<![CDATA[What's Killing The Car Stereo Industry? - Jalopnik Comments]]> <![CDATA[What's Killing The Car Stereo Industry? - Jalopnik Comments]]> <![CDATA[What's Killing The Car Stereo Industry?]]> @Rust- bingo- only McIntosh makes a decent looking head unit. Rest look like the marketing survey team went to the mall and stood outside the video game store to get input. Who needs a car stero that plays tetris??? Or have knobs that snap off in a week?

My Landrover has a 12-speaker Alpine head and Harmon-Kardon speakers that rock ass. Just need to get teh iPod adapter put on one of these days.

The only benefit these days is the unit comes out thru its own hole- no more trying to jiggle it out thru the back of the dash..
-W

Turbo Driver

]]> <![CDATA[What's Killing The Car Stereo Industry?]]> My current Saab is my first car that came with a decent stereo... when it works. Planning on replacing it with a Sony unit that sounds every bit as good, has more power and has a USB connecton.

The stock unit is made by Clarion and has become flakey with age. Specifically, AM radio reception (for when I want to hear the news) fades in and out. Also there's no USB or IPod connector. And as with all relatively cheap CD head units, it skips when hitting bumps. And sometimes it doesn't shut off properly and is in a limbo state that requires that I pull it out, disconnect it completely and reconnect before it works again.

Having a car *without* integrated HVAC and stereo controls is something I look for. As far as luxury cars go, the 2000 Saab isn't bad.

petersterncan

]]> <![CDATA[What's Killing The Car Stereo Industry?]]> Toyotaboy, I recommend you stop buying disposable electronics. No radio should fail in 2-3 years.

Ferrrarionpole, do you attribute your problems to the untrained kids at BB or to the quality of the Pioneer unit?

my favorite car is a motorcycle

]]> <![CDATA[What's Killing The Car Stereo Industry?]]> I get sick of replacing my equipment year after year because the "latest technology" is obsolete and the gadgetry stops working. I have a 2 year old Pioneer headunit in my wife's Accord that has been in for repair 3 times at Best Buy already. It's really annoying when you have to remove the radio and reinstall it over and over again because it's not working.

FERRRARIONPOLE

]]> <![CDATA[What's Killing The Car Stereo Industry?]]> A couple of times I have gone to replace the stock stereo/CD unit, and ended up just getting the identical unit from eBay. Why? Because most of the aftermarket stuff has too many buttons, too small a display, and is hard to use -- all adding to distractions when all I want to do is play music. I honestly couldn't find a unit I was willing to use while driving (yeah, fuddy-duddy and proud! I don't talk on cellphones while driving, either). The original equipment tends to be simple and not require you to take your eyes off the road.

Also, they are just starting to get built-in satellite units right, and satellite is all I listen to.

nyphotog

]]> <![CDATA[What's Killing The Car Stereo Industry?]]> @-chet:

I couldn't even buy an aftermarket headunit for my RX8, because the dash was molded with the shape of the stock unit. Also there was nowhere inside to put additional displays (like for xm radio)...so...even though I wanted an aftermarket unit, I couldn't have one. Probably getting to be an issue more and more with cars with molded custom dashes.

Saboth

]]> <![CDATA[What's Killing The Car Stereo Industry?]]> I think very loud systems are definitely a fad gone by. Extra weight of a subwoofer box reducing fuel economy, perhaps an extra battery or alternator upgrade just to rumble your car, only to have a copy give you a ticket for a loud stereo just isn't worth it anymore. However with that said, I still think the head units themselves have a place. I've always installed aftermarket units in my car because although stock is good, aftermarket will always be up one notch. I have a JVC with usb port on it and I love it because I can quickly copy music or podcasts to it and listen on the way to work. Also, radios don't last forever, most start having issues after 5-6 years simply from use (think about it, 2 hours of commuting per day x 50 weeks per year), they have a shelf life. I've had my corolla for 7 years now and I'm on my 3rd aftermarket radio (the laser pickup on the CD player usually goes bad), which is why I'm loving the usb port.

I'm also a huge anti-apple fan, so an ipod connector doesn't really impress me much.

toyotaboy

]]> <![CDATA[What's Killing The Car Stereo Industry?]]> @texan01: DITTO! but change the kenwood for a Denon and u can borrow my mordaunt-short bookshelfers.

Naturally Exasperated?

]]> <![CDATA[What's Killing The Car Stereo Industry?]]> i like my pushbutton stereo radio/cassette.
Bring back the all-analog, push-button, single-DIN unit!

Naturally Exasperated?

]]> <![CDATA[What's Killing The Car Stereo Industry?]]> My last three cars ('95 S320, '99 SLK, '04 E320) have had sound systems so good that I wouldn't even dream of ripping them out to take a chance on some kind of aftermarket system. Even if there was a system that was guaranteed to sound better, the fact that all of these head units look like glow-in-the-dark sneakers would steer me away permanently anyway. It's just tacky tacky tacky.

Buzz Killington

]]> <![CDATA[What's Killing The Car Stereo Industry?]]> I think it would depend on how it sounded in a new car I bought. My current car is used so I can't say much about new car systems. i have an aftermarket system in my tacoma now(was a bitch getting a sub behind the seat of a single cab pickup) and it sounds great. I think having it all done would be nice as long as it sounded good and had options for my iPod and bluetooth phone then I would keep the stock or upgraded stock.

chrismcdowell25

]]> <![CDATA[What's Killing The Car Stereo Industry?]]> I've installed a subwoofer in every car I've owned. There's something about feeling the music too. Headunits though, too difficult to integrate.

TXRX8

]]> <![CDATA[What's Killing The Car Stereo Industry?]]> About 13 yrs ago I was brought into the car audio market to educate the emerging customizer biz about "hi-fi". It was clear that things were already doomed - contests to achieve spls that have nothing to do with music competing with attempts to reach the "absolute sound" by people who had never been exposed to live acoustic music in real space in their lives - or cared to.

My only hope was that repeated exposure to excess spl was a cause of sterility, and that things would work out for the best over the long haul. Call me an elitist, but evidently, it has.

drauzy

]]> <![CDATA[What's Killing The Car Stereo Industry?]]> The aftermarket "Factory" radios for classic cars , CustomAutoSound, to me sounds worse than the factory radio available then ('70s era Delco to me) I think they teamed up with a cheap Kraco and made it uglier.

Give me 5 mechanical pushbuttons and two knobs and I'm cool. Total output of around 30 watts per channel is all I need for volume.

If I want concert quality sound, I'll fire up the stereo in the living room and enjoy my 30 year old Kenwood speakers coupled with a decent Sony reciever. An automobile is not an ideal listening environment for quality music.

texan01

]]> <![CDATA[What's Killing The Car Stereo Industry?]]> In the Benz, no. I'm going to add a small sub, but only because the stock stereo in that thing is absolutely awful, and sounds like a cellphone ringtone.

