When you have a car there are certain things that are must-have items. You need an engine that runs well, brakes that work good and a properly working cooling system. After that comes the creature comforts for your car that are nice to have such as air conditioning, a good looking interior design and a car stereo system that sounds good.

It is the latter that gives most people the hardest time choosing because there is so much variety in the marketplace and so much misinformation out there too. That is why we have decided to take the time to go over with you some of the major components found on car stereo systems and the role they play in the function of that system.

Car audio systems have changed dramatically over the last few decades. Gone are the days when these systems only included basic AM and FM radio and maybe an additional cassette or CD player. Modern audio systems for vehicles now can do such things as stream music and even display DVD videos on built-in screens. Despite being vastly improved versions the core pieces of equipment in a car stereo system remain basically the same.

What are the three major components that any good car stereo or media system must have? These include:

  • Head Unit (HU)
  • Amplifiers
  • Speakers