Car Stereo Decks

The technology of car stereo decks has come a long way. From the classic 8-track and cassette decks to CD players it now encompasses CD/MP3, mini-disc, DVD, iPod ready and satellite radio decks. If GPS navigation is your thing, there are a number of car stereo decks you can check out. There’s a huge range of decks that range in prices from $100 to $3000 USD.

Car stereo decks, also known as receiver or head unit, are considered to be the brains of a car audio system. Car stereo decks process signals picked up from a CD or tape and outputs the general sound to the relevant components and bring the best quality music to you. This is why you can listen to your favorite music with different features and preferences.

There are probably a whole host of different features for each and every car stereo deck in the market. Today's car stereo decks are typically multifunctional in that they can be used for most of the popular storage formats like cassettes, CD/MP3, iPod and what have you. If you can think of a function or feature, you may bet, it’s available in one car stereo deck or another.

With LCD (liquid crystal display), many car stereo decks come with a screen which can display graphics and even animations. In most models, LED (light emitting diode) is used for backlighting so you may see the display and buttons in illuminated colors. Most car stereo decks, especially CD and MP3 players, come with a handheld or steering wheel remote control for extra comfort.

All decks have at least a 4-channel output for your speaker components. Each channel is usually pre-amplified and can send out about 45-60 watts/channel. If you want even more power, then, you may certainly be interested in an amplifier. Amplifiers will then require additional wires and cables. Nowadays, AM/FM radio is built-in as a standard feature in all car stereo decks.

To prevent your deck from being stolen, most new models have a detachable face with a case to put it in. These types of car stereo decks with detachable face are just one DIN in size. It is the most common size of car stereo deck. There are also two DIN car decks. The width is almost the same as one DIN decks but the height is doubled in size. The two DIN car decks are the ones with videos or TV or even GPS. Now your car deck serves not just an audio system, but as a television, and navigation system as well.