In the Corrado, absolutely. I've got thousands of dollars in the ICE in that, but again, the 1990s technology that was in that thing was horrendous. On first glance it seems irrelevant. My commute to work takes just over a minute if I drive, 9 minutes if I walk. (I drive because it rains sideways here.) But I will drive to visit the girlfriend's family, a trip of 12 hours, somewhere around 20 times a year. The $5000+ I've spent in sound and video equipment has probably saved our relationship. And possibly spared me a murder charge a few times.

Stud Beefpile, sitting in for Deartháir

]]> <![CDATA[What's Killing The Car Stereo Industry?]]> I outgrew bass and moved to engines for the "mine is bigger than yours" type of self-expression. Also, my car's electrics are sketchy enough as is.

Beppe

]]> <![CDATA[What's Killing The Car Stereo Industry?]]> @TheSchwartz: i consider myself a moderate audiophile and I've heard some incredible top-of-the-lines in BMW, Mercedes, and Lexus. I've heard some pretty good ones in aftermarket shows too, but I've mostly heard ridiculous bass at those too (which is what I'm guessing most people here are thinking about). I place a little more emphasis on tweeter sound b/c it's harder to get a nice ping than a dull thump. But ultimately, I try to get the most bang for the buck. What's better and as accessible as MP3/4?

mikedrawcar

]]> <![CDATA[What's Killing The Car Stereo Industry?]]> .
i am happy to see cheesy neon-lit electronics disappear.

Any audio system can be improved, but after dumping piles of cash into hi-fi for your car, one quickly discovers that wind & road noise obliterates whatever enhancements you made. I'd like a Krell amp, B&W speakers all around, a dash-mounted 6-disc SACD/DVD-A/CD player, and a console dock for the iPod/iPhone that retains the Apple user interface instead of treating it like a dumb MP3 player. But in reality, i'd really only pay for the iPod integration.

Unfortunately, automakers aren't making true audio enhancements easier, and they don't want to give consumers options that don't add to their profit. Thus, industry standardization on audio system interfaces and mounting seems to be elusive.

Automakers instead sell more gimmicks, which i reject out of hand. Their proprietary electronics are obsolete before they install it.

Automakers: most auto enthusiasts do NOT want $2000+ of proprietary electronic gear on the center of the dash. No touchscreens, no steering wheel switches, no satellite services, no DVD, no hard drives, no navigation nanny, no HVAC controls buried in a menu controlled by a single button, no subscriptions to movie downloads, no Windows, no Bluetooth, no all-in-one wonderboxes that cannot be swapped out by the user, .... Got it?

my favorite car is a motorcycle

]]> <![CDATA[What's Killing The Car Stereo Industry?]]> @beercheck: get a new S-class

mikedrawcar

]]> <![CDATA[What's Killing The Car Stereo Industry?]]> I like my iPod, but the FM transmitter chews up most of the glovebox in my M Roadster, not to mention how ugly the cable from my cigarette lighter port to the glovebox looks.

Because of this, I just started browsing Crutchfield the other day for a plain black head unit (preferably with red lighting like the stock one) that has iPos controls. Sadly, all I can find are pimped out blue-lighted dolphin-dancing crap. Doesn't anyone make a normal looking head-unit with iPod controls?

TheTooth

]]> <![CDATA[What's Killing The Car Stereo Industry?]]> @beta.rogan: Bingo. I sense a lot of elitist attitudes in some of the posts. The facts are that the many of the stock speakers are in fact cheap and could use upgrading and MP3 is an inferior music format. I also agree that many "premium" systems that come from the factory aren't nearly as good as a competent aftermarket setup. There are some hardcore people out there who value great sound just as we value horsepower and sticky tires. Would I like a pair of 10-inch speakers in my trunk? Sure, if I'm not paying. I don't place a high priority on it. I think its just a shift in priorities and how we see and value music.

TheSchwartz

]]> <![CDATA[What's Killing The Car Stereo Industry?]]> @graverobber: I love Crutchfield. I don't buy a ton of car stereo stuff (I generally keep things until they die), but they can't be beat. Even if you find something cheaper than they have it, their service is fantastic, and is reason enough to keep going back to them.

I'm waiting on a subwoofer box to arrive in the mail right now, actually.

The current aftermarket receiver I use I bought about three years ago, just after I got the Impreza, and I've since transplanted it to the xB. Ultimately, I needed iPod and subwoofer connectivity. It's really strange to not have a sub once you're accustomed to one.

But yeah, I buy car stereo stuff now and then.

The Pioneer reciever/cd changer that came with the xB sounded alright, but has horrid controls, and since mine's an 04, doesn't have an auxiliary input. I still like my iPod better than cds in the car, most of the time. At least the xB came with halfway decent speakers-- I can't say the same for Subaru's offerings as of MY2005.

Paul Y. can't think of a better, shorter handle

]]> <![CDATA[What's Killing The Car Stereo Industry?]]> I like a system with CLEAR, powerful low grunt. So I have to add a sub or 2 to get this. Even with volume at 1/5th it makes a big difference in the sound.
I also like crisp highs, so aftermarket tweeters or crossovers get the job done nicely.
I will say that the harder the install, the less I'm willing to undertake it.

diskreet

]]> <![CDATA[What's Killing The Car Stereo Industry?]]> I live in the town where Crutchfield was born and still lives. Great scratch/dent/returned selections. Started an electronic recycle program. I have gotten stuff there and still will. My cars are old and only came with tape decks (casette at least, not 8 track)

I read that CD sales were dropping like bricks because people are getting their music through downloads. Hence more need for iPod jack and less for CD player.

NovaloadMissesPolar

]]> <![CDATA[What's Killing The Car Stereo Industry?]]> I live in an urban area and wouldn't think of putting an aftermarket in. Too much of a target. My neighbor has had his stolen twice already. It's too bad they haven't been able to work with automakers to come up with some kind of modular upgrade system, so you can just plug in new electronics when they come out, when you can afford it or want it.

crustyjoe

]]> <![CDATA[What's Killing The Car Stereo Industry?]]> The problem with stereos with built in hard drives is that they typically use cheap hard drives that dont have very good shock protection on them.. so as you drive over the roads for any period of time.. that platter is going to be whacked a lot and eventually crap out on you.
Then youll have to give GM or whoever a shit load of cash to replace it for you.
If they can start using RAM Drives and make it cost efficient, thats the way to go. No moving parts to hose up the drives. Even on computers, RAM drives will let you boot up windows in just a few seconds compared to what a conventional platter driven hard drive.

plazma

]]> <![CDATA[What's Killing The Car Stereo Industry?]]> I havent heard a OEM car stereo yet that has totally blown me away. They put names on there like Bose, Pioneer, Boston Accoustic, etc on them and they give those brands a bad name i think.
I had a so called Bose system in my Mazda Speed3 and it was freakin horrible. It sounded flat, didnt have very good imaging at all, the sub was weak and crapped out at high levels.
When i took the Bose speakers out of the doors, they were just junky looking typical car speakers. Just cardboard cones and nothing more. If thats what Bose is using, no wonder their stuff sucks.

