Car Stereo Jargon Buster
When choosing and buying a car stereo, you’re likely to find that the product descriptions are packed with technical terms and jargon which you may not understand. To help you to get to grips with the terminology used, here are definitions of some of the terms that you are likely to come across when looking for your new car stereo, speakers and other related accessories.
Coaxial Speakers – Also known as 2-way speakers. A coaxial speaker consists of a woofer and a tweeter (which is mounted inside the woofer cone) within the same unit. This type of speaker is great at reproducing high frequency sounds.
Cone - The part of a loudspeaker that produces the sound by reverberating.
DAC - Digital to Analogue Converter. This converts digital data into analogue signals.
Dual Cone - A type of speaker which consists of a woofer with a small “whizzer” cone in its centre. The “whizzer” helps to reproduce high frequency sounds but many believe that this is not as effective as having a separate tweeter.
DAB - Digital Audio Broadcasting, also known as digital radio. This is the future of radio and it will give you a clear digital sound and access to a wide range of digital radio stations.
FM/MW/LW – Types of radio broadcasting frequencies. FM stands for Frequency Modulation, MW stands for Medium Wave and LW stands for Long Wave. Different radio stations can be found on different frequencies.
Hertz - The measurement of frequency, usually written as Hz.
LCD - Liquid Crystal Display. A low-power monitor that gives you superb clarity yet takes up the minimum of space.
MB - Short for megabyte (1,024 kilobytes or 1,048,576 bytes). This is a unit of storage which indicates the amount of memory a piece of audio equipment has and will help you calculate the number of digital files, such as MP3 files, that can be stored on a CD, USB stick or computer hard-drive.
Motorised Fascia – This means that the face of the stereo slides out, making it easy to insert a CD.
MP3/ WMA - These are types of digital files which are widely used to store music. An MP3 is a compressed audio format that is popular for downloading and storing music, and a WMA is Windows Media Player audio file extension. These digital music files are then recorded on to CD-Rs or CD-RWs for playback in compatible audio CD players and car CD stereos. If your car stereo has a plug-and-play port, you can also transfer these files using a USB stick.
Multi-changer/AC – Auto changer normally refers to a multi-CD changer which is stored in the boot of your car.
Nominal Output - The output that the stereo can produce when performing as intended. This will be measured in watts.
Peak Power – This is the maximum power that can be sustained by your audio equipment for a short period of time.
Pre-Boxed Sub – Sub-woofer speakers should be stored in the boot of your car within a protective box. Most come without casing as standard, but a pre-boxed sub-woofer will be a time-saving purchase.
Pre-outs – The number of pre-outs indicates the amount of plug-in connections on the stereo. This allows you to add external amplifiers to improve your sound quality.
Presets – The number of radio stations that the car stereo can store within its memory.
RDS (Radio Data System) - RDS allows your radio to display information such as the name of the radio station that you’re listening to on its LCD screen. Certain models will also deliver relevant traffic reports and news broadcasts directly to your car stereo.
Remote Control Unit – This is normally attached to the steering wheel, allowing you to have full control of your CD player in a safe and convenient manner. A remote control unit will allow you to control the volume, change the radio station and, in some cases, control a multi-CD changer.
Removable Fascia - The fascia is the front unit of your car stereo; all new models are removable as an anti-theft measure.
Sub-Woofer – A sub-woofer is a large speaker designed to produce low frequencies and enrich the bass. It should be boxed and stored within the boot of your car.
Three-way Speaker - A type of speaker system which is made up of three different types of driver.
Tweeter – A small speaker designed to effectively reproduce high frequency sounds.
USBPlayer/Plug and Play Port - A USB or “plug and play port” is a port that enables you to connect external devices, in most cases in the form of a USB stick or removable hard drive. This will let you transfer MP3 or other compatible music files from your home computer straight to your car stereo. Simply plug in the USB stick into the plug and play compatible stereo and you can listen to music stored on the USB stick.
Woofer – This is a large cone speaker that reproduces bass and lower midrange frequency sounds.
