January 20, 2022
Car Audio has come a long way since the mid-1900s. It has been a staple for drivers and passengers to have their audio turned on during the ride. Learn more about the origin of your car's audio and how it evolved through the years. The 1930s The idea was reported to be the fruit of the minds of two brothers, Paul and Joseph. The radios they produced can signal to listen to AM radio channels focusing more on news and commentaries. The system used vacuum tubes powered by batteries. They called this the "Motorola." Eventually, their company became Motorola Inc, the pioneer in the telecommunications industry. The 1950s This decade, significant developments occurred, including the first in-car FM radio system. But this didn't mean that AM Radio was out of the picture. On the contrary, the start of this new era has given the car radio industry more and better opportunities. One of the companies that took chances was Blaupunkt. A German company focused only on FM-only radio. Not so long after, Becker's Mexico developed the AM/FM Radio. Today, Chrysler, a famous automobile company, started enabling its high-end cars to play records that have propriety rights and are exclusive to artists under Columbia Records. They called it the Highway Hi-fi. However, the papers tend to skip every time the car hits a bumpy road, making the listening experience unpleasant. Thus, AM/FM Radio remained the top choice for car drivers and passengers. The 1960s More inventions came up in the '60s. For example, the "Stereo-Pak," later called Autostereo, by Earl Madman Muntz. It is a 4-track technology for car audios that will not skip during the drive. After some time, an 8-track cartridge system was developed from Muntz's original idea. Bill Lear was one of the original inventors of the Motorola radios. The four and 8-track stereos allowed the listeners to play the song of their choice, at least among the available tracks installed. After a few years, Philips introduced the compact cassette. The 1970's and 1980's These decades for car audio are known as the era of cassette tapes. As car owners' customization started, one accessory that became popular included cassette tape receivers instead of the old school radio system. Along with these are heavy-duty speakers that can give a better sound quality. The 1990's In the '90s, Compact Discs players were becoming popular, although Philips and Sony introduced them in the late '80s. The quality of CDs compared to cassette tapes lasts longer. Also, the CD technology allowed drivers to switch CDs or tracks, conveniently giving them more power to choose the songs they felt like listening to. The 2000's and Today In the new millennium, several technologies emerged, such as MP3s, satellite radios, and streaming devices. It is widely used even by owners of old model cars with customized sound systems. What makes today's car audio remarkably different from the past? It can be how it connects with external devices to play music or a movie. It can also serve as a speaker for the GPS. Take a call without even putting your phone on your ears. Through Bluetooth or an auxiliary cord, you can use your phone to navigate the system the way you want to.