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Published on January 16, 2008

 The first and most obvious is an addiction to noise pollution that has discotheque-level music blaring from cars.

Oblivious to the quality of the sound, the idiots who do this also hold no consideration for the peace of their neighbours. Unfortunately. the addiction seems too hard to break for some people as they trundle down the road to deafness.

Second, the alteration or modification of your car in preparation for the in-car audio installation can be a horror if the chosen installer is lacking in experience. When it comes to installation, you should observe the fitters keenly, making sure they work with confidence and appear capable of meeting the required standard. Because once your audio system is mounted it is almost impossible to dismantle.

The inexperienced installer is likely to vandalise your car consoles and electrical systems to get those speakers or the amplifier in the desired place. This can leave scratches all over the place and in the worst scenario damage the engine.

This type of carnage is most common, and at its worst, when an inexperienced installer attacks a brand-new car.

Another thing to watch out for are fake specifications. Typically when people go to buy their audio products, the very first thing they look for is a spec sheet. They often assume that the higher the numbers, especially for amplification, the better the sound.

The problem is that fake car-audio gadgets are rife in the market, particularly among cheaper products and those with no well-known brand name.

I once found a loudspeaker for which the packaging claimed it had a "titanium" dome tweeter, when clearly it had a "clothed" dome tweeter.

Last, but not least, counterfeit car-audio products, particularly loudspeakers, are perhaps the biggest pitfall for consumers.

Consumers should watch out for products without warranty cards, as they are probably counterfeit. After a short length of time the quality will almost certainly drop drastically.

Today I have brought you just a taste of what to watch out for when dealing with car-audio products.

Believe me there is much more to tell.

By Wijit Boonchoo

The Nation

Ultimate in Luxury

The Luxury LS 460 is a wonderfully comfaortable car fitted with all mod cons, althoough not necessarily the most fun vehicle to drive.