Anyone that is familiar with Ebay knows that it is a literal one stop shop when it comes to hundreds of thousands of unique and common new and used items. It should then, come as no shock that Ebay is also a great place to find excellent bargains when it comes to auto sound systems. Yes, you heard that correctly. While you can't exactly test out your tunes over an Internet connection you can generally check out the exact same brands you'll find at Ebay in your local automotive stereo and entertainment dealerships. The difference is that you can generally get your hands on the merchandise from Ebay at a fraction of the cost you would pay retail.
Many people often find better deals when going through Ebay than they would even be able to find at many retailers online. I am constantly amazed at the wonderful bargains that can be found on Ebay not only when it comes to auto sound systems but full entertainment packages for your vehicle. Not only can you find great bargains on sound systems for your vehicle you also can find some thrifty deals on amplifiers, subwoofers, speakers, speaker systems, and tools, tips, and tricks when it comes to installation.
While there is the fact that you can't hear the system for yourself if you purchase it on Ebay that can be easily overlooked by going to local retail stores in search of the same system. That should give you a very real indication of what the system you are considering on Ebay will sound like. You should look at local stores and online before making the bid on Ebay in order to compare prices and bid with confidence that you are in fact getting a bargain. Also be sure you pay attention to shipping and handling fees that might be involved in your package delivery. I've found that with a select few Ebay retailers, they kill you on the 'handling' expenses.
Another drawback with Ebay is the lack of customer service after the sale. Be sure to pay close attention to the ad details concerning customer satisfaction and recourse should something go wrong with your package. You should also be sure that you always purchase the insurance on your package should you win the bid. Even at discounted priced, auto sound systems are a pretty hefty investment and you should take care that you protect that investment.
The only serious drawback I have found to buying from Ebay when it comes to auto sound systems is the fact that you have to have your system installed. Installation simply doesn't come with these car stereos and not all installers are willing to do the installation if you didn't purchase the product from them. Installing an auto sound system isn't the simplest of tasks and you need to have a plan in place to get the system in your car before you commit to the purchase.
Whether you have serious plans to purchase an auto sound system in the near future or you are simply entertaining the notion, it is definitely worth checking out the wonderful options that Ebay has for your automotive listening pleasure. We live in a world where every penny seems to count, see how many you can save by shopping Ebay.
Monday, May 18, 2009
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
The New Technology of Auto Sound Systems
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.
Today's 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 I'm 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 Sally's 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 today's 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. You'll never have to wonder about the name of that great song you just heard or even who sang it again. It's 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. It's a great way to enjoy music in this day and age. I'm quite literally surprised that I haven't 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 it's 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. Find out more here.
Today's 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 I'm 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 Sally's 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 today's 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. You'll never have to wonder about the name of that great song you just heard or even who sang it again. It's 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. It's a great way to enjoy music in this day and age. I'm quite literally surprised that I haven't 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 it's 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. Find out more here.
The Reasons Why you should add a DVD Player to your Auto Sound System
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 you've 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 I'm 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 you'll 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. Find out more here.
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 I'm 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 you'll 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. Find out more here.
The Risks of Self-Installation of your Auto Sound System
The risks of installing your own auto sound system may be greater than you realize. The fact is that there are people that are professionally trained in the installation and proper handling of these delicate sound systems for a reason. If it weren't a difficult task they wouldn't be able to demand the rather hefty price tag that most installation centers charge. The problem is that mistakes can actually cost more than the installation. If you aren't one hundred percent certain that you can handle the installation process alone it is best to leave it up to the experts.
To prove my point, I will give you my very own personal story of how auto sound system installations can go horribly (well, perhaps hilariously would be the better choice of words in my particular situation) of course. You see I wanted a CD player in my mini van about 13 years ago. This was back in the dark ages when these types of sound systems were still relatively new and on the 'cutting edge' when it came to technology.
These types of auto sound systems were definitely not the norm as they are in today's cars. I was commuting 3 hours (round trip) each day at the time and some of the time was spent among the corn fields where there were no towers broadcasting radio signals anywhere nearby. I'm sure you can see why I felt I needed a CD player. At any rate, my wonderful dear old dad installed my brand new car (well mini van) stereo for me and all seemed to be going well until we realized that the horn no longer worked and that in order to actually use the stereo, the headlights must be on (this was also before daytime running lights were the norm as well).
Now that you've finished laughing I'm sure you can understand why I am a huge advocate for having professional handle issues of installation when it comes to auto sound systems. It isn't that my dad, whom I love dearly for the effort, was incompetent when it comes to technical matters, in fact, he is highly skilled in these sorts of things ordinarily, it is simply that car stereos are so terrible complicated that it takes more than merely reading a set of instructions in order to get the maximum effect from your installation endeavors.
I have heard horror stories, particularly related to in dash installations that have resulted in some people having to make serious and costly repairs to their cars in order to fix the damage inflicted by installations by those who either lacked the proper tools, proper training, or a little bit of both for installing auto sound systems. While some drivers don't spend all that much time in their vehicles on any given day there are many commuters who put many miles on their cars, trucks, or SUVs during the course of a week. For these drivers it is often very important that they have the best possible sound systems for their vehicles. They will rely on their stereos to find out about weather conditions, traffic tie-ups, news, and possibly even entertainment during their long drives. If sound and music plays an important role in your life, don't you deserve the best auto sound system possible? Find out more here.
To prove my point, I will give you my very own personal story of how auto sound system installations can go horribly (well, perhaps hilariously would be the better choice of words in my particular situation) of course. You see I wanted a CD player in my mini van about 13 years ago. This was back in the dark ages when these types of sound systems were still relatively new and on the 'cutting edge' when it came to technology.
These types of auto sound systems were definitely not the norm as they are in today's cars. I was commuting 3 hours (round trip) each day at the time and some of the time was spent among the corn fields where there were no towers broadcasting radio signals anywhere nearby. I'm sure you can see why I felt I needed a CD player. At any rate, my wonderful dear old dad installed my brand new car (well mini van) stereo for me and all seemed to be going well until we realized that the horn no longer worked and that in order to actually use the stereo, the headlights must be on (this was also before daytime running lights were the norm as well).
Now that you've finished laughing I'm sure you can understand why I am a huge advocate for having professional handle issues of installation when it comes to auto sound systems. It isn't that my dad, whom I love dearly for the effort, was incompetent when it comes to technical matters, in fact, he is highly skilled in these sorts of things ordinarily, it is simply that car stereos are so terrible complicated that it takes more than merely reading a set of instructions in order to get the maximum effect from your installation endeavors.
I have heard horror stories, particularly related to in dash installations that have resulted in some people having to make serious and costly repairs to their cars in order to fix the damage inflicted by installations by those who either lacked the proper tools, proper training, or a little bit of both for installing auto sound systems. While some drivers don't spend all that much time in their vehicles on any given day there are many commuters who put many miles on their cars, trucks, or SUVs during the course of a week. For these drivers it is often very important that they have the best possible sound systems for their vehicles. They will rely on their stereos to find out about weather conditions, traffic tie-ups, news, and possibly even entertainment during their long drives. If sound and music plays an important role in your life, don't you deserve the best auto sound system possible? Find out more here.
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