If you are getting a cassette deck for your car, it’s nice to know that manufacturers are still making acceptably good decks for automobiles. It is best to find a cassette unit with Dolby B and C. This will help accommodate your head unit to your tape collection. Dolby B is still very common, but many recordings were made in C, and to optimize playback, you want both of these methods. Decks that still feature B and C are hard to find, so if you find one, it’s worth it.
Multiple-function CD receivers are most commonly configured with radio and CD player capabilities in standard car receiver (head end) units. These may include tape cassette decks as well, and may also have high-power amplifiers installed in them as well. Some stereos may even have mini three to five disc changers in them. The CD player receives its power from built-in amplifiers given in watts per channel, with modern powered head units rated anywhere from 30 to 60 watts per channel. This rating is almost always a "peak" rating. A "peak" is the maximum power output during the loudest peaks of the music, without exceeding the heat dissipation limits of the amplifier.
Compiling MP3 files is a convenient way to enjoy the music you want. More and more manufacturers are producing MP3-compatible in-dash units. Many people enjoy the fact that a single CD-R/RW disc can hold approximately 10 hours of MP3 music. An MP3-compatible CD-R/RW car receiver can play your MP3s as well as your standard CDs that you've listened to for years. Some car audio products enable you to transfer MP3 files to smaller media for your car, instead of burning a CD-R/RW disc. These products store your music on small memory cards that you pop into the compatible in-dash stereos. An optional interface lets you move files from your computer to the card. These cards can be erased and replaced with other songs.
Most radio signal broadcasts have a range of 30 to 40 miles from their source. Satellite radio broadcasters promise crystal-clear music transmitted from thousands of miles in space to your car stereos. XM satellite radio ground station transmits a signal to its two GEO satellites, which bounce the signals back down to radio receivers on the ground. The radio receivers are programmed to receive and unscramble the digital data signal, which contains up to 100 channels of digital audio. In addition to the encoded sound, the signal contains additional information about the broadcast. The song title, artist and genre of music are all displayed on the radio. In urban areas, where buildings can block out the satellite signal, XM’s broadcasting system is supplemented by ground transmitters.
Mini-disc (MD) stereos are able to record up to 320 minutes of digital music. This makes it possible to drive for hours without having to change discs. More manufacturers are building auxiliary inputs into their receivers to accommodate the increasing popularity of portable digital music players, including portable MD units. Although the MD is popular in Japan and Europe, it has yet to catch on in the American market. Still, MD playback provides a good alternative to CD playback, especially in portable and mobile applications.
By John Ivie