Car Stereo Features You Need To Start Using

No two car stereos are exactly alike, but there are a number of common features that you may not be using to your full advantage. Here’s a look at some features you may be overlooking:

The CD Player

CD players may seem like a blast from the past, but most modern systems are capable of playing various compressed formats, including WMA, MP3 and AAC files. You can fit anywhere from six to 12 hours of music on a single CD, depending on what bit rate you keep your music. Using the CD player also frees up your phone for other things, like navigation, making calls, apps, double duty as a dashboard camera and more.

The USB Drive

A lot of people use their vehicle USB drives to charge their devices, but many stereo systems with USB ports will also play music files stored on a USB drive. A 16GB thumbnail drive is about $10 and can store up to 300 hours of music, or roughly 250 albums. Imagine what you could do with a 128GB drive and the potential for almost 20 times as much entertainment!

SD/MMC Input

These ports allow you to use flash memory cards for storing music and other data, and are becoming more common in vehicles. Sometimes they can be used to update the firmware (native software) for your car stereo, so make sure you check the manufacturer’s website for updates!

CD/USB/SD/MMC Controls

f a system supports compressed formats, it likely has a built-in system for navigating your media, as well as a random play setting. Instructions are in your vehicle’s user manual.

SVC

Available in many vehicles (sometimes with a different name), SVC stands for “speed-sensitive volume compensation.” This tool automatically turns the volume up or down in relation to the speed of your vehicle so you don’t have to keep adjusting your stereo as you drive.

RDS

This stands for “Radio Data System,” a system that shares data embedded in the radio signal, such as radio station identification, local time, program type (rock, classical, jazz), title and artist information, and more. If you have a navigation system, RDS can also carry information on local traffic.

Fader / Balance

These settings let you balance the stereo volume between the front and back speakers (fader) and left and right speakers (balance). This can be useful if you have in-car video playing and don’t want to hear Frozen for the bazillionth time, or if someone in the back or passenger seat is trying to sleep while you’re listening to music to stay awake!

Treble / Bass

Most basic car stereos let you adjust your bass and treble levels, and a few will let you toggle your mid-range as well. Higher end aftermarket stereos offer much more control, with a wide range of equalizer settings that let you hear your music exactly the way that you want. You can also use the equalizer controls on your actual music player (such as an iPod or Smart Phone) to do the same thing.

Preset Buttons

Believe it or not, most people don’t bother with these buttons. However, it can be incredibly useful to map different presets to your favourite music stations, news stations, traffic stations, sports stations, and more. Most systems will let you select between 12 and 24 different stations.

A.Sel, SmartScan, etc.

Different vehicle manufactures have different names for this useful feature that will automatically populate your radio presets with local radio stations, based on their relative strength. It can save time and frustration, and let you focus on driving instead of scanning up and down the dial to find a station you like.

Bluetooth

Not all Bluetooth systems are equal. Before you invest in a system, make sure it works with your smartphone to handle calling and other features you need. Some Bluetooth systems will let you stream music from your device, listen to and dictate texts, and use voice control systems like Apple’s Siri. Make sure you know exactly what Bluetooth features you’re getting by talking to our staff – and don’t be shy about asking us to help you set up your Bluetooth system to work seamlessly with your phone!

This is just the tip of the iceberg, with aftermarket systems offering a wide range of features that can enhance your driving experience in a lot of exciting ways. Drop by the store to see what a next generation stereo receiver can do for you!