What Is an Audio Processor, and Why Do I Need One?

In recent years, we have seen technology in the car audio market advance at a much faster pace than ever before. Handcrafted Car Audio in Chandler prides ourselves on offering cutting-edge products to our clients. One of the more popular newer technologies is the audio processor.

Now, don’t get us wrong. Just because a technology is new doesn’t mean we are going to offer it. We need to see a feature to review its benefit if a new piece of electronics is going to make it into our product mix.

Audio Processor Technology

Car audio processors, or DSP’s, have been around for more than 20 years. The difference between the products of old and the current ones is quite significant. Modern audio processors are designed to perform tasks that audio engineers never knew were going to come down the pike. If anyone told you decades ago that we would be leaving the factory stereo system in the dash and integrating with it, you would have said they were nuts. That, however, is the modern reality.

Feature-Packed Factory Radios

Chances are your vehicle has a beautiful color display in the dash that integrates with items like your steering wheel controls, satellite radio, backup camera and more. Unfortunately, modern stereo systems don’t sound much better than they used to. Sure, they play louder and they come with more speakers, but if you want something that sounds great, you are sorely disappointed. You need an audio processor.

Audio Processor Features

What is an audio processor, and why do you need one? Great question. A processor is going to perform several jobs when you upgrade your sound system.

Here are some of the best features.

• It can remove the equalization added to your music. Car manufacturers have to pinch every penny when building your vehicle, so instead of using high-quality speakers, they use inexpensive ones and add equalization to make them sound better. When you add in your upgraded speakers, this equalization “colors” your sound, degrading what you hear.
• Your music gets summed. Many premium factory audio systems divide up the musical signal for different speaker sizes. Since you want the new speakers going into your vehicle to work at their peak performance, a processor sums the signal back into a single, full-range channel. Now, your installer can pick the musical frequencies that are best for them.
• Digital delay is added to your music. Have you ever noticed that your sound seems to emanate from the door closest to you? A processor allows us to delay the sound arrival from each and every speaker. Now, it all arrives at your ears at the exact same time. Doing this makes your sound appear in front of you, with staging and imaging that rivals an intimate jazz concert or acoustical performance.
• Elaborate equalizers allow us to fine-tune each and every speaker in your new system individually, maximizing their individual sound quality and output.

Drastic Sound Quality Improvements

With all that being said, we can tell you simply that a well-designed, well-built car audio system that adds a properly tuned processor can see a 100% or more improvement in sound quality. When you look at it that way, it becomes a great value.

Stop By To Audition A Sound Processor Today

We invite you to stop by Handcrafted Car Audio in Phoenix with your vehicle and get to know us better. Ask us for a live demo of a processor in action and you will surely want one in your vehicle.