What Must todo

Technology is advancing at an alarming pace. Many of us in the market for auto sound systems have been more than surprised at many of the choices on the market today. Sound systems have gone far beyond the simple tuners of days past and are incorporating other features into the sound system as well. Today you can find all kinds of bells and whistles with price tags to match. It would be very easy to spend two or three thousand dollars in the purchase and installation of a very nice auto sound system in your car, truck, or SUV. Most of us, however, would do just as well with a simple three hundred dollar sound system and would be unlikely to use many of the features that the higher price sound systems offer.

These systems offer a great many features and can be found in all kinds of price ranges. Once you find the system you like I highly recommend comparing prices all around and going with the best deal you can find. Remember to include things such as shipping and/or installation in the prices as most of the more inclusive, feature rich systems are in dash systems and will more than likely require professional installation. If you can find a local retail center that is willing to install free, I highly recommend consider that as a huge perk, especially if they are close or willing to match your lowest price elsewhere.

Some of the more popular feature rich auto sound systems you can find on the market today are listed below with a very wide array of prices that I have found for them.

1) Pioneer AVIC-N2 DVD/GPS Navigation System. The price range on this system is between $750 and $1,200 without installation. This unit has DVD, CD, MP3, and navigation capabilities.

I hope you find something here that strikes your fancy and remember its never too early to begin lobbying for next Christmas. You can tell everyone what you want and hope that friends and family will pitch in and add gift certificates to your savings for the auto sound system youve been dreaming of (you might also want to plan to have a vehicle you intend to keep a while should you decide to make this sort of investment).

If youve been shopping lately for an auto sound system then I am fairly certain that youve come across several full entertainment systems among those in the running for your audio and entertainment dollars. Vehicles today offer everything from DVD players, individual speakers, headphones (also individually adjustable), and even dual players that will allow one different audio to be played in one section of the vehicle than another. In addition to all of these wonderful and nifty devices are many more devices that are meant to tempt, sway, and convince you to spend even more money on the auto sound system of your dreams. Some of these even offer MP3 players that connect directly to the audio system of your car, truck, or SUV.

The jury is still out for many people about the safety and sense of having a DVD player in your automobile. While this is the case, people will continue purchasing DVD players are part and parcel of their sound and entertainment systems and manufacturers will continue putting together attractive packages that offer these devices to consumers while offering incredible bargains on installation. I know that many feel that this is an unnecessary distraction to drivers. Im one of the rare people that feels that in a day of laptops, cell phones, talk radio, fast food, Starbucks coffee, and multitasking, a DVD in the back might be one of the best features that can be added to the car in an effort to minimize distractions coming from the direction of disgruntled passengers in the rear.

I will confess that many people wonder what this has to do with an auto sound system and I can understand that question so please bare with me. One of the features that sound system manufacturers are offering is a feature that allows individual headphones for passengers in the back along with LCD monitors that rest in the back of the head rests so that passengers in the back can both see and hear the DVDs being played without causing a distraction for the driver (either by noise or by means of flashing lights).

The truth of the matter is that having the noise from a DVD player in the back is no worse of a distraction than having disgruntled children competing for your attention from the backseat or listening to audio books as you drive along. I must admit that audio books are one of my current and readily admitted addictions. The problem with those is that on occasion some of the books simply arent meant for young ears. I try to keep my books limited to popular stories that are suitable for children whenever my children are riding along and save the sometimes steamy and often hilarious tales of Stephanie Plum for when Im riding alone. Another great reason to make sure you have an auto sound system that at the very least reads and understands MP3s.

The technology exists for this and I expect to see even more innovations technologically speaking in the way of auto sound systems and entertainment systems in the near and not so near future. We live in a world where technology is constantly evolving and we should see many new and wonderful features that will make our lives much more enjoyable for our daily commute.

