When buying a new car stereo there are a few essential items that most people overlook. The majority of users don’t realise that most cars have their own specific connections that will need to be adapted to suite the stereo or that an up to date stereo may be a different size to their original unit.

Most cars have a specific vehicle connection on the back of their stereo; all aftermarket stereos use an ISO connection. This creates a mismatch which needs to be overcome by the use an adaptor. Most people do not realise that this can be a factor when buying a car stereo and then realise when they go to fit the unit that it will not work. The easiest way of checking whether your car needs an adaptor is the contact a car audio specialist.

Aerial adaptors are much like the wiring adaptors I mentioned above, only the aerial connection as opposed to the power/speaker connection. This can be totally separate to the wiring adaptor, you may need an aerial adaptor but not a wiring adaptor and vice versa. Always double check both as it can be very frustrating when trying to install a stereo to find that you have not got the right aerial adaptor. Aftermarket head units all use a DIN connection, a lot of cars come with this as standard but it is always best to check when purchasing your stereo.

Last but certainly not least is the fascia panel. You’ve bought all your adaptors and wiring needed to fit the stereo but then find out it does not fit into the slot on your dash! This is where a fascia comes in; it alters the size of the dash to enable a nice snug fit for an aftermarket head unit. New aftermarket stereos either come in DIN or Double DIN sizes, OEM head units on the other hand come in a variety of sizes and some newer models can’t be replaced at all. Again it is best to check whether you need a fascia when purchasing your stereo.

So in brief always,