I put pretty much all JL Audio speakers in replacement of it and i know people have been amazed how good it sounds, especially in a little hatch. If you looked in my car, you would never know there is a big stereo in it at all, since it looks stock.
People who get their stuff ripped off are the ones that have shit all over the place and put stickers of what they have in their car... to me, thats like saying.. come here and rip my shit off cause i want you to know what you can sell at the pawn shop tomorrow.

Aftermarket stuff should stay around, but as long as people keep accepting the sub par over priced stereo systems... then this will be a decline of aftermarket stereo equipment. I wouldnt mind spending extra for a car stereo if i knew it was good, not just overpriced flea market stuff.

plazma

]]> <![CDATA[What's Killing The Car Stereo Industry?]]> @akatsuki: Dead on the nose on #3. I haven't seen one aftermarket deck that even tries to look "stock." Every single one is made tackier with stupid graphics and unnecessary bling. Make it monochromatic and pack the most power you can into the space given. That's what gets good sound...the power to drive the speakers.

Most cars for around $250 you can upgrade the audio system, a little more if navi is involved. The Mark Levinson system in Lexus is fantastic.

BMRFILE

]]> <![CDATA[What's Killing The Car Stereo Industry?]]> Marketing Marketing Marketing Most audio companies went after the wrong segment of the market. Not everyone wants big subwoofers and amps that take up the entire trunk. Walk around SEMA and all you would seen was electronics overkill. When all these companies take a step back and start selling affordable easy to install equipment that plugs into OEM harnesses, then they will regain the market. Do I want to settle for a factory system? Not really but the choice of dealing with some kid at a stero shop or Best Buy isnt too appealing.

htrodblder

]]> <![CDATA[What's Killing The Car Stereo Industry?]]> I have always been one to get audio work done. It was a shame to see my local place get shut down this quarter because they did great work.

Manufacturers stereos that are better than mine? Bring it! I'll blow the new Bose system in the Lexus out of the water.

skaspy

]]> <![CDATA[What's Killing The Car Stereo Industry?]]> There are a lot of reasons:

1. The fact that the aftermarket stereo is perceived as being for people who just crank their music up too high and cruise around annoying everyone with their douchitude.

2. In-car stereos are generally competent nowadays and some are even better than what you can do aftermarket (Volvo's dynaudio system being a good example)

3. Aftermarket stereos generally don't fit into car decor very well at all.

4. They don't offer features that are compelling anymore. Given that the in-car GPS systems suck and that portable GPSes are everywhere, you would think that stereo makers would enter that market strong, instead they sell systems that are just as crappy as the OEM (disc based navigation, etc.)

At the same time, my car has pretty horrible sound and I keep intending to replace the speakers but just never get around to it.

akatsuki

]]> <![CDATA[What's Killing The Car Stereo Industry?]]> Three words,

GPS Navigation Systems.

People start with not being satisfied with thier head unit, then decide on upgrading all the way through the speakers. These days the Navigation screen and car information system makes it near impossible to replace the head without loosing out on factory provided items.

Without the option to replace the head, and knowing that your speakers are provided by either bose or harmon kardon, why would anyone upgrade.

donjumpsuit

]]> <![CDATA[What's Killing The Car Stereo Industry?]]> Google "sylfex auxmod" and you'll find it. I've been very happy.

Jeb_Hoge

]]> <![CDATA[What's Killing The Car Stereo Industry?]]> On all the cars I own, there is nowhere to even put an aftermarket stereo- the stock stuff is buried in the dash and the controls are spread all over the place and integrated into the surfaces, including the steering wheel. So even if I wanted some flashing blue LED steal-me monstrosity, I couldn't physically install it. It's a dead market within 10 years (when the bulk of the remaining DIN cars die and exit the used car pool). Hope Kenwood has a plan B.

superbad

]]> <![CDATA[What's Killing The Car Stereo Industry?]]> I won't buy anything from car audio manufacturers until they start making hard drives that rip cds or power a large portable hard drive (not jump drive!). Chrysler and GM have built in hard drive units. What gives?

I'm guessing Sony won't do it because they own a record company??

Sucko-T

]]> <![CDATA[What's Killing The Car Stereo Industry?]]> My Civic came with everything I need, iPod, six speakers (incl. sub), MP3 CD, available sat. radio, amp, and steering wheel controls. Fitting aside, there's nothing I would need to add. SatNav is optional, but I don't really want it.

jdepould

]]> <![CDATA[What's Killing The Car Stereo Industry?]]> @Benson2175: I am presently hating most specifically on Clarion.

@Jeb_Hoge: Got a source you'd be willing to share?

beercheck

]]> <![CDATA[What's Killing The Car Stereo Industry?]]> @beercheck: Yeah, you're probably screwed. Unless you do the all out retro thing.

mytdawg

]]> <![CDATA[What's Killing The Car Stereo Industry?]]> I have older cars, so both have aftermarket head units and one has aftermarket speakers (from Crutchfield). One car had an AM/FM radio, so I needed a head unit and the other one had a blown speaker and a broken tape player. There is still a large market for upgrading older vehicles which still have DIN size head units and more or less standard speakers.
Also many factory units still cannot match the features or performance of aftermarket so there is a big indutry of add-ons and adapters and I even saw a custom fit DVD head unit for new Camrys since there are so many of them on the road that the maker could justify the toolong cost.

slowjoecrow

]]> <![CDATA[What's Killing The Car Stereo Industry?]]> I added an aftermarket line-in AUX board to my factory Mazda stereo. It plugs into the socket that the factory tape deck or Minidisc (wha?) player would use, and then emulates that signal. Put a patch cord from that to my PDA with a 2GB flash card, and whaddaya know, I've got a dash-mounted touchscreen audio/video player in my Mazda 6 for about $100! :) It would cost more than that just to get a replacement center console that would accept a single DIN stereo.

Jeb_Hoge

]]> <![CDATA[What's Killing The Car Stereo Industry?]]> @Rust-MyEnemy: Clarion makes some decent looking decks also. I think making the stereos look like killer death robots has hurt the industry.

Benson2175

]]> <![CDATA[What's Killing The Car Stereo Industry?]]> I buy used cars so I need to upgrade the stereos to have mp3 etc compatibility. I hate doing it though. It's nice to have options.

Benson2175

]]> <![CDATA[What's Killing The Car Stereo Industry?]]> @amblito: Upheld!

Becker, MacIntosh and, yes, Blaupunkt make the only even vaguely acceptable looking headunit.

Enough with the dolphin / cityscape nonsense.

I want good sound! Not pissy lights!