Whether you are new to the technology of today, fighting it mightily, or happily embracing it-it isnt showing any signs of stopping or slowing down. This means that you will eventually have to face the fact that the old ways of buying an auto sound system will soon be obsolete. I often joke that we are rapidly becoming a society that is catching up with the "Jetsons" vision for the future. I also loudly lament my lack of a Rosie. At any rate, I am glad to see that the new technologies in auto sound systems are offering less of a one size fits all image and offering much more individual systems, even for passengers within a vehicle.

The auto sound systems of today are much more involved and complicated than the simple car stereo and speakers of years long past. Todays sound systems have all kinds of bells and whistles that many us could have only imagined during our younger years. In fact, it is quite possible that many of us did imagine these and those imaginings are how they came to be. One thing you need to do before you even begin to put the auto sound system of your dreams together is learn what kinds of components exist, how they work together, and which ones you really think you need as part of your auto sound system and which components you honestly feel you can live without.

Life is about compromise and most of us will readily admit that we are quite unlikely to ever use all the bells, whistles, and upgrades that are made available to us within our lifetimes. I dont know about you, but my cell phone has features Ive never even gotten around to learning how to use. I know I can use them and I have a subscription to do so, but have never managed to actually get around to watching the news, I find that if I am on my phone the news would be an interruption and if I am in the mood to watch the news, Ill generally find a television and watch on a larger screen.

Our auto sound systems are a lot like this. If you dont do an extensive amount of travel with little ones in your car, it is unlikely that you will need a sound system that allows wireless speakers for the back seat. However if you are putting a good sound system in your family car, this may be a good idea, as we dont always enjoy the same music as our children. I dont know about you, but I can only handle "The Wheels on the Bus" so many times in one car trip. For that reason alone I think the individual headphones are a wonderful idea.

One thing that I have found I cant live without in my auto sound system is an MP3 player. Im literally addicted to audio books and have found that I can subscribe to an online service that allows me to download entire books to my computer and either burn them to a CD or put them on a memory stick to play on my next road trip. It makes the trip seem to go so much more quickly when I have something to occupy my mind rather than switching radio stations on a regular basis in search of a song I enjoy that hasnt been overplayed.

Some people cant live without at least a 6-disc CD changer as part of their auto sound system and others find that XML is the only way to go. Whatever your choice, the thing to remember is that it is your choice. Only you can choose the auto sound system that works best with your tastes and requirements. Only you can decide whether or not you enjoy the sound your sound system provides, and only you can decide which bells and whistles are important and essential and which ones you can live without. It is your money that will pay for the upgrades you desire and your tastes they should please.

Take the time to study not only the music, but also the sound and the components that are available for the sound system you choose. Also pay close attention to what is included in the price you think you are paying. More often than not each component is sold as either an add on or an upgrade so be careful that you arent getting less than you think you are or paying more than you think you will be paying for the auto sound system you choose.

When you are in the process of selecting your next auto sound system you might want to check out the systems that include other entertainment features such as games and DVD players. This may sound a little simplistic to some but if youve ever driven cross-country with children, you know what I mean when I say it is worth the investment to have one installed and have it installed correctly.

Many people will debate the wisdom of these devices and I will tell you quite frankly that I feel 100% that this is much safer than trying to deal with disgruntled children in the back that are literally fighting for your attention. If you want to talk about a distraction, I can think of few distractions that will top that while driving in holiday packed roads and less than favorable weather conditions. The truth of the matter is that anything that keeps the kiddies quiet for two hours at a pop has my vote for gadget or gizmo of the year.

I seriously recommend having a system installed however as this will limit not only the distraction to the driver but also the exposure of the lights and sounds to the driver as well. If you have a game system in stalled along with a DVD player and headphones to go with both I am sure you will find that you are driving along listening blissfully to your mom music as the kids in the back take turns playing games and watching DVDs. In fact, the most serious refereeing you are likely to need is over whose turn it is and how long that will last.

