Why does the music from my Lionel train musical boxcar sound slow and warped?

Most Car/Audio enthusiast have this problem: how to keep you music in your car while keeping the road noises out. And although it may seem like a complex problem, there are a few simple steps you can take to make your music sound better while keeping more of it in the car.

Now before we get started, I just want to say that every car is different. Each car will have different trouble spots that require different methods of treatment. Some of the accessories that i suggest can be expensive and alternatives that i talk about can be used for smaller price tag.

First, let us talk about sound quality. How would you define the quality of your sound? Most cars will have a standard speaker set that are made of low quality material that tends to distort at high powers. My first suggestion would be to replace your factory speakers. New sets of speakers can start at around $50 at Crutchfield.com and will greatly increase the sound quality of your car. Next, if you have basic upgrade speakers and use them in conjunction with a sub and amp, you may find that your cabin speakers may distort when the volume gets loud. You sub will sound great because it is designed to handle the power, but your cabin speakers may not have been. If you find they are distorting sound, try adding a pair of Bass Blockers. They sell for about $20 per pair. Make sure you find ones that match your speaker size as to provide the perfect bass cut off for best sound. If you want to start throwing out the big bucks and really start pumping the volume, invest in a nice head unit(CD player) and equalizer. A good head unit will have every thing you need to play great music. It will send the sounds to the right speakers so to limit distortion, etc. An equalizer will allow you to create the perfect sound for your taste by allowing you to adjust the decibel slopes for different frequencies.

Second, lets talk about vibrations. One of the worst things to have happen is to invest a large amount of hard earned money into a killer system, then when it is installed, the car rattles like no tomorrow and as a result all of the music is distorted. In cases like this, sound proofing material like Dynamat may be used. Dynamat is a thin rubber like material that bonds to the metal surfaces in your car so that they will not resonate/vibrate. Sound proofing the entire car with Dynamat would end nearly every vibration problem you may have. The only problem is that Dynamat cost on average $10 per square foot or $100 per 10 square feet. I would recommend using a different material. I used a roofing material call Quick Roof which was designed to seal holes in roofs. However, it does a comparable job to Dynamat and only cost about $15 per 10 square feet. That's $75 less than Dynamat. If you decide to sound proof your car, key starting places would be the doors and trunk. If you still have problems after this, try and seek them out by turning up you volume and standing out side of the car. To install Dynamat or Quick Roof, take off all panels until you see the bare metal of the car frame. Measure out the amount of material you will need, then cut peel and stick. Its that simple.

For Car/Audio Enthusiasts, sound quality is a key part in their everyday ride. You can invest hundreds of dollars into a nice system and not have perfect quality. If you have trouble with quality in your car, try some of the tips above. And although every part may not help out in your car, some parts might. Just remember what your goal is and remember that good sound quality is in your reach. Cheers to sick audio system. BrownyMan