Car audio, as previously discussed in last week’s History of Car Audio, have improved significantly during the last decade or so. Turntables and cassettes might be the thing of the past for modern-day car stereos and receivers. These types of receivers can be further subdivided into categories but for today we’re going to discuss the 4 most common types of car receivers in the market.

CD Receivers

CDs might slowly becoming a “thing of the past” now, but you’ve got to admit that there’s something special about playing a CD on your car stereo that makes us all feel nostalgic. CD receivers are what people mostly think of when someone says “car stereo”. CD players come in both single-DIN (2in) and double-DIN (4in) sizes. CD receivers nowadays not only have the CD-player as their sole feature. They also commonly feature a USB and/or AUX input, and some still have the classic radio tuner.

DVD Receivers

Also more commonly known as “in-dash DVD players”, DVD receivers not only play DVDs that makes long car rides so much more entertaining, but also features the functions that a digital media receiver and CD receivers do like playing CDs, USB/AUX input, Bluetooth connectivity, car assistant systems (Android Auto, Apple CarPlay). They also come in single-DIN and double-DIN sizes.

Digital Media Receivers

As the name suggests, digital media players ditch the whole CD player feature altogether (mechless receivers). They also come into single-DIN and double-DIN sizes like the CD receivers. These types of receivers are for people who mostly play their music through their digital music players (like the iPod), through music streaming services (Spotify, Pandora, etc) and their smartphones. However, some digital media receivers still retain some of the CD receiver features like the USB/AUX input and Bluetooth connectivity, and some also feature the car assistant systems like the Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. 

Digital Multimedia Receivers 

These type of receivers mostly have touchscreen capabilities, unlike digital media receivers that still have buttons and knobs. Its clear difference with digital media receivers is that it can also play video, hence the word "multimedia". Digital multimedia receivers also have integrated features like apps, car assistant systems among others.

Navigation Receivers

Navigation receivers are perfect for those people who travel a lot and constantly on the road. The built-in GPS navigation makes it more convenient rather than constantly relying on the smartphone’s GPS features. And not only do navigation receivers function as the “modern-day map”, some navigation receivers also retain the rest of the other receivers’ cool features such as the USB/AUX input, Bluetooth connectivity, car assistant systems among others.

No matter what type of car receiver you think is best for you and your needs, be sure to check it out at onlinecarstereo.com as we have a wide array of products you can choose from. Also subscribe to our newsletter to receive weekly promotions and save tons of cash.

When speakers produce sound, it creates vibration inside the hallow cavity of your door, dashboard or rear dash panel.Depending on the music your are listening, certain frequencies will cause something to vibrate inside your car whether it be loose screws or simply surface areas adjacent to a speaker, tweeter or subwoofer.

To avoid these vibrations, it is recommended to install speaker baffles when upgrading your car audio setup. For one, it holds the speakers in place more securely when installed on your doors and secondly, it prevents dirt from accumulating inside your speakers. In addition to dust protection, baffles protects the speakers from water intrusion and makes your speakers last longer. But the main function of baffles is to avoid the resonance produced by the vibration of your car's surface to transfer to your speaker cones. This will result in a more crisp and clear sound when you play your music. The physics behind this is similar to a music studio with sound absorbers installed on the its walls. The better absorption it has, the clearer the sound would be.

Online Car Stereo offers speakers baffles of various sizes. The more common ones are: 3, 4, 4x6, 5, 5.25, 6.5 and 6x9 inches. Boom Mat baffles are made of high quality and the company has invested in the latest 3D scanning and cutting technology to manufacture and cut the baffles precisely that has allowed a perfect fit to every speaker.

Checkout our inventory at WWW.ONLINECARSTEREO.COM and look for your appropriate size. 6.5" Baffles, 6x9 Baffles, 6 3/4 Baffles, 5 1/4 Baffles, 6x8 Baffles, 5x7 Baffles, 4" Baffles, and 4x6 Baffles,

This week, Online Car Stereo is including a free pair of Boom Mat speaker baffles to selected speaker purchases. HURRY UNTIL SUPPLIES LAST!!! You can also subscribe to our NEWSLETTER to receive weekly promotions such as this and save tons of cash.

Car audios have come a LONG way since its first inception. It is fascinating how the concept of car audio has evolved from clunky AM radios to ones with operating systems and with multiple functions. For today we’re gonna talk about the evolution of car audio.

1900s - Did you know that the first car audio was presented as early as 1904? Lee De Forest, the “Father of Radio”, performed a demonstration at the Louisiana Purchase Exposition in St. Louis.

1920s - The first factory-installed car radio was installed on a 1922 Chevrolet (the radio brand was Westinghouse) and almost cost as half as the actual cost of the car itself! Talk about pricey!

