Showing posts with label Auto. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Auto. Show all posts

Thursday, 20 November 2014

Auto Sound Systems are Becoming Entertainment Systems

If youve been shopping lately for an auto sound system then I am fairly certain that youve come across several full entertainment systems among those in the running for your audio and entertainment dollars. Vehicles today offer everything from DVD players, individual speakers, headphones (also individually adjustable), and even dual players that will allow one different audio to be played in one section of the vehicle than another. In addition to all of these wonderful and nifty devices are many more devices that are meant to tempt, sway, and convince you to spend even more money on the auto sound system of your dreams. Some of these even offer MP3 players that connect directly to the audio system of your car, truck, or SUV.

The jury is still out for many people about the safety and sense of having a DVD player in your automobile. While this is the case, people will continue purchasing DVD players are part and parcel of their sound and entertainment systems and manufacturers will continue putting together attractive packages that offer these devices to consumers while offering incredible bargains on installation. I know that many feel that this is an unnecessary distraction to drivers. Im one of the rare people that feels that in a day of laptops, cell phones, talk radio, fast food, Starbucks coffee, and multitasking, a DVD in the back might be one of the best features that can be added to the car in an effort to minimize distractions coming from the direction of disgruntled passengers in the rear.

I will confess that many people wonder what this has to do with an auto sound system and I can understand that question so please bare with me. One of the features that sound system manufacturers are offering is a feature that allows individual headphones for passengers in the back along with LCD monitors that rest in the back of the head rests so that passengers in the back can both see and hear the DVDs being played without causing a distraction for the driver (either by noise or by means of flashing lights).

The truth of the matter is that having the noise from a DVD player in the back is no worse of a distraction than having disgruntled children competing for your attention from the backseat or listening to audio books as you drive along. I must admit that audio books are one of my current and readily admitted addictions. The problem with those is that on occasion some of the books simply arent meant for young ears. I try to keep my books limited to popular stories that are suitable for children whenever my children are riding along and save the sometimes steamy and often hilarious tales of Stephanie Plum for when Im riding alone. Another great reason to make sure you have an auto sound system that at the very least reads and understands MP3s.

The technology exists for this and I expect to see even more innovations technologically speaking in the way of auto sound systems and entertainment systems in the near and not so near future. We live in a world where technology is constantly evolving and we should see many new and wonderful features that will make our lives much more enjoyable for our daily commute.

Whether you are new to the technology of today, fighting it mightily, or happily embracing it-it isnt showing any signs of stopping or slowing down. This means that you will eventually have to face the fact that the old ways of buying an auto sound system will soon be obsolete. I often joke that we are rapidly becoming a society that is catching up with the "Jetsons" vision for the future. I also loudly lament my lack of a Rosie. At any rate, I am glad to see that the new technologies in auto sound systems are offering less of a one size fits all image and offering much more individual systems, even for passengers within a vehicle.

Thursday, 23 October 2014

Technology Spending Limits and the Auto Sound System

We live in a world that is constantly changing and evolving. We see it every time we buy a new car, a new television, or a new computer. We see it every other month when the iPod is putting out a new an improved model that offers more features, more disk space, and more everything, in a smaller package (well not since they added video but until then, the gadgets were getting smaller while the features were growing exponentially). The truth of the matter is that technology seems to be advancing at a rate that is nearly impossible to keep up with. That being said, you can quite literally drive yourself insane by trying to keep up with the pace of modern technology.

What you need to do in order to maintain proper sanity is decide on a level of technology that you are comfortable and confident with and go with it until it is time (by either necessity or desire) to upgrade. You do not have to be the first to purchase the latest and greatest in software and gadgetry (this has become my mantra: I do not have to be the first to own the great big bad new toy, I will survive gadget deprivation-it isnt working yet but Im ever the optimist). The point is that you do not need to be the first to try every new thing and you will not only wear yourself out by trying but also you bank account, credit cards, and second mortgage. Technology is expensive, especially the newest and latest. If there was any doubt stroll on over to Ebay and see how much Play Station 3s are selling for at the moment-madness and lunacy do not even begin to subscribe the amount of money people are offering to pay for these devices.

Technology is a wonderful thing. It makes life easier for some and a lot more entertaining for others. The same holds true with auto sound systems. The technology exists to make them much more beneficial to car and driver than they have been in the past while offering many more features than ever before. Today you arent even limited to AM and FM. You now have the option of CDs, audio books, MP3s, XML, and digital FM radio, which offers a few bonus features over traditional radio. It really doesnt matter if you have the absolute latest. Most of us can enjoy a great deal of the wonderful technology that is available if we are willing to wait long enough for the prices to go down. I recall, and it wasnt all that long ago, when DVD players sold for no less than $100. You can get them now (about 5 years later) on a regular basis for less than $30. This is only one example of many. PS2s were around $400 when they first hit the market and now can be bought at the whopping price of $120. All around us technology evolves and grows and then prices fall.

The point is spend your money where you want to spend it rather than where you think it should be spent. If you want an auto sound system then get the best one that you feel meets your budget requirements. You do not have to have the top system in the technology food chain in order to have a great sound system that will provide you with years worth of enjoyment. You are the only one that is responsible for the decisions you make. It is up to you to decide where you want the bulk of your money invested when it comes to technological gadgets and goodies. Believe me, Im a gadget geek. I love playing with new toys and gizmos and seeing how they work-really, for me its a thrill. At the same time I realize I cant always be the first to get the new toys I so desperately want to try out so I limit myself and decide which ones are the most important. You must do this for yourself when it comes to auto sound systems.