| Different people like to spend their leisure time in | | | | simply to plug a portable tape player, perhaps with its |
| accordance to their unique taste. One of the most | | | | own speakers, into the cigarette lighter that provides |
| common past-times is listening to music. Thanks to | | | | 12VDC power. There are things to be careful of, |
| advancements in technology, one can now listen to his | | | | though, like leaving your player in the sun. Hot sun can |
| or her favorite music while driving the car at an | | | | melt not only cassette tapes, but even wires and |
| incredibly high fidelity, volume level, and quality of sound | | | | speakers. Also, this kind of setup is very prone to theft. |
| than was possible a decade ago. | | | | Someone can fairly easily lift your tape player right out |
| A car stereo can be as high quality as a home stereo | | | | the window. |
| system, inside a car. The market for car stereos are | | | | Some new car stereos have DVD players and pop |
| rising so much that manufacturers of home audio | | | | up display LCD screens. The LCD screens can be |
| systems are investing in this field. | | | | slide out or folded, though that depends on the head |
| Before buying an audio system, one should consider | | | | unit. Nowadays, some new car stereos can also |
| some points. It is important to see whether the car | | | | display traffic signal messages and perhaps even |
| stereo fits in your car or not. If you want powerful | | | | GPS location tracking systems to help navigate. |
| sound, you need large speakers -- but there just may | | | | An MP3 player is a good choice of portable format |
| not be room for that depending on the dimensions of | | | | that can store many songs in one device. |
| your vehicle. In that case, your only solution is to go | | | | Loud car stereos are quite a craze among the young |
| with higher power speakers of a smaller size, and to | | | | generation and can play music above 140 decibels. |
| double them up in pairs of 2, 4 or even greater | | | | However, this kind of stereo can cause hearing |
| quantities. | | | | problems and it can also drown out road noise that |
| The sound quality inside a car is greatly affected by | | | | may be important to hear for safety. For example, |
| the placement of speakers. It is typical to place bass | | | | sirens and other cars could be drowned out be a loud |
| speakers in the back, because they have a sound | | | | stereo, producing a driving risk. |
| vibration that reaches a longer distance. Treble and | | | | Finally, car stereos are not only for entertainment, but |
| high frequency speakers are usually placed at the | | | | they also act as a status symbol and a display of |
| front, near the listeners, and positioned for optimal | | | | wealth. Kids like to show off the size and volume of |
| "stereo effect". | | | | their stereo, even if that volume level is not legally |
| An alternate solution to a custom installed car stereo, is | | | | allowed. |