I am sure you have noticed a dearth of options for entertainment in your car. It’s not just about the lack of CDs or the absence of FM radio anymore, it’s now about Bluetooth ear buds and your smartphone.
There are still a few options for entertainment the old-fashioned way — trust me I’m sure we’ll find something — but there is no need to worry about that today.
Why you should replace your car radio, or why you should even think about it, is up to you
Some cars come stock with a CD mechanism. You can play CDs without the help of a computer. Even if they don’t, they’re still not quite as popular or as necessary as they once were.
Don’t dismiss them without at least considering replacing them with something new and fancy and technical that has all kinds of internet connectivity and shiny things on the dashboard.
That, of course, implies that you’re replacing the entire dashboard and keeping the car. If that’s what you’re doing, great.
There will be a few things to remember — mainly the wiring
Wiring can be done by a professional or, if you have some basic knowledge of using wire strippers and soldering guns, it’s possible to do it yourself. Either way, go for the gold, and make sure it’s done right the first time around. That is one expensive mistake that you don’t want to make.
But once it’s all done, you’re going to want to get a new radio — or perhaps upgrade an existing one by adding extra gadgets. You can look online for custom options and shop around for prices.
With so much choice, how do you choose?
It depends on what your needs are. Some of us rely on the internet for everything. If that’s your thing, make sure you have good connectivity and lots of wired ports. Bluetooth connectivity will work out just fine, but you might have to check if your car supports it.
If you’re not into all things wireless or wireless radio options, then it doesn’t matter how many ways this radio can connect to the internet or your smartphone because it won’t do anything for you.
If you’re a gadget person, you’ll want good sound quality, especially at low and high frequencies. If you want to play music while driving, the sound should be good enough to give you the illusion of having a live band outside the car.
If you’re still using CDs, it’s because that’s all your car manufacturer thought was necessary — or did it? If that’s not for you, then set your radio to have streaming radio capability so you can listen to terrestrial radio wherever you are.
If you definitely want to build yourself a customized radio — or maybe want to upgrade an existing one — you can do it yourself, but there are some things to keep in mind as well.
When it comes to installing a new radio, be mindful of the different options and make sure you know what each one does
If you’re replacing an existing radio, you can try to find one in the same model with the same options to see if one of the two will work for you. Ask your car’s manufacturer if they offer a kit that will make it easier for you to upgrade your radio.
The most important thing to remember is that whatever you do, it should be done correctly the first time around so that everything works as it is supposed to right from the start. Don’t have someone else do it when you may have the ability to do it yourself.
It’s really that simple. Don’t make a mistake or you’ll regret not being able to modify your radio because you didn’t know how. Just make sure you’re happy with what you’ve done, whether that’s by buying a radio from a well-known brand, or if that’s by replacing your old radio with one from the same model as your car already has.
Drive it for a while, see how everything goes and if you’re happy with the results.
If you’re not, you can always contact your car manufacturer and see if they will give you a refund or something that works just as well as it did before. If you’re willing to go through the hassle, it’s something that should be done correctly. You don’t want to regret choosing the wrong option years down the line.
A radio isn’t something that you need to buy, you can easily install yourself. If you’re not sure how, it’s easy.
Just go online and look for what you want to install in your car — whether it’s a simple single unit or a complete dashboard that includes Bluetooth connectivity and all kinds of gadgets — and then find someone who can do it for you.