Rust-MyEnemy is stll out there!

]]> <![CDATA[What's Killing The Car Stereo Industry?]]> I just bought an '05 Subaru Legacy GT, and the factory stereo is integrated with the climate controls, so replacing it is nearly impossible. I've always put aftermarket stuff in my cars, but have to pass this time. The worst part is, all I really want in it is an aux input and it looks like I'll have to jump through hoops to do it with this car... Appearence wise, the factory setup is very attractive, it's just a bit lacking on a few things.

Mark1220

]]> <![CDATA[What's Killing The Car Stereo Industry?]]> @mytdawg: 1 knob would do as long as it operates the tuner. Volume buttons are okay, press-for-alternate-functionality knobs are okay, but push-button sequential tuning has no place in my world.

beercheck

]]> <![CDATA[What's Killing The Car Stereo Industry?]]> The CEA report showed the decline you cite in A/V Specialists (remember Tweeter & Ultimate?) & Big Box retailers such as Circuit City. It showed flat to slight declines in independent car audio specialists. In other words, those most capable of doing quality car audio work are still in the business while those who are not are showing catastrophic declines!

car_audio

]]> <![CDATA[What's Killing The Car Stereo Industry?]]> Sure it's getting but the ideal for cars now is PMPs - no jumping media to contend with. The incar market is always SO slow to implement these tech changes. Look how long it took before they started fitting sockets for iPods! and even now the control technology sucks unless you buy a top of the range BMW system! I ripped out my Toyota audio and fitted 1000x better Alpine gear with direct iPod control. No Cds at all. Seems a no-brainer to me! Though I would rather it were all built in well to begin with. The iPod control on my BMW Z4 is so poor that I don't use it!

ecobore

]]> <![CDATA[What's Killing The Car Stereo Industry?]]> i bought a new head unit for the Pontiac in the summer b/c my tape deck had died. only used it w/ a tape adapter for my mp3 player. The new head unit was only $100 for a cd/radio/mp3 input. But now that automakers are finally putting hard drives in the cars for mp3s, I'll probably go for one of those. It'd be nearly impossible for aftermarket to compete w/ an internal hard drive. Plus you can get NAV, audio, and in some cases, DVD in most one new car unit, as previously mentioned, and they actually look like they belong there.
Die aftermarket stereos! I don't remember why we ever liked you!

mikedrawcar

]]> <![CDATA[What's Killing The Car Stereo Industry?]]> @beercheck: Would you settle for one knob? You gotta go retro to get the old two knob setup. They make some real nice stuff for classic cars that looks like old radios with modern electronics but that can get pricey.

mytdawg

]]> <![CDATA[What's Killing The Car Stereo Industry?]]> Most aftermarket units look like your dashboard is crapping a transformer.

Sorry, I don't want to watch dolphins swimming around on some over the top mutant kitchen appliance as I drive down the street.

shocker

]]> <![CDATA[What's Killing The Car Stereo Industry?]]> @abgwin: There are some new-ish Blaupunkt models that don't look terrible, and have blue-tooth and all that. I just bought one myself. Still a pretty clean design compared to the laser show Pioneers, etc.

beta.rogan

]]> <![CDATA[What's Killing The Car Stereo Industry?]]> Bring back the Becker Europa!

amblito

]]> <![CDATA[What's Killing The Car Stereo Industry?]]> If the death of aftermarket audio is what it takes to rid the world's intersections of trunk buzz, so be it.

beercheck

]]> <![CDATA[What's Killing The Car Stereo Industry?]]> @mytdawg: With actual knobs? I'm big on knobs. (ahem)

beercheck

]]> <![CDATA[What's Killing The Car Stereo Industry?]]> The phasing out of the standard DIN/2DIN mounting chassis and standardised loudspeaker sizes coupled with the rise of very good integrated entertainment systems from the OEMs has rendered most of the automobile audio aftermarket irrelevant. The levels of silliness in the features department have done a good job of dissuading me from ever owning an aftermarket audio system. The increasing levels of stratification are also bad for the industry, especially when the features themselves cost pennies to implement but are separated by $40-50 price points. The styling is also doing a good job of driving me away; today's flashing monstrosities with their gaudy cycling animations are not anything I would want in my vehicle's dashboard.

@abgwin - You are likely in direct competition with a friend of mine, who seeks one of the classic AM/FM/SW radios for his ride.

felis_concolor

]]> <![CDATA[What's Killing The Car Stereo Industry?]]> @Parramore46: Most of them are really more of a laser light show than a sound studio. These punks pull up next to me, I can feel the bass, the windows are open, and yet there's no music actually coming out of the car.

Imagine my surprise when I found out you can buy just bass tracks, nothing else on the damn CD. I had no idea. Little bastards don't even listen to music, they just want to shake out what little brain they got.

mytdawg

]]> <![CDATA[What's Killing The Car Stereo Industry?]]> @yellofury: My little brother had a pair of house speakers unsecured in the unlined trunk of his old Plymouth. A couple hundred miles and it looked like somebody had been shooting it from the inside with a BB gun.

Bo Darville

]]> <![CDATA[What's Killing The Car Stereo Industry?]]> @beercheck: The best head units I've found have been the Alpines and I've been through dozens. I have not thrown one away yet, unlike most brands. No swimming fishes, controls most adults can use, decent size buttons for commonly used controls. Decent tuner selectivity. The quality used to be better, as with most things, but they are still about the best thing out there.

mytdawg

]]> <![CDATA[What's Killing The Car Stereo Industry?]]> Here is the deal:

On my new cars - Its all pretty damn good. My 2007 Range Rover HSE has a 14 speaker, 800 watt, touch screen co-branded Harman Kardon system w/ iPod adapter, Sirius and Blue tooth that's sweet. My last new car before then, a 2003 G500, wasn't as good. I added a Sub and a custom iPod hack. Also, with the fiber optics, Its really hard to add, short of tearing everything else out.

On my vintage cars: I continue to give them "the works." Right now, its all about the Pioneer AVIC N4 - navigation, ipod, sat and bluetooth all in one unit with a flip out screen. I put one in both my 1970 Dodge Challenger AND my 1970 Corvette LT-1. Along with Boston speakers in whatever configurations had me only cutting replaceable fiber panels and not metal, dash boards or doors. I may be getting old (40), but I "need" the navi, "need" the ipod, "need" Howard and THE LAW makes me "need" bluetooth as I can't use the phone anymore w/o it.

indahillsNYC

]]> <![CDATA[What's Killing The Car Stereo Industry?]]> OEM just had to hit the "good enough" stage to kill the aftermarket. I wouldn't mind better sound, but not enough to justify the cost of beating the factory Bose and the sacrifice of dashboard aesthetics. That said, I have had a lot of fun installing video in the kid hauler. LCDs and DVD players are ridiculously cheap, and you can beat the OEM systems at a much better price. Mine is better integrated than the afterthought blobs most OEMs use, too.

