Choosing the Ideal Head Unit for a Car Audio Installation

At Laketown Speed and Sound, we’re proud to serve as your one-stop shop for all car audio installation and sound system needs in Utah. Our staff holds expertise in every conceivable car audio component or upgrade you might be interested in, and we can advise you on everything from minor additions or tweaks all the way up to a full-on overhaul of your entire system.

One of the single most important components for many vehicle stereo upgrades: The head unit, which serves as your control piece for the entire system. The heat unit is the baseline for any major upgrade, impacting everything from the appearance of your new dash to the ease of operation for several parts of the audio system. Let’s go over everything you need to know about head units, including some areas to consider while choosing yours.

choosing heat unit car audio

Head Unit Definition and Importance

As we noted, the head unit acts as the main control for the rest of the system.Without a head unit, most stock car radio controls will be unable to handle the various demands of an upgraded sound system, which may include connections to specific sub-woofers and other areas just not possible with traditional radios.

It’s also an important factor in personalization and aesthetics. While many car audio components are placed out-of-sight and don’t matter much from a visual perspective, the head unit goes in a prominent area of the vehicle and will be seen often. It’s a great chance for vehicle owners to impart their own personal style and designs.

Proper Sizing

There are two standard head unit sizes to consider: Single-DIN and double-DIN (there may be some in-between options, but these are rarer). Determining the right one for your needs mostly comes down to some basic calculations, which you can either measure on your own or ask our pros to assist with.

Features and Aesthetics

There are also several features or aesthetic areas to think about here:

  • Power: The greater your power sent to the speakers from the head unit, the louder your sound can get and the less distortion you’ll deal with. However, your head unit must be accompanied by speakers that match its power.
  • Aesthetics: As we noted above, you will generally have a great deal of personalization options for head units.
  • Features: Areas like MP3 usage, Bluetooth, digital radio or others will all be options depending which unit you choose.
  • Compatibility with other components: As we referred to with power and speakers, you need to be sure other audio components can meet the required quality levels dictated by the head unit.

Budget

Finally, like with any other major vehicle upgrade, you’ll want to keep your budget in mind. Once again, this decision will involve also keeping a close eye on which other components you’re upgrading, and spreading out your funds as needed. For more on head units and how to choose the best one for your car’s audio upgrade, or to learn about any of our car stereo system installations or other vehicle services, speak to the staff at Laketown Speed and Sound today.