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Car Audio and Road Trips: Options for Upgrades

In part one of this two-part blog series, we went over some basics on car audio upgrades for your vehicle ahead of a road trip. Road trips make audio quality all the more important, and there are a few basic changes you might consider making to improve your system ahead of a big trip.

At Laketown Speed and Sound, we’re happy to offer a variety of car audio upgrade services to any client in need, including for those who want to optimize their system ahead of a road trip. In today’s part two of our series, we’ll go over a few of the other top upgrades you might consider plus a quick word on a few other automotive services we offer that you might enjoy in this same realm.

car audio road trips upgrades

Upgraded Amplifier

The amplifier is responsible for taking your car audio system’s power and converting it into the proper signal your speakers can handle. Crucially, this component of your system doesn’t have a maximum capacity — meaning you can always get more power out of it by upgrading to a higher-quality model.

Some upgrade options include multi-channel amps for speaker sets with additional drivers (e.g., coaxials or component sets) and single-channel amps for those with well-performing speakers already installed. Additionally, you can also upgrade your amp by pairing it with a new subwoofer — this is ideal if you want to bump up the bass sounds during your trip.

Subwoofer Improvements

In addition, it’s also possible to upgrade your subwoofer’s efficiency with a higher-quality amp. This can lead to enhanced power and sensitivity for improved sound quality; this means you’ll be able to take advantage of car audio formats like hi-definition Radio Data System (RDS) when they’re available.

In other cases, you’ll want an upgraded subwoofer purely for lower notes — if you’re planning on listening to a lot of hip-hop, rap or other music with a heavy emphasis on bass sounds. This is a particularly great choice for those who think they’ll be taking part in an activity outside their car at some point during the trip — this way, you’ll never miss some of your favorite songs while enjoying activities like hiking, biking and more.

Other Road Trip Upgrades

While audio upgrades are some of our specialties at Laketown Speed and Sound, there are also several other automotive services we offer that tend to be ideal for long road trips, including:

  • Tinted windows: When you’re driving for extended periods of time, tinted windows can be a huge help in easing your eyes and allowing you to focus on the road. They effectively reduce glare from the sun — thereby improving your vision at night or under harsh weather conditions like rain or snow.
  • Automotive security: If you’re taking your car on a long road trip, it’s advisable to install security devices like alarms or tracking systems. This will allow you to rest easy knowing that your vehicle is safe during the entire journey.
  • Remote start capability: When you’re driving long distances, it’s advisable to make your trips as short as possible — this is why remote starts are so valuable. They allow you to essentially start your car while still in the safety of your house or apartment, allowing it to heat up on cold mornings before you get in.

For more on the various car audio upgrades you should consider ahead of a road trip, or to learn about any of our car audio, window tinting or other services, speak to the staff at Laketown Speed and Sound today.

Car Audio and Road Trips: Why Your Utah Stereo Quality Matters

For those who regularly use their vehicles for longer road trips and similar kinds of adventures, there are several important considerations to keep in mind. One that’s valuable for both practical and comfort themes: Ensuring your car stereo system is properly outfitted for any major car trip you’re planning.

At Laketown Speed and Sound, we’re proud to provide a wide range of car audio and stereo upgrade services to clients throughout Utah, including those ideal for vehicle owners who are looking to optimize their in-car audio for road trips. Why is proper audio so important for a road trip, and what are some upgrades — both audio and otherwise — that we offer for these kinds of excursions? Here’s a primer.

car audio road trips

Why Car Audio Matters on a Road Trip

When you know you’ll be spending several hours consecutively in the car, it’s important to plan ahead for what you’ll listen to. This is especially true if you’re driving alone, but can also apply to groups of people who are traveling together in a number of different vehicles. By ensuring your car audio system has been upgraded or refurbished, you’ll likely enjoy several benefits on your road trip:

  • Improved sound quality, with the opportunity to listen to your favorite songs in car audio’s highest fidelity.
  • Tighter bass response during your trip, whether you’re listening to music or engaging in conversation.
  • Ability to connect to and interface with multiple devices (including smartphones, tablets and GPS units) for additional entertainment options.
  • Potential to use your speakers as an amplifier for other devices if you’re traveling with less-than-optimum sound systems.

Options like these will ideally allow you to enjoy your road trip more fully by better enveloping yourself in the sounds of the open road.

In addition, it’s important to note that car audio systems can deteriorate in quality over time — and over a period of hours listening to the same audio feed, this sort of thing will be very noticeable. Upgrades to your system, however, remove these risks.

Our next several sections will go over some of the top audio upgrades you might consider before a major road trip.

New Stereo

For those looking to revamp their entire in-car audio system, upgrades are available for your car’s head unit (e.g., the stereo/radio/CD player), speakers, amplifier and subwoofer — in addition to any wiring you might need to ensure they’re all properly connected. We have a wide range of new stereos for car, each incorporating bells and whistles specific to your vehicle and your preferences.

Replacement Speakers

When you’re looking to upgrade speakers, replacing them with higher-quality models can be a great idea for road trips. This is true of new car speakers of all types: component sets (which include tweeters and woofers), coaxials (full range drivers) and subwoofers. We’ll help you make the right choice between these various options.

To learn more about the various audio upgrades we’ll offer you ahead of a road trip, or for info on any of our automotive services in Utah, speak to the staff at Laketown Speed and Sound today.

Car Alarm Variables: Value, Budget and Starter Kill

While motor vehicle theft rates have continued dropping over recent years compared with their high levels from previous decades, such thefts do still take place. You have a few good tools to guard your vehicle against this and other risks while parked anywhere in public (or even in private), and the primary such tool here is your car’s alarm system.

At Laketown Speed and Sound, we’re happy to offer a variety of automotive security features, including car alarm installation for vehicles without an alarm or alarm upgrades for those that do have an alarm, but not a great one. Our alarm systems are ideal for a variety of vehicle owners, professionally-installed and meant to last for years against a variety of threats. This two-part blog series will dig into why it pays to have a quality alarm system in your car, plus some of the important variables to be considering when you’re installing a new alarm.

car alarm value budget

Value of a Quality Alarm System

For starters, why does a car alarm even matter to you? If car theft rates are going down and you take the right care to lock the vehicle, do you really need one?

Absolutely, and for more than just security reasons – though these are the top of the list, of course. Many stock vehicle alarm systems are poorly tuned in terms of sensitivity or other factors and will not do a great job of protecting your car; aftermarket alarm systems, on the other hand, will augment your vehicle’s current features and provide much better protection. In addition, such a system will often lower your insurance costs for your car, help with future insurance claims, and raise the value of the vehicle if you choose to sell it down the line.

Our next several sections will go over themes to consider while installing a new alarm system.

Budget

First and foremost, you’ll want to keep your overall budget in mind for any new alarm. There are several alarm system types out there depending on the funds you have available; all of them will contain the most basic security themes, but as you move up the scale in price, you’ll be exposed to grander and more useful features. We’ll go over many of these features in our upcoming sections, which will span into part two of our series

Starter Kill

As many are well aware, the modern car thief doesn’t need your keys to drive away with your car – they can hot-wire most models. For this reason, many aftermarket car alarm systems will come with built-in starter kill features, which automatically cut the power to the vehicle if anyone tries to hot-wire it. For those in high-theft areas, the starter kill is a must-have for the alarm system.

For more on which car alarm features to prioritize, or to learn about any of our window tint, car audio systems or other services, speak to the staff at Laketown Speed and Sound today.