Car Sound Systems
Crank up the sound in your car
by Lauren Dierolf
Buying a car with an outstanding audio system adds an enjoyment and excitement that you can use daily. Cnet.com named these five cars as having the best audio systems:
Top Rankings
The winner was the 2006 Lincoln Zephyr with an audio system of 600 watts of power through 12 channels. The system speakers are THX certified, a feature known to prevent speaker damage. The speakers include two 6x9-inch woofers in the rear deck, two 2.8-inch midranges and a 1-inch tweeter beneath a grille in the center of the dash. Additionally, there is a 5x7-inch mid-woofer and a 1-inch tweeter in each front door, a 5x7-inch mid woofer in each rear door and a 4-inch mid woofer in the rear deck. The sticker price on this car is $29,660.
Other Favorites
The first runner-up behind the Lincoln is the 2007 Acura RDX, which boasts a surround sound system with XM satellite radio, MP3 capability, WMA, Redbook CDs, DVD audio, radio and auxiliary inputs. It has a 6-channel, 410-watt amplifier with 10 speakers. It also has one speaker in each door, two tweeters, one center speaker, two surround speakers, and an 18-inch sub woofer. This car will cost you anywhere between $32,995 and $36,495, sticker price.
The 2006 Lexus IS 350 is the second runner-up. It has a 7.1-channel, 300-watt, 13 speaker surround sound system. Features of this system include a 6-disc in-dash CD changer which handles Redbook, MP3, WMA, and DVD audio formats. This car has the unique feature of playing a DVD video on the LCD front seat screen, even when the car is stopped. There is also an outlet for an MP3 player. This audio system was designed by Mark Levinson, and will cost you between $30,000 and $40,000.
The third runner-up was awarded to the 2007 Mercedes-Benz E550. Some interesting features of this audio system include a pop-out faceplate for CD insertion in the dash. There is also an auxiliary input jack in the glove box. iPods can be played, as well as CDs and MP3s.
The fourth and final runner-up was given to the 2006 Volvo C70, which may have the most audio system components of all of the winning cars. It has two 8-inch sub woofers behind the rear seat, at 130 watts each. It also has an 8-inch driver, 4-inch mid-range, and a 1-inch tweeter in each front door. Additionally, it has a 4-inch mid range and a 1-inch tweeter in the center of the dash. Finally, each rear side panel holds a 6.5-inch midrange and a 1-inch tweeter.
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It used to be we could depend on the reputation and reliability of North American cars to meet our standards - but could it be the times are changing? Here in the U.S., overseas models are continuing to rise in popularity. Find out why!
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