1930s - Paul and Joseph Galvin, entrepreneurs and brothers, bought the bankrupt Stewart Battery Company. The company made The Battery Eliminator that allowed battery-operated home radios to run on household current, the equivalent to today’s AC adapters. The Galvin brothers utilized the company’s battery eliminator design and used that to manufacture battery eliminators for their radios.

Eventually, the battery eliminators became obsolete as AC-powered radios were becoming the standard. Paul Galvin met with William Lear and Elmer Wavering, two radio engineers, who created a radio with a design that removed the problem with static interference.

(the first commercially released car audio -- The Motorola)

The brothers eventually came up with the first radio which they named The Motorola, which is a portmanteau of the words “automative” and “Victrola” (a brand name of a phonograph, but eventually became a generic term for any kind of phonograph). Motorola eventually became the big telecommunications company it is today (YES, that Motorola).

1952 - Blaupunkt, a German company, created the first FM radio. Prior to this, the only option of frequency for radios was the AM frequency. A year later, Becker Mexico made an AM/FM receiver with a station search or scan function.

1955 onwards (before 1970s) was a period of trial and error for car audio manufacturers. Chrysler Hi-Fi was the first time one’s own records were played in the car, and was also the first and only car phonograph. It used a mini-turntable (located on the dash of the passenger side) to play its records. This only lasted for a few years, however. This is because one of the Hi-Fi’s fatal flaws is that the record skips even on the smallest bump on the road the car runs into. 

(photo by sv1ambo on Flickr)

The Hi-Fi eventually evolved to Earl Muntz’s Stereo-Pak, who was the pioneer of a 4-track system. Tracks did not skip with this kind of car audio (an upgrade to the Hi-Fi). Muntz then developed the AutoStereo in the early 60s, which had drivers the freedom to customize and select their personal listening experience. After that, improvements were made to Muntz’s idea and the 8-track cartridge system was developed.

1970s to 80s - Cassette tapes eventually replaced the 8-track system. And with the invention of the Walkman in 1979, cassette tapes became much more prevalent. It improved 8-track’s technology with longer play times, improved tape quality, Dolby noise reduction and auto reverse.

1980s to 90s - Philips and Sony were the first to develop the model for the CD which was first marketed for home use in 1982. However, it was Pioneer who developed the first ever car CD player in 1984. Named the CDX-1, this player had a significantly improved sound quality unlike everyone else. Aside from that, CDX-1 was much more durable than cassette tape players and had the ability to skip tracks.

(CDX-1 image from Pioneer's website)

2000s - car audio quality even improved significantly after the CD player phase of car audio. There was the digitization of music, and gave rise to MP3 players. These are portable devices that can hold thousands of songs and can play different types of music formats. By the mid-2000s, in-car audio systems developed the capability to connect these players to the car’s audio systems. Features like the USB, AUX and Bluetooth became staples on car audios.

And with the rise of smartphones and the usage of apps like Spotify, Pandora, SiriusXM and the use of car assistant systems like Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, playing music in your car has never been easier. 

Sources: (1) (2) (3) (4)

So check out onlinecarstereo.com for our wide array of car audio products and subscribe to our newsletter to receive weekly promotions and save tons of cash!

Ever wondered what makes what makes your music sound better in your car. There are a lot of available speakers, subwoofers and tweeters in the market which makes it hard to choose. Here are some terms to consider when trying to select the perfect speaker, subwoofer or tweeter upgrade for your vehicle.

HIGH FREQUENCY
These are sound produced mostly by tweeters which are commonly manufactured to operate sounds between 3kHz to 20kHz. These are sounds produced by guitars, trumpets and high voice. Tweeters are built small as high frequency sounds are only heard to enhance your overall music for clarity. Some regular speakers already come with built-in tweeters and are classified as 2-way or 3-ways speakers. Here are some of the best tweeters from Online Car Stereo. Pioneer TS-T110, JL Audio C5-075CT and Alpine SPR-10TW.

MEDIUM FREQUENCY
This range of sound are commonly produced by your regular speakers in the range of 200-2,000 Hz. Different sizes vary such as 3.5", 4", 5.25" or 6.5". The sound heard in the medium frequency are the majority of the arrangement of the music you are listening. These are the vocals, drums, piano, and other instruments. If you normally listen to rock, jazz, classical and pop music, you will definitely need to upgrade your medium frequency to enjoy them a lot. Here are the top rated speakers from Online Car Stereo. Kenwood KFC-4675C, JL Audio C5-650x and Alpine SPE-6090.

LOW FREQUENCY
Also known as the bass sound, these are produced typically by subwoofers. Common sizes of subwoofers range from 8", 10", 12" and 15" with frequencies 20-80 Hz. If your type of music is hiphop, then you might want to upgrade your low frequency sound and purchase high end subwoofers. You can find the best subwoofers here at Online Car Stereo.The JL Audio 10W3v3-4, Kenwood Excelon KFC-XW1000F, JL Audio 6W3v3-4

Be sure to always visit WWW.ONLINECARSTEREO.COM for the newest car audio products nationwide. You can also subscribe to our newsletter to receive weekly promotions and save tons of cash.

