If you want to upgrade your car audio, many car owners will hear recommendations from some modification shops, “Add a DSP”.So what is this DSP? Why do shops recommend it for installation?DSP is an abbreviation, and its full name in Chinese is: Digital Signal Processing. The principle is to convert analog signals into digital signals for high-speed real-time processing by dedicated processors. Digital signal processing has a wide range of applications, not just in the audio field.It is also used in fields such as graphic image processing, voice processing, signal processing, and communication, and it is also applied in AI.In the past, as long as it was a larger audio system, it was dominated by high-end CD players, and they were all Japanese brands’ CD players. For example: Alpine, Pioneer, Kenwood… Take Pioneer as an example, a slightly high-end CD player can play actively and adjust delay. Even though there were a few models of DSP processors at that time, their prices were daunting.As people’s lives become faster and they become lazier, the types of songs they listen to are increasing, and they no longer specifically buy CDs. In recent years, video stores have become fewer, and buying CDs is indeed inconvenient. In terms of audio source quality, CDs are definitely superior to USB and Bluetooth.Remember when we used Kodak film? It wasn’t that it wasn’t good enough, but people’s habits changed.Moreover, in recent years, shops no longer actively recommend using CD players because installation is too complicated, and customers are unwilling to damage their original vehicles for retrofitting.People often ask me if DSP can improve sound quality? First, let’s distinguish between the categories of DSP in car audio. DSP also has another name, “processor.” The mainstream processors on the market are of two types: one is a pure DSP, which only processes audio without power amplification, and we also call it a professional processor.The other type not only has DSP functions but also integrates an amplifier board, including power amplification. This type of DSP is often referred to as a dedicated DSP for specific vehicles.Back to the previous question, can DSP improve sound quality? Let’s make an analogy: a stream of mountain spring water flows down from the mountain, and you can make the water sweeter or filter it cleaner in the middle. But the “quality” of the water certainly does not change, so the essence of the sound will not change either.So what does this DSP do in the car audio system?DSP can display any audio frequency band directly through computer software for modification. It can also cut frequency bands on a single signal channel or even adjust delay. This is the charm of DSP.Although some high-end systems’ CD players in the past could achieve the above functions, compared to traditional high-end CD players, the advantages of DSP are more prominent: one is the price advantage, and the other is that it does not require retrofitting, and the debugging method is more intuitive.It must be said that DSP has irreplaceable advantages for both us industry insiders and customers.In summary, DSP is a means of tuning, and there is not much change in the essence of sound quality; it is just a machine that integrates signals. Although it has powerful functions, due to the equipment it is matched with, the tuning technology still varies from person to person. Some people install DSP but do not achieve the expected effect; in my opinion, it is still a matter of tuning level.Therefore, when upgrading audio, it is essential to find the right person; this is the first factor.If after watching this video, you still have any questions or technical issues, you can leave a message in the comment area or send us a private message. I will answer them one by one for you.
