use while driving.
Due to the nature of this area of car audio, without a doubt head units is one topic too vast in size to cover without going into much detail however I hope this has given you food with regards to choosing a stereo. In the next few weeks, look for future entries that will focus on more specific aspects of car stereos. These will go into detail regarding the type of products if you’re weather you’re looking for a new stereo, thinking of a new one or just reading for curiosity, watch this space for the next installment!
Neil Patel
No comments:
Post a Comment