When it comes to car audio, it can be a bit tough putting it all together. There are quite a few factors to take into consideration when piecing the gear into a complete car audio sound system to make sure it works properly. The most important part of your system by far in our opinion is the stereo — it’s what merely completes the entire package. To our advantage, many are not only affordable, but very high quality nowadays with the advancement of technology.
Selecting the best car stereo
Pricing – Your budget is the most important factor of buying a car stereo, and the range we’ve found in the 10 best isn’t too daunting. We’ve seen some extremely solid stereo receivers priced at under $100, while many (with extra features and bells and whistles) go above and beyond that if it’s what you’re looking for. We found the best car stereo within numerous price points to give you some options.
Bluetooth? About 8 out of 10 models in here have Bluetooth functionality. Even almost 5 years ago, having BT in your stereo was a bit of a rarity, but luckily nowadays it’s quite common. Is this important to you? Our best Bluetooth car stereo guide also highlights this type of model.
CD compatibility? With the widespread and ever-growing popularity of our smart phones, streaming services and Bluetooth technology, the good ol’ (can’t believe we’re using that phrase with them) compact discs are becoming so unwanted, many manufacturers aren’t even building CD players into their decks anymore! Some popular car stereos don’t even provide CD\DVD compatibility, so we made sure to state if they did or not, in case you wanted it (we still use our CD players in case of emergencies if we have Bluetooth or cell service problems, or if we want to throw it back and play that old mix our ex-girlfriend made us in 2007).
Make sure it fits – Single or double DIN? This means that you’ll have to determine what type of mounting kit you’ll need. The smaller stereos you’ll see below are single-DIN, while the bigger models (that are twice the height) are double-DIN. If you’re installing your car stereo yourself, you’ll need to follow some crucial steps. If you’re getting it professionally installed, they can definitely help you out more with this.
The ST-930BT is considered by many to be the best car stereo if you’re on a super strict budget. It has quite a few different (and essential) features, which include 4 Max Power, 50 watts, treble, bass, fader and balance. It does support CD player and it plays audio via SD or USB, smartphones, FM/AM and WMA. It is compatible with MP3 players as well. The stereo has SD and USB inputs, a wireless remote, a detachable panel and a front pre-amp output. The Bluetooth audio streaming can play music from Pandora or Spotify wirelessly. This is one of the best stereos for cars for those wanting to find a simple solution and it will help you pump out digital music quite easily. Grab the ST-930BT if you didn’t want to break your wallet and don’t need any bells and whistles alongside your car stereo receiver.