Auto Stereo Systems and the People Who Love Them
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- by Owl Staff
- Posted on Dec 7th, 2009
- Filed under: Autos
- Tagged with: autostereosystems, caraudio, carstereos
- More
In the early 1930s, the Galvin brothers developed the first car radio. It was revolutionary, and cost the equivalent of $1,700 in today's dollars. Their company would later come to be known as Motorola, one of the leading manufacturers of auto stereo systems today. Decades later, auto stereo systems with tape players, cassette decks and 8-track machines would let us take our tunes on the road. Compact disc players came later, but we doubt the Galvins could have imagined the extent of auto stereo systems today.
The latest auto stereo systems can play DVDs packed with hours of music, and incorporate speakers by the dozen. Services like XM and Sirius beam hundreds of radio stations from satellites orbiting in outer space directly into our cars. Modern auto stereo systems have grown to incorporate video screens, gaming consoles and navigation systems. They can listen to voice commands, interact with iPods and MP3 players and even store music in computer hard drives.
As extensive as the options lists for auto stereo systems have become, the obsession with the loudest and clearest sound has lead to an entire underground scene of enthusiasts. While some aftermarket tuners turn their cars into high-performance racing machines, others go the opposite route, investing thousands to transform their cars into mobile theaters.
Mobile audio enthusiasts pack their rides with amplifiers and even electric capacitors to power speakers ranging from 8 inches up to 22 inches in diameter. Independent installation shops for auto stereo systems have sprung up across the country and around the world to meet the needs of consumers desiring an extra level of audio performance.
Competitions began in the 1980s to determine whose car has the best auto stereo systems. Today contests around the world place emphasis on either clarity or loudness in what's become known as dB Drag Racing. All the while, political action groups lobby to reduce the level of noise pollution emitted from increasingly loud auto stereo systems.
The evolution of auto stereo systems has grown into such an industry that car radio theft has become a serious issue. Manufacturers have responded by offering removable faceplates that render systems useless without them.
As impressive as today's endless array of auto stereo systems has become, one thing's for sure: they'll only continue to grow. And like the Galvin brothers, we'll scarcely recognize what the car radio will become in the decades ahead.
The latest auto stereo systems can play DVDs packed with hours of music, and incorporate speakers by the dozen. Services like XM and Sirius beam hundreds of radio stations from satellites orbiting in outer space directly into our cars. Modern auto stereo systems have grown to incorporate video screens, gaming consoles and navigation systems. They can listen to voice commands, interact with iPods and MP3 players and even store music in computer hard drives.
As extensive as the options lists for auto stereo systems have become, the obsession with the loudest and clearest sound has lead to an entire underground scene of enthusiasts. While some aftermarket tuners turn their cars into high-performance racing machines, others go the opposite route, investing thousands to transform their cars into mobile theaters.
Mobile audio enthusiasts pack their rides with amplifiers and even electric capacitors to power speakers ranging from 8 inches up to 22 inches in diameter. Independent installation shops for auto stereo systems have sprung up across the country and around the world to meet the needs of consumers desiring an extra level of audio performance.
Competitions began in the 1980s to determine whose car has the best auto stereo systems. Today contests around the world place emphasis on either clarity or loudness in what's become known as dB Drag Racing. All the while, political action groups lobby to reduce the level of noise pollution emitted from increasingly loud auto stereo systems.
The evolution of auto stereo systems has grown into such an industry that car radio theft has become a serious issue. Manufacturers have responded by offering removable faceplates that render systems useless without them.
As impressive as today's endless array of auto stereo systems has become, one thing's for sure: they'll only continue to grow. And like the Galvin brothers, we'll scarcely recognize what the car radio will become in the decades ahead.