Now, I feel that it is very important to point out that this is not the only benefit to having an entertainment system installed for children that are traveling with you. Another very real benefit is the fact that you will also find that you are hearing less and less of the usual "are we there yet" and other generally disgruntled forms of questions from the backset. I also love the fact that the kids can often fall asleep to a DVD that they have seen a few dozen times which will bring a few more minutes of blissful silence as they snooze.

Another unexpected benefit I have found with my children and a DVD incorporated into an auto sound system is that my children are asking less often to stop for potty breaks. I always assumed that some of the frequent bathroom stops were boredom related and now Im fairly certain that my assumptions were correct. Another great thing that mommy does in order to keep things going smoothly is purchase a new DVD immediately prior to taking a long road trip. In addition to a new DVD that the little ones will not yet be tired of, I pull out some DVDs that might have been forgotten recently and not watched quite as often. This keeps the children very happy and quiet while mommy is able to concentrate on the road ahead and keeping everyone happy and safe while traveling.

Just remember that you should never rely on the scenery or the thrill of traveling in order to keep little ones happy and occupied on long trips. Endless questions and chatter are to be expected in order to alleviate boredom. In order to avoid these types of situations youll need more than happy music playing on the radio and really, how many times can you listen to "The Itsy Bitsy Spider" during a 12 hour road trip? Do yourself a favor when selection a really great auto sound system and make the necessary investment to add a really nice DVD player into the mix. Believe me I am the queen of cheap when it comes to trying to save money and will swear up and down that if you have children, this is one investment that is worth its weight in gold.

So what kind of auto sound system really seems to float your boat? Are you the type of person who wants the simplest sound system on the market today? Will you be content with talk radio and a few FM radio stations? Do you need an 8-track? How about a cassette player? I hate to say it, but if you are still living in the past, you will have a rather difficult time finding an audio system for your car that can accommodate your desire to hold technology behind the current trends. These things simply do not sell. You may find an occasional auto sound system that still has a cassette player but for the most part you will find that the market for this device is almost as limited as the quality of the device itself.

Todays auto sound systems are more sophisticated than they have ever been before. Gone are the days when you had to turn a dial to find a radio station. Today you can set your car to scan the stations until you find one you like. You can even set them to scan radio stations by type. For me, that was a great invention as I find country music rather sad and always end up finding the one song that will bring uninvited torrents of tears while flipping through the stations mindlessly as I drive. Being someone that hates to cry on any given day it is bad enough to cry. Add to that the fact that Im probably driving at about 75 or so miles an hour and you can probably see where this is problematic. I do best whenever I can avoid country music stations all together.

Another great technological advance when it comes to the auto sound system is individual volume control. No longer do you have to listen to your mothers, brothers, sisters, or Aunt Sallys music blaring, you can slide on your headphones and mute out the noise of the rest of the world. If your vehicle has a truly sophisticated sound system, you can even change the radio station in order to find music that is much more suitable for your musical tastes.

You should also be aware that todays auto sound systems are much more user friendly than those of days past. Most displays are digital and easy to read. You might even notice that many can read the local radio stations codes and formats and will list the songs that are playing for you. Youll never have to wonder about the name of that great song you just heard or even who sang it again. Its right before your eyes as you are driving along and listening to awesome tunes.

The best auto sound systems offer not only CD options to drivers and passengers alike but also the ability and capability of reading and interpreting MP3 data as well. More and more people are turning to MP3s for their primary source of music. It takes up far less space than your average CD holder and holds a lot more music. You can download only the songs you like without purchasing an entire CD full of songs only to find that you only liked one song on the entire CD. You can put your favorite songs on a memory stick and bring them along for the ride. Its a great way to enjoy music in this day and age. Im quite literally surprised that I havent seen an iPod auto sound system pop up on the radar yet and am seriously expecting to see one any day now, literally.

Regardless of whether or not you wish to enter the modern era of music and music listening its upon us. However, if you are truly opposed we could always find you a nice supply of Sinatra in MP3 format in order to make the transition a little more comfortable for you.