Thanksgiving Day is fast approaching and that also means that Black Friday and Cyber Monday is also around the corner. This year in particular will be a very different one from all the previous years we have done the two biggest shopping days of the year because of the pandemic.

But where (and when) exactly did the terms “Black Friday” and “Cyber Monday” come from?

(image source: bloomberg.com)

Black Friday dates back to Philadelphia in the 1960s where newspapers in the state used the term to describe the massive frenzy of crowds at stores and the congestion of traffic that happens on the day after Thanksgiving. The crowd frenzy was paralleled after the original “Black Friday”, which was a stock market panic on September 24, 1869, where the price of gold collapsed due to then-President Ulysses Grant’s interference on the scheme of three investors: Jay Gould, James Fisk, and President Grant’s own brother-in-law, Abel Corbin.

(image source: abc7.com)

Cyber Monday, however, is a much newer term that was coined by Ellen Davis of the National Retail Federation and Scott Silverman, and was used as a marketing term for the Monday after the Thanksgiving holiday here in the United States. It was created as a digital counterpart to Black Friday to encourage people to do online shopping and has rapidly become the biggest ecommerce event in the US, whereas Black Friday is more of a brick-and-mortar sale event. 

However, with the pandemic happening right now, Black Friday will probably shift to a bigger online event than it was before rather than doing the traditional in-store sales retailers have done in previous years. So definitely watch out in the coming weeks for upcoming deals and bundles for Black Friday and Cyber Monday at onlinecarstereo.com and subscribe to our newsletter to receive weekly promotions and save tons of cash!

We always strive for customer satisfaction when you buy from us here at Online Car Stereo, but sometimes, one might have problems with their purchase and decide to return it. We have one of the best hassle-free return policies out there. If by some reason you are not satisfied with your purchase, unused/uninstalled items can be returned within 60 days.

Making a return is pretty easy!

• Contact us. To start a return, call 1-310-526-8635 and chat with our helpful and friendly customer service representatives. We can also be reached through email at  [email protected] for any questions.
• Get an RA (return authorization). If you call us at our contact number, a customer service representative will be able to assist you through your options and help set up a return authorization. You can also request a return authorization online through email at  [email protected].
• Pack returned items carefully. Returned items should be new and in their original packaging, complete with all the original accessories, manuals and warranty card. We care about the safety of the items so we overbox most of the products to protect them during shipping.
• Attach the shipping label. You will receive a UPS Authorized Return Service shipping label along with a return authorization number. Remove or mark out the original labels, then securely tape the new return shipping label to the package.
• Give the package to UPS. Take it to any official UPS drop-off site. To search for drop-off locations nearest you, call 1-800-742-5877 or visit www.ups.com.

Online Car Stereo will send a “return received” notice through email detailing that the returned item has been received. An additional email will also be sent following the completion of the return process.

There are also important details to consider when doing a return.

Refund or exchange. You can either choose an exchange or a refund according to the amount of the item you purchased. Refunds will be issued to the same credit card, debit card, gift certificate, or other form of payment that was used in the original transaction. The refund or exchange process for items usually gets processed within three business days after we receive the returned item, as we normally conduct additional testing and evaluation. Additionally, depending on the financial institution, the refunded amount will take about 3-5 business days to reflect back on your account.

Shipping costs. Return shipping costs are deducted from your refund or exchange.

For most returns, Online Car Stereo can issue you a UPS Authorized Return Shipping (ARS) label for a flat fee.

New condition. All returns for refund will be subject to a 10% restocking fee (and higher if the item is used/abused). Online Car Stereo may refuse a customer return or charge a higher restocking fee when the returned item is not NEW. Conditions that will lead to refused returns or be charged a higher restocking fee include:

• When the returned item has a different serial number than what Online Car Stereo originally shipped.
• When there are missing parts or the original packaging has been damaged or tampered with.
• When there is damage due to the package being improperly packaged for return shipment.
• When there is physical damage from drops, spilled liquid, or mishandling.
• When the product has been installed or has attempted to be installed and was removed from the original packaging.
• When the item has any signs or indication of it being installed, with scratches, or other signs of use such as physical markings, screw holes, etc.

Freight shipping: Items like Boxes and Large subwoofers may require special freight shipping, and they usually cost more to return. An Online Car Stereo representative will be able to help figure out the exact shipping cost of freight items when setting up the return.

**Online Car Stereo does not accept any returns for Rims, Tires and finance orders. Only exchange or store credit will be granted.

