Home > Technology > Music Gadgets

Music Gadgets for Your Car

Americans are always on the go, and it's usually by car. We love our cars and we love technology that lets us listen to our favorite music. Put those two passions together and you come up with a lot of awesome technology making for truly extraordinary in-car music that’s perfect for cross-town or cross-country travel.

CD Players and Cassette Players
For starters, of course, there are the "traditional" and reliable CD players and cassette players, many of which now offer the benefit of having detachable faces.

Simply remove the face of the unit from the dashboard when you leave your car (take it with you or lock it in your glove compartment) and enjoy the security of knowing that someone isn’t going to steal your system.

Satellite Radio: Clear Digital Sound
Today, there are so many more options to consider than there were even just a few years ago. Take satellite radio, for instance.

Subscribe to one of the companies that offer satellite radio (for a modest monthly fee) and enjoy dozens of channels of commercial-free music, sports and news and talk radio. As an added bonus, satellite radio delivers all of this to you in crisp, digital sound, no matter where your travels might take you.

DVD and MP3 Players
Other on-the-road entertainment possibilities include portable DVD players and MP3 players.

Put a portable DVD player in your car and those in the back seat can watch movies on an ultra-convenient five-inch disc. While the driver might not be able to see the on-screen action, he or she will be able to enjoy the CD-quality sound.

You can also bring an MP3 player into your car. With an MP3, you can download music on your PC right from the Internet. (You may have to pay to download content and restrictions may apply.) Or, you can record music off of your own personal CD collection and transfer it to your MP3 player.

The MP3 compresses music onto a disk, so you can store hours and hours of your favorite sounds and then play them back in your car.

Make your own custom "playlists" of songs you really want to hear. Thanks again to modern technology, MP3 players are solid and durable so music won't skip even on the rockiest of roads.

Subwoofers and Sound Systems
Audiophiles, those who really appreciate the finest sound quality, might consider adding a subwoofer to their car stereo systems.

A subwoofer will increase the dynamic range of your entire system, giving you a deeper, fuller sound. If you improve your sound system, make sure your improvements are covered under your auto insurance policy.

Also be sure to note that these bigger, louder and higher-quality sound systems are playing in an enclosed space. So take care and be responsible. You want to listen to great music without suffering from any hearing damage or impairing your driving awareness.

In all, there are plenty of great options that let you take your music anywhere you want to go. Hitting the road? You'll never drive alone as long as your tunes are with you!