Bo Darville

]]> <![CDATA[What's Killing The Car Stereo Industry?]]> back in the day we had AC Delco and getting a Krako or a Proton from KMart was an upgrade...then came all those cool ads of Alpines with the Countach in the background..
In the 90s as a teen I drooled over Blaupunkts and Clarions in my Crutchfield and planned on how I was going to afford a few Polk Audio speakers for my bedroom,,

now flash forward I have a Bose system in my 8 year old Maxima that sounds terrific why would I want to upgrade??
unless you are getting a true econobox , standard sound systems are amazing...dont get me started on the lux cars...I mean I never would believe that we would have Mckintosh ,Bang and Olufson, JBL, B&W grace the inside of our cars..I mean even Hyundai has an Infinity system. In a yuppie flat I can imagine a wall mounted Bang and Olufson opening its doors witht he motion sensor but hell they got units in cars nowadays...
kinda makes that Pioneer aftermarket feel gimmicky..

There is still hope for the aftermarket as long as atheletes still want to pimp out their Escalades and kids want to put Bazzoka Tubes in the back of their Civics..

I think we are in a better place than putting Mom and Dad's old Emerson house speakers in the rear deck of the family Rambler

yellofury * * * * *

]]> <![CDATA[What's Killing The Car Stereo Industry?]]> I'm actually shopping for something with only a great tuner, an aux input, decent quality and a non-f'ed-up interface. Seems I'm nobody's customer, so I'll probably just make it myself.

beercheck

]]> <![CDATA[What's Killing The Car Stereo Industry?]]> To answer the question, not enough music with heavy bass. I needs my ply-wing to rattle propah!

JoSCh

]]> <![CDATA[What's Killing The Car Stereo Industry?]]> the picture above pretty much sums up my response.

aftermarket = ewwww....

stevezilla

]]> <![CDATA[What's Killing The Car Stereo Industry?]]> @mytdawg: simplicity is ignored to the point that I think some people need a reminder that it's a CAR, not a sound studio. I see the same thing with the obsession over vehicle interiors.

Parramore64

]]> <![CDATA[What's Killing The Car Stereo Industry?]]> In car entertainment? Pffff... isn't your car entertaining enough?

I'd rather listen to the engine, as far as I'm concerned the stereo just adds unnecessary weight.

amblito

]]> <![CDATA[What's Killing The Car Stereo Industry?]]> Also, if you go out looking for a clean-looking, easy-to-use aftermarket head unit, the situation is pretty grim. Most of them seem to be targeted at 16-year-old kids with hopped up Civics. I really don't want a brand-named themed psychedelic light show going on in my center stack while I'm driving. The only decent looking one I could find was the Pioneer AVIC-D3. That one still feels really flimsy, but at least it has a volume knob that's larger than my pinky.

slowinthefastlane

]]> <![CDATA[What's Killing The Car Stereo Industry?]]> Too much convergence in the factory electronics seems to be a common theme also. A lot of factory alarms and monitoring systems run through the stereo plus the remote steering wheel controls etc. I just tend to avoid cars with that much going on in the first place. I really do prefer simple over complexity for the sake of convenience (don't want to move that arm 6 inches to adjust a stereo knob). But much of the world has become "Use it until it breaks then go buy a new one" Walmart mentality.

mytdawg

]]> <![CDATA[What's Killing The Car Stereo Industry?]]> I am only trying to find a vintage Blaupunkt for my 70 VW Fastback, probably an Emden. I'm sure it won't work with my iPhone, but nothing else would look right.

abgwin

]]> <![CDATA[What's Killing The Car Stereo Industry?]]> I just added a couple woofers, a couple of subs, a couple of amps, a new deck, about 12 lcd displays, some random gauges, a lot of neon tubing and literally a ton of white rayon fabric, but that's because I'm an old Asian guy with a bad haircut that likes to wear tracksuits.

no_slushbox

]]> <![CDATA[What's Killing The Car Stereo Industry?]]> The decreasing sales and importance of higher-end and aftermakret car stereo certainly has to do with the previously noted facts

a: cars being harder to install on is a big aspect. Data lines, integrated navigation / video / audi sound systems have rendered it difficult at best to install on many cars.

b: Stock stereos are, as noted, much better than they used to be. They still suck in my opinion, but most people are fine with "good enough."

c: The trend I think has less to do with the two above, and more to do with how we as a society have begun to look at music. Thanks to craptastic data-compression schemes like MP3 and their ilk, people don't really know what High Fidelity means or sounds like these days. Even I have fallen in that direction somewhat.... Why bother with a great stereo / speaker / amp set up if your 192kbps MP3's are going to sound the same as they would on an average system.

Until the way that music is valued in society changes, quality stereo systems..both home and mobile, will continue to decrease in popularity.

beta.rogan

]]> <![CDATA[What's Killing The Car Stereo Industry?]]> In a lot of cars, if you install an aftermarket system, you will lose a lot of features, without buying a bunch of adaptor units. For instance, I looked at upgrading the system in my Chevy Trailblazer, since there isn't a way to patch in an iPod in the stock unit (the stock unit in mine is missing the proper AUX button that's in other models and years). To make an aftermarket unit continue to work with OnStar, I need an adaptor to do that. To make it work with the steering wheel controls, I needed an adaptor to do that. To make it work with the rear-seat entertainment system, I needed an adaptor to do that. To make the door chimes continue to play, I needed an adaptor to do that. Once I tallied up the final count, I was up to $250 in adaptors plus $600 for the head unit (I wanted a double-DIN unit because the single-DIN ones all had tiny buttons that looked terrible).

slowinthefastlane

]]> <![CDATA[What's Killing The Car Stereo Industry?]]> @Mad_Science:

I did that install on my 05 STI (Jazzy) and it took all of 10 minutes.

I recommend getting the interference eliminator too.

-chet

]]> <![CDATA[What's Killing The Car Stereo Industry?]]> I still like aftermarket HUs for their expanded functionality. Unless you've got a higher-end car, it's hard to find any HU that matches all the customization available for just $120-$150 in aftermarket (turn-on volume, colors, EQ, aux inputs, aux outputs, etc).

Ash78

]]> <![CDATA[What's Killing The Car Stereo Industry?]]> Considering my newest vehicle I own is a 99, then yes I do buy aftermarket.

What's killing aftermarket?

You can only rebadge a speaker so many times before people realize.

Neener

]]> <![CDATA[What's Killing The Car Stereo Industry?]]> I will be buyng quite a bit of aftermarket audio for my project car (when it's ready for it), but it's not going to be of the same excess that it would have been when I was in high school.

I think it's a combination of less need (better stock units) and a collective disdain for the pricks who overdo the mobile audio.

