As a resource for audio lovers who want to get the best out of their car’s sound system, Auto Audio by Andrew Yoder (McGraw-Hill Publishing) tells it all, from acquisition and installation to the listening experience.
At the beginning of the book, Yoder thoroughly explains the ins and outs of buying new and/or used car stereo equipment from sources as diverse as top-line mail order houses and retail mega stores to flea-market hucksters. He then explains how each component in the system works, how they relate to each other, what to consider when choosing them, how to install them in a car, and how to repair them when things go wrong. But there’s more; he also provides tips that help you maximize what you’ve already got. For example, he doesn’t just discuss what speakers to buy, but also what the enclosures should be made from to achieve the best sound quality as well as provide security for the system.
Auto Audio is a big book, 392 pages in an extra-large format, with clean, large print for easy reading in the dim light when you have your head stuck under a dash, and it is chock full of information. Yoder goes well beyond the basics and explains in fascinating detail the workings of CD players, range of audible sound, electronic sound reproduction, woofers, tweeters, amps and ohms. His style is informal, friendly, humorous and easy-to-understand. Though he sometimes makes assumptions about what the reader may or may not know, a novice in electronics can follow his instructions for installation and descriptions of components and their uses without too much trouble, even considering the huge diversity of cars and components that may or may not fit into them. (Yoder even offers help for that: a search engine at www.crutchfield.com that sorts out components by make and model)
The book is full of installation hints for all major components, plus caveats and advice regarding suitability, reliability and compatibility. Components discussed include head units, speakers, amplifiers, filters, crossovers, equalizers, and even the cables or wires to choose for different applications.
Besides all the technical information and installation tips, at the back of the book is a resource list that includes addresses, phone numbers, e-mail addresses and web sites of auto audio manufacturers.
As good as the book is, it’s not perfect. First, there is no glossary of terms, something that novice installers could really benefit from. Secondly, I’ve never read a book that contains as many typos and editing mistakes as Auto Audio’s second edition. In the rush to get the book to market (almost understandable in the face of the fast-changing world of audio technology), the publisher got careless. This is unfortunate and to some extent takes away from the book’s value as a reference guide since after awhile, the reader starts looking for the mistakes and not the content.
In spite of these flaws, however, the second edition of Auto Audio is a great source for automotive audiophiles, and includes a lot of good information that will remain current for a long time to come, even at the today’s blistering rate of technological advances. If you are thinking of having your stereo system upgraded or doing the work yourself, Auto Audio will provide you with the information intelligent choices about components, installers and the right combination of equipment for you and your car. -- Sandy Compton
