About Car Speaker Systems

Origins

The first car speaker systems were crude radios that were retrofitted to be carried along in some of the earliest automobiles for drivers who wished to have entertainment and news while on the road. Car speaker system manufacturing began in the 1930s when brothers Joseph and Paul Galvin developed the first car audio system which they dubbed the Motorola. Based on the Galvins' earlier research into batteries and radios, the Motorola was expensive and was sold as an aftermarket add-on rather than directly to the automakers.

Following the Galvin brothers, car speaker systems were developed elsewhere and became a standard feature of many models. British and German companies started producing radios for the cars made in those countries before the end of the 1930s. Gradually automakers began offering their own speaker systems to replace the need for customers to buy an aftermarket radio. In the 1950s FM radio receivers became commonplace. Today many car speaker systems contain multiple speakers and digital interfaces for connecting to an MP3 player or other external device.

There are many different types of speakers and audio equipment that can be used in a complete car speaker system. Central to all of these configurations is the audio receiver, which receives broadcast transmission while also including any equipment for playing pre-recorded media. Over the decades AM/FM receivers gained 8 Track tape decks, cassette tape decks, CD players, and full digital interfaces. Most cars have standard speakers while those with premium audio systems include tweeters for higher range frequencies and a sub bass for the deepest sounds. Some vehicles also include DVD players and LCD displays for adding video to the audio system for a complete entertainment experience.

While early car speaker systems consisted of a simple radio and a single speaker, today's set-ups are much more complex. Basic systems may include an AM/FM radio and four speakers, arranged with two on each side of the dashboard. More expensive speaker systems often include seven or more speakers, with added speakers at the rear of the car (sometimes in the trunk) and a sub bass either in the trunk or between the front seats. These speaker systems are also usually connected to a received with multiple input sources (such as CD, DVD, and MP3) and a display or remote control for controlling the sound levels and music selection.

As car speaker systems have grown more complex and powerful, so too have the laws that restrict their use. While there are very few laws mandating what sort of speakers can be installed in a car, the volume of music is often highly regulated. This is especially true in residential areas or near private businesses. Police enforcement of noise provisions varies just as the laws themselves do, but hefty fines can apply for music that can be heard from too great a distance. In general, common sense can prevent legal trouble for even drivers with the most advanced speaker systems.