With my newest vehicle being an '88, I still have use for the aftermarket.

smalleyxb122

]]> <![CDATA[What's Killing The Car Stereo Industry?]]> The stock speakers in my car weren't bad, but they weren't really what I wanted. I wanted a component setup, so I upgraded the speakers. I wanted a little more bass, so I added some subs. The factory deck's CD player died, so I added a new headunit. I'm not a huge fan of the way my aftermarket head unit looks, but it sure sounds better than the stock radio did. I had to invest in a pricey relocation harness to retain the Class II Data bus features in the factory headunit (which now sits in the trunk).

ganzhimself

]]> <![CDATA[What's Killing The Car Stereo Industry?]]> And I agree completely that the displays on many aftermarket units are way over the top and unnecessary. All the control panel needs to do is convey the status and let me tell it what I want it to do. It's not necessary to put me into epileptic seizures.

mytdawg

]]> <![CDATA[What's Killing The Car Stereo Industry?]]> Several years ago, I put a multi-cd changer in my Miata's trunk. Don't have to worry about it getting stolen and the head unit has detachable face-plate,so I can leave it top down without worry. ( I never lock the car, rather have the crooks open the door to get my smokes than cut the top)

IZQQMX2

]]> <![CDATA[What's Killing The Car Stereo Industry?]]> Maybe the customers grew up, or went to jail. Or back to their home country.

goatrope

]]> <![CDATA[What's Killing The Car Stereo Industry?]]> I sure do but I love my music and like to hear it cleanly. Re-did everything in my first car, but that seems common(plus car was 10 years old at that point). Door speakers blew in my SS so I shoved some alpine's in there to improve clarity and bass, but the stock 6" subs in the hatch area sounded great.

The system in my IS300 sounds great but lacked in the bass dept., so I just built a simple free air 10" sub setup in the ski pass(which I will never use anyways). Looks nice and sounds great.

The radio in my gf's brand new jeep cherokee looks like crap and sounds like it too... but she loves the bluetooth. I am biased as I think dodge/chrysler is pure crap though... shoulda seen the expression on my face when she went car shopping without me and comes home with a Jeep.

reefer

]]> <![CDATA[What's Killing The Car Stereo Industry?]]> People seem to be just willing to accept whatever they get, that goes for cars in general. They're more interested in tactile sensations then they are performance or many other qualifications. "Oh it comes with a DVD player for the kids, yay!" or "I can't drive that, it doesn't swaddle my butt in fine comfort". I have not yet seen an acceptable stock radio in a car, high line or otherwise.

I'm sure the Nakamichi stuff that comes in GS4zillions is probably fine but I'm not in that market. My 2004 came with "Advanced Audio" and the first thing I did was tear out the door panels, back seats, and rear deck so I could replace the speakers. I would have replaced the CD changer too if it wasn't a goofy size (and I will eventually). Then I rewired the stock harness and patched the whole thing into a 15 year old 4 channel amp with speaker level inputs. Because I could. And the proprietary stock 160 watt ISBL rated (If Struck By Lightning) amp was woefully overrated.

Ipod's are just tiny Walkmans, I got no use for those either. I'll rip old albums into MP3's so I can get more on a disk because the compression doesn't affect the sound TOO much but that's the only use I got for that technology.

It's entirely possible that I'm a Luddite when it comes to sound and entertainment. I refuse to settle for little satellite speakers in my house, I still have huge overbearing 80lb front speakers with matching walnut veneer surrounds, rears, center and sub.

I still have a huge pull-out radio that I paid $500 for in 1990. It still works and sounds better than most stuff made today so I'll continue to use it. I bought my truck with the radio delete option so I didn't have to take out the old one.

I don't cheap out on the head unit, mid's and tweets then fill my trunk with woofers and amps. That's just fucking stupid. But dammit I want to hear some detail and stock equipment on anything I can afford is probably not going to be sufficient if I'm going to spend any time in it.

I have to believe it's cyclical at this point. You can't sell everything at a constant rate all the time. But I could be wrong.

mytdawg

]]> <![CDATA[What's Killing The Car Stereo Industry?]]> Three things changed for me.

1. as a salesman, I cannot afford to have my car betray my personal life/arrival in advance of/or with clients in my presence.

2. break-in's -I lost a complete system, more than once. Insurance companies are a nightmare to deal with and I guess I dont want to put up the several thousand dollars a third time.

3. I grew up.

russell_s

]]> <![CDATA[What's Killing The Car Stereo Industry?]]> Most of the major points have been made but to some up my views:

*OEM car audio has closed the gap on aftermarket in terms of performance, capability and design.

*Automakers want that revenue stream that used to go to the aftermarket, not just with electronics but custom wheels, suspensions and other systems once the sole domain of aftermarket suppliers.

*High end audio mfrs have teamed up with automakers during the interior design phase which insures they get a portion of the revenue stream that used to go to the aftermarket (Bose is the most obvious but include Harman/Kardon, JBL, Infinity, Polk Audio, Nakamichi, Mark Levinson and others).

*The aftermarket mfrs also design and sell electronics to the automakers in their OEM business. Alpine, Clarion and Pioneer make many of the OEM stereos we see in new cars.

*The overly complex design of many aftermarket head units do not appeal to older consumers who want simpler, cleaner designs.

*Integration of new technologies in new cars practically eliminates the possibility of aftermarket system expansion.

*Aftermarket mfrs have targeted the wealthy youth market with their designs but their tastes will change as they age. Key for the aftermarket will be to spot the next in car entertainment trend.

Uncle Bo, ironically aestheticized

]]> <![CDATA[What's Killing The Car Stereo Industry?]]> My wife has an 07 Hyundai Elantra and believe it or not even that car has a great sounding factory stereo that will surprise the heck out of you. The bass that pumps from the 6 speaker setup you can even hear from outside the car quite well. I admit i did not expect much from it but wow!

If I was to add anything to a car it would be on a used car of at least 7 years old and it would be a car PC, not a stupid Kenwood, Pioneer, Sony, Panasonic, Blaupunkt, Alpine, Clarion, or any of the other once selling hot brands.

tanooki2003

]]> <![CDATA[What's Killing The Car Stereo Industry?]]> I still sometimes need to increase speaker size, get a subwoofer, or improve an amp, but changing out the headset is pointless. there is nothing on AM/FM radio that I want to listen to except NPR, the BBC or Deutsch Welle, and satellite needs special equipment. I have like 600 albums on my iPod, so screw ClearChannel. I hate those bastards. Digital radio has the potential to change my opinion, but there is very little content there. The RIAA has music so locked down, no independents can present me with the stuff I want to hear. I hope bands finally get out from under that 'label' bullshit, and start doing more direct stuff. I will support them, but not RIAA label lawyers.