International shipping: UPS ARS labels are not valid for international shipping or shipping on US territories. The customer is responsible for any international shipping charges or duties.

We here at Online Car Stereo will always be committed to give you the best customer service we can possibly give. Always visit us at onlinecarstereo.com to check out our wide array of products and subscribe to our newsletter to receive weekly promotions and save tons of cash.

Massive Audio has been an industry leader in high performance audio products since 1999, and today we are going to talk about one of their super high powered midrange speakers -- the Massive Audio M8C.

Massive Audio M8C is part of the M Series Closed Back Midrange Speakers. They are designed for high SPLs (sound pressure levels, in case anybody’s wondering) without needing an enclosure of any kind. These audio speakers outdo most higher priced midrange speakers in the market today. It is an 8-inch speaker that features an 80 Watts RMS power range with a maximum of 300 Watts, 8 Ohm, 98dB, and a frequency response of 550HZ - 6KHz.

Also, the M8C isn’t limited to being used as a car audio speaker -- it can be used for pro audio and DJ speakers due to its High Grade Ferrite Magnet force for high sensitivity and accurate sound reproduction, thus producing GREAT sound quality.

If you are worried about these speakers crackling and blowing out over time because of cheap quality, FEAR NOT! The M8C is a heavy duty midrange speaker that is guaranteed to last. They use a heavy gauge steel basket, a reinforced paper cone and custom cloth surround.

With a high quality construction, great sound and long-lasting performance, these midrange speakers are a perfect fit for almost any car installation including BMW, Ford, Chrysler, Dodge, Honda, Hyundai, Lincoln, Buick, Fiat, Cadillac and many more.

All in all, the Massive Audio M8C is going to be the best “bang for your buck” midrange speaker with its excellent sound quality at an affordable price. Keep in mind that the M8C is sold individually. Check it out at Onlinecarstereo.com for more information and you can also subscribe to our newsletter to receive weekly promotions and save tons of cash.

Kicker Marine Speakers

The Kicker Marine Speakers is sure to take your boating experience to the next level! You can choose between three different sizes -- the 4-inch, 8-inch and 6x9 speakers that come in both charcoal and white grilles so you can easily match the theme of your audio setup with the theme of your boat. 

What makes them different from Kicker’s standard CS or KSC speakers? Marine speakers have a motor that is completely encased in the basket so it is completely sealed. The wires that connect to the amplifier are gold-plated instead of tin to ensure it is water-tight and safe from corrosion. Gold-plated wires do a lot better with corrosion resistance. The Kicker Marine Speakers’ grilles have a built-in drainage port to prevent standing water.

The Kicker KM Series Speakers have an awesome LED light display and you get to choose between seven colors:

• Red
• Magenta
• Green
• Lime green
• Blue
• Blue-white
• Aquamarine

Want to amp up the cool? There is a controller unit (KMLC LED controller), sold separately, that unlocks 20 colors and 19 lighting modes. Isn’t that awesome?

Kicker Marine Subwoofers

Kicker Freeair (45KMF102, 45KMF124 and 45KMF104) Marine Subwoofers and KM Subwoofers (45KM104, 45KM124, 45KM122) need no enclosure, so you can mount these versatile subwoofers nearly anywhere. You can choose between the 10 and 12-inch marine subwoofers that were tested for salt/fog and UV exposure, meeting or exceeding ASTM standards, so you can be assured that these bad boys are completely weatherproof. They have a completely sealed motor structure and locking/sealed terminal cover to make it splash-proof, and a tough Santoprene® surround.

Much like the marine coaxial speakers, there are optional LED grilles (sold separately) for KM Subwoofers. They also come in seven selectable LED colors. They also can be controlled by the KMLC LED Controller (also sold separately) for 20 colors and 19 different lighting modes to jazz up your already cool party!

Kicker Marine Amplifiers

Kicker KXMA400.2 and KXMA400.4 are marine amps that feature conformal coated circuit boards to protect the heart of the amp from water damage. All the power terminals meet stringent ABYC/NMMA standards and the thick gasketing protects the control cover from unwanted moisture. The aluminum chassis is also UV treated for extra-long life.

Included with the amps is a wireless remote that goes way beyond being a simple bass knob. You can control as many as four KXM Mono amplifiers simultaneously, plus the bass channel of the five-channel amplifier. You can monitor and adjust vital functions of the amp such as clipping, gain, bass boost and more.

These Class D amplifiers deliver as much as 1,200 watts of power -- while requiring an incredibly small footprint.

The amps also have a specially designed gain control that lights up when the perfect input signal is detected from your radio. An adjustable 24dB crossover is featured on the marine amplifiers, as does 18dB of KickEQ+™ bass boost.

Since you're already here, you might want to check out our ongoing Kicker promotions so you can save tons of cash!