BUYING CARS

HELPING CAR AUDIO HIT HIGH NOTES

- JORDAN KATSIANIS

FOR a firm to be considered premium these days, a top-tier 'branded' stereo is a nonnegotiable element in its cars. But what many of us don't know is the amount of investment and development that goes into these systems, which have transformed a humble radio into an aural extravaganza.

A car is a terrible place to start designing a sound experience, because the road noise, vibration and harshness - NVH in industry terminology - generate a colossal amount of white noise for the system to overcome. This changes, too, depending on the speed or road surface. And inside the cabin, the soundwaves bounce in all directions off the hard materials, such as glass and plastic.