DoctorNine

]]> <![CDATA[What's Killing The Car Stereo Industry?]]> when i bought my car used it came with an after market jvc head unit. that thing is terrible. it has this rainbow display that always flashes multiple colors any time the unit is on.

about 3 months after i bought my car i took off the face plate for the unit and have yet to put it back on. actually i dont think ive used the stereo in my car for over a year

damnElantra

]]> <![CDATA[What's Killing The Car Stereo Industry?]]> I got the after market stereo for the Ipod/Audio In jack so I could stop wasting money on CD's. Id trade that for the new MyGig or similar systems though, even if it meant buying another Dodge someday. My friends new Avenger has beautiful sound in it so even bothering with an Amp and Subs doesnt really matter as much. Its too bad, really, I was just getting a few good laughs at the morons with their vibrating trunks.

hassimir

]]> <![CDATA[What's Killing The Car Stereo Industry?]]> I too at one point was a hardcore audiophile.. Decades back I had a '79 E21 320i w/ Alpine 7517S head unit, $175 Denon 4x6's in the kick panels, Boston C700II plates on the rear deck all powered by a Precision Power amp.. My current ride is an E-Class and I wouldn't dare start cutting away at the door panels.. I've evolved into more of a purist.. Aftermarket has turned into crap w/ tiny chicklet buttons & that dizzying played-out blue illumination (maybe I'm just getting old) and doesn't integrate seamlessly w/ the increasingly acceptable sounding OEM congigurations.

b20a

]]> <![CDATA[What's Killing The Car Stereo Industry?]]> Home. Of. The. One. Dollar. Dash. Fire!

I have 3 DINs sitting in my garage right now. The GTO and the Tacoma setups are more than fine....now, maybe if I buy another 70-80's Jeep to abuse my self with... Again.

LandofID

]]> <![CDATA[What's Killing The Car Stereo Industry?]]> When the stock system in my car dies, I call Crutchfield every time. Whoever made my car always wants far too much of my money for a replacement unit.

mobilene

]]> <![CDATA[What's Killing The Car Stereo Industry?]]> Doesn't help that everything the aftermarket manufacturers put out is ugly, ugly, ugly, and that factory systems have become more and more integrated with the shape and look of the center stack. So even if the aftermarket units weren't ugly, they'd still look way out of place.

Plus, yes, factory stuff sounds acceptable these days, and doesn't get stolen.

Ward

]]> <![CDATA[What's Killing The Car Stereo Industry?]]> I bought some 'replacement' speakers [pioneer] for my 1st gen neon, but otherwise, nope; haven't bought any. Probably not going to for our Jeep either. (o8 patriot)

suzq044

]]> <![CDATA[What's Killing The Car Stereo Industry?]]> definitely. my 05 xB didn't have a iPod adapter or bass, so that needed to go in. And my string of old trucks came with crap.

mehugtree

]]> <![CDATA[What's Killing The Car Stereo Industry?]]> The "stock" stereo configuration in my '08 Accord is light years ahead of the $1500 set up I had in my beater car from high school 7 years ago. I wouldn't dare think of replacing it.

Nayrlladnar

]]> <![CDATA[What's Killing The Car Stereo Industry?]]> I put aftermarket CD/MP3 decks in my last two cars (they were old enough that cassette was standard (1995)), but the standard stereo in my G35 is fine, not that I could feasibly replace it if I wanted to.

no_slushbox

]]> <![CDATA[What's Killing The Car Stereo Industry?]]> I agree with the others. Factory radios have drastically improved in sound and quality along with usability. My dad's 94 Dodge Dakota came with a Sony cd-player when he bought it used, after two days of listening to him complain about the Sony, I shoehorned an '90s Delco radio that I had laying around which could handle what he wanted to listen to (AM talk radio). The factory Ford radio in my Explorer is more than up to the task of what I require of it (make decent music/noise), the Ford radio in my Contour must have been made by Kraco in the '80s as it's barely noise worthy.

To me, usability is more important that how loud or how many dolphins to the mile I get. I want it loud enough to be heard inside but not outside.

texan01

]]> <![CDATA[What's Killing The Car Stereo Industry?]]> I had to say yes because I don't buy new cars

DrJeffie

]]> <![CDATA[What's Killing The Car Stereo Industry?]]> I have a stock Rockford fosgate 6 CD changer unit in my Xterra. If I spent the money to have some aftermarket unit put in, its just a flag to have some guy break in and steal it. My ears are not THAT sensitive...my Stereo works just fine

Mysterious Utility Bento

]]> <![CDATA[What's Killing The Car Stereo Industry?]]> Have a Z4 & Nissan Frontier...both of which came with great systems and an ipod interface. No need, as long as the continue to funtion, to go after any aftermarket additions.

Texas_technoman

]]> <![CDATA[What's Killing The Car Stereo Industry?]]> Aside from the other factors already mentioned, I think it would be interesting to look at it based on demographics. The audiophiles are far outnumbered by the conspicuous consumers that simply want to make noise and be seen doing it. The latter of these two is getting hit particularly hard by the economy right now, I'd say.

Parramore64

]]> <![CDATA[What's Killing The Car Stereo Industry?]]> I haven't bought anything in years. As long as my car has a CD player I'm happy. I have a couple in the basement out of my vehicles that are gone. I keep telling myself I'll put one in my truck. Really not much need to upgrade since there haven't been in major changes in technology in the past 10-15 years. Just get an FM modulator for your MP3. Might have something to do with the fact I'm older and jus tlisten to more talk radio now too.

P161911

]]> <![CDATA[What's Killing The Car Stereo Industry?]]> The equipment being sold with the cars today is more than adequate. The i-pod is making cd players obsolete. Ford's sync system will really make after market add ons unnecessary.

Gottleib

]]> <![CDATA[What's Killing The Car Stereo Industry?]]> I drive a Jeep. What do I need with a stereo, I can't hear it anyway.

buttons

]]> <![CDATA[What's Killing The Car Stereo Industry?]]> How about that car stereo is one of the most expensive forms of entertainment? Economic uncertainty usually slows down frivlous purchases pretty quickly. That, plus the switch to personal/portable entertainment (phones/ipod) all marginalize the car audio business.

A set of MB Quart components or an ipod? Value-wise, the ipod is the better option for most people.

Ash78

]]> <![CDATA[What's Killing The Car Stereo Industry?]]> I agree with other posters, factory systems have slowly gone from suck to acceptable over the last decade. My first car, an '87 buick, had the most craptastic system and I made quite a fun hobby of installing my own system. Now, however, I have no desire to upgrade the premium audio system in my '02 WRX. Doesn't sound nearly as good as my old custom system, but still sounds pretty good.

The only features tempting me now are HD radio reception and playing music from a USB thumbdrive. Had I an ipod, i'd be interested in a headunit that could control it, but i don't have one of those.

YankBoffin

]]> <![CDATA[What's Killing The Car Stereo Industry?]]> I'm probably going to spend some cash to get an AUX in in my 06 WRX. Got it used, so I didn't exactly get to pick it. From what I can tell, there's some kind of back-door hack into the wiring harness ('07s had it as an option).

