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Surveying The Best New Car Sound Systems
It's been many moons since LA Audio File, in conjunction with its sister publication, LA Car, ran its last survey of the best factory sound systems. That article was one of the publication's most widely-read, and copies of it still turn up on Internet search engines. Can high fidelity be found in a sound system offered by new car manufacturers? Back then, the answer was a qualified "yes." Today, dare we say, it's unqualified.
Factory car audio has come a long way, and some of the most discriminating names in home high end audio are now taking the art and science of car audio quite seriously. Unless you're willing to spend a great deal of money, it's questionable whether it's worth attempting a custom system in a car that offers some of the premium systems we've evaluated. To do so will be to negate the considerable research and development already expended by some of these manufacturers for their premium sound systems.
Mobile audio has come a long way. Stereo imaging, long the domain of home audio, has become an important factor in car audio - particularly now with the advent of DVD-Audio in car systems. The best systems are capable of a solid, stable stereo image from the driver's position as well as the passenger's position.
If there's a weakness in mobile audio systems, it's in the spectral balance. Many car audio systems tend to overemphasize the bass and treble, because manufacturer think that's what impresses most consumers. In the long run, however, the 'boom-hiss' sound is tiring. The best sound systems present a neutral tonal balance (so long as you resist the temptation to crank up the bass and treble controls).
With Los Angelenos spending more time on the road than in their living rooms, a good sound system in the car has becoming a virtual necessity for maintaining sanity during the commuting hours. With this in mind, we showcase the best systems offered in domestic and imported new cars: