Switching to a lower level of compression or even a lossless format can make a difference in sound quality. For instance, if you have a lot of music in your collection that you purchased-or acquired through other means-a decade or more ago, they're probably more compressed than they need to be. The issue is that digital music files aren't created equal. In the same way, CDs provide better audio quality than FM radio, and you can hear even better quality if you switch to digital sound files-or suffer a drastic loss in quality. Although high-quality AM radios exist, everyone knows they'll hear better sound quality if they listen to an FM station. One of the most overlooked factors in car audio quality is the source of the audio. The fix: Use bigger, less compressed music files. The problem: If you're listening to digital music, sound quality can suffer due to overly compressed files.

This allows the head unit to read data from the device and convert it into analog audio signals that get passed to the amplifier and speakers. Taking advantage of a head unit equipped with a high-quality DAC requires a USB or proprietary connection, so you'll connect your phone or another device to your car stereo via USB cable rather than an ordinary auxiliary input. If your head unit doesn't have a high-quality built-in DAC, adding a new head unit that does allows you to offload the heavy lifting of digital audio conversion from your phone or MP3 player to your car stereo. This is especially true if your head unit is getting old, or if it doesn't have preamp outputs and you're looking at installing an amplifier.Īnother reason to consider upgrading your head unit is if you listen to digital music in your car. Upgrading your head unit isn't always the best place to start, but it's always worth considering. The fix: Find a replacement head unit that has a USB connection. The problem: If you're listening to music through a phone or MP3 player and an auxiliary connection, audio quality takes a hit.

Best stock car audio