A Quick Guide to Car Stereos through History
We spend a lot of time in our cars and depend on the stereo inside to bring us entertainment while we drive. But have you ever thought about how it all actually works and how we got to today’s tech in our dashboards?
There is a lot more history to your car stereo than you think. Take a fast look at what it took to get your sound system going when you hit the road.
Transistors Pushed Car Stereo Into the Future
When car radios were first available, they used vacuum tubes to amplify sound throughout your car. However, they were high voltage and needed a lot of power. They were also very fragile and emitted a ton of heat. This resulted in poor sound quality and difficult car audio installation.
In 1955, Chrysler and Philco introduced the first automotive transistor radio. This revolutionized the car stereo industry, and now the transistor is one of the greatest inventions of the 20th Century. Find transistors in things like your phone and video game console. For instance, a Xbox One has more than 7 million transistors inside.
Your Drive Wouldn’t Be the Same Without Broadcast Radio
Today, cars come with tons of bells and whistles that meet our everyday needs. But it used to be that you could only listen to music through amplitude modulation, aka AM radio, and frequency modulation, better known as FM radio. In fact, we didn’t start receiving regular broadcasts until 1920, when a Canadian broadcasting company experimented with how the world receives music and information.
By the late 1930s, stereo FM signals were available. This allowed people to listen to music and news anytime, anywhere, including your car. In the late 1950s, the FCC approved a standard for radio broadcasting, and we have been enjoying regular broadcasts ever since.
We Added Options to Our Car Stereo Experience With Cassettes and CD Players
Before digital music streamed from our smartphones to our cars and infotainment centers personalized our listening experience, vehicles used 8-tracks, cassette tapes, and compact discs (CDs) to enhance your listening experience. But there are a lot of issues with listening to these relics.
A big issue was durability, because none of these do well when left in a hot car. Made with cheap plastics and other materials, CDs, 8-tracks tapes, and cassette tapes bubble and melt in the sun. Add in tangled tape and scratched CDs, and you’re back to FM radio.
Fortunately, if you search “car audio near me,” you’ll notice a variety of car stereo systems that trash the cassette and CD player, and opt to play subscription services or stream music from your smart device.
Bluetooth Really Made It Easy to Connect Wirelessly
How often do you use Bluetooth? If you’re like most people, you probably wirelessly connect multiple devices a day, including headphones or earbuds. This incredible tech was originally created in 1994 and allowed communication between countless devices – although it wasn’t for household use at that time. Today, your car is Bluetooth central, thanks to advancement in car stereo technology.
In 2002, Audi was the first to introduce Bluetooth technology in a car, and we haven’t looked back. It’s often a standard feature in even the most affordable cars, trucks, and SUVs. Listen to podcasts, audiobooks, or even use your voice assistant without taking your eyes off the road, all thanks to Bluetooth.
Modern Car Technology Merges Your Vehicle and Your Smartphone
Many automakers have their own software for digital displays and infotainment centers, but they can’t do everything your smartphone does. That’s why Apple and Google came up with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. These two tech giants are here to improve your driving experience with higher-quality audio.
Connect your phone to your through a specific USB port or Bluetooth in your car, and iOS and Android send their interface to your touch-screen display. Each platform offers a clean and unique experience. Get access to your favorite apps, music, and always find your way with turn-by-turn navigation.
Car Stereo Technology Keeps Getting Better and More Available
You used to only find high-tech audio capabilities and quality speakers in luxury vehicles or expensive sound systems. But that’s all changed, because you can get quality car audio for every budget. Car manufacturers like Ford and Volkswagen are installing factory sound systems that can match or beat some higher-end vehicles.
And if you have a used or older vehicle, you can find high-tech equipment to install in your car. Check out infotainment centers with touchscreens, speakers, more powerful amplifiers, and connectivity upgrades.
Just make sure you contact your nearest car electronics specialist before attempting a DIY installation, because new car technology has way more bells and whistles than an old transistor radio did.