The only place I'd spend money on a new deck would be on older vehicles, of which I have 2. Sometimes mono AM with 1 speaker doesn't cut it. (And don't worry, I'll hide it under the seat or dash). That's where the aftermarket audio will go on forever: pre-2004ish vehicles that still have standardized faces or lacking features.

Mad_Science

]]> <![CDATA[What's Killing The Car Stereo Industry?]]> A big problem with car audio aftermarket is that the user experience of OEM head units continues to evolve while that of aftermarket units does not. Flashy gimmicks and long feature lists draw kids in at Best Buy, but make for cheap looking and overly complex products in daily use.

I hate, hate my Pioneer Premier DEH-P790BT, but it's the only deck at a reasonable price with all the features I want: integrated Bluetooth, sat radio, and Ipod control. The bass control is deeper in the menu tree than the frigging dolphin screensaver control. Everything is at least one menu level deep and the tiny buttons on the face do practically nothing. Useful information like the time is tiny and unreadable on the display, to reserve screen real estate for the dolphins.

badco/LoJ

]]> <![CDATA[What's Killing The Car Stereo Industry?]]> It does seem as though the 'popularity' of aftermarket audio is dwindling, AND I think the industry will see a recession to the original audience for high end products, the true audiophiles that demand more than even 'bose' systems in factory setups. There is no way I will ever settle for a factory system... Never. The market will need to adjust their offerings to attract buyers again. Make something more worthwhile than the ipod, and you will draw more interest in your product. Best of luck with that - Alpine - Kenwood - Dual.

thm73

]]> <![CDATA[What's Killing The Car Stereo Industry?]]> Gee, I still have that 8-Track I mounted in my glove box. I only have one tape, Andy William's Greatest Hits.

Isetta

]]> <![CDATA[What's Killing The Car Stereo Industry?]]> It's about video and integration now...so the aftermarkets are kinda of shut out. If your radio is also the nav screen and the climate control...there's no way you're going to swap that out.

I've said it before that in car audio is one of the silliest things imaginable. Think about what constitutes an optimal home hi-fi listening set up...speakers out from the wall, listening position centered - neither of these things are really possible in a car. You can't get truly good sound (and I'm not talking about boom and tizz audio) in a car without a ton of processing/sound steering.

Al Navarro

]]> <![CDATA[What's Killing The Car Stereo Industry?]]> As noted by others already, proprietary setups + new car factory units being decent enough for most folks = a declining aftermarket.

The pitfall is that down the line when something new comes out and/or the factory unit dies, consumers don't have an easy (affordable) solution for a new unit.

narf

]]> <![CDATA[What's Killing The Car Stereo Industry?]]> I hope these companies extinct as they put out products that do nothing but emit noise pollution. Who the hell needs a 12" sub in their car?! But morons tend to go for volume rather than quality. Let's weake up the neighbors, even if the trunk is rattling like a soup can.

Most new cars come equipped with decent stereos, and the anti-theft feature on the factory systems are much more reliable than aftermarket. Besides, adding an aftermarket deck never looks right.

Even Hyundais have an available sound package that comes with Infinity audio components.

BMRFILE

]]> <![CDATA[What's Killing The Car Stereo Industry?]]> I have a double din and a 2005. I'd like to have some features that are currently lacking in the factory unit, such as better iPod connectivity and HD radio. Crutchfield remains,, in my mind, and excellent source of automotive stereo needs.

I do remember, when I was first driving, picking up stereo stuff from places like Leo's Stereo, Federated Group, Roger's Sound Lab. So many options back then.

graverobber- It says Loud Pipes Save Lives

]]> <![CDATA[What's Killing The Car Stereo Industry?]]> I wouldn't say the availability of more than adequate sound systems in pretty much any new car would render the car audio industry obsolete. Idiotic (in my opinion) people are always going to want to run even more retarded wattage through their subs, and there's a solid base of audiophiles who are also going to want to go all out with equalisers,, surround, sound deadening, the works - and there's a good hi-fi market out there. Will this be the end of the best-buy system though? Could very well be.

staaave

]]> <![CDATA[What's Killing The Car Stereo Industry?]]> Stock stereo is one of the things I look for in a new car. I don't want to have to upgrade it. If it accepts my iPod and sounds good I'll take it.

A strolling player, now with 100% more Studebaker!

]]> <![CDATA[What's Killing The Car Stereo Industry?]]> What everyone else said. Factory stereos are getting way better, plus many cars make it a giant pain in the ass to install a DIN sized head unit since the stereo is often integrated into the dash with the climate controls, etc.

I would have left the factory stereo on my 02 SVT Focus alone except I wanted to play MP3 CDs. If it wasn't for that, the stock stereo with factory subwoofer was more than adequate for me, and way better sounding than any of my previous factory stereos.

LTDScott, Porcubimmer pilot

]]> <![CDATA[What's Killing The Car Stereo Industry?]]> I wouldn't replace a stock unit on a new car but when you buy used sometimes you need to bring it up to code so to speak.

The near universal use of mp3s now has probably taken a big chunk of their revenue as well b/c their is no need for fancy cd changers now and most people have peripheral players like ipods so there is no point in storing your tracks in dash.

Teds

]]> <![CDATA[What's Killing The Car Stereo Industry?]]> Plus more cars are showing up with non-standard installation formats, as well as factory-integrated features that are difficult to replicate in the aftermarket.

The non-brand-name stock audio in many cars is pretty good these days, and doesn't scream for update the way it did years ago.

Phil L.

]]> <![CDATA[What's Killing The Car Stereo Industry?]]> I put an aftermarket stereo in my car after the factory unit died. Now, if I bought a new car, I'd either get one that had a factory installed ipod adapter, or buy an aftermarket stereo.

B

]]> <![CDATA[What's Killing The Car Stereo Industry?]]> I would like to have some better sound in both of my vehicles (06 sti & 08 tacoma), but performance parts for the sti and other hobbies (mtn bike, snowboard) take precedence.

flightofthesuperbees

]]> <![CDATA[What's Killing The Car Stereo Industry?]]> I kinda miss universal stereo size. As much as in car stereos and entertaiment systems have improved from the manufacturer, it's still nice to have a choice when it comes to headunits.

Miscellanea

]]> <![CDATA[What's Killing The Car Stereo Industry?]]> Cars got harder to install on.

Cars started having better factory stereo options

People get tired of having thier shit stolen

For the most part, it was a fad.

-chet

]]> <![CDATA[What's Killing The Car Stereo Industry?]]> I think that the stock equipment in most new cars has become adequate for what a lot of people want so there is no need to buy an aftermarket one. And who wants to spend thousands of dollars on it when all it takes is someone with a screwdriver 5 minutes to rip it all off?

disgustepated

]]> <![CDATA[What's Killing The Car Stereo Industry?]]> good

